Discovering something special and inspirational by chance is always better than hearing or reading about it beforehand. It was on a recent trip to Inishowen in Co Donegal that we inadvertently stumbled across Dunree Fort on the eastern shores of Lough Swilly. The plan had been to visit what turned out to be a rather underwhelming lighthouse, however, the decommissioned military installation was itself a revelation, as was the slightly incongruous yet alluring gardens at its centre. The fort dates from the Napoleonic Wars and was under British sovereignty until 1938. It was used by the Irish Army for training until the 1990s but is now an idiosyncratic tourist attraction with a museum, artists' studios and exhibition spaces, and a (highly recommended) café.
The site is due to be overhauled with a €12.5 million investment funded by Fáilte Ireland that includes the creation of a funicular railway which promises to "connect the experience from sea-level to the top of the complex in a 'thrilling ascent'". At the moment Fort Dunree is a bit haphazard, which for me is much of its attraction. It’s possible to explore many of the disused, derelict buildings, while piles of old timber and what looks like an abandoned lorry trailer convey a sense of neglect. Yet in its midst are two gardens that manage to utilise the existing surroundings, while also allowing nature to flourish.
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The first, The Potting Shed, was developed around a decade ago by artist Christine Mackey, who during a residency at the fort discovered how flora and fauna had inhabited abandoned spaces.
The garden – or what she termed a 'living herbarium' – is located within a walled area that, among other things, was previously used for making dog food. It was designed with "[no] particular aesthetic in mind" but was dictated by the specific healing properties of plants. She created raised beds made from salvaged materials found on-site.
The garden then acted as a ‘plein-air’ artist’s studio or ‘studio without walls’, facilitated by Artlink, a professional art company based at Dunree. Fellow artist Rebecca Strain subsequently helped develop the space as the Amach Anseo community garden, prompted by a desire to grow food for her new-born son. Plants were donated from volunteers' gardens, with the focus very much on learning, promoting organic methods and embracing wildness. The planting changes but the ethos is constant.
"It's a very small space and everybody involved has their own gardens so it acts as the centre of a network and a social space as much as anything else," says Rebecca.
"Although it's walled, it's very much an open space, so people can just wander in."
Adjacent to The Potting Shed is a garden of reflection and remembrance that was conceived in 2017 to coincide with the centenary of the sinking of the HMS Laurentic. A luxury liner that was put into service as a troop transport vessel for the Canadian Expeditionary Force, it sank at the mouth of Lough Swilly en route to Halifax, Nova Scotia soon after an unscheduled stop at Buncrana. The garden and a nearby monument, developed by the Ulster Canada Initiative, honour the 354 men who died.
Like The Potting Shed, the Laurentic memorial garden, is sympathetic to its surroundings, with planting that must endure exposed, coastal conditions. Designed by conservationist Mike Verspuij it also encourages insect life with its use of natural materials creating plenty of crevices and other hiding places for smaller creatures.
Both gardens are a credit to a list of volunteers too numerous to mention. Let’s hope that Dunree’s essential character will be retained after the forthcoming revamp.
