Met Éireann has been awarded a Silver Gilt Medal at Bord Bia Bloom 2026, for its show garden exhibit, entitled Met Éireann’s 90th Anniversary: Past, Present and Future.
Thursday, May 28th
Left to right: Designers Padraic Woods and Paul Dunne, with Met Éireann Education and Outreach Officer, Gráinne Connolly, with their Silver Gilt Medal award at Bord Bia Bloom 2026
Created by Paul Dunne of Paul Dunne Landscaping and Padraic Woods of Shapes Garden Design, working with a small team of Met Éireann colleagues over a number of months, the commemorative garden invites visitors to explore our changing climate, while paying tribute those who monitor, interpret, and communicate Ireland’s atmosphere with such dedication.
At the garden’s foundation, a native birch woodland frames a meadow and wetland that shift subtly with the seasons, while a commitment to resilient planting aims to create a connection to the natural world and our response to the changing climate.
The design is inspired by the science, expertise, and continuous 24-hour observations of the Met Éireann team. An oversized umbrella symbolises the rain that nourishes our landscapes and gives Ireland its 40 shades of green.
The exhibit also features an extensive weather instrument garden, displaying devices used in observations of the past and present, including Stevenson screens, rain gauges, and sunshine recorders.
The award that greeted the design team onsite at the Phoenix Park this morning is a satisfying culmination of countless hours of design, planning, sourcing of materials and ultimately, hard manual labour and follows on from the previous two days, during which a panel of experienced judges cast their expert eyes over the 19 show gardens on display.
The rigorous judging process involved assessment of:
- Meeting of the Design Brief– realisation of brief and feasibility as per client, location or intended use.
- Overall Impression/Design– including impact, originality, balance and scale.
- Construction– quality, finish and special features.
- Planting– design, colour & texture, association & relevance and use of locally-sourced plant material.
Kicking off at the Phoenix Park this morning (Thursday, May 28th), the festival runs through until bank holiday Monday, and the Met Éireann team will be onsite each day to engage with attendees through live daily weather forecasts expert advice and discussion, educational displays and an interactive green screen for visitors to get their own taste of weather presenting.
Aside from the Silver Gilt Medal, the Met Éireann garden will also be in the running for the Bord Bia Bloom People’s Choice Award, which is open to the public to vote for by texting GARDEN1 to 50100 before 1pm on Monday, June 1st.
For tickets and other relevant information, check out the Bord Bia Bloom website.
About the Designers
Through his Kildare-based business Paul Dunne Landscaping, experienced landscape designer Paul Dunne provides a full design and build service, working closely with clients to create bespoke outdoor spaces tailored to their lifestyle. Paul previously won a sliver medal at Bord Bia Bloom 2017 for his the Marie Keating Foundation on its ‘Get Men Talking’ garden.
Paul frequently collaborates with fellow landscape designer and founder of Shapes Garden Design in Dublin, Padraic Woods, who has a background in design, architectural drafting, horticulture, and land surveying. Also no stranger to Bloom, Padraic was recognised at the 2010 edition for his work on the ‘Sharing the Load’ show garden, which sought to champion mental health awareness.