Coronation Garden designed by Diarmuid Gavin attracts 50,000 visitors in a month

DUP Alderman Stephen Ross described the response as “absolutely amazing”. “Some people said nobody would go it it. This was 50,000 in a month,” he added.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla officially opened the specially-themed public garden in Newtownabbey to mark the coronation of His Majesty during their visit to Northern Ireland on May 24.

The 16-metre structure is a three-floor pavilion topped by a crown and provides visitors with a musical performance of dancing topiary and spinning conical trees every 15 minutes, created by celebrity gardener and Garden Show Ireland ambassador Diarmuid Gavin.

Mr Gavin also created the Clockwork Garden which is located at Castle Gardens in Antrim to mark Her late Majesty’s platinum jubilee, the return of Garden Show Ireland after the pandemic and as a permanent attraction on the 10th anniversary of the site’s refurbishment as well as the 100th anniversary of the Antrim Castle fire.

Last month, councillors voted to grant permission for the permanent retention of the commemorative garden with eight councillors in favour, Deputy Mayor Glengormley Sinn Fein Cllr Rosie Kinnear against and an abstention from party colleague Cllr Henry Cushinan, a Dunsilly representative.

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