First Dublin mayor to plant a veggie garden in the official residence

The Mansion House has been the seat of Dublin’s Lord Mayor since 1715

Yesterday, authorities in Dublin announced that Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy has become the first person in her office to plant a vegetable garden in the Mansion House – the Lord Mayor’s official residence since 1715.

Additionally, Mayor Conroy has also planted a tree celebrating the diligent work of Dublin City Council’s Park Department during the pandemic. She expressed her gratitude to the workers, who kept the city’s green areas in mint condition at a time when public space seemed indispensable.

Plant by example

According to an official statement, Mayor Conroy decided on planting the garden and break with convention, because she aims to lead by example. She was quoted, as pointing out that biodiversity and sustainable nutrition are crucial parts of her policy agenda.

Furthermore, the garden can serve a symbolic purpose for Dubliners too timid or unsure whether to break out the gardening tools in their own backyards.

The garden features shallots, onions, garlic, fennel, artichokes, blackcurrant, raspberries and blueberries. According to an official statement by the city, it will also include potatoes, tomatoes and cabbage in the near future.

Mayor Conroy, who is from the Green Party, was quoted in an official statement explaining that promoting biodiversity and climate action is an opportunity for her position, as well as a critical objective for the Irish Capital.  

Notably, the garden will be ready to be harvested by this summer which fits with the mandate of Dublin’s Lord Mayor. While the local elections in Dublin are held every five years, with the last one in 2019, the city council elects the position of mayor every year, from the pool of city councillors. This means that when the next Lord Mayor is elected, he or she can choose to remove the garden.