Dublin AGS Show, 2011
Despite the preceding very harsh winter, which brought with it unprecedented low December temperatures across the entire island, the show benches in
This year,
As always the Dublin Show was well supported by the Ulster Group, with exhibitors making an early start to drive south to arrive before the 10 a.m. staging deadline. Several plants required every last minute on a sunny windowsill to open blooms that had closed up during their boot-confined journey.
One family of plants not adversely affected by the
There was another member of the Ericaceae in pristine condition in
As at many Dublin Shows past, Liam Byrne won the ACC Cup for the most first prize points in the Open Section. Yet again, the importance of his contribution to the Show cannot be overemphasized. Once more Liam exhibited a full car load of top quality alpines, two of which, Shortia soldanelloides var. intercedens (shown above) and Cheilanthes eatonii (shown right), were awarded Certificates of Merit. The shortia was in excellent condition and narrowly missed out on several of the main awards, while the fern, shown in a 19 cm pan class, was a flawless example of a rather demanding plant to groom to show standard.
Not all the top awards were destined for local homes. Ian Leslie from North Wales brought some very fine plants across the
A Certificate of Merit was given to his very unusual, slow-growing Saxifraga marginata aff. karadzicensis, which prefers an alkaline compost and given the right conditions produces a very impressive display. Ian also won The Ulster Group Trophy for three pans raised from seed in the small Open Section.
Billy Moore was awarded an AGS Medal for the 19 cm six-pan class in the Open Section and a Certificate of Merit for a plant described as an ‘old friend’ during the awards presentation – a very distinguished Gypsophila aretioides (shown right) that has attained such a size that a hand-made pot was ordered to accommodate it. He also staged another loyal companion – a Saxifraga stribyrni (shown above) that won a Farrer Medal more than a decade ago and is now approximately 20 years old.
This reporter won the Barney Johnson Trophy for most first prize points in the Intermediate Section and the Waverley Trophy for the best therein with a small but well-flowered specimen of Androsace vandellii. The same plant was also awarded the David Shackleton Trophy for the best pan Primulaceae.
Jimmy Lott won the Termonfeckin Trophy for the most first prize points in the Novice Section and the Brian Wood Trophy for one pan raised from seed with a fine Draba bruniifolia subsp. olympica. Barbara O’Callaghan won the Millennium Cup for the best plant in the Novice Section for a very well-presented pan of Tulipa humilis (shown).
There was a very impressive photographic display in the Artistic Section. The top awards went to Jon Evans from
The Show was rounded off by the presentation of honorary membership to the Dublin Group for Val and Ian Keegan for their long-standing contribution. Val, who has been the Show Secretary for 21 years, is handing over the reins to Michael Higgins. He has the daunting task of following this – and the previous 20 – highly successful and enjoyable Dublin Shows!