Event
Green Foundation Ireland, in partnership with Connecting Cabra and the Cabra Biodiversity Festival, invite you to join us for an afernoon talk with Ciarán De Buitléar:
Gardening for Nature
This will be followed by the screening of “The Tolka – This is Your River“, along with two short films about nature restoration and flooding in Cabra.
SATURDAY 23 MAY 2026
Our talk: 14:00 to 14:45 (Irish time)
Our film screenings: 15:00 to 15:45 (Irish time)
Venue: Christ the King Church
Offaly Road, Cabra, Dublin, D07 N2Y1.
GETTING THERE
Christ the King Church is situated on Offaly Road, Cabra, Dublin, D07 N2Y1 – here is a map to help you locate it.
Parking is limited. Some on-street parking available but please use the excellent public transport links if possible. The Luas Green line stop at Cabra is close by.
About Our Guest Speaker
CIARÁN DE BUITLÉAR
Ciarán is the husband of Fiona and dad to Sam and Zack. Born and raised in Dublin, he has made his home in Stamullen, County Meath for many years. By day he works as a database specialist in the tech world. In his spare time he has spent decades cultivating gardens that are as much about nature as they are about beauty.
He founded Gardeningwell, an initiative for wildlife gardening and climate action. A trustee of Free Trees Ireland, he has helped distribute thousands of native trees across the country.
Nature’s Acre is Ciarán’s first book. It shows how ordinary gardening can sit within Ireland’s tradition of writing about nature – while staying accessible to anyone, anywhere. His writing blends practical, sustainable gardening with expressive storytelling and a wry sense of humour, drawing together plants, a sense of place, and a personal recovery.
About Connecting Cabra
Connecting Cabra is a volunteer‑led group dedicated to creating a more sustainable, resilient Cabra, with community connection at the heart of everything they do. They take meaningful local action on sustainable energy, biodiversity and community wellbeing.
Their projects focus on practical, on‑the‑ground improvements, from supporting local wildlife and promoting sustainable energy and food‑growing systems, to encouraging active travel, circular‑economy practices and stronger community ties.
As always at our events, an important part will be the Q&A session
which will allow full participation by those attending.
THEME
OUR TALK – “Gardening for Nature”
Ciarán De Buitléar, author and wildlife gardener, will talk about his book Nature’s Acre and give tips on gardening for wildlife. The book is a true story about a small Irish garden, mental health, and learning to live with wildlife instead of against it. A wildlife-garden diary, community story and account of holding a nervous system together with soil under the fingernails, Ciarán will talk about his story behind the book, and give tips on wildlife gardening.
OUR FILM SCREENINGS – Resilient Cabra: Stories of People, Place, Nature and Water
Our talk will be followed by a relaxed screening of films and stories all about Cabra – its people, its nature, and the places we share. We will be showing two short films on the River Bradogue, flooding in the area, and some of the nature restoration work happening locally. There will also be a short documentary The Tolka – This is Your River, which flows right past Cabra.
This event is part of National Biodiversity Week 2026
organised by the Irish Environmental Network
and
Cabra Biodiversity Festival.