The Delgany and District Horticultural Society’s annual Dahlia Show brought a splash of late-summer colour to the community on Saturday, August 29, as growers, gardeners and flower enthusiasts gathered to admire an impressive display of blooms while the rain did its best to spoil it.
Held from 2.30pm to 5pm, the popular event marked the society’s final show of the summer. It transformed the venue into a vibrant floral gallery as enthusiasts admired the rows of dahlias in every shade and form, alongside the seasonal flowers, vegetables, shrubs and container plants.
The centrepiece of the afternoon was of course the dahlia competition, where exhibitors competed across a range of classes for the prestigious trophies and medals.
Among the standout performers was David Moloney, who enjoyed a particularly successful day, claiming several of the show’s top honours, including the Irish Dahlia Society Silver Medal in the John Markham Dahlia Championship and the coveted Thornton Cup for Best Exhibit of Dahlias in the overall show.
Trevor Stevenson was another major winner, collecting awards across a variety of sections including miniature dahlias, chrysanthemums, flowering shrubs, vegetables, potatoes and tomatoes.
Other exhibitors to take home silverware included Niall Coveney, Siobhan Moloney, Tom Curtis, Joan Gregg and James Kelly.
The popular show highlighted the strong interest in horticulture in the Delgany and Greystones, with the society one of the oldest active community gardening institutions in Ireland, tracing its history back to the 1870s.
Fans of all things floral can now get busy preparing for next year’s spring show.