Kildare school scoops runners up prize in gardeners competition

A Kildare school has scooped runners up prize in the 2026 Woodie's Budding Gardeners Competition.

The second class students of Gaelscoil Mhic Aodha scooped one of the runners up prizes for their project 'Plant Paradise', taking home a €500 Woodies gift card.

Now in its sixth year, the Woodie’s Budding Gardeners campaign encourages children across Ireland to flex their green fingers by taking on an exciting garden project at home or in school while learning about the importance of plants along the way.

Speaking about the creative and colourful entries from this year’s Budding Gardeners competition, Woodie's garden expert and judge, Brian Burke said: "Judging the Woodie’s Budding Gardeners competition is a key highlight on the calendar each year, but it is one of the most challenging tasks! The originality, talent, and imagination shown by young gardeners across Ireland is truly remarkable, and the care, effort, and attention to detail evident in every entry continues to amaze us year after year.

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“We received submissions from all over the country, including some wonderfully inventive and eye-catching homemade pots. A huge well done to everyone who entered.”

Adding to this, Hilda Lyon, Head of Marketing at Woodie’s said: “A huge congratulations and heartfelt thank you to all the families, schools, and young budding gardeners who took part in this year’s Woodie’s Budding Gardeners competition. Every year, we are blown away by the imagination and enthusiasm on display, and this year was no exception.

“It’s clear that so much care, effort, and fun went into every project and every participant should be proud of what they’ve accomplished. Well done to everyone involved!”

The overall Woodie’s Budding Gardeners top prize went to ten-year-old Matthew Cahir from Ennis in County Clare for his ‘Matthew’s Supergarden’ entry, winning the top cash prize of €1,000.

Other runners up in this year's competition included brother and sister Fiadh (age 6) and Oisín (age 7) Murphy from Rathpeacon in County Cork, five-year-old Lucy Murphy from Drumshanbo in County Leitrim, Ms. Saoirse McSweeney’s Special Needs Class from Banogue National School in Limerick with their project ‘An Bosca Beo’ and Ms. Joanne Fox’s Special Needs Class from Scoil Bhríde Clara in County Offaly with their project ‘Butterfly Dreams’.

For more information about Woodie’s Budding Gardeners, see www.woodies.ie/community/woodies-budding-gardeners