500,000 flowers for Dublin as the city prepares to celebrate being 1000 years old.
Dublin is getting a floral makeover with tub displays, flower beds, and parks around the city ablaze with colourful flowers and plants.
All of the plants are grown at Dublin Corporation's nursery at Saint Anne's Park. A recently developed site beside City Hall on Dame Street has been named 'Millennium Gardens'.
Noel Carroll of Dublin Corporation says,
As next year is millennium year we want the city to look its best and I suppose you could say that this is the beginning of our efforts.
Noel Carroll commends the dedication and hard work of the parks workers in maintaining the gardens and flower beds throughout the city. One such park is Saint Anne's Park which has earned the reputation as having one of the finest rose gardens in Europe, and as such is a favourite destination for wedding parties as the background for their photographs. Dublin Corporation has dedicated a special area for the display of miniature roses and it is hoped that the garden will be in full bloom for next year's millennium celebrations.
Superintendent of the Parks Department Jim Shannon says that there are great hopes for the millennium with many people already giving new breeds of roses as a gift to the city. One such rose will be named Anna Livia.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 24 August 1987. The reporter is Teresa Mannion.
