Diarmuid Gavin
| Diarmuid Gavin | |
|---|---|
 Diarmuid Gavin at the Dublin Horse Show | |
| Born | 10 May 1964 |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | Templeogue College |
| Alma mater | College of Amenity Horticulture |
| Occupation | Garden designer |
| Spouse(s) | Justine Keane |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
Diarmuid Gavin (born 10 May 1964) is an Irish garden designer and television personality.
Early life
When he was six, his younger brother Conor (5) was killed by a car while they were walking to school.[1] He received secondary education at Templeogue College, which he recalls the subjects as being "horrifying," with the exception of art classes,[2] and studied horticulture at the College of Amenity Horticulture in Glasnevin, Ireland.
Career
Gardening
In May 2011 Gavin's "Irish Sky Garden" won the gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show. However it courted controversy when Cork City Council in Ireland agreed to put the garden on permanent display at Fitzgerald's Park in the Mardyke area of the city at a cost of at least €300,000 to the cash-strapped council.[3] Already more than €1.7 million had been given to the project by Fáilte Ireland, the Irish tourism body. The decision attracted widespread criticism including that of a number of Cork city councillors. Councillor Ted Tynan pointed out that there were over 500 boarded up local council houses in the city and demanded clarification from the council as to what the exact cost of the garden would be.[4]
Television presenting
He has presented a number of BBC television programmes including Gardeners' World; Home Front with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and, in 2004, a Twofour and RHS production Gardens Through Time. RTÉ is currently screening the television show I Want a Garden.
He presented an episode of Great British Garden Revival which will air on BBC Two in 2014.
Guest appearances
In Autumn 2004 he participated in the BBC One pro-celebrity ballroom dancing game show Strictly Come Dancing. In summer 2006 in the BBC's charity showjumping event Only Fools on Horses.
In 2010, Diarmuid took part in the first series of the ITV reality competition 71 Degrees North. He was the third celebrity to become eliminated on 21 September 2010.
On 12 December 2010, Diarmuid appeared on Channel 4 in a Christmas special edition of Come Dine With Me alongside David Gest, Hannah Waterman and Sherrie Hewson.
He was a participant in the first series of Splash!, an ITV reality television series about diving, that started in January 2013.[5] Gavin was the fourth celebrity to be eliminated from the show, despite low scores on his first night.
On 9 October 2013, Diarmuid appeared on the ITV game show Big Star's Little Star alongside his daughter Eppie and won money for charity.
On 14 December 2013, Gavin appeared on The Chase: Celebrity Special. Despite a poor individual round, the team of which he was a member managed to beat the "chaser" Paul Sinha and win £8,000. Diarmuid took away £2,666 for Wicklow Hospice Foundation
Awards
Diarmuid Gavin won an RDS Gold Award in 1991 and 1993, a bronze medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in 1995, a silver-gilt medal in 2004, and a silver-gilt medal in 2007.[6] He finally won a gold at Chelsea for "The Irish Sky Garden" in 2011, in partnership with Fáilte Ireland, and the City of Cork.[7] He is also a patron at Southport Flower Show.
In 2007, Diarmuid received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Art from Nottingham Trent University in recognition of his international reputation for contemporary garden designs.
Works
Diarmuid Gavin is the author of a number of best-selling gardening books including Diarmuid Gavin's Big Ideas and Outer Spaces.
Personal life
He is married to Justine Keane, daughter of The Hon. Ronan Keane (the former Chief Justice of Ireland) and Terry Keane, and they have a daughter named Eppie born December 2004.
References
- ↑ Fletcher, Martin (27 March 2005). "Interview: Jasper Gerard meets Diarmuid Gavin". The Times (London).
- ↑ "Class Act: Interview by Sylvia Roger". London: Daily Telegraph. 1 May 2004.
- ↑ Riegel, Ralph (31 May 2011). "Diarmuid Gavin's €2m 'Sky Garden' growing in cost". Irish Independent.
- ↑ Riegel, Ralph (31 May 2011). "Diarmuid Gavin's €2m 'Sky Garden' growing in cost". Irish Independent.
- ↑ Tom Daley's Splash!: The celebrities are revealed
- ↑ "Diarmuid Gavin wins Chelsea silver".
- ↑ "The Irish Sky Garden".
External links
| |||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|