Sensory Garden Opens In Buncrana

A new sensory garden has been unveiled in the Ballymacarry area of Buncrana, Co Donegal.

Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council,  Cllr Jack Murray visited the area on Friday 03 June to officially open the iCARE Sensory Garden.

The project received funding as part of Donegal County Council's €5.5 million Local Authority Action Plan, which has been financed under the European Union's PEACE IV Programme. The PEACE IV Programme is managed by The Special EU Programmes Body.

This event celebrated the opening of the new Sensory Garden for iCARE offering opportunities for interactive play for children and adults of varying ages and abilities. The garden creates different areas to provide a variety of multi-sensory experiences, such as sheltered sensory activity area, sensory path, play area and a garden for growing flowers, fruits and vegetables. The new sensory garden also includes a Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Communications Board, which provides communications support, with particular benefit to children or adults who are either pre-verbal or non-verbal and/or have communication difficulties.


Match-funding has been provided by the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland. Donegal County Council through the PEACE IV Partnership Committee secured PEACE IV funding under Objective 3 Shared Spaces and Services – Action 3.2 Local Authority Shared Spaces Projects – Sensory Garden.