In 2009, St. Brendan’s Trust provided KASI with a three-quarters acre site to develop as a community garden, located in Ballycasheen, Killarney, next to St. Oliver’s National School. Through the help of volunteers, including migrants, protection applicants and other Killarney residents, the grassland has since been transformed into a verdant garden and and an asset to the Rookery Road and Ballycasheen area.

The KASI Community Garden is a space where people learn gardening skills from various parts of the world and where culture, stories and food are shared. The Community Garden also opens doors to promote what KASI is all about and acts as a space for integration to happen in a very informal and ‘organic’ manner.

The Space

The garden has a 72 ft polytunnel, two garden sheds, a potting shed and c.20 raised vegetable and flower beds of different shapes and sizes. A log cabin fitted with a common area, kitchen and toilet facilities was erected in 2017. Since the cabin has been built, staff and volunteers are able to work at and enjoy the garden throughout the year.

All vegetables and flowers are grown organically and many are grown from seeds. Most of the vegetables used in KASI’s previous School Canteen Project were grown and sourced from the KASI Community Garden. In late 2024, KASI’s Cultúr Cafe coffee-trailer will also be operating from the Community Garden.

In 2018, the KASI Community Garden won a Biodiversity Award from the Killarney Looking Good Committee.

All are welcome to the KASI Community Garden – if you want to visit or to get involved, please contact 0646620705 or info@kasi2000.com

KASI is indebted to St. Brendan’s Trust for providing the opportunity to transform this site from grassland into a flourishing mulitfunctional space.