BIG READ: Meet Máire Wixted, the Tipp gardener raising thousands for cancer research

Tipperary woman Máire Wixted recently presented the Mercy Hospital Foundation in Cork with a cheque for €5,500, in support of vital research into myelofibrosis, a rare and aggressive blood cancer.

Máire raised the funds by opening her two-acre Garville Gardens in Upperchurch, near Thurles, to the public last summer.
The fundraiser was organised in memory of her late husband, Sean, who sadly passed away from myelofibrosis in 2004.

READ NEXT:

Máire told the Tipperary Star about the motivation behind her fundraising efforts and the hours of work that she has put into Garville Gardens:

“When my late husband Seán died in 2004 it wasn’t diagnosed as a cancer at that stage, but it has since been brought in under the umbrella of cancers.

“He did have very good quality of life during that time and we always spent time in the garden together.

“If they can find something out about what causes those rare blood cancers, then maybe they can do something to make life easier for the for the patients and their families.”

The donation will go directly to support the MOSAICC Cancer Trials, a pioneering research initiative led by Dr Clodagh Keohane at Mercy University Hospital.

Cork has been contributing to this international study for the past two years, and it seeks to identify the causes of rare blood cancers and assess the quality of life and care needs of those affected.

Just last year, MUH opened Ireland’s only psychologist led Cancer CARE Centre. This new €3 million facility, on Dyke Parade, is open to all cancer patients being treated at MUH and to their families.

This is not the first time Máire has championed this cause; a previous donation in 2022 allowed researchers to include an additional ten patients in the study.

The recruitment to this study is near completion with pivotal results expected at the end of this year.

The Open Garden event last June drew large crowds who were treated to a vibrant display of flowers, trees, and perennials across the tiered gardens.

Visitors also enjoyed a tour of Máire’s working vegetable garden.

However this two-acre site was not transformed overnight, and is an ongoing labour of love for Máire Wixted.

“I remember the first time I took out a push lawnmower after Seán's funeral, I looked up at the sky and said 'just look at what I'm at now!’ Because Seán always looked after the lawns and the hedges.

“Seán's father planted some lovely trees, but we had to remove a lot of them because they were planted too close together. We took them out and replaced them with more ornamental trees instead.

“There was also a wet area over at the back of the garden, which is now my fruit and beg area. I got a glass house and installed it there. It was a conservatory at the back of a house in Dublin. I got it for very little, cost a lot to put it up, but it is absolutely fabulous.

“The garden really has evolved over the years. It was after I retired that I really put a lot more energy into it. It has evolved to this day and is still evolving. Gardens don’t stay static, no more than ourselves.”

Throughout the summer, Máire welcomed numerous other guests who contributed to the fundraising efforts.

Reflecting on her motivation, at the cheque presentation, Máire said: "Together, Seán and I had great plans to develop our garden, and it has been a privilege to fulfil our shared dream in his memory.

“The fundraising efforts would not be possible without the support of our generous raffle sponsors. Thanks must also go to Thurles and District Flower and Garden Club, and Nenagh Flower Club for their continuous support.’’

Garville Gardens will once again open to the public this summer, on Sunday, June 22 from 2pm until 5pm, inviting guests to experience its floral beauty while supporting a worthy cause.

“I’m opening it again. I remember when I gave the last cheque saying ‘sorry thatI haven’t more to give you’. But look, that’s the way it is of course. And every little bit that you give is well worth giving.’’

“It’s not really me that's giving it. It’s all the visitors who come, enjoy the afternoon, enjoy the refreshments, have a chat, meet people they know. It's also the people who don't come and yet are generous enough to send me a donation.”

Entry on June 22 is by donation, and all proceeds will again benefit research into myelofibrosis.

The event will include a raffle and light refreshments.

Garville Gardens can be found at Ballyboy, Upperchurch, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, E41 EN84.

READ NEXT: