Watch: Cork man (86) wins Bloom gardening award

A Cork man has impressed the Bloom with RTÉ judging panel and won the ‘Best Nature-Friendly Space’ category.

86-year-old Derry Murphy from Mayfield was entered in the online competition, which is taking place instead of the annual Bloom Festival, by his granddaughter Aoife O’Sullivan.

In a video, Derry shows off his wonderful ‘tower block for bees’ that stands at an incredible 6ft7 tall.

“It’s amazing how many bees will gather in the course of the day," he said. “This is my contribution to the wildlife.” 

Following the news of his win, Derry said: “It was such a surprise! I am still trying to take it all in. It happened out of the blue, I said to my granddaughter ‘I have a plant here I am sure it is going to be tall’ and that is how my tower block for bees came about.

“It was the lovely videos and photos my granddaughters Aoife and Laura took that helped us get the win! Thank you for all your lovely comments and best wishes. I am buzzing.” 

Mr Murphy has won a €500 GroMor voucher for his hard work.