Meet the judges of GLAS 2025

This year’s GLAS gathered more than 100 exhibitors with diverse expertise across the horticultural trade

Contestants were judged, announced and presented at the show by Alma Hayden, Ciaran Burke, and Patrick Gleeson

Horticulture

23 October 2025

This year’s edition of the Garden Landscape and Amenity Sportsturf (GLAS) trade show saw again the coming together of a strong, dedicated horticulture sector in Ireland.

The one-day event returned with exhibits, displays and demos from more than 100 of the industry’s leading suppliers on 17 July at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin.

The highlight of the GLAS are always the New Plant New Product Awards, which recognise the best new plant and new product launched in the Irish market over the last 12 months by the organisations exhibiting at the event.

This year contestants were judged, announced and presented at the show by Alma Hayden, horticulturalist at Tirlan, Ciaran Burke, head of horticulture at Johnstown Garden Centre, and Patrick Gleeson, formally Teagasc nursery stock advisor.

Growtrade.ie spoke with them about their experiences as judges, the significance of the awards, the challenges involved in making decisions, and much more. Continue reading to discover their insights.

Did you enjoy being a judge?

Alma Hayden:

“Being a judge was a very enjoyable experience and working with the panel was a great opportunity for me to learn, exchange ideas, and understand the award criteria better.”

Ciaran Burke:

“Yes I did, it was interesting to view the products with a critical eye and appraise them according to the criteria and beyond my own interest as a garden centre manager.”

Patrick Gleeson:

“I always enjoy being a judge. It’s a challenge particularly when there are 3 judges. I had similar experiences when I was a judge on the TV programme, called Supergarden.”

Are these awards important to the industry?

Alma Hayden:

“Awards promote excellence and can set new standards for others, encouraging everyone to lift their game. We need to highlight best practise in areas like sustainability more – less sprays etc.”

Ciaran Burke:

“Yes they are, they help promote new ideas and product and bring them to the attention of potential buyers.”

Patrick Gleeson:

“The awards are important for promoting the particular plant or item.”

Was it difficult to make a decision?

Alma Hayden:

“Deciding was tricky as you are not comparing similar products, so you need to remind yourself to be objective. Having said that it was easy to follow the evaluation process with just a few questions to answer and the number of entries felt just right.”

Ciaran Burke:

“The criteria for judging very different products is the same whether they are retail products, machinery or landscape products.”

Patrick Gleeson:

“It is always matter of discussion and eventually coming to a compromise.”

Which was your favourite winner and why?

Alma Hayden:

“The winner was eye catching, super colour, quality and presentation was excellent with many avenues of opportunity within the industry.”

Ciaran Burke:

“The plant winner was my favourite, Dianthus Capitan Pink Eye, it was a plant that shows great promise for generating large volume sales due to its unique flower colour, long season of flowering and compact growth habit, it is a plant that should also perform well in the garden.”

Patrick Gleeson:

“The winner was selected for its flowering impact and longevity as well as its market and sales potential.”

What do you like about GLAS trade show?

Alma Hayden:

“GLAS is great for professional development, and it was great to see what’s trending and catch up in person with suppliers.”

Ciaran Burke:

“It is an opportunity to meet suppliers, see new products, also to keep up to date with what is happening in other horticultural sectors apart from garden retail and plant production.”

Patrick Gleeson:

“GLAS brings the main players in the industry to a location annually where they can display their goods as well as meeting new and existing customers.”

Do you think it is important for the industry?

Alma Hayden:

“I would say it is important date to keep especially for newcomers as there is the potential to make new deals. Its good word of mouth marketing and allows for relationships to be built up overtime. It is a big commitment and expense for businesses and takes a lot of manpower which is hard on them no matter which end of the season it is. Any assistance or help that can be provided should remain a top priority as they facilitate much of the networking and learning and contribute significantly to the horticultural community.”

Ciaran Burke:

“It is a great networking opportunity, usually a very positive event that allows us to chat with each other, compare notes on the bust plant sales season just passed, and it encourages growers and suppliers to focus on promoting new products and new plants.

Patrick Gleeson:

“GLAS is hugely important for the industry particularly for many customers in the retail and landscape sector as well as many others such as landscape architects, foreign visitors etc.”

Big thanks to our great judges for their amazing work. And once again, big congratulations to the award-winners at GLAS 2025!