New community amenity a local labour of love in Lacken
The Zen Den arriving at the Lacken Sensory Garden
After a successful community event to help bring it to fruition, the ‘Zen Den’ is in place at the national award-winning Lacken Sensory Garden.
The Zen Den is an aesthetic shelter built using teak timber in order to help it withstand the harsh Atlantic coastal climate in Lacken.
A team of local craftsmen set up in a workshop in the townland of Foghill overlooking Lacken Strand and choose to work with teak due to its water-resistance, durability and beauty. They worked hard over the Christmas period to bring the Zen Den to life and on the first Sunday of 2025, it was transported to the Lacken Sensory Garden.
The local community watched on in appreciation as the Zen Den was guided into place where it will now provide a space for picnics, for meeting, for shelter and as a special place to sit and be mindful and grateful for the surrounding beauty of Lacken.
A pergola with coloured glass down one side of the Den will soon be installed and will allow you to look out and see the world in a different light. High quality roof slates will be added and provide resistance and protection for centuries to come.
The proceeds of a very successful Tractor Run in Lacken last September played a huge part in bringing the Zen Den project to life. During the planning stage, Lacken got word the Sensory Garden was the recipient of a Local Community Award from AXA Ireland in recognition of the outstanding impact the facility has made in the locality.
The area is now set for further developments after the local committee successfully applied for funding for an outdoor gym on site.
The Sensory Garden has been a success overall in the Lacken and wider north Mayo area and is proving a great example of a rural community coming together to develop a resource current and future generations will benefit from.
