Sarah Slater
Tributes are pouring in for the well-known gardener and RTÉ presenter Dermot O’Neill who died suddenly on Friday night at the age of 58.
Mr O’Neill passed away on Friday night at St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin.
The popular garden, who presented Dermot's Secret Garden on RTÉ and edited the magazine Garden Heaven battled stomach cancer in 2009 but recovered after his serious illness and lived in Blackrock, Co Dublin.
His funeral arrangements are yet to be announced. His death notice on rip.ie reads: “The sudden death has occurred of Dermot O’Neill of Blackrock, Co Dublin. Dermot passed peacefully while surrounded by his loving family and while in the care of the wonderful doctors, nurses and staff of the ICU.
"He is predeceased by his father Peter and mother Maura. He will be sadly missed by his sisters Carol and Louise, his brothers-in-law Robin and James, his nieces and nephews Ciara, Jack, Leon and Hannah and his great nephew Pearce as well as by his uncles, aunts, cousins and friends.”
Paying tribute Clondeglass gardens in Laois, where he carried out some work on Facebook said: “Some sad news this morning. Dermot O’Neill passed away yesterday.
He was such as inspiration to so many gardeners over the years, I remember coming home from school and watching him on TV on ‘Live at Three’ and his creation of Clondeglass walled garden was a massive hit for RTÉ.
“I’ve been so lucky to take over the garden and continue on his work.
May he rest in peace.”
Mr O’Neill was known for his numerous contributions to several other television and radio programmes, including Live at Three, The Garden Show, Open House, and the Today programme on RTÉ Radio.
Mr O'Neill was a regular contributor to The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk and a long-time contributor to the RTÉ Guide and was also the author of two gardening books.
He was a member of the council of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland and a founding committee member of the Irish Garden Plant Society.
