After golf, gardening is the biggest leisure activity in Europe, which explains why Mallow International Gardening Festival had no difficulty persuading Norwich Union to part with more than £100,000 (€126,970) in sponsorship in a three-year deal that gives the insurance company named sponsorship of the event.

According to Ms Anne Mathews of Norwich Union, 87 per cent of Irish householders have their own gardens. That is the highest per capita figure in Europe, a fact which is likely to exercise the minds of those marketing outdoor products in the coming months despite this week's arctic weather.