The buds are bursting out
April 14, 2017
Buds are bursting and trees are coming into leaf.
This old horse chestnut tree is already in leaf
Easter is here again and we have welcomed our first guests for 2017. The daffodils are past their best but other spring flowers are coming out. The weather has been changeable typical of weather in Ireland. After a sustained period of sunny days and cooler nights we now have cloudy weather with mist but no rain to speak of The donkeys had been allowed into the orchard and lawn meadow but now need less grazing ground as we do not want them to develop laminitis. So we need to move the electric fence to give them a reduced area to graze. Noddy is notorious for breaking out of such an area.
Frittilaria
Tulips and drumhead polyanthus are in full flower.
Tubs full of tulips give colour at the front of the house.
Our tubs and pots are in full flower. Planted in November, they are called May flowering but are in full flower now.
Holly
Adam filling in the potholes left by neighbours cattle.
Bluebells and Apple blossom, Food Fairs and Farmer’s Markets
Bluebells and Apple blossom, Food Fairs and Farmer’s Markets May is upon us
Coming to Ireland? Plan to include s visit to a Food Fair or Farmer’s Markets. The season of Food Fairs May is ‘High Season’ for food fairs in Ireland. From The Kerrygold Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine to be held 16th-18th May 2014; to
The Sheridan’s Food Festival http://tinyurl.com/lfx3ram From Ballymaloe to Cavan http://tinyurl.com/n9xwvy2
From Multyfarnham to Mayo Irish food is celebrated. Our recommendation to any person visiting or living in Ireland is to include at least one Food Fair in your itinerary. Celebrate Irish Food and go to a Food Fair in May where Irish food is being celebrated. It is a great way of meeting some of Ireland’s best known or top chef’s.
Ross Lewis of Chapter One Restaurant is appearing both in Ballymaloe and at Sheridan’s Food Fair in Co. Cavan
Ballymaloe Literary and Food Festival
For lists of Food fairs and farmers Markets For links to sites http://goodfoodireland.ie/markets irishvillagemarkets.ie http://www.bordbia.ie/aboutfood/farmersmarkets/pages/guidetofoodmarkets.aspx The season began at Easter here in Multyfarnham with their Country Fair.By all accounts it was a great sale.
Multyfarnham Country Fair
The next Multyfarnham Country Fair is to be held on 28th & 29thJune 2014 at the time the National Cycling Championships which are to be held in Tyrellspass and Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath
Bumper Parish Flower Sale- Apr’14
Parish Flower Sale- Apr’14
Bumper Cake and Plant Sale is to be held Saturday, 17th May’14, at All Saint’s Church, Mullingar,
A Busy Garden
Taking a moment to perch on the patio wall and watch the many birds finding food for their young. It is non stop activity. Nests are well hidden, though as you walk around the garden you may hear the calls of fledglings as you pass by. The blackbird nesting in one of the yew arches is seemngly oblivious to our passing. Whilst we ignore any noises and resist the temptation of taking a peek! Occasionally a break is taken and you are stopped in your tracks by a bird in full song. This morning, I stopped and had difficulty identifying the bird.
Lawns mowed, edges shaggy, need clipping!
Is this a chaffinch?
Asparagus , elephant garlic and artichokes share a bed!
Garlic and shallots were planted last autumn
Apple blossom and Bbubells
Overgrown grass laughing now mower belt needs replacing!
Off to pick flowers
April Sunshine and Showers.
April 13, 2014
Conference pear tree buds beginning to open
The April sunshine and occasional showers have brought on the ‘greening of Ireland’ as buds burst open on trees and hedgerows in the countryside. The palate of colours is changing as last years stubble has been ploughed, seeded and sown with this year’s crops. At Mornington the lawns have been cut and daffodils are in full bloom. Seeds sown in the last month are slow to emerge, but the onions, shallots and garlic are growing well.
The lettuce sown last autumn are growing well in the greenhouse. Fuchsia, penstemons and geraniums overwintered in the greenhouse have survived and were ”potted on’ last week, they will be planted out in the flower beds when the night-time temperatures improve.
Stable Block Studios
The stable block conversion into art studios is progressing apace. A little slower than we had hoped, but nevertheless is moving ahead. The studios will be available to rent by artists, sculpters, photographers, writers. They are available to be used by guests staying in bed and breakfast accommodation, either here at Mornington or with other providers in the area.
Arch leading into the stable-yard has been re-built.
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Stonework being realigned. new windows will be installed.
Anne O’Hara’s Fruit Cake ( Gluten free)
The fruit cake recipe we have used for years was adapted to be suitable for family members who are gluten intolerant. It has more ground almonds and may need more liquid than regular flour. The cake improves with ‘keeping’ for at least 3-4 weeks before cutting. We were very pleased with the result. Not a crumb was left!
| Makes 1x 7.5” diameter cake | Makes 2x 10” diameter cakes | ||||
| 6 | 24 | A | Gluten free flour | Available from most food stores. | |
| ½ | 2 | tsp | A | Mixed spice | Sieve together with flour |
| 5 | 20 | oz | B | Butter | Needs to room temperature |
| 5 | 20 | oz | B | Soft brown sugar | We use soft dark moist brown sugar |
| 8 | 32 | oz | C | Currants | |
| 8 | 20 | oz | C | Sultanas | |
| 5 | 20 | oz | C | Raisons | |
| 4 | 16 | oz | C | Glacé cherries | Put into sieve, rinse with cool water to remove syrup. Dry on paper towel. Cut into quarters. When dry coat with a little flour |
| 3 | 12 | oz | C | Chopped mixed peel | |
| 1 | 4 | oz | C | Lemon Rind | Zest only |
| 8 | 24 | oz | C | Ground Almonds | I used additional ground almonds |
| 1 | 4 | oz | C | Whole Almonds | Skinned and cut into quarters lengthways. |
| 4 | 16 | D | Eggs | Large, at room temperature | |
| Milk |
*Read recipe and make sure that you have everything to ready and to hand before you begin.
Oven Temperature
Convector /Fan Oven
150°C (Celsius) for 20
125°C (Celsius) for 2 hours 40minutes ** The cake takes roughly 3 hours to cook, depending on oven, tins, etc. etc.
Method
- Line tin with double layer of parchment. Allow paper to stand 2½”-3”above edge of tin.
- Mix fruit (C) together in a very large bowl.
- Using either a wooden spoon, hand held mixer or food processor cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat eggs together in a separate bowl. Add a little beaten egg into sugar/butter mix. Beat in very well after each addition of egg.
- If mixture begins to separate start adding flour a little at a time. Otherwise when all egg has been added
- Foldi n flour a little at a time, alternate with mixing in milk.
NB. Do not beat or cake will have a shiny crust.
- Add egg/ sugar/flour mixture to bowl of prepared dried fruit and chopped and ground almonds.
- Fold in and mix well.
- NB. It may be necessary to add additional liquid. (For the 2 x 10” cakes I use ¼ to ½ cup milk.)1 cup = 8fl.oz.
- The mixture needs to be soft enough to allow the fruit moves around in the mixture. Not sloppy.
- We wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside of the tin.
- Cut to the same height as the parchment lining the tin.
- Secure with masking tape by overlapping the tape. Some tapes will become ’unstuck’ in the oven.
- Add whiskey or brandy when cake is cold after baking.Make holes into bottom of cake with a fine skewer and using a teaspoon pour in brandy or whiskey.
The saga of Holly and Noddy
Holly and Noddy waiting expectantly for carrots
April Showers and Memories of the Big House
April 16, 2013
Spring has finally arrived.
April showers and blustery milder weather has announced Spring is finally here. Growth has been very slow, so the donkeys took matters into their own hooves. Breaking through the electric fencing tapes they have had a great time grazing on the newly emerged perennial geranium leaves, pulmonaria and other tasty morsels in the front bed.
Noddy and Holly look as if butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths.
As we emerge from short days of winter to the longer daylight hours of April we have been spending more time in the garden. In the past we have almost been able to tell the date by looking at the plants which have emerged. Snowdrops, often visible in the new year, Daffodils, if not in bloom by Warwick’s mother’s birthday certainly by his own birthday in early March. Primroses, violets and then bluebells all followed in quick succession. Not this year! So at in the middle of April the daffodils have only just emerged into full flower and the wild flowers are still to open fully. With the Gulf Stream back in it’s usual place we have the promise of milder, sunny, showery April days. So it has been “all hands to the plough” so to speak to get the garden in order.
I have just been reminded that this year The Festival of Fires presents Gathering at Uisneach at The Uischneach Inn on 4th & 5th May. Not on the The Hill of Uisneach but at the bottom of the hill at The Uisneach Inn in Kilare, Co. Westmeath. There will be a 2-day celebration of music, culture and more For details of this exciting event see: http://festivaloffires.com/
On Sunday, 5th May at 11.30a.m. Multyfarnham Country Fair will be taking place in the village park opposite the Catholic Church. Stalls range from jams, chutneys and cakes to chicken, ducks and turf.
A fine cockerel or sale at Multyfarnham Country Fair
Newly emerged early rhubarb
Noddy after rolling in dry leaves
Blustery day in walled garden at Mornington
Walled Garden Notes
The chitted potatoes have been planted in the walled garden. More potatoes were planted in a newly ploughed area outside the chicken house. Only after the job was done to have our very kind neighbour call in to tell us that as he hadn’t been satisfied the job he had done the first tim, so he had come back and cross ploughed and harrowed again. Resulting with potatoes no longer in ridges!!!! No doubt they will still come up.
Beetroot and seeds for vegetables and herbs are all planted.
The greenhouse has been tidied and moss removed from the outside of the roof.
Rhubarb and ginger jam is in the process of being made.
Margaret and Julia
Margaret and Julia were friends. Each week, Margaret would mount her ‘sit up and beg’ bicycle and head off to meet her friend Julia. They had first met when working as members of the staff at Ballinagall House. Working from early morning they would have dusted, polished, laid tables, served trays of afternoon tea in the conservatory or small drawing room and polished the brass stair rails weekly. Ballinagall displayed the finest of Irish craftsmanship and was owned by the Smyth family. In Irish houses, just as in Downtown Abbey, history brought about changes in the fortunes of landed families and the next generation was not always in a position to take on responsibility for the ‘family place’. So after Mrs Smyth’s death the estate was sold, furniture auctioned and staff retired.
When I first saw it it the front door was hanging open, the enormous gilt mirrors were standing propped against the wall in the front hall. Where the gentry had once danced at The Westmeath Hunt Ball, someone had tried to remove the ornamental stone slabs of the floor apparently with mixed success. The brass stair rails were still in place and the fine shamrock plasterwork of the library ceiling still beautiful, although showing evidence of damp; forecasting its’ ignominious end on the floor below. The ornamental lake in the land below the house was long drained, and was now being grazed by cattle, or used for growing barley.
The shelves of the butler’s pantry still housed the remnants of the Meissen and other fine china dinner and tea services which had once been used for the dinner parties and afternoon tea for the ladies. Overlooked by the auctioneers who had catalogued the contents of the house for “The Auction”, the odd cups were being taken over to the stud manager’s house to be used by manager and his wife. Better that they had the dignity of coming to the end of their days ‘in service’ than that they ended in a pile of broken china as the roof finally fell in.
However, back to Julia and Margaret’s story. After Mrs Smyth’s death it was arranged that Julia would go to work for Mrs Harvey Kelly at Clonhugh, whilst Margaret would go to Mrs O’Hara at Mornington. So Julia and her belongings were collected in a donkey and cart and driven over to Clonhugh by young neighbours. Margaret, her bicycle and all her belongings came to Mornington.
The two ladies would meet up each week on their ‘half day’, taking it in turns to mount their ‘sit up and beg’ cycles and ride fearlessly, through the country lanes to each others ‘houses’. There they would ‘take tea’, enjoy the latest ‘chat’* It was on such an occasion that I first met Julia. Margaret had invited me into to meet ‘her friend’, to take tea and sample her home made cake specially made for the occasion. So on a sunny August afternoon, after a morning of great flurry in the main kitchen; with a even more ‘toing and frowing’ after lunch, all was ready. So on the stroke of four o’clock as instructed by my mother in law I knocked on the door of the servant’s hall and entered to take tea.
*local gossip
‘sit up and beg’ was a type of bicycle often used by women. They were very heavy but allowed a woman to ride in skirts.
Spring is springing
January 26, 2012
I saw my first lamb of 2012 this morning! Spring is definitely in the air!
The snowdrops are up and in full bloom. my mother-in-law expected them to be in bloom by
17th January each year.
- Snowdrops under the sycamore tree
Snowdrops again
Holly standing enjoying the sun
Noddy
Holly eyeing ivy pulled from a tree.
It may be hard to believe but we are actually coming to the end of winter. In Ireland spring begins officially on the first of February. Remaining winter chores need to be completed. For us this is trimming or ‘brashing’ the boundary hedges along the road. The mature trees are ‘preserved’ by County Council edict; however, the holly, ash, beech and hawthorn bushes have grown too tall to cut as a hedge so we trim the ‘face’ of the bushes. This allows walkers and riders to pull in against the hedge as cars, tractors and riders go by, without getting their faces scratched. This procedure only takes place every two years. Now we need to collect the branches and cut them into firewood.
During conversation with the tractor driver, I was told that one snowy day, when Warwick was a child, he appeared at Cahill’s* hill pulling a little toboggan. Many hours of fun were had by Warwick and the Orme children tobogganing down the hill and pulling the toboggan back up the hill. The children had never seen a toboggan or sledge with runners before.
*Warwick tells me he thinks it was actually Daley’s hill. The mists of time can blur memories.
Helibores are flowering
Globe artichokes appear to have survived the winter well. A discarded piece of root has taken root at far end of row on right hand side.
Autumn planted shallots are growing well in raised bed
This year's rhubarb sprouting, whilst last year's windfall apples have not yet fully rotted.
It is interesting to note that there are any apples left at all. Birds have obviously been feeding off the apples but haven’t finished them all.
