Our Mushroom Forage took place on 31st October in Offaly – a beautiful county that is central to so many parts of Ireland – meaning we had guests from Cork, Clare, Galway, Waterford, Wexford, Kildare and Dublin to name a few.
Linda and I headed up the night before so that we could help out with the days’ preparations. Our first stop was at Pikeman Brewing in Kinnitty for a beer. We met Kieran and Seany (one of his 4 legged pals) and had a good aul chat.. We immediately felt welcome and at home. Absolutely love this type of Irish bar. Locals just stroll in and out, easy going, banter & craic.
Then we headed to meet Wild Food Mary who welcomed us into her cosy home. Over the evening we got to know a little more about Mary (& Ashy ) while helping to prepare some of the greatness. A lot of the ingredients came from Mary’s land.. We were so spoilt between homemade cakes, veg casserole dish, fruits from the garden, breads, cheese and finishing off with pear crumble and a taste of Marys fine Liqueur! Beautiful
We were SO LUCKY that the rain held off – the rest of the country was getting drenched – but we had sunshine! Happy days 🙂
We welcomed our guests with freshly brewed coffee / tea and a hot homemade elderberry syrup drink before Mary gave an introductory talk. Then we car pooled to the local woods where we foraged amongst the trees and undergrowth for fungi.
Mary introduced us to an array of wild mushrooms including the enigmatic Fly Agaric (contains chemicals that result in psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects) and the frightening Death Cap which accounts for more than 90% of fungus-related poisoning deaths in Europe! Mary explained how to identify these and best procedures with both.
We collected a range of edible wild mushrooms – using the sustainable rule of three of course – take no more than a third, leave a third for nature and a third for regrowth and regeneration – and later compared them over our lunch.
Looking for an Ecofriendly gift that supports local sustainable business this Christmas?
Christmas is on the horizon and common questions we hear include:
What is a sustainable gift?
What to gift someone who loves the environment?
What is the most environmentally friendly product?
How can I get an ecofriendly Christmas?
How can I avoid Greenwashing Products?
Here at EcoActiveSocial.com we focus on creating ecofriendly ecotourism events that share knowledge and enable our customers to learn about sustainable living and harvesting.
We also support sustainable businesses through mindful marketing and through the promotion of their sustainable products through our online shop.
We strive personally to live in an ecofriendly manner through reduced consumerism, recycling of products at home and in work, and upcycling ( I made my kitchen bar table from an old bed headboard for eg). 🙂
We are not perfect but we ARE enthusiastic and trying our best to live mindfully and eco consciously, sharing our experiences with you as we grow.
We’d love to hear about your efforts and challenges so do leave a comment or contact us on social media –
There are many ways to be more eco conscious this Christmas – Consider creating your very own gifts such as my neice Leahs’ plan to make Aprons , cushion covers and shopping bags from recycled material – she is doing a sewing class which also supports a local small business – Sew Fun Studios – here in Wexford.
“Made a tote bag with lining and an inside pocket with my sewing machine, ya’ll be getting handmade gifts this year hahaha“
If, like Linda and I you were busy making the most of nature’s bounty this Summer & Autumn you could consider giving some as Christmas gifts?
For example I made Plum wine last year which I will be decanting into empty maple syrup bottles that I collected and were donated to me, to give my family & friends who helped me on my home ‘Paint Party’ last year as homemade ecofriendly gifts. The plum tree grows in my garden – I planted it 10 years ago. Others will get homemade sauces and chutneys –
Not sure Linda will be convinced to share her Elderberry syrup tho lol!
Of Course Not Everyone Has Time To Make Gifts or Space To Grow Fruit...
We get it – Everyone is sooo busy these days – it can be hard to visit people over the Christmas period let alone make ecofriendly and sustainable gifts!
This is where you can support those that have dedicated themselves to creating unique eco friendly gifts as part of their way of living –
Another local woman who focuses on creating handmade sustainable products is Valerie Coleman of Other Mammys who makes beeswax wraps that will help you reduce your use of cling film /tinfoil and other anti-environment products.
Now focusing on ‘Research & Development Farm for Regenerative Agriculture through our ‘Whole’ Systems Approach’ Mags at Bumblebee Flower Farm in West Cork is a beacon of light for nature lovers.
Her Gifts Cards are available to buy via our online shop and can be used for any of her many biodiversity related workshops or indeed to order a beautiful bunch of organic ecofriendly blooms throughout the year.
Not sure which ecofriendly gift to give?
An EcoActiveSocial Gift Card can be used against any of the products available on our online shop as well as our Events.
Thanks to all who came along to our Seaweed Foraging Event on Sunday!
The weather held up and the group of foragers were lovely! Marie aka TheSeaGardener (or the Sea lady as one guest called her) was in flying form and shared so much knowledge with the group. Thank you Marie!
We met as arranged in the carpark of The Strand Cahore with many of us opting for a pre-forage coffee from Seabiscuit – delicious, before car pooling to the nearby Glascarrig Beach. Wexford beaches are generally quite sandy of course (which is why Wexford is such a tourist destination) but this beach is perfect for Seaweed with it’s rocky shoreline.
We discovered 8 edible Seaweed species in the area including Sea Lettuce, Bladderwrack, False Carrageen, Kelp and a few Seashore edibles too and Marie gave tips on sustainable collection, uses and storage.
Afterwards a gang of us headed in to The Strand Cahore Restaurant for a glass of wine and enjoyed some really beautiful food including their Homemade Vegetarian Parcel, Smoked Mornay, Lemon Sole and Pizza followed by delicious desserts and lot’s of laughs!!
It was a fun day out and thanks for all the lovely feedback from everyone on the Whatsapp group 🙂
Our last Forage of the year is coming up on November 30th (Halloween weekend) and is a Mushroom Forage with Wild Food Mary, taking place at the stunning Mount Briscoe Organic Farm – Options to include Lunch and Walk or choose forage only are available
Following on from our May Forage with The Sea Gardener and with our last one of the year coming up on Sunday 25th September I thought we’d share some of the cool info we picked up from Marie last time – Come along and discover the benefits and wonders of Irelands’ Seaweed for yourself!
Knowing the tides (you can pick up a tides book in some petrol stations ) and checking with your local council on the cleanliness of the water at any beach you plan to forage on – also available at beaches.ie
3 colours of seaweed: Green eg Sea lettuce, Red eg Dilisk, Brown eg Kelp
Note that drying in the sun bleaches it to white but it still contains it’s nutrients.
3 Areas: Low, Mid and High with different seaweed species found in each.
Seaweed Baths – to wet the seaweed with a kettle of hot water in the bath first to let the gel come out then add the rest of your bath water. Two large handfuls (Serrated wrack) are enough for a bath.
None are poisonous, some just don’t taste terribly nice..
Pepper dilisk – October or Christmas is it’s time to shine
Use sea lettuce in light miso soups or wrap cheese / hummus in
Dry on clothes line then crisp in light warm oven for snacks eg sweet kelp
Pop into stews or currys – cut up small before hand eg Kelp / Bladderwrack
Always use a scissors to cut
Never take more than one third
Wash well in clean seawater – can also rinse at home if you don’t like taste of salt
If on medication consult doctor first eg iodine and thyroid..
Small and often rather than huge amounts in one go
5g a good amount to consider for daily use.
Go easy at the start – it’s like any green veg 🙂
To dry and store seaweed, there are 2 options
Refrigerate in a covered bowl/ziplock bag for up to 3 days
or
Dry and store for up to 2 Years in airtight container.
To dry large seaweeds, e.g. kelps, wracks, hang on clothesline for a few hours in a fresh, warm breeze. Then move to hotpress overnight.
To dry small seaweeds e.g. carrageen, sea lettuce, lay out on cooling tray outdoors in a fresh warm breeze, then move to hotpress overnight. Or use de-hydrator instead of hotpress. Or place on over-shelf over stove.
Seaweeds will shrink as they dry, as they lose water.
May need extra time in hotpress.
Store in airtight bag/container in a dark place for up to 2 years.
To use dried seaweed, simply re-constitute in water and add to dish (or add straight in to ‘wet’ food, such as soup or stew.
It’s time to collect Elderberries and make something fabulous to enjoy over the Winter months – Here Linda shares her Elderberry syrup recipe which she uses to pour over her morning porridge / overnight oats as well as enjoying as a drink diluted with some water..
8 x 1 1/3 cups of elderberry
8 tablespoons of ginger
8 1/2 teaspoon of crushed cloves
8 teaspoon of Cinnamon (full bottle)
5 jars of raw honey
I did 8 cups of water but would reduce this to maybe 6
Steam the berries in order to soften and squeeze juice out
Add the above ingredients (except honey)to the squeezed juice
Bring to the boil and let simmer for about 45 mins/1 hour.
Sieve into clean pot and let cool
Add Honey and stir well
Put into waiting sterilised jars (to sterilise stick them in the oven on low heat)
We have been working hard putting plans in place for 2022 that will enable businesses who provide eco friendly services, products or events to sell them online and will enable people to support local business and sustainable practices to buy and book these offerings online – easily and securely.
So if you either provide or are interested in nature friendly events, green services & sustainably sourced products such as:
Lock down has been tough so when we saw an opening to get out and explore we decided to choose the Waterford Greenway as it wasn’t too far of a drive from Dublin & Wexford to get there and we also found a great all inclusive package with The Park Hotel Dungarvan which made it a no-brainer! Staff were so friendly.. Room was gorgeous with surprise gifts 🎁 😍 Breakfast in the outdoor gardens was right up our alley.. absolutely LOVED it.. great value and would highly recommend a stay here.. package deal of overnight, dinner, breakfast PLUS bike rental delivery from The Greenway Man 🚲 What more could you ask for…
Cheers to Marie at The Moorings. We stepped out for a meal on our first evening to The Moorings bar and restaurant located on the Dungarvan quayside. Wowser… 😍 super location and spoilt by beautiful sunset while having a lovely meal and couple of well deserved glasses of lemonade.
Thursday Morning we set off at about 10am having collected our bikes from the very nice Garvan Cummins of www.thegreenwayman.com along with a map. The trail begins across the road from the hotel (to the right) and so it was easy to find – we followed the other cyclists in front of us to make sure we were on the right path at the beginning – tiny bit confusing there.. and off we went!
We were lucky with the weather – it was a nice sunny day but not too hot and NO RAIN! We took it easy stopping off as we travelled to admire the treetops below us at some parts, the fairy houses with kids’ names on, the echoes of the tunnels.. There was a pit stop halfway with toilets and coffee available.
We cycled as far as Kilmacthomas workhouse where we stopped for FaBUloUS Lunch at Coachhouse Coffee Shop (GREAT food & value) and then back to Dungarvan.
I gotta admit after sitting down to eat the cycle back seemed slightly daunting. Linda is very fit (she is a mountaineer and often hikes 17Km or more) whereas I would say I am more average fitness level.. However, I thought back to my pre-Covid spinning classes and just DUG DEEP! Once I got my rhythm back I was grand. All in all we cycled 50KM that day – we stopped at Clonea beach for quick swim 🏊♂️ on the way back – brr but fab. ♥️🌊
A great day finished off with a delicious dinner at The Park Hotel and an early night! The next day I had to scoot off to Dublin to visit my twins’ allotment but Linda popped over to Mahon Falls for a short walk. Can’t wait to go back and do Dungarvan to Waterford Greenway 🚲
When accommodation is full why not consider house swapping?
Ireland is finally opening up a little but already people are finding it hard to book a staycation – Ideally we all want to support and stay with eco friendly accommodation providers, be it camping, glamping or the full on guesthouse / hotel experience – however sometimes on certain dates there’s simply no availability!
We love this site where you can list your house and swap with other travelers across the world – check it out at www.lovehomeswap.com
Walking out into the Irish sea….this is definitely up there as one of my favourite walks in Dublin.
This particular area consists of 3 very iconic Dublin landmarks. The 2 Chimneys (aka: Poolbeg Stacks, The Twin Stacks), the Great South Wall itself and Poolbeg Lighthouse. These features are a welcome sight for any Irish flying home into Dublin.
While it’s a recognisable scene from the air, it’s not as easy to locate when on the ground!
In order to reach this area you have to travel through a large industrial area that consists of, alongside container, transport and recycling companies, it also consists of the large ESB (Electricity) Power Plant, the Dublin Waste plant and some wicked smells!
It is well worth the search though!
Google search for Pigeon House Road, Shelly Banks Car Park or the Great south wall– any of these will get you into the general area
A time guide – If you park at Shelly Banks car park, the return walk is just under 5km which on average can take an hour to walk
This walk comes under different names such as Poolbeg Lighthouse walk, Great South Wall walk, South Bull Wall and I’m pretty sure there would be plenty other names if I went searching..
Regular storms battering the Wall and Lighthouse
According to records the Great Wall itself was eventually built by 1795. Today as you walk the wall you will be walking along large granite rocks which were brought across the water from Dalkey quarry. The wall is uneven and broken up in parts due to regular beatings it takes from the sea during storms…. to me though, this just adds to the tremendous character of this walk.
Speaking of character, this whole area is so full of character and magnificent sights.
As you walk the wall out to sea towards Poolbeg lighthouse you can’t help but notice the heather covered hills of Howth out front to your left. While closer to your left, just beyond the North Wall and the green North Bull lighthouse, you have Dollymount Strand that stretches 5km along the length of North Bull Island. North Bull island itself is accessed by a wooden bridge (built in 1819) and holds more titles than any other location in the country. (National Bird Sanctuary, a biosphere reserve, National Nature Reserve, Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive and Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive) It too, is truly well worth a visit..
Half Moon 5 Gun Battery station
“Nesting Birds. Do Not Disturb”
Continuing your walk, while breathing in the fresh sea air, you might notice the birdlife all around you.
One variety of bird seen in this area is the Tern which ranges from the Common and Artic Tern to rarities such as the White-winged Black Tern. Terns have been nesting in Dublin Port for up to fifty years. The Dublin Port company have now provided 4 structures in the area for them to nest in. Keep an eye out for them as you walk.
Further along, about one km you will come to what is now the Half Moon Swimming Club. This was originally a gun battery named the Half Moon Battery due to the shape of the gun turret. During the 19th century and english rule, the gun battery was used as further protection (alongside the Pigeon House Fort which was located nearer the start of the wall) against any incoming attacks to Dublin Port.
A further 800m from the Half Moon swimming club you will reach Poolbeg Lighthouse.
This iconic large red lighthouse was built in 1768, rebuilt and redesigned in 1820, went from candlelight to oil and is now fully automated and managed by the Dublin Port Company unlike most other lighthouses which are managed by Irish Lights. Painted red indicating Portside (left side) to incoming ships while the North wall lighthouse opposite is green indicating Starboard (right side) to incoming ships.
Take time out here to soak in your surrounding sights, looking back into Dublin port and watching for ships entering and leaving the port. Its stepping away from the main land and sitting watching the world go by.. Whatever the weather, it is one special place to visit. Switch off / time out..
The return walk back to land is equally as scenic with views of Dalkey island, the iconic Dun Leary Piers, the Sugar Loaf mountain rolling into the Wicklow and Dublin mountains all on your left.
On doing some further research as to why the wall was built it brought me in touch with interesting information..
The Great South wall was built to stop major silting issues in Dublin Port. The port was not very accessible for incoming ships due to strong weather conditions and constant silting and sand banks resulting in lack of depth for ships to sail. In 1717 they first attempted a wooden wall consisting of large wooden posts and heavy bags of boulders which over time proved ineffective against storms. They proceeded then, in 1761 to build a stone wall starting from the Poolbeg lighthouse and work back to land using large granite boulders brought across the water from Dalkey quarry.
Alongside the South wall they then built the North Wall which in turn reaches out to the green North Wall lighthouse opposite Poolbeg lighthouse. The two walls worked a treat together. They now protect entering ships from strong winds and high waves. More importantly no sand has blocked the channel entry to Dublin Port since.
After the walls were built, the sand that normally entered and blocked Dublin Port was now being pushed north of the port. It created what is now known as North Bull Island (mentioned above)
During the building of the Great South Wall, a storehouse was built to store materials. The caretaker who lived in this storehouse, John Pigeon later converted it into a tavern and then a hotel The Pigeon House Hotel. The Hotel provided food and bed to travellers and sailors coming in from long sea voyages. It also became a very popular restaurant to Dubliners.
Soon after, just at the end of the 18th century the english army requisitioned this whole area “The Pigeon House Precinct” and used it as a military fort with drawbridge entry. It became known as The Pigeon House Fort. Further defended by the Half Moon 5 gun Battery located along the wall towards Poolbeg Lighthouse. During this time the Pigeon House Hotel became the officers quarters. Alongside the quarters was an armory, a hospital, a prison, a magazine & store house. The fort remained under military control until the end of the 19th century when the land and buildings were then bought by the Dublin Corporation. The remains of the Pigeon House fort are a protected structure.
Old Poolbeg House Fort. The Great South Wall is actually 4.8km. Most now lies within Port facilities and ESB plant. 1.5km is accessible to public.
The tall chimneys (aka Poolbeg Stacks, The Twin Stacks, Laurel and Hardy) were built in 1971. They were designed to minimise atmospheric pollution coming from the ESB Power Plant. They became and still are to-date a famous landmark on the capital’s skyline and have featured in many films, TV adverts and even in one of U2’s music video’s (In the name of love). Decommissioned in 2010, the Irish people nearly lost their reason when the ESB announced they were thinking of knocking these two “ugly obsolete relics”. Much to the peoples relief, the Dublin icons are now, since 2014 listed as protected structure’s.
Its actually a super evening walk in the Dublin hills. With a little planning you can make the experience even more special. Experience sunset in the west, moonrise from the east and a full moon all in one evening! (check online for sites that will tell you sunset and moonrise times in Ireland)
A little note of caution.. If planning a moonlight walk – always travel with people or let people know where you are going. Bring torches. Spare layers for temperature drops. A drink and a small snack. Know your route well before going anywhere in the dusk! Have a phone and spare battery pack (or spare phone) with you. Use your head and don’t put yourself in any risk or danger. Be prepared for “just in case”. What would you need if you were to get lost or have an injury on route?
This is a beautiful natural local amenity nestled in the Dublin mountains. It is visited by locals on a regular basis. Park at the Hell Fire Car park. Anyone can easily negotiate the forest trail to the top where they will find the ruins of the Hell Fire House standing looking out over amazing views stretching out over Dublin city and the east coast.
The land is owned by Coillte. It is called Mount Pelier Hill but better known by locals as the Hell Fire Club.
The main route up to the Hell Fire Club is forest path. You can at any stage disappear off into the many small forest tracks with the hope of spotting wild deer, fox, red squirrels, rabbits or hares. Kids (and adults of course!) always love these little trails in amongst the sky high spruce trees. It adds to the excitement of being outdoors.
Any walk around the Hell fire will not need huge fitness levels. It is a beautiful natural wild habitat, generally used by families, dog walkers & locals who visit to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The HellFire Club house itself (originally called Mount Pelier but known mostly to the locals as The HellFire Club) dates back to the 18th century. It was originally built as a hunting lodge by a man called William Conolly who at the time was Speaker at the Irish House of Commons.
The House itself was built on top of a Passage Grave which after further excavations in 2016 is now believed to be similar in size to the Passage Grave in Newgrange and possibly dating back over 5000 years. At the time Conolly built the House he used stones from the passage grave in the construction. Soon after the house was built a great storm hit and blew the original roof off the building. Local superstition believed this was an act of revenge by the aggrieved spirits for disturbing the ancient Cairn. I mean who can blame them!
Today, what remains of the passage grave can be seen to the rear of the house in the form of a circular mound with a dip at the centre.
The House has so many facts and stories entwined within its history it’s hard to tell which is fact and which is fiction. It’s believed because the house was in such a remote area that it attracted immoral groups and meetings such as the Hellfire Club. The groups consisted of high society statesmen and aristocrats who followed a motto “Do as you will…”. There are stories of sex, drinking, prostitution, gambling, devil worshipping, satanic black masses, animal sacrifices, murders and much more… There are many favourite devil stories passed down through families over the years especially the story of how he appeared one night in the form of a stranger, joined in a game of cards only later to disappear in a ball of flame. It seems like whatever went on in these meetings within the house was never talked about openly (What happens in the meetings stays in the meetings!) and we are left only with tales of mystery and flagrant carry on lingering around the ruins of the house on top of the hill. Were these groups actual devil worshippers or were they free thinkers just vilified in this manner by gossip, rumours and media.
Whatever the stories, whatever the history, it makes for an even more interesting Moonlighting walk experience up at the Hell Fire Club!
There are currently plans for development in this area which will include a large scale visitor / interpretive centre to cater for up to 300,000 visitors per annum, an associated car park, cafe, a treetop walkway and more.
Local residents and community groups have strongly expressed opposition to this plan believing “..that this proposal by South Dublin County Council will have a catastrophic impact upon an already beautiful and natural amenity and its surrounding environs. To learn more about why they believe this, visit “Save the Hellfire”
) while helping to prepare some of the greatness. A lot of the ingredients came from Mary’s land.. We were so spoilt between homemade cakes, veg casserole dish, fruits from the garden, breads, cheese and finishing off with pear crumble and a taste of Marys fine Liqueur! Beautiful
