Forgotten Fruits; Rediscovering our local Heritage apple varieties surviving in 19th Century orchards

Presented by Cillian Boyd, this talk will focus on Heritage Irish apple conservation; Cillian will share his personal his experience of discovering endangered apple varieties, unearthing their stories, and saving the trees through grafting. Cillian has surveyed regions in Galway, Clare, Limerick and Cork and in the process has discovered some unusual varieties.

Ancient apple trees are a living connection to our past. However, for various reasons trees meet their demise through destruction such as the chainsaw, land development, old age and storms. This can be averted through awareness and apple grafting.

To locate ancient trees he surveys1840’s OSI maps, comparing them against satellite imagery to show surviving trees from that time. He then visits locations to document, graft, identify trees and record their stories.

Veteran and ancient apple trees embody a lifetime of experience; they have lived through turbulent times and were originally grafted and planted in good faith. Old trees posses beauty, character, spirit and can survive untended for years. It is tragic that many succumb to destruction and age. They are inextricably linked to families that once inhabited localities and tended to trees with respect and understanding.

In many cases their stories have been lost, and there are many mysteries and pieces of the jigsaw that remain to be unearthed and discovered over time.

Cillian encourages anyone attending to bring along old varieties of apple that they would like to have help identifying.