News
Repot your Shamrock and watch it grow!
By Debby Looney, gardening expert
Seamair óg, or Shamrock, must surely be our featured plant this week.
Until last year, I had never taken much notice of Shamrock as a plant, however, in a fit of curiosity I bought little live Shamrock plants in a number of outlets to see what they would actually grow into.
We all know the religious story behind St Patrick and the little three leaved plant, but I was curious to know whether there is one specific plant which equates to Shamrock. After doing some research, I have concluded that it could have been any of a number of different plants which St Patrick held in his hand. The word Shamrock derives from the Irish ‘seamair' meaning clover, and ‘óg' meaning young. The most common clovers in this country would be white clover, Trifolium repens, and meadow trefoil, or Trifolium dubium. However, red clover, or Trifolium pratense, is also a contender! One of the oldest herbal books, Gerard's Herbal, published in 1597 identified Irish Shamrock to be meadow trefoil, while the Irish botanist, Caleb Threlkeld, identified it as white field clover in 1726.
MEADOW PLANTING
Whichever one St Patrick might have used, it is clear to me that the growers of Shamrock are still not in agreement which it was either! Out of 10 plants I bought last year, I have three meadow trefoil, which are the prettiest green, and flower yellow. These are ideal for meadow planting as insects love them. I have one red clover which grows to a height of 30cm and is ideal in ditches and wild areas. I have one Persian clover, a slightly soft, tall, hairy plant with carmine coloured flowers. This is often included in wildflower mixtures as it is pretty and has a long flowering season. It is the least hardy of these clovers. I ended up with two oxalis which are wood sorrel, and finally three white clover. White clover is an ideal companion plant to lawn grass and I would encourage anyone setting lawn seed to include it in their seed mix. White clover stays low and can be mown along with the grass. It has white flowers, which are a rich source of nectar. It is not particularly invasive, and will not take over the lawn. It does however benefit your grass greatly by ‘setting' nitrogen, thus making nitrogen available to the grass, making it richer, stronger and greener. This also means you do not need to fertilise your lawn as much.
So, if you have bought a pot of Shamrock, be sure to repot it and let it grow a little, then find it a nice spot in your garden, because, regardless of its historical accuracy, all Shamrock has great merit!
Top golf scores at Mahony’s Point
Ivan Tagney and Aoife Twomey secured top honours at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club as members turned out in large numbers to compete for Captain Tomás Kelliher’s Prize on Mahony’s Point.
In the men’s event, Ivan Tagney claimed the Captain’s Prize with an impressive 42 points. Conor Dillon carded 48 points, returning the lowest score of the weekend, though he was ineligible for the main trophy without an established handicap.
Despite wet weather, the ladies section produced remarkable scoring on Sunday. Aoife Twomey took first place playing off 28 handicap, recording a nett 63. June O’Brien finished runner-up with a 67 nett, followed by Kay O’Connor in third with a 69 nett.
Captain Tomás Kelliher extended his thanks to the committee, staff, and volunteers for organising the flagship competition, praising the course condition and strong turnout across both events.
Results
Men’s Captain’s Prize 1st: Ivan Tagney (42 pts) Best Score: Conor Dillon (48 pts) 3rd: Joseph Sheahan (41 pts) 4th: Michael Cotter (41 pts) 5th: Emmet Scanlon (41 pts) 6th: Ian Sherlock (41 pts) 7th: Cathal O’Connor (40 pts) 8th: Aaron McCann (40 pts) 9th: Dan Quirke (40 pts) 10th: Mark Tuite (40 pts) 11th: Alan O’Meara (40 pts) 12th: Donal Begley (40 pts) Best Gross: Donal Considine (72) Category 1: 1st Kevin Leacy (39 pts), 2nd Ian Cronin (39 pts) Category 2: 1st Adam Carey (40 pts), 2nd Jack Crehan (40 pts) Category 3: 1st John McEnery (40 pts), 2nd Thomas Coleman (39 pts) Category 4: 1st Mike Dreelan (38 pts), 2nd Jason Reen (38 pts) Front Nine: Aaron Coffey (24 pts) Back Nine: Chris Myers (24 pts) Past Captain: Pat Cussen (38 pts) Over 70: Joe Geaney (39 pts) Committee Prize: Shane Horgan (38 pts) Guest Prize: Jack Kelliher
Ladies Captain’s Prize 1st: Aoife Twomey – 63 (28) 2nd: June O’Brien – 67 (20) 3rd: Kay O’Connor – 69 (13) 4th: Louise Langan – 70 (19) 5th: Mary Tobin – 71 (20) 6th: Geraldine Tarrant – 71 (26) 7th: Kathleen O’Keefe – 71 (19) 8th: Noreen O’Callaghan – 72 (18) 9th: Anne Moynihan – 72 (2) 10th: Breda Duggan – 72 (29) Best Gross: Kelly O’Donoghue (76) Front Nine: Kate O’Leary Back Nine: Sarah O’Brien 13-Hole Competition: Maud Malone – 24 pts (28)
‘Natural Kerry’ opens at Killarney House
Tralee Art Group’s ‘Natural Kerry’ exhibition officially opened at Killarney House and Gardens on Saturday, August 8, celebrating the landscapes, people, and culture of the Kingdom.
Opening remarks were given by TAG Chairperson Caitríona Foley, who welcomed artists, family, and friends before introducing special guest Michael Gleeson, former Mayor of Killarney and current Chairperson of Killarney Tidy Towns.
Addressing attendees, Michael spoke on the unique gift artists possess in capturing and sharing the beauty of Kerry through their work, offering a thoughtful reflection on the inspiration behind the collection.
The well-attended launch drew a large crowd to view the artwork, meet the artists, and enjoy the surroundings of Killarney House. Tralee Art Group extended its thanks to the staff at Killarney House and Gardens for hosting the event.
‘Natural Kerry’ runs until August 27. Many of the featured artworks are available for purchase, with enquiries available online at www.traleeartgroup.ie.
Top golf scores at Mahony’s Point
Top golf scores at Mahony’s Point Ivan Tagney and Aoife Twomey secured top honours at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club...
‘Natural Kerry’ opens at Killarney House
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