Location

The apple trees I tend and nurture are on family land in the village of Addergoole, which is approximately two miles from Knock, Co. Mayo. The gable end of Knock parish church is well known within the Catholic community.

It was here, on August 21st 1879, that a number of local people were witness to an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Authenticated by the Catholic Church the centenary of this event was marked by Pope John Paul saying Mass at Knock during his visit to Ireland in 1979.

Mayo's position on the west coast of Ireland exposes the land and the people to everything the Atlantic Ocean can hurl at them. The weather, though often inclement, can be wondrous in summer and provides ideal sunlight and warmth for apple trees.

Ireland's 'Celtic Tiger' economy has given Mayo a welcome lick but farming and tourism are still its lifeblood. Cattle graze stonewalled fields and sheep populate the fields and mountains. Salmon and trout attract fisherman from all over the world and every now and again the roving eye is met with a surprise, which is so typical of Ireland - an unexpected apple orchard, for instance.