What was inside the amazing April MyIrelandBox
Warren from Coolree Design, County Kildare – Faerie Door/Stem vase
I had been so excited to send this MyIrelandBox to our members for quite some time, and of course since I dreamed of ‘Tigín na mBláth’. This vase, called Tigín na mBláth, is a representation of a faerie door – those of the worldly flower faeries. Tigín (Tig-een) means ‘little house’ in Gaelic and ‘Na mBláth’ (Nuh mblaw) means ‘of flowers’ – and hence it was called ‘Little House of the Flowers’. I absolutely love how it turned out, and it was made only for MyIrelandBox members so nobody else will ever own it.
Miena’s Nougat – created in the Glen of Imaal, County Wicklow
Of course, this delicious treat had to be popped in to each April MyIrelandBox once discovered by me! It’s a first for MyIrelandBox members and oh so joyful.
Molly Ellis, The Wild Felter – County Cork
Molly is at one with nature, is a free spirit, happy and cheerful. I wanted to work with her again as soon as I saw her little Easter bunny. What a happy little one to see every day to cheer one up. This cutie is bringing smiles to the faces of our members, daily, as it does to ours here in our household since she was framed and placed on our wall.
Kilbeggan Irish Oats – County Westmeath
Kilbeggan Handmade Oat Cookies are created from an old recipe handed down through five generations of the Lalor family and now perfected by Lily Lalor. These nibbles from heaven showcase, amongst other quality ingredients, the best of Certified Organic Irish Oats and unsalted Irish creamy butter leading to a truly buttery, crispy, deliciously guilt free treat [well we think so ….], in the absence of any preservatives or flavouring! A winner for sure. More to come in future curations – they have many flavours for you to try!
Irish Folk and Faerie Tales ~ Brilliant Book
I chose this wonderful book because the stories come from famous Irish writers such as Yeats, and I love the poetry within. One of my favorite stories is ‘The Lady of Gollerus’ on page 63 – an area only a few miles away from me here as I write this! A perfect little book to transport our members to the world of Irish folklore whenever they wish for a little time out. It’s a great one to pick up every so often – or to just sit and read it in one day … and eat all the goodies that our members received whilst they read!
This month’s recipe: My mother Kathy’s Hot Cross Buns
It’s the season for hot cross buns and none nicer than those made using this recipe, gifted to our members by my mother, Kathy! I gave everyone a little tip to say that if they found some rhubarb jam, then go for it – gorgeous with the buns!
Katharine’s Booklet
I adored writing the booklet this month – we brought everyone on a little hike, with tour guide and Irish folklore enthusiast Kevin O’Shea, setting off on foot from the Blasket Centre to Dunquin Pier. We also visited our family faerie fort, passed an ancient castle and our members learned more about faeries, folklore, faerie islands and more! I also wrote a little bit about Ireland in April and we had an interview with The Dingle Druid, Juli Malone, at her little cottage nestled within the countryside of Dingle, Co. Kerry where we sat and spoke all about faeries and our beliefs. Of course, we met all the makers within the booklet, and had a little introduction to next month’s theme too.
I really love writing the booklet to our members and enjoy so much bringing everyone on walks and a journey of discovery with me every month!