Herbalist Vivienne takes her skills on the road

A NORTH Clare herbalist has made her way from walks in the Burren to venues and events across the country co-presenting a prime-time television programme with one of Ireland’s best known chefs.

Vivienne Campbell, who lives close to Corofin, is currently sharing the limelight with Richard Corrigan on his RTÉ 1 series Corrigan Cooks Naturally. The famous chef’s new road show is touring the country encouraging people to eat natural and traditional foods. In doing so, he is ably assisted by Vivienne, who has a weekly slot showing people how to use herbs to make delicious wild foods, traditional remedies and natural cosmetics.
“The reaction to the show has been very positive but I don’t know if anyone would ring me and tell me if it was terrible. Even in the doctor’s surgery, people were raving about it. Lots of people don’t realise what is going on around them and what they have outside their doorstep if they were to go looking. They don’t know that these things they consider weeds have actually got uses. The show is getting good ratings, which is very positive,” Vivienne told The Clare Champion.
So far, the Corrigan Cooks Naturally road show has been to Cloughjordan in Tipperary and the Puck Fair in Kerry, as well as Sligo and Dublin. Vivienne has been using cultivated herbs from thriving community gardens or has been out foraging in fields and hedgerows for wild plants that have a variety of uses.
Originally from the Isle of Bute off the Scottish coast, Vivienne studied herbalism in Lancashire from 2000 to 2003 and three days after she completed her course she moved to Clare, where she has been based ever since.
“I am from the countryside so I grew up with an interest in herbalism and natural medicines and that is how I ended up going on to study it. I have family in Clare so had visited here for many years. There is a strong tradition of herbalism in Clare and a good interest in it, so it was a nice place to come to,” Vivienne recalled.
In recent years, along with a renewed interest in home cooking, many people are once again finding the value in herbalism.
“There has definitely been a rejuvenation of people’s interest in going back to herbalism, particularly if people are gardeners because they have the plants there already. People were interested in it during the boom but they were interested in buying the products. Now people have more time on their hands and are looking into ways to save money and are making the products. You can make simple remedies in the kitchen. It is like cooking and people are really surprised by what they can get in their own homes. It is worth a try before going on to antibiotics,” Vivienne commented.
Vivienne teaches popular herb courses at the organic gardens of the Irish Seed Savers Association (ISSA) in Scariff and in the summer months, she leads guided herb walks in the Burren.
“It is hard to say what area people are most interested in, whether it is the cosmetics or the healthy herbal remedies side of things. Women are often tickled to learn how to make moisturiser while learning to make basic remedies in your kitchen remains as popular as ever. Certainly with that one it attracts both men and women.
“I also run herb walks and they are really popular. You get a real diversity of people there. People bring their kids and tourists come along and lots of locals come because they are fascinated to learn what is there that they never really paid any attention to,” she stated.
Vivienne will be running two courses in November at ISSA. An Introduction to Herbal Medicine Theory will be held on Sunday, November 14, while Natural Cosmetic Making wil be held on Sunday, November 21. To book either of these courses, contact ISSA on 061 921866 or book online at www.irishseedsavers.ie.
To find out more about herbalism in Ireland and keep posted on Vivienne’s walks, courses, talks and events, visit Vivienne’s website www.theherbalhub.com.
To contact Vivienne, email info@theherbalhub.com or call 086 8899168.
Corrigan Cooks Naturally continues on Wednesdays at 8.30pm on RTÉ 1 and is also available to watch online at www.rte.ie.