Where the wild flowers grow

ON Friday, former TD and Senator Mary O’Rourke will launch The Wild Flowers of Loophead, which has just been published by Clare visual artist, poet and author Carmel T Madigan.

 

Carmel is the youngest daughter of Mai and PJ Magner, a family with a long ancestral link to Loop Head spanning over 300 years.

This book is the first-ever written on an aspect of natural heritage in the area and combines a body of knowledge developed from researching habitats and flora of the area for five years, with her young son James in tow.

Carmel offers detailed descriptions of over 100 species of wild flora encountered in the Loop Head area, together with their location, abundance and habitats.

The book explores various areas including the open peaty moors at both Ross and Loop Head, the stony and sandy beaches of Ross and Rhynvella on the Shannon-side and the waysides, verges, hedgerows and drains of the quiet inner roads that provide abundant colourful flora during the high flowering season.

“The research uncovered some very rare species including the Babington’s Leek, the Marshmallow, Elecampane, Irish Marsh Orchid and Sea Rocket living in our midst and colouring our environment,” Carmel revealed.

The book illustrates a couple of botanical looped walking suggestions, with maps of the entire area plus maps of the walking routes suggested. It also introduces newcomers to a variety of species from wild flora to simple botanical terminology, which are presented in an illustrated botanical glossary.

Carmel, as well as being a visual artist, poet and author, is an honours business graduate from the University of Limerick and  worked in management and accounting in a multinational environment for 13 years. She opted to develop her creative career, first in creative digital graphics and then in painting and mixed media. To date she has exhibited internationally in Florence, Barcelona and New York.

Her book is sprinkled with her poetry, which she wrote around the wild flora and Loop Head, together with inspired artwork she produces based on the atmospheric, elemental influences of wind, ocean, sculpted rock and flora.

In addition, it offers a little knowledge on walking these roads enabling the public to identify the flora as they pass and gives a description of their ancient history, their medicinal and herbal properties if any, their nutritional, folkloric or poetic values.

The book will be launched by Mary O’Rourke at Kilkee library on Friday at 7pm, where the community are invited to attend. The event also aims to raise awareness of the rich botanical offerings on the peninsula.

Also speaking at the launch will be Cillian Murphy, chairman of Loop Head tourism, Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington of the Department of Botany and Plant Science in Galway.

The book, written, researched, photographed and published by Carmel, was grant-aided at its final print-production stage by Clare Local Development Company through its Leader Programme. It was greatly welcomed by Congella Maguire, Clare Heritage Officer and botanically-edited by Stephen Ward of the Burren Beo Trust and Clare Biodiversity.

The book is available to purchase online from carmelmadigangallery.com and will be available from May 26 at a variety of local shops and tourist outlets as well as at Loop Head Lighthouse.