One of Ireland’s most familiar fruits is getting the star treatment this September in a unique celebration of food, community, place and nature, taking place in County Leitrim.
The apple may be humble, but its story is anything but ordinary, according to the organisers of Úll Abú, the Apple Day Festival at the Organic Centre in Rossinver on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27.
The festival will explore the apple’s place in our food culture and the wider importance of protecting biodiversity, supporting local producers and growing more sustainably.
Apples connect orchards and ecosystems, growers and food producers. They can be eaten fresh, cooked, pressed and preserved and, when grown locally and in season, they offer a simple and delicious way to think differently about where our food comes from.
Úll Abú! will celebrate the remarkable apple and reflect a renewed public interest in seasonal food, traditional varieties and more resilient local food systems.
The Organic Centre, a charitable and social enterprise, was founded in 1995, and its annual Apple Day has been attracting visitors since 1999. It is now the centre’s most popular event, bringing together growers, food producers, craftspeople, families and people interested in sustainable living. One of the founding members, Phil Wheale, is the Organic Centre’s Education Coordinator.
Apple Day itself takes place from noon until 4pm on Sunday, September 27, when the Organic Centre’s grounds will be filled with talks, demonstrations, food, crafts, music and family activities. Highlights include:
- Visitors will be able to watch apples being pressed and taste the resulting fresh juice, meet regional food and drink producers, and enjoy two cookery demonstrations from Mike Harris featuring affordable recipes made with Irish fruit and vegetables
- The programme will examine the future of food and growing in Ireland. Speakers include Kenneth Keavey, founder of Green Earth Organics; biodynamic regenerative farmer Charles Carr of Bullaun Ark; Elaine Bradley, Manager of Irish Seed Savers; and Joanna Sweeney, author of Wildcrafting Pathways
- Elaine Bradley will explore the importance of conserving rare seeds and Ireland’s heritage apple trees, helping audiences discover that an apple is not simply an apple: different varieties carry their own flavours, characteristics, histories and connections to particular places.
This year’s festival begins on the Saturday, September 26, with a seasonal Supper Club led by chef Mike Harris of Edergole Kitchen. The event will showcase organic, locally grown ingredients and the abundance of the late-summer harvest from the Organic Centre’s gardens and orchard. Tickets for the Supper Club have already sold out.
The Festival is supported by Fáilte Ireland under the Food Tourism Grants Scheme, funding announced by Minister Peter Burke TD earlier this year, marking a new chapter for the festival’s story and enabling it to expand from a one-day event to two, thanks to the additional funding.
Commenting, Stephen Campbell, General Manager of Rossinver Organic Centre, said the festival has this year expanded into a two-day event celebrating Irish food, seasonal produce and local culture - with the support of Failte Ireland and Leitrim Tourism.
He added: “Apple Day begins with the belief that this everyday fruit is genuinely worth celebrating. The apple carries stories of place, taste, biodiversity and tradition. It also opens up much bigger conversations about how we grow food, how we value seasonal produce and what we want our food system to look like in the future.
“We want people to come and enjoy a wonderful day, but also to leave looking at the humble apple and perhaps their food more generally with fresh eyes. We are grateful to Fáilte Ireland and Leitrim County Council, for their continued support and promotion of the festival”.
While the festival offers a packed programme of food and entertainment, its origins are rooted in The Organic Centre’s long-standing work to encourage people to grow food, protect horticultural knowledge and understand where their food comes from.
The centre has developed into an important visitor, education and community resource with gardens, orchards and programmes on organic growing and sustainable living. The expansion of the event also strengthens Leitrim’s growing reputation as a destination for authentic food, culture and nature-based visitor experiences.
Sinéad McDermott, Tourism Officer of Leitrim County Council, said the festival would give visitors yet more reasons to discover the county. She added: “The Apple Festival is a unique way of showing how Leitrim’s communities, landscapes and local food traditions can come together to create a distinctive visitor experience in the county. The festival is wonderful opportunity to support local growers, producers and of course tourism”.
For further information, visit www.theorganiccentre.ie or www.enjoyleitrim.com
