Flora

Some of the plants and wild flowers that I have found amongst the sand dunes and coastal hedgerows.

Sheeps bit A pretty little plant which grows in rocky places	English Stone crop Found around the coast on stone walls and dry banks.	Tormentil A tiny wild flower hidden in grassy banks.In Irish folk medicine the roots were used to cure colic and they were used extensively for tanning and for producing a red dye.
Bell Heather A common folk belief in Ireland and Britain is that it is lucky to wear heather and bringing it into the house will bring good fortune.Heather's many uses earn't it a place in the Irish Brehon Laws on trees and shrubs and has been linked with the ancient Irish Ogham alphabet.	Honey suckle or Woodbine In folk lore Honeysuckle was believed to protect against harmful influences, bad spirits and witchcraft.It's ability to choke off any other wood made it an image of power and strength in Celtic legend.	Smooth Hawkesbeard
Silverweed Cultivated for its tuberous roots in Ireland before the arrival of the potato.The roots were boiled or ground to make bread.Travellers used the leaves as shoe insoles.	Elmleaf A wild blackberry that grows in the hedgerows.Blackberries have been eaten since the earliest times.It was a belief that they should not be eaten after the feast of Samhain or Halloween as at this time a fairy called Pooka spat on the berries and made them inedible.Bramble was considered to have special powers both good and bad.It was valued for its many other uses such as wicker work and providing dyes.	Red Sorrel An important food plant in Ireland since earliest times eaten raw or in soups.According to legend St Kevin lived for seven years on nettles and sorrel.
Red Clover In Irish myth and legend the clover is a symbol of prosperity and fertility of the land.The leaves of red clover were used for bee stings and as a cough remedy.	Sea Rocket Found on the sand and shingle it belongs to the mustard family.	Gorse, Furze or Whin A sacred tree gorse was included in the Celtic Beltane bonfires and in the Ogham Tract it is listed as a chieftain tree.In Irish custom a twig of gorse was often hung in dwellings or worn on clothing as it was valued for its powers of protection against adversity.
Sea Radish Grows in abundance on gravelly sea shores.	Navel wort or Penny pies In traditional medicine it was valued as a cure for kidney complaints and corns.	Sea Sandwort A salt loving plant that creeps along the sand dunes and shingle
Red Campion The latin name Silene derives from the merry drunken god called Silenus in greek myth.	Bird's Foot Trefoil It gets it's name from it's black seed pods which resemble a birds claw.In Ireland children called the plant "no blame" and would gather it on the way to school in the belief that possession of it would save them from punishment.	Thrift or Sea Daisy It's Irish name is Rabhan meaning outburst.It scatters itself all over the rocks along the shore.
Ivy leaved Toad flax Also known as climbing sailor. Introduced in the seventeenth century from the Mediterranean countries it can be found on old walls and bare waste ground.	Bugle Also known as Gypsy weed and Thunder and lightening.	Scarlet Pimpernel Widely known in Ireland as Seamair Mhuire (Virgin Mary's Shamrock) it was believed that who ever possessed it would have the power of second sight and hearing and would be able to understand the speech of birds and animals.The flowers close when rain is on its way so is also known as Poor man's weather glass
Goat willow or Pussy Willow Native to Ireland A staff of this willow carried on a journey was said to be lucky	Yellow Iris or Yellow Flag The leaves were used for bedding and thatching and the root could be used to make a black dye. It was used in herbal medicine to cure toothache.In Irish myth it was a symbol of beauty.	Pyramidal Orchid One of the most common orchids found on roadside verges.
Sea Campion Found on the rocks near the sea.	Common Scurvy Grass Used by sailors to prevent scurvy on sea voyages.	Kidney Vetch or lady's finger It forms carpets of bright yellow flowers amongst the sand dunes.Used in earlier times to treat slow healing wounds.In Irish Meara Muire translates as The Virgin's Finger.
Common Vetch Originally introduced into the country by early farmers as fodder for livestock.	Lesser Celandine or Fig Buttercup Also known as Pilewort which hints to it's use as a treatment for haemorrhoids.	Herb-Robert The plant may have been linked to the Robin a bird considered powerful in folklore on account of its fiery breast.It was used in Ireland as a cure for a disease of livestock called red water fever.
Primrose Traditionally considered a powerful source of protection.On May Eve primroses were gathered to put around the house and farm and even on cows' tail's to keep evil spirits harming.	Charlock or Field mustard Known in Ireland as Praiseach. It is a widely held view that three plants kept people alive during the Great Famine,Charlock nettle and the seaweed Carrigeen.	Cow Parsley Sometimes known as Lady's-lace it was put on the May altars to honour the Virgin Mary.
Speed-well-blue Speedwell was believed in Ireland to be one of the herbs that nothing natural or supernatural could injure. The latin name for speedwell Veronica links the plant to St Veronica who by tradition wiped Christ's face with a cloth on the way to Calvery.	Common Dog-Violet The name dog violet is believed to have arisen because this species of violet has no scent so it was given a disparaging name.	Creeping Buttercup In Ireland buttercups like primroses were picked on May Eve to decorate the house and to provide protection against the fairies.They were valued in folk medicine for curing headaches and rheumatic afflictions.
Fox glove or Fairy gloves A mysterious fairy plant.Folklore tells us that bad fairies gave the flowers to the fox to soften his steps whilst hunting.It was believed to be a powerful herb to cure children wasting away under the influence of fairy stroke.	Cuckoo Flower Also known as Lady's smock because the flowers appear around 25th March on Lady day.It is also when the cuckoo song can be heard.In traditional Herbal medicine it was used to treat nervous afflictions.	Marsh Thistle
Wild Carrot Also known as bird's nest.The name carrot is believed to be Celtic in origin and means red of colour.	Hart's Tongue fern Also known as Cows Tongue.It is a native plant.In folk medicine the fronds were boiled and made into an ointment to sooth burns.	Dog Rose Abundant in the hedgerows in summer.The rosehips were considered a useful source of food in earlier times.
Evening Primrose The flowers only open fully in the evening and are pollinized by moths	Field Horse tail Native to Ireland,it is the sole survivor of a line of plants going back 300 million years.	Wild Angelica In Irish folk medicine it was believed that chewing the roots before breakfast could cure heart palpitations.
Ragwort In Ireland it was believed that ragwort was used like a horse by the fairies to ride around on.It was also valued as a folk cure for jaundice.	Sea Mouse Ear Found on walls by the coast	Japanese Rose Introduced to Europe from Asia where it grows by the sea. It has a lovely scent
Cat's tail It was considered to be a fairy plant.In Irish the name translates as Spindle of the Banshees.	Self Heal or Heart's Ease In traditional medicine it was thought to be one of the best plants to heal wounds and it was also used for heart complaints.It is now known that it has anti inflammatory properties.Also loved by bees and moths	Yellow Clover Also known as yellow lesser trefoil.It is abundant on dry road sides
Ox Eye Daisy Also known as Dog daisy.In European folk lore it is associated with midsummer.	Heath Bedstaw	French Cranesbill
Meadow Sweet A sacred plant of the Druids it takes its name from the Anglo Saxon meaning Mead Sweetener and was used to flavour Mead and wine.It was also strewn on floors to scent a room.An important medicinal plant it is the herb that aspirin was created from as it contains high levels of Salicylic acid which is known for its ability to reduce pain.	Bird's Eye Speedwell	Purple Loosestrife
Lady's Bedstraw Grows on the sand dunes.It was traditionally used to stuff mattresses and to cure nose bleeds.It is also known as Cheese Rennet as it has the property of curdling milk.	Bird Vetch	Sea Aster
Great Willow Herb	Hairy Willow Herb	Eyebright It has been traditionally used to treat minor eye ailments

Flora

Sheeps bit

A pretty little plant which grows in rocky places

English Stone crop

Found around the coast on stone walls and dry banks.

Tormentil

A tiny wild flower hidden in grassy banks.In Irish folk medicine the roots were used to cure colic and they were used extensively for tanning and for producing a red dye.

Bell Heather

A common folk belief in Ireland and Britain is that it is lucky to wear heather and bringing it into the house will bring good fortune.Heather's many uses earn't it a place in the Irish Brehon Laws on trees and shrubs and has been linked with the ancient Irish Ogham alphabet.

Honey suckle or Woodbine

In folk lore Honeysuckle was believed to protect against harmful influences, bad spirits and witchcraft.It's ability to choke off any other wood made it an image of power and strength in Celtic legend.

Smooth Hawkesbeard

Silverweed

Cultivated for its tuberous roots in Ireland before the arrival of the potato.The roots were boiled or ground to make bread.Travellers used the leaves as shoe insoles.

Elmleaf

Red Sorrel

An important food plant in Ireland since earliest times eaten raw or in soups.According to legend St Kevin lived for seven years on nettles and sorrel.

Red Clover

In Irish myth and legend the clover is a symbol of prosperity and fertility of the land.The leaves of red clover were used for bee stings and as a cough remedy.

Sea Rocket

Found on the sand and shingle it belongs to the mustard family.

Gorse, Furze or Whin

A sacred tree gorse was included in the Celtic Beltane bonfires and in the Ogham Tract it is listed as a chieftain tree.In Irish custom a twig of gorse was often hung in dwellings or worn on clothing as it was valued for its powers of protection against adversity.

Sea Radish

Grows in abundance on gravelly sea shores.

Navel wort or Penny pies

In traditional medicine it was valued as a cure for kidney complaints and corns.

Sea Sandwort

A salt loving plant that creeps along the sand dunes and shingle

Red Campion

The latin name Silene derives from the merry drunken god called Silenus in greek myth.

Bird's Foot Trefoil

It gets it's name from it's black seed pods which resemble a birds claw.In Ireland children called the plant "no blame" and would gather it on the way to school in the belief that possession of it would save them from punishment.

Thrift or Sea Daisy

It's Irish name is Rabhan meaning outburst.It scatters itself all over the rocks along the shore.

Ivy leaved Toad flax

Also known as climbing sailor. Introduced in the seventeenth century from the Mediterranean countries it can be found on old walls and bare waste ground.

Bugle

Also known as Gypsy weed and Thunder and lightening.

Scarlet Pimpernel

Goat willow or Pussy Willow

Native to Ireland A staff of this willow carried on a journey was said to be lucky

Yellow Iris or Yellow Flag

The leaves were used for bedding and thatching and the root could be used to make a black dye. It was used in herbal medicine to cure toothache.In Irish myth it was a symbol of beauty.

Pyramidal Orchid

One of the most common orchids found on roadside verges.

Sea Campion

Found on the rocks near the sea.

Common Scurvy Grass

Used by sailors to prevent scurvy on sea voyages.

Kidney Vetch or lady's finger

It forms carpets of bright yellow flowers amongst the sand dunes.Used in earlier times to treat slow healing wounds.In Irish Meara Muire translates as The Virgin's Finger.

Common Vetch

Originally introduced into the country by early farmers as fodder for livestock.

Lesser Celandine or Fig Buttercup

Also known as Pilewort which hints to it's use as a treatment for haemorrhoids.

Herb-Robert

The plant may have been linked to the Robin a bird considered powerful in folklore on account of its fiery breast.It was used in Ireland as a cure for a disease of livestock called red water fever.

Primrose

Traditionally considered a powerful source of protection.On May Eve primroses were gathered to put around the house and farm and even on cows' tail's to keep evil spirits harming.

Charlock or Field mustard

Known in Ireland as Praiseach. It is a widely held view that three plants kept people alive during the Great Famine,Charlock nettle and the seaweed Carrigeen.

Cow Parsley

Sometimes known as Lady's-lace it was put on the May altars to honour the Virgin Mary.

Speed-well-blue

Speedwell was believed in Ireland to be one of the herbs that nothing natural or supernatural could injure. The latin name for speedwell Veronica links the plant to St Veronica who by tradition wiped Christ's face with a cloth on the way to Calvery.

Common Dog-Violet

The name dog violet is believed to have arisen because this species of violet has no scent so it was given a disparaging name.

Creeping Buttercup

In Ireland buttercups like primroses were picked on May Eve to decorate the house and to provide protection against the fairies.They were valued in folk medicine for curing headaches and rheumatic afflictions.

Fox glove or Fairy gloves

A mysterious fairy plant.Folklore tells us that bad fairies gave the flowers to the fox to soften his steps whilst hunting.It was believed to be a powerful herb to cure children wasting away under the influence of fairy stroke.

Cuckoo Flower

Also known as Lady's smock because the flowers appear around 25th March on Lady day.It is also when the cuckoo song can be heard.In traditional Herbal medicine it was used to treat nervous afflictions.

Marsh Thistle

Wild Carrot

Also known as bird's nest.The name carrot is believed to be Celtic in origin and means red of colour.

Hart's Tongue fern

Also known as Cows Tongue.It is a native plant.In folk medicine the fronds were boiled and made into an ointment to sooth burns.

Dog Rose