Torthaí an Fhómhair

The leaves on the trees are changing colour in autumn, but the berries add a lovely splash of colour. Have you noticed all the red that appears on the bushes in the autumn?

Here's a little bit of information about four of the most common berries to appear in the Irish countryside as the days start to get shorter.

Do you know the Irish for blackberry; sloe; haw and rose-hip?

1. Sméara Dubha | Blackberry

Blackberries grow on bramble bushes / dris (sounds like 'dish' with an 'r' after the 'd') and are very common all over Ireland in the autumn. Maybe you've spent time ag piocadh sméara dubh / picking blackberries to make tasty subh sméara dubh / blackberry jam.

2. Airní | Sloes

The bitter sloes grow on the blackthorn / draighean (sound like 'spine' but with 'dr' instead of 'sp'). The town of Killarny / Cill Airne means 'Church of the sloe (bush)'.

3. Seachóirí | Haws

The little red round haw berry grows on the whitethorn (also called hawthorn). The Irish for whitethorn is sceach gheal (lit.'bright bush').

4. Mogóirí róis | Rosehips

The shiny red/orange rosehip grows on wild dogrose bushes all over the country. The Irish for dogrose is feirdhris. 

Sin a bhfuil anois! That's it for now. 

Whenever you're out walking in the autumn keep an eye out for these bright berries.

Coinnigh súil amach do na sméara geala seo.

If you liked this post you might also enjoy these posts:

Crainn na hÉireann / The Trees of Ireland

Éin na hÉireann / The Birds of Ireland

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