Long before blueberries became widely available in supermarkets and at summer food festivals, Ireland had Fraughan Sunday – an annual pilgrimage into the hills to gather wild blueberries and welcome the start of Lúnasa.
On the east coast, the tradition saw families head for the Wicklow Mountains and upland bogs on the last Sunday of July in search of tiny, intensely flavoured fraughans (pronounced frockins), with folklore helpfully suggesting that hopeful romantics should use the proceeds of their haul to entice their chosen sweetheart with home baked blueberry cakes.
We’re told that the wild berries, which thrive amongst the heather found in acidic mountain soil, are richer in flavour than the cultivated blueberries we’re more familiar with today.
Packed with antioxidants, they have the capacity to stain fingers a glorious purple, and historically proved as practical as they were delicious.
In addition to helping dye wool and linen, families across Wicklow earned vital income picking the fruit for export to Britain, where it was destined for use in jam factories there.
These days, Glendalough Distillery continues to keep the tradition alive, and resident forager Geraldine Kavanagh spends each summer hand-picking fraughans in the Wicklow Mountains for the distillery’s seasonal Summer Gin.
Her slow, careful work, supports biodiversity, leaving plenty of berries behind for wildlife while ensuring the plants continue to flourish.
Geraldine has kindly shared details of her go-to Fraughan Sunday serve, a twist on the classic Collins, made with muddled wild berries.
We’re delighted to reproduce her recipe below – ideal for those wondering what to do with their own haul of handpicked berries this summer.
Words: Martina Murray
Glendalough Distillery Fraughan Berry Collins (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
20 Wild Berries (fraughans, wild raspberries and wild strawberries if you can find them)
2 Dashes Raspberry/Strawberry Syrup
4 Measures Glendalough Distillery Wild Botanical Gin
4 Teaspoons Lemon Juice Sugar Syrup
To Taste Add Soda Water, and Garnish with Wild Berries or Fresh Mint
Method:
Divide the berries and strawberry syrup between two highball glasses.
Muddle well.
Fill each glass with ice, then add the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup, and stir.
Top with soda water and garnish with wild berries or mint.
Enjoy!
