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An

Introduction To

The Wild Flowers

of

Baldoyle

Copyright © Michael J. Hurley, Baldoyle, 2010

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To the memory of Sr. Aileen Waldron (1938 - 2009), a lover of wild flowers.

one of the pleasures of spring and summer in the countryside is the profusion of wild flowers to be discovered and enjoyed. I greet each species as a returning friend when I see them re-emerge for another season, sometimes having to stop and think, “well who are you now?”, and even betimes having to resort to “the book” when I get home! Each soil type and landscape produces its own treasure of colour and fragrance. Here in Baldoyle, despite ongoing development, we are lucky to have several habitat types from seashore to farmland.

Sometimes we may wonder about the definition of a wild flower. In its simplest terms a wild flower is one which grows without the intervention of humans. Many of our favourite flowers are termed “weeds” by gardeners and farmers, so it is probably reasonable to define a weed as a “wild flower that grows in an inconvenient place!” But what of those garden flowers that “escape” and thrive where they fall? Perhaps we should exclude them from the list of the wild. There are many examples of this in the derelict gardens around Stapolin House (e.g., Star of Bethlehem, Tiger Lilies, and Montbretia or Red Cardinal).

An interesting case is that of the Pineapple Weed, introduced from North America (some say N.E. Asia) in the late nineteenth century. Few can now argue but that this aromatic plant is a true wild flower today (“more Irish than the Irish themselves”). A safe view to take, therefore, is that a wild flower is one which grows without the intervention of humans. Even this theory is questionable so perhaps it is best that each one of us formulate our own definition. What does it matter as long as we enjoy their company?

In modern times man has come to depend less on wild plants for medicinal purposes although many drugs today are based on plant extracts (e.g., digitalis, for the treatment of heart conditions, comes from Foxgloves). However, in former generations people collected plants for the preparation of home-made remedies. Comfrey was collected from near the Moyne Bridge to make an infusion for the treatment of broken bones and bleeding. A herbal tea was produced from the ground-up roots of the Dandelion. In this manner, therefore, wild flowers were more important than merely as objects of beauty.

Modern building development and farming techniques have devastated many of our better wild life habitats. When building takes place in a field it is probable that all except the most durable of our wild flowers (daisy, clover, dandelion etc.) will disappear forever from that place. As local poet Paula Meehan wrote of a building site “...the field itself dying as the crop (the houses) matured”. The development of larger farm machinery has brought about the bulldozing of miles of hedgerow and headland to create larger fields (“production units”). Hedgerow and ditch which have evolved over countless generations and which have often marked the boundary of townland and parish are wiped from the landscape in hours. The modern practice of sowing specially selected grasses to produce a more abundant and uniform hay or silage crop has destroyed thousands of traditional meadows, leaving unbroken green without a splash of colour. Large scale drainage of farmland has turned marshy ground into arable land at the expense of the wet-land plants and creatures. The reduction in the number of sheep grazing on sandy seaside pastures has caused the disappearance of low

growing flowers in areas formerly close-cropped.

Here in Baldoyle we have an environment which is still, thankfully, rich in its variety of wild flower habitats. The sea-shore provides a home for plants of salt and brackish habitat while across the Coast Road in the old race course we have a lovely well-drained sandy soil which provides a dazzling display of Buttercup, Birds Foot Trefoil, and Clovers. The rich pastureland at the centre of the racecourse which has probably not been furrowed by the plough or poisoned by herbicides in over a century and a half (if ever) hosts hundreds of cowslips – a species now generally considered to be under threat. There are also long established hedgerows of Blackthorn, Bramble, and Hawthorn, decorated with Bindweed, on the racecourse. The marshy Bottoms and the wet lands surrounding Bell’s Pond support Ladies Smock and Ragged Robin. Moving westwards, the fertile cultivated lands of Stapolin produce a profusion of flowers typical of ploughed land like Sun Spurge, Shepherd’s Purse, and Red Dead Nettle. In this summer of 2010, Fingal County Council decided not to mow large tracts of parkland and in Baldoyle, almost half of Seagrange Park was left uncut. This wonderful experiment gave us a rich lilac carpet of Cuckoo Flowers in April followed by a golden sea of Buttercup in June (see photographs 110 and 111). The field has reverted to the old lealand that I remember from fifty years ago when the Christian Brothers’ cows grazed contentedly there. The wet ditches support the Willowherbs while the railway banks provide a stony dry habitat where Herb Robert and Ivy leaved Toadflax are to be found.

We acknowledge that Baldoyle holds a treasure trove of wild flowers but let us not lose sight of the vulnerability of their habitats. During the last ten years we have lost tens of acres of flower habitat. Each new house built, each field drained and each application of herbicide kills more flowers (e.g., photo 109). The Reed Mace has not grown here since the early sixties when the construction of Sutton Park destroyed its swampy habitat (although I am happy to report that it has now been planted in abundance in the waters at Fr. Collin’s Park). Many more beautiful plants and indeed animals will go the same route as we eat into their natural habitat. The Corn Marigold has become almost extinct because of the use of herbicides in corn crops.

The building of Red Arches and The Coast will, when completed, half our available arable land. One glimmer of hope is the continuing promise to provide The Baldoyle Racecourse Park which will set about preserving some of our native plant habitats. We must be vigilant to ensure this park is delivered and retained as original grassland, meadowland, and marshlands with some traditional hedgerows. Walk through Seagrange Park and see some thirty metres of an old Ash hedgerow which has survived the football pitches. An ancient Whitethorn and Elder-rich hedgerow still runs from the boys’ school by the boundary of the Seagrange Park ditch almost as far as the Howth railway line.

I do not claim to be a botanist or expert on plants: my interest is that of an interested amateur who enjoys the sights and smells of wild flowers without delving into technical terms. The purpose of this book is to introduce like-minded people to identify and appreciate the more common plants of the hinterland of Baldoyle. I have not tried to differentiate between the many varieties of a species, e.g., Thistles, Forget-me-Nots, Sowthistles; rather I have shown a representative of those species. I do not claim that this is a comprehensive collection of our flowers – merely an introduction; there are scores more to be discovered and enjoyed.

This book lists flowers with the English name of the flower. This is printed in bold capitals. The name in italics is the botanical name, and the third is the Irish language name where I have been able to find it. Each flower is numbered and that number links the plant to its photograph. I also include a selection of grasses typical to this area. I have gained much appreciated assistance with proofreading from my wife Phil, and with flower identification from Jenny Seawright of Cork. The address of Jenny’s wonderful web site is www.irishwildflowers.ie, and I recommend this site to anyone interested in further investigation of Irish wild flowers. I am also grateful to Paul Green of the Botanical Society of the British Isles for his checking and advice. These three good people have spared my many blushes!

Might I however, sound a little warning? Throughout the booklet I have outlined past and possible medical uses for various plants. I would advise readers not to attempt treatment of any condition without medical advice and qualified knowledge. The cure could be far worse than the disease!

I hope this booklet might prompt further study to enable us to follow in the footsteps of William Hellier Bailey who described the botany of Baldoyle in his “Rambles on The East Coast of Ireland” in 1886. Bring your camera with you when spotting wild flowers; click it don’t pick it!

Michael J. Hurley 2010. (e-book January 2012)

  1. BINDWEED, HEDGE (Calystegia sepium) (Ialus fáil).

June – September. This major weed in gardens is difficult to eradicate and can colonise hedgerows, twisting around other plants to assist its growth. The 5-7 cm white flowers are very distinctive and trumpet shaped and will straggle all over a hedge or bush. The flower only opens in sunny weather and lasts no more than a day. It attracts many moths, and because of its tenacity and difficulty to eradicate is known as “Devil’s Garters”.

  1. BINDWEED, FIELD (Convolvulus arvensis). (Ainleog)

June - August. A cousin of the preceding flower is this handsome pink and white striped smaller flower (3-5cm across) found largely on the ditches and banks, and around Sutton Station on railway ballast and paths.

  1. BIRD’S FOOT TREFOIL. (Lotus corniculatus) (Crobh éin). (“Tom Thumb” or “Eggs and Bacon”)

May – September. This low lying bright yellow-orange flower grows profusely in the sandy soil on the eastern side of the race course lands. The name derives from the seed pods which are dark brown and spread out like the claws of a bird. Flowers reach a height of 5 - 10 cm. Children collected this flower on the way to school in the belief that it would protect them from all punishment. They called it “no blame”.

  1. BUDDLEIA. (Buddleia davidii) (Tor an fheileacháin) (“Butterfly Plant”).

June – September. A flowering bush not unlike lilac, that colonises neglected ground such as at Hole-in- The-Wall in Sutton, Howth Jct. Station, Sutton Tram works, and on the site of the old Talavera House. There is a major growth of Buddleia on the waste ground of the railway between Offington Park and Corr Bridge. This is generally a garden escape which has naturalised and is a popular attraction to butterflies, hence its colloquial name. It can grow very quickly to 4m in height in a mass of purple flowers.

  1. BISTORT, AMPHIBIOUS (Polygonum amphibium). (Glúineach uisce nó Stóinse).

July – Sept. A pink flower found on damp ground at the river end of the race course and Stapolin. This reasonably scarce member of the dock family grows to 75cm.

  1. BITTERSWEET. (Solanum dulcamara) (Dréimire gorm).

June – September. Collars of this member of the potato family were worn about the neck by those wishing to avert witchcraft! This plant is often confused with Deadly Nightshade but is much less poisonous. Found in ditches and hedgerows in Stapolin and on the old race course, this distinctive purple flower with yellow centre produces berries which turn from green to yellow to a very shiny red.

  1. BRAMBLE (Rubus fructicosus) (Sméar dubh) (Blackberry).

This member of the rose family flowers from May through to October and produces what is perhaps our best loved wild fruit. The bramble bush can become an invasive nuisance and grows to a height of 3m. There are believed to be some 2,000 micro species of bramble. The white or pink flowers have a diameter of 2-3 cm and can be found all over the neglected lands and hedgerows in the locality. The fruit is eaten or made into jams and jellies, and was formerly used as a clothes dye. The leaves and stems were used to cure burns. Folklore dictates that the fruit should not be eaten after Halloween as “the pooka (a mischievous devil) urinates on the fruit as he passes by on that night”. Probably good advice to children as the berries become unfit to eat after that time. The roots have been used to make smokers’ pipes (“smoking his briar”) and as a core for sliothars (hurling balls). The leaves were used to cure diarrhoea.

  1. BLACKTHORN. (Prunus spinosa) (Draighean) (Sloe).

May. This member of the rose family is common along the banks of the Moyne River and was probably planted along the railway banks to deter animals and trespassers. The plant is considered to be the parent plant of cultivated plums and its fruit, the sloe, is a bitter berry used for wine and jam making. The unripe fruit was eaten pickled in vinegar and the leaves were used as an adulterant for tea. The white and pink flowers appear in May and the sticks have always been used as walking sticks and “shilelaghs”.

  1. BLUEBELL. (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), (Cloigín gorm).

April – June. One of the most iconic wild flowers is this member of the lily family. The sweetly scented flowers (1-2cm. diam. height 20-50cm) may be white or blue and it is a plant of woodlands. It was found extensively around Stapolin House, the steward’s and gardener’s cottages at Stapolin, and St. Mary’s Secondary School but I suspect that these plantings were by the hand of man rather than true wild growing. The bulbs of bluebells were formerly scraped to produce a slimy glue.

  1. BURDOCK, LESSER. (Arctium minus) (Cnadán, nó Copóg thuathail).

July- Sept. This stout, often bushy plant is a member of the Daisy family found along the ditches at Stapolin. Flowers reach 2cm diameter and a height of 1.5m. The thistle-like purple flowers give way to hooked bracts which attach to clothing and animal fur, thus transporting the seed to distant sites for germination. The browned stems last throughout the winter.

  1. BUTTERBUR. (Petasites hybridus), (Gallán mór).

March. I have only seen this creeping patch-forming plant in the crab-apple field west of the railway and north of the Moyne River. The plant with its pale pink flowers is similar to Winter Heliotrope and is a member of the daisy family. The huge rhubarb-like leaves grow after the blooming of the flower and were formerly used to wrap butter, thus giving the plant its colloquial name. In early medicine the roots were used to break fevers and fight plagues.

  1. BUTTERCUP, CREEPING (Ranunculus repens). (Fearbán reatha) (“Creeping Crowfoot”).

April – May. One of the earliest and most common buttercups forms golden carpets in pastureland, especially the damp bottoms of Stapolin and along the Sluice River at Portmarnock Bridge. The 30mm flowers reach a height of 50cm and the name derives from the resemblance of the leaves to the foot of a crow. All buttercups are unpleasant tasting to animals so they will carefully avoid eating them. Children hold a buttercup beneath the lip of another and if the flower casts a golden glow onto the chin of the child it is deemed that he or she likes butter!

  1. BUTTERCUP, MEADOW. (Ranunculus acris), (Fearbán féir).

April – October. This summer of 2010 delighted me as Fingal County Council decided not to mow part of Seagrange Park and we were treated to a wonderful display of meadow buttercup which was so common in old meadows. This Buttercup can reach a height of 1m in order to compete for light with the meadow grasses.

  1. CAMPION, WHITE, (Silene alba), (Coireán bán).

June – Aug. This grey-green plant of the stitchwort family is found on the east side of the race course and around Burrow Road and railway banks. The 3cm flowers can reach to 90cm in height and some examples have been seen to carry both white and red flowers.

  1. CELANDINE, LESSER. (Ranunculus ficaria) (Grán arcáin).

February – April. Bright yellow flowers of the Buttercup family appear from as early as January and are found on shaded banks and beneath trees and hedges. The 2-3 cm star-like flower of 8-12 narrow petals is found extensively in the vicinity of Stapolin House and along Moyne Road. The flowers fade to white as they age. An ointment made from the roots of this plant was used to treat piles.

  1. CHARLOCK. (Sinapsis arvensis), (Praiseach bhuidhe).

May - July. Tony Daly of Moyne Lodge once told me that they had one field that could not be tilled because of the presence of this persistent and troublesome weed. 2cm flowers reach a metre in height and are a very bright flower of disturbed ground. It is said in Ireland that this member of the cabbage family saved the lives of many people during the Famine when it was eaten mixed with young nettles and some yellow meal.

  1. CHICKWEED, COMMON. (Stellaria media) (Fliodh nó Fuilig) (“Chicken Weed”).

All Year. This straggling world-wide weed of cultivated lands is a member of the stitchwort family. The small white flower (8mm) straggles to a height of 40cm and was found in large clumps all over the tilled lands of the area, and indeed in garden flower beds. Young plants were eaten as a salad plant in sandwiches and are fed to cage birds as all birds are partial to the seeds of chickweed.



  1. CLEAVERS. (Galium aparine), (Lus garbh) (“Goosegrass”, “Robin-run-the-hedge”)

May – Aug. A troublesome scrambling plant with tiny (2mm) white flowers scrambles all over hedges and covers ditch tops all around Maynetown and Stapolin, and in most gardens. The plant is sticky and is used by children to play pranks on others by putting it on their backs where it promptly adheres. The seeds stick to clothes and fur, and the plant is a favourite food of geese and goslings, hence the colloquial name.

  1. CLOVER, RED. (Trifolium pratense) (Seamair chapaill)

May – Sept. A very common flower of meadow lands especially on Seagrange Park and on the east side of the race course. This red flowered plant was grown widely as a fodder crop for animals, and is one of the tri-foliate plants frequently identified as Shamrock, hence the Irish name of “Seamair”.

20. CLOVER, WHITE. (Trifolium repens), (Seamair bhán), (“Dutch Clover”).

June – Sept. This member of the pea family is very familiar on grasslands, road verges, gardens. It is highly scented and nectar abundant being the origin of “clover honey”. Red and white clovers grow to about 50cm and varieties are sometimes cultivated as fodder crops.

21. COMFREY, RUSSIAN. (Symphytum uplandicum), (An Chompair).

May – Aug. This tall (120cm) purple flowered plant is only found on the roadside bank between Moyne Bridge and Portmarnock Cross, and on the southern bank of Moyne Road just west of Moyne Park. A member of the Forget-me-not family it is widely used for medicinal purposes and I have seen people collect it for this purpose. It is known as a “cure all” herb, used in the treatment of broken bones. Fertiliser for tomatoes can be made by soaking the leaves in water, and in Bavaria the leaves are eaten fried in butter. Flowers may be creamy white, but I have only seen purple here.

22. MARIGOLD, CORN. (Chrysanthemum segetum), (Liathán).

June – July. This flower of the daisy family was recorded here in 1886 but it has become extremely rare due to the widespread use of chemical herbicides in cereal crops where it thrived. I have only once seen the plant in Stapolin in 1988. The handsome bright yellow flowers grow to a height of 30cm and have a diameter of 5cm. This really is a plant that you will be lucky to see in Baldoyle again.

23. COW PARSLEY, or QUEEN ANNE’S LACE), (Anthriscus sylverstris), (Peirisil bó).

April – May. This very common roadside plant of early summer was found everywhere along Moyne Road, Stapolin Avenue, railway banks etc. It is a member of the umbellifer family. It was believed in parts of England that to bring this flower into the house would cause the death of one’s mother!

24. COWSLIP (Primula veris), (Bó bleachtáin).

April – May. Perhaps my own favourite of early summer is the beautiful Cowslip of the primrose family. Very common in the old centre lands of the race course where the land has remained undisturbed for generations. As children we collected this highly scented flower in armfuls for May altars at school. It was used in the making of cowslip wine, or as some old people called it “cowsnip wine”. The flowers of 10mm diameter and a height to 30cm are yellow with orange at the throat.

25. CRAB APPLE (Malus sylvestris) (Ubhall fhiadháin).

May. Another plant that produces wonderful jelly and wine is the crab apple, a member of the rose family. The white flowers can be 4cm in diameter and the tree can reach to 7m. In the field adjacent to the railway immediately west of Moyne Road Railway Bridge many varieties of Crab Apple bloom, yielding September fruits of green, yellow, or red. Odd Crab trees grow in the old hedgerows along Stapolin Ave. and along the northern banks of the Moyne River at Marrsfield. The wood of the tree is extremely hard and was popularly used in the making of wooden mallets.

26. CUCKOO FLOWER or LADIES’ SMOCK. (Cardamine pratensis), (Léine Mhuire).

April – June. This is a very pretty flower of wet ground and this was exemplified in 2010 when the council left part of Seagrange Park uncut and it displayed a lilac hue for several weeks. Its name derives from its time of blooming coinciding with the call of the cuckoo, and because lilac was a favourite colour for ladies smocks in the middle ages. The 15mm diam. flower of the cabbage family grows to some 55cm and was found locally at Bell’s Pond (close to Stapolin House), the bottoms of Stapolin, and Seagrange Park. In traditional medicine the flower was the basis of a treatment for epilepsy and nervous conditions. The entire plant may be eaten in the same way as watercress.

27. DAISY. (Bellis perennis) (Nóinín).



May – Oct. A favourite of children and an extremely common wild flower is the 3cm diam. Daisy. Yellow and white and with a reddish tinge this plant is intensely disliked by gardeners as the low rosette of its leaves escapes the lawnmower to send forth new blooms on the morrow. Children made daisy chains from the flowers and it is said that summer has come when your foot can cover five Daisies.



28. DAISY, OX EYE. (Leucanthemum vulgare), (Nóinín mór).

June – Aug. This tall daisy (to 70cm) has a flower diameter of 2.5-5cm and is found all over the Baldoyle area in old meadow lands and pastures. It is so named because it reminded the ancient Greeks of the eyes of their oxen. The race course lands were a prime site for the ox-eye daisy.

29. DANDELION. (Taraxacum officinale), (Caisearbhán) (“Piss the Bed”).

March – Oct. This member of the daisy family is probably the best known and disliked weed of garden, park, and field because of its stubborn and deep roots. The name derives from the shape of its leaves, dent de lions (teeth of the lions) and the flower (3-7cm diam.) can reach a height of 30cm. The seeds are carried in tiny parasols which are called “Jinny Joes” by Dublin children who blow the seeds (“clocks”) from the head, each blow counting an hour of the time. Sometimes the puffs were the number of years until the child would marry. The dandelion produces a sticky sap which was used as a cure for warts and was used during times of scarcity to make a synthetic rubber, similar to the ooze from a rubber tree. The roots were ground to produce a wartime substitute for coffee. The plant also produced a diuretic which gives it its colloquial name of “piss-the bed”.

30. DOCK, BROAD LEAVED. (Rumex obtusifolius), (Copóg shráide).

June – Oct. This weed, often called “Docken” by the old people in Baldoyle is so common that it is prohibited by the Noxious Weeds Acts. There are many species of the dock family and it can grow to 1.3m in height. Its biggest claim to fame is the use of its leaf as an antidote to nettle sting. The plant has had many medicinal uses including treatments for boils, liver trouble, rheumatism, diarrhoea, bronchitis, coughs, colds, and loose teeth, depending on what part of the country you are in when you make enquiry!

31. DOG ROSE. (Rosa canina), (Crann conrós).

June – July, Probably an ancestor of many of our cultivated roses, the dog rose remains a very beautiful wild flower of the hedgerow. It scrambles to a height of 3m over hedges and ditches in a splash of bright pink & white flowers of 4-5cm diam. It was very common on all hedgerows around Stapolin and along the railway line. The seeds are orange coloured rose hips which were used to make a very vitamin C – rich jelly or “Rose Hip Syrup”. However, these berries must not be confused with the berries of Hawthorn which are indigestible. School children peeled the skin from the hips and put the hairy seeds down the clothes of others to cause a very annoying itch, hence the name “Itchy Backs” for the hips.





32. DOVE’S FOOT CRANES BILL. (Geranium mo’lle), (Crobh dearg).

June – July. Over a century ago in 1886 W.H.Bailey recorded this flower “in sandy banks, fields, and waste places” here. The small pink flowers (2cm diam.) grow to 30cm high and are mainly found today at the Bottoms of Stapolin.

33. EVENING PRIMROSE. (Oenothera sp.) (Coinneal óiche).

June – Sept. This flower (1.25m high) is a member of the willowherb family and is native to North America. I have only seen this handsome yellow flower at one location, on the seashore at Cush level crossing, and this makes me a little uneasy that perhaps it is a garden escape. The oil of evening primrose is used in the treatment of eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, and relief of menstrual pain.

34. FENNELL. (Foeniculum vulgare), (Finéal).

July – Aug. A tall (to 1.5m) umbellifer, Fennel has found use as a culinary herb, emitting a strong aromatic, liquorice odour when crushed. The tiny yellow flowers are not very attractive on this tall feathery bush of a plant. The only local location that I know for this flower is in the northern end of Rickard’s or Joss Reilly’s cottage garden on Coast Road to Portmarnock. It is a plant of sea cliffs and waste places, but the fact that this part of the garden is re-claimed foreshore suggests to me that it is not a native plant of Baldoyle, the seeds probably being brought here in soil for infill.

35. FEVERFEW. (Tanacetum parthenium), (Lus deartán).

June. A scarce flower in Baldoyle is this member of the daisy family. The white and yellow flowers are of a diameter of 10mm and they grow as high as 60cm. The plant is native to S. E. Europe and I have seen specimens at Baldoyle United Football Club, Sutton Station, the accommodation path at Sutton, Moyne Road, and the site of Grange Lodge.

36. FIELD SCABIOUS. (Knautia arvensis), (Scaibeas). (Pincushion Flower).

This is a very pretty flower of the teasel family and is found on dry banks and in fields. I have seen it in the race course and on the banks of the Belfast railway line. The most prolific growth I have seen, however, is from the train on the railway bank between Kilbarrack and Raheny Stations. The seeds of this beautiful mauve / blue flower (3-4cm diam.) are dispersed by ants and the plant can grow to 1m. high.

37. FORGET ME NOT, FIELD. (Myosetis arvensis), (Lus míonla goirt).

May – July. An attractive and common blue flower of drier soils, found on cultivated fields at Stapolin and Maynetown. The 5mm diam. Flowers can reach a height of 30cm.

38. FORGET ME NOT, WATER. (Myositis scorpioides), (Ceotharnach uisce).

June – Aug. Also a member of the gentian family this largest flowered of the forget- me-nots is a cobalt blue flower on a pale green creeping plant, found in ditches in Stapolin and close to the Moyne River. The flowers are about 6mm in diam. and straggle in the water to a length of 50cm.



39. GARLIC MUSTARD. (Alliaria petiolata), (Mustard garleog nó Garleog choille).(“Sauce Alone” or “Jack-By-The Hedge”).

May – June. This flower grows to a height of 1m on a plant that can very easily be mistaken for a stinging nettle. The white flowers (8mm diam.) differentiate it from the nettle. The heart shaped leaves smell faintly of garlic when crushed and have been used to prepare a sauce as relish for dried fish, especially ling. The plant was used to treat sore gums, mouth ulcers, and sore throats and is a member of the cabbage family. It is found along the southern roadside of Moyne Road and is very common about Corr Bridge in Sutton.

40. GOATS BEARD. (Tragopogon pratensis), (Féasóg gabhair) (“Jack-Go-To-Bed-At-Noon”).

June. This flower is one of many that are mistaken for dandelions. It is a member of the daisy family and has an erect stem with little branched leaves clasping the stem. The yellow flower can be 7cm diam. and grows to 70cm. The colloquial name derives from the fact that the flowers close every day before noon. It is found in grassy areas and I have seen it along by O’Rourkes house on Coast Road.

41. GORSE. (Ulex europaeus), (Aiteann). (“Whins”, “Furze”).

Almost year around. This spiny shrub of the pea family covers vast areas of the race course and of Howth Hill. It is a strongly scented flower, and if the wind is from the west a walker on the Coast Road can get the heady “coconut” smell wafting across the fields. The seed pods explode with a loud “pop” in hot weather and the seeds are flung away from the bush to be taken by ants that eat the seed’s outer orange growth and then transport it away to a site for future germination. There is little doubt that gorse is a plant of neglected lands. The wood of the gorse was formerly used extensively as firewood and the spiny leaves were crushed for use as a cattle fodder.

42. GREAT MULLEIN. (Verbascum thapsus), (Lus mór), (“Aaron’s Rod”).

June – Aug. A tall (1.5m) plant with yellow flowers of 2cm is this member of the Figwort family. I have only seen it locally at Burrow Road margins and on the ruins of Talavera House which makes me think that perhaps it may be a garden escape. The stem of the plant is covered with thick white wool and the leaves were used as shoe-liners in winter, and as wicks for oil lamps. The dried leaf was added to tobacco, or made into a poultice for chest ailments. It was rubbed on the cheeks by ladies (and gents?) as a poor person’s rouge.

43. GROUNDSEL. (Senecio vulgaris), (Grúnlas).

All Year. Named from an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning ground swallower from the way in which this extremely common weed spreads, the groundsel can reach 45cm in height. The small (4mm) flowers of the daisy family are yellow and found in all cultivated ground. The belief existed in Ireland that groundsel was a sure healer for wounds caused by iron implements. The plant was chopped up for use as a food for poultry and pet birds. Drops of the juice of the plant were sometimes put into a baby’s milk bottle as a cure for constipation.

44. HAREBELL (HAIRBELL), (Campanula rotundifolia), (Méaracán gorm).

July – Sept. Often called a bluebell, this flower is found on poor soil and especially among the sand dunes at Portmarnock and Bull Island. I have seen it at the northern end of the five-furlong gallop of the race course. It grows to 40cm and the bells are 18mm in diam. The main identifying feature of the harebell as opposed to the bluebell is the former’s thin wiry stalk. It is a member of the bellflower family.

45. HAWKWEED, MOUSE-EAR. (Pilosella officinarum), (Searbh na muc)

June – July. A very common member of the daisy family that bears a striking similarity to the dandelion. It grows to a height of 50cm and the flowers can be as broad as 2.5cm. Used to cure coughs and colds, and urinary troubles. Common on banks and in the centre of the race course.



46. HELIOTROPE, WINTER. (Petasites fragrans) Plúr na gréine.

November – March. I always consider this vanilla-smelling flower of the daisy family as the first bloom of the new season, although it might also be claimed as the final flower of the old season (chicken or egg question?). The purple / pink flowers (3-12mm) grow to a height of 30cm and appear before the leaves. It is found in damp places and grows in large masses. The leaves can be from 10 – 40 cm in width and are kidney shaped. It was an annual bloomer on the east side of the old Furnace’s Bridge, at Moyne Road, and at the accommodation path from the bridge to Howth Junction station. It is found close to Bayside Station, on the Baldoyle side of the tracks on the Brickfields ground.

47. HERB ROBERT. (Geranium robertianum), (Earball ríog).

May – Sept. A small pinky-red flower of the geranium family, Herb Robert is found extensively on the ballast of the railway and stone walls or rocky places. The flowers (2cm) are on a plant that can reach 50cm. The stems and leaves of this plant often turn bright red and smell most unpleasant when bruised. The medieval name was “Herba Roberti”, but it is not known who Robert was. The plant was formerly used to make a preparation to counter blood disorders and to heal cuts.

48. ALEXANDERS (Smyrnium olusatrum), (Lusrán grándubh).

March – June. This tall (to 1.25m) plant has become very well established on road verges and waste ground, this example being photographed at Burrow Road. It is an introduced plant to Ireland. It emits a faint odour of celery when crushed.

49. HOGWEED, GIANT. (Heracleum mantegazzianum), (Odhrán mór).

June – July. This huge plant can reach 3.5 metres in height with very broad umbels of white flowers. This giant member of the parsley family is believed to have been introduced from continental Europe as a decorative waterside plant in Abbeville in Kinsaley and to have spread its seeds along the banks of the Sluice River where they thrive. The sap of the plant can cause severe blistering, especially to children and for this reason the council annually cut down the plant in Old Portmarnock / Kinsaley before it sets seed. I have seen two isolated specimens in Baldoyle, one in the centre of the race course, and the other on the railway bank at Baldoyle Road level crossing.

50. HONEYSUCKLE or WILD WOODBINE. (Lonicera periclmenum), (Feithleóg, nó Taith-fhéithleann).

June – Sept. Being a family in its own right, the honeysuckle is perhaps one of the best known and best loved wild flowers, much prized for its wonderful scent by day and by night in the summer months. The climbing shrub may reach 6m in height and produces clusters (to 12cm) of cream, tinged with pinky-red whorl shaped flowers. The fruit is a bright red berry. The wood of honeysuckle is at first soft and supple but as it ages it becomes hard and can strangle any tree to which it has attached itself. The flowers are rich in nectar and children used to suck the flowers to extract the sweet taste. The leaves and flowers were used to produce a gargle for the treatment of thrush.

51. IVY. (Hedera helix), (Eidhnéan).

October – Dec. A plant of many superstitions of magic, Ivy (of the ivy family) is a climbing plant found on walls and trees all around old Stapolin House. It is considered unlucky to bring ivy indoors except at Christmas. It can climb to 30m and produces insignificant white flowers no larger than 5mm across. The flowers have a most unpleasant smell. The leaves were soaked in vinegar and then tied around a toe afflicted with a corn to give relief. In the Irish midlands the black berries of ivy were eaten as a cure for aches and pains. A strange folk remedy involved rubbing the juice of ivy onto shiny patches of clothing to restore the appearance of the cloth. Important food for birds in harsh weather.

52. IVY LEAVED TOADFLAX. (Linaria cymbalaria), (Buaflíon balla), (“Mother of Thousands”, or in Italy “Plant of The Madonna”).

April – Sept. This trailing plant which is native to Mediterranean areas is eaten as a salad plant in S.E. Europe. The lilac flowers (2cm) are found on old walls, railway ballast, and stony ground. After flowering, the stalks bend away from the light and deposit their seeds into crevices in walls and cliffs. It is a member of the foxglove family.

53.KNAPWEED, COMMON. (Centaurea nigra), (Mullach dubh), (“Bachelor’s Buttons, Black Knapweed, or Hardhead).

June – Oct. This metre high plant with its 5cm purple flowers looks to all intent and purpose like a thistle. However, this member of the daisy family is gentle being devoid of any spikes and grows in the old racecourse lands and on meadows. This flower was used in divining love; the florets were stripped off and the rest of the flower head was placed inside the clothing next to a girl’s bosom. If another floret emerged, it meant that the lady’s lover was true! A decoction of the roots of this plant was used as a cure for jaundice.

54. LORDS AND LADIES, ITALIAN. (Arum italicum), (Cluas chaoin riabhach),

April – May. This member of the arum family is rather shy and scarce, seen on woody and shady banks, along the railway at Stapolin, and close by Corr Bridge on Burrow Road. The entire plant grows to about 20cm and the yellowish flower emerges within the wrap around of the leaf. The leaves are veined with white lines. The plant traps midges within a hair trap, and then they escape and travel to pollinate other plants. The plant bears scarlet red berries (which are very poisonous) from August. The roots were used in the midlands as a cure for worms in children.

55. MALLOW, TREE. (Lavatera arborea), (Hocus).

July – Sept. A handsome tough woody shrub found in rocky places by the sea, notably along the promenade from Sutton towards Dollymount, on Burrow Beach, rear of Sutton Station, and rear of Baldoyle Community Hall. The large flowers (25-50mm) are purple with dark veins running through. The plant can reach a height of 2m or more. The young shoots of the plant were used by the Romans as a salad plant and the variety Marsh Mallow was once used to make the sweets that still bear that name, although the plant is not now used in their manufacture. The leaves or roots were pounded down and mixed with lard to make an ointment for the treatment of sores and ulcers. The Common Mallow, (Malva Sylvestris) is a smaller but similar plant and was found for years along the foot of the walls on the old Furnace’s Bridge.

56.MAYWEED, SEA. (Tripleurospernum maritimum), (Lus Bealtaine mara)

July – Sept. This flower (2-5cm in daisy family) with a height of up to 60cm is found around the sluice gates on the Daunaugh Water behind Admiral Park and on the shingle of the seashore. The daisy flowers are very similar to Ox-Eye Daisies, but the main difference is the ferny leaf of the Mayweed.

57. MEADOWSWEET. (Filipendula ulmaria), (Airgead luachra), (Queen of the Meadows).

June – Sept. Rose family. A tall plant (to 1.5m) with frothy irregular flowers in creamy coloured masses. The stems are often reddish in colour. In some places people would not bring this flower into the house in the belief that it would induce a deep sleep from which the sufferer would not awaken. Despite this, it was often scattered on floors to give a nice sweet scent to a room. Meadowsweet was considered by the Druids to be a very sacred herb. An infusion was used to cure dysentery and diarrhoea. The plant was very prevalent at the wet Bottoms of Stapolin, in nearly all ditches on Stapolin Avenue, and gave forth a wonderfully heady scent on calm summer evenings.

58. MEDICK, BLACK, (Medicago lupulina), (Dúmheidic).

April – Aug. Clover-like leaves on this low (20cm) plant of the pea family, found extensively on the site of the old race course. The flowers (2 – 3mm) are yellow. This plant (before the blooming of flowers) is one of the plants often identified by people as Shamrock. Formerly grown as a fodder crop.

59. MELILOT, RIBBED. (Meliot officinalis) (Crúibín cait mór).

June – Sept. A tall (1.5m) plant of grassy places, Ribbed Melilot was recorded in the hedges here by W. H. Bailey over a century ago. However, I have seen only a handful of this handsome yellow flower (on tall spikes), and all of these on the bank of the pathway leading from Seagrange to Bayside Station and on the bank at the Bayside side of the underpass. The plant is scarce and introduced to Ireland. The seed pods when ripe are a rich brown colour.

60. NETTLE, COMMON or STINGING. (Urtica dioica), (Neantóg).

June – Oct. This standard bearer of the nettle family is perhaps the best known “weed” in Ireland. Every school child learns at an early age to avoid its stinging hairs. It is one of the very few wild plants to have green flowers and they hang in catkin-like clusters on the 1.5m high plant. It is notoriously covered with stinging hairs (the name nettle derives from “needle”) which pierce the skin and leave an angry irritation, or sting. (In places the sting of a nettle is called a “scorch” or a “burn”). Nettles are a major food source for the caterpillars of many butterflies and it quickly colonises any piece of ground where it is left to grow. It gets a bad publicity because of its habit of being first to over-run abandoned homes and out-buildings. Nettles were used to flavour soup and beer and as a treatment for colic. The young leaves were cooked lightly as a green vegetable and the water used as a herbal tea. During World War II, the fibres of nettles were processed and made into textiles to produce clothing.

61. NIPPLEWORT. Lapsana communis), (Duilleóg mhaith)

June – Oct. Another member of the daisy family, Nipplewort is so named because Prussian herbalists used it to cure breast problems for nursing mothers, and because of the shape of the flower buds. This common weed of shady place is found along The Bottoms and has small (2cm) yellow flowers on a leafy herb stem which reaches 90cm.

62. ORCHID, PYRAMIDAL. (Anacamptis pyramidalis), (Magairlín).

June – Aug. This member of the orchid family is a dark pink flower that grows to about 30cm. It is a pyramidal spike of rather hard pink flowers and may emit a foxy odour. It grows at Sutton Golf Course, at the rear of Sutton Station on the grassy bank, and in profusion in the straggling garden of Rickard’s on Coast Road. It was also found on the eastern side of the race course before the grass grew too tall for it to flourish.

63. PANSY, SAND. (Viola tricolor subsp. curtsii), (Goirmín duimhche).

May – June. Lovely creamy white and yellow flowers of 2cm across on a plant that grows to 20cm. A member of the violet family is found on the sandy soil along the five-furlong gallop of the racecourse, and on Portmarnock sand dunes.

64. PANSY, WILD (HEARTSEASE). (Viola tricolor subs. tricolor), (Goirmín searraigh).

May – Sept. This wonderful little flower (10mm) with a height of 15-45cm is the parent plant of garden pansies. The tricolour flower, purple, yellow, and white, or these in combination, is a flower of low grasses and cultivated fields.

65. PINEAPPLE WEED. (Chamomilla suaveolens), (Lus na hiothlainne).

June – July. A plant introduced from North America (Collins’ dictionary says Asia) is this highly aromatic member of the daisy family. The plant (to 20cm) thrives on trodden ground, such as lanes and gateways where little else will survive. The plant emits a strong odour of pineapple when crushed. The flowers are from 5 – 8mm and are yellow in colour. It was found extensively all along Stapolin Avenue and from Stapolin House across the race course to Coast Road.

66. PLANTAIN, RIBWORT, (Plantago lanceolatia), (Slán lus)

66A. PLANTAIN, SEA, (Plantago maritama), (Plantán mara).

May – Sept. I have included a photograph of Ribwort Plantain as an example of this very common and plentiful plant. In Ireland it was once believed that Plantain was such a powerful curative that it was capable of raising the dead! Dublin children used the stalks of Ribwort Plantain to play a game called “soldiers”, the object being to strike each player’s plant, the winner being the one to survive with head intact. As a curative, Plantain was commonly used to stem severe cuts. The leaves were chewed to a pulp, then applied to the wound and bandaged. Buckshorn P. has leaves forming a distinct rosette and has very light coloured flowers. Greater P. is common by paths and roads and is a troublesome garden weed. Its greeny-yellow tiny flowers grow on long stems with a broad leaf. Ribwort P. is another common weed with blackish heads and was very frequently found along Stapolin Avenue. Sea P. (66A) has greenish flowers and longer heads than ribwort. It is a plant of salt marshes and found along the Daunaugh Water as it enters into the Moyne River at The Bottoms.

67. POPPY, COMMON. (Papaver rhoeas), (Caithleach dearg).

June – Aug. A beautiful well-known flower that was once thought to cause headache and thunderstorms! The tissue paper-like scarlet flowers (7-10cm) are the most common flower to colonise cultivated fields and disturbed ground. Modern herbicides largely eradicate the poppy from corn fields, but it will quickly bloom on newly ploughed or cleared ground. For this reason it has come to be identified as a British emblem used to commemorate those who died on the soil of the battlefields of two world wars. Indeed soldiers who marched through vast fields of poppy reported eye problems, seeing red for a number of days after the intense scarlet of the fields. The 25-90 cm flowers on their hairy stems bloom for only one day. This poppy does not contain opium, but it has been used to make a treatment for toothache and earache.

68. POPPY, OPIUM. (Papaver somniferum), (Codlaidín).

June – Aug. This tall plant (to 1.1m) produces pink, lilac, or red poppies that are up to 100mm in diameter. The Irish name, Codlaidín, suggests that it has the power to cause sleep or drowsiness, and of course this is because of the use of the plant to produce opium. It is truly a plant of newly disturbed ground and the example in my photograph was takes where the new Red Arches Road was being constructed from Coast Road. The leaves are waxy and the flowers have centres of black. The oil rich seeds are used in the production of soap, paint, and cattle cake. I have seen this handsome flower bloom at Moyne Road, Moyne Bridge, Burrow Road, and on the old tram shed site at Sutton during building of the sewage pumping station. All members of the poppy family spread their seeds by the “pepper-pot” method of shaking seeds from a perforated head.

69. PRIMROSE. (Primula vulgaris), (Sabhaircín).

Feb. – May. Surely a flower that needs no introduction, being the best loved wild flower of so many! The flowers (2-3cm) grow to some 20cm tall and are viewed by many to be the harbinger of spring; the name “Prima Rosa” actually translates as “First Rose”. Indeed I always associate primroses with lambing time. The vivid yellow flower (primrose family) with its crinkly leaves is a plant of banks, thicket edges and has a most delicate odour. It was very prevalent in the small tri-angular field beside the original red arches and along the railway banks. The northern bank of the original Furnace’s Bridge was a mass of lovely primroses and the night before they were to be bulldozed for the new bridge, my wife, Phil, and I dug out several roots which now bloom in our garden. This flower was the favourite flower of Benjamin Disraeli and on this account his birthday, 19th April, is called “Primrose Day”.



70. PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE. (Lythrum salicaria), (Earball caitín). (Foxtail).

June – Aug. Growing to 1.5m tall, with flowers of 1 – 1.5cm diameter, the Purple Loosestrife is a common plant of ditches and river banks. It was very common in the fields behind Grange Lodge where Clongriffin is now built and the accompanying photograph (also see no. 112) was taken at this location. It was also common along the ditches and river bank at The Bottoms. The name of the plant derives from a man named Lysimachius, King of Sicily, and adapted through Greek meaning, as a plant used to quieten quarrels – hence the English loose strife. This member of the loosestrife family was detested by farmers because of its tendency to spread far, wide, and quickly.

71. RAGGED ROBIN. (Lychnis flos-cuculi), (lus síoda). (Meadow-pink).

May – June. This 20 – 90cm high rose-red flower (flowers 1.5cm) is undoubtedly one of my firm favourites, and a member of the stitchwort family. It is a plant of wet ground and I have seen it annually at the wet Bottoms close to the Moyne River. The plant has that lovely unkempt look about it caused by its finely dissected flowers. It was considered by some people unlucky to bring this flower into the house.

72. RAGWORT, COMMON. (Senecio jacobaea), (Balcaiseán, nó, Buachalán buidhe).

June – Oct. Definitely a weed of neglected ground, prohibited by the Noxious Weeds Acts. A member of the daisy family, it grows to 1.5m tall with saffron flowers about 2cm in diameter. The race course lands are rampant with uncontrolled Rag, a legacy of decades of neglect. This weed is fatal if eaten by horses. The plant is host to the caterpillar of the cinnabar moth in the colour of the Kilkenny hurlers, black and amber stripes, which provide a wonderful camouflage against predators on the heads of the flower. Ragwort has always had a place in Irish folklore: in ancient times it was believed that it was used like a horse by the fairies to ride around on. A well known fairytale tells of a man who caught a leprechaun and refused to free him until he told him where he had secreted his crock of gold. The leprechaun pointed out a Ragwort plant as being above the crock, so the man put a red garter about the plant while he went home for a shovel. On his return, there was a red garter around every Ragwort plant in the field. It was believed that the fairies sat on Ragwort while mending shoes. The flowers were used to cover ulcers as a cure, and in parts of the country the plant was affixed to a stick for use as a besom or broom. A form of the plant Hoary R. is found in Co. Dublin only, and in Baldoyle on the west side of the race course. Oxford R. is an escape from Oxford Botanic Gardens, blown along in the slipstream of trains, and is found in railway yards, coal depots etc. In Baldoyle some specimens were seen at the coal store at the back of the grandstand. Being native to the volcanic slopes of Sicily, this plant quickly felt at home on railway ballast and coal yards. Found in Ireland mainly in Cork and Dublin areas.

73. GROUND IVY. (Glechoma hederacea), (Athair lusa)

March –June. A member of the dead nettle family and a troublesome weed of ploughed ground. Small flowers, 1 – 1.5 cm, growing to 30cm high are bluish-purple in colour. The plant is highly aromatic and is common on waste ground and grasslands and derives its name from the Ivy plant’s habit of forming carpets. Used for treatment of sores and blisters

74. RED VALERIAN. (Centranthus ruber), (Caorthann curraigh).

June – Aug. It may be a foreigner, but Red Valerian, in white, red, or pink, has made itself very much at home around this area! Valerian is native to Mediterranean regions and Portugal and was introduced to the Dublin area as a garden flower. It escaped and has become very common on the east coast and may be found on walls, rubble, and coarse stony ground. It is very common along the promenade between Sutton and Kilbarrack, along Burrow Road, and especially along the Howth railway line where our photograph was taken close to Sutton. Cats are attracted by the smell of the plant and appear to become intoxicated by it. The roots are used to produce a tea used as a sedative.

75. ROSE, BURNET. (Poterium officinale), (Conrós).

June – July. 5cm wide white flowers adorn this member of the rose family as it grows to a height of 2m in the hedgerows along Stapolin Lane. However, it is predominantly a plant of sand dunes and is common at Portmarnock. The hedge variety is probably a hybridisation with Dog Rose. W. H. Bailey recorded the plant “in the sandy warren from Howth to Baldoyle” in 1886.



76. SCARLET PIMPERNEL. (Anagallis arvensis), ( Falcaire fiáin)

June – Sept. Tiny scarlet flowers set this flower apart as one of the few scarlet coloured flowers native to Northern Europe. The 5mm flowers grow on a plant of the primrose family that reaches to 30cm. It is a weed of cultivated ground, found in tilled fields, gardens, road verges etc. The colloquial name of the flower (Poor Man’s Weather Glass) derives from its custom of staying closed in cool or damp weather. In Ireland the Scarlet Pimpernel was known as Virgin Mary’s Shamrock and the person possessing it was believed to be able to understand the “speech” of birds and animals. The Pimpernel was said to be a remedy for the bite of a mad dog and to dispel melancholy. Indeed the botanical name Anagallis derives from the Greek word “to laugh”. Used as a remedy for sore eyes.

77. SCURVYGRASS DANISH (Cochlearia danica) (Carrán creige)

April – Aug. The name comes from its former use by sailors for curing and preventing scurvy, a condition brought about by a lack of Vitamin C. It grows around the old wall stubs at the mouth of the Moyne River. I sometimes wonder, perhaps fancifully, if perhaps the Danish S.G. was brought to this place by the Vikings who moored their longboats at this place? It is closely related to Common S. (C. Officiiianis) (Biolar trá). The white flower (8-10mm) on this latter fleshy plant which can grow to 50cm sit above heart shaped leaves which are also fleshy scented. The latter plant is common along the Sutton –Kilbarrack promenade, and all along the seashore from Sutton towards Portmarnock.