Some like it hot

FARMING is anything but predictable. In the West of Ireland too much or too little in terms of weather types can have a major impact. But did you know that that this summer's cloud cover will mean fewer chillis? And yes, I do mean Irish chillis.

Those little pods of tastebud fire that you either love or hate are at least a month behind their usual growth rate and in Athenry, grower Liam Heneghan is watching over some 3,500 plants of different varieties at Heneghan Nurseries.
Liam along with his wife Teresa and daughter Lasairianta, which incidentally means 'Flaming Warrior', tend to an intriguing chilli crop that grows in one of their gigantic greenhouses which combined cover about three and a half acres on the outskirts of the heritage town.
Galway native Liam is the third generation of producers and his grandmother started the family business with her first timber frame greenhouse back in 1935 in Ballybane.

Read the full feature in this week's edition of The Tuam Herald