Dunlewey Village
“Walking is a man’s best medicine.”
Hippocrates
Feile an Earagail
Feile an Earagail is an annual festival held in the beautiful village of Dunlewey, which lies at the foot of Earagail Mountain – the highest mountain in Donegal.
Last year I booked a mushroom forage or “Toraiocht na Muisiriun Fiain” led by Kristina Ferry in the grounds of Dunlewey House.
The forage took place in the woods surrounding the house.
Boletes
The first find of the day was a large specimen of the edible mushroom “Penny Bun” which is a member of the Bolete family. It thrives in mixed woods.
The Penny Bun
We learned that most Boletes are ectomycorrhizal fungi, meaning they form a mutually beneficial relationship with the root systems of trees. The fungi help the trees to feed on soil nutrients, while the trees deliver nutrients to the fungi. A win-win relationship.
Boletes cannot survive without trees.
The Larch Bolete grows near Larch trees and is only edible when young. It has spores and is very sticky.
The Birch Bolete has a long stem, white pores and a brown cap. It grows near Birch trees.
Mushroom Identification
Spores are a good means of identifying mushrooms. Kristina showed us a map of spores she had taken in the past.
Spore Map
We were advised that reddish spored mushrooms should be avoided as they are often poisonous.
Indeed, some mushrooms like the Web Cap are deadly poisonous!
Other means of mushroom identification are:
- The appearance of the stem,
- Colour of stem,
- Scent,
- Appearance of gills,
- Colour of cap…
Kristina advised us not to mushroom forage alone.
Chanterelle
Chanterelle are highly prized edible mushrooms. They have a faint smell of apricots.
Chanterelle
Helpful Books
There are a number of helpful books to aid in mushroom identification, but I realized it is best left to the experts.
Heading Home
Sadly, the forage came to an end and we headed back past magnificent views of Earagail Mountain.
The Perfect Ending
A surprise find of two very large Penny Bun’s, by a junior member of our group, was the perfect ending to our forage.
Brigid P. Gallagher is a retired natural medicines therapist, passionate organic gardener and author of “Watching the Daisies- Life lessons on the Importance of Slow,” a holistic memoir dedicated to the art of mindfulness and healing from debilitating illness.
i enjoyed this tremendously Brigid, never knew about some of the species and the red spores. I would so like to go on such a tour. I spotted wild mushrooms on my hikes in Malaysia but never have guidance what they are. thank you for a very interesting post, love the photo details
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Thank you Gina. It was a very interesting walk but I think I will leave mushroom foraging to the experts. There are so many poisonous varieties.
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they are quite difficult to differentiate I am sure, but an interesting one all the same, best experience them on a plate then
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I think so too Gina.
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Great post Brigid. Pleased you learned so much and the red spores are good to know about. You are right it is adviseable to go with a real expert when picking mushrooms. As always fabulous photos. Bless you.
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Thank you. I really enjoyed learning more about mushrooms but you are right it is best left to the experts!
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I loved this, great post. It is nice to have a guide like that. The red spores are quite interesting. Would be fun to draw, too.
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Thank you Lisa. Yes you would love drawing those spores and the mushrooms. They all look quite magical.
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Thanks for sharing this info. Are these wild mushrooms Brigid, they look so fascinating!
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My pleasure Balroop. Yes, these are all wild mushrooms. The recent rain means they are thriving but there were none available during the drought.
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Such a tricky area to identify, but great to do with an expert.
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Yes. I think so. It would not do to eat the wrong mushroom…
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Wow, those are amazing mushrooms! Sounds like a fascinating day. I’ve been on a mushroom walk once before, and we lucked out because there were dozens of species to be found. (We ID’d them, didn’t forage, though.) Thank you for this lovely article.
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Thank you. It is quite tricky unless you have an expert with you. I will not be foraging alone.
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Loved this post Brigid. This is something I have always wanted to do! 🙂 xxx
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Thank you Heather and Dizzy. I hope you get your wish. Dizzy would enjoy it too. xx
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Dizzy would love it! The challenge would be making sure she didn’t eat all the mushrooms though! 🙂 xxx
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How funny! We have foraged successfully for Chanterelle and Coulemelle and the occasional cèpe but had not thought of doing the same here. Until the last fortnight. The day before yesterday we picked more than a lb of chanterelles and last night we dined on Bolete Bicolore (we have also found Coulemelle which have a different name here and ate a beauty at the weekend). We had not done spore prints before but being in alien territory we did do one on the Coulemelle (they have very dangerous fake friends here) and on the cèpe. I am an absolutely smitten kitten and it was joyous to read of your triumphs over the water!
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Ooh you are making me hungry! what a delight. I adore mushroom risotto and mushroom soup. Kristina has suggested another mushroom forage with my cousin and I so I might get some to take home.
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Definitely do it! Think of those gorgeous cèpe risottos and soups …. heaven!!
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I’m with you, looking for and eating wild mushrooms is not something I’ve ever had nerve to do. Morels are very popular here, But, the spices I eat, is “go get it at the grocery store.” I do like splurging on Shiitakes once in a while.
I’ve never heard of a mushroom walk but, after reading your post, I looked it up and found there is a Missouri wild mushroom society, The Missouri Mycological society-they are even having an art show in Kansas City this month-who knew. I always learn something new when you write.
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I adore mushroom risotto and homemade mushroom soup but like you my mushrooms are always bought in a shop. Wouldn’t be lovely to visit the art show.
I am hoping to go another private forage with Kristina.
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What a fascinating day Brigid. Mushrooms, such gorgeous creatures, though some have a sting in their tails. xx
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Hi Barbara. They sure are. I think we need to treat them with care and respect. xx
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Absolutely Brigid. But what a lovely thing to do. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such a day in Australia. Pity really. xx
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Thank you for taking us on your journey, I love mushrooms!
My Dad is a horticulturist & was head lecturer at the College but he said don’t pick & easy mushrooms unless you have an expert with you as many innocent ones are dealt poisonous!
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Yes, your dad was a wise man! I did not realize there were so many poisonous mushrooms out there Jennifer.
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A family of 5 died here in Australia after going mushroom picking & eating them, they were from overseas & thought the mushrooms were the type they had picked in their country but they were not! Very sad but startlingly poignant!
Jennifer
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Oops, sent before I checked it! Lol!
*eat
* deadly
Jennifer
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How fun! What a beautiful place!
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It was a terrific afternoon Jessica. 😍
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Awesome!
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Fascinating! I know NOTHING about mushrooms. Thanks for the education, and the photos! What a supremely magical area you live in.
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Thank you Pamela. I tried something new this week – sea kayaking. It only took me 3 years to pluck up the courage but I loved it 😉
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I haven’t kayaked in years – how wonderful for you to experience its pleasures!
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I told our guide I felt euphoric at the end!
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Wow – that’s just the way I felt when I went for my oceanside bike ride. A wonderful feeling!
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What an amazing trip in the woods! When I was little we use to go mushroom hunting. Now I wouldn’t know what was safe so I don’t go. I need a program like this one!
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Yes. There are too many poisonous varieties to take a chance. It was very interesting. 🌼
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We live in such an abundant world. I’ve nor given much thought to mushrooms until I read your post. Thank’s for the post.
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You are very welcome Robert. I hope to go on another forage with Kristina.
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Definitely.
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A most interesting post, Brigid. I had to have my stomach pumped out when I was a child after eating poison mushrooms.
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Oh dear that must have been tough. Kristina told us of people needing dialysis and kidney transplants after eating poisonous mushrooms. Scary. 🌼
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Oh how fun, I love mushrooms, I’ve never gone foraging and I don’t think there are mushrooms growing around here, I’ll have to look into that. Thanks for this lovely post.
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You are welcome Masha. Please be careful what you pick. 🌼
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Yes thank you, only picking from the supermarket 🙂
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I went on a hiking trail yesterday and we came upon a few wild mushrooms. The guide immediately said, so many fairies around, they use the mushrooms for cover or as a table. 🙂 So fun and magical.
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What a lovely experience. When I was a child coming here to Ireland on holiday my first visit was to some quiet spots where the faeries were reputed to live. 🌼
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What a wonderful trip you had to see all the species of mushrooms, Brigid! One documentary show we watch was about the first antibiotic created by a scientist using mushrooms. We eat mushrooms every day now. Thank you for sharing about your trip!
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My pleasure Miriam. Yes there are so many therapeutic mushrooms in use today. It is good to see Nature and her hraling put to good use. 🌼
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Yes, Brigid. I’m taking herb capsules for immune system as well as for sleeping. It does the job. 🙂
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So interesting Brigid!! Your really were able to find all kinds of mushrooms!! And the identifying information sounds so helpful– What an adventure! Thanks for letting get in on it! Hope you’ve had a beautiful weekend… xox
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Thank you Rhonda. The mushrooms seem to be having a happy time at the moment. It is ideal weather. X
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Such an adventure! Fun to get to tagalong! xo
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Wow interesting, Brigid and I love eating mushrooms but never knew so much about them and so many varieties. Such a wonderful adventure to have.
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Thank you Kamal. I now have a healthy respect for mushrooms. There are so many that are dangerous to eat. I think I will stick to shop bought varieties.
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Yes absolutely true, Brigid. Buying from shops are much better. They sure can be poisonous. Welcome dear.
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I’m too much of a chicken. The first one I found would be poisonous, so I too will leave it to the expert hunters.
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I think that is wise Ron. There are so many poisonous mushrooms. I will stick to shop bought too.
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I have never seen such a large mushroom. Astounding.
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It was the children who found them Jacqui. They were delighted.
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I enjoy foraging, Brigid, and would love to take a class. We have chanterelles growing in our woods and eat them as quickly as we pick them. 🙂
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Fabulous. You are lucky. I bet they are extra delicious.
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