Malus Germplasm
Conservation in Ireland
Dr. James Choiseul
Content
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Background
Infrastructure
Collections
Characterisation
Future developments
Apple related Irish words
Úll, or abhall = apple
(ool,ooal,owl, owle, avel)
Úllghort, or abhaillghort = orchard
baileullghort = orchard town
Cnocullgort = orchard hill
Apple Placenames
Annahavil
Ballywhollart
Aghowle
Aghowle
Oola
Ballinoulart
Knockullart
Oolagh
Oulart
Ballyhooley
Tankardstown, Co. Limerick
Neolithic house at Tankardstown
• Found while digging for
Limerick gas pipeline and
published Gowen 1988
• Concentrated deposits of
burnt animal bone in fill of
foundation trench? Votive
offerings? Hearth possibly in
centre of house. Charred
wheat, hazel nuts and crab
apple pips found. C14 dates
of 3938-3378 BC
Apple; uball cumrae – sweet
apple
Distinction being made between crab apples fíadubull –
wild apple and cultivated apples?
Between cookers and eating apples?
Crann cemchenóil – an apple tree of the same kindred
(e.g. different varieties known)
Legal status of apple trees: the Old
Irish tree list
The Old Irish tree list:
1.
airig fedo „nobles of the wood‟: daur „oak‟, coll „hazel‟, cuilenn
„holly‟, ibar „yew‟, uinnius „ash‟, ochtach „Scots pine?', aball
„apple-tree‟
2.
aithig fedo „commoners of the wood‟: fern „alder‟, sail „willow‟,
scé „whitehorn, hawthorn‟, cáerthann „rowan, mountain ash‟,
beithe „birch‟, lem „elm‟, idath „wild cherry?„
3.
fodla fedo „lower divisions of the wood‟: draigen „blackthorn‟,
trom
„elder, bore-tree‟, féorus „spindle-tree‟, findcholl
„whitebeam?', caithne „arbutus, strawberry tree‟, crithach
„aspen‟, crann fir „juniper?„
4.
losa fedo „bushes of the wood‟: raith „bracken‟, rait „bogmyrtle‟, aiten „gorse, furze‟, dris „bramble, blackberry‟, fróech
„heather‟, gilcach „broom?', spín „wild rose?'.
Fines for cutting down trees
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Fine for cutting down airig fedo (nobles of the wood) = 3 milk-giving cows
Fines for cutting down aithig fedo (commoners of the wood) = 1 milk-giving
cow
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Fine for cutting down apple tree (in lubgort) belonging to a chieftan (nemed)
= 10 milk giving cows
Fine for cutting down apple tree (in lubgort) belonging to a commoner
= 2 ½ milk giving cows – 2 cows and 3-year old dry heifer
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1 milk-giving cow = 48 cerc cen rún “hens without secrets = non-broody hens”
Monasterboice
High cross,
Collectors
• 1. Dr. John George Dalkeith Lamb collected old apples
from 1945 to 1949 and established the UCD collection.
Prof. E.J. Clarke maintained the collection until it was
destroyed in1970. Repatriated in 1996. Now planted at
UCD, Belfield, Dublin.
• 2. Mrs. Annie MacNiece began saving old Armagh
apples in her garden in the late 1940s. Her son Peadar
began collecting in1970. Established The Armagh
Orchard Trust in 1995. Their collection is now housed in
the walled garden at Loughgall.
• 3. Ms. Anita Hayes founded The Irish Seedsavers
Assoc. in 1991. Originally in Carlow, now in Scariff, Co.
Clare. Still actively collecting apples, cereals,vegetables,
etc.vers Assoc.- Anita Hayes
Irish Apple Collections
Armagh
Orchard
Trust
University
College
Dublin
Irish Seed
Savers
UCD Collection
• In c. 1996 Prof. Michael Hennerty became
involved in the apple conservation project
• In 1997 the Lamb-Clarke Historical Irish
Apple Collection was established in UCD
• First characterisation exercise undertaken
Characterisation by Morphology
• Fruit Characteristics
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Shape
Skin Colour
Basin
Sepal
Cavity
Stalk
Floral Tube
Stamen position
Pistil Point
Core
Core Lines
Carpels
Additional Characteristics
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Maturity Date
Flowering Dates
Taste
Provenance
Characterisation -Molecular
Aim
• Compare collections and eliminate duplication
• Compare Irish apple accessions with UK and Continental
equivalents
Method
• Micro-satellite analysis (7-9)
• Undertaken in two batches
• Ireland/Sweden Co-operation
Findings
• Collection
– Core collection of c. 80 cvs considered to be
indigenous
• Flowering
– Main period April-May, early by international
standards
• Micro-satellite analysis
– No regional clustering
– Very little replication within collection
– No two accessions identical
Comparison with other collections
Future
• Complete Micro-satellite work
• Publish book on old Irish Apples
Acknowledgement
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Prof Michael Hennerty, UCD
Ms Anita Hayes, ISSA
Prof Thomas Gallagher, UCD
Dr Cathy Swift, MIC, Limerick