With its wind-swept landscapes and romantic remoteness, Connemara invariably captures the hearts of those who visit. One couple who fell hard for Connemara’s charms was Mitchell Henry and his wife Margaret. In 1849, the couple honeymooned in Kylemore Lodge and thus began their lifelong love affair with the area.   In 1863, as a grand romantic gesture, Sir Henry purchased Kylemore Lodge and the surrounding land, ensuring no expense was spared when building the couple’s dream home. It took 100 men over four years to build Kylemore Castle, with its 33 bedrooms, spectacular stained glass windows and expanses of Italian and Connemara marble.   The Victorian Castle dramatically protrudes from the mountains like a magic-realist pop-up book, its majestic granite façade reflecting in the dark waters of Lough Pollacapul. And it is as breathtaking today as ever, regarded by many as the most romantic building in the country.   Italian landscape designers planned Kylemore’s gardens, and when complete, their splendour drew comparisons with London’s Kew Gardens. Within the garden walls, 21 heated greenhouses produced tropical fruits such as pineapples, bananas and figs, the surrounding wilds of Connemara providing a striking contrast to the colourful, orderly gardens.   Sir Henry, Margaret and their nine children lived happily in Kylemore Castle until tragedy struck in 1874. Whilst on holiday in Egypt, Margaret contracted dysentery and died. She was just 45 years old, her youngest child was just two.   A heartbroken Sir Henry commissioned a memorial church near the Castle on the lakeshore. Though neo-Gothic in style, there are no gargoyles; instead, smiling angels look over those who enter. Delicate flowers and birds carved out of pale sandstone adorn the interior. The craftsmanship is exquisite, a true testament to his love for Margaret.   Margaret’s remains lie in a charming mausoleum in the woods, just beyond the church. When Sir Henry died in 1910, he was interred beside her.   View Kylemore Abbey Website

We are always banging on about seasonality in this blog, and for very good reason. When you buy fresh produce in season, you are getting the food item in its very best condition, most nutritious and tasty, plus it’s plentiful, so it tends to be cheaper. How much more reasons do you need? Visit Our Shop   In our quest to bring you interesting facts about the seasonal foods we talk about and promote, we sometimes unearth other things that aren’t related to eating but are related to the use of good clean healthy food. We like to tell you about them. This particular blog is a case in point.     Beetroot is in season now. These deep red root veggies have a variety of uses in the kitchen, from making healthy vitamin-packed juices and soups to boiling or roasting as side veg, preserving in vinegar to serve with cold meats and grating raw into salads. These are just a few suggestions for the versatile beet!     But did you know that you can actually use beetroot juice to cure dandruff and flaky scalp conditions? Beetroot is rich in vitamin C, which is good for healthy skin and boosting the immune system. Many natural remedies recommend it for skin conditions like dandruff.       How to use Beetroot as a natural remedy for dandruff   Our research unearthed several recipes. Cider vinegar and ginger are usually included in them, which makes sense. Cider vinegar is also well known for its considerable health properties and antiseptic qualities. Ginger is an ingredient used in many natural remedies, from drinks to help digestion and chesty coughs to cleansing the blood, and skin preparations that boost circulation to promote healthy skin.   There are two easy ways to use beetroot in dandruff treatment:   Boil the washed beetroot, including the green tops, then cool, chop and blend with grated fresh ginger and some cider vinegar, to make a paste. Alternatively, use a good quality bought beetroot juice, with cider vinegar and grated ginger.   Both these remedies are recommended to be applied to the scalp at night, and then wrap hair in a towel. Wash off in the morning, using a very gentle non-chemical based shampoo, which you will find in a good health food shop. Commercial shampoos can be harsh and may aggravate any scalp condition.   It’s recommended you repeat the treatment for about five days, and you should see some improvement in your condition. Hopefully, you won’t get red hair! And if you do, just think, you could pay a fortune in a professional salon to achieve that colour!     If you’re brave enough to give this natural remedy a try, find the best Irish Cider Vinegar in good food shops and farm-based outlets like The Apple Farm Shop in Cahir and Ballycross Apple Farm Shop, among others. Fresh Irish beetroot juices can be found in some of our Farm Shops.   Buy Gift Voucher