Every season of the year at Mount Falcon has its special moments, its sights, sounds, and smells. Summer has its long lazy days watching the clouds roll over the Ox Mountains while sipping a favourite beverage in front of the al fresco dining area by the tent. Autum has the cool in the air and the animals hurrying themselves preparing for the long evenings that are coming. Winters inside by the fire staying warm while the world slumbers outside feel just right in the country house. All the seasons resound with us at Mount Falcon, but readers of our blog posts over the years will see that it is Spring that awakens our curiosities the most.
As we look forward to the grounds coming alive and our guests returning for the busy time of year, we are reminded that while Mother Nature has her own plans, it is the people who work here that bring out the best in the estate and allow us to take notice of all that surrounds us at Mount Falcon. No estate can run itself which means that among the most important roles at Mount Falcon is that of the grounds crew. The grounds team, consisting of Pat Flynn, Paul Halbard, and a three-person team of grounds assistants, are responsible for the look and feel of the 100-acre estate.
Pictured here: Artur Revenko, Paul Halbard, Hryhorii Pashkov, Mykhailo Razdorozhnyi
Though nature does not require our presence for it to be magnificent, it is in good measure through the works of the grounds crew that we are more easily able to frame and take note of the roll the natural environment and wildlife plays in our appreciation of the daily wonders here at the estate.
“It’s a beautiful environment, just look around, it’s stunning,” Paul says.
The flora and fauna of Mount Falcon are dynamic, verdant, and ever changing. If you blink you'll miss the few days each spring when the ducklings hatch and paddle around the trout lake in tow behind their mother. They arrive so suddenly and grow so quickly it is a treat for residents and staff to see them this year again.
Or maybe it's when Pat brings the Blackface Mountain sheep back on site right after lambing season, bright eyed and bouncing. With their kicking and strutting and constant pestering of their mothers for more milk, very little can tug on your heartstrings like the newborn lambs discovering the clover in the paddock overlooked by the estate house.
One would be remiss if they did not take a walk through the woodlands when they are on the estate grounds, which are open to the public year-round. When the Spanish Bluebells bloom the unmistakable aromas of spring begin to appear. Chief among those scents is that of the wild garlic or Ramsons giving off a sweet and savoury fragrance reminiscent of the kitchen garden. Or maybe you'll notice the Star Magnolia, an early bloomer, with a scent like a delicate perfume that circles in the breeze.
The grounds team let the wildflowers grow, but the trees and lawns take a little more care. In fact, the grounds crew has been busy cleaning up after the late-winter storm Isha rolled through the West of Ireland this January. The damage all around the west was serious, and the estate was not immune. “At the moment I’m playing catchup,” Paul says. In fact, he and his staff have cleared much of the storm damage and turned their attention to replanting nearly 2,000 new trees to fill the damaged areas.
Keen tree spotters will see a diverse tree population historically planted around the estate, from a variety of Oak, to Silver Birch, Copper Beech, Sycamore, and White Beam, among myriad others, Paul says, adding, “There’s such a variety of beautiful trees here.”
The early riser at the estate may be rewarded with a spotting of a local barn owl which quietly swoops through the open spaces by the woodland cabins some mornings. Closer to earth, it had been a decade or more since the humble hedgehog was spotted on the grounds, but this year brought another sighting of one lone brave spiked creature in front of the Lakeview lodges. Though rare, river otters have been seen splashing in the lake. This year there have been several spottings of pheasants roaming the underbrush. Other residents that call the estate grounds home include badgers, fox, red squirrels, and we’re keeping our eyes peeled for the indigenous Pine Martin to show his sleek mussel and patchy beige marked chest again. A boon for a balanced eco-system, the Pine Martin has been spotted in years past.
The array of wildlife in the 100-acres of Mount Falcon is constantly surprising. Our managing director and founding partner Alan Maloney, who has spotted the free roaming owl on multiple occasions already this year, reminds us to appreciate the “cacophony of sound” he hears over his daybreak coffee.
Spring of course also means the return of the great Atlantic Salmon to the waterways in the West of Ireland. As ever, the River Moy is no slouch when it comes to showing off the changing seasons, and Michael Egan, our resident ghillie and fisheries manager, plays the part of the eyes and ears of Mount Falcon on the river. Egan, who also teaches visiting anglers the Spey casting technique, appropriate for the tight banks along our two miles of river frontage, says it’s been a slow start to the fishing season, but he has high hopes for June and July when the season kicks into high gear. Higher than normal river levels have led to salmon making their way upstream to Loughs Conn and Cullin quicker than normal. While we wait for the high season for salmon there are 400 rainbow trout in the estate lake ready for eager anglers to enjoy.
Pictured here: Michael Egan casting at River Moy
While the work of keeping the estate in tip top shape is never ending, our team, be they on the water or on the grounds, is grateful for Mother Nature’s office. Paul says it best, “I The seasons will roll on and so will we, and what lays ahead is just as exciting as the sights, sounds, and smells we are enjoying today. As Spring signals the changing seasons to us, the estate has some changes of its own planned for the coming year. Watch this space closely as we’ll be announcing summer plans and hopefully some new members of Mother Nature’s stable to be joining us in near future.
