Fairymount Farm in Roscrea, Co Tipperary has been in the Kenny family for generations. It is a mixed farming enterprise, where sheep rearing and tillage sit side-by-side with a successful National Hunt horse breeding operation.
The changing face of farming and the need to diversify added farm tourism to the mix, beginning in 1989 with the conversion of farm cottages to self-catering accommodation.
Finding that they enjoyed sharing their 450-acre organic farm with the visitors, John and Linda Kenny devised a series of walks over their land, which includes pastures, new and old forestry, and a 25-acre private lake. "The only problem was that we would send our guests out walking and they'd get lost," Linda explains. Their solution has been to devise three mapped and annotated walks, ranging from 9km to 3.2km, which are described in detail in an illustrated guidebook for visitors. The guide brings the countryside to life, and explains in detail the workings of the farm, the history of the land and the ecosystem it is part of. "We researched and wrote the text ourselves," John explains, his simple statement belying the huge amount of work involved.
The Kennys are fortunate that their land is beautifully situated and steeped in history - there are several untouched archaeological sites on the walking routes. And thanks to their farm tourism enterprise, it is available to us all to explore and enjoy. The Fairymount Farm walking guide has its official launch on Saturday, July 3rd. Marie-Claire Digby
Fairymount Farm, Ballingarry, Roscrea, Co Tipperary (067-21139), www.fairymountfarm.com.