Despite the extremely harsh winter there has been a good crop of the hardy little shamrock this year, according to suppliers of the national flower.
The plant is widely available in supermarket chains and small local grocery and convenience shops with average prices around the €1 to €2 mark. Sprigs are generally sold for higher prices along parade routes.
Fruit and vegetable traders in Dublin’s Moore Street were yesterday selling small pots planted in soil for €1 and said the quality of the plants seemed better than last year.
Lidl was stealing a march on its competitors, selling pots for 69 cent. Tesco Ireland’s shamrock packs cost €1.99, but a spokesman said it was selling specially grown soil-free plants from Living Shamrock, a Westmeath company that grows shamrock in a special gel.
Eric Westphal of St Patrick’s Shamrock Company in Dublin, which sells traditional soil grown shamrock to the overseas market, said the greatest demand this year had been from the UK. Those hoping to pick up some free wild shamrock would be best looking in stony areas of Cork and Kerry, Mr Westphal said.
