Alex finished pruning in the vineyard so it was on to the orchard

Alex completed the remaining vines this morning as I could not reach many of the spurs above the wires. We still have to pull the grass from around the vines, but that can wait. Instead, we took on the orchard this afternoon. 

The wonderful mini chainsaw was the perfect tool to start. I have been studying the trees each time I walk past them and had already selected major branches for removal. Those were mainly branches that were growing into the trees instead of out. I wanted to improve the sun exposure and ventilation. I am going for a goblet shape. We are getting close now. 

We took our several large branches from the cooking apple tree. Then we removed anything crossing or growing straight up. We trimmed some of the length of the branches that we could reach and then moved on to the very large eating apple.  There we removed one really big branch growing into the tree, and then removed a section of a branch that was very heavy on the outside of a major limb. 

Next were the pear trees. The little one got some height trimmed down. The big one, we cleared quite a few branches. We'll have to come back with the telescopic tree pruner to finish the job. 

Last, we tackled the Cox's Orange and the crabapple. Both needed a significant amount of pruning. The Cox's Orange had hundreds of little branches growing straight up inside the tree. We removed two large limbs, and Alex wanted to remove one more, but I decided to hold off and come back another day to study it. 

The crabapple got a major pruning of the interior limbs, which had grown into each other. Surprisingly, the sapwood and heartwood on the larger branches was pink much like the flesh of the apples. We had not noticed that before. Probably because we had not cut such a large branch ever. Alex took care of the three young apple trees next, while I continued with the crabapple, which grew long greenwood last year. We'll come back and finish them up later. 

One apple we haven't tackled yet is the ancient one at the bottom of the lawn. It's quite big now, and we'll need to study it. 

It was a surprisingly beautiful afternoon. No rain, little wind, not too cold, and beautiful clouds. It was good to be out. 

Crabapple has pink sapwood and heartwood. 

Cooking apple taking shape. 

Pretty fluffy clouds all around

Some blue sky showing through

Vineyard looking good. 

Crack in the sky nearing sundown

Veil over Croagh Patrick and crack at sundown

St Vincent, Patron Saint of Winemakers

 

Celebrating Saint Vincent, Patron Saint of Winemakers, in ...Saint Vincent of Saragossa (c. 285-304 AD) is the patron saint of winemakers, a Spanish deacon martyred under Emperor Diocletian, revered for his faith and legendary association with wine, symbolized by blood-like wine from his torture on a wine press, his name's "vin" root, and folklore about fruitful vines after his donkey pruned them. Winemakers worldwide celebrate his feast day, January 22nd, with events like Burgundy's Saint-Vincent Tournante, focusing on good harvests and shared traditions. In Burgundy, winemakers celebrate his feast day by transporting a statue of Vincent from one winemaker to another. 

There is more about Vincent in Wikipedia. 

Aurora over the vineyard last night

 

We were treated to an exceptional spectacle last night. Under a starry sky, the aurora borealis appeared in the spectacular green and red colours of Mayo. We stood in the cold air for over 30 minutes in awe of the northern sky over the vineyard. Snapping pictures of the dancing lights. I forgot to take a video. It was our first sighting ever. We were afraid to walk up to the top of the hill because the path is very muddy and slick, chopped up by the donkeys. 

Nevertheless, it was a remarkable spectacle and they say we could see more. 

Wlidfires rage through Australian wine country

 

Wildfires ripped through Victoria Wine Country, where Australian wineries have been badly affected. It is reported that 25 wineries in the state have been directly impacted by the bushfires, with the damage ranging from destroyed vineyards and bottles to destroyed homes. One rancher died in the fire. 

More pruning

 

It was a beautiful, calm, mild and sunny day, so I spent most of it in the vineyard pruning. Some of the Solaris vines are so vigorous that they grew right across to the next vine. The entanglement and the size and strength of their tendrils was remarkable. When they touched another vine, their tendrils grabbed on like hands clasping hands. Amazing. We're going to really have to stay on top of it next year. 

Even more amazing is that some of the vines were already beginning to leaf. Bud break in January? It's not even St. Vincent's Day yet! Have to speed up the pruning even more. 

There were also many leftover remains of grape clusters, including one Pinot Noir with grapes still intact but hard. Quite a few clusters without grapes on the Chardonnay. We may have a new crop this year. 

We have removed a significant amount of material. We also edit each other's work. No matter how many times I look, I always find something we missed. We have quite a way to go before we finish. Then the orchard. At least we're seeing a bit of a stretch in the evenings. 

All hands in vineyard

 

We've been pruning at breakneck speed this week. It's been cold but dry, ideal for dormant vines to heal. We got up at sunrise, which is still not that early. But after a hearty breakfast and feeding the donkeys, we high-tailed it up the hill. By noon, we were frozen solid and had to take a break for some hot chocolate and Miso soup. The wind was blowing steadily -- not strong, but relentless. That brought the chilling effect. 

Out back for another hour, then a warm-up at lunch, followed by another hour and a half of chopping. We've made significant progress up the rows of Solaris. We are almost at the top of the vineyard. Two more vines for me, and my row is done. These were the vines with the most vigorous growth, so the rest will be less taxing. 

It's amazing how quickly my eye now sees what needs to be done. I remember in years gone by, standing for long periods and studying the vines to see what should be cut away. Now I just start cutting. My eye automatically sees what's crossing, what's out of place, what's weak, and what is strong and should be left as a backup. I am so much more confident -- and ruthless. 

It's supposed to start raining at 6 pm and not stop until morning. Tomorrow will be a nice day and a bit warmer and less windy. Perhaps we can make more progress. The orchard needs pruning now, too, as Alex planted bulbs beneath the trees, and they are starting to emerge. 

Another warm year record

Copernicus data show that 2025 was the third warmest year on record, only marginally (0.01°C) cooler than 2023, and 0.13°C cooler than 2024 – the warmest year on record. The past 11 years have been the 11 warmest on record.

Get ready for the changes because there's no going back with the worldview as it exists today. 

The pruning has begun

Alex started pruning earlier this week. I had to clean up the driveway first, as everything is growing already, especially the mombretia, and we didn't have a chance to do autumn cleanup during the renovation. I do not remember cleaning it up last year, and there were loads of rotting leaves among the new plants. It took me 6 days to clear the entire driveway. I lost track of how many wheelbarrow loads I cleared out. Naturally, I had plenty of help and supervision. 

Today was a very changeable day, with periods of glorious sunshine alternating with cold, damp air and rain. It's interesting how differently I look at vines now after the workshops at Turlough with Andrew. I only got two vines done before the rain returned. Tomorrow, I'll get going full-time, but Alex is heading down to Aleria. C'est la vie. 

Cold Snap

 

We finally had an interval of temperatures below 0 °C. We even had a dusting of snow this morning. The donkeys' water trough was frozen again, and I had to break up the ice with a pitchfork. Ghostie did not like the snow on her feet and kept shaking it off. It wasn't much to worry about. 

This cold snap means the vines will finally go into hibernation. In this dormant period, we can begin the winter pruning. As we have lots of commitments this week, I am targetting next week to begin. That's earlier than the feast of St Vincent, but we can still party on the day. 

The donkeys are happy and feisty, waiting for their treats every day at the gate. I've been caring for them the last few days and it's always a treat to interact with them. I feel that we are finally getting to be trusted friends. It's a lovely feeling. 

Neil Hannon, the musician, is the frontman and songwriter for the Northern Irish chamber pop band, The Divine Comedy. Hannon lives in rural County Kildare, Ireland, with his partner, singer-songwriter Cathy Davey. Davey is the co-founder of the animal welfare organisation My Lovely Horse Rescue, from where our donkeys arrived.

Hannon is a patron of the charity and has used the braying of one of their rescue donkeys on a Divine Comedy single. He has mentioned his donkeys in various interviews, discussing his life and music. He was on RTE1 this week. He also wrote music for Father Ted and other TV shows as well as the Willie Wonka movie.