YOU think you have a busy time before Christmas? Nothing compared to the Finnegan family in Clogher, Co Tyrone – not so much among the bushes, more among the Christmas Trees, 30,000 of them stretching as far as the eye can see.
Farmer Patrick Finnegan certainly has his work cut out as he'll be felling at least 2,000 of them for customers to take away and decorate over the next three weeks, Lodgepole pine, Noble and Nordmann firs in abundance.
I remember when the children were young, the thrill of buying a tree and transporting it home with the roof of my old cream coloured Deux Chevaux open to the elements and the tree reaching for the sky in a salute to Christmas.
There's a trend these days to hang the tree from the ceiling and decorate the up-side-down branches, considered to be very modern but actually this was being done 1,000 years ago in northern Europe – nothing is new in this life.
The first person to think of bringing a fir tree into a house in the way we do today is thought to be the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther. One night just before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches.
It was so beautiful that he went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus who had left the stars of heaven to come to Earth at Christmas. And so the fairy lights became an essential part of our decorations today, flickering away like stars.
A tree is the most exciting thing to buy and decorate and still a must for the celebrations, so much so that often it's necessary to put your name down weeks in advance – but not at Finnegan's forest where he's busy with his chainsaw, cutting trees from five feet to 12 feet high, something for every home and no harm done as replanting is carried on all year round and has been for the last 12 years.
This is a family – mum, dad and five grown-up children – hard at work just now with everyone involved with their different jobs.
I was the lucky duck who called in to Sawers delicatessen in College Street recently just as Patrick Finnegan was delivering to Kieran Sloan: not fir trees, but his wife's meringues and carmel squares.
Nothing would do but I would try these and I didn't need to be asked twice – heavenly. "They are a grab-and-go treat," said Kieran, adding, "in and out of the shelves like greased lightning! Every week Patrick delivers and I can tell you they don't last long."
I can vouch for that!
:: Meringue Magic
AT THIS stage in the story, enter Catherine Finnegan, baker extraordinaire with a business called Fluffy Meringues. She has three ovens going at home in Clogher, each filled with sweet meats: 1,000 meringues a day in eight different flavours, strawberry, raspberry, honeycomb and chocolate and the rest. And then the caramel squares, known as 'millionaire's shortbread' for some reason, that are very moreish.
Although her business is at home on the farm where they breed beef cattle, a lot of Catherine's time is taken up travelling the length and breadth of Ireland selling at farmers markets, Monaghan, Waterford, Dingle and Donegal and all over the north. "Coleraine is probably the best of all," she reckons.
Catherine also supplies to shops, so this is one busy lady who started her business to supplement the farm income and now it's become a major and tasty enterprise.
She gave me some advice on meringue storage – if they last that long: "They'll keep up to two months just in the box I put them in, no need to freeze just keep them in a cool place."
And she gave me an idea: "I'll be having them for dessert at Christmas filled with cream, cinnamon, toffee sauce, toasted nuts and ice cream! As well as Christmas pudding of course!"
Or perhaps an Eton Mess: "Crumple them up roughly, serve with soft fruit and double cream!"
When reading this, please forget the calorie count for once!
Contact Catherine via catherinefinnegan@btinternet.com, on 078 7923 2674 or at Christmastreesni.com.
:: Christmas Ahoy
PORTAFERRY and Strangford Trust are at it again. Trust secretary Allison Murphy has been in touch to tell me the Carol Ship will be sailing on the lough this year for two nights, next Friday December 6 and Saturday December 7.
"This will be the sixth year of our festival and again the Strangford ferry will be decorated with Christmas lights, a different choir or group will perform on each sailing between 4.30pm and 9pm.
"The Christmas music will be amplified over the water between Portaferry and Strangford where different events will be taking place."
Families on both sides of the lough will be catered for. In Portaferry, there will be a Christmas tree trail, a parade of lights, free children's activities and Polish Christmas food. In Strangford, there will be a Victorian Christmas fair with local artists and crafters, tasty local food, fair games in a heated marquee thanks to two major sponsors, Ards & North Down Council and Portaferry's Eurospar.
"We are a charity, aimed at promoting and preserving the rich maritime heritage of the historic ports of Portaferry and Strangford."
Certainly Allison and her colleagues have left no stone unturned in this free event – as she says, a terrific way to move into the Christmas season.
"It's also a super event which unites communities, showcases schools and other local talent, also brings in talent and tourists from outside the area and showcases local food, crafts and monuments. Come and join the fun."
:: More details at Portaferryandstrangfordtrust.org
