‘Shamrock will face extinction if people don’t start wearing it again’ – grower
An established shamrock grower is calling for a revival of the St Patrick’s Day emblem after seeing sales fall rapidly in recent years.
Gearóid O’Neill fears the trefoil will die out and has called on GAA clubs and other organisations to encourage younger generations to wear it.
Traditionally, the three-leafed shamrock is said to have been used by Saint Patrick to illustrate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity when Christianising Ireland in the fifth century, and it is worn on his feast day on March 17.
O’Neill’s Flowers in Carlingford, Co Louth, was producing 110,000 pots of shamrock in 2015, but in less than 10 years, demand has fallen to 50,000, and Mr O’Neill believes that figure will fall even more next year.
He is worried the plant is not far off becoming extinct in Ireland.
“We’re a family business and have been growing shamrock for over 50 years, since my father Gerry started in the 70s,” Mr O’Neill said.
“However, we have noticed a sharp decrease in sales and demand, especially since Covid-19. Numbers of people going to mass on St Patrick’s Day have dropped off and it’s usually the older generation that still wears the shamrock on their lapels on the day.
“You would rarely see the younger generation sporting the shamrock, and unless you’re watching the politicians on the TV, I’d say you could count on one hand those you meet on St Patrick’s Day with shamrock.
“Brexit also impacted our export business as there’s too much paperwork now to export the way we used to.
“We did send over shamrock in the past to US president Joe Biden when our neighbours and former Irish rugby player Rob Kearney was visiting the White House as he is a relation.
“The Office of Public Works would also ring asking for some for President Higgins.
“The weather hasn’t done us any favours this year either. We grow shamrock on a half-acre under glass in greenhouses so they are protected from the wind and the rain, but they need a lot of light and we haven’t had a lot of bright days recently.
“The shamrock are grown from seed in September/October before being transplanted into container pots in January. The dark, damp days really affect their growth.
“There are four growers north of the Border and one south, and like a lot of other horticultural growers, some of those would be considering retirement in the coming years.
“I’d say that unless people start buying it and wearing the green again, both the shamrock and the tradition are not far off extinction.
“If you go to Dublin’s St James’s Gate and ask for a Guinness, it will be emblazoned with a shamrock in the cream, but no one seems to want to wear the emblem of St Patrick’s Day any more.
“I would be urging the GAA and all the sporting clubs to introduce the shamrock to the younger players, telling them of its importance and setting a trend again in wearing it. It might even make a TikTok craze.”
Brexit paperwork, rain and pandemic among reasons for drop-off in sales