Six-year-old Rowan Carver of Heatherside Cross near Doneraile, a senior infant pupil at Scoil Mhuire na Trócaire, got the surprise of his life while recently out searching for a soccer ball in the family’s cattle field at Doneraile, writes John Barrett.
Rowan came across a small crop of Giant Puffball Mushrooms (Calvatia Gigantea), one of which on closer inspection was revealed to be no less than 3 feet in circumference and weighing 2.2lbs.
The record hot summer seems to have ensured that fungi of this kind were abundant south of the Ballyhouras. Rowan’s intention, as influenced by his grandmother Mary Carver (well known for her work on the maintenance of flower beds in Charle-ville and top horticultural show entries), is to leave the area to nature with the hope of nurturing a much larger plot of Giant Puffball Mushrooms next year.