The fine flavours of Co Armagh apples are on their way to Europe under a new deal between one of the county’s oldest apple farms and cider drinkers in Italy.
Cider Drinkers in Italy Invest in Ireland
Co Armagh boasts 5000 acres of apple orchards, more than any other part of Ireland, and is known as the ‘Orchard County’. Greg MacNeice, now the fifth generation of cider producers in his family, is a tenant farmer on National Trust land at Ardress House. His family has been growing cider apples since 1855.
Among the trees with an ancient heritage lending their flavour to the cider are the Armagh Bramley apple, as well as traditional cider apples like Michelin, Dabinett and Harry Master’s Jersey.
The farm produces over 100,000 litres of cider each year and has won a series of national and international awards for its cider, including a gold medal and overall Champion Cider at the 2015 International Brewing Awards.
The farm already supplies cider to Denmark, but now Greg has his sights on the rest of Europe and also America.
What did Greg MacNeice have to Say?
‘We are very excited to be bringing the taste of Ireland’s orchard county to bars which specialise in craft beers, ciders and spirits,’ said Greg.