Mr Cornelius Traas, an Irish apple farmer, whose business operates from Moorstown, Cahir, Co Tipperary, will be giving away 6,000 apples to school children this year, to help them celebrate Halloween.
Over the last 20 years, Mr Traas has already given away well over 120,000 eating apples to Irish primary school children, a tradition which his parents first introduced. This year, children and their teachers in some 32 primary schools will collect apples, same representing around 200 children in each school together with their teachers.
The desire to grow fruit saw the Traas family initially move from the Netherlands to Ireland in the late 1960’s. Previous generations of the Traas family had been growing fruit in Holland, since the 1800’s, but it became difficult to find new land there for further fruit production. Willem and Ali Traas then decided to pack a bag and make the move to Ireland. They choose farm land, between Cahir and Clonmel on the main Limerick-Waterford road. For the first few years of their occupation, as well as establishing new apple and plum orchards, the family also grew tulips, dried peas, grain crops and strawberries.
Mr Traas himself recalls that when he was at school in Cahir in the 1970’s and 80’s, the apples grown by his parents were very popular with his classmates. From time to time he would bring a few extra to school, and swap them for sweets that were in the ownership of other children.
His parents used to send him and his brother into school with a box of apples to share with other students in other classes and this practise was continued every year right up until his Leaving Cert year.
Regrettably, less than 10% of apples eaten today here in Ireland are actually Irish apples.
Note:- The Apple Farm is not just about Apples only. From a shop within ‘The Apple Farm’ complex you can acquire Apple Juice and Apple Jelly; Strawberries (in season) and Strawberry jam; Raspberries (in season); Plums and Plum Jam; Pears; Cherries; Sparkling Juice; Real Irish Cider; Cider Vinegar and finally there is a spacious Camping & Caravan Park catering for up to sixty people per night, operating from May through to September.
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