Orchard to Table: Traditional Cider Making

What to Expect

Orchard to Table takes the apple harvest through to the glass in a single session at Cloughan, Abbeyshrule, on Saturday 17 October 2026. Fiona Egan leads the workshop, which covers selecting and pressing apples, the fermentation process, and the craft behind producing a decent cider rather than a rough one. Cider making is one of the older food traditions on this island, and the workshop treats it as a working skill rather than a demonstration.

The session also looks outward from the press: orchard management through the year, seasonal harvesting, and how a local food chain connects back to the farming and the landscape it comes from. It sits in the Samhain in the Heartlands programme for 2026, where the harvest end of the season gets as much attention as the ghost stories. It suits anyone interested in traditional crafts or looking for a distinctive autumn day out in south Longford.

Good to Know

• Saturday 17 October 2026. Start time is to be confirmed by the organiser.
• Cloughan, Abbeyshrule, Co. Longford.
• Price is to be confirmed. Check the booking calendar before travelling.
• Booked through the Fiona Egan adult cookery class calendar at fionaegan.com.
• Part of the Samhain in the Heartlands 2026 season across Longford and Westmeath.
• Listed by Visit Longford, contact 043 3343509 or hello@visitlongford.ie for programme queries.

Getting There

Abbeyshrule sits in south Longford close to the Westmeath border, on the R392 between Ballymahon and Mullingar. From Longford town take the N55 south to Ballymahon, then the R392 east, about 30km in total. From Mullingar it is roughly 25km west on the same road. The Royal Canal Greenway runs through Abbeyshrule, so the village is reachable on foot or by bike from Ballymahon and Ballynacargy. There is no regular scheduled bus, so most visitors drive. Parking is on the farm.