This year the apple trees of Ireland are weighed down with fruit. Fine weather, when the trees were in flower, meant the pollinators could do their job. They flew from one sweet smelling apple blossom to another and now those blossoms are green and red apples are waiting to be picked.

We had an orchard on the farm growing up but I remember the trees being very tall, too tall to pick the top apples unless you were willing to go climbing. When I decided to plant a small orchard myself I discovered that most are now grown on dwarf rootstock. This means they won’t grow as tall making it easier to pick the apples. In fact, apple trees would make a great small tree to replace those lost during Storm Éowyn. You’d get a small tree, unlikely to damage your home in another storm, sweet-smelling blossom in spring and apples in late summer/autumn. What’s not to love?

We’ve been growing apples here for hundreds of years. There would have been orchards in the grounds of monasteries, the big houses and on many farms. Apples would have been the principle tree, but many also had pears, plums, damsons and soft fruit bushes.

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Orchards were often where a few chickens or even pigs were reared.

Many of these small orchards are still visible across the country. The houses are often long gone, the trees no longer pruned, but they still produce apples.

Back in the day many of us would go scrumping, robbing, bird nesting, schlocking or raiding. Whatever you called it, jumping a wall and filling your pockets with apples was great craic. I have no doubt that many owners would have been happy for us to have a few, but it was much better fun to make it into an adventure.

Back in the day many of us would go scrumping, robbing, bird nesting, schlocking or raiding

There was the lookout, ready to shout if they saw anyone coming around the corner. Then we needed someone to shove us up and over the wall and finally there would be at least one tree climber. Our jumpers became baskets as we filled them with apples all the while anticipating a shout to get out quickly.

Nowadays, you’d probably be welcomed in to take them as the ground under many of these old orchards fill up with windfalls and are mainly enjoyed by blackbirds and thrushes.

There are some great heritage varieties that give us an indication of where they were grown. These include Tipperary Pippin, Kilkenny Pearmain, Ladys Finger of Offaly and Beauty of Ballintaylor (Waterford).

Armagh is even known as the Orchard County. Its fertile soil and relatively sheltered climate make it perfect for apple growing. The county is particularly renowned for its Bramley apples, which have been grown there since the late 19th century and now enjoy EU Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status.

We have only about 40 apple growers in Ireland with 90% of apples on sale here imported. A few years ago, Teagasc planted a research orchard in Oak Park with 2,700 trees and 45 different varieties. This research should determine which varieties are best suited to our climate and increase the production and availability. I, for one, look forward to seeing more Irish apples on our shelves.

But back to my few trees weighed down with fruit. I can’t possibly eat them all and I don’t have space to store them properly. So what to do?

Well, this weekend I will be elbow-deep in apple skins and cores as I peel and slice them. Some will go into tarts and then in the freezer.

So, whether you chance jumping over that wall, asking a neighbour if you can pick a few, or make a couple of tarts – enjoy Irish apples in season.