‘That is one hell of a big mushroom’

Ciara Galvin

IS it a bird, is it a plane? Neither actually. It’s a very large mushroom found on the Great Western Greenway in Mulranny.
The mushroom measuring 20cm by 23cm in diameter and weighing 189 grams was found by local doctor Jerry Cowley behind St Brendan’s Unit in Mulranny.
Speaking to The Mayo News after his find on Monday, Dr Cowley said on first inspection he thought the funghi was a ‘large flat rock’ but after discovering it was a large wild mushroom he contacted local horticultural expert John Sweeney, in Achill.
“He told me to get in touch with Matthew Jebb of the Botanical Gardens in Dublin,” explained Dr Cowley.

‘Record’
On informing Dr Jebb, who is a keeper of the herbarium (plant specimens) at the gardens, Dr Jebb replied ‘That is one hell of a big mushroom’ and told the doctor that all books on mushrooms state that they grow up to 10cm across.
Dr Jebb said he could not find any evidence of a ‘record’ mushroom size for Ireland and told Dr Cowley that he could ‘unofficially claim that mantle’.
The mushroom is currently in a large fridge at the doctor’s practice. Asked what he plans on doing with it, Dr Cowley said he may offer the funghi to the National History Museum.
“I might ask them to take it. If it is the biggest mushroom in Ireland it would be a good example of Ireland’s woodland for visitors.”

A sign
Dr Cowley is currently the chairman of the Great Western Greenway Landowner’s Committee, which has called on the Government to include the popular Greenway route where the mammoth mushroom was found, on the National Walks Scheme.
The inclusion would mean that landowners on the route would receive an annual renumeration for maintaining the walks for the public to use.
The chairman sees the latest find on the popular route as ‘a sign that the Lord God Himself wants Michael Ring to meet with the committee and progress the case’.
“We’re looking for a meeting with Minister Ring since our AGM in May about the National Walks Scheme and I regard this as a sign that the Minister needs to get on his bike and meet us,” said the committee chairman.