INTRODUCTION

Originally Lord Headfort’s hunting lodge and deerpark, the 100-acre Virginia Park Lodge in County Cavan is today owned by Richard Corrigan himself. Here, the head Plant Hunter (Sergeant Taylour to us) and head groundsman Donal daily stalk its vast expanses in search of the season’s finest delectables. They’ve even built a nuttery to lure in more, well, nuts.

INTRODUCTION

Originally Lord Headfort’s hunting lodge and deerpark, the 100-acre Virginia Park Lodge in County Cavan is today owned by Richard Corrigan himself. Here, the head Plant Hunter (Sergeant Taylour to us) and head groundsman Donal daily stalk its vast expanses in search of the season’s finest delectables. They’ve even built a nuttery to lure in more, well, nuts.

Donal

While the plant hunter is following the trail, the head gardener is getting on with the job of getting out of the way. He’s Sancho Panza to Sergeant Taylour’s Quixote, doing the heavy lifting in the gardens and orchards, and sometimes playing along.

Richard ‘Dickie’ Corrigan

Chef Corrigan is made of stern stuff, commanding busy brigades of chaps and chapesses in the galleys of his top restaurants.The restaurants are fuelled by three things: willpower, impeccable taste and produce from Virginia Park Lodge. Everything else is just an amuse-bouche.

Sergeant Taylour

Behold the great and legendary Plant Hunter, stalking his quarry among the wilds of Virginia Park Lodge and beyond in the terra incognita of Cavan. His trophy room is testament to his prowess: purple sprouting broccoli, chicory, even tayberries – he’s bagged ’em all. He says that to hunt the plant, you must think like the plant. Which he does.