This article is from page 50 of the 2009-05-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 50 JPG
SOME of Clare’s leading business lights were in New Quay last week for a meeting of the Clare branch of Network Ireland.
The meeting, which allows local businesswomen to network and trade ideas, was hosted by Brid Fahy of Linnalla Ice Cream. Linnalla will be celebrating it’s third year in opera- tion in north Clare later this month, and to mark the celebrations it will be hosting its third annual free ice- cream day.
“We started making ice-cream here in July of 2006 so we are nearly three years there now. We decided to diversify from the farming. We still milk cows, most of the milk goes to the creamery but we keep some of it here for the ice-cream,” said Brid.
“We started off with about five fla- vours and now we are up to about 25. We use real fresh milk and cream and that is the basic ingredient – without them we would have nothing.”
The ice-cream is 100 per cent home made using milk from the Fahy’s own cows and local fruit and berries as flavouring whenever possible.
The ice-cream 1s available from the Linnalla shop in New Quay as well as being on a number of local restau- rant and hotel menus.
Recently Linnalla have also reached an agreement to be distribut- ed throughout the western seaboard with Keane’s Distributors in Ennis.
This year free ice-cream day in support of the Jack and Jill Founda- tion and takes place on June 14.
“When we started planning it last year the Burma Cyclone was af-
ter happening so we decided that it would be a very worthy cause. We contacted Trocaire who gave us a lot of information and on the day we had more than 1,000 people here and raised more than €2,000,”’ continued Brid.
“This year we will have some ab- seiling with the help of the Burren Outdoor Education Centre. Down here we had a ‘digging for gold com- petition’ for younger kids who can dig in our sandpit for some gold nug- gets and whoever finds a nugget gets a free tub of ice-cream.
“We will have donkey rides and other water games, milking the cow, bouncy castles – it’s all about having some fun. And having some free ice- cream of course.”
To learn more about Linnalla check out www.linnalla.com.