The South-East is famous for its apples, grown mainly for cider production and some for eating, Producers include a number of quality-led family-run businesses, of which the Traas family's farm is one of the most highly regarded.
They have operated an all year farm shop at The Apple Farm near Cahir since the 1970s, offering fresh fruit in season, fruit juices (including a unique sparkling apple juice and a natural cider vinegar), cider and preserves. Different varieties are planted to mature in succession and will be found on sale at farmers’ markets, in farm shops and from some retail outlets from late summer to early spring.
Con Traas is a hero of of Irish apple production and recognition for this renowned fruit grower and chairman of the Irish Apple Growers' Association includes a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish Food Writers' Guild in 2012. Here, at one of Ireland's best known fruit farms, Con and his team grow not only about 60 varieties of apples, along with multiple varieties of other fruits, including strawberries (grown outdoors and only available when they ripen naturally), raspberries, cherries, plums and pears.
Situated on the main Cahir - Clonmel road (N24) 6km from Cahir, the farm shop is open daily and offers fresh fruit in season along with other products, including some from other likeminded producers. Today they are best known for their juices, made from fruit grown on site specifically for juicing, and there are some innovative new products too, such as Irish Beetroot Juice, a 70/30 blend of Offaly beetroot from Feighery's Farm and Tipperary apples.
Visitors are welcome to walk around this beautiful farm and see the fruit growing - and there is even a spacious caravan/camping site on the farm, with good facilities. The bottled products are also available online.
