The Medicinal Herbs of Terryland Forest Park
“Ta
luibh ar gach leigheas”- there is not a herb without a cure!
We have a long tradition of using herbs as
medicines in Ireland, with written evidence going back hundreds of years. Medicinal herbs also feature in Irish
mythology. Chú-chúlainn one of the great Irish heroes used meadowsweet to
relieve pain and fever after battle (hence the old Irish name- Crios Chú-
chúlainn ).
Common herbs like nettles, dandelion,
plantain,horsetails and yarrow, found within the Terryland Forest Park were
used throughout the country in the treatment of everyday ailments from skin
conditions, headaches, earaches, wounds, to coughs and colds. Herbs were also
valued as dyes, as ingredients in drinks and tonics, in love charms and stitched
into clothes and hung over doorways as protection against illness.
Herbalists still proscribe many of our native
plants as medicines in the treatment of a variety of chronic conditions. The
discovery of important allopathic medicines can be attributed to common plants
such as meadowsweet (Aspirin) and willow.
A walk through the park to discover the beauty
and many delights of our simple and healing natural flora can enhance our
connection with and appreciation of our native medicinal plants.
Yarrow
An
Athair thalún (father earth), Lus na fola (blood herb), Lus na gcluas (ear
herb)
Achillea millefolium
Yarrow is a common native plant that is a member of Daisy family. It has clusters of white (sometimes mauve) flat topped flowering heads on upright stems. The green, feathery leaves are aromatic when crushed.
Achillea millefolium
Yarrow is a common native plant that is a member of Daisy family. It has clusters of white (sometimes mauve) flat topped flowering heads on upright stems. The green, feathery leaves are aromatic when crushed.
Achillea is named after the Greek warrior Achilles who used yarrow to staunch bleeding
during battle. Millefolium means ‘thousand leaf’
reflecting its finely cut leaf shape.
In Ireland Yarrow was known as ‘the plant of the seven cures’. Thus,
traditional medicinal uses for yarrow are many, to staunch bleeding, for pain
relief, lower blood pressure, headaches, toothache and to reduce fevers, coughs
and colds.
It was used as a charm, placed under pillows to induce dreams of your future love
and sown into clothes as protection against disease.
Today yarrow is proscribed by herbalists for,
among others, fevers, blood pressure, poor circulation, urinary disorders and
as an astringent
Perhaps you could explore its use as a love
charm!
Meadowsweet
Airgead
luachra (Silver rush)
Filipendula ulmaria
Meadowsweet, in the rose family, is among our
most beautiful native wild plants. The “Queen
of the Meadow” blooms in June to August and is recognised by its sweetly
scented creamy-white flowers, in frothy clusters on tall reddish stems. Its
green toothed leaves are silvery on their undersides.
The name
Meadowsweet (Meodu-Swete in Anglo
Saxon ), indicates its ancient use to sweeten and flavour mead, beer and
wine. It was one of three plants sacred to the Druids along with watermint and vervain.
Meadowsweet was commonly strewn on floors to
freshen and give a sweet smell.
Traditionally used for pain and fevers in gout,
kidney and digestive disorders and as a skin wash, meadowsweet remains greatly valued by
herbalists today, proscribed for digestive, arthritic and urinary
conditions.
The discovery of salicylic acid from meadowsweet led to the development of
aspirin (from Spiraea, its old latin name).
Look out for meadowsweet flavoured beers, wine,
jams and sweets.
Red
Clover
Seamair
dhearg
Trifolium pratense
Trifolium pratense
Red clover, is in the Pea and Bean Family. This pretty native plant is recognised by its small,
compact, pink, scented flowering heads on upright
stems. The leaflets are heart shaped with a white v symbol in the centre.
Trifolium (from the Latin three leaf) was
sometimes worn as Shamrock and is also considered lucky if found with four
leaflets. In the past children enjoyed red clover by sucking its flowers for
its sweet nectar.
Traditionally in Ireland, red clover was used
medicinally in the treatment of coughs, in skin ailments, cancer and other
tumours.
Today herbalists use red clover in whooping
cough, as a spring tonic, and in children’s eczema and psoriasis. It is usually taken as a sweet
tasting herbal tea. Honey bees
produce delicious honey from its nectar.
Red clover ‘fixes’ nitrogen in soil and
provides rich animal fodder. Other
plants in this family include lentils and sweet peas.