The Organic Centre and Fowley’s Falls

The Organic Centre of Ireland is just a 5-minute drive from Black Pig Lodge and is well worth a visit. It is a charity established back in 1995 to pioneer the importance of organic growing. It’s aims have broadened over the years and it now also promotes awareness of climate change, the important of biodiversity, food sovereignty and sustainable energy. 

The Centre is an enjoyable and informative place to visit. There is a large free carpark, a café selling organic meals (seasonal opening times apply), a shop where you can buy a large range of organic seeds, a selection of books relating to organic growing and nature more broadly, gardening equipment, and a small selection of organic foods and snacks. The Centre also has gardens and polytunnels to explore. It’s worth contacting the Centre before you go as they can provide guided walks. The Centre hosts seasonal events such as Potato Day in March, with a craft and food market and demonstrations, or Apple Day Harvest Festival in September, featuring stalls, talks and tours.

Organic Centre Interior

As well as a place to visit, the Centre also offers more formal learning opportunities such as its full-time certified horticulture course, short- and longer-term volunteering opportunities, and over 80 weekend workshops throughout the year. Workshops are diverse and include courses such as cheese making, dry stone walling, growing in polytunnels, growing organically, and sustainable living. It is worth following The Organic Centre on social media or check out its website (theorganiccentre.ie) for updates on courses and events. 

If you fancy a walk after your visit to the Centre, then it’s well worth taking the path from The Organic Centre towards Fowley’s Falls. This is well signposted and takes you to a beautiful wooded linear walk of about 3km along the Glenaniff River. The walk has been established to be as natural as possible with gravel paths and styles. The native hedgerows have been protected with viewing points marked along the trail that allow you to take in the best views. At the other of the walk is a small picnic area. The Falls themselves are a series of stepped cascades that hurtle the water down through the steep valley towards Lough Melvin. Don’t tell anyone, but we have been known to sit under one of the cascades shoulders deep in a pool of ice-cold water to cool off during a heatwave (although I wouldn’t recommend this when the water is in full torrent!)