Hawthorn Blossom

Hawthorn (or whitethorn) flowers around May and if you fly into Shannon at this time of the year you will see hawthorn trees around the green fields as explosions of creamy blossoms. Up close the blossoms are made up of many tiny flowers, delicately coloured. Most hawthorns are white or cream, but there are also many that are tinged pink and a few specimens that are almost red in colour. This branch was photographed in mid May 2005, near the National Park, in the rain.

Ralph Doyle