Life in Aran
Like many in island communities, we are a family business. Máirtín Ó Conceanainn a native Aran Islander, moved back to Aran and started Blath na Mara in 2002. For the next 13 years he developed the business, expanding his knowledge of the local species on the shore, harvesting various species of seaweed through the seasons and developing a purpose built unit on the island for drying and processing the harvest. In 2014, he asked his daughter Jenny if she would like to come and live in Aran and join him in the business.
Our New Tasting Room
A taste of Aran.
Welcome to our new tasting room, a place where our visitors can enjoy some delicious tasting plates and hear a little history of seaweed harvesting on Aran.
Kombu Harvest
We are busy at the moment harvesting Laminaria digitata better known as Kelp, Kombu or in Irish, Coirleach. The largest beds of Kombu are subtidal so we use a mask and snorkel to cut the fronds and fill our boat to bring back to the factory for drying. On a good day, it is hard to imagine that what we are doing can actually be called work! Back in the drying room, each frond is hung to ensure that each frond is dried evenly.