Welcome to our first newsletter of the year! January’s been a long but quiet one, we’ve had our heads down working away, and here’s a few things we wanted to tell you.

We had a brilliant time attending (and speaking at!) the Arts & Business NI Creative Partnership event. Greg and Ross from Stendhal Festival had a great chat with Brona Whittaker, where they got to dig into our partnership and how it all came together.

With their support, we were able to bring the Mac Ivors Homegrown Stage to life last year - and what a weekend it was! Across the festival, 44 incredible local acts took to the stage, filling it with plently of talent & energy. Celebrating homegrown creativity like that was one of the standout highlights of our 2025!

Over in the orchard, things are looking good. Thankfully, we came through the recent storm unscathed with just a few branches down.  If you were to glance at the orchard it would look quiet because the apple trees are currently dormant. They’re taking a well-earned rest and conserving energy for the growing season ahead.

That said, it’s not all hands-off. Pruning is well underway. Shaping the trees this way encourages healthy growth, improves airflow, and sets the trees up to produce the best possible fruit later in the year.

We rounded out January with plenty of planning and not much to photograph! Lots of ideas, lots of conversations, and a few things we’ll keep to ourselves for the moment.

What we do know is this: we want Mac Ivors to be shared and enjoyed in good places, and we want to keep supporting the artists and creatives who make Ireland such a vibrant place.

If you’re enjoying the journey with us, tell your friends and keep choosing local!