Anja Murray: Seek kelp and you might strike gold with mermaids' purses too

There are more than 500 different species of seaweed growing along the 3,000 kilometres of our coastline — and now is a perfect time to explore these from the shore or by snorkelling at high tide

Along the Atlantic seaboard in particular, where the coastline consists of so many rocky bays and indentations, seaweed grows abundantly. Picture Denis Minihane.

Ireland has more than 3,000 kilometres of coastline. All around the rocky nooks and headlands, at the intertidal zone, grow an enormous variety of seaweeds. Each species has its own habitat needs and preferences, and most have a particular level on the tideline where they thrive. It’s hardly surprising that there are more than 500 different species of seaweed growing wild along the Irish coastline.

Since the first humans lived here, seaweed has been part of the Irish diet. It is reported that Cú Chulainn was a fan of eating seaweed! Later, the Brehon Laws, a suite of ancient community rules laid down in writing in the 8th Century, specified the rules and neighbourly etiquette around seaweed harvesting, including fixed penalties for anyone caught taking seaweed from someone else’s plot. Right up to the present day, seaweed harvesting rights along the shoreline are closely guarded. Many houses in coastal locations have seaweed harvesting rights stated in the legal deeds of the house.