Nose Job

In a purple field down Wicklow way, there’s a fragrance to be bottled.

The Army of bumble bees may not know it as they work to the rumbling sound of the N11 in a field of purple. But they are part of what is possibly the world’s most expensive lavender oil production line. We are standing in the Fragrances of Ireland lavender field in Co Wicklow. It is a sight experienced by some as a bright blur on the left as they slow down and watch for speed-traps at Kilmacanogue on the road from Dublin to Wicklow.

Inside a shed at the back of the field, a tall chrome still waits for the blossoms, which will be hand-picked soon, and put inside to boil. The steam will evaporate and the golden yellow lavender oil will be allowed to drip into collection jars.

The whole two-and-a-half-acre field will produce just three litres of lavender oil, maybe four if they are lucky. With most perfume oils coming from countries where the weather is hot and the labour cheap, this Wicklow oil is hard-won and has more than a bit of kooky marketing attached to its annual harvesting ritual.

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