The Coccagee (from the Irish ''cac a' gheidh'', "dung of the goose"),Weekley, E. (ed) ''An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English'', p.321 also spelt 'Cackagee' or 'Cockagee' and sometimes known as the 'Irish Crab' or 'Lord Cork's Crab', is or was a variety of cider apple, known in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and the West of

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History

Hogg described the 'Coccagee' as "''one of the oldest and best of cider apples''".Hogg, R. ''The Apple and Its Varieties'', 1859, p.57 He noted that the variety originated in Ireland, but in c. 1710 it was taken to

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

and promoted in the area around

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as suitable for cider, after which it was commonly planted in the west of England. It was also known in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

under the name ''afal baw gwydd'' ("goose dung apple").Pughe, ''A dictionary of the Welsh language'', 1866, p.44 In Ireland it was found in many estate orchards in counties

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and

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, and was regarded as an important part of local cider production, with barrels of single-varietal Coccagee cider fetching a high premium. Wakefield's 1812 ''Account of Ireland'' stated that "''the celebrated cackagee apple is found near a town called Six Mile Bridge, in the County of Clare''".Wakefield, ''An Account of Ireland'', v.1, p.538 Richard Graves referred to the variety, and its harshly acidic flavour, in his poem ''Hymen and Pomona'': "''Some, proud of sense and ill-bred wit / Are harsh as Coccagee''".Graves, R. ''Euphrosyne'', 1780, p.218 By the early 19th century it was often said to be the most favoured variety for cidermaking even in England, but by the end of the century it had been supplanted by newer cultivars and was little known. Irish domestic cider production contracted after the Great Famine and subsequent emigration, and the Coccagee also became rare in its country of origin. The variety is currently thought to be lost, both in England and Ireland,Preserving our Apples
''Irish Independent'', 21 Sep 2010 but the Gloucestershire Orchard Trust has recently explored the suggestion that the old local variety 'Hen's Turd' may in fact be the 'Coccagee'.Varietal Research
, Gloucestershire Orchard Trust, accessed 01-09-2016

Characteristics

As with several other very old varieties of cider apple, such as the Styre, the 'Coccagee' was a vigorous tree that could be propagated simply by striking a cutting in the earth, and this method of propagation was common in Ireland. The fruit of the 'Coccagee' is small to medium-sized, ovate or conical, with pale yellow, green-flecked skin, the colour of which probably gave the variety its name. The flesh is yellowish white and acidic, the juice fermenting to a pale, straw coloured cider compared to

Canary Canary originally referred to the island of Gran Canaria on the west coast of Africa, and the group of surrounding islands (the Canary Islands). It may also refer to: Animals Birds * Canaries, birds in the genera ''Serinus'' and ''Crithagra'' i ...

wine.Ellis, ''The Compleat Cyderman'', 1754, p.83 Hogg described the apple as "''perhaps the most harsh and austere apple known, and generally considered only fit for cider''", but added "''it is one of the best for all culinary purposes ..as it possesses a particularly rich flavour when cooked''".

References

{{apples Apple cultivars