The stars are falling. The sky is falling. These October nights are dark and shiny. This may also be the time of year to find the remains of fallen stars; to find pwdre ser (poo of the stars). The clear (ish) jelly can be found seemingly randomly dropped from the sky. Many years ago they believed it was the remains of stars that fell to earth. The current thinking is that it is probably the packing material in a frog’s ovary that comes into contact with the stomach fluids within a raven or a heron. This does not sound as romantic, or as poetic, but think how this is just a theory. Think how this is an unproven hypothesis. How can it be that in our era of science that we do not know for certain if it is true.
If you stumble upon some ‘star jelly’ on your autumn wanderings then pleaseadd a comment to this post and include your email address as there is a TV production company (Tigress Productions) in hot pursuit of some hard (of soft jelly) evidence.
October 24, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Glad I stumbled on this, I spotted some recently. My first thought was that it was some form of frog reproduction that maybe hadn’t been successful, I never knew it fell from the sky!
I noticed some on 19th October 2013 when leaving Kilbroney park and walking along the path towards Leitrim Lodge. Grid Ref 225, 247
October 24, 2013 at 6:30 pm
Oisin, Out of interest, do you remember if it was near a fence post a raven or heron might use? I forgot that it was the time of year for star jelly, I must keep an eye out for it. I saw it once in the Sallagh Braes….https://thisteacherslife.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/star-jelly-on-the-willow-road/
October 24, 2013 at 6:41 pm
It wasn’t near any fence posts, no. It was rather in the open, no immediate trees, but then again there were some trees nearby.
It was just sitting on the side of the track, if I had of read this article a week earlier I would have known to inspect the area and photograph it.
There aren’t many trees up on the Sallagh Braes, but possibly could be used by birds to nest in the cliffs? Saying that I didn’t see any birds when I’ve been up.