Testimonials
Robert Ford describes his first visit to the Mulberry Shoot in the West of Ireland. I have been shooting 25 or more driven and walked up shoot days every season in the UK and the USA (where I am resident) for over 20 years and have written in the past about some great experiences; so when I received my first invitation four years ago, from a group of friends, to join them on a visit to the Mulberry Shoot in Co. Clare in the west of Ireland, I jumped at the opportunity to make my first trip to Ireland. Some of the guys had been to Ireland for shooting before, but it was going to be the first visit to Mulberry for all of us. Read full story from Irish Shooter’s Digest
Robert FordUSA
I have had the good fortune to experience the Mulberry Shoot in each of the last three years. One would not know this shoot has been operating on a commercial basis for less than 5 years. There are numerous drives at Mulberry, each unique to the topography of this fantastic estate. The beaters and pickers up are absolutely brilliant and several of those I met could hold their own with any of the guns in our line. One of my favourite features of Mulberry is the ability to walk to the vast majority of the drives therefore providing our team with plenty of time to share our experiences before moving on to the next stand. Finally, the hospitality of John and Margaret is truly amazing – the food is delightful and my glass was always full.
I highly recommend Mulberry as it will challenge every skill level and leave the best of shots humbled by the sheer beauty of the landscape and the quality of the birds.
USA
We have now been to Mulberry twice and are already counting the days to next season. It is a cracking shoot with some challenging flighted ducks and a variety of fun pheasant drives, usually accompanied by a stiff onshore breeze that guarantees some speedy birds! Once the shoot is over, the hospitality back at the house is all you would expect from Irish hosts, warm, convivial, with great food, plenty of drink and, of course, the usual Craic! John and Margaret put on a great show. You don’t want to miss it
Andrew & Judith TuckerUSA
As regular guest and shoot party host at Mulberry for several years I highly recommend this superb and incredible value venue. John and Margaret run one of the most welcoming and finest shoot experiences on offer in Ireland and the UK. The Mulberry team are first class, the game is challenging and the hospitality ranks amongst the best – fine game, finer fare and the finest company in the field. The drives offer a great mix of high and challenging game. It’s also great value and well worth the very easy trip to Shannon from London; especially if combined with visits to Bunratty, Adare or Limerick for some great food, Guinness or the rugby.
Campbell FlemingUnited Kingdom
I have enjoyed watching the evolution of the Mulberry shoot from its early faltering steps to a world class facility. John always goes the extra mile to ensure an enjoyable day for every gun. The calibre of the drives and the birds produced are out of the top drawer and John is particularly skilled at producing the birds at a steady pace for an entire drive. Margaret ensures that a warm and hospitable environment prevails with open fires, sloe gin, fine wines and delicious food. I would strongly recommend a visit for anyone who enjoys shooting in a beautiful and welcoming environment.
Eric MastersonIreland
I had the pleasure of taking a day out at Mulberry Shoot with a team of colleagues. From the moment we arrived we were treated to a fantastic experience. The hospitality and shooting were top class. I would highly recommend Mulberry Shoot to anyone looking for an exceptional day out.
Bennie FitzgibbonIreland
My trip to Mulberry shoot is simply the most fun shoot of the year. We travel with wives’ and they seem to have as much fun as the boys even though they are not shooting (shopping / lunching and joining for the last drive or post shoot drinks). There is so much for them to do while we are shooting. We base ourselves in the brilliant Bunratty Manor hotel with the “legendary” Manager Noel in charge of our party – 10 gun’s plus wives – Irish hospitality at its world class best with a bespoke menu and wine list to accommodate all tastes.
The shoot is unique – John and Margaret Forde are the most special shoot hosts. John rears the birds as keeper and also presents the day supported by a loyal team including his brother Willie. Duck and Pheasants – they go together incredibly well on this shoot – i understand that may seem unusual but that’s part of this shoot’s charm. With no wind the birds are good. With wind they are fabulous. The west coast of Ireland gets its fair share of wind and the keeper adapts drives accordingly.
I have been each year for 4 weekends and shoot 2 back to back day’s typically around 300 birds each day but John is flexible to tailor the day exactly to the team’s requirements.
There is so much to enjoy about this shoot that is unique. If you are chasing Devon sky high birds in a corporate environment this is not the shoot for you. This is a family shoot with banter and laughs from the first minute. If you want plenty of shootable birds, hosted by some of the nicest people I have met in the shooting world over 20 years of driven shooting. Simply outstanding hospitality on the shoot day and locally the night before and night after then this is the shoot for you. Weekday budget airline flights from London are plentiful to Shannon and as soon as you land the Irish team take over. On the shoot you never travel far between drives on the “old school” gun bus – covered trailer with hay bales as seats- perfect for a team of friends. Ammo can be arranged for you in advance and specific elevenses and lunch can also be specified. Lunch and post shoot drinks are held in John and Margaret’s cottage with a warm wood-burner heating the jackets for the afternoon drive – we also once left the house 3 hours after the shoot finished! I would recommend this shoot without hesitation to groups of friends or a wandering syndicate who value a friendly family run shoot more than a highly disciplined, time sensitive, bag centric commercial shoot.
United Kingdom
I was very lucky to be invited to the “Mulberry Shoot” by a close friend over 5 years ago. I had no idea of what lay ahead on my day out . We arrived at 9.30, John, Margaret and the team gave us a very warm welcome. We then went in to “Keepers Cottage” which had the most homely surroundings. Here, we had a light breakfast and plenty of chats of intriguing stories of different experiences that each gun had . I was fascinated to listen.
We then had the draw for our pegs and this was all done in a most traditional way. We were transported to the pegs on the gun bus. The horn blew and the droves of birds were presented in abundance!!!! We had elevenses at the Growler, then we had a lot more shooting before we had lunch at Keepers Cottage. We finally finished off with a classic drive to end our day.
I have since been invited to other shoots abroad but nothing compares to the Mulberry Shoot.
I am now looking forward to my fifth season with John, Margaret and all the fantastic team at Mulberry Shoot.
Ireland
As a regular visitor from the USA to the UK to shoot and having shot a total of 4 days now at the Mulberry shoot I can honestly say it is some of the finest shooting I have experienced coupled with totally amazing hospitality. John and Margaret are amazing hosts and the whole team at Mulberry is 100% dedicated to making sure that your line of guns have the best day possible. We will I hope be coming back for many years to come and it’s well worth the trip from the US!
Robert FordUSA
From the moment we made our booking we were treated to a five star experience in Mulberry. Everything was taken care of, from our first class accommodation to our travel and the most wonderful unique hospitality I’ve ever experienced on a shoot. Mulberry has it all. Excellent attention to detail, high quality shooting in a traditional environment that improved on every visit.
Mulberry offers a truly memorable experience that keeps me coming back for more. What can I say, a truly outstanding experience at Mulberry which exceeded all our expectations.
Richard MulcahyUnited Kingdom
I have known John since the early 1990s when he judged retriever trials for the club of which I was secretary. He was reliable, courteous and a fair judge always drawing on extensive knowledge of working dogs and game shooting. He brings these abilities to his management of Mulberry Game Shoot where his meticulous attention to detail and hard work ensures a rewarding a day’s shooting presenting challenging birds. John’s commitment to traditional sporting value is demonstrated in the camaraderie of capable team of beaters and pickers-up: it is a tribute to his efficiency and communication skills that not only does the day run smoothly but everyone involved has great day out.
Gill BoazmanHaving used the services of Mulberry Game Shoot earlier this year I was amazed at the high standards delivered by John, Margaret and their team. We were a party of seven and I must say it was one of the finest experinces of professionalism I have encountered.
Billy QuinnOwner, Ace Forwarding Caspian