FROM the Kerry lily to the dog rose – a wildflower hunter has been busy cataloguing the blooms found nestling in the country's bogs and ditches.

More than 530 of Ireland's ancient native wildflowers have been collated in a new book from Dublin enthusiast Zoe Devlin.

Images show the beautiful blooms from the exotic spiky round-leaved sundew, a native Irish insect-eating plan, that traps and dissolves inquisitive flies and insects, to the musky-smelling pale yellow wood anemone.

Author and amateur botanist Ms Devlin has printed 1,200 photographs of her hunt for the rare to the commonplace plants in 'The Wildflowers of Ireland – A Field Guide', which will be launched during this year's Burren in Bloom Festival in Cassidy's Pub, Carron, Co Clare, Sunday May 25th.

Ms Devlin said finding some of the more elusive wildflowers proved trying with lost wellington boots, poor light and stormy winds hindering her efforts.

Irish Independent