Updated 29 July 2026
Penny bun (cep) in County Carlow, Ireland: live forecast and 14-day outlook
Mushroom season in County Carlow, Ireland is building right now, with penny bun (cep) sitting at 18% today. The typical season runs August to November, and we’re in July now
Porcini is really a small group of closely related boletes. The summer cep (Boletus reticulatus, also called Boletus aestivalis) fruits in warm broadleaf woodland from late spring into summer, well before the main autumn flush of Boletus edulis, so an early-season find is entirely natural. The forecast reflects this wider group.
Late summer into autumn, roughly August to November in Britain and Ireland.
Keep fresh caps in a paper bag in the fridge and use within a couple of days, as they spoil and get wormy fast. Slicing and drying is the classic long term method; they also freeze well if briefly sauteed first.
Can be confused with the bitter bolete (Tylopilus felleus), which has a darker net on the stem, pinkish pores when mature and a strongly bitter taste, and with red pored boletes. Avoid any bolete with red or orange pores or flesh that stains strongly blue, and taste a tiny piece of any doubtful bolete to detect bitterness.
Carlow is a small inland county of gentle rolling farmland, flat in the north and growing hillier towards the south, where the granite Blackstairs Mountains and Mount Leinster (794 m) rise on the Wexford border. The River Barrow winds through the centre in a broad green valley, with the Slaney draining the eastern lowlands. Woodland is patchy: mixed broadleaf along the Barrow and Slaney (oak, beech, ash, hazel and birch) plus commercial conifer plantations on the Blackstairs slopes. Look for fungi in damp riverside groves, old demesne woods, hedgerows and field margins, with heath and blanket bog on the higher ground.
The climate is mild and damp, typical of the Irish south-east, with cool summers, frost-free winters and rain spread through the year. This steady moisture and the relatively sheltered, sunnier-than-average lowlands make for a long, reliable autumn fungal season. Expect a quiet, accessible foraging county rather than a wild one, with most ground in farmland, plantation and along the Barrow Way towpath. Mixed broadleaf woods yield ceps, chanterelles and russulas in autumn, while the unimproved grasslands and uplands are good for waxcaps and field mushrooms.
FAQ
Does ShroomCast tell me if a mushroom is safe to eat or identify it for me?
No. ShroomCast only forecasts timing, so it tells you when penny bun (cep) are likely to be fruiting in County Carlow, Ireland. It does not identify mushrooms, and it cannot tell you whether anything you pick is safe to eat. Always confirm your own identification from a reliable source before eating anything.
How does the live penny bun (cep) forecast for County Carlow, Ireland work?
We take the usual penny bun (cep) season for County Carlow, Ireland (August to November) and weigh it against the weather right now and over the last few days. That gives you one live number, today 18% and building, plus a 14-day outlook and a normal-year line to compare against.
When is penny bun (cep) season in County Carlow, Ireland?
In County Carlow, Ireland, penny bun (cep) season usually runs August to November. The exact start shifts year to year with rain and temperature, so some years they show up early and some years late. Right now (July) the live forecast for County Carlow, Ireland reads 18% and conditions are building.
Where do penny bun (cep) grow in County Carlow, Ireland?
Grows in mycorrhizal partnership with trees, especially under pine, spruce, birch, beech and oak, on well drained soil. Found in conifer and broadleaf woodland and along woodland edges and tracks. They tend to come back to the same kinds of ground year after year, so once you find good cover it is worth checking again. ShroomCast does not share exact spots; it tells you the timing for County Carlow, Ireland so you know when it is worth heading out.
How do I know penny bun (cep) season has started in County Carlow, Ireland?
Season usually kicks off after a warm spell followed by steady rain, with the first flushes appearing somewhere in the August to November window. The clearest sign is the live forecast lifting off zero into ‘just starting’ or ‘building’. For County Carlow, Ireland it currently sits at 18% and is building.
See the live regional forecast in the ShroomCast app.
This page shows today. The app gives you the full 14-day outlook for your area and all 14 species, so you can pick the right day before you drive out.
Scale: 0-20% very low · 20-40% low · 40-60% moderate · 60-80% high · 80-100% excellent. ShroomCast forecasts fruiting probability from weather, soil, forests and years of observations – a guide, not a guarantee of finds.