I got a phone call from June Nelson the other day. June is an Irish Board examiner and we’ve shared some long car journeys over the last few months. On one of these, I must have expressed my wish to get my hands on a goose egg or two.

I’ve tried the local butcher, to no avail. The reasons for wanting a goose egg are that they are bigger than hen eggs and so offer a bigger canvas, and they are tougher and can stand a bit more punishment, such as holes being drilled in them.

Anyway, on the phone, June told me that she was in Dun Laoghaire and that she was looking at goose eggs for sale. It was very kind of her to remember and to offer to buy them for me. So, today I collected them from June’s parents’ house.

This evening, I thought I’d have a go at blowing one to see how that worked.

Here’s a goose egg beside a large hen’s egg which will give you an idea of the size of it.

I drilled a hole at the top and the bottom.

And then I nearly gave myself a stroke blowing the insides out.

Here’s what one can do with the insides.

Goosey. Thanks June.