Columnists - West Cork People

Looking past the hype surrounding Shilajit

Hannah Dare April, 2026

When I was first asked for Shilajit, it seemed like a wellness fad – and a slightly suspicious one at that. It wasn’t until we were asked repeatedly that we decided to look into where it comes from and what it does. We cautiously brought some in, and then started […]

Shake it, bake it, eat it

WCP Staff April, 2026

Kids Food Revolution by Niamh Cooper, Melissa Byrne & Gillian Hegarty Did you know you can make real butter just by shaking a jam jar? You don’t need any fancy equipment, and you don’t need special ingredients. Just cream, a clean jam jar, and your best shaking skills. And once […]

Break the bar not the bank with this chocolate and olive oil cake

Karen Austin April, 2026

I’ve been checking out chocolate cakes for this month’s easter recipe and it’s led me down an interesting path. Our chocolate and hazelnut cake, which used to be so popular in our shop, first came to mind. However when my brain scanned the ingredients, I realised that the 300 grams […]

The intelligent cow

Dr Jeremy A. Dorman April, 2026

I often talk to cows; where I live, there isn’t much else to talk to. They can look so miserable, standing in muddy fields, soaked by the pouring rain and battered by the wind. But then, on a sunny day, chewing the cud, they seem quite content. They stare back at […]

The search for copper in West Cork

Fiona Hayes April, 2026

In the early 19th century copper mining was prevalent across West Cork with miners brought in from Cornwall in the early part of the century to supplement the workforce. While back then landowners owned the mineral rights below the surface of their land and no government licence was needed to […]

The West Cork Bird Race 2026

WCP Staff April, 2026

By Dave Rees and Nicholas Mitchell The West Cork Branch held the inaugural first bird race on January 29, 2017. Apparently there had been a bird race in earlier years but no records exist. Our Chair at the time, Paul Connaughton, felt that this would be a great opportunity to […]

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