Columnists - West Cork People

Spain’s coast destroyed by plastic and West Cork could be next

Grace O'Sullivan February, 2024

In 2019, the people of Skibbereen won an important victory that all of Ireland should be proud of. Joining together as a community they stopped the construction of a plastic pellets factory that threatened our local environment and the natural heritage that is our Atlantic Ocean. It is estimated that […]

The elegant Greenshank

WCP Staff February, 2024

This month Birdwatch West Cork committee member Damaris Lysaght shares one of her favourite birds, the Greenshank. The Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) is on my short list of favourite birds. How could anyone not be impressed by this sleek, elegant and clean-cut bird, with its dark grey wings and back, and […]

Cockroaches: Pests, pets or dinner?

Dr Jeremy A. Dorman February, 2024

For the first eleven years of my life, home was a small farm in England, where we kept pigs and chickens, goats and geese. There have always been dogs and cats, and in Ireland in the 1970s, we had guinea pigs and donkeys as well. But my adult life has […]

Bonaparte movie fails to capture the true Napoleon

Kieran Doyle February, 2024

The opening line in Charles Dickens’ much-loved novel, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ is the often quoted one – ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’. Has it ever been any other way? The narrative of the book spanned the run-up to the French Revolution, […]

The prominent role of cats in folklore: Part 2

Eugene Daly February, 2024

Following on from last month, Eugene Daly continues sharing some of the legends and sayings around cats in Ireland and other countries. There are many legends of cats in other countries. In Brittany a silver or ‘money’ cat (chat d’argent) could serve nine masters and make them all rich. In […]

Columnists

The secret to broccoli’s superfood status

Hannah Dare January, 2024

Happy New Year! I hope you had a peaceful and relaxing Christmas Break, and are feeling great about 2024. This month I decided to focus on a fascinating compound called sulforaphane – a big name with big health benefits! In fact, it is one of the most potent food-derived anti-carcinogens […]

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