John Coughlan reviews ‘The Greatest Show on Earth: The Inside Story of the Legendary 1970 World Cup’ by Andrew Downie.

The cover of ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ by Andrew Downie shows Pelé with a raised fist, held in the arms of his teammate Jairzinho. It is one of the most iconic images in football, taken after Pelé scored the first of Brazil’s four goals against Italy in the final of the 1970 World Cup. 

That World Cup, hosted by Mexico, was the first to be televised in colour. It was also the first to feature red and yellow cards and to permit up to two substitutions which previously were only permitted in the case of injury. 

The Brazil team that won the final used none, with the same eleven players starting and finishing the 90 minutes.  

The 1970s with Pelé, Cruyff, and Beckenbauer, to name a few of the luminaries of the time, may well have been the heyday of football. I was not around for that World Cup in 1970 (I was born in the 80s), but it seems that for many who were, that competition was the very apogee of the sport. 

Andrew Downie is one such person. 

His book is an unusual one in many ways. It describes every single game in the 1970 World Cup. It was a tournament of memorable matches and moments, but some games – take for example the nil all between hosts Mexico and the USSR in the first game of the tournament – don’t necessarily warrant much description at all. 

The author adds descriptions here and there, helping the reader understand the context of each game. But for the most part, the action is described by the participants – players, coaches, hangers on. The accounts can’t have been given directly to the author, rather it seems he extracted them from other accounts – books, magazines, or whatever. 

The book is a real challenge to something I have come to realise when reading books about football – the football itself is rarely the most interesting part. But this book is all about the football, with little of the off-field colour that usually brings football books to life. 

But it does make for interesting reading, especially when the accounts of players from opposing teams contrast and contradict each other. In Brazil’s intense and dirty encounter with Uruguay in the semi-final, Pelé not only got away with an elbow on Uruguayan defender Dagoberto Fontes, he got a freekick himself for doing it. 

Downie quotes Fontes as saying Pelé caught him in the eye with a deliberate and very violent act. For his part, Pelé says he did it in self-defence, a kind of Minority Report situation, anticipating that he was about to be fouled, he lashed out, landing an elbow on Fontes for intending to foul The King. It seems the ref agreed with Pelé.

If you were to read this book in isolation, it might be a little on the dry side, but with Youtube allowing you to watch the matches being described by the participants, their accounts really do come alive. 

The television producers behind the broadcast of that World Cup seemed to have been so excited by the arrival of colour that they made the surprising choice of really – and I mean really – enhancing the colour. This is not the colour of the ordinary world, there is some pre-Instagram filter that really makes it pop. 

Brazil look beautiful in their luminous canary yellow. The pitches are greener than any grass I have ever walked on. Even England look swish in their all-white kit, a la Real Madrid. 

I found this book interesting because it gave me the opportunity to look at matches and moves, I wouldn’t have otherwise. I had seen Carlos Alberto’s goal in the final many times, but I hadn’t seen Tostao’s assist for Clodoaldo goal in the semis. It’s magic. I had seen Gordon Banks famous save from Pelé, but I hadn’t seen Felix, the Brazilian keeper, pull off an almost equally impressive save from a Franny Lee header in the same game. 

If you are interested in a deep dive into the most lauded of all the World Cups, the book is worthwhile, just make sure you have your phone to hand so you can watch the action in all its technicolour glory. 

John Coughlan co-hosts the Dynamo Football Bookclub, available wherever you get your pods.

Herbal Healing by Rosari Kingston

April is the month we become very busy in the garden and notice gaps in borders and beds that need to be filled in. ‘Leonurus cardiaca’, or motherwort, is one plant that will return year after year and is usually available at markets or garden centres. It belongs to the mint family, and it has square stems, pinkish flowers, and deeply cut leaves.

Motherwort is an old European medicinal herb that, not only deserves a place in the garden, but is also useful in the home pharmacy. The Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products of the European Medicine Agency approved its use in 2010 for the relief of symptoms of nervous tension and “symptoms of nervous cardiac complaints such as palpitations, after serious conditions have been excluded by a medical doctor”.

Norway disagreed with the latter point, so we must wait to see if the EMA will consider their dissent in this year’s review of Leonurus.

Many women find this herb helpful during menopause because it has traditionally been used to ease tension and heart palpitations.

It was used throughout Europe to treat menstrual and menopausal symptoms, such as anxiety, irritability, and cramps, as well as anxious palpitations, moderate cardiac problems, and “weakness of the heart”. By the 17th century, English herbalists were referring to it as a herb that “comforts the heart” and relieves childbirth pangs. 

Nicholas Culpeper wrote in 1652’s ‘Complete Herbal’ that motherwort is the best way to treat “melancholy vapours” that affect the heart, make people happy, and make the spirit stronger. He says, “There is no better herb to drive melancholy vapours from the heart, to strengthen it, and make a merry, cheerful, blithe soul.” He calls it “Mother’s Herb” because it “makes women joyful mothers of children and settles their wombs as they should be”. 

He suggests using it to ease painful periods, and he sees it as a herb that warms and dries.

Culpeper suggests using it as a syrup or preserve, which makes it a staple in the store cupboard.

Its reputation has a significant “mother” component. According to monastic and cottage herbalists, it helps with postpartum recuperation, painful or short periods, and the anxious nerves of overworked mothers. It was considered a guardian against “heartache”, both physical and emotional.

Using motherwort at home

A simple home tea can be made by infusing about 1-2 teaspoons of the dried aerial parts in a cup of boiling water for 10-15 minutes, taken up to three times a day for short periods such as a few days around a stressful event:

Some people feel like their heart is “thumping” or have palpitations when they are stressed, but only after a heart problem has been ruled out.

Tension during or before your period that is accompanied by worry, restlessness, and a tight feeling in your chest. 

General “frazzled” feelings, especially when worry is felt in the chest instead of as thoughts that are going fast.

European guidance usually limits self‑care use to a few weeks before taking a break. The taste is distinctly bitter and slightly aromatic, so many people combine it with gentler herbs such as lemon balm or lime blossom to make it more palatable.

As Leonurus is quite bitter, I think Culpeper’s syrup suggestion is excellent.  It is easy to make a simple herbal syrup for any herb, including Leonurus, as follows:

To create a herb syrup, combine equal parts of sugar and water (e.g., 1 cup each) in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and stir until dissolved. Add one to two cups of fresh herbs, simmer for two to five minutes, then let it steep for 30–60 minutes before straining, cooling, and refrigerating for up to four weeks

You can also make a herbal syrup by making a strong decoction (boiled infusion) and sweetening it with honey. 

Ingredients: 30 grams dried (or 60 grams fresh) motherwort aerial parts, 450 ml water, 225 ml honey.

Decoct: Combine the herb and water in a non-reactive pot. Bring to a simmer over low heat.

Reduce: Cover partially and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half (down to roughly 1 cup).

Strain out the herbs through a fine mesh strainer and discard the plant matter.

Sweeten: While the liquid is still warm (but not over 110°F to protect the honey), stir in the honey until fully dissolved.

Bottle & Store: Let it cool, bottle in a clean container, and store in the refrigerator.

Shelf Life: Four to six weeks, or up to six months if one part brandy is added as a preservative.

Dosage: 1 tablespoon added to water or sparkling water once or twice daily. 

Some caution is needed when taking motherwort.

According to new research, motherwort is mostly safe when used in small amounts for short periods of time. However, there are some important things to keep in mind as to possible side effects if used for too long or at high doses.

It could cause digestive problems, like loose stools or slight stomach pain, especially when the dose is higher.

If you are sensitive or use it too much, it can make you dizzy or cause your blood pressure to drop. 

Skin sensitivity or dermatitis has been linked, but very rarely, to touching the plant or high intake of it as medicine.

Motherwort should be avoided or taken only as directed in the following instances:

Pregnancy: it may stimulate the uterus and is considered unsafe in pregnancy.

Breastfeeding: there is not enough safety data, so it may be unwise to take it.

You already know you have low blood pressure, a slow heart rate, or heart disease that you are being treated for.

Use  of blood thinners or anticoagulants (like warfarin) because they may make you more likely to bleed.

Use of sedatives, including benzodiazepines, as motherwort can theoretically add to their effect.

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 you’ve made your butter, you’ll have leftover buttermilk just waiting to go into a loaf of beautiful brown bread. These two recipes are made for each other, and together they make one of the most satisfying things you can eat: warm, fresh bread spread with butter you made yourself.

The Kids’ Food Revolution is a West Cork initiative working with schools to run cooking and gardening workshops. The children in Barryroe N.S. and the Gaelscoil Clonakilty had great fun recently, making their own butter, using paddles which were on loan from the butter museum!

Recipe 1:
Make Your Own Butter

Ingredients

• Heavy cream (double cream works best)

Method: Fill a clean jam jar one-third full with cream. Seal the lid tightly.

Take turns shaking the jar. First the cream will turn to whipped cream. Keep going!

Eventually a yellow lump (butter) will separate from the liquid (buttermilk).

Pour off the buttermilk and save it. You’ll need it for the brown bread.

Note: The buttermilk needs to sit for at least three days before it sours and you can use it.

Remove the butter from the jar and place it in a bowl of cold water.

Knead gently to remove as much of the buttermilk as possible. This helps the butter keep fresh for longer.

Add salt for flavour, and to help preserve your butter.

Roll into balls or shape into a rectangle and wrap in parchment paper.

Recipe 2:
Easy Peasy Brown Bread

Ingredients

• 225g / 8oz brown flour

• 225g / 8oz white flour

• 1 level tsp bread soda

• 1 level tsp salt

• 1 egg

• Buttermilk, to bring the wet mix to 500ml / <1 pint

• Seeds

• Oil, for the tin

Method: Preheat the oven to 230°C / 210°C fan. Oil a loaf tin.

Place the brown flour in a bowl. Sieve in the white flour, bread soda and salt. Stir well.

Crack the egg into a jug and whisk with a fork. Pour in enough buttermilk to bring the total to just under 1 pint / 500ml.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined. Be sure not to overwork it.

Pour into the prepared tin and scatter seeds on top.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce to 200°C for a further 45 minutes.

Remove from the tin and return to the oven for a final 5 minutes.

Place on a wire rack and leave to cool fully before cutting.

Enjoy!

Did you know?

Brown bread has been a staple in Irish homes for generations.

At peak of milling, there were 7000 flour mills in operation across Ireland – and they were all water-powered.

There is only one industrial flour mill left in Ireland, in Portarlington. It’s run by Odlums.

Eating brown bread is so good for you, because brown flour is a slow release carbohydrate, which makes your energy last much longer. 

Brown bread uses bread soda / bicarbonate of soda, which reacts with the acidity in the buttermilk. All it needs then is heat to make it rise, resulting in a delicious loaf. 

You can add all sorts of things to your brown bread, such as seeds or dried fruit. Seeds add crunch, healthy fats and extra goodness. Dried fruit like raisins, dates or apricots are packed with iron, fibre and natural energy. Best of all, your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible while the bread bakes in the oven.

Here is something you might not know: At its peak in the 19th century, Cork was the largest exporter of butter in the world, bigger than any city in Europe or America. At the height of butter production in Ireland, 30 million pounds of butter were exported from Cork every year, travelling by ship to the West Indies, America, Brazil and Australia. In 1835 alone, one third of all butter exported from Ireland left through the Port of Cork. The Cork Butter Exchange, established in 1769, became the place where the global price for butter was set, a bit like a stock exchange. You can discover the whole story at the Cork Butter Museum – well worth a visit! www.thebuttermuseum.com

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 mine copper, today a government licence issued by The Geoscience Regulation Office (GSRO) is needed to even prospect for minerals. At the end of 2025, a total of 18 Prospecting Licences (PLs) were issued in West Cork – to ‘Aurum Discovery Ltd’. These licenses each relate to a portion of land outlined and mapped in the GSRO document. While copper is one of the most useful metals in the push for clean energy, mining it can cause tremendous destruction of the environment, therefore Innovative solutions are needed and are being developed writes Fiona Hayes.

Copper increased in industrial importance in the 19th century with the invention of the electric battery in 1800 and electromagnets two-and-a-half decades later. Commercial telegraph introduced in 1837 further increased reliance on copper as a conductor and traditional telephone landlines continue to be made of copper wires today. Indeed, a single iPhone contains around 6gms of copper.

In West Cork, copper mining started in Allihies in 1813, Ballycumisk and Horse Island in 1814, then opened in Balllydehob, Cappagh, Gortavallig, Kilrohane, Bantry, Scart, Derryinagh, Dereenlomane, Mount Gabriel, Dunbeacon, Gortycloona and Skeagh. 

With ‘Aurum Discovery Ltd’  was granted a licence in 2025 to prospect in West Cork, it’s important to note that this doesn’t imply a licence to mine for minerals. Such a licence would require a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to support applications to the Local Authority for Planning Permission and to the Environmental Protection Agency for an Integrated Pollution Control or Industrial Emissions Licence. A period of time would then be allowed for statutory consultation with a wide range of Government bodies and public scrutiny of the EIS along with public comment.

There have been prospecting licences continuously covering these geographical areas for at least the past decade. Prior to Aurum being granted licence on these particular land blocks, they were held by ‘Adventous Exploration Limited’ (AEL), who engaged Aurum to manage exploration projects and provide technical expertise. In fact (AEL) held 100 per cent of the 114,000 hectares West Cork licence block. 

AEL have a Joint Venture Agreement with the Canadian-based mining company ‘First Quantum Minerals’ and have identified areas for secondary follow up prior to potential drill testing of targets and exploration of base metals. First Quantum Minerals specialise in copper mining. 

The areas of West Cork being considered occur along up-plunge folds of land between the Sheep’s Head and Glandore. The initial investigations have identified sediment-hosted copper and silver (Cu-Ag) deposits comparable to several other world-class sites. To determine whether these sites would yield a profitable level of mineral extraction, it is likely that further work, including some drilling, will need to be done. This will require landowner permission and Environmental Screening Assessment. 

The GSRO considered 48 submissions opposing the grant of these licences, however practically all the submissions focused on mining rather than prospecting; thus were discounted as reasons for withholding the licences. 

Mining, rather than prospecting however, requires three separate consents obtained from three different agencies: Planning permission from the relevant Local Authority; An Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) or an Industrial Emissions (IE) Licence from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These licences contain strict conditions on how a mine must operate to protect the environment from pollution; A mining lease or licence issued by the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment .

If a mining licence were to be considered, a public consultation period would be published in a local newspaper and at experience.arcgis.com.

All of this however, raises serious questions for people interested in environmental protection and climate change. 

The prospecting company is interested in copper because it is one of the most useful metals in the push for clean energy. Renewable energy systems use four to six times the amount of copper as do fossil fuel or nuclear plants. A photovoltaic solar power plant contains approximately 5.5 tons of copper per megawatt of power generation. A single 660-kW turbine is estimated to contain some 800 pounds (350 kg) of copper. Industry is predicting a 70 per cent increase in copper mining to meet the 2050 climate decarbonisation goals.

Mining copper however can pollute the atmosphere with dust and contaminate the water table with chemicals used to extract the mineral. Some modern mines fear having to pump contaminated wastewater around the mine forever to prevent it entering the water table.

Innovative solutions are needed. As materials scientist Prof Mary Ryan of Imperial University, London said, “The world needs to electrify its energy systems, and success will absolutely depend on copper. The metal is going to be the biggest bottleneck in this process.”

Prof Mary Ryan heads up the Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials opened in 2024 and based at Imperial College London, in partnership with several international university groups. 

The centre’s first project is looking for responsible ways to source copper. Of course, ensuring improved recycling of copper from batteries, cables and so on will be important, but the centre is looking at questions such as, can the mineral be extracted without disturbing the rocks at all? For example, could viruses and bacteria be used to harvest copper?

The team have also been searching for underground sites where copper-rich brines, created by volcanic systems are still in liquid form. The volcanic systems could provide geothermal energy to pump the brine to the surface via boreholes. Sites in New Zealand and Japan have been identified as possibilities for this technology.

Franklin Keck and Ion Ioannou co-founded the company RemePhy Technologies, a spinout from Imperial University PhD research. RemePhy are pioneering the use of GM technology to develop plant-bacterial systems that have an enhanced ability to extract metal from the soil. They state, “We’re building plant–microbe systems that clean contaminated soil and recover critical metals as the plants grow. Thereby reducing disruption, versus dig-and-dump approaches; and unlocking stranded brownfield and mining-legacy sites.”

The Irish Government, in response to the latest energy crisis precipitated by war between USA/Israel and Iran, has stated it will pursue energy sovereignty focusing more on renewables. This will require copper.

Possibly, technical solutions such as the ones RemePhy are developing, hold the key to finding the quantities of copper we need for this transition. Perhaps new prospecting licences will not lead to new mines but, by using innovative technologies, will nevertheless enable our 80 per cent renewable electricity target by 2030. Let’s hope so.

Farming in West Cork by Cadhla Ó Conchobhair

I’m writing this in the final throes of March heading into April and down to the last five cows left to calve: The cows are out day and night. With no vet calls all season, the relief of not having to clean cow cubicles morning and evening was a pure joy. 

Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived: I had a cow that was behaving unusually while trying to calve and, after putting on my midwife gloves to investigate dilation, I soon realised a professional was needed. To cut a long story short, the cow ended up having three vets (not at the same time) and I had to make the gut-wrenching decision to have her put to sleep due to complications. The circle of life can be heartbreaking. When the vet went out to their van to get the medicine, I knelt down beside my lovely cow in the same shed where I welcomed her to life seven years earlier – now to say goodbye – and gave her a last rub behind the ears. I’m still not the better for it but, after having experienced giving birth myself, I am only too well aware of how things don’t always go to plan, despite everyone’s best efforts.

Nobody can truly prepare you for the kind of emotional decisions that have to be made in farming. They are incredibly difficult. However, being part of a farming community – one that understands the reality of losing an animal and the weight of that loss – offers a level of emotional support that often goes unrecognised and deserves far more credit.

Our farming neighbour called in the next morning to drop back a piece of borrowed farm equipment and ended up hearing my sorrowful tale. We probably stayed talking for the best part of an hour about how scenarios like this is one of the hardest parts of farming. Even though I’m sure he had plenty of work waiting for him on his own farm, he instinctively knew that giving me his time that morning would help. I think that no matter what walk of life you come from, we all need a community that understands what we need – and is there for us when we need it.

This brings me to the success of farm discussion groups. While they were originally intended as peer-to-peer learning networks for sharing technical knowledge, for many they have also become an important source of social support and a way to reduce isolation.

While the majority of farmers are male, thanks to mechanisation and technology, one doesn’t have to be built like an ironman to farm today and all systems of farming are seeing more women taking part.

When it comes to farm succession, the main consideration is now which offspring – male or female –has the strongest interest in farming, rather than their gender. Not so long ago, it was typically the eldest son who was expected to take over the farm and carry the family into the next generation, sometimes whether he wanted to or not. In the past, preserving the family name was a top priority. Now, with many farms restructuring as companies and adopting business-style names with ‘Ltd’, the focus seems to have shifted – placing more importance on the farm’s viability than on maintaining the family name as a requirement.

I chatted with Mona Concannon, the Chairperson of the Women in Agriculture Stakeholder Group (WASG), about a recent event held by the group at Bandon Mart. WASG are not a pink balloon and photo opportunity type of group. They have had their sleeves rolled up since 2021 representing the voice of female farmers at policy level and holding the state to task on farming issues like pensions, TAMs grants, education access and the lack of state recognition for work done by the thousands of ‘invisible’ women who work full- or part-time on the family farm. 

Last year WASG and DAFM co-funded three regional National Dialogues Events for women in agriculture to give these women young and old an opportunity to voice their challenges and their successes in the Agri-sector.

One of the recurring themes at these events was that attending marts can be daunting. Many women said they felt out of place or lacked confidence in their buying and selling skills in that environment. The group decided to do a pilot run of a mart event that would be practical, educational and confidence building.

Bandon Mart manager, Sean Dennehy, was approached to see If he would host the trial event for WASG; and Teagasc West Cork, which runs a female discussion group, were asked to partake. Invitations were also extended to Bandon Secondary School students studying Ag Science in order to collect feedback on the experience before similar mart events are rolled out throughout the country in 2026. 

That Monday, mart day in Bandon caught the usual clientele by surprise with women landing in from all angles. Mart manager Sean welcomed the ladies, giving a brief history of the mart and the services provided and ICBF’s Christopher Daly and Aoife Downes gave an excellent presentation on understanding CBV’s, DBI, and utilising the ICBF web-portal, as well as talking about apps for checking stock and assessing traits.

Seán then brought the ladies on a tour of the mart. He explained the mart process, starting with calf intake and finishing up at the sales ring, where the last few sales of the day were being completed. Sean explained the buying and sell procedure and how to use the Mart-Eye app and the ladies got an opportunity to test their bidding skills with a mock-up sale ringside on a Lot of four Angus calves. Some ladies used the app to bid while others raised their hands. The lively bidding created much banter with the auctioneer and a lot of laughs from the crowd. With the fall of the hammer, a student from Bandon’s Coláiste na Toirbhirte came out as the highest bidder. There was plenty of opportunity throughout the event for Q&A and WASG was delighted with the feedback received. 

Attendee Jean O’Suillivan (a full-time farmer in partnership with her parents) and Chairperson of the Teagasc Ladies Discussion Group, said the informative and confidence-building event was enjoyed by the group. She highlighted the lack of exposure to marts from an early age, which has an impact on confidence levels, and she gave credit to parents who bring their children, particularly daughters, to the mart.

The event was a resounding success and WASG received great feedback from all involved. As a result the group is now in the process of rolling out these events all over the country this year, which also happens to coincide with the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer.

It is wonderful to see groups of farmers, be it males, females or mixed groups, coming together, combining the educational and social aspects of farming. 

I hope this month’s farming article highlights the importance of finding a network that offers ongoing learning opportunities – connecting you with farm friends who support your journey. Whether you’re facing challenges and hardships or celebrating the good times, having that support makes all the difference.

Email me at Cadhla.wcp@gmail.com if there are any farming events happening in your area so I can share them here. 

An archaeological survey at Cape Evans, Antartica, has uncovered a ski pole belonging to explorer and Courtmacsherry native Patrick Keohane. As reported in The Explorer Newsletter, the remarkable discovery was made by archaeologist Emma St Pierre. The ski pole has Keohane’s hand-carved initials on them.

Born at Barry’s Point just south of the village of Courtmacsherry, Patrick Keohane was a Petty Officer on Scott’s Antarctic ‘Terra Nova’ expedition between 1910 and 1913.

St Pierre told The Explorer that “Finding this ski pole was the highlight of my season on the ice. It is rare to uncover an item that can be directly linked to an individual, so this felt incredibly special. To find it amongst all the bamboo scattered around the site was a real moment. Thinking that this pole may have been used during Scott’s journey to the Pole is both exciting and deeply meaningful.”

Keohane was one of 15 men chosen to set out with Scott from their Cape Evans base on the 900-mile journey to the South Pole.

Keohane initially assisted with the ponies before moving into the man hauling sled teams once the ponies had been put down. Although disappointed to be turned back 350 miles short of the Pole, this decision ultimately saved his life, as the small polar party that continued sadly never returned. Keohane later joined the search party that found the bodies of Scott, Dr Edward Wilson and Lieutenant Henry Bowers in their tent.

Keohane’s ski pole has been stabilised for interim storage and will be scheduled for conservation work in the upcoming season.

A statue of Keohane erected between Broad and Blind Strand in Courtmacsherry, shows him looking across the water at the place of his birth.

The season that all gardeners long for is upon us. Recent weather has been challenging to say the least, but just like the longed for Spring, hope of brighter days, fresh growth and new beginnings are in the air writes Mattie Keane of Future Forests.

There is nothing quite like Spring bulbs bursting into flower to announce that Spring has finally arrived. While many bulbs are planted in autumn, some can also be planted while actively growing in the Spring or ‘in the green’ as it is called in the trade. Some of my absolute Spring favourites like bluebells, snowdrops, winter aconites and even wild garlic (allium ursinum) tend to establish really well when planted this way. Spring is the time to visit your local woodlands in the hope to come across carpets of these native wildflowers in full bloom – a sight so breathtaking it can stop you in your tracks. That magical woodland effect can be recreated at home by planting swaths of these bulbs underneath deciduous trees or in lightly shaded areas where they will naturalise freely over time.

Japanese flowering cherries are rightly highly-regarded for their showy displays, but there is another group of flowering cherries that are a little bit less known, but should not be overlooked. Just like our native blackthorn – another prunus – (Prunus cerasifera) flowers before the leaf emerges in Spring and its branches are smothered in single white flowers. This common species is called Cherry plum and goes on to produce quite large red or yellow fruits in the Autumn, these can be eaten fresh, but are usually cooked or used in preserves and it is often included in our permaculture hedging mixes. One of its best-known cultivars, Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’ produces masses of striking pink flowers in early spring, followed by attractive dark foliage. 

Forsythia is a firm Spring favourite, it is such an easy shrub to grow and many people will recognise its pretty, bright, golden yellow flowers, that for me are a definite reminder that Spring is well and truly here. This versatile shrub responds well to trimming and can even be used as a flowering hedge. It does flower on old wood, so best to prune it immediately after flowering to ensure plenty of blooms for next year. Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spectabilis’ is the most well known form, but other varieties like ‘Weekend’ with its large, abundant flowers and ‘Manchuria’, a compact and early flowering variety, offer something a little bit different.

Another yellow flowering shrub that I admire is Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Grandiflora’. Its branches are famously pliable and it is used to make high quality paper in Japan hence its common name, ‘The Paper Bush’. This unusual shrub can start to flower in late Winter, but more often in Spring. On bare stems, it produces large, yellow, fragrant flowers. It is hardy to around minus-five degrees Celsius, so benefits from a sheltered position, ideally near a wall and somewhere you’ll pass regularly to enjoy its delicious scent. It also grows beautifully in a container. I have seen several mature specimens thriving here in West Cork, with thoughtful placement, it can be a true garden treasure.

Spring flowers will bring beauty to your garden, but having early flowering plants is also a massive benefit to pollinators, do keep in mind that single rather than double flowers are generally much easier for pollinators to access. Another Spring favourite of mine that adds a completely different feature to the garden is catkins, Hazel is really striking at this time of the year, as is alder, and willow is a particularly vital early food source for pollinators and so lovely when covered in its showy catkins. 

The bare-root season is drawing to a close at the end of March. If you’ve been considering planting an orchard, creating a native hedgerow, or getting a few trees into the ground, there is still time but you need to do it soon.

We are very well stocked at Future Forests, with new exciting deliveries landing in every week. If it’s a bit cold outside, you can always warm yourself with a light bite or a hot drink from the Coffee Bee, which is open Thursday to Sunday, year round. We look forward to seeing you.

After 12 years building a business supporting multinational, government, public, and private organisations to communicate and engage their stakeholders effectively – and over 30 years designing learning processes – I have now chosen to focus my energy locally with businesses in West Cork. I often find myself pulling out a blank page and drawing a simple diagram, as when my clients see their thinking process, penny-dropping moments come with ease. This is where the idea for a series of business articles came from. Over six issues, starting in March to coincide with Enterprise Week, I will introduce one visual model every month, sharing real-life examples, and offering practical questions that can be applied immediately. I encourage you to tear out the page or take a photo and return to it when needed.

The Hedgehog Concept – updated: Many local business owners have shared how they feel swamped by competing businesses and family needs. With rapid external influences such as AI, technological advancements, global instability, and communication overload, staying clear and focused is a daily challenge.

The Hedgehog Concept is Jim Collins’s model from his 2001 book ‘From Good to Great’. The hedgehog refers to the Ancient Greek poet Archilochus, who wrote “a fox knows many things, but a hedgehog knows one big thing”. Collins advises that businesses that want to survive must move away from being conspiring foxes who pursue many directions to be a razor-sharp hedgehog, finding their market niche, bringing together passion, skills, and economic power. 

However, the world of business has changed significantly in the past 25 years; in today’s reality, many businesses must juggle a few ventures to survive. The model is still beneficial if we hold complexity and focus as the yin and yang of business and life. It can help us find a dynamic focus, a compass that brings clarity and helps us make strategic decisions.

 The model is a Venn diagram with three circles: 1) Passion; 2) What we’re good at; and 3) What generates money. The overlapping centre – the hedgehog, represents our life and business compass.

The following are two examples that illustrate how this model can be used:

Example 1 – applying the model with your team: A few years ago, at our annual ‘Rethink Think Visual’ offsite, we drew the three circles on a large whiteboard. First, focusing on Passion and Good At, we pulled out clients testimonials, shared stories, and mapped our individual and collective perspectives. Second, we added the Money generated from each client to the diagram. 

The clients’ names spread over the diagram. The process revealed the clients who sat in the centre – clients that were aligned to our values, who paid well for work we loved and were excellent at. Those clients became our compass.

The clarity didn’t lead to dramatic change overnight. It showed up in small decisions: which projects we declined, how we rewrote our website messaging, and where we focused our energy. Over time, those small shifts strengthened both our confidence and our income.

Example 2: Making your personal story make sense: I’ve recently used this model with a client who, like many creative entrepreneurs, found herself juggling not one but four ventures. Instead of asking what to drop, we used the model to reframe her story, asking similar questions adjusted to an early business stage.

Passion: What are you truly passionate about? What can’t and won’t you stop doing?

Good at: Where have mentors, friends, or clients named your brilliance? What feels effortless to you but difficult to others?

Money: Which work generates money? Which doesn’t? Which clients value and respect your work? Which part of your work has higher potential to make money?

The outcome wasn’t a drastic cut. It was a clear sentence – a way of describing her core direction. It helped her shift her story from a woman standing at foggy crossroads into a heroine carrying her many gifts in her rucksack, her north star guiding her forward.

Adding a fourth circle

Inspired by the Japanese concept of Ikigai, you can choose to expand the reflection and include a fourth circle: 4) What the world needs.

This fourth circle allows us to connect to the bigger picture, asking questions like: What change do you care about? What values guide your work? What do you believe is needed right now?

Applying the Hedgehog Concept to your business

Scan the QR code to download a printable version or draw three (or four as shown) overlapping circles on a sheet of paper. Use the questions above. Write freely. Add client names, offers, and projects. Notice patterns and tensions. 

Use this model to navigate your life and business toward the centre of the circles, but remember the goal is not about getting there. It’s a dynamic map. Passion shifts. Markets change. Life evolves. The model is not a destination; it’s a compass. Reaching the centre can take years. 

If you feel overwhelmed, unsure where to focus, or unclear about how to communicate what you really offer, this exercise can help you reconnect to your core.

Do you have a business challenge that you wish had a simple visual diagram you could apply? Have a comment, question, or thought? I’d be happy to hear from you.

Naomi Fein is based in Clonakilty and works one-to-one with business owners, as well as hosting ‘Her Circle’ coaching groups for women in business across West Cork.
naomi@thinkvisual.ie.

This month Branch Chair Jez Simms looks forward to the arrival of birds here after their long journeys from west and southern Africa.

We are fast approaching the time of year when our bird population is enhanced by the arrival of our spring migrants winging their way from Africa, whilst at the same time our myriad of winter visitors, ducks, geese, swans, waders, thrushes, and divers are all beginning to head north back to the Arctic, Scandinavia, Greenland, Iceland, and Canada.

Why do birds migrate? The main reason is to maximise survival and reproductive success by moving between seasonal habitats, allowing them to access abundant food and better nesting sites. The mechanisms that trigger migration vary and are not completely understood: changes in day length, lower temperatures, changes in food abundance and genetic makeup are all factors. For many years people who keep cage birds have noticed that migratory species go through a period of restlessness each spring and autumn, repeatedly fluttering towards one side of their cage.

Migrating birds can cover thousands of miles in their annual travels, often travelling the same course year after year. First year birds, i.e. newly fledged, often make their first migration on their own; somehow they find their way to their winter home and return the following spring to where they were born. The secrets of their amazing navigational skills aren’t fully understood, partly because birds combine several different types of senses when they navigate; compass information from the sun and stars and by sensing the earth’s magnetic field, they also get information from the position of the setting sun and from landmarks seen during the day, but the bottom line is that we don’t know all the secrets and birds continue to amaze us.

A couple of recent discoveries were learned from the new technology of satellite trackers. One was placed on a Eurasian Cuckoo in Kenya; it was expected to be tracked back to Eastern Europe but it dumbfounded the scientists by flying to China. Another recent discovery was from a Red-Necked Phalarope, which was tagged in Scotland, but instead of heading down to the Arabian Ocean as expected, it took off for 10,000 kilometres to the Pacific Ocean so, as you can see, we still have a lot to learn.

Our spring migrants will soon arrive from West and Southern Africa: The best known are our Barn Swallows and Cuckoos, but the first to arrive are usually our Sand Martins, Northern Wheatears, and Sandwich Terns. Here’s hoping we get a spring like last year when the weather conditions combined to bring record numbers of Hoopoes and other rarities, such as the Purple Heron. When the right conditions coincide, which is sadly not that often, we can get what is known as a ‘fall’ of migrants, as the birds literally appear to tumble from the skies, which is every birder’s dream.

To get a wonderful insight into bird migration, I recommend reading ‘Adventure Lit their Star’ by Kenneth Allsop. Here is the first paragraph:

‘On a late night in April in the year 1944 the north-bound migration streams, which had been slowed by a three-day storm off Eastern Spain, swelled to a concentrated intensity. During the temporary check the flow of birds toward Europe coagulated and became an armada and for all the hours of the night there was a rush of wings and a clamour of voices in the great vault above the layer of alto-stratus cloud ten thousand feet over the English Channel. Through the thin light of the moon’s first quarter the birds moved in a fluctuating river which converged upon a knob of the chalk jutting out from the English coast like the toecap of a heavy boot.’

They are on their way folks!

BirdWatch Ireland West Cork Branch News

Our next events are:

Sunday, March 22, 2026. Timoleague and Courtmacsherry Estuaries. Join us on the lookout for the waders, herons, divers, and ravens that call the estuaries home.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026. Annual General Meeting followed by a fascinating talk by John Horton (bird warden on Cape Clear Island), entitled: ‘Establishing South Africa’s First Bird Observatory’. Our AGM is a great chance to meet the team and get involved in the Branch.

Visit our website www.birdwatchirelandwestcork.ie for more information about these events. To receive news and reminders about our events join our mailing list by sending an email to mailinglist@birdwatchirelandwestcork.ie.

Facebook @BirdWatchIrelandWestCork

Instagram @ birdwatch_ireland_west_cork

I recently attended an event at MTU Cork Campus on a shared vision for agriculture and food. The workshop, called ’Strengthening Rural Life: from Farm to Community’, was centred around the role of rural communities at the heart of Ireland’s agricultural future. It brought together policy makers, community leaders, farmers, educators and innovators to explore how agriculture can remain a powerhouse of economic vitality and its role in the long-term resilience of rural areas.

Following a welcoming address by MTU’s Prof Maggie Cusack, the opening address with a European perspective was given by MEP Billy Kelleher and later the attendees were addressed by Minister Jerry Buttimer TD. 

There were three lively panel sessions, which discussed the ‘Impact of the Common Agricultural Policy post-2027’, ‘Balancing Specialisation and Diversification’ and lastly the ‘Future of Farming’.  

The panel sessions saw West Cork represented by Enda Buckley from Carbery Group and two farmer representatives, John O’Brien (Barryroe) and Vanessa Kiely O’Connor (Innishannon), all bringing their individual perspectives and agri-industry experience into the discussions. 

During the panel discussions, a point raised about Irish society caught my attention. Why do Irish consumers have an expectation that nutritious Irish food should be cheap to purchase and why are mainstream media outlets so obsessed with the cost of bread, milk and butter, to the point of insinuating that families will starve if the price of those staples goes up. Has society prioritised their income on having the latest iPhone, Sky, Netflix and a long list of subscriptions ahead of their food spend?

For days after the event this has been on my mind: Why does society think food should be cheap? Does the Irish public even know the costs associated with producing food and do they understand the work it entails to get their food to the table?

I remember laughing at a story I heard years ago about a group of school children in America who were asked where chocolate milk comes from: A child responded with “brown cows”. Has Irish society now reached this level of disconnect with food, agriculture and its farming community?

A few years ago, if you were asked to visualise a farmer, what was the first image that came to mind? Probably some stereotypical image of an older man with a peak-cap and wax jacket! We can definitely say that this image is not as popular today and has been replaced by sponsored beanie hats, sleeveless jackets and work pants with handy pockets. Thankfully the latest farmer style can be seen on both men and women farmers today so one would be inclined to believe that everyone is aware that times have changed and so have farmers and farming.

The question today is: What is society’s perception of a farmer and farming? We must remember that some people only see a farmer when RTE broadcasts snippets from ploughing championships or reports on farmers’ protests on the news. It wasn’t so long ago that many city residents had relatives or coworkers connected to family farms, people who could share firsthand knowledge about food production and life on the farm. Today, that connection seems to be gradually fading, and the gap continues to widen.

Unfortunately, we see a large disconnect with the farming community in society in general. The daily mainstream media outlets rarely have agri-rural life news unless it’s a story of some quirky person who has downed tools from their trendy office job in Dublin and has suddenly realised that they can grow a vegetable or rear an animal and sell their produce to a customer…who knew that could be done!?

I’m proud to say that our West Cork People paper has always had local farming stories and events dispersed alongside all other community news. This has not been the case with the daily national papers; in some cases the farming news has been in the form of a token farming supplement one day a week with the target audience being the farming community and agri-businesses who advertise goods and services. 

Agriculture now appears to be siloed by politicians and society and the question we should ask ourselves is not how we got to this juncture but how we, as a farming community, communicate how valuable we are to Irish society. 

It’s difficult, but farm families must look past the criticism from so-called academic experts who claim to know how farming should be done despite having no firsthand experience working on a farm.

The real change makers are the people who make their livelihoods on the land and who, for generations, have displayed resilience and a constant ability to adapt to whatever climate and environmental changes they face. One would be led to believe that farmers are incapable of changing work practices even though history will tell you that this is far from the truth. Geographical location, utilising our local resources and route to market for viability has shaped the decisions on the type of farming that farm families have engaged in through the generations. 

Yes, previous government policies steered farmers toward increasing production in certain sectors, which has resulted in the decline of others. The government must now take responsibility for addressing both the environmental and economic costs created by those policies.

Ireland should be proud that it has an indigenous industry that has consistently been exporting more than 90 per cent of dairy and beef annually. Bord Bia reports that in 2025, €19 billion was the value of Ireland’s agri-food exports. Reporting that meat and livestock brought in over €5 billion, dairy €7.3b, seafood €635m, horticulture and cereals €330m, prepared consumer foods €3.4b and drinks in the region of €2b. An ICOS (Irish Co-operative Organisation Society) report says that €1 of dairy exports represents a 90 cent spend in the Irish economy.

To quote John Donoghue from IFAC: “Feeding 50 million people every year is no small achievement.”

If that doesn’t deserve societal recognition, it is a sad state of affairs! 

The Minister for Agriculture, along with the agri-industry, farm organisations, and farmers, must find a clear and compelling way to communicate the success story of modern Irish farming. They need to highlight how today’s farming systems have evolved from the days of back-breaking manual labour through the adoption of labour-saving machinery, advanced technologies, and the effective use of science and research to support all types of farming systems.

Irish agriculture is the envy of many other countries and our high-quality products are highly sought after by consumers worldwide. Perhaps Bord Bia and a few Ministers need to do fewer international junkets promoting Irish food abroad and instead work their way around our own country communicating  our wonderful Irish agricultural story and educating Irish citizens so they understand where their food comes from and the costs associated from farm to fork.   

Pauline Murphy shares the story of West Cork man Patrick Joseph Sullivan who, from modest beginnings on the Sheep’s Head peninsula, went on to emigrate to the United States where he became a successful sheep rancher and later a US senator. It’s also claimed that he was friends with wild west outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!

Patrick Joseph Sullivan was born on St Patrick’s Day 1865 to John Sullivan and Margaret (née McCarthy) Sullivan on a small farm in Kilcrohane on the Sheep’s Head peninsula.

At the age of 23, Patrick left West Cork for America. His journey began with a difficult Atlantic crossing. After arriving in New York City, he travelled onwards to Wyoming, where he found work as a sheep herder in Rawlins.

Within four years, Patrick had established his own sheep ranch. He later moved to Casper, Wyoming, where he expanded his business interests and became involved in oil. Over time, he became a wealthy and respected member of the community.

Patrick also entered public life. In 1894, he was elected as a Republican to Wyoming’s House of Representatives, serving until 1896. He later served as Mayor of Casper from 1898 to 1900 and returned again to the state House of Representatives. He was known as an approachable and good-humoured man, retaining the charm and wit of his West Cork upbringing. His circle of friends included people from many different backgrounds.

Among those said to have been on friendly terms with Patrick were members of The Wild Bunch, also known as the Hole in the Wall gang. The most well-known of the group, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, reportedly counted the Kilcrohane man as a friend and enjoyed his hospitality.

In 1893, Patrick married Hanora Mahoney, known as Nan, who was also from West Cork. The couple had five daughters: Margaret, Patricia, Eileen, Catherine and Evangeline. In 1909, Patrick built a large red-brick home for his family on the corner of 10th and Centre Street in Casper. The house still stands today and is now a registered historic home in Wyoming.

Despite his success, Patrick also experienced personal loss. In 1914, his youngest daughter, Evangeline, died at the family home in Casper at the age of 12, having been ill for some time with heart trouble. The National County Tribune of June 18, 1914 reported on her funeral, noting the many floral tributes and the large number of friends who attended to offer their sympathy to the family.

Patrick remained active in political life. He was Wyoming’s delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1912 and again served as state delegate in 1916. From 1924, he was appointed as a member of the Republican National Committee representing Wyoming.

In December 1929, he was appointed to the United States Senate to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Senator Francis Warren. He served until November 1930, when Robert Carey succeeded him. Time Magazine of December 16, 1929 described him as a wealthy sheep rancher who had prospered through oil and noted his Cork origins and straightforward manner.

After leaving the Senate, Patrick returned to his business interests. In April 1935, while on a Spring visit to Santa Barbara, California, he suffered a heart attack and died on April 8 at the age of 70. The body of the popular West Cork man was returned to Wyoming, where he was laid to rest in Highland Cemetery in Casper following a large funeral.

This month’s recipe comes from India, where we escaped for the month of January. India is huge, one of those countries whose size exceeds expectations – it never looks that big on a map. We have worked our way up from Kerala in the very south, which is lush and green, hot with occasional tropical rainfall – ie bombastic downpours. It’s kind of obvious that it rains, as nowhere is that green without reason.

We ventured on to Goa in search of sandy beaches and sea that is hospitable enough to swim in, which it mostly is, but with random rough days thrown in when the waves tip you on your head and drag your togs off. It’s like a winter ‘Costa del Sol’ destination with beautiful sunshine and very tourist-friendly, although without the high rise apartments. You can go as fancy or as cheap as you wish – it’s all there. We spent a week walking the beaches and meeting interesting people before adventure beckoned and we headed up to Amhedebad in Gujarat. This location was chosen mainly because we would be heading north and there were very cheap flights. We were also very curious. One Indian friend asked us where were we going next and when we said Ahmedabad she said: ‘Why would you go there?’ We soon found out why she was so horrified.

Ahmedabad is a city of more than five million people – we really should do more homework! It is huge – the population of Ireland all jammed into one city. What a crazy place! So many people, so busy, so noisy – about one million people honking the horns on their tuk tuks (motorised rickshaws), scooters, buses, bicycles and, to top it all, low-flying aircraft passing overhead every five to 10 minutes. The racket is unbelievable and there is so much pollution that the town is observed through a low-lying fug. We stayed in the old part of town in a functional hotel – except the window didn’t open – that served very interesting and tasty Indian breakfasts. We wandered out to explore this boiling mass of humanity; getting around was full-on with broken footpaths and having to dodge around street vendors and cows amidst the traffic. It was even more hazardous at night when some of the footpaths turn into dormitories. 

Ahmedabad is also where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram is located; this austere compound where Gandhi lived was a wonderful respite from all the chaos, and we spent a morning wandering around and learning about this great peacemaker. There were pictures of various famous dignitaries that had visited, including our very own Mary Robinson.

The food was great, especially the street-food, which was super tasty and super cheap, the average pice being around 50 cents a dish. For sure you could live very cheaply there but saying that, after two days we ran out of there, our sensory functions on overload.

We took the overnight sleeper bus to Jaisalmer. As the distances are so great in India, planes are used like buses, and buses can be used as hotels-on-wheels, although they are not suitable if you have weak bladder. The buses are surprisingly comfortable – you get a curtained off mattress with an overhead light and air-con and, as long as you can filter out the racket – and didn’t drink too much before you got on it – it’s possible to get a reasonable night’s sleep. We awoke to a totally different landscape, flat and shrubby with sandstone buildings. The bus arrived to the dusty bus station on the outskirts of town and we were collected by tuk tuk and transported to our new abode – an ornate sandstone haveli with numerous floors and areas with cushions to  enjoy the terraces – bliss, and all for €23 a night. 

Jaisalmer, known as the golden city, is dominated by a huge sandstone fort with ninety nine buttresses and a population of around 3000 people living inside. It’s magnificent in a rather crumbling way and bustling with activity. We are staying outside of the fort close by the fruit and vegetable market. There are still plenty of scooters, some tuk tuks and a large population of cows that wander the streets hoovering up any food scraps to be found.

Jaisalmer is located in the middle of the Thur desert and was formerly a centre for camel based trading, these days the camels are mostly used to show tourists the desert, which we are working up to do.

Here’s a recipe for a Masala Fish Fry, which I was given whilst we were in Goa where there’s an abundance of fresh seafood. It’s very simple to make and would perk up any fish dish. In India it’s usual to cook whole fish, head, spine and all but this could be used for filets of fish which means there aren’t any bone issues. Best for thicker fillets though as the skin needs to be slashed to marinate the flesh before frying. The recipe is suitable for most fish.

To make the ginger/garlic paste it’s probably easiest to peel the garlic and ginger then  finely grate into a small bowl.

Methi is available in the Asian shop in Spillers Lane, Clonakilty.

Masala Fish Fry

Ingredients:

• 150-200g fish per person

• 2tbs Greek yoghurt

• 1tbs vegetable oil plus extra for frying

• 1-2tsp mild Kashmiri chilli powder

• 1tbs garlic/ginger paste

• 1tsp ground cumin

• 2tsp ground coriander

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1tsp garam masala

• 2tsp methi – fenugreek leaf

• 1tbs lemon juice

Put all of the above ingredients into a bowl except for the fish.

Whisk everything together to make a smooth paste.

Carefully slash the fish fillets across the skin side several times, without cutting through the fish. 

Rub the marinade over both sides of the fish. massaging into the slits. Leave to sit for 5-10 minutes. Not longer or the marinade will start cooking the fish.

Heat a heavy pan over a medium high heat, then add enough oil to just cover the bottom. Take the fish from the marinade then gently slip it into the pan, skin side down. Reduce the heat to medium then cook for three minutes, until the skin begins to crust. Don;’t poke it out about. Carefully turn the fish and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. The cooking time will depend on the size of your fish, it may need a little longer if the fillets are very fat.

Enjoy, sunny greetings and see you in February. There are a couple of places free on the Curry class if anyone is interested.

Karen

Lettercollum, Timoleague

www.lettercollum.ie

karen@lerttercollum.ie