After a scorching summer, Clonakilty Film Club invites us to cosy autumn nights indoors with a carefully chosen selection from the best that world cinema offers. The club opens its autumn season on Tuesday September 22 with ‘Primavera’, an astounding feature debut by acclaimed opera director Damiano Michieletto. ‘Primavera’ is a fictionalised account of Antonio Vivaldi’s time as resident composer and violin teacher at the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice, where he composed most of his major works, told from the perspective of one of his most talented female students.

18th Century, Venice: The Ospedale della Pietà is a refuge for orphaned and abandoned children. Here, girls study music, and the most talented among them are placed in a special orchestra renowned as one of the best in the world. This orchestra performs for Venetian high society and wealthy patrons of the orphanage. While their showcases raise money for the orphanage, they also help secure marriage proposals for the women.

Among this orchestra is 20-year-old Cecilia, an extraordinary violinist betrothed to a wealthy soldier upon his return from battle abroad. Though music has opened her mind, the doors of the orphanage remain closed until she is married. Her world is disrupted when a wind of spring awakens something within her: the arrival of a new teacher, composer, and maestro di violino, Antonio Vivaldi. His mentorship forever changes her, allowing her to envision a different future and embrace her art.

Michieletto’s film is an exceptional example of centreing a woman’s story in a historically patriarchal society, modernising a tale never previously told.

All are welcome. The film starts at 8.30pm (doors open at 8.20pm). Admission €10, cash at the door.

Clonakilty Film Club will screen its second film of the season on October 6. The full Autumn line-up will appear in the October issue of West Cork People. You can also follow Clonakilty Film Club on Facebook for updates.

Bantry was at the heart of Irish coastal rowing last month, as more than 730 crews representing 35 clubs from across the country gathered for the 2026 All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships.

Across three days of racing, crews from Under-12 level through to senior, veteran, masters and traditional boat categories competed for national honours on Bantry Bay, bringing competitors, families and supporters from communities around Ireland to West Cork.

The scale of the championships was reflected in some remarkable race starts, none more so than the Under-16 Boys competition, where 17 boats lined up together, putting 85 people on the water at the same time in what was a spectacular race. It was the largest number of boats to race against one another in a single race at the All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships to date. A number of other races also saw 16 boats on the start line, resulting in exceptionally competitive racing throughout the weekend.

The huge entries, particularly among the younger crews, provided a striking indication of the strength and continued growth of coastal rowing across Ireland.

The championships got underway with an opening ceremony in Bantry attended by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who presented the medals to the winners on Friday as part of the opening events.

The ceremony brought together representatives from national, local and sporting life. Among those present were Minister for Heritage Christopher O’Sullivan, Senator Margaret Murphy O’Mahony, and Deputy Mayor of Cork County Finbarr Harrington.

Also taking a prominent role in the ceremony were Bill Deasy, President of the organisation, and Mary B. Teahan, Chairperson of the ICRF reflecting the contribution of both the current leadership of coastal rowing and those who have played an important role in the sport over many years.

The presence of the Taoiseach, together with the large gathering of public representatives, gave the opening of the championships a special significance as Bantry welcomed one of the biggest gatherings of coastal rowers in the country.

Away from the official proceedings, the town itself embraced the championships wholeheartedly.

For all three days, Bantry was buzzing as rowers, coaches, families and supporters filled the town. Local businesses got firmly behind the event, helping wherever they could and welcoming visitors who travelled from all over Ireland.

The waterfront and surrounding areas were alive with club colours and supporters, while the large number of visitors brought a distinctive championship atmosphere to Bantry throughout the weekend.

The weather added another dimension to the racing. Friday and Saturday provided beautiful conditions, with the crews able to enjoy Bantry Bay in favourable weather. By Sunday afternoon, rain and stronger winds had arrived, creating more challenging conditions on the water. The weather, however, did not stop the rowing. Crews continued to launch and race as the wind increased, producing exciting contests in rougher seas and demonstrating the determination and resilience that are such a feature of coastal rowing.

There was also plenty for the home county to celebrate, with Cork clubs enjoying an outstanding championship among the strong performances from clubs nationwide.

Rushbrooke, Whitegate and Myross each recorded seven championship victories, while Kerry club Sive claimed five titles. Kilmacsimon Quay and Kilmacabea also secured multiple wins, with Cork crews successful across a broad range of ages and boat categories.

The results were a reflection not only of the strength of Cork coastal rowing but of the national depth on display in Bantry, with clubs from all over  Ireland sharing the podium throughout the weekend. 

The championships also celebrated the heritage of the sport alongside its modern competitive side. Timber Yawls, Heritage boats and the Men’s Seine Boat championship featured in the programme, connecting today’s competitors with the traditional boats and maritime communities that have shaped Irish coastal rowing over generations.

Behind the racing was a huge volunteer effort, with a large team working across water safety, race organisation, stewarding, shore operations and club support to deliver a championship programme of such scale.

The final day brought the championships to a close in difficult conditions, but the challenging weather could not diminish the atmosphere that had built throughout the weekend.

The sight of 17 Under-16 Boys boats racing together on the water, alongside a number of 16-boat starts, provided a memorable symbol of the future of Irish Coastal Rowing.

The nights are getting shorter and slowly the world is returning to normal after the summer break.

That means school and sport, with training often taking place in the evenings or at weekends in grounds across the county.

One club that is settling into the autumn after a seismic summer is Clonakilty RFC. Helen O’Hea looks after their senior women’s team and she knows exactly what goes into running the show at Shannonvale, writes Dylan O’Connell.

Clonakilty saw a number of players represent Munster in this year’s edition of the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship.

Their names are well known around West Cork; Caoimhe Murphy and Lani O’Donovan were on the first team, and the development squad featured Clodagh McCarthy, Jo McCaughey, Julie Finn, and Rachel Twomey.

Lani, Clodagh, Jo, and Julie also played on the Ireland Under-18 Six Nations team earlier this year. 

They follow in the footsteps of other Clonakilty graduates that wore the green jersey, a group that includes John Hodnett and Conor Ryan.

There’s also strong representation at underage level in Munster. Finn O’Donovan, Ewan Knowles, and Cillian Sturdy are with the Under-18 boys. Elsa Quirke, Julie Cunningham, and Keelin McCarthy are with the Under-18 girls.  Padraig Coffey, Tristan O’Driscoll, Tony O’Keeffe, and Olan White represent the Under-17 boys.  The Under-17 girls have Caoimhe McCarthy, Emer O’Connor, Jenny O’Donnell, Lara Twomey, Lucy McCarthy, Matila O’Donovan, and Molly Deegan in their ranks.  Liam Ben Khaled, Michael Collins,  and Ollie Hunt complete the set with the Under-16 boys.

All of this is being placed into a wider conversation about rugby in West Cork, with many wanting to know how the region became such fertile ground for Irish internationals, both male and female. Bandon’s Jack Crowley is usually the first name mentioned, and the fly half is just the start of a very long list.

Clonakilty are one part of the conveyer belt, and all their good work goes back to what is happening on the ground on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

“The rugby season started back proper for the minis on September 6,” explains Helen O’Hea.

“They introduced Sundays for the month of September, because of the clash with GAA training on Saturdays. So for October, we switch back to Saturdays. It will be all systems go then for everyone.”

Clonakilty will go into this period as a growing club that is fast approaching their 50th anniversary.

“So we’ve got 850 members, and that is growing,” she explains.

“We have our 50th anniversary next spring, so it’ll be a big occasion in the club. Like that, it just doesn’t happen without the hours of volunteer work. It kicked off in 1977 in the Kilty Stone, it was a famous drinking/meeting establishment back in the day in Clonakilty.  Our big emphasis is that we are a community club.  We strive to work together because teamwork makes the dream work.

“What keeps the club going and growing is the tremendous work done by our various committees, managers, coaches, and referees. There’s those that keep the club grounds maintained and the shop and bar going.  Fundraising also plays a big part at the club, as you can imagine, for providing equipment, gear and facilities for all the teams.  We are very grateful to all our sponsors and Clonakilty are always looking for novel ways to get new people involved while raising their profile.

“We have a lotto that is sold on the streets every Friday – Jimmy O’Regan is at the helm there and he is super with that,” adds O’Hea.

“And then we have a new initiative called ‘Split the Bucket’, a Willie Wilcox’s initiative. So that’s up and running, and it’s a guaranteed winner every week. They sell tickets during the week, and then half goes to the club and half goes to the ticket that’s picked out. It’s great and it builds awareness. Thanks to the local pubs that are participating, it all helps.”

All of this is to support Clonakilty RFC, a community within the community that is made up of a number of teams going from the underage ranks to senior men and women.

“We have Tigers for our mixed ability teams. Cubs for the four- and five-year-olds,” she explained.

“We cater for all abilities and ages: six, eight, 10, and 12, for the minis, 14, 16, and 18 for the youths in both boys and girls. Then the adult men and the adult women.

“The adult men have two teams, and the ladies have one at the moment, but are working hard to build a foundation for a second team that will greatly benefit the different levels of players. We only started out three years ago, thanks to Mervyn Buttimer who stepped up and coached the team and Micheal O’Sullivan our S&C coach.  Since then we have consistently improved our game, grown our coaching team and we hope to do well again this season.”

It is often stated that the problem in women’s sport is keeping players invested after they turn 16. Clonakilty are working on that but in the meantime the club is happy that there is a regular stream of new recruits coming to the ground. One thing that has massively helped with this is the sheer number of Munster players around, as they show that something is working at The Vale.

“[Seeing Munster players] is encouraging, especially for ladies rugby,” explains O’Hea.

“If Mom has played it, or big sister has played it, it takes that fear factor out of it I think, because obviously we try and coach to prevent injury, but nothing is foolproof.

“We have a schools programme as well, where Finny O’Regan and Ian Rae go into local schools in September and October, (ably assisted with the TY students of Clonakilty Community College).  They coach the classes, give them taster sessions and encourage them to come out and give it a try at the club where someday they will get to wear the red and green for Clonakilty.

“It has paid off, and we are very grateful to the Committee and to the schools for encouraging this initiative.” 

The schools programme is paying off, in the form of silverware for Clonakilty at provincial level.

2026 saw Sacred Heart Clonakilty claim the Pinergy Munster Schools Girls Senior Cup for the third year in a row, while their junior team reach their final. It shows something is working when there is a steady stream of success for the schools. All of it leads back to the sport, and the simple love of playing rugby.

Some might take it up recreationally, others will join and go all the way to the top. They might wear the famous red jersey or the green one. Others will line out with their friends with the simple goal of having fun in the sport that they love.

Clonakilty offers something for everyone, boys and girls, from the cubs having fun right up to adults of all abilities.

Alongside modern approaches to SAD, traditional systems of medicine offer another way of thinking about our relationship with the seasons. Across European herbal traditions, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, changes in light, sleep, digestion, energy and emotional balance have long been considered part of the seasonal cycle. Plants, food, daily rhythms, movement, rest and connection with the natural world have all played a role in supporting wellbeing through the darker months.

The Western herbal tradition, in particular, provides a rich language for understanding and responding to what might once have been described as winter melancholy. Rather than looking for a single plant to treat a condition, it considers the individual and their particular response to the season. Rosemary, lemon balm, lavender, oat tops, rose and St John’s wort are among the plants that have traditionally been associated with different aspects of winter wellbeing, while practices such as making the most of daylight, eating nourishing food, maintaining regular sleep, exercising and staying connected with others can also form part of a seasonal approach.

The question, therefore, is not simply, “What herb treats SAD?” but rather: what is this person’s particular winter pattern, and which plants and seasonal practices may support them?

European medicine historically described melancholy in relation to temperament, the passions, digestion, sleep and the movement of the vital spirits. In European traditional medicine, looking after oneself each season involved more than a single remedy. Warm food, exercise, daylight, companionship, prayer, work and rest were all part of maintaining health.

Rosemary: Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis) has a long history in European household medicine. It is associated with memory, alertness, digestion and circulation, and its aromatic character may suit a person who feels mentally dull, sluggish or disengaged during the darker months. In his recent research in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the psychiatrist, Dr. Ciro de Rhode noted that rosemary was the most used herb by people for low mood.

Rosemary can be incorporated into everyday life in a number of simple ways. It can be used as a culinary herb in soups, stews and roasted vegetables, or fresh sprigs can be included in an aromatic morning routine. Traditionally associated with remembrance, continuity and household care, rosemary can also be enjoyed as a herb tea.

Lemon balm, lavender and oat tops: Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has traditionally been used when emotional tension is accompanied by digestive discomfort or poor sleep whereas Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) may be considered for relaxation and nervous restlessness.

Oat tops (Avena sativa) also belong to the Western tradition of support for nervous exhaustion and convalescence. It is a useful herb when winter brings a sense of ‘running on empty’ rather than agitation. The best way to take oats is as porridge.

St John’s wort: St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) has a particularly evocative place in Western herbal culture. St John’s Eve falls on June 23, followed by the Feast of St John the Baptist on 24 June. These dates are close to midsummer, when the days are longest, and the plant commonly comes into flower.

Its bright yellow flowers seem to embody the sun at its height. The seasonal symbolism becomes even more striking in the Christian calendar: John the Baptist is the precursor of Christ, preparing the way for the light, while Christmas – the celebration of Christ’s birth – falls near the winter solstice, when darkness is greatest.

St John’s wort therefore flowers at the height of summer but can be gathered and preserved for the darker season. It becomes an image of carrying light into winter: a midsummer plant that anticipates darkness and offers, symbolically and medicinally, lightness within it. European traditions also associated it with protection, vitality and relief from melancholy.

However, St John’s wort is not a simple ‘natural antidepressant’ and can interact with many medications including hormonal contraceptives, warfarin, transplant medicines, anticonvulsants, some cancer and HIV medicines, and many other drugs. For this reason, it is not suitable for home use and needs to be prescribed by a herbalist. What can be used is Hypericum red oil. A few drops of this oil can be massaged into the soles of one’s feet after a shower and can be very relaxing.

Rose (Rosa damascena) is another beneficial herb from our tradition and  rose tea, rose water and culinary rose preparations can provide sensory pleasure, emotional comfort and a means of slowing down during a busy day.

A thoughtful approach to low mood in winter requires planning now. This might combine the use of herbs such as, rosemary, lemon balm, oat tops, and rose, into nourishing food and tea rituals. As the summer recedes and winter routines take its place it is vital to have regular sleep, movement exercises such as yoga, tai chi and qi gong, regular meetings with friends and a carefully planned run up to Christmas.

Talking therapy, light therapy and, where necessary, prescribed medicines may also be appropriate. The most important factor is to recognise the effect the onset of winter has on you and take appropriate steps now. 

John Horton, warden of the Cape Clear Bird Observatory, describes how he spent much of the winter months of 2025/26 volunteering his expertise in the Karoo region of South Africa.

The culmination of two years’ work, in 2018, I successfully led an ambitious project to establish the first newly-accredited bird observatory for Britain and Ireland in decades on Alderney. This application is now used by the Bird Observatories Council (BOC) as the template for any other location aspiring to become one of these centres of ornithological excellence. Not a complete surprise then that I was tracked down by the owner of an extensive lodge and nature reserve in Africa with one question, “could you do it for us?”.

So, into the unknown, with an awful lot of boxes to tick, not least the marrying up of South African bird recording systems, getting all relevant authorities and organisations on board, and the promise of a fair bit of red tape in terms of permissions and permits ahead. I understandably did not overplay the chances of ending ten weeks in South Africa with a completed comprehensive framework document launching a Karoo Bird Observatory, but with no little effort and a ‘can-do’ attitude, alongside some fairly unorthodox bumps in the road, that is exactly what happened. 

However, there were one or two considerations that you won’t encounter at an Irish bird observatory, definitely more Puff Adders and Cape Cobras and, when out completing survey work monitoring bird migration, be aware of hippos and African Buffalos, which all made for a rather more comprehensive health and safety assessment.

Setbacks were sometimes challenging, for example, whilst FEDEX appears to be the only freight operator in South Africa, they clearly face serious issues. A shipment of bird ringing equipment worth over €2,000, travelling to the Karoo from Poland, made it as far as Northern Cape (known for being South Africa’s safest province), at which point I received an email from FEDEX stating “We are very sorry to tell you that there will be a delay in the delivery of your package, our delivery van has been hijacked”. Whilst some of us might find such news shocking or even alarming, the local attitude was rather more relaxed and inclined to some shoulder shrugging about it.

It transpired that the New Holme Nature Lodge and reserve is one of the most important stopover locations for over-wintering sub-Saharan migrant birds in Southern Africa. Fast declining species familiar to our Irish gardens and nature reserves including Barn Swallows, Willow Warblers, Spotted Flycatchers, and Common Swifts overwinter in numbers at this birding hotspot of several thousand acres. 

Moreover, my input exposed that an extraordinary 75 per cent of all Western Palearctic inter-continental migrant bird species ever recorded in South Africa have been spotted at this one site, strongly justifying the location as ideal for establishing a bird observatory. Add that it also has an excellent range of accommodation for guests and a dedicated research centre building. 

Keen interest and support from stakeholders Birdlife South Africa, the African bird ringing scheme SAFRING, and donations from WorthWild Africa also greatly assisted with progress. The recording systems were incorporated into the dedicated national database SABMAP, daily bird census routes were identified and mapped out, lodge staff tasked with various activities and, slowly, but surely, the impossible looked like it could actually happen. 

Whilst in situ, I also implemented moth trapping surveys, an area that has received very little effort in the Karoo. Attention was given to habitat management, minimising disturbance to birds in key areas and generally recording everything that runs, crawls, jumps, flies, swims, or slithers. Beyond this location being a spectacular oasis for almost 300 bird species, it is one of if not the best, location in South Africa to see rare mammal species such as the Black-footed cat, Aardvark, and Elephant Shrew. Reserve owner PC Ferriera is to be commended for his ongoing efforts in turning over thousands of acres of his family’s traditional farmland to wildlife, whilst beyond his property borders there is little consideration for the natural world or environment.

Whilst representing BirdWatch Ireland at the Global Bird Fair this summer, I announced during a presentation that in support of this concerted effort in Africa to help protect and research birdlife, BirdWatch Ireland have agreed to work towards ‘twinning’ Cape Clear Bird observatory with The Khoisan Karoo Bird Observatory, continuing to offer advice and support where possible. 

In conclusion, the Karoo Bird Observatory is up and running, and it is exciting that other important locations for bird migration in South Africa have touched base with this project, keen to understand how they might begin working towards setting up the same. This could lead to a much-needed network of African observatories interacting and producing front-line data that may help us to understand, and even stem, the decline of so many of our long haul migratory species.

BirdWatch Ireland
West Cork Branch News

Our next events are:

September 20:
Cape Clear (Members only.)

October 11:
Migrants at Mizen Head.

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.

f@BirdWatchIrelandWestCork

c@ birdwatch_ireland_west_cork

The name weever comes from the Old French word ‘wivre’, meaning viper. There are nine species, all but one live in the Atlantic; only two are found around these islands – the greater and lesser. It is the latter that bathers sometimes tread on. It is a small fish, mottled brown in colour, which grows to about 14 cm. The greater weever, up to 40 cm long, is more handsome, with blue, black and yellow markings. It can sting too, but it is less common inshore and is mostly a problem for fishermen. It is of no commercial value here, but much prized in France where it is an ingredient in bouillabaisse.

There are many dangerous fish in the sea, from man-eating sharks to man-stabbing garfish. An angler was badly bitten by a blue shark a few weeks ago off the Waterford coast, but then the shark didn’t ask to be hauled aboard his boat. There are other deadly marine animals, such as box jellyfish and blue-ringed octopuses, but fortunately none live around here. However, the oceans are warming up, and while heatwaves and wildfires are warning signs on land, the bleaching of coral reefs, the decline of kelp forests and the movement of marine creatures from tropical seas into more temperate waters are all further proof of climate change. In Courtmacsherry last summer, a moray eel was caught in a lobster pot. A flying fish turned up on a nearby beach last month. Local fishermen tell me that they are now catching the common octopus, a southern species, usually not as common here as the lesser octopus. Lobster fishermen in the south of England are losing their valuable crustaceans to this octopus invasion. Several species of squid are being captured in the North Sea where they were never found before.

About 1,000 species of sea creatures have migrated into the Mediterranean from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal since it was opened in 1869. But more species of fish have made the journey in the last twenty years than in the entire 20th century. Some of these new arrivals are fish we definitely do not want here.

One such invader is the lionfish. There are five species, all native to the Indo-Pacific. They belong to the family Scorpaenidae, which also includes scorpionfish, redfish and Norway haddock, which can all be caught in our waters, and the deadly stonefish, which thankfully can’t. Lionfish are very attractive, striped in black, brown and red, with fan-like pectoral fins, long, separated dorsal fin rays and 18 venomous spines. A sting from a lionfish can cause severe pain, vomiting and breathing difficulties, and is occasionally fatal.

The common lionfish was first recorded in the Mediterranean in 1991. As well as being venomous, they are also gluttonous, eating vast numbers of commercial fish, and as they have no natural predators in the Mediterranean, and their females can lay over 30,000 eggs at a time, they are quickly taking over the territories and prey on indigenous fish. They are, however, good to eat and are starting to appear in Greek restaurants.

On the other side of the Atlantic, red lionfish have become a serious problem, the result of aquarists releasing them into the sea once they have discovered how difficult they are to keep – they eat everything else in the tank.

Even worse are puffer fish. There are about 200 species, in the family Tetraodontidae (part of the order Tetraodontiformes). They all puff themselves into ball shapes by sucking in water, to confuse predators, and all have large, incisor-like teeth. Their livers, gonads and skin contain tetrodotoxin, a deadly neurotoxin that causes heart and respiratory failure.

Two species, the diamondback puffer and the silver-cheeked toadfish, again both from the Indo-Pacific region, have invaded the Mediterranean and Atlantic. The former has been in the Med since the 1930s and remains restricted to the eastern part, but the silver-cheeked one which only arrived recently – it was first recorded off Greece in 2005 – has spread as far as the Straits of Gibraltar and south to Cape Verde. They are a menace to fishermen: their teeth are so strong they can bite off a finger, destroy nets and damage other more valuable fish in the nets, and, like the lionfish, they have no predators in their new habitats.

It is illegal to sell puffer fish in the EU, but in Japan, they are a delicacy. The Japanese enjoy what we would consider strange things, such as natto – fermented soy beans covered in slimy bacteria, and mochi – glutinous rice cakes that choke a few people to death every Japanese New Year. Puffer fish, fugu in Japanese, has to be prepared by specially trained chefs. Traditionally, if a chef lost a customer through fugu poisoning, he would have to kill himself. The ultimate gustatory experience when eating fugu is to get a slight tingling in the lips from the minutest quantity of tetrodotoxin.

The order Tetraodontiformes contains many strange fish. As well as the puffers, there are trigger fish, porcupine fish, cow fish and box fish. Trigger fish are so called because of the strong spine at the front of their dorsal fin that, when raised, locks into position so the fish can jam itself into a crevice and can’t be pulled out by a predator. Many are brightly coloured, such as the Picasso trigger fish, a bizarre creature with a long face and a body striped so madly in black, blue and yellow, it could have been designed by an eccentric artist. It has a wonderful name in Hawaiian Polynesian – humuhumunukunukuapua’a. One species of trigger fish appears in Irish waters occasionally in the summer months, but it is a dull greyish-brown fish – there is an example of this, stuffed, on the wall of the Anchor Bar in Courtmacsherry.

The sunfish, the largest of all  bony fish, are also in this order. The ocean sunfish looks like a giant head without a body. It is occasionally sighted here, swimming slowly at the surface, tall dorsal fin flapping, like a drunken shark. Most of our sunfish are small, but the species can reach a weight of 1,000 kg. The southern sunfish is even bigger: one found dead off the Azores in 2021 was 11 feet long and weighed over 2,700 kg. Neither triggerfish or sunfish are dangerous, though the former can give a nasty bite. 

Climate change will bring us new species, good and bad, but it might mean we lose others. Some planktonic crustaceans on which much of our marine fauna depend will move north, so will cold water fish such as cod. Of course, many people still don’t accept the whole idea of climate change. I was talking about this in the pub the other day with the crew of a large yacht. They insisted that global warming was not caused by humans, but was natural. They also said that world population was actually decreasing. Funny that, I replied – when I was born, there were about 3,500,000,000 people on the planet; now there are over 8,000,000,000. I hadn’t encountered such ignorance, delivered so vehemently, since I attempted to teach biological evolution to Born Again Christians in Zambia. People like that can’t accept that humans are ruining the planet, because to do so, they would have to think about their own excessively luxurious lifestyle.

There has always been natural climate change, but it happens slowly, over thousands of years, giving animals time to move to warmer or cooler places, grow or lose hair, learn to eat new prey. Man-made climate change, the result of almost everything that modern man does, is happening too quickly for animals to adapt. But those in charge, politicians, either don’t understand or don’t care. They only want ‘growth’, i.e. more cars, more houses, more industries, more people, which will all make things worse. Unless we go backwards, the environment will continue to suffer, and who in this rich, greedy society is ever going to return to a simpler, more environmentally-friendly way of life? And what will it take to get a government to make us do so? An invasion of lionfish near a TD’s favourite beach, perhaps.

In line with the theme of this year’s West Cork Creates exhibition, ‘Listen to the Land Speak’ – a tribute to the ideas and philosophy of Manchán Magan (1970 – 2025) – Owen will submit a number of pieces, including two stitched books attempting to illustrate the same ancient stories and the land that Magan wrote about.

A stitched sculpture of a tree with a standing stone atop tells the story of the coming of man and the impact on the land while a scroll stitched onto frayed denim tells the story of the interaction of the people and the land through motif and symbolism. A set of four stitched sculptures feature the elements fire, air, earth and water and his series entitled ‘Odd Balls’ embraces the inner child.

Since he was very little, Owen’s work has always told a story, much of it related to his own life. As his first wobbly stitches grew neater on the old school skirt his mother gave him to practice on, the names of close friends began appearing, sometimes also joined by small motifs they had drawn. A few years later places and events of special significance in his personal life were added – Glastonbury 1987, a trip to China with the Irish Special Olympics team, the birth of each of his children, an old 2p coin when Ireland transferred over to the Euro. When there was no room left for stitching he added a waistband, creating a finished skirt that holds over 50 years of memories. The skirt finally had its debut worn by one of Owen’s daughters at a recycled fashion show in Ballydehob.

While the many firsts – first exhibition piece, first podcast, first viral post – are all fun highlights in Owen’s embroidery journey, the pieces that he remembers with most pride are those created especially for people: a lady’s favourite hat stitched for her after she lost her hair from chemotherapy; a small red denim jacket stitched for a little girl recovering from a brain operation; a badge stitched for a mother in memory of her daughter shot by a terrorist. “Being able to comfort, to communicate, to console, and bring a little piece of joy or beauty or hope, however small, into someone’s life, is a privilege, and the messages and photos I’ve received in return are very special to me,” shares Owen.

“I should also mention Seamus O’Comanssy,” he adds smiling. Owen stitched this playful tiny globe-trotting character after realising that his own travelling days were behind him. Seamus has his own Facebook and Substack page where he shares tales about his adventures around the world. “Seamus is currently on a yacht moored off an island in the South Pacific with a couple of ‘nomads’ who are helping out at the Women’s Resource Centre in the village of Lamap,” shares Owen, who says the “wee man” has brought so many strangers together over the years.

West Cork has been home for Owen since 1987 when, after selling his business in the UK and looking to escape the constraints of Thatcherism, he decided to follow his roots back to Ireland. Considered a math prodigy as a child, his interest in art was “gently discouraged”, so his career path took a very different route towards mathematics and economics. In West Cork, he found the freedom to express his creative side.

Aside from embroidery, wildlife gardening, photography and storytelling are his passions. After completing a horticultural course at West Cork Campus in 2018, he enrolled the following year on the Art and Printing course there, which offered a very small module on embroidery. While he doesn’t feel that the course influenced his own stitching practice, he says that “being in that learning and creative environment was very motivational” subsequently prompting him to expand his approach and take his work more seriously.

Although he has over 50 years experience in embroidering, it’s really over the past five to six years that Owen’s talent has taken on a life of its own. Social media has played a big part in this, bringing his work to a wider audience and with that an ever-increasing number of orders, commissions and requests for tutorials.

Hand embroidery is an inherently slow process with each piece requiring incredible patience. “I only managed to stitch eight full denim jackets last year,” he shares.

Last year, he was invited to contribute a piece to ‘The Dream Project’, a collaborative exhibition that toured Australia, America, and Scotland. Although several galleries have approached him since about staging a solo exhibition, this has proved challenging, as the majority of his embroideries are created on commission and are now dispersed in collections around the world. As a result, he has rarely had enough work available in one place to mount a comprehensive exhibition of his own.

For the past two years he has been working on a piece that he’s dubbed his ‘Quantum Quilt’. Made up of 100 hand-stitched panels, it will measure 12ft x 4ft when finished, and hopefully be ready for exhibition next year.

Interested in history, mythology, and folklore, Owen draws particular inspiration from Ireland’s rich tradition of storytelling. These ancient stories, together with the work of the late Manchán Magan, inspired his contribution to the ‘Listen to the Land Speak’ exhibition. His visual influences span a wide artistic spectrum, from the psychedelic poster art of Rick Griffin and Mouse and Kelley, to the illustration of Albert Uderzo, the comics of Carlos Ezquerra and Robert Crumb, the fantastical worlds of Roger Dean, the Celtic imagery of Jim Fitzpatrick and George Bain, the intricate visions of Hieronymus Bosch, and the vibrant designs of Alan Aldridge. He is equally inspired by the intricate ornamentation of medieval manuscripts such as the Book of Kells, as well as the decorative philosophy of William Morris and the embroidery of his daughter, Mary Morris. Beyond Europe, his influences include Otomí, Suzani, Vyshyvanka, Tatreez, Kantha, Kuba, Shisha, Hmong, and Kashmiri embroidery.

Rather than focusing on the end product, each stitch for Owen is part of a personal journey. Embroidery is a meditative process that brings great calm to the artist, who loves nothing more than getting swept up in his own work, taking the little observations from his daily life and drawing upon his memories and imagination, all in the act of creating. 

For more information on Owen and his work visit www.slavetothestitch.com.

I hope, given all the exceptionally good weather we have had this summer, that you have all had a chance to relax and reap its benefits. The glorious sunshine should really set up our vitamin D stores for the coming winter. 

But what if you are finding that despite the long sunny days you are finding yourself unable to relax? That much as you might appreciate the sunshine, something in you won’t or can’t relax and let go? And you notice you can’t enjoy it as much as you might wish to, perhaps you feel a bit emotionally flat or somewhat agitated and unable to focus. 

If depression has been ruled out by a medical or mental health professional, then consider that your symptoms could be stemming from burnout.

Burnout is defined by the WHO as energy depletion and chronic dysregulation of the stress response systems. It is a disruption of the HPA axis (Hypothalamic, adrenal, pituitary axis) which is responsible for controlling your cortisol energy circulation, which in turn regulates your sleep/wake cycle and your capacity to recover from normal stresses. 

When the HPA axis becomes compromised our blood sugar becomes unstable and we lose our ability to generate energy efficiently. Our immune system may become compromised, our cognitive functioning may be challenged and our cardiovascular system may begin to show signs of chronic stress.

Burnout is not something that happens overnight and largely stems from tiny, repeated poor behaviours and habits that we will address here.

It is not an excess of the stress hormone, cortisol, that causes burnout, though you might be forgiven for thinking that this is the case. We need cortisol, as by triggering our Fight/Flight nervous system response, it has ensured our survival as a species. 

The issue is not that this hormone floods the system, but that a phenomenon known as ‘cortisol rhythm collapse’ occurs. Our cortisol is not too high; the problem is that it is flat and does not fluctuate in a natural daily rhythm. 

We should ideally have high levels in the morning to help us wake up and get up, and declining levels in the evening so melatonin levels can rise and we can switch off and sleep with varying oscillations throughout the day as normal stresses and challenges arise. 

‘Flat’ levels of cortisol, with no real rise or fall means your body cannot distinguish between wakefulness and sleepiness, stress and rest, action and recovery and this is where we feel both ‘wired and tired’. 

When we are in burnout, we are constantly ‘borrowing’ energy from external stimulants rather than utilising and replenishing our own resources. So, we use caffeine to wake up, sugar for energy, alcohol to relax, screens for dopamine and so on and so forth. 

We are stimulating ourselves into being and there is very little we will not use as an outsource to function if our system is dysregulated. We are, after all, very inventive creatures, wired to survive. 

The problem is the more you borrow from the outside, the greater the internal debt, and the more you borrow, the more you need to borrow, just to feel normal.

Signs we might be experiencing burnout are: emotional flatness, agitation or inability to focus, feeling tired but unable to relax, reliance on stimulants, blood sugar crashes, always feeling switched on, feeling tired despite sleep, feeling disconnected from enjoyable experiences. 

Those with heavy workloads, those experiencing stressful life events and women in perimenopause/menopause are particularly vulnerable to burnout. 

So how can we mitigate against these symptoms of burnout? Well, just as small regular poor habits or patterns lead to burnout so small regular good habits can help restore our balance and wellbeing.

It is important that we take the time to gently recalibrate, it is small actions that make the difference and not major resets or extreme measures.

Simple rules

Do not skip meals: When blood sugar drops, cortisol will spike to compensate in the short term, which is why we can get ‘hangry’ and while this is tolerable for someone with a healthy HPA axis where cortisol naturally oscillates, it is not advisable for those of us with burnout. 

It is for this reason that Intermittent Fasting is not always advisable for menopausal women or people with burnout. 

A good idea is to ensure you eat protein with your first meal of the day, whether that’s eating eggs for breakfast or popping nuts and seeds and Greek yogurt on your porridge. Make sure you don’t load your system with sugary choices or simple carbohydrates in the morning so you can start your day with good blood sugar stability. 

Try to reduce the reliance on caffeine in all its myriad forms and eliminate alcohol if you are using it to relax.

Regulate sleep: Sleeping and waking at the same time daily is associated with longevity and it is vital in managing the symptoms of burnout. 

Get out of bed in the same 40-minute window of waking every day, and get light within an hour of waking to help set up your circadian rhythm. Avoid all screens for an hour prior to sleep. 

I’m an advocate for practising a gentle stretching routine followed by meditation before bedtime – it’s a great way to wind down.

Gentle exercise after eating: Going for a short walk after eating (within 10-20 minutes of eating) is a great way to regulate blood sugar so we can offset insulin spikes. 

Regular movement breaks also during your day are recommended whether it’s a bit of jumping up and down and shaking, or dancing, or a specific exercise routine.

Burnout doesn’t resolve overnight and, as exhausted as we may feel, making radical change is rarely what our system needs, tempting though it may be. What restores us is consistency and compassion — small, steady habits that gradually rebuild our internal rhythm and remind the body how to feel safe, rested, and energised again. 

The three tenets of health — sleep, movement, and nourishment — are our anchors. By supporting your blood sugar, honouring your sleep-wake cycle, and moving gently and regularly, you begin to repay that internal energy debt and reconnect with yourself. 

These small acts of self-care signal to your system that it can finally exhale. With time, patience, and simple daily practices, the ‘wired and tired’ feeling softens, and your natural vitality has space to return. 

Hello August! Wow, what a summer we are having and what an opportunity this weather presents to wear every single item of summer clothes in our wardrobes. Unfortunately the ‘naked’ look or swimsuit-to-work look is simply not an option! Whether or not you are a sun worshipper and whatever your shape or size, light airy clothes are a must-have this year. With very successful weight loss medication on the market, the door has finally opened for people who previously did not have the capacity to lose a lot of weight. The only downside to this is that your weight is constantly dropping so summer clothes you might have once loved, are just too big now.

When you are losing weight quickly, focus your summer wardrobe on adjustable, stretchy and budget-friendly transitional pieces like wrap dresses, elastic-waist or drawstring linen pants. There is no point in investing in any expensive items, as they may only be fitting you and wearable for a few weeks. Spend on stretchy underwear and bin the ones that no longer fit. I’m sure that when you look into your wardrobe, it’s like walking into a museum of sizes that you have already passed through. It can be a bit of a nightmare as your clothes no longer sit right, don’t drape right and, most importantly, they no longer feel like you. It is a challenge learning how to dress during the process. You no longer feel invisible and you don’t want to be invisible so don’t let your clothes make you feel like you are. This is easily fixed.

If you are on a weight loss drug, then the pace you will lose weight at is faster than most closets or budgets can handle, especially if you’re over 50. The extra skin, which can fold or hang, is a new thing, as are the ‘bat wings’ that weren’t there before. There could be softer inner thighs and back rolls that will make certain fabrics a ‘hard no’. One size styles and smartly-cut pieces can cover a wide size range without looking like a sack. The magic is in the fabric (cotton or linen), the drape, and the cut from the shoulders to the hips, not a size on the tag. Think of this season as the ‘intermission dressing’ season. The goal is a flexible, smart mini-closet that moves with you while your body is changing.

So what does deserve your hard earned cash now? You need to look for pieces that flex with you through many sizes, respect loose skin and still look intentional, especially when you are pairing them with that favourite designer bag. Look for Italian cut linen pants – Google it if you don’t know what I’’m talking about – they have an elasticated waistband and fit beautifully. They are wide, with a loose leg that skim over tummy, thighs and any extra skin that might have evolved.There are a ‘no fuss’ pants, minus back pockets – which can add bulk! You are looking for a top that skims the tummy area rather than a blunt line across.As the weather cools down (or in the evening) you can wear a string top under a top – to hold you in place. Tops with structure in the shoulder, even if the hemline is not stiff and straight, add a more polished look, and you avoid a ‘sloppy’ overall look.

Try to avoid tunics that cut your legs in half, seek out ones that end at the hips, it’s a far more flattering look. Your aim should be an intentionally relaxed look rather than an oversized look.

A long sheer lightweight cardigan or kimono robe can become your chic security blanket. Arms can often be the last place that a woman wants to show after rapid weight loss and years of fluctuating sizes. Look for one (or two) in as thin a material as possible – they are a wonderful layering piece that you can throw on over anything, without adding bulk or heat, and they give instant glamour! Completely open at the front, a soft breathable fabric and just enough arm coverage to make you forget about your loose skin and focus on your beautiful face. Perhaps buy two, one for everyday and another slightly more dressy one!

Be cautious of thin stretchy jersey material that will grab every line and fold. Avoid stiff cotton, as it will tent out from the widest point in your body and obviously any clingy body con is a definite no-no.

Use colour to draw the eye up, deeper shades on the bottom, slightly brighter or face-flattering colours near your neckline. Choose sleeves that hit just above or below the elbow to soften the upper arm.

Remember that this is your intermission wardrobe and it does not require investment, as you are just passing through. There are lots of sales already on, so you might just find some great bargains on quality pieces at a fraction of what they normally retail for. Be steadfast in your splurging and save it for when you are finally ready to invest. When your weight finally stabilises after four to six months and you are no longer in between sizes anymore is when you will know that you are moving into your long-term wardrobe. Please don’t fret and think that you have to go out and buy loads of clothes when you finally get ‘there’. We all have way too much stuff.

So, if you are somewhere between “my pants almost fell off today” and “I don’t recognise myself at all (in a good way)”, embrace this new chapter and dress to reflect your achievement.

by Niamh Cooper, Melissa Byrne & Gillian Hegarty

The weather in July has been nothing short of spectacular, and many of us have lived outside for the last few weeks. Even when the weather decides to take a turn – and it will, eventually, because this is Ireland – this is the season for food you can eat with your fingers. And nothing on any picnic blanket, or kitchen table, will be as spectacularly pink as this beetroot dip. It looks like something a unicorn might eat. And it tastes even better.

If you haven’t tried beetroot yet, zapping it into a dip might be one of the best things you’ve done this summer. You can buy beetroot in a packet, or fresh – and you can eat it, leaves and all! Just a note though: don’t use the pickled beetroot as it won’t work in this recipe!

First, a word about the leaves. When you buy fresh beetroot between June and October, it comes with its beautiful stalks and leaves attached, and they are delicious too. Strip the leaves from the stalks and wash everything. Cut the stalks into roughly 2cm pieces and cook in boiling salted water for two minutes, then add the leaves and cook for one minute more. You can also steam them. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Ingredients

• 250g cooked beetroot

• 50g feta cheese

• 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh mint

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

If using fresh beetroot, cut off the stalks, leaving about an inch on the beetroot. Wash gently without damaging the skin, place in a saucepan of cold water, and then ask an adult to help you: Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, depending on size. The beetroot is cooked when the skin comes off easily and a skewer slides through with no resistance. Remove the skin and stalk, roughly chop, and place in a food processor with all the other ingredients. Blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning; you may like more lemon, salt, pepper or mint. The dip looks beautiful, garnished with marigold petals. One warning: beetroot juice stains everything it touches, including you, so wear old clothes. 

A few ways to eat it:

Serve it on bread, with crackers or on toasted pitta; eat with a rainbow of raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, cucumber and peppers; dollop onto a hot baked potato instead of butter; spread inside a wrap; have on a burger instead of ketchup, or whatever way you fancy eating it.

Turn it into a salad. Cut the cooked beetroot into wedges and place in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, add a few rocket leaves and tear in some mint. Mix the oil and lemon juice together and pour over the beetroot. Transfer to a serving bowl and crumble over the feta. Garnish with edible flowers from the garden if you have them, such as violas, marigolds, borage or cornflowers. Broad beans are a lovely addition as well, and they are fantastic right now – if you can get your hands on them.

So there you have it: a dip (or salad!) that is bursting with goodness, looks amazing and is totally delicious. Make a batch, share it with someone, and see if you can convince them it came from a unicorn. 

Did You Know?

• Beetroot has one of the highest amounts of antioxidants of any vegetable? They help protect the cells in your body.

• The amazing colour comes from natural pigments called ‘betalains’, which scientists are researching for their cancer-protective and other effects.

• Beetroot is packed with nitrates, which widen your blood vessels and help oxygen move around your body more efficiently. That is why athletes drink beetroot juice before races. Scientists are also studying whether it may help lower blood pressure, improve breathing and keep our brains healthy.

• The ancient Greeks ate only the leaves. It took hundreds of years before anyone thought of eating the root!

For generations, building a home on family land has been a familiar route to home ownership, particularly in rural Ireland. With house prices continuing to rise and housing supply remaining tight, more people than ever are now considering buying a site and building their own home as a practical way of entering the property market. For many families, this can also provide an opportunity for adult children to gain independence without moving far from home, or to install a modular unit where there is suitable space on an existing family property.

The Government is now proposing changes to planning policy aimed at creating a more consistent approach across all local authorities, replacing the current ‘location lottery’ with a unified national planning framework that provides greater certainty for applicants. The proposed amendments would ease local housing need restrictions by expanding eligibility to include economic need as well as those working in farming, forestry and essential public services such as teaching and nursing. They would also remove blanket bans on ribbon development and eliminate limits on the number of homes that can be built on a family farm. In addition, under exceptional personal or health circumstances, elderly people wishing to downsize and families caring for a person with a disability could build a home of up to 90 square metres within the site boundary of the original family home. These homes would be subject to conditions, including that they must be used as the owner’s primary residence for a minimum of 10 years and cannot be used as short-term rental accommodation.

The shift has brought renewed attention to self-build mortgages, planning rules and government supports, It has also made the process more complicated, as the cost of construction, land, and professional fees can push many projects beyond what families can afford.

Over the past few years, the cost of building a home has increased significantly. As a result, some people who had planned to self-build are now being told they can no longer afford to do so and should consider buying an existing property instead. In some cases, the total cost of a self-build has even exceeded the market value of the completed home.

Anyone considering building a home should begin by setting a realistic budget. The first step is to speak with a mortgage broker to establish your borrowing capacity before engaging with an architect or engineer. Understanding how much you can borrow, together with your total available budget, allows you to work backwards and plan a home that is financially achievable.

Having a clear budget from the outset helps shape the house design around what is realistically affordable rather than what is aspirational. It is also worth asking your architect or engineer to prepare a ‘gold-plated’ design that includes all of your desired features, with each item individually costed. This allows you to identify where savings can be made during the initial build while ensuring the design can accommodate those features in the future if your budget allows.

Planning permission remains a key step in most self-build projects. A mortgage application generally cannot proceed until conditional planning permission has been granted, and lenders will also want to review the specific conditions attached to that permission.

One of the most significant recent changes to Ireland’s planning system is the introduction of new exemptions for modular homes, which came into effect on July 27, 2026. The measures are designed to make it easier for homeowners to create additional living space by allowing standalone modular homes in back gardens, larger home extensions and, in certain circumstances, the subdivision of existing homes.

Under the new rules, detached garden units, often referred to as ‘granny flats’, of between 32 and 45 square metres can now be built for family use without planning permission, provided they do not have a separate utility connection and are not used for short-term letting. The maximum size of exempt rear house extensions has also increased from 40 square metres to 45 square metres, with any previous extensions taken into account when calculating the total floor area.

The changes also allow an existing home to be divided into two self-contained units, each with a minimum floor area of 32 square metres, provided the development meets the specified criteria. In addition, the exemption threshold for general garden structures, such as home offices and outbuildings, has increased to 30 square metres.

The new exemptions are subject to a number of conditions. They apply only to construction carried out between July 27, 2026 and December 31, 2030. The main house must retain at least 25 square metres of private outdoor space, although there is ongoing debate about how this requirement will be interpreted, as the total includes both front and rear outdoor areas. Other requirements, including minimum distances from septic tanks where applicable, must also be met. Detached garden units must maintain a minimum 0.6-metre setback from walls and property boundaries.

Government supports are available for some self-build projects, although qualifying has become more challenging. The Help to Buy Scheme can be used for self-builds, but applicants must still meet the scheme’s lending criteria. In practice, this means the loan-to-value calculations must align with the valuation of the completed property. Borrowers must take out a mortgage of at least 70 per cent of the completed property’s value, and the completed home cannot be valued at more than €500,000.

The First Home Scheme may also be available for some self-builds, although it is subject to property value limits and other eligibility criteria. For applicants who are unable to borrow enough through the main pillar banks, a Local Authority Home Loan may provide an alternative, depending on the borrower’s circumstances and the value of the property. Maximum property value limits vary between local authority areas.

For anyone considering a self-build, the key message is that it remains an achievable route to home ownership, but it requires more careful planning than ever before. Rising construction costs, stricter lending criteria and planning considerations mean prospective builders need to do far more research before committing to a site or finalising a design.

Modular homes may offer a faster solution in some cases, particularly in light of the recent planning changes. However, buyers should not assume they are exempt from planning rules or other regulations. The best approach is to have your budget, planning position and finance fully in place before construction begins.

Whether you are planning to build your forever home, create a garden home for an adult child or develop additional accommodation to generate rental income, Moneytree can help you identify the lender best suited to your circumstances. Whatever your project, we can guide you through the available lending options and help you find the mortgage solution that best fits your needs.

If you have any questions, please contact the Moneytree team on 023 881 0001.

Honeysuckle, with its bright flowers and sweet perfume, is a symbol of beauty and summertime. However, the wood of honeysuckle, although it begins life soft and flexible, becomes very hard as it matures, with the ability to choke off the growth of any other wood by binding it tightly in its grip. This has made it a symbol in Irish legend of strength and slow inexorable power, which led to the Irish saying that anything that was hard to break was ‘chomh righin leis an táith-fhéithleann, as tough as the honeysuckle.

In Ireland, honeysuckle was believed to have a power against evil spirits and it was used in a drink to cure the effects of the ‘evil eye’. In parts of Scotland on May Day farmers put pieces of honeysuckle and rowan over the doors of the cow houses to prevent the goodness of the milk being stolen by witchcraft. In the Hebrides, they used to make a death of ivy, honeysuckle and rowan and placed it over the lintel of the cow house and under the vessels in the dairy to safeguard the cows and their milk from evil. On the Isle of Man, honeysuckle was considered good ‘to keep milk from stinginess and butter from blackness’.

The flowers of honeysuckle are full of nectar and a favourite pastime of children was to suck them for their sweet taste and this trait gave honeysuckle its name. Honeysuckle is also known as woodbine. In Irish it has several names – ‘féithleann, táith-fhéithleann, bainne gamhna’ (calves’ milk), ‘lus na meala (the herb of honey), ‘mil ghabhair’ (goat’s honey). In the 1950s, in West Cork we called it ‘táith-fhéithleann’.

In England, honeysuckle has romantic associations. If it is brought into a house then a wedding will follow and, if its flowers are placed in a girl’s bedroom, it will bring her dreams of love. Honeysuckle is mentioned by Shakespeare in a romantic context, ‘Sleep thou and I will wind thee in my arms / so doth the woodbine – the sweet honeysuckle gently entwist’.

In Irish, the name ‘bainne gamhna’, (literally calve’s milk) refers to the idea of something sweet for sucking. The name appears in the well-known old Irish song, ‘Samhradh, samhradh, bainne na ngamhna, Thugamar féin an samhradh linn. Samhradh buí na nóiníní glégheal / Thugamar féin ansamhradh linn’. (Summer, summer, the honeysuckle / we brought the summer with us / Golden summer of bright daisies / we brought the summer with us). The song was traditionally sung at Maytime as part of the festivities, when there was singing and dancing and making garlands of flowers.

In the great Irish tale, ‘Táin Bó Cuailgne’ (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), Cuchulainn is goaded into fighting the great friend of his youth, Ferdia. Ferdia had left Ulster and fought with the Connaght men and Queen Maeve against Ulster, whose greatest warrior was Cuchulainn. None of the Connacht champions could beat Cuchulainn. Maeve’s last chance was to force Ferdia to fight his friend. Cuchulainn was goaded by the words that Ferdia “has bested you as a woodbine binds trees”. Later, when Cuchulainn finally turned the table on Ferdia, he himself uses the same image. He tells Ferdia to stand aside or ‘I will entwine you as a woodbine binds trees’. It is not the gentle embrace of love that is meant here, but the crushing of an enemy in an iron grip.

Honeysuckle’s themes of love and strength come together in the Irish tale of the love between the youth ‘Baile Mac Buain’ and the princess ‘Aillin’. Their love is ill-fated and they both die of broken hearts and are buried separately. A yew tree grows from Baile’s grave and an apple tree from Aillin’s and, after seven years, poets made writing tablets out of each of them. It so happens that the two poets later attend a feast at Tara at the same time, and the high king, Cormac Mac Airt, is impressed by both poems. He asks to see the two tablets and, as soon as he takes them into his hands, they spring together and become entwined like honeysuckle around a branch. So tightly are they intertwined that no-one could part them.

In traditional herbal medicine the flowers of honeysuckle have been used to make a syrup to cure diseases of the respiratory organs and asthma, and a decoction of the leaves has been used for diseases of the liver and spleen. The most common cure was to use the leaves and flowers for gargles and lotions for inflammations of the mouth, especially thrush. The bark of honeysuckle was used in counties Leitrim and Cavan as a cure for jaundice and in Cork and Wicklow as a cure for whooping cough. In other parts of Ireland, people used to chew it as a cure for toothache. Beekeepers used to smear their hives with honeysuckle flowers so that the bees would regard them as their homes and return to them. The leaves were a favourite food of goats, hence the Latin name for the honeysuckle family comes from ‘capri folium’ (goat’s leaf).