We think of osteoporosis as a condition that affects the older adult, but it is a condition that is established in youth. Bone mass peaks in your 20s but what builds your bone mass is exercise and loading the bone through heavy weight or resistance. This means that the amount of bone mass you acquire as a child and through young adulthood will determine your risk of acquiring osteoporosis as an older adult even though we actually begin to lose bone mass from about 35 onwards.

Bones are the rigid structures that form the framework of your body, making up the skeleton. And maybe it is our collective association of the skeleton with death that makes us think of bones as inert, dry, dead matter but this association could not be further from the truth.  Bones are dynamic organs composed mostly of collagen and calcium phosphate, which provide strength and flexibility. Bones protect internal organs, support muscles, store essential minerals, and house the marrow, where blood cells are produced.

Bones are constantly renewing themselves through a process called remodelling, where old bone tissue is replaced with new. Bone cells called osteoclasts are our demolition crew which break down and absorb old bone tissue, while osteoblasts are our construction crew, building new bone tissue. This ongoing renewal is crucial for maintaining bone health and strength. Because of their critical role in movement, protection, and overall health, keeping your bones strong is essential – especially when thinking about preventing conditions like osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is often referred to as a silent disease, as the loss of bone density is painless in the early stages. In fact, the primary way it is diagnosed is through a low radiation scan of the body (DEXA scan) which your doctor may recommend based on your age or risk factors. There are several risk factors to consider.

Women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men because they have smaller bones than men and women with smaller frames are more at risk than women with larger frames for the same reason. Loss of oestrogen and testosterone in menopause contribute to a loss in bone density with some women experiencing excessive bone loss at this time. In fact, if there are no mitigating familial contra-indications against the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy, this should be something to discuss with your doctor, particularly if you have several risk factors for osteoporosis and are below 50.  

If there is a history of osteoporosis in your family this further increases risk, especially if either parent has experienced a fracture from a trip or fall or less. 

Certain medications and treatments leave one vulnerable to bone tissue loss. S.S.R.I.s commonly prescribed for depression, long term steroid use, some medications used in the treatment of breast cancer, prostate cancer and epilepsy can be risk factors. Conditions such as coeliac disease or Crohn’s and having an overactive thyroid can contribute to loss of bone density. And all patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy need preventative treatment to protect against bone loss.

The obvious lifestyle apply here: excessive alcohol consumption (more than two drinks a day), smoking and inactivity. Poor dietary choices factor too, whether it is consuming a limited range of nutrients or poor quality foods, which can lead to chronic inflammation, which underlies so many of our health woes these days. Under-eating and over-exercising in younger years can have serious long-term effects on bone density.  

So what can we do?

Far from presenting a negative and hopeless picture there is much we can do, whether we wish to prevent osteoporosis or even reverse it. Diet and exercise are the two most important tools in your toolbox, so let’s look at the specifics.

One third of bone tissue is made of collagen, a flexible tissue that gives bone the ability to bend under pressure without snapping. Calcium is a mineral that hardens bone and gives it rigidity while collagen provides elasticity, bone health requires both. Calcium supplementation is often the first port of call regardless of the degree of bone loss. We can get calcium in our diets from leafy greens such as kale, spinach and bok choy but if you wish to pursue the supplementary route, ensure that your vitamin D source is combined with the mineral K2, which activates a protein that acts as a guide directing the calcium to the bones and not the arteries. In fact, the Rotterdam Study, which tracked nearly 5,000 people over a ten-year period from 1990 to 2000 found a high dietary intake of k2 resulted in a decrease in aortic calcification or hardening of the arteries. K2 can be found in the Japanese dish of Natto (fermented beans) or perhaps more palatably in Kefir, should you wish to obtain it from food.

An important mineral to include here is magnesium. Calcium and magnesium work as a tag team in the bone tissue, while calcium provides the structure and strength, magnesium regulates calcium balance and bone crystal formation. If your magnesium is low, your body can’t use calcium efficiently.

Other foods to consider for calcium are beans and legumes, sesame seeds and in particular tahini, one tblsp of which contains the same amount of calcium as a small glass of milk. According to research published in the #publication Osteoporosis International (2024), consuming 100g of prunes daily has favourable impacts on bone mineral density.

I mentioned above the importance of collagen to keep our bones ‘elastic’. There is recent and ongoing research into hydrolysed collagen peptide supplementation to increase bone mineral density. Research is ongoing but there are positive noises coming from this area; however, we remain at the ‘studies suggest’ stage for the moment. If you do choose to supplement with collagen peptides, note that Vitamin C really matters for the production of collagen in the body so ensuring your collagen supplement incorporates vitamin C and that you continue to consume a variety of fruit and vegetables in your diet is essential.

Bone needs mechanical stress in order to grow. In a recent study in Queensland Australia a group of post-menopausal women with low bone density underwent a supervised training regimen using heavy lifting such as dead lifts, squats and overhead press exercises. This trial, known as the LIFTMOR trial (2018), has been groundbreaking in that it has proven that supervised, heavy resistance and impact training has positive impact on bone density. The trial consisted of 2 x 30 minute sessions weekly. There is a change in thinking when it comes to exercise and osteoporosis. Rather than fearing fragility we can be empowered to build stronger bones safely. Undertaking strength training should always be supervised properly especially if you are a novice and have low bone density but it is encouraging to know that we can rebuild what has been lost by simply safely increasing load. Start gently and progress. First you should learn how to breathe, how to engage your core and hold your posture to maximise your gains and prevent injury. And of course, walk! Walk briskly, walk uphill, take your stairs but put those joints under load.

From May 24, 2026, a simplified Building Energy Rating (BER) scale has come into effect for domestic and non-domestic buildings in Ireland. This update is part of the Irish implementation of the European Union’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The update aligns the Irish rating scale with those found across Europe, improving comparability and making the ratings easier to understand.

The BER scale has moved from 15 rating levels to a simplified 8-level scale: A0, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Sub-categories such as A1, B2, and C3 have been removed, and A0 has been introduced as a new category for the most energy-efficient buildings that do not use any fossil fuels.

Updated BER certificates are now being issued, featuring additional information on energy use, renewable energy contributions, carbon emissions, and direct access to BER information and upgrade guidance via a QR code. Existing older-format BER certificates remain valid for 10 years from their date of issue.

So, how could this change impact you? Apart from the obvious visual differences, there are several key updates to be aware of:

Under the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) One Stop Shop (OSS) scheme, a primary criterion was achieving a B2 rating. This has now changed to simply achieving a B. Under the old scale, a B2 would have meant a BER or energy value of between 100-125 kWhr/m2/yr. This is the total primary energy use for space heating, hot water, pumps, fans and lighting per year divided by the floor area of the property. Under the new scale, a B is an energy value between 75-150 kWhr/m2/yr, effectively absorbing the old B3, B2, and B1 bands. 

Consequently, hitting what used to be a B3 will now land you a B, which is sufficient for OSS compliance. Note that the 100 kWhr/m2/yr uplift (improvement) requirement still applies if you are not installing a heat pump. While this won’t change much for upgrades featuring a heat pump (which generally land in the A band), it will make navigating the OSS grant route easier for projects retaining an oil or gas boiler.

Irish banks typically offer lower interest rates (usually a 0.1 to 0.3 percent discount off standard fixed rates) for energy-efficient homes. Previously, a B3 or better was required to access these green rates, with some lenders offering a sliding scale based on the exact grade. While lenders are still updating their guidance, the new B band is expected to be the benchmark for green mortgage access, meaning little functional change for borrowers. Valid older certificates (A1 through to B3) will continue to be accepted.

Alongside the scale change, updates have been made to the Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP) methodology. Crucially, the primary energy factors and greenhouse gas emission coefficients have been adjusted to reflect the decarbonisation of the Irish electricity grid. 

Previously, a primary energy factor of 1.75 was applied to electricity use. This meant one unit of electricity used in the home was calculated as 1.75 units of primary energy to account for generation inefficiencies and grid losses. As of May, 24, this factor has dropped to 1.5. 

Because your BER is based on primary energy use rather than final household consumption, this shift impacts final ratings: Most homes will see an improvement, particularly highly electrified homes (e.g., those with a  heat pump). However, solar PV will have less impact on your overall BER result because it is now offsetting less penalised primary energy.

To illustrate the impact of the primary energy factor here are a few examples. A home, which I assessed earlier this year, that had been fully upgrade with heat pump fitted, (no PV) ended up with a A2 rating. If I was to republish this today it would end up as an A0. One from  last month, with an inefficient oil boiler and solar PV, ended up with a C3 rating. If I was to do it this week the result would be D. Another property with a heat pump and PV, that was an A3, would drop down to a B. While multiple methodology changes occurred simultaneously, the variations above are primarily driven by the new electricity primary energy factor.

Other changes to the methodology include: Solar PV battery storage. The calculation now factors in whether a battery storage system is fitted (which previously had no impact on the BER). Smart Grid Readiness is now considered. There is an option to state whether the building “has the ability to adapt energy use, generation, or storage according to external signals.” This is assumed for homes with heat pumps or solar PV; while it doesn’t alter the energy value, it is a prerequisite for hitting an A0. Additional minor adjustments have also been rolled out for lighting calculations, heat pump water efficiency metrics, and fossil fuel use. 

As always, if you would like to get in touch about anything in this article or your own retrofit project, feel free to reach out: ruairi@retrofurb.ie.

O’Coileáin was definitely in Myross when he wrote ‘An Buachaill Bán’. The first two lines describe perfectly the view from the height of Sliabh na nGar – the view of Castlehaven harbour, the wooded slope of the Lackareagh down to the water’s edge, with Rahine Castle, the League and Reen peninsula, and across the inlet Castletownshend village on the hillside.

‘Maidin læ ghil fá dhuille criant ghlais / Daire im aonar cois imeall trá’

(One bright morning under the green foliage / Alone by the ocean’s edge)

‘An Buachaill Ban’ is an Aisling poem of high quality. The word Aisling means a dream or vision. The vision the poet always sees is the spirit of Ireland as a majestic, radiant, beautiful maiden. Séan O Coileáin describes her appearance ‘í bhfis trém néallaibh do dhearcas spéirbhean’ – (in a vision I saw a beautiful maiden). From Aodhagán Ó Rathaille on, the spéirbhean (literally sky-woman) mourns the condition of Ireland and looks forward to the return of the Jacobites. The Irish  people had no leader in the 18th century. After Sarsfield there was no leader in whom they could place their hopes until the rise of O’Connell – ‘a wilderness of more than a hundred years’. In this despair, the only banner that promised another fight, and a reversal of their misfortune was the return of the Stuarts. In the ‘Aisling’ poems, Ireland’s woes are detailed – her princes (Red Hugh, Eoghan Rua O’Néill, Sarsfield etc) are all dead, her castles broken, her land in the possession of foreigners, her children scattered across the sea. ‘This Jacobite Aisling is quite typical of that genre; indeed, it is one of the most perfect, if in these we look for music and decoration’ wrote Corkery. This is a translation of the first verse from ‘The Hidden Ireland’ (pp 299/300) translated by Éireannach.

‘With crimson gleaming the dawn rose, beaming / On branching oaks nigh the golden shore, / Above me rustled their leaves, and dreaming, / Methought a nymph rose the blue waves o’er; /

Her brow was brighter than stars that light our / Dim, dewy earth ere the summer dawn, / But she spoke in mourning; “my heart of sorrow / Ne’er brings a morrow, mo Bhuachaill Bán”.

The ‘Battle of Ross’ is a long poem, which tells of a clash between local Orangemen, who paraded through the town of Rosscarbery on July 12, 1798, commemorating King William’s victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, with local Catholics.

‘July the twelfth in Ancient Ross / There was a furious battle / Where many an Amazonian lass / Made Irish bullets rattle.’

O’Coileáin was friendly with Colonel Townsend of Castletownsend demesne. On one occasion Ó Coileáin was arrested for running a school, which was prohibited by law to Catholics. He wrote a letter in verse to Colonel Townsend who had him released. In ‘Sweet Castletownshend Demense’ he extols the beauty of the village and in particular Townsend’s Demense. This is the first verse:

‘You gently sweet muses assist me, / And join in the sweet vocal air, / In praise of that sweet habitation / Where nature its beauties display. / I’ve roamed through all parts of this nation / I’ve travelled from Paris to Spain, / Yet I’ve found none so truly delightful / As Sweet Castletownshend Demense.’

Many of his sayings and exploits were kept alive in the oral folklore of the area. One Sunday morning in Stookeen Church, there happened to be in the congregation, a wandering beggar man, nicknamed Sciúirdín, and his little dog, Beití (Betty). During mass the little dog barked. The priest was very angry but said nothing. When mass was over the priest met Sciúirdín who was chatting with others near the gate. Béiti barked again. The priest caught the little dog and threw her against the wall, killing her. Sciúrdín was very upset but was afraid to say anything. Séan Máistir was among the crowd who witnessed what happened. He walked over to where Beití lay dead and composed a quatrain, the last line of which is: ‘Is ní bás gan sagart fuair madra Sciúirdín’. (And it wasn’t death without a priest that Sciúirdín’s dog received).

One day when Séan Maistir was returning from Poll’s Shebeen, obviously intoxicated, he sat on the ditch and tumbled into a lochán (pool) of water, ‘An Lochán Buí (the yellow pool). A woman with little sense happened to be passing and scolded Séan for being drunk and giving bad example. This was his reply:- ‘Fear na meisce síoraí agus bean na buile shíntí / Agus bean na buile / Dá chur i dtuiscint / D’fhear an meisce a droch-phoíntí.

‘The man who is always drunk / And the woman who is half crazy / And the mad woman / Telling the drunken man his bad points.’

Mr. John O’Donovan of Castlehaven N.S. included the following story in the Irish Schools Folklore Collection of 1938, which I have translated as follows:-

A certain problem was presented to learned men in Dublin. Since they could not solve it they sent a scholar to Seán Ó Coileáin. When the scholar reached Union Hall he went in to a public house. The innkeeper was talking to a man who had the appearance of a spailpín (wandering labourer). The man from Dublin asked the innkeeper where Séan Ó Coileáin lived. The spailpín told him that he was living near Ó Coileáin and that he would accompany him to the house. As they proceeded towards the Lackareagh, the scholar outlined the problem to his companion. Nothing further was said until they reached a heap of sand. With the point of a stick, by the light of the moon, the spailpín solved the problem. [mathematical?]

Then it struck the scholar that his companion was no ignorant spailpín but Séan Ó Coileáin himself. And he was right.

In the School Folklore Collection of Union Hall (1938), the Principal, Tomás Ó’Donnabháin, included most of a long poem in English entitled ‘Cuchulainn and Cinnlaoch’ attributed to Séan Máistir. Mr O’Donovan states that his father had many stories about Ó Coileáin and that he knew many of his poems. He mentions one other, ‘Eachtra Chapaill an Chuimín’, which was known in English as ‘The Sorrel Nag’.

Séamus Mac Cártaigh, Principal of Knockskeagh, N.S. Leap, includes a poem attributed to Ó Coileáin, which he transcribed from Tadhg Ó Muirthile, of Kilfadeen, Leap. There is an Irish and English version of the poem, ‘My Sweet Cailín Fionn’ – (My Sweet Fair-haired Girl). It is a lyrical description of a beautiful girl with  whom Ó Coileáin fell in love. This is the final verse in English:

‘No black, no brown will please me / Her sorrel will not tease me / There’s no colours there to tease me / But the fair one that’s true. / With her curling locks so amazing / Made thousands stand out gazing / And why shouldn’t I be praising / My sweet Cailín Fionn.’

In his ‘Love-Letter’ to Margaret, full of exaggeration and ‘flowery’ language, the poet seems to set out to dazzle and impress his beloved abstruse. A few lines will suffice.

‘Most adorable Miss Margaret, the super-eminence of your super abundant pulchritude, the bright effulgence and dazzling irradiation of your azure luminaries, together with the sapient sanity and ratiocination of your analogical mind, totally ignified my macerated microcosm…’

The bardic tradition goes back to pre-Christian Celtic Gaul and classical Gaelic poetry continued to be composed up to the middle of the 17th century. The defeat at Kinsale (1601) struck the death knell of the bardic order and ultimately to the almost complete annihilation of Irish tradition, culture and language one rate following centuries, its end hastened more rapidly by the Great Famine of 1845-49. In the old order the Bard or ‘file’ was highly respected, acclaimed and even feared because of their power with words. The Gael loved words. Even today, old men like Neilly Bohane of Dromadoon near Lough Ine, Skibbereen, Jerry O’Mahony of Dooneen, Castlehaven and Paddy Hurley of Kilfadeen, Leap, for example, can recite dozens of poems, mostly in English. Their love of English shines through.

In the folklore of West Cork the poet was attributed with great, even magical power. Both Séan Máistir and Micheál Chormaic Ó Súilleabháin were attributed with the power to banish rats. Micheál Chromic drove them out of Abbeystrewery graveyard, Skibbereen and Séan Máistir banished them from Myross graveyard.

Séan Máistir Ó Coileáin was buried in Rossmore Old Graveyard. A Celtic Cross, now weathered and lichen-covered, was erected over his grave in 1910.

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

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Many of the wines and other home brews were said to have curative powers. Dandelion coffee, made from the roots or leaves of the dandelion, was said to be a cure for bed-wetting; mixed with whiskey it was used by people with chest complaints. Cowslip wine was said to be good for the complexion. In Cork a tea made from boiling wild carrots was used for rheumatism. One of the most popular drinks all over the country was made from bogbean, known as ‘báchrán’ or bahrams. In Donegal they said: “Drink bahrams in March and nettles in Mye (May) and you’ll not need a doctor till the day you die.” Roots of the bogbean, which are white, run underground and have small stems. In the month of March it was usual to dig up the roots and clean them in water. They were then boiled and sugar was added to taste. It was a drink guaranteed to clear the blood. In folklore collected in the 1930s, bogbean juice (leaves boiled) was said to be good for the kidneys, valuable for rheumatism, skin diseases, constipation and as a tonic.

Young nettles, particularly in May, were boiled and used as a blood cleanser. Boiled nettles are also said to be good for rheumatism and bronchitis.

Tea was introduced to Ireland in the early part of the 18th century, and like coffee and chocolate, was first drunk only by the wealthy and leisured. It took over a century for it to become part of the staple diet of the Irish people. A breakfast of tea and white bread was considered a luxury well into the middle of the 19th century and given only to important visitors. In William Carleton’s pre-famine story, ‘Going to Maynooth”, the obnoxious Denis O’Shaughnessy, conscious of his exalted status as a clerical student, announces to his unfortunate father: “In future I’m resolved to have a ‘tay’ breakfast every morning.”

Times were hard and tea was bought sparingly, if at all. In folklore collected in the 1930s, an informant in Co. Sligo recalls that long ago tea was bought only for Christmas. A half-ounce was used, and the remainder kept until Easter. Stories are told of the confusion over methods of preparation that arose when tea was first introduced. A story from Co. Wexford highlights this: “When tea first came to these parts they never used the liquid. After brewing, the liquid was thrown out and the leaves spread on bread with milk to drink.” Up to the middle of the last century, tea came in large chests and was weighed by the shopkeeper. Unlike today, when everything is packaged, many goods came loose and were packed and weighed in the shop.

Like many itinerant traders, the ‘tay’ man was a familiar figure in the Irish countryside, going from house to house selling ‘spills’ of tea. In the west of Ireland he is remembered best as ‘Seáinin a ’tae’ (Seán of the tea). There is a rueful Irish proverb: ‘Marbh ag tae is marbh gan é’ (dead from tea and dead from the lack of it). During World War II when many goods had to be rationed, tea and tobacco were solely missed.

Tea was considered a luxury in many parts of Ireland in the 19th century and was given to servant boys and labouring men on Sundays and Church holidays as a special treat. Folklore collected in Kerry describes: “All the payment a man might ask for jobs such as helping with a litter of pigs was a good fire, the tea and a teapot under his arm. Women who arrived to do such work as plucking geese, cutting seed (i.e. for potato farming) or washing clothes would refuse to stay unless they were assured of the odd smoke and tea served several times a day.” The tin can made by the local tinsmith with a handle on one side made do for a teapot in many homes. The teapot was seldom out of the ‘gríosach’ or ashes, and tea might be brewed up to ten times a day. It wasn’t considered worth drinking unless it was so strong that “you could dance a mouse on it.”

The tea on the draw, the ever-ready offer of a cup to a neighbour, was a sign of hospitality. Bargaining at a fair generally needed the help of a go-between, who might say to a reluctant buyer: “Make the deal, be a decent man. You come of good stock. Sure your mother never took the teapot from the fire.”

Since his arrival, my daily routine has completely changed. I now walk every single day, sometimes for up to an hour – something I never would have done before. And because Milo is such an important part of our family, keeping him healthy has become a real priority for me. Seeing so many dogs develop autoimmune conditions or require surgery, I’ve become passionate about supporting his health in the most natural way possible.

One of our biggest wake up calls came when Milo was about three. We went on holiday, and he had to stay in a kennel, which meant a round of vaccinations and medications. A few months later, he started itching like crazy and developed what we initially thought was conjunctivitis. When we took him to the vet, we were surprised to learn that his eye issue wasn’t an infection – it was likely a reaction to something in his diet. And guess what the most common allergen for dogs is? Chicken! We cut chicken out (which, by the way, is in almost every commercial dog food), and his eyes cleared up completely. Every so often I test the theory but even the smallest bit of roast chicken skin gives him gooey eyes again. 

Figuring out what to feed him has been a journey. I was drawn to raw feeding over ultra-processed kibble, so we experimented with different raw diets until we found what suited him – and us. Now, he thrives on a mostly raw diet with one meal a day and a little cold-pressed kibble as a top-up. His digestion has improved, and his energy levels are through the roof.

But even after the diet change, the itching persisted. We used drops from the vet, which helped, but I started to question the sheer amount of medication our pets are given. Vaccines, tick treatments, mite drops, kennel cough meds – it all adds up, not just in their bodies but in the environment too. When your dog is running around peeing in nature (in our case, the stunning Glengarriff Nature Reserve), it makes you think twice about what’s in their system.

That’s when I started looking for natural alternatives, and I was very happy to discover The Natural Vet Company, a new Cork-based family business making herbal pet care products developed by a vet. We recently launched their range in Organico, and Sinead, the founder, came to train our team. A qualified Veterinary Herbalist, combined with over a decade of experience as a veterinary surgeon across Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, Sinead has used her expertise to create effective, natural remedies for pets. 

Her range supports a variety of pet health issues, from skin conditions to anxiety, arthritis, digestive troubles, and more. One standout for me is her Green Lipped Mussel supplement for joint care. Sinead discovered that vets in Australia rely on Green Lipped Mussel instead of pharmaceutical anti-inflammatories. Not all Green Lipped Mussel extracts are created equal, though – some are gritty and ineffective, while others (like hers) are soft, pure, and packed with benefits. It’s actually human-grade – which for me really sums up Sinead’s commitment to quality. 

Another incredible product is ‘Calm,’ a natural remedy for pets who struggle with stress. Whether your pet is restless, reactive, or just a bit stubborn in training, this gentle formula helps soothe without the need for heavier medications. Before reaching for pharmaceuticals, this is definitely worth a try.

For Milo, Sinead’s Skin & Coat supplement has been a game-changer. It’s a powerful mix of essential fatty acids, amino acids, and herbal support designed to strengthen the skin barrier, reduce inflammation, and promote a healthy coat. If your dog struggles with recurring skin issues or ear infections, this could be a great daily addition. Since starting it, Milo’s itching has reduced dramatically, his skin is less dry and flaky, and – bonus – his ears no longer smell!

Because Irish Water Spaniels are prone to joint issues, I also give him the Joint Care supplement occasionally. With ingredients like Hemp Oil, Green Lipped Mussel, Ashwagandha, and Devil’s Claw, it’s an excellent natural option for supporting mobility as he gets older.

If you’re interested in exploring natural pet care, The Natural Vet Company’s range is now available at Organico. It’s exciting to see more holistic options for our four-legged family members, and I love knowing that I’m supporting Milo’s health in a way that’s both effective and kind to the environment.

Have you tried natural remedies for your pet? I’d love to hear your experiences!

We’re venturing back into holding small events up over the Deli, and the first is a Face Yoga Pamper morning with Irene Dunne and in collaboration with Trilogy, happening Saturday April 12. Tickets are very limited, but keep your eyes peeled as we are planning to hold more events like this in the coming months. 

Born in the UK to a British mother, and an Irish father who was the son of a Church of Ireland minister from a long line of clerics, James Harpur now lives in Rossmore. He started to write in his early twenties. “I came to poetry only at university,” he told Poetry Ireland Review in 2011. “I suddenly obeyed a subterranean urge and decided that poetry was a noble pursuit and a means of exploring ultimate spiritual questions (by which I mean, is there a God, is there a point to life, is there life after death, and so on), which had always been a central driving force in my life – possibly all those rectors in my DNA. Poetry felt like a mission.” 

While writing, he uses a process called ‘active imagination’ as developed by the Swiss psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung between 1913 and 1916. It is a meditation technique that can serve as a bridge between the conscious ‘ego’ and the unconscious mind.

To date, James Harpur has published 10 collections of poetry, three non-fiction books, and a well-received novel, The Pathless Country, which is all about Ireland. His latest collection, ‘The Gospel of Gargoyle’ (Eblana Press, 2024) was published some months ago. It will be the focus of his reading at DeBarra’s (hosted by Catherine Ronan). In some ways, it is an ode to one of the most iconic Roman-Catholic buildings in the world, the 12th-century Notre-Dame Cathedral. “A building that meant and means a lot to me. I was in Paris for a month in 2018 on a writing residency and saw it almost every day. When the great fire broke out in 2019, I was absolutely devastated.” He began to work on the collection during Covid. “I was quite rattled at the start by its apocalyptic feel. No one really knew how bad the virus would turn out to be.” As is the case with many of his books, dreams played an important part in its genesis. “I occasionally have dreams where I fly backwards in the sky. In this dream, I landed on the rooftop of Notre Dame and saw this gargoyle. He looked at me and said, “Poets do not come here anymore”. It became the opening line to the entire book that basically consists of, “A dialogue between a poet figure like myself and this gargoyle figure on top of Notre Dame who believes he’s a spirit trapped in stone. He needs a redemption or an escape and the gargoyle believes the poet can help him achieve that through acts and words of imagination. The collection is part poem and part whodunit. The central question is, who or what started the fire in the cathedral?  I am not going to spill the beans here by telling you what the answer is.” The book comes with wonderful and dramatic illustrations by Paul Ó Colmáin. It seems to hold a fair bit of theatrical appeal in any case. Staged readings involving singers and a short film have already taken place in two places in West Cork. James Harpur: “Eventually it could become a radio play, an opera, a musical. Or even a graphic novel.”

The Gospel of Gargoyle – James Harpur reading, April 9, 8:30pm, DeBarra’s Folk Club, 55 Pearse Street, Clonakilty

Interview with the author is on YouTube

This month, I’ve gone deep into the world of salt — its history, where we source it, how it has shaped civilisations, and, of course, which are the best salts to use in our kitchen!

Salt has influenced human civilisation for thousands of years, shaping trade, economies, and even wars. Ancient cultures – from the Egyptians to the Romans – relied on it for preserving food and enhancing flavour. It was once so valuable that Roman soldiers were paid in ‘salarium’ (the root of the word ‘salary’). Salt routes and monopolies fuelled empires, and at times, access to salt determined the fate of nations. From medieval salt taxes to Gandhi’s Salt March, this humble mineral has played a surprisingly powerful role in history.

Salt is everywhere – it’s found in seawater, underground deposits, and salt flats. Oceans hold the largest supply, with about 35 grams of dissolved salt per litre. Underground salt deposits, formed from ancient evaporated seas, are mined in places like the US, Canada, China, and Germany. Salt flats – like Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni and Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats – form when saltwater lakes evaporate, leaving behind vast crusts of salt. Even Mars has traces of salt, hinting at the presence of ancient water!

Salt has seasoned our language as much as our food. Ever heard the phrase “not worth his salt”? It dates back to ancient Rome when soldiers were sometimes paid in salt. “The salt of the earth” (from the Bible) describes someone honest and reliable. “Take it with a grain of salt” suggests skepticism – possibly from the idea that a little salt makes something easier to swallow. Across cultures, salt has flavoured not just meals, but the way we speak. 

We all know that too much salt can be harmful, but sodium is still an essential mineral. The key is choosing the right kind of salt and consuming it in moderation, and being aware of all the ‘hidden salts’ in our foods.

If you’re trying to be mindful of your salt intake, the main foods to keep an eye on are ultra-processed foods, which can contain shockingly high levels of refined salt. 

High-Sodium Foods include bread – supermarket sliced bread, baguettes, crispbreads; processed meats – salami, bacon, ham, sausages; salty snacks – crisps, French fries, crackers, salted nuts; and cheese – brie, cheddar, mozzarella; soups – tinned, frozen or powdered.

While salt is essential for bodily functions, most people consume far more than they need. The recommended daily intake for adults is around 5g (one teaspoon IN TOTAL), yet processed foods can easily push us beyond this limit.

Signs of excessive salt intake include: Frequent thirst and dehydration; swollen hands, feet, or face (water retention); high blood pressure, which can lead to long-term cardiovascular issues; headaches and a feeling of sluggishness after salty meals.

One simple way to monitor your intake is by checking food labels – salt content is often listed as ‘sodium’, and 1g of sodium equals about 2.5g of salt. Cooking from scratch and opting for fresh, unprocessed foods can really help keep your levels in check.

I once saw a documentary about a shop in Japan which sold over 300 different types of salt That seems a little excessive, but I do like to have a variety of salts in my kitchen (and some others in my bathroom!)

In Organico, like many Healthfood Shops, you’ll find a wide range of different salts (though you won’t usually find table salt, as we don’t rate it either for flavour or health)

We stock: Regular Sea Salt (coarse and fine); Celtic salt/French seasalt/grey salt; pink Himalayan salt; herbal salt (we love Herbamare by A.Vogel); Irish salts – like Atlantic Salt from the Beara, Achill Island salt; flavoured salts – smoked, seaweed salt; Maldon salt (flakey, great for finishing dishes).

Not all salts are created equal however! While they all share sodium chloride as their base, their sources, mineral content, and processing methods vary greatly:

Table salt: The most common, highly refined salt. It’s stripped of minerals and often contains additives like anti-caking agents and iodine. It’s the type of salt most commonly found in ultra processed foods and is often responsible for contributing too much salt in our diet. 

Sea salt: Harvested from evaporated seawater, sea salt retains trace minerals like magnesium and calcium, which contribute to its flavour and potential health benefits. The texture and taste vary depending on the source, with options ranging from fine to coarse grains.

Celtic salt: A specific type of sea salt from the coastal regions of France, Celtic salt is unrefined, naturally grey in colour, and retains moisture. It’s packed with over 80 trace minerals, making it a great choice for those looking to boost electrolyte balance.

Himalayan salt: Mined from ancient sea beds in the Himalayas, this pink-hued salt is rich in minerals like iron, potassium, and magnesium. It’s less processed than table salt. 

Each type of salt has its place, and choosing the right one depends on your dietary goals, taste preferences, and cooking needs.

Sea salt is best for everyday cooking (I prefer the French grey salt) and Himalayan salt offer great flavour while providing trace minerals. Use fine sea salt for general cooking and baking, and coarser salts (or a flakey salt like Maldon on Irish Atlantic Salt) for seasoning dishes just before serving.

Celtic/French Sea Salt is a good choice for those seeking a mineral-rich, unrefined option.

For fermentation and curing, coarse sea salt, French Salt or Himalayan salt all work well, as they don’t contain additives that might interfere with fermentation.

Ultimately, moderation is key—choosing a quality salt is important, but reducing processed foods is even more effective in managing sodium intake.

Salt also has many therapeutic uses ranging from helping with conditions like asthma, COPD, and inflammation through salt caves and halotherapy to increasing magnesium levels and easing muscle tension (Epsom Salts). My personal favourite are salt float tanks. Filled with high levels of magnesium salts, they allow you to float effortlessly, helping to relax the nervous system. I love visiting the Zero Gravity float tanks in Cork.

Adding sea salt to your bath can help with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, as well as soothe sore muscles after a workout – I use coarse Celtic salt for this – and gargling salt water or using a saline rinse can be great for sinus health and soothing a sore throat.

Salt is so much more than just a kitchen staple so whether you’re enjoying a salt float, using a salt scrub, or simply sprinkling the right kind of salt on your food, it’s worth taking some time to appreciate this humble yet essential mineral. 

If you want to stock up on salt, come and visit! We’re open in Bantry from 9am-6 pm, Monday to Saturday, with our Deli serving coffee and lunch from 9am-4 pm. If you can’t visit in person, our online shop is shipping across all 32 counties at www.organico.ie. 

It almost took until the final quarter of the year for the weather to come good and that was welcomed by farmers across the country. It took serious pressure off and allowed field work to be complete for tillage farmers and allowed livestock farmers graze later than usual to make up for a challenging 12 months. Those who had eaten into fodder reserves in July and early August, as grass wasn’t growing, had an opportunity to replenish their silage stocks; and cattle didn’t have to be housed as early as last year either. It’s unclear as yet if the good weather was balancing out the bad spring or if we were just being prepared for another bad spring.

Weather and soil

David Wall, soil scientist with Teagasc, confirmed what many farmers assumed when giving a presentation at The Irish Farmers Journal’s ‘Dairy Day’ in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on November 21. Presenting data with the rainfall levels at Teagasc’s Johnstown Castle site in Co Wexford, he said there were two unusual phenomena in weather that farmers had to deal with this year. For the first half of the year, until early June, the land was saturated due to higher than usual rainfall. That was in a free draining soil so imagine that scenario on some of the more challenging soils in West Cork. The second phenomenon was that within days there were soils close to a drought scenario. That period extended from the June 10 to the end of August. His figures confirmed what many farmers felt. The continuous rain followed by cold easterly and northerly winds impacted grass growth nationally. Most farmers have grown about two tonne less dry matter per hectare than the annual average.

Weather finally got some air of normality from late August and that lasted right up until around November 20, before the cold snap; and Storm Bert arrived to remind us it is winter. That lifted the overall mood in farming and was to be welcomed. It also helped that milk price began rising around a similar time, so while the nitrates derogation remains firmly to the forefront of West Cork’s dairy farmers, there’s a more positive vibe around farming compared to this time twelve months ago. Beef price has been good for much of the year too and as those are the two main prices impacting farmers in West Cork, it should be a nice boost for the overall economy of the region.

General Election

The General Election will be concluded by the time you’re reading this and the promises made during it will fade away. While I’ve never had any political affiliation, I’m an interested observer in politics but I do tend to switch out when it comes to promises because invariably farmers and all voters are told what they want to hear and the reality of putting them into action isn’t always possible. This election is interesting from a farming perspective because since the foundation of both parties, farmers have been able to play Fine Gael and Fianna Fail against each other depending on who was in government and who was in opposition. The confidence and supply arrangement from 2016 to 2020 was an unofficial coalition of the two but the last number of years have seen the two serve at cabinet together and some farmers I’ve spoken to are a little bit betwixt and between on what to do now. It’s been interesting to watch to say the least. 

TB

The spectre of TB still hangs over West Cork at present with a number of major outbreaks across the region. Nationally, the number of reactors exceeded 40,000 by the end of October. This is one of the highest years on record. At the end of September, it was higher than for the entire of 2023. In West Cork alone there’s close to 5,000 reactors and this is causing extra hardship on farms. Herd incidence nationally stood at 5.62 per cent at the end of September, a rise of almost one per cent over the year. It’s worse in these parts, in Cork south it has risen from seven per cent to 8.59 per cent in herd incidence.

In response to a question from the Irish Farmers Journal earlier this year, the Department of Agriculture said that in area of major infrastructure works such as roads, wind farms or in places where forestry clear fell took place, there was an increased risk of TB within a 1km radius due to wildlife disturbance.   

In a recent meeting in Mitchelstown earlier in October a senior department vet said that while wildlife may be how TB enters a herd, there is a greater spread within species of the disease rather than between species.

At home

At home everything with the exception of the two stock bulls and a group of older cows are housed. Those cows are grazing silage ground that is too difficult to put cows with young calves on in spring and they should be finished grazing by mid-December. Usually by the end of November, I’d be well into a weekly yard routine but as stock has been out later, I haven’t found my rhythm yet. There’s another bit of toing and froing between pens before things settle down. The last of the weaning didn’t start until the end of the month so I haven’t the decisions around who goes in what pen signed off properly yet. 

I’m trying a few small changes this winter to ease the workload a bit further, so hopefully there’ll be a bit more downtime this winter. It’s funny how you can get into a routine and even though there could be an easier way to do it, you don’t change until you’re under time pressure or you’re incapacitated for some reason. One way I counter that change is to just keep young stock in one yard for the winter. Previously, finishing cattle would have been housed at that yard and, as it’s further from home, it meant going there twice every day. This year, I kept that yard empty for as long as possible; it meant silage stocks were full there, slurry tanks were empty and the workload was confined to one yard. I have no idea why I did that for so long other than it was the annual routine and I was accustomed to it. I’ll need to stand back now and see where else I can make life a bit easier around the yard.

Despite technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the sophistication of computers, it is a fact that the human brain is generally more accomplished at pattern recognition. A child can easily see an animal-shaped cloud in the sky, but a computer has no chance. If you have DNA tested you will start to note that even algorithms on well-known genealogical sites such as Ancestry will fail to recognise or mis-assign family connections which you might consider ‘obvious.’

If you are interested in understanding where the various bits of your DNA came from, whether ancestors or places of origin, then you need to use the tools described in last month’s column to map your various DNA segments. I use the free application DNA Painter. This allows you to copy/paste the data from websites that display your shared segments into your personal project and label them.

At the basic level, you are defining maternal side and paternal side DNA (or unassigned). At the next level, you are assigning segments to known shared ancestors (for example, your parents if matching a sibling, or a set of your great grandparents if matching a second cousin). You might be able to do this, if you have a supporting paper trail connecting to matches six generations or more back. Unfortunately, due to the lack of local records, in West Cork you are usually limited to matching third or fourth cousins, except in the rare circumstance you have older narratives within the family or are the younger generation starting your DNA adventure. Over time, you will build a very colourful and comprehensive project that shows your proven ancestry, as well as ancestry yet to be proven.

While West Cork testers will not benefit from the potential to match a long way back, those Irish with wider ancestry may be more fortunate. I was recently successful in proving a family connection back to a marriage in 1599 for my HORNBUCKLE 10x great grandparents, who had until recently only been theoretical ancestors due to distance and the unreliability of records. I was very surprised and it provides a good example of rare pattern matching and how you can use recombination points to identify different branches of the same family.

Simply put, the reproductive process involves a strand of your DNA being unzipped (it was two copies of RNA), cut into pieces and half of it being recombined into a new strand of RNA that provides half the DNA of your offspring; the other half coming from the other parent. This happens with every generation (and is supposedly random). Consequently, DNA from a long way back is at high risk of being, and usually is, unrecognisable from a genealogical perspective. Where the segments get joined up are recombination points. Different recombination points can indicate different branches and can be helpful finding new connections for the rare occasions a measurable piece of DNA has survived many more generations than expected.

The following cluster of matches illustrates the mapped history of a red DNA segment (about 40cM in size) as it passes down the generations. The tester’s closest cousins, in blue, (from great grandparents) show what passed down each line to them. A fifth cousin (from 4x greats) inherited the segment shown in green. The purple cluster are cousins from 2x greats on the same line. At this point, all that can inferred is that this DNA came via the tester’s 4x greats and ancestors to all the cousins. It is also worth noting that the segments are all larger than 15cM which is the usual size below which false positives can increasingly appear (matches due to being a human rather than ancestral), so these are genuine ancestral segments. This is where human pattern recognition comes into play.

I noticed the yellow segments in various trees belonged to branches of an unusual family name in Australia, DUCK. Finding their shared ancestry, it was possible to follow the family line back to a point where it met more distant ancestors than our tester’s 4x greats. This was two children from the 1599 HORNBUCKLE marriage. Consequentially, there is a triangulated match between the tester, their closest cousins, and new distant cousins who are all in the tenth to eleventh cousins. The yellow segment is only half the original size of the red segment, having lost the first half somewhere along the way to the Australians. Thanks to the Australian families having made their data available it was possible to prove both lines and provide a unique insight into how some segments survive to tell a longer story. If you are able to recognise them. I have several other examples where family trees indicate similar connections but they remain unproven as data is not shared. The same methodology is applied to my West Cork projects but in a more recent timeframe. This is presented this month ahead of future, more technical articles covering specific West Cork family lines.

Many West Cork people have family originating in England, Scotland and Wales, so may be lucky to find similar connections. I am also using this approach to pinpoint the part of my Irish ancestry coming from County Mayo and have been able to identify several townlands where different DNA-matched surnames are clustering even though there is no paper trail prior to the 1820s. So, if you have connections with the SCAHILL family of Ballykilleen (bordering Co. Longford), the HOBAN families of Castlebar and Claremorris, and the LAVELLE and McDONAGH families in that county, please do get in touch. Based on correspondence, I know that the West Cork People online edition is read worldwide, so this is a shout out to any future collaborators who would like to join these investigations.

Questions for future articles can be emailed to DNAmatchingprojects@gmail.com. Private client services available. Follow the West Cork DNA blog on Facebook “My Irish Genealogy & DNA.”

About 20 years ago Patrick started a Foundation called ‘Food for the Brain’, which has to-date tested the cognitive health of nearly half a million people. The aim of ‘Food for the Brain’ is to assess and improve dementia risk, and also to encourage people to take action and improve their own brain function. In his new book (and the talk he gave in Bantry) Patrick unravels why and how our modern diet and lifestyle have led to a brain-health meltdown. He suggests changes and shows how to improve mental energy, improve our mood and our ability to relax, sleep better, reduce anxiety and most importantly, dementia-proof our diet and lifestyle. 

The good news is that all the changes we make to improve the health of our brain also benefit the rest of our body. “If we get our diet and lifestyle right for our brain, they will also be right for our body. If our brains are working well, we will have the resources we need to keep ourselves healthy and well, and if we do encounter a health challenge we will be able to deal with it” Patrick argues. 

The leading cause of death in the UK is Alzheimers and Dementia (11.5pc of deaths according to the Office of National Statistics in UK) and scarily the youngest person diagnosed to date with Dementia is only 19, which means that it’s no longer safe to say it’s an older person’s disease. Patrick was keen to dispel some common myths about dementia – stressing firstly that dementia IS a disease, that it’s not a normal progression of ageing. It’s a disease and what’s more – it’s avoidable. The second myth he wanted to reject is that dementia is ‘in the genes’. “Less than one per cent of Dementia is caused by genes,” he told us, and even in those cases, the progress is manageable – you can slow it down. “We can prevent up to 73 per cent of cases of dementia right now if we tackle what we know,” Patrick said. 

He went on to explain that the main risk he sees as increasing the chance of developing dementia is high levels of Homocysteine, a “toxic amino acid that literally damages your brain as well as your arteries”. High homocysteine levels are increasingly being recognised as one of the most important indicators of many diseases including Motor Neurone Disease, which is very close to home for me, as my mother had it. According to a study in Norway, poor grades in school for children is another homocysteine effect. And at the other end of life ‘if Homocysteine goes up, memory goes down. If Homocysteine goes down, memory goes up”. How do we develop high levels of this toxic amino acid? Risk factors include smoking, stress, lack of exercise, excess weight, poor sleep, and lacking certain nutrients in our diet. 

Luckily it’s possible to test for Homocysteine levels and also correct them with the right nutrient – the main nutrients we need to reduce Homocysteine levels are adequate B vitamins including folic acid and B12. 

However, B vitamins do not work without adequate Omega 3. Patrick is very keen on making sure everyone consumes enough healthy fats. He tells us that our brains are about 60 per cent fat, which is way more than any other organ, and means that the kind of fat we eat, which becomes part of our brain, changes how we think and feel. 

Patrick went on to discuss how we evolved to become Homo Sapiens, which he argues was made possible because of our seafood diet, which caused our brains to grow much bigger than other land-based mammals. “Our ancestors came from the water and ate everything from along the water’s edge” including mussels, oysters, crab, seaweed and small fish like mackerel and herring. “When we are born, we instinctively know how to swim, but it takes us two years to learn to walk”, and we are born with a waxy waterproof layer on our skin, just like seals, which is not found in any other land-based mammal. We also share a lot of similarities with dolphins – every single bone they have in their flippers we have in our hands. Patrick argues that these traits link us to the sea and mean that we should concentrate on eating a seafood diet. 

In recent years though many people have moved away from the seafood diet, with increasing numbers of children in the UK and Ireland not eating any fish at all, let alone the recommended two to three servings of oily fish a week. So supplementing fish oils (omega 3 Fatty Acids) is all the more important to keep our levels of Omega 3 high enough to feed our brain. And in relation to the concern of mercury levels in seafood, Patrick tells us that the benefits of omega 3 far outweighs the mercury risk, and interestingly seafood often contains Selenium, a mineral that helps offset mercury. 

Apart from eating oily fish twice a week and supplementing fish oils (Patrick takes two grams a day, but suggests up to four grams a day if you suffer low mood or don’t eat much fish), we can eat chia seeds, walnuts, flax seeds, kale and seaweeds to keep our levels of fatty acids healthy. ‘Higher Omega 3 levels are associated with 20 per cent less Dementia, and low Omega 3 increases your risk of depression by 28 per cent’. Patrick told us. 

Another vital nutrient for Brain Health is vitamin D. ‘Low Vitamin D equals worse mood, and low vitamin D in childhood means aggression in adolescence’, and cognitive decline is 10 times more likely if someone has low vitamin D levels – so Patrick recommends we all supplement with Vitamin D through the whole year, including children. In terms of sunshine, his advice is 1.5 to two hours as being the optimal time outdoors and ‘don’t overheat the brain – some sun is good, too much is bad – so wear a hat!’

Another important part of taking care of our brain is to keep our sugar intake as low as possible. ‘Sugar kills brain cells’ Patrick said. Higher blood sugar levels equals higher risk of Alzheimers. His advice is to follow the Low GI Diet, which means keeping carbs and sugar low, and eating plenty of high quality proteins and plenty of vegetables.

Patrick’s overall message? “We don’t develop dementia from a lack of drugs – It’s in our control – we can reduce our own risk by how we choose to eat and live”. This is very encouraging for me – one of my grandmothers developed Alzheimers at 70, and the other developed dementia. So I’m certainly going to be following Patrick’s advice. I’m going to be getting a number of Homocysteine Tests soon, so let me know if you’d like to take one. And of course we have Patrick’s book here in Bantry and online also. 

What’s happening this month?

On Saturday June 8, we are celebrating World Oceans Day with our annual Organico Sea Swim. We will be fundraising for the Kelp Campaign by matching all donations, so come along to the Abbey in Bantry at 6.30pm for a high tide dip and a chat about the Kelp Campaign. Oh, and we’ll bring Organico brownies and tea. See you there. 

One step forward, any number of steps back, would be a good description of the farming year to date. Bad weather has been the main driver of the difficulties created at farm level as we experienced rainfall in excess of the Long-Term Average (LTA) annual rainfall for the region in 10 months.

The week of and after Storm Kathleen was a good summation of what the last nine months have felt like. Despite concern about it, the storm and the day after brought more wind than rain and did a lot of good drying out ground. That was a nice win. Waking up to pounding rain that kept going for most of that Monday was a bitter pill for many farmers. The sun made a brief appearance on Tuesday but from Wednesday through to early Saturday morning, the locality here was shrouded in fog, mist and rain. Visibility was poor and those few days were tough going. 

Thankfully by the start of the third week of April, conditions improved somewhat but the knock-on effects of the last few months will take a while to work though. 

It’s hard to believe it’s May. Save for the clocks changing it felt like November never left us. 

While there might be a bit more happening in fields and less in yards, we’re not fully out of the woods yet. It was the second half of May in 2013 and 2018 when there were fodder shortages before weather normalised. Hopefully that won’t be the case this year.

Controlled improvisation has been the order of the day on farm. Plans were made on a day by day or week by week basis depending on the farms ground conditions, fodder supply and slurry storage. As tiring as spring 2023 was in yards, 2024s variant has been even harder. 

Its impact can be seen in production levels too. To the end of March, milk yields were back anywhere from three to nine per cent on the corresponding time last year. Weather has been the big impact on that and for a number of reasons. Bad weather last spring saw a big number of farmers delay breeding slightly: This, coupled with poor conception rates as weather was unsettled in early May, meant that cows calved later. This was very evident at calf marts throughout the country. Many of them reported that numbers were running up to two weeks behind where they usually would have been. That played out right through March and into the April sales with the peak number of calf sales coming much later. Prices for calves have been running along similar lines to most years but what has been noticeable is a higher proportion of calves from beef sires selling for lower prices than most people were accustomed to. 

Despite the weather, trade in marts for older cattle has been holding very well and that has been to the relief of many livestock farmers. 

That rain has had an impact right across the sector. As difficult as it has been for livestock farmers, anyone looking to get grain crops or vegetables into the ground has had it even tougher. They got little to no chance to get in to do field work in the first 15 weeks of the year. How that plays out over the remainder of the year will be worth watching. With planting delays for veg in particular, there could be a rise in prices as yields will be back. There are similar concerns with grain and possibly even more with straw. Last year’s difficult harvest made straw a valuable commodity this past winter and with more of it needed for bedding as the spring went on it could be in short supply if the summer doesn’t play ball. Fortunately, the weather picked up towards the end of the month and fields became a hive of activity as more livestock got out and farmers and contractors were finally able to make a start at field work. There was even some silage cut. 

It’s going to be a while longer before farmers can relax a bit in 2024. 

At home, aside from those that got out in March, it wasn’t until the third week of April before any extra cows and calves got out to grass over the last month. That’s never happened before, as usually they would be going out as soon as conditions allowed, but this year was a balancing act.

A bunch of first-calvers and their calves were out for a fortnight but had to be housed before St Patrick’s day. Heading into the last week of April, they were still inside. They’ll be kept there until grass builds up a little bit more. 

The reason they came in, is that I didn’t want to put too much pressure on the shed and end up with a pneumonia or scour outbreak. The heifers stayed in and older cows were put out until I had two manageable groups on the home farm and they have been on a circuit around the paddocks at home just to keep ticking over before they go to the out-farm.

Last year it was the last days of March when we got cattle to Ballinascarthy, this year it’s almost a whole month later. As busy as the spring was, it’s amazing how it can all come to a stop so fast too. A few dry days meant that the sheds could finally be emptied and yard work wound down for a bit. It’s a refreshing change.