Blossom Time, by Paddy Egan, Kenagh, Co Longford
April! The most beautiful month in Ireland so far
For variety and colour we
cannot compare
When orchards and
hedgerows break into flower
And grey fields turn green with each April shower.
It’s the month when the
blossoms form on hedges and trees
When the tulips and daffodils dance in the breeze
When the birds hatch their brood as they sit on their nest
It’s the month when
we observe nature
perform at its best.
The wild cherry tree is a most beautiful sight
With its mantle of blossoms in crimson and white
The buds will appear when its petals are shed
They will grow into fruit all juicy and red.
The flower of the blackthorn will turn to a sloe
Food for the birds when the temperatures low
The whitethorns bloom later, the first week in May
They’ll be covered in haws for Halloween day.
The apple trees are a great mass of flower
The plum, pear and damson make a beautiful bower
They all shed their petals when about to bear fruit
Their presence is a credit to the Marquess of Bute.
There’s lilac and prunis and flowering cherry
They have beauty and colour but don’t grow a berry
We know winters over when blossoms appear
No doubt April’s the most beautiful month of the year.
The hills are alive in west Wicklow
Farmyard Carnival graphic by Paula McGloin.
The hills are set to come alive with the sound of music with the return of the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival from 8-18 May. Mark the last day of the festival in your calendar when a piece of commissioned work called Farmyard Carnival will debut. This musical collaboration between Irish poet Lucinda Jacob and British composer Paul Rissmann captures life on the farm in all its wondrous sound. Tickets cost €15 for an adult and €10 for a child + booking fee. See westwicklowfestival.com.
Festival curator Catherine FitzGerald. \ Pawel Nowak
The sun is out and summer is beckoning, anyone else feeling a bit green-fingered? Then head to Ballintubbert Festival of Gardens and Nature for just the inspiration that you need for planting. This two-day festival from 3-4 May unfolds in the stunning manor and grounds of Ballintubbert near Stradbally, Co Laois.
There’ll be cooking workshops, garden tours, foraging classes and talks from big hitters in the gardening and food world, including Nigel Slater, Darina Allen, and Diarmuid Gavin. Day tickets start from €70 and a ticket for the full weekend costs €165. See festivalofgardensandnature.com.
Julia Sommer rises to the top with her seeded sourdough. \ Enda Guerin
Baking bread used to be a family tradition for Julia Sommer, inspired by her mother and grandfather. But after winning Rise with ALDI, Julia’s bread will have a reach far beyond her home in Templemore, Co Tipperary. From the start of April, Julia’s sourdough can be snapped up in 163 ALDI stores across the country, priced at €2.49. Just the good food news we knead.
Nina Fitzgerald Graham and Lauren Haughey. \ Dave Meehan.
As a team of writing aficionados, we are absolutely loving the An Post ‘Letter to My Future Self’ campaign, encouraging people to take a moment for themselves during the month of April and put pen to paper. It’s very simple, all you do is pop your letter (full of hopes and dreams for the year ahead) into an envelope and write your full name and return address in the top left-hand corner. Send it to Letter to My Future Self, PO Box 13812, Freepost FDN7725, Dublin 1, and in May 2026, your letter will be delivered back to you, all for free. Set your intentions and see what the year brings. See anpost.com/PostParcels/Sending/futureself.
A new survey among our friends in the UK reveals the most annoying habits that make a ‘bad neighbour’. Almost half those surveyed agreed that playing loud music was the most annoying thing a neighbour could do, along with creating litter and noisy children as close second and third. What about us in Ireland? What are the things your neighbour gets up to that really grind your gears? How can we ensure that we aren’t that bad neighbour? Let us know your thoughts at icl@farmersjournal.ie
Blossom Time, by Paddy Egan, Kenagh, Co Longford
April! The most beautiful month in Ireland so far
For variety and colour we
cannot compare
When orchards and
hedgerows break into flower
And grey fields turn green with each April shower.
It’s the month when the
blossoms form on hedges and trees
When the tulips and daffodils dance in the breeze
When the birds hatch their brood as they sit on their nest
It’s the month when
we observe nature
perform at its best.
The wild cherry tree is a most beautiful sight
With its mantle of blossoms in crimson and white
The buds will appear when its petals are shed
They will grow into fruit all juicy and red.
The flower of the blackthorn will turn to a sloe
Food for the birds when the temperatures low
The whitethorns bloom later, the first week in May
They’ll be covered in haws for Halloween day.
The apple trees are a great mass of flower
The plum, pear and damson make a beautiful bower
They all shed their petals when about to bear fruit
Their presence is a credit to the Marquess of Bute.
There’s lilac and prunis and flowering cherry
They have beauty and colour but don’t grow a berry
We know winters over when blossoms appear
No doubt April’s the most beautiful month of the year.
The hills are alive in west Wicklow
Farmyard Carnival graphic by Paula McGloin.
The hills are set to come alive with the sound of music with the return of the West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival from 8-18 May. Mark the last day of the festival in your calendar when a piece of commissioned work called Farmyard Carnival will debut. This musical collaboration between Irish poet Lucinda Jacob and British composer Paul Rissmann captures life on the farm in all its wondrous sound. Tickets cost €15 for an adult and €10 for a child + booking fee. See westwicklowfestival.com.
Festival curator Catherine FitzGerald. \ Pawel Nowak
The sun is out and summer is beckoning, anyone else feeling a bit green-fingered? Then head to Ballintubbert Festival of Gardens and Nature for just the inspiration that you need for planting. This two-day festival from 3-4 May unfolds in the stunning manor and grounds of Ballintubbert near Stradbally, Co Laois.
There’ll be cooking workshops, garden tours, foraging classes and talks from big hitters in the gardening and food world, including Nigel Slater, Darina Allen, and Diarmuid Gavin. Day tickets start from €70 and a ticket for the full weekend costs €165. See festivalofgardensandnature.com.
Julia Sommer rises to the top with her seeded sourdough. \ Enda Guerin
Baking bread used to be a family tradition for Julia Sommer, inspired by her mother and grandfather. But after winning Rise with ALDI, Julia’s bread will have a reach far beyond her home in Templemore, Co Tipperary. From the start of April, Julia’s sourdough can be snapped up in 163 ALDI stores across the country, priced at €2.49. Just the good food news we knead.
Nina Fitzgerald Graham and Lauren Haughey. \ Dave Meehan.
As a team of writing aficionados, we are absolutely loving the An Post ‘Letter to My Future Self’ campaign, encouraging people to take a moment for themselves during the month of April and put pen to paper. It’s very simple, all you do is pop your letter (full of hopes and dreams for the year ahead) into an envelope and write your full name and return address in the top left-hand corner. Send it to Letter to My Future Self, PO Box 13812, Freepost FDN7725, Dublin 1, and in May 2026, your letter will be delivered back to you, all for free. Set your intentions and see what the year brings. See anpost.com/PostParcels/Sending/futureself.
A new survey among our friends in the UK reveals the most annoying habits that make a ‘bad neighbour’. Almost half those surveyed agreed that playing loud music was the most annoying thing a neighbour could do, along with creating litter and noisy children as close second and third. What about us in Ireland? What are the things your neighbour gets up to that really grind your gears? How can we ensure that we aren’t that bad neighbour? Let us know your thoughts at icl@farmersjournal.ie
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