Take a spin around the sun
The stunning 6m sculpture for the Cork Midsummer Festival. \Bec Hughes.
The Cork Midsummer Festival (13 - 22 June) is perfect for anyone scratching their heads in the middle of June looking for something different to do. Among the range of theatre, music and dance performances, the Helios exhibition by UK artist Luke Jerram is a highlight of this year’s lineup. A 6m sculpture (representing the sun) will be installed in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral from 9–21 June, accompanied by live NASA recordings. If you have children
interested in astrology and science, the installation – with its sensory elements – will offer them a closer look at the sun than a textbook could ever achieve. Tickets are €8
(€7 concession), plus booking fee. corkmidsummer.com.
The Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival gets underway in the Curragh from 23-25 May.
Whether you’re a racing enthusiast, fashionista, or simply looking for a weekend of entertainment and fun with family and friends, then the Tattersalls Irish Guineas Weekend at the Curragh should be your number one destination from 23 to 25 May. Enjoy timeless fashion with The Ashford Castle Style Icon Award on Saturday, 24 May, while the Carnival at the Curragh the following day has fun for all the family. There’s also live music from the Ultimate Classics After Party. See curragh.ie
The Reel Girls, who will be performing on 25 May.
With a vast and varied line up of events planned, The Leitrim Gathering takes place over the weekend of 23-25 May and is set to be a celebration of the county’s rich history, heritage,
culture and community. Three flagship events headline the extensive schedule which takes place across the county: the Ballinamore Gathering, The Leitrim Gathering Jamboree in Manorhamilton and Sessions at The Shannon in Carrick-on-Shannon. See theleitrimgathering.com.
Pictured above: The Reel Girls, who will be performing on 25 May.
My Enemy… Until Death Do Us Part By Jonathan Roth
Every spring,
the battle begins.
I plant seedlings,
full of hope.
He arrives later, silent and smug, leaving trails of slime and half-eaten leaves.
Over the years,
I’ve tried everything.
Bright blue pellets – washed away by rain.
Onion sprays – smelled worse than the defeat.
Crushed eggshells –
abandoned after my
cholesterol hit 6.8.
Handpicking slugs by torchlight – satisfying, but futile.
Beer traps – a fine idea until my sheepdog developed a taste for Carlsberg.
Plastic sheeting? Breached, like the Trojan horse.
Nothing worked.
He gorged himself every night, while I seethed.
Finally, inspiration struck.
The green netting that once saved my strawberries from marauding birds was
repurposed, stretched tight over the raised beds like my own Iron Dome.
A fortress.
An ultimatum.
This year, I’m ready.
Maybe, just maybe, I’ll taste victory, like Mayo
dreaming of Sam Maguire.
The Roman gladiators once saluted death.
But Mr Slug, you will get no salute from me.
For us…it’s until death do us part.
Take a spin around the sun
The stunning 6m sculpture for the Cork Midsummer Festival. \Bec Hughes.
The Cork Midsummer Festival (13 - 22 June) is perfect for anyone scratching their heads in the middle of June looking for something different to do. Among the range of theatre, music and dance performances, the Helios exhibition by UK artist Luke Jerram is a highlight of this year’s lineup. A 6m sculpture (representing the sun) will be installed in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral from 9–21 June, accompanied by live NASA recordings. If you have children
interested in astrology and science, the installation – with its sensory elements – will offer them a closer look at the sun than a textbook could ever achieve. Tickets are €8
(€7 concession), plus booking fee. corkmidsummer.com.
The Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival gets underway in the Curragh from 23-25 May.
Whether you’re a racing enthusiast, fashionista, or simply looking for a weekend of entertainment and fun with family and friends, then the Tattersalls Irish Guineas Weekend at the Curragh should be your number one destination from 23 to 25 May. Enjoy timeless fashion with The Ashford Castle Style Icon Award on Saturday, 24 May, while the Carnival at the Curragh the following day has fun for all the family. There’s also live music from the Ultimate Classics After Party. See curragh.ie
The Reel Girls, who will be performing on 25 May.
With a vast and varied line up of events planned, The Leitrim Gathering takes place over the weekend of 23-25 May and is set to be a celebration of the county’s rich history, heritage,
culture and community. Three flagship events headline the extensive schedule which takes place across the county: the Ballinamore Gathering, The Leitrim Gathering Jamboree in Manorhamilton and Sessions at The Shannon in Carrick-on-Shannon. See theleitrimgathering.com.
Pictured above: The Reel Girls, who will be performing on 25 May.
My Enemy… Until Death Do Us Part By Jonathan Roth
Every spring,
the battle begins.
I plant seedlings,
full of hope.
He arrives later, silent and smug, leaving trails of slime and half-eaten leaves.
Over the years,
I’ve tried everything.
Bright blue pellets – washed away by rain.
Onion sprays – smelled worse than the defeat.
Crushed eggshells –
abandoned after my
cholesterol hit 6.8.
Handpicking slugs by torchlight – satisfying, but futile.
Beer traps – a fine idea until my sheepdog developed a taste for Carlsberg.
Plastic sheeting? Breached, like the Trojan horse.
Nothing worked.
He gorged himself every night, while I seethed.
Finally, inspiration struck.
The green netting that once saved my strawberries from marauding birds was
repurposed, stretched tight over the raised beds like my own Iron Dome.
A fortress.
An ultimatum.
This year, I’m ready.
Maybe, just maybe, I’ll taste victory, like Mayo
dreaming of Sam Maguire.
The Roman gladiators once saluted death.
But Mr Slug, you will get no salute from me.
For us…it’s until death do us part.
SHARING OPTIONS