Green Fingers   The exceptionally dry summer last year, and a dry winter and dry spring this year will have put a lot of plants under stress – even large mature trees and shrubs that you wouldn’t normally expect to see this on. Trees and shrubs have come into leaf and even flowered and then…

Having fun bursting bubbles Bubble Rush is a fun run with a difference – lots of coloured bubbles! Attendees start in a sea of foam and then take on four different coloured bubble stations, where foam canons create a four foot bubble bath. Run, walk, toddle or dance your way around the family-friendly course. Don’t worry if…

UNCORKING SCIENCE Christianity has always been a strong proponent of merging faith with science so that we can learn more about ourselves, the world around us, and our origins. Promoting the importance of empirical inquiry this month is the Cork Carnival of Science at Fitzgerald Park, which features non-stop, family-friendly experiments, interactive activities, games, street…

When I first met my wife she didn’t smoke though she once did. Recently she has taken up smoking again without telling me about it, I just started noticing the smell, and it’s really upsetting me, it has a huge impact on me and our family and I am so worried about her health, but…

One year has just passed since the referendum paved the way for the introduction of abortion services in Ireland in January. The Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018 permits abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy without any specifed reason and in cases where there is a serious risk to the health or…

A festival that is no mere flight of fancy One of the greatest feats of aviation history, the first ever non-stop transatlantic flight, will be celebrated in the surroundings of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way as part of a centenary commemoration. Alcock & Brown 100 Festival will mark the remarkable achievements of aviation heroes Sir John…

Entering the hearts of young people can only be done by listening, according to a well-known Dublin nun who has used music as a window to help young people realise their inner gifts for decades. Sr Bernadette Sweeney is a self-proclaimed risk taker and certainly deserves the title. Currently based in Crumlin she has been…

Green Fingers   June, your garden is starting to peak. Beds and borders are full of colour and life. All the work you put into weeding and hoeing is now paying off. As shrubs and perennials fill out, there will be less and less weeding to do. Annual weeds are no longer a major problem…

Big benefits for baby swimmers Babies have a real affinity with water, and because they’ve spent nine months floating in the womb, being in warm water feels much more familiar to them than being on dry land. However, this early confidence usually diminishes with time, and can even turn to fear. What better way to…

Medical Matters   It’s now just over 50 years ago since it was first announced that smoking causes lung cancer, a moment which spelled the beginning of a decline in tobacco use. Despite all of the negative effects from smoking and restrictions on its use in public places, a considerable number of people still use…