“Mummy’s always vomiting,” my three-year-old daughter told her preschool teacher merrily, “vomit, vomit, vomit, all day long”. “Oh, is she now?” said her teacher, with a smile and a knowing glance in my direction. The teacher had surmised correctly; there was indeed a baby on the way. However, we didn’t want to tell the children…
Colm Fitzpatrick explores ways to combat seasonal sadness The Christmas holidays are a highlight in almost everybody’s calendars, but the season can be tinged with unexpected feelings of unhappiness and loneliness, with these spilling over or bubbling up in January. The ‘Christmas blues’ or ‘post-holiday depression’ is a phenomenon that can affect anyone, and…
Sweet Treats As we finally digest the large quantities of rich food from December, we can roll our way into January. With empty presses as far as the eye can see, every household needs something easy and delicious to fill the selection box sized hole in tummies. No one can resist a smile as…
Science of life Does addiction to drugs destroy the capacity for free will in the addicts, rendering them incapable of saying ‘no’ to drugs? This question is currently before the High Court of the State of Massachusetts, US, and will be adjudicated on shortly. The specific case in question is that of Julie Eldred,…
Family-friendly museum events Though the holidays are over, the National Gallery of Ireland is offering more occasions for the whole family to have fun and be inventive together. The drop-in session ‘Tearing through nature’ on January 14 from 11.30-3.30 is a creative workshop inspired by Turner’s landscapes, where you can create your own dramatic landscapes…
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My children say that I have a ‘brass neck’. They are right in so far as I do believe it pays to take a chance, to ask that vital question, to push the boundaries. However, I would prefer if they would describe me as audacious rather than as having a brass neck! I looked up…
‘Good morning, Mr Turner: Niall Naessens and J. M. W. Turner’ Exhibition in Print Gallery, National Gallery of Ireland, free admission to January 31, 2018 Every January the NGI mounts an exhibition of its collection of Turner water colours. For conservation reasons these can only be exhibited in the season of low winter light. The…
Every January, I have great plans for how wonderful the year ahead is going to be. They usually involve a multitude of new projects that encompass all sorts of areas and include the whole family. One year, I made out a detailed list about how all aspects of a person’s life need to be attended…
Time is our most precious commodity. As we get older, the years pass by like days. Suddenly, it’s 2018 – which is strange, since just yesterday it was 2008, or 1998 or perhaps even 1968 – depending on how long you’ve been around. For us adults, time passes quickly, and we don’t change dramatically from…
Colm Fitzpatrick
William Reville
Bairbre Cahill
Peter Costello
Maria Byrne