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As a luxury west Cork hideaway, you might expect the Dunowen House Instagram account @dunowen_house to be all about Georginan interiors and wild Atlantic seascapes; but during lockdown, owner Kela Hodgins also gained quite the following for her #cakemonday recipes.
And whether it’s a festive fruit and nut cake “fed” with Clonakilty whiskey, a chocolate and meringue layer cake or mini banoffee pies, you’ll find plenty of inspiration to get your week off to the sweetest of starts.
This week’s poem was submitted by reader Orla Donlyn as part of our Local Treasures competition.
Ardgillan Castle and Gardens
Childhood memories of a castle by the sea,
Rediscovered during a time of uncertainty,
A comforting familiarity, still whispers to me,
Now joined by fairies, hidden amongst the trees.
A castellated house and Demesne
Cleared from the woods for a penny a day,
Since 1783 years of love and sighs,
Grew four gardens you can appreciate today.
A wildflower meadow, unavoidable peace,
A haven for wildlife, a visual rhyme,
Underground passage under a crease,
A long lost ice house, brings you back in time.
Those brave enough take the Lady’s Stairs home,
Follow a ghost right down to the coast,
A panorama of islands and mountains to roam,
Your soul will awaken, forever engrossed.
-70
The temperature at which the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine must be stored. Read all about COVID-19 vaccines in Health this week (p16)
It’s nearly time to decorate my Christmas cakes. My next job includes making marzipan from scratch. I know it’s easy to buy; but there’s something so lovely about making it yourself. It takes very few ingredients: ground almonds, icing sugar, egg yolk and a pinch of salt. I just throw all the ingredients in my food processor and pulse until it comes together. Then, I roll it out and let it dry for 24-48 hours – on top of my Christmas cakes – before covering them in icing.
Congratulations to our Maria, Danny and Danann on the birth of baby Fallon.
Christmas came early with the arrival of Ms Fallon Asha Riordan, at 4.55am. Full of gratitude to the amazing team at CUMH @IrelandSouthWID for their care & support all the way on our family journey after the loss of our beloved Danann last year. What survives of us is love x pic.twitter.com/OXMpSpolhS
— Maria Moynihan (@MoynihanMaria) December 9, 2020
From Joe White, our My Country Living feature this week.
I went into hospital and I spent a long time there. A doctor eventually told met the ligaments in my leg had come away from the bone. He said: ‘Give up, you’re finished.’ And that was it.
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