Photo of the Week

Fahy National School, Co Mayo, student, Florence O’Toole won an award with her art poster in an IFA Poster Competition. Front: Florence and her brother Connor. Back left to right: Máire Nic An Fhailghigh, school principal and class teacher; Martin O’Toole, father of Florence and Conor and Sharon Flynn, art teacher.

Letter to the Editor

A Christmas miracle

A few months ago, Irish Country Living shared the story of Hydebank Wood Secure College in Belfast, where students are raising pedigree Border Leicester sheep as a part of their rehabilitation. We recently heard from Hydebank’s activites and virtual visits manager, Michèle, who was happy to update us on their progress.

Good afternoon,

A little bit of good news today; we had our sheep out for scanning and our vet has confirmed we have all ewes pregnant. We have confirmed three sets of twins and a single, and have two ewes that are scanning 30 days (so too early to confirm numbers of lambs).

We will be welcoming all of our babies in and around Valentine’s Day!

From Michèle McElnea

Hydebank College.

Home management tip with Katherine O’Leary

Manage one thing better

It’s a new year. Decide to manage one thing better each month and inform your family of your plans. Below is only a guideline – make a list of the things that will make a difference to your life and wellbeing.

1 Walk every day of the month for 20 minutes.

2 Enlist the help of the children for jobs you find tedious.

3 Teach your family how to use the washing machine.

4 Recycle winter clothes you won’t wear again.

5 Tidy the shoe press and recycle the ones that are not being worn.

6 Tidy one cupboard per week for the month.

7 Repair something in the house that is annoying you.

8 Paint or upcycle something.

9 Select and print some pictures.

10 Meditate or have quiet time for 10 minutes every day of the month.

11 Decide on a fun thing to do each week.

12 Catch up with a friend you haven’t talked to in a while each week.

Tweet of the Week

Instagram Inspiration

We’re looking forward to the new year and trying out some new restaurants, which hopefully will be open right throughout 2022! Wishing the best of luck to @chefadrianm whose restaurant @wildflowerrestaurantirl will open on South Richmond Street soon. Adrian has been featured many times in Irish Country Living and also hosted cookery slots at our Women & Ag Conference. No doubt diners will be in for a treat!

Number of the Week

35 - The number assigned to the tractor described by Pat McCarrick as “little grey Fergie on steroids”.

Quote of the Week

From our sports columnist Denis Hurley on what the year ahead holds for the Irish sports scene:

It says a lot about humans’ tendency to revert to familiar patterns that the bookmakers have Kerry as favourites for the 2022 All-Ireland, followed by Dublin and Mayo, with Tyrone fourth.