Have any old sterling pound notes lying around the house? Now is the time to exchange them. After 30 September, the Bank of England will no longer accept £20 and £50 paper notes as they have switched over to a polymer version. The Central Bank of Ireland says it will continue to exchange old Irish pounds or damaged euro notes and has no plans to withdraw this service, but cannot exchange foreign currency including British pound notes.
“The Central Bank of Ireland does not exchange any foreign currency, but the Bank of England website includes full details on how to exchange their old sterling notes before the withdrawal date. We would urge people to check any sterling notes they may have and make sure they exchange them before 30 September,” the bank says in a statement.
To avail of this service in time, visit bankofengland.co.uk and go to its “Exchanging Old Banknotes” page for instructions and contact details.
with Dr Catherine Keena, Teagasc countryside management specialist
Look out for the translucent crimson red fruit of guelder rose amid striking purple, red or yellow-coloured, maple-like leaves. While not poisonous, the fruit have a very nauseous taste, but are eaten by birds. This shrub is found in hedges and woodland edges on damp soil. While germination is erratic, propagation is worth a go. Collect fruit and store in a plastic bag until over-ripe or rotten. Wash to separate flesh from seeds and sow immediately after cleaning. Growing shrubs of local provenance is the best way to maintain our native Irish biodiversity.
Don’t get caught up in the belief that every object and experience’s value is determined by its price.
Catherine Callaghan, Mindfulness.
A short story of betrayal: pic.twitter.com/yLsEiyk5DO
— Lance ???? (@BornAKang) September 15, 2022
The Open Hearth
By Trevor Johnston
I miss my blazing hearth fire
Fuelled by turf, harvested from
The bogs of Drumhome.
By my father’s strong and sinewy arms.
The flame has long flickered out
Where in its dying embers
We toasted slabs of bread
In our stocking feet.
Or roasted apples plucked from
The fields of Dromore
And its gentle hills.
A flickering fire that
Slowly roasted soft buttery mushrooms
Picked from the dew-dropped Lurgan fields
At the coming of the day.
I heard the cuckoo’s first song
And the corncrake’s rattle,
As I stared into its flames
Sounds I will hear no more.
A hearth that signalled
The seasons of the year
As a pot lid with a winter stew
Let dancing flames lap
On large Kerr’s Pinks
Mined from the Derries
Or further afield.
The fire is out
Both in my heart
And the hearth.
But I can still dream
Of those distant flames
As I gaze vacantly
At the bricked up wall.
he number of vacant GMS (GP medical card contract holders) positions currently. Rural Healthcare investigation.
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