Do you have an amazing recipe family and friends ask you to make each year? Irish Country Living are asking readers to share their favourite festive recipes for the chance to win a Sheridans Luxury Hamper (valued at €250) from Sheridans Cheesemongers, just in time for Christmas. The hamper features a selection of fine continental and Irish cheese, savoury and sweet snacks, luxury condiments and two bottles of wine: a Domaine Guillot-Broux Macon-Villages and a Palistorti Rosso Tenuta Di Valgiano. The winning recipe will also be featured in our Christmas edition of Irish Country Living Food. To enter, email your recipe along with a few lines on why it is so loved to ICL@farmersjournal.ie before 5 November 2026.Sheridans Cheesemongers offer a range of Irish and fine food hampers for Christmas and offer nationwide delivery. See sheridanscheesemongers.com

Food, music and brewing heritage come together in Kilkenny over the October Bank Holiday weekend, with Smithwick’s Experience hosting a series of events as part of Savour Kilkenny Food Festival. On Friday 23 October, beer enthusiasts can enjoy an evening of brewing stories and guided tastings with industry experts, while the Masters of Ale tours take place on Friday and Saturday at 5.20pm. Live music takes over the Barrel Yard on Saturday 24 October, with Bad Moon Blues Band performing from 5pm to 7pm, followed by Bench Warrant on Sunday 25 October from 5pm. Both sessions are free. Keep your eyes peeled across the Festival Quarter as larger-than-life street stiltwalkers bring elevated fun and flair to the heart of Savour Kilkenny on The Parade on Saturday 24, Sunday 25 and Monday 26 October. See smithwicksexperience.com/barrel-yard and savourkilkenny.com

Irish mythology will come to life in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, on Sunday 1 November, when the annual Samhain Parade takes to the streets at 5.30pm. Inspired by The Legend of Macha, this year’s parade will feature music, costumes and giant puppets created by artists, schools and community groups from across Leitrim, Sligo, Fermanagh and Donegal. The parade is directed by musician and former Kíla member Dee Armstrong, who works with local communities to bring the spectacle to life. The parade begins at Bee Park Community Centre, Manorhamilton.

See facebook.com/cluainincarnivalart

The Prayer by Deirdre Bannon, Co Down, Northern Ireland

Down on the farm while the animals slept,

on his knees the old farmer knelt.

He prayed for a dog to herd his sheep,

to take them to market to earn their keep.

But God sent a frog instead of a dog,

a green speckled creature that sat on a log, all it would do was sit there and croak,

while old farmer John thought this was a joke.

As the frog croaked and croaked both day and night,

it gave the sheep such a fright,

that they ran to the pen and started to bleat, and old farmer John jumped to his feet.

As he herded the sheep into the lorry,

he said to God that he was sorry,

for the green speckled frog

had scared the sheep

and they were off to

market to earn their keep.

Do you have a piece of poetry inspired by the countryside and farming? Please send in your best work for consideration for the weekly Poetry Corner. We’re looking for short poems that captivate, inspire and reflect the landscapes, traditions, and culture of rural Ireland in the past or the present. About 200 words or so is the ideal length. Please send your poetry to icl@farmersjournal.ie or post to Irish Country Living, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12.