A purple petaled mass of rhododendron veils the foothills of the Knockmealdowns and Galtees at this time of year, and the Rhododendron Walking Festival offers you a chance to experience it firsthand. The festival, which takes place over the last weekend of May, is one of the top three festivals in Tipperary in terms of attendance.
All walks cost €35, and the cost of a ticket includes a two-course meal and live entertainment. There are a range of walks to choose from (some steeper than others), ranging from a distance of 8km to 20km. See vee.ie/rhododendron-walking-festival
Walkers enjoying the scenery.
\ Rhododendron Walking Festival.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Garda commissioner Justin Kelly have launched a new recruitment campaign, ‘It’s a Job Worth Doing’, for An Garda Síochána.
This campaign highlights available career paths from front-line policing, to participating in Crimecall, or management. Candidates with a musical background are encouraged to apply, as the Garda Band is open to new members. The starting salary is €39,194. Applications should be submitted
via publicjobs.ie by 3 June.
Garda imagery for ICL Feb 2025 \ Claire Nash
Don’t feed the garden birds
BirdWatch Ireland has urged households to stop feeding garden birds between May and October due to the spread of trichomoniasis – a disease affecting finches such as greenfinches, chaffinches and goldfinches.
Trichomoniasis spreads through saliva, often via contaminated feeders, which act as a transmission “vector” in warmer months and causes swellings in the throats of the birds. After a while,
the birds can no longer swallow and starve.
According to spokesperson Niall Hatch: “Studies from BirdWatch Ireland have shown that over a course of around 10 years, the greenfinch population has
declined by around 50%, while around 30% fewer of them are coming into gardens. It’s got to the point where we’re now saying, between May and October, feeding birds in the garden is thought to do more harm than good, but outside of that period, it’s still okay to feed them.” See birdwatchireland.ie
Birdwatch Ireland have urged people not to feed garden birds during the summer months. \iStock
Sligo’s Doorly Park will host a fun-filled day out this Sunday 16 May as part of Bike Week 2026. Organised by Sligo Sports and
Recreation Programme in partnership with
Cycling Ireland and Sligo County Council, the day will feature games, skills sessions, workshops and treats for all ages and abilities. Along with learning new skills, people can brush up on their bike maintenance and safety knowledge, and will also have the chance to re-imagine their rothars at a bike-decorating station. All activities will be supervised by qualified coaches and volunteers and
participants should bring their own bikes.
A limited number of bikes will be available to borrow for games and activities. Helmets must be worn at all times.
See sligosportandrecreation.ie/news-events
Bike Week 2026.
Looking for some inspirational reading for the summer with a country slant? Well, look no further than the New York Times bestseller, A Sheepdog Named Oscar by Dara Waldron, out in paperback on 21 May and published by Simon & Schuster, €15.99.
Following the sudden death of his father in 2016, the Manchester-born writer, who was raised in the west of Ireland, found himself disoriented in a world that had once filled him with wonder. A year later, a chance encounter altered the course of his life. After welcoming an abandoned border collie into his family home, an unexpected bond grows. This is a poignant and endearing story of the profound love between one man and his dog as he deals with loss, grief, love and life.
A Sheepdog Named Oscar.
Everything Seems
Different, Really
by Liam Gleeson, Nenagh,
Co Tipperary
Just when you thought you
were normal,
It occurs right out of the blue,
A sudden strike without
warning,
And not knowing what
happens to you.
Then you’re found in a
different position,
Having keeled over onto
the floor,
It’s called a life-altering
condition,
Should it happen to
you no more?
I guess everything seems
different, really,
Ever since your first setback
occurred,
You’re awake after you thought was a minute,
Only then do they give
you a word.
Please think of your
medication early –
You’ll tend to forget it too soon,
Write it down and then set
your alarm,
Once forgotten, you’re sure
to swoon.
The results could be a bruise
on the head,
Or a graze on the elbow
are types,
You may even experience
some shaking,
But as always, just get
on with your life.
When others give you
some assistance,
Make sure to thank them,
do tell,
What happened to you
at that moment,
Could happen to them as well.
If you consider yourself
a sufferer,
Then don’t wait any longer I say,
Please make a donation
to Epilepsy Ireland,
And become a member today.
National Epilepsy Week takes place from 18-25 May. See epilepsy.ie
A purple petaled mass of rhododendron veils the foothills of the Knockmealdowns and Galtees at this time of year, and the Rhododendron Walking Festival offers you a chance to experience it firsthand. The festival, which takes place over the last weekend of May, is one of the top three festivals in Tipperary in terms of attendance.
All walks cost €35, and the cost of a ticket includes a two-course meal and live entertainment. There are a range of walks to choose from (some steeper than others), ranging from a distance of 8km to 20km. See vee.ie/rhododendron-walking-festival
Walkers enjoying the scenery.
\ Rhododendron Walking Festival.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Garda commissioner Justin Kelly have launched a new recruitment campaign, ‘It’s a Job Worth Doing’, for An Garda Síochána.
This campaign highlights available career paths from front-line policing, to participating in Crimecall, or management. Candidates with a musical background are encouraged to apply, as the Garda Band is open to new members. The starting salary is €39,194. Applications should be submitted
via publicjobs.ie by 3 June.
Garda imagery for ICL Feb 2025 \ Claire Nash
Don’t feed the garden birds
BirdWatch Ireland has urged households to stop feeding garden birds between May and October due to the spread of trichomoniasis – a disease affecting finches such as greenfinches, chaffinches and goldfinches.
Trichomoniasis spreads through saliva, often via contaminated feeders, which act as a transmission “vector” in warmer months and causes swellings in the throats of the birds. After a while,
the birds can no longer swallow and starve.
According to spokesperson Niall Hatch: “Studies from BirdWatch Ireland have shown that over a course of around 10 years, the greenfinch population has
declined by around 50%, while around 30% fewer of them are coming into gardens. It’s got to the point where we’re now saying, between May and October, feeding birds in the garden is thought to do more harm than good, but outside of that period, it’s still okay to feed them.” See birdwatchireland.ie
Birdwatch Ireland have urged people not to feed garden birds during the summer months. \iStock
Sligo’s Doorly Park will host a fun-filled day out this Sunday 16 May as part of Bike Week 2026. Organised by Sligo Sports and
Recreation Programme in partnership with
Cycling Ireland and Sligo County Council, the day will feature games, skills sessions, workshops and treats for all ages and abilities. Along with learning new skills, people can brush up on their bike maintenance and safety knowledge, and will also have the chance to re-imagine their rothars at a bike-decorating station. All activities will be supervised by qualified coaches and volunteers and
participants should bring their own bikes.
A limited number of bikes will be available to borrow for games and activities. Helmets must be worn at all times.
See sligosportandrecreation.ie/news-events
Bike Week 2026.
Looking for some inspirational reading for the summer with a country slant? Well, look no further than the New York Times bestseller, A Sheepdog Named Oscar by Dara Waldron, out in paperback on 21 May and published by Simon & Schuster, €15.99.
Following the sudden death of his father in 2016, the Manchester-born writer, who was raised in the west of Ireland, found himself disoriented in a world that had once filled him with wonder. A year later, a chance encounter altered the course of his life. After welcoming an abandoned border collie into his family home, an unexpected bond grows. This is a poignant and endearing story of the profound love between one man and his dog as he deals with loss, grief, love and life.
A Sheepdog Named Oscar.
Everything Seems
Different, Really
by Liam Gleeson, Nenagh,
Co Tipperary
Just when you thought you
were normal,
It occurs right out of the blue,
A sudden strike without
warning,
And not knowing what
happens to you.
Then you’re found in a
different position,
Having keeled over onto
the floor,
It’s called a life-altering
condition,
Should it happen to
you no more?
I guess everything seems
different, really,
Ever since your first setback
occurred,
You’re awake after you thought was a minute,
Only then do they give
you a word.
Please think of your
medication early –
You’ll tend to forget it too soon,
Write it down and then set
your alarm,
Once forgotten, you’re sure
to swoon.
The results could be a bruise
on the head,
Or a graze on the elbow
are types,
You may even experience
some shaking,
But as always, just get
on with your life.
When others give you
some assistance,
Make sure to thank them,
do tell,
What happened to you
at that moment,
Could happen to them as well.
If you consider yourself
a sufferer,
Then don’t wait any longer I say,
Please make a donation
to Epilepsy Ireland,
And become a member today.
National Epilepsy Week takes place from 18-25 May. See epilepsy.ie
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