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With Dr Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist
Honeysuckle Berries
Look out for clusters of bright scarlet red berries of honeysuckle, found on top of twisted stems hanging from trees or shrubs. These are usually above the body of the hedge, where the plant has scrambled up to the light to flower earlier in the year.
The berries are eaten by birds such as coal tits. Honeysuckle will grow from berries or cuttings but the best way is to peg a stem to the ground while still attached to the parent plant and it will sprout roots. These can be cut off and transplanted. Also known as woodbine, honeysuckle is part of our native Irish biodiversity.
Two Shakes of a Lamb’s Tail
When are you going to do it?
Do exactly what I wail?
Pack your bag for the holiday
It’ll be done in two shakes of a lamb’s tail
How quick is the shake of a lamb’s tail?
Well the divil is in the detail
Long tails take more time
to shake
Short ones faster if they’re awake
Herself says, ”we’re going
to be late”
Jesus, he’s going nowhere,
it’s a wake
All the good sandwiches
will be gone
Ok I’ll be with you in two shakes
After the wake, it’s to the pub
Mourn the corpse
and more grub
Four pints of Guinness in
and to toilet detail
I’ll be back in the shake
of a lamb’s tail
A shake is a measurement
of time
Of lamb’s tails in their prime
But the poor lambs will
eventually wail
When the farmer has to dock their tails
So look back over your full life
Recall all the fun and all the strife
Our time in this world is
a small detail
Life’s as short as two shakes of a lamb’s tail
From Barstool Notions of Poetry by Dr Jonathan Roth
According to the 13th edition of the EY Future Consumer Index, which surveyed more than 22,000 consumers across 28 countries, climate change, the cost of living and spending are the top concerns of global consumers.
More than half (54%) of consumers globally say they are responding to their concerns by planning to buy less in the future. This is for a number of reasons, including as part of an effort to save money (73%), because they feel they don’t need new items (49%) or as part of an effort to help the environment (39%). Fashion accessories topped the list of product categories consumers plan to spend less on (61%), followed by toys and gadgets (51%) and clothing and footwear (44%).
Holiday reminder
If you plan to post any parcels overseas for loved ones this season, here are the last possible dates you can post and have it arrive by Christmas 2023 (for standard post).
• Ireland: 21 December
• Northern Ireland: 19 December
• Great Britain: 18 December
• Rest of Europe: 18 December
• USA:11 December
• Rest of the world: 6 December
In this week’s Meet The Maker, Maria Moynihan talks to Carlow-based jewellery designer Liga Valge who specialises in the medium of
polymer clay to create simple, contemporary statement jewellery and sculptural wall art.
I posted one video of her at 13 weeks running around cows and overnight 50,000 people had seen it - and then, within a week, over a million. The social media took off from there really. The Kerry Cowboy
aka Séaghan Ó Súilleabháin.
5,334
The number of students who took part in the ‘From Foal to Race’ educational programme in 2023.
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