Some say all the best ideas take root in the shower, others on a walk... but for one group of women in Kilkelly, Co Mayo, it was around the kitchen table.
With some of the ladies going through cancer treatment, the group were meeting for tea and cake every week to encourage one another and sharing ideas about how to help.
Drawing on their love for cooking, they landed on the idea of a 2026 calendar filled with cherished traditional recipes passed down through generations. The calendar will be launched at a special event on 10 October at The McWilliam Park Hotel in Claremorris. Profits will be divided between Cancer Care West and the Kilkelly Community Centre.
Pictured is the Kitchen Table Crew. Front row from l; Carmel Williams, Nuala Lyons, Philomena Noyes, Claire Hyland and Noreen Costello. Back row from l; June Elliot and Bernadette Moran.
Looking to give back in a meaningful way? Community Connect, Ireland’s national baby bank charity, is calling for help to support mothers and babies in need all over Ireland. From nappies and clothes to cots and buggies, Community Connect provides families with essentials they might otherwise go without. Volunteers play a vital role in packing, sorting, collecting, and delivering these items. With hubs in Tallaght, Cork, Galway, Kilkenny and Athlone, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and help out. Everyone is welcome to join the Community Connect team. There’s a job for every pair of helping hands. See communityconnect.ie.
Ardee Garden Care & Repair Project, which featured in Irish Country Living back in July, has been nominated in the Age-Friendly Environment category at the upcoming National Age-Friendly Recognition & Achievement Awards. The project, launched as a pilot initiative last year, offers a free gardening service to older and vulnerable residents in Ardee.
Volunteers do small gardening tasks for gardens in the town, like weeding, hedge trimming and grass cutting. The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 23 October, at the Galmont Hotel, Co Galway. See agefriendly.ie.
Local representatives Councillor Rachel Kerley, Councillor Bernie Conlon and Councillor Dolores Minogue, Cathaoirleach of Ardee Municipal District, with the Age Friendly judges, Louth County Council staff, and members of the Ardee Garden Care & Repair Project
The Wonders of the World
By Jerry Cronin, Cork
The wonders of the world are
right before your eyes,
The whispers of the breeze and the colour of the skies,
The shadows in the evening and the sunlight of the day,
The stillness of the morning and the scent of new mown hay,
The coming of the spring and the budding of the trees,
The chirping of the birds and the buzzing of the bees.
The wonders of the world are
right beneath your feet,
The colour of the grass, the rain, the snow and sleet,
The spider and its web spread
out upon the bush,
The echo in the valley and the singing of the thrush,
The daffodils and daisies and all the little flowers,
The colours of the rainbow, the sunshine and the showers.
The wonders of the world are in your very being,
The voice that speaks within you, your hearing and your seeing,
The mystery of your senses
and all your little fears,
The mixture of emotions, your happiness and tears,
And if you’re big or little
maybe old or weak,
There’s no one really like you for you truly are unique.
Some say all the best ideas take root in the shower, others on a walk... but for one group of women in Kilkelly, Co Mayo, it was around the kitchen table.
With some of the ladies going through cancer treatment, the group were meeting for tea and cake every week to encourage one another and sharing ideas about how to help.
Drawing on their love for cooking, they landed on the idea of a 2026 calendar filled with cherished traditional recipes passed down through generations. The calendar will be launched at a special event on 10 October at The McWilliam Park Hotel in Claremorris. Profits will be divided between Cancer Care West and the Kilkelly Community Centre.
Pictured is the Kitchen Table Crew. Front row from l; Carmel Williams, Nuala Lyons, Philomena Noyes, Claire Hyland and Noreen Costello. Back row from l; June Elliot and Bernadette Moran.
Looking to give back in a meaningful way? Community Connect, Ireland’s national baby bank charity, is calling for help to support mothers and babies in need all over Ireland. From nappies and clothes to cots and buggies, Community Connect provides families with essentials they might otherwise go without. Volunteers play a vital role in packing, sorting, collecting, and delivering these items. With hubs in Tallaght, Cork, Galway, Kilkenny and Athlone, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and help out. Everyone is welcome to join the Community Connect team. There’s a job for every pair of helping hands. See communityconnect.ie.
Ardee Garden Care & Repair Project, which featured in Irish Country Living back in July, has been nominated in the Age-Friendly Environment category at the upcoming National Age-Friendly Recognition & Achievement Awards. The project, launched as a pilot initiative last year, offers a free gardening service to older and vulnerable residents in Ardee.
Volunteers do small gardening tasks for gardens in the town, like weeding, hedge trimming and grass cutting. The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 23 October, at the Galmont Hotel, Co Galway. See agefriendly.ie.
Local representatives Councillor Rachel Kerley, Councillor Bernie Conlon and Councillor Dolores Minogue, Cathaoirleach of Ardee Municipal District, with the Age Friendly judges, Louth County Council staff, and members of the Ardee Garden Care & Repair Project
The Wonders of the World
By Jerry Cronin, Cork
The wonders of the world are
right before your eyes,
The whispers of the breeze and the colour of the skies,
The shadows in the evening and the sunlight of the day,
The stillness of the morning and the scent of new mown hay,
The coming of the spring and the budding of the trees,
The chirping of the birds and the buzzing of the bees.
The wonders of the world are
right beneath your feet,
The colour of the grass, the rain, the snow and sleet,
The spider and its web spread
out upon the bush,
The echo in the valley and the singing of the thrush,
The daffodils and daisies and all the little flowers,
The colours of the rainbow, the sunshine and the showers.
The wonders of the world are in your very being,
The voice that speaks within you, your hearing and your seeing,
The mystery of your senses
and all your little fears,
The mixture of emotions, your happiness and tears,
And if you’re big or little
maybe old or weak,
There’s no one really like you for you truly are unique.
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