Blogs

An Emigrant’s Diary – Moving home

June 18, 2013 By Sharon Murphy Leave a Comment

Sharon and friends in Calgary.

One of these weeks, I’ll wish that I can start my blog saying that it’s been a quiet couple of weeks, but not for now! I guess I would complain if we had nothing to do, but I think finding the balance between being so busy, and having nothing to do is difficult – we’ll find that balance some day.

We had another football tournament recently, this time in Red Deer. Thankfully, it wasn’t as long a trek as the drive to Fort Mac – this time it only took us about 90 minutes or less. It was another early start (6.30am), but it was okay once we were on the road. The weather was very deceiving – it was overcast and windy to begin with, but then the sun came out and was very strong for some parts of the day.

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Filed Under: Blogs, Emigrants Diary Tagged With: Calgary, Canada, Clonakilty, Emigrant’s Diary, Sharon Whelton, West Cork

Rural Eye – Ash Dieback Disease a Huge Threat to Ash plantations

June 18, 2013 By Diarmuid Cohalan Leave a Comment

On 12^th October 2012, the Department of Agriculture confirmed Ireland’s first case of Ash Dieback disease. The disease is caused by a fungal pathogen known as Chalara Fraxinea.

The outbreak was discovered in a young forestry plantation in County Leitrim which had been planted with imported trees.

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Filed Under: Blogs, Rural Eye, Uncategorized Tagged With: Ash Dieback Disease, Rural Eye

Confessions of a Learner Gardener – Lettuce and Peonies

June 18, 2013 By Editor Leave a Comment

Hedgerows

With arching blue skies and temperatures to rival Greece there have been many days of late where the only sign of cloud has been in the hedgerows.

Whether you call it hawthorn or whitethorn the tree is now at its peak, transforming from scraggy and nondescript to showy and dramatic with branches dripping in petals as though it had plunged each arm into lacy white sleeves. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogs, Gardening Tagged With: advice, column, Daisy Wilson, gardening

Rural Eye – Farm Income Survey Show Disturbing Trends

June 18, 2013 By Daisy Wilson Leave a Comment

West Cork farmers are running out of feed.

As expected, the Teagasc National Farm Income Survey for 2012, has shown a 15% income drop from 2011.

For most farmers this is no great surprise given the disastrous weather conditions that prevailed right through 2012. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogs, Rural Eye Tagged With: farm, farming, Income, Ireland, survey, Trends, West Cork

An Emigrant’s Diary

June 18, 2013 By Sharon Whelton Leave a Comment

Calgary

It’s been another crazy couple of weeks since I last wrote! It’s always a good complaint, but we have found that the tiredness is becoming more regular, so perhaps taking a step back now and then to free up some time may not be the worst idea!

We had another dental appointment recently, and to be honest I was dreading it before I even left the apartment! I have such a genuine fear of the dentist, but the dentists are much more thorough and gentle over here, which really helps me! I had to get one very deep filling, which actually could have developed into a root canal, had I not gotten it sorted earlier. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogs, Emigrants Diary Tagged With: Calgary, Canada, Clonakilty, Emigrant’s Diary, Sharon Whelton, West Cork

Healthwise – Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

June 18, 2013 By Dr Sam Aba Leave a Comment

In the last two decades, there has been increased incidence and diagnoses of people living with autistic spectrum disorder, otherwise known as ASD.

Simply put, ASD is a neuro-developmental condition that affects social and emotional performance of an individual.

ASD is typically characterized by social deficits, communication difficulties, stereotyped or repetitive behaviors and interests, sensory processing disorder and in some cases, cognitive delays.

The cause of ASD is a subject of ongoing research as well as controversy. One thing all clinicians, scientists, and practitioners agree on, is that the specific cause is still elusive. However, genetic and environmental factors are increasingly being fingered as risk factors.

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Filed Under: Blogs, Healthwise Tagged With: (ASD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Healthwise, Physiotherapy, Samson Aba

Helen Family to Host IHFA Open Day in West Cork

June 17, 2013 By Features Leave a Comment

The Helen family have been farming at Kilgarriffe near Clonakilty in scenic West Cork since 1954. There are three generations of the family currently on this outstanding dairy farm which will host the Irish Holstein Friesian Association National Open Day on June 26.

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Filed Under: Blogs, Clonakilty Notes, Farming, Features Tagged With: Clonakilty, Helen Family, IHFA, Kilgarriffe, open day, West Cork

Something must be done to tackle boy racers

June 17, 2013 By Letters Leave a Comment

“Doughnut” marks near Connonagh. Pic: Gary Minihane

As a taxpayer and motorist I find it appalling that our roads in West Cork are destroyed with tyre marks and “doughnuts”.

Do the gardai condone this activity or is anything going to be done about it? The council definitely can identify the areas in which this activity is regularly taking place.It gives outsiders a very bad image of the west Cork area and gives the impression that either we condone it or else don’t care.

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Filed Under: Blogs, Letters Tagged With: boy racers, doughnuts, enforcement, gardaí, letters, opinion, West Cork

The political abandonment and economic isolation of West Cork

June 8, 2013 By Letters Leave a Comment

The Illusory Promise:

Putting People First- Action Programme for Effective Local Government was published on 16 October 2012 following Government approval setting out Government policy for reforms across all the main areas of local government. The Programme, it was stated, reflected principles of international bodies such as OECD and the Council of Europe and was informed by recent national reports such as the Local Government Efficiency Review (LGER), the report of the Local Development/Local Government Steering Group, by previous work on local government reform, and by wide consultation. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogs, Letters Tagged With: Donal O'Rourke, economic isolation, Government, letters, opinion, Phil Hogan, political abandonment, West Cork

Fodder payment scheme “a stunt”

June 7, 2013 By Letters Leave a Comment

Dear Editor,

It appears that the animals that were starving in the want of a Bale of Fodder must now wait until the Government Parties are fully geared up for the Local Elections of 2014 to get their next meal or should the Minister have announced “live horse and you will get grass”.

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Filed Under: Blogs, Letters Tagged With: action, fodder crisis, Government, letters, opinion, West Cork