In Dublin’s fair city, where the litter is not pretty...
THE good weather has given us all a taste of hopefully what is to come in the summer months. Lord knows, we deserve a bit of heat after the very harsh winter we have had here.
Even the daffodils are out now on the lane where we live, although a month behind everyone else as the snow had battered them to the ground. They look so lovely. Even driving to work is a joy when the weather is fine, seeing everyone out and about with the canal banks full of people enjoying the sunshine.
Some had drinks, some had picnics and there were a few people fishing too.
But sadly, there the happiness and beauty was blighted by something that has become a real issue for us in Ireland. Litter.
Our country is indeed wonderful when the sun shines, but it is such a shame that some people do not clean up after themselves
The litter left by revellers who enjoyed the balmy evenings on the canal was a disgrace and an indictment of modern society.
We should take pride in our surroundings and ensure that our capital city — and indeed all of our cities and towns — are kept litter-free.
As someone who works in the hospitality sector litter, and a blatant disregard for your surroundings, really horrifies me.
I’m not perfect, but if I’m enjoying myself in a public place I will always make sure I take my litter with me, or at least find a bin where I can dispose of it. I can’t understand the mentality of people who litter, no matter if alcohol is involved or not. It’s just so disrespectful —to all of us.
Despite that blight on the landscape, the wonderful weather inspired me to begin researching possible summer holidays this year. Dingle is looking like the forerunner at the moment and we might well spend some time in Cork too.
We have friends in Kinsale and we were joking around with them last week about the new Cork passport that reads Cork abú. It seems they do exist and lots of people have them.
I just hope Corkonians don’t get any ideas for independence like the residents of Barcelona. That has not been successful to say the least.
Cork may be the biggest county in Ireland but Dublin is still the capital city. I hear there may be a similar passport for the People’s Republic of Howth too. The mind boggles!
I was with my Darling Derry and the rest of the cast of RTÉ’s Lords and Ladies last weekend at the West Waterford Festival of Food in Dungarvan.
The event, now in its 11th year, has established itself as a premier food festival not only in the SouthEast region but nationally.
I love initiatives like these, as they really do showcase the excellent quality of food and drink produced and available on our island.
Last weekend there were lots of food specialists on hand for talks, tastings and panel discussions on all things culinary. It was really interesting, not to mention extremely entertaining!
The festival celebrated farmers both of the land and sea, and it was enjoyed by young and old alike. They were especially lucky with the weather.
The programme introduced some novel concepts such as the one woman theatre show and supper in Dungarvan Mart. The play, called Charolais by Nonie Stapleton, was a black comedy about one woman’s intense rivalry with a Charolais heifer.
Not going to give the ending away, but we were served a delicious beef stew by chef Eunice Power following the production.
Visitors to the festival can also enjoy Secret Suppers, where they are whisked away to a secret location in West Waterford to enjoy a meal prepared by a top chef in an intimate location.
The showpiece of the festival each year is the staging of the largest artisan food market on the island, with over 90 stalls. I was in my element sampling all the amazing food.