Ireland Reads 2023

Ireland Reads Day - Squeeze in a Read

What is Ireland Reads Day you might ask? Well it is a National Day that celebrates reading and it is a day that asks you to give time to reading, whether that is for 10 mins or an hour.....whatever time you have.  You can even pledge the time you will be reading on the Ireland Reads website.

Me and Ireland Reads

The library service I work for has been featuring staff and their favourite reads across their Social Media channels for "Ireland Reads" Day.

Here's how I responded to the great questions put to library staff for this day:

Favourite childhood book? What was your favourite read when you were a child, or what book always reminds you of that time? 

What a great question! It’s got me thinking back to my childhood and all of the books that I enjoyed reading.  Of course I was a big fan of Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl but I also enjoyed some of the older “classics” like the Millie Mollie Mandy series by Joyce Lankester Brisley (amazing to think they were published between 1928 and 1967) and others like the “Just William” series. I also enjoyed Pippi Longstocking and The Bullerby  but my twin sister and I also got a kick out of Astrid Lindren’s perhaps less well known character, the bold Karlsson of “Karlsson on the Roof”. And then there were also favourites that I read over and over again like Noel Streatfeild’s and Judith Kerr’s “When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit”.

Favourite Irish author? 

My favourite Irish author has to be Maeve Binchy. I love how she interwove social issues and changes in Ireland in to her books and of course her characters were so well written that it felt like they were your best friends – different elements of Circle of Friends’ Benny, Eve & Nan were all so familiar to me.

Favourite recent read? 

Two of my recent reads stand out – the first is “The Light Pirate” by Lily Brooks-Dalton.  It’s a recent publication and I was introduced to it by my sister who had attended an author talk in the States with Brooks-Dalton which was chaired by Judy Blume (yes, that Judy Blume!) who gave it high praise. I found it to be an intensely sad read in parts but the resilience of humans was the message I took from it by the end.

The other recent read was “Running with the Bulls” by Valerie Hemingway which was recommended to me by my mother. I am a big fan of Ernest Hemingway so always enjoying reading about his life and this was written from an interesting perspective as Valerie was one of the inner circle in Hemingway’s life working as a secretary for him initially and then going on to marry his son. Of interest to me however, personally was that Valerie was a boarding student in the 1950’s in the same school that I attended in the 90’s! Valerie Hemingway’s life itself could be the focus of a book in it’s own right as she moved in Irish-US circles that brought her contact with literary greats such as Brendan Behan – this book is worth reading purely to find out more about this.

“Running with the Bulls” is available in libraries now and can be reserved through your local library, with “The Light Pirate” on order currently but not in stock just yet (but you can reserve a copy in order to put your name on the waiting list).

Favourite book ever? 

I’ve lots of favourite authors and I enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction.  Books by Bill Bryson give me a great laugh and I always enjoy reading anything by Elin Hilderbrand while on holiday as she writes great beachy stories about Nantucket. My all time favourite book is “Love Dad” by Evan Hunter (also known as the great Ed McBain) which is about a father-daughter relationship through the 1960’s.  It’s a book that I return to again and again for an enjoyable read.  Unfortunately I think this book is out of print now, so you may only find second hand copies through online booksellers.  It’s a book that I think would make a great film so hopefully this happens at some point in the future.

And speaking of books to movies I have to mention, “Hello God, it’s me Margaret” which was a favourite of mine when I was younger and I am very much looking forward to seeing it on the big screen when it comes to cinemas in Ireland very soon.

What will you be reading for Ireland Reads 2023?  With the success of “An Cailin Ciuin” I would like to read the book that the film is based on for Ireland Reads 2023 – it’s Claire Keegan’s “Foster”. 

However I am currently half way through “Lady in Waiting” by Anne Tennant (Lady Glenconner) so I need to finish this first!

For further reading you can see my review of "The Light Pirate" here.....and you can also reserve a copy on the Libraries Ireland website.

A perfect night - great food, wine & PIGSY

Last Thursday we went out (or as I say Out Out!) for a lovely quiet meal with just the two of us. The tennis club was really quiet so we got a fabulous booth table which was very conducive to chats as we ended up sitting beside each other rather than across a table.

The menu was small but had lots of nice dishes to select from.  I chose the "Suckling Pig" for my main while Ciaran chose the steak. And to start we split a crab cake.  Alongside our food we had a nice bottle of red wine......I was off work the next day so I could relax and enjoy it!

The pork above was so tasty and really big - I slowly made my way through it, enjoying every bite!

What was really fun was after ordering our food, we went for a visit to the squash Show Court to see the newly rehung PIGSY art work "Squash Soldiers". 

Wow! I was in awe.

The whole court has been repainted as part of club renovations with new glass walls going on the squash court. And then there is the PIGSY painting. It's phenomenal (I took a pic standing beside it to give an indicator of the scale). 

You can read more about  PIGSY's "Squash Soldiers" here

What a fun little interlude in the evening and made for the most enjoyable time in the tennis club - food, wine, great conversation and art......what could be better?!

First Litter Pick up of 2023 - Ranelagh and Grand Canal

I hooked up with the Friends of the Grand Canal today to do my first litter pick up of 2023. 

As I have my own litter picker and Dublin city litter bags (can be requested from Dublin City Council Customer Service) I picked on my way to meeting the group on the canal.  I started on Leeson Park Avenue and went along Appian Way and then out on to Leeson Street (it was very bad at the bus stop where the Aircoach to the airport stops at) and then up to the bench at Leeson Street Bridge to where the group meets.

By the time I got up to the Grand Canal I had picked one large bag of litter and it was time for a cup of coffee.  The group is proudly supported by the nearby Starbucks and this time I remembered to bring my reusable cup to the meet up.

 The weather was pleasant so it was enjoyable and meditative picking litter. There was a large amount of volunteers today, but if you want to join in too, you can check out the Friends of the Grand Canal facebook page for info on when the next clean up is taking place. Generally they meet at 10am on the first Saturday of the month at the bench next to the canal on Wilton Terrace. The clean up lasts about 2 hours and it is a social occasion at the end when all volunteers enjoy a coffee and chat together.

Here's some pics from the clean up including the fruits of our labour this month:

Most of the clean up focus is on the canal it self.  However, I prefer to do around the canal in order to prevent rubbish being blown in to the actual canal.

It was a mixed group of people and all are welcome to volunteer - no matter how infrequently you might be able to attend.

Some of the volunteers have been attending for years (possibly decades). Well done to them!

Most of the rubbish is brought back to a central collection spot at the bench on Wilton Terrace so that the Dublin City Council staff can collect it all centrally. However, larger heavier full bags are also left near to the rubbish bins and they will then be collected when DCC staff are doing their rounds.

The pole to the left at the bottom of the pick was a traffic sign that was fished out of the canal......fair play to who ever managed to do that and then carry to the central collection spot.

When I finished my coffee, I headed back home but also picked on my way back.  I picked the opposite side of Leeson Street and then left my bag of rubbish at the trash can on Appian Way for collection at some point by Dublin City Council refuse collectors.

All in all a great start to the new Bank Holiday Weekend here in Ranelagh!

Book Review: "The Light Pirate" by Lily Brooks-Dalton

Book Recomendation - "The Light Pirate" by Lily Brooks-Dalton

On my recent trip from Ireland to visit my sister in the USA, she recommended a book to me called "The Light Pirate" by Lily Brookes-Dalton. My sister had discovered the book by attending an author event in Books & Books in Key West.  Books & Books store founder Judy Blume (yes!!) was in attendance and gave glowing praise for the book, saying she doesn't normally read post apocalyptical novels but that she really enjoyed this book.

When I had finished reading the book my sister mentioned it being a read for young adults, this was not something I picked up on at the time of reading. But looking back now, it is probably a book that would interest older young adults, perhaps 15 years plus.  In my opinion, while an easy read, the subject matter could be too harrowing for younger people.

So that brings me to the subject matter, which is in essence, what happens when the power goes out. Specifically in Florida where the central character is based. The protagonist and central character being Wanda who was born in the middle of a hurricane and is named after said hurricane. 

As we know Florida has always experienced huge weather events and now sea levels are beginning to rise. Brooks-Dalton writes about a family and how they are torn apart by these weather events and the effect the weather has on all of those who live in the areas that experience the catastrophic weather events. It is not just Florida with hurricanes but California with rising temperatures which leads to fires and other catastrophies. It should be noted that me calling this "weather events" somewhat minimises what is going on, and also possibly casts mankind as victims in these natural occurences - please be aware that I don't believe that they are natural events and unfortunately they are our doing with our over reliance and use of non-renewable energy and our abuse of natural resources. Humans through our excessive behaviours have caused climate warming and global changes and these are the results. We are no innocent victims in this scenario.

Ultimately, the book maps out terrifying scenarios where homes and towns are devastated and people lose their loved ones to tragedies and have to move away from everything they know to find safe areas to live. It is a deeply sad story in parts but yet there is some hope.  The resiliance of humans is shown and that is something that we will always have.

It's a beautifully written story and very gripping. I read it on a Florida beach while sunbathing (how apt!) and with only two chapters to go I had to leave the beach as I had got too much sun. However, I stopped at a small pocket park close to the beach and sat under the shade of a tree in order to finish the book - it's that good!!

If you are looking for a good read by, I have no doubt, an upcoming and soon to be successful author, do yourself a favour and buy a copy of The Light Pirate from your local bookstore, or borrow from the library.  And hey if your local library doesn't have it in stock, make sure you make a suggestion for purchase!

An unexpected flying, fleeting, visit to Key West

Unexpectedly I arranged a trip to Key West (at very short notice) to visit with my sister.

It was a week long holiday that I packed loads in to and had a great time with Amy. Having found brilliant flights with United (Dublin-Newark-Key West) for a reasonable cost, it was a no brainer to go, once I had secured the annual leave approval from work.

As usual, the very first thing that I do on Key West trips is head to Cuban Coffee Queen for my first coffee on the island. Excellent as usual and I love the vibe of the coffee hangout - so I visited between 7am and 8am every day for the rest of the week.

Roosters and coffee always put a smile on my face!

Some of things I got up to on the visit included catching crab with Amy on her boat. Her and her husband had baited them and laid them out the week before so we just had to pull them in and take the claw off any crabs that were big enough. When we got home we then were able to enjoy the fruits of our labour and ate crab claws with prosecco along with a delicious lime mustard sauce made by Amy.

Is that one of the biggest crab claws you have ever seen?! And tasted so good!

The weather was changeable but I did get to spend a day at the beach - but more importantly I got out fishing on The Salty Goat with Captain Dan and First Mate Greg. It was a great day - we went to the Gulf of Mexico and we were on the fish!! 

Later that evening Amy cooked up the fish with 2 different seasonings. Seriously there is nothing better than eating the fish that you just caught that day. It's one of my favourite things in life.

It was lucky that I went fishing on the day that I did as there was no fishing the next day due to the weather.

Other things we got up to included, enjoying happy hour eats and other great food, including of course Key Lime Pie. We did happy hour in Aonzo's Half Shell Raw Bar and Martins, along with having sushi at Thai Island. I also stopped in for a drink (and the atmosphere) in Green Parrot Bar (my fave!) and First Flight (the former Kelly's).

My last full day was cooler so what did I do, only visit firstly the Tennesee Williams Museum and then the awesome Tropic Movie Theatre on Eaton Street

Tennessee Williams lived in Key West from the 1950's to about the 1980's and it was fun to see his Key West Library card!

On my last evening, we stopped at Dairy Queen which was fun. The DQ is in a historic 1950's building - too cute.

With my flight going at lunchtime it was great to squeeze in one last thing on my final day (Saturday) with Amy and I stopping off at a yard sale on the way home from Cuban Coffee Queen, what fun!

All in all a really super time in Key West with quality time spent with my twin sister (and her model cat, Buddy!). 

I have to admit that I was teary at the airport as I turned to go through security. I was sad to be leaving but hopefully I will get back soon. This was a bonus trip that I never expected so I have to be glad about that. It has set me up for January 2023 and I only have to work a week before I am off for the new St Brigid's bank holiday next weekend.

Thanks Amy for a great time and brilliant memories. Til next time.....

Butter gone viral

Have you seen Twitter lately?

Of all the things that are going viral, one of them is butter. Yes butter!

Well not quite just butter, more specifically Irish butter and even more specifically, Kerrygold Butter. 

It all started with a tweet by @afrosabi (see below) and as things go on Twitter it spread quickly (excuse the pun!)

I'm not surprised by this at all as I have been extolling the virtues of Irish butter for years here on my blog. But it is not just Kerrygold that is great, most all Irish butters are really good as generally (like Kerrygold is) it is made from grassfed milk. This means that the cows eat grass outside for most of the year except for maybe a small amount of time if there is bad weather. It leads to the most gorgeous tasty yellow butter that has a high fat content up at about 80%.

Kerrygold is a very well know brand of butter here in Ireland but there are others including Avonmore Butter, Connaught Gold, Glenstal Creamery Butter and Ór Real Irish Butter (interesting fact the word Ór means gold in the Irish language). To be honest though the supermarket brand butters are really good here in Ireland and tend to have the same fat content as Kerrygold. I've tasted the Supervalu and Dunnes Stores own brand and they are delicious.  Irish butter is also avaiable in Lidl and Aldi. I've tasted the Aldi store brand (Kilkeely) and it's great and I regularly buy the Lidl store brand which is Dairy Manor.

So if you've not tasted Irish butter why not try it - I think you will notice a big difference to the butter that you normally eat (let me know!). 

I know that Kerrygold is the one that is widely available throughout the world but it can be expensive. So if you've now got an Irish butter addiction, here's a tip to save money - freeze your butter. Yes butter can freeze, so if you see butter on sale at a good price, buy a few and put them in the freezer to keep longer. But in fairness, butter lasts a good while, so you may not even need to freeze it.

My mantra is that everything is better with butter.  Let me know if you agree!

Just a perfect day!

Yesterday was great. Just one of those perfect days.

For some reason I bounced out of the bed at 6.30am which is very unlike me as I normally sleep til about 8am on the weekend. Anyway I got up and enjoyed the solitude in the house and had a chilled out cup of coffee with Bones asleep on the couch beside me and Ciaran still asleep upstairs.

And then Ciaran got up and got ready to go to Galway. He was picked up by his friend at 8.30am and I set off walking with the slow, old dog that is Bones. We walked to Nick's coffee where I discovered that it opens at 7am on a Sunday morning!!  I got there about 9am and it was literally the only place open in Ranelagh. There was a bit of a buzz in Nick's with a steady flow of people at the hatch in their window getting their coffee fix on. I enjoyed my coffee inside the shop, standing at the back counter with Bones (Yes, they are dog friendly!) and browsed instagram while I was there.

When I got home, I set about making Keto bread. I haven't made it in awhile and I was pleasantly reminded how easy it is to make - and how tasty it is (of course, I have to give a big nod to Irish butter - a slice of this bread toasted with a lump of Kerrygold is the best)!

I noticed that I lost an earring on the way back from Nick's but I didn't even let that ruin my perfect day! They were sent to me from USA by Amy. She is going to send me a new pair to replace - they were from Banana Republic which we don't have here in Ireland.

And then when Ciaran came home from Galway we went to the movies to see "A man called Otto" starring Tom Hanks. It's been about 2 months since I was last in the the cinema so it felt good to watch a fim on the big screen at the Ranelagh Omniplex. And what a film. So great, but utterly heartbreaking in parts. So so good.

All in all a perfect Sunday before I went back to work today. Very relaxed, very chill.....as the song goes, easy like a Sunday morning!