While Father’s Day is a happy day for many, for others it can be much more difficult.
If you know a child experiencing bereavement, a new book by St Francis Hospice Dublin might help.
Always in My Heart: A book for children about grieving is written by the social work team at the hospice.
Aimed at children aged between nine and 12, it was developed in collaboration with families who have contributed their own life stories to help others.
Another book published in 2021 entitled Finding Your Way Through Grief is aimed at teenagers and young adults and is also available free of charge with support from AWS in Communities.
Cocktails and conversation at the Robert Boyle Summer School
Expect conversation and Boyle’s Gin cocktails this week as science and history enthusiasts descend on the lawns of historic Lismore Castle and environs for the 11th Robert Boyle Summer School in honour of the chemist, physicist, inventor, and author of Boyle’s Law — familiar to any Leaving Cert chemistry student.
The theme of this year’s festival is Science Writing/Writing Science so the event will see a fun and fascinating mix of guests including authors Marianne Lee and Andrew Hughes.
The eclectic event includes the Boyle in Points fact vs fiction game show chaired by RTÉ’s Cathal Murray and a session on Arthur Conan Doyle’s links to Lismore by summer school curator Eoin Gill.
The social highlight is an evening at Lismore Castle where visitors can meet speakers and discuss topics raised throughout the festival.
Get to know your neighbours at next weekend’s Street Feast
Next Sunday will be a day of street parties and community get-togethers as the annual Street Feast celebration takes place around the country.
The aim of this not-for-profit initiative is to bring communities together at friendly local events to share food and conversation.
Established in 2010, the initiative has grown steadily encouraging people of all backgrounds, ages, gender, and nationalities to get to know one another.
Whether you’d like to organise a Street Feast in your local car park or cul-de-sac you can register your interest and get information and support from the Street Feast team as well as a party pack at the website below.
Stylish drives at Carton House
The Classic Car Experience at the Fairmont Carton House is surely the ultimate gift for car lovers.
Drop off your bags at the five-star hotel before hopping into your choice of classic car and hitting the roads of Kildare and Wicklow.
Choose from an MGB Roadster, Mercedes, Morgan, or a VW Beetle Cabriolet and take a gourmet picnic for the journey.
After an exhilarating day exploring Blessington and Baltinglass, Glendalough, and Glenmalure have dinner at Kathleen’s Kitchen before retiring to a luxurious bedroom in the Garden Wing.
The Classic Car Experience starts from €925 based on two people sharing.
Visit the website or call 01-5052000 for more information.
Magee’s timeless new menswear collection
Extreme adventurer Damian Browne is the frontman for the latest fashion campaign by Magee 1866.
Having retired from his professional rugby career, Browne has scaled some of the world’s highest peaks, crossed deserts, and completed an epic 112-day row from New York to Galway.
Known for its heritage fabrics and high-quality, hard-wearing garments it seems a fitting pairing for this fifth-generation family brand.
The new collection features a contemporary take on the classics with pieces that include the Fincashel tweed bomber jacket, the Valentia cotton cable sweater, and the Erne coat in herringbone tweed.
A made-to-measure tailoring service is also available.
Joanne Condon’s sustainable furniture-flipping tips
We absolutely loved upcycler and ‘furniture artist’ Joanne Condon’s first book Furniture Crush so we couldn’t wait to get our hands on her latest one — Furniture Flips: 25 bright and vibrant painted furniture projects.
The book takes readers through the art of furniture flipping — from choosing the right piece of furniture to upcycle to the use of colour and pattern to transform an unloved piece into an object of pride and joy.
The book contains 25 projects in order of difficulty from simple stencilling to distressed paint effects. Published by CICO Books (€28).