The Limerick Magazine July 2017 - #Issue21

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issue 21

JULY 2017

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Myles Breen 06

MYLES BREEN

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Ann Blake

Jane Austen 200 Festival

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THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

W elc o me T O th e l i meri c k maga zi n e The Limerick Magazine is a fun and informative monthly free-sheet keeping you up to date with what is happening in Limerick City and County. Each month we bring you the best in Food & Entertainment, Fashion & Beauty, Business, Interiors, Travel, and Profiles & Interviews. The Limerick Magazine showcases local life in Limerick with lively opinion pieces and interesting articles to get you talking.

Editor in Chief

Editor

Photography

Graphic Designer

Advertising

Michelle Costello

Kayleigh Ziolo

Tarmo Tulit

Paul Geaney

Fusion Media

michelle@fusionmedia.ie

kayleigh@fusionmedia.ie

tarmo@tarmotulit.com

paul@fusionmedia.ie

advertising@fusionmedia.ie

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TLM contributors

TLM PHOTOGRAPHERS

This is a free magazine. You are free to give it away (in unmodified form) to whomever you wish. No

Aisling O'Connor

Eva Birdthistle

Sarah Talty

Ken Coleman

Tara Maloney

John Kelly

Shauna Lindsay

Tarmo Tulit

Sarah Lafferty Eva Shortt Jane O’Halloran Jason Kenny Mark Lloyd James Slattery Mark Carey Amanda Flannagan Dave Cuddihy

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Cover - Tarmo Tulit

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This magazine is designed to provide information to our readers. It is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged to render any type of legal or any other kind of professional advice. The content of each article is the sole expression and opinion of its author, and not necessarily that of the publisher. No warranties or guarantees are expressed or implied by the publisher’s choice to include any of the content in this volume. Neither the publisher nor the individual author(s) shall be liable for any physical, psychological, emotional, financial, or commercial damages, including, but not limited to, special, incidental, consequential or other damages. Our views and rights are the same: You are responsible for your own choices, actions, and results.

Publisher - Fusion Media - Studio Lane, Kildimo, Limerick, V94 XKV4, Ireland - +353 (0) 61 394776

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T L M c o ntri buto rs

Editor’s Note Our cover star might be in moody monochrome, but don't let that fool you Limerick legend Myles Breen is as warm, bright and colourful as they come.

We're celebrating all things Pride this month, and hearing why the festival Kayle igh Ziolo

remains so important to Limerick's LBGTQ youth today. We go from rainbows to green as Tara Maloney tells us why horticulture is so important to our wellbeing, plus we have a hape of trends, recipes, travel guidance and music reviews to keep the summer vibes going - you'll need to slap on the Factor 50 for this one!

Mich elle Costello

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Kayleigh Ziolo

TA RMO TULIT

pA UL g e a ne y

S ha una L i nd s ay

Tara Maloney

A islin g O' Con n or

E va S ho r t t

S a r a h Ta lt y

Jas on Ken n y

Ch ristin e Costello

Ma r k Ca r e y

J a ne O 'Ha l l o r a n

S arah Lafferty

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L im e r ic k P r id e Cove r interv i ew wi t h M y l e s Br e e n Myles Breen is one of Limerick’s most beloved acting talents, and has played a major role in Limerick Pride since the official beginning of the Limerick Pride Festival in 2008. Myles has seen a great deal of change growing up as a gay man in Limerick. As the Limerick Pride 2017 theme focuses on LGBTQ youth, Myles talks to us about his own experiences, and the importance of Pride to young people today.

Pride globally is a celebration rooted in deeply

I grew up at a time when homosexuality was officially

Why does Myles think that Pride is still important

who have faced oppression, and those who still face

we’re talking just over two decades. That’s not just my

and oneness is so vital. We relied on it back when

political and historical struggles - the different people prejudices and stigmas in their daily lives. “Pride is

the public face of all of us, says Myles. “That’s why it is so important. It is a party! We celebrate, but we also

keep in mind that there are still rights to be won all over the world. It’s so important we continue to stand

up and say, this is who we are! Are we really so scary, so evil?”

Talking about his own experiences growing up, he

credits his family and friends for being supportive

and accepting at a time when society and indeed the state were not. “I was lucky. I knew who I was from a

very young age, but I was still afraid what the reaction might be. Lucky for me my loved ones couldn’t have

been more supportive; they didn’t judge, they just

accepted that was who I was. When I told my mum, her reaction was just ‘Myles, I know!’ so that will tell you.” Of course, not everyone is so lucky, and it still

wasn’t always easy to be a gay man here in Limerick.

Myles is keenly aware of the progress we’ve seen in a relatively short space of time. “Even though Limerick

is a city it was still small town Ireland in its outlook,

a world away from the likes of London or New York, where even there it was still difficult for people. Gay people were still underground, in the backstreets.

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illegal, and it wasn’t that long ago the law was changed, lifetime but within many young people’s lifetimes.

Then of course we had the marriage equality vote, which was a huge moment.” For so many the Yes vote was seen as such a moment of progress to be accepted

in such a way, beyond being elevated to ‘not criminal’ and embraced by society rather than simply tolerated.

Myles sees the way that Limerick Pride has grown over the last decade or so as another testament to

the progress and change in attitudes. “The most

to young people today? “That sense of community

we were living in secret and people still need it now.

Young people still have their own struggles with their identity, be they transgender or non-binary, there is a

lot of coming to terms with these things and a lack of understanding in the wider community. No matter what progress we’ve seen in society at large people will still have their own internal battles. It’s not easy for everyone just because we are ‘out there’ now.”

wonderful thing about Limerick Pride specifically for

What advice does Myles have for young people

just for LGBTQ individuals, but their friends, their

helpful to hear or not, but I would say it’s never going

me is that it is very much a family event. It is not

family, their children, and the whole community of Limerick. It’s about everyone. People who are

LGBTQ, we are all different. For want of a better

term, we really are a whole rainbow of people! And that’s what it is all about; it’s about celebrating all the wonderful differences in the community, as one. For a

long time, we lived with the stereotypes – for example

my era was the time of Larry Grayson - so we existed in people’s minds almost as mere caricatures. Pride

is very much about showing individuality and all different identities; it is part and parcel of the fabric of the city.”

experiencing those struggles? “I’m not sure if it is to be as bad as you think it is. Showing people who you are, it is a big step to take, but people love you

for you, no matter what that is. No one can continue

to live a life hiding and supressing themselves, it’s not sustainable and it’s not healthy for you and it

impacts on those around you and your relationships with them too. There is always someone you can talk

to, there are fantastic organisations that are there to

listen, not judge and tell you what to do but to lend an ear and offer support.” So much in lives of LGBTQ people has been about being afraid, and Myles agrees it is important to keep talking and educating about all aspects of physical and mental health.

THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

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“You absolutely have to look after yourself, and that includes sexual health too. I lived through the HIV/

AIDs crisis when being gay meant you were going

to die, and on top of that the rhetoric around it was so upsetting, it was like ‘well, do they deserve it?’ It made everyone so much more afraid. We’re not there anymore but people need to remember that HIV hasn’t gone away you know! You still have to look after

yourself and get tested regularly, and unfortunately because there is still stigma there is a reluctance to talk openly about it still, which we need to do.”

What are Myles’ fondest memories of Limerick Pride?

“Pride has been very good to me, for all the reasons above but also in the support of my play, Language

Unbecoming a Lady. Without Pride it would never

have made it to NY and won the award at Origin’s First Irish Theatre Festival. And of course I host the

tea dance, which has become a bit of a fixture! It’s part of the after-party of the parade, everyone dances

with everyone. My personal highlight was dancing with then Mayor of Limerick Gerry McLoughlin

– it might seem a small thing but having that

involvement and acceptance from the city is a big

deal. Also being grand marshal back in 2014 was a very special moment, I had little old ladies coming up to me with congratulations, again another sign of just how much attitudes in the city have changed

and how much Pride has cemented itself as a whole

community event. The organisation community of

Limerick Pride work so hard each year, they are so passionate and make it the success that it is.”

Myles Breen will be hosting his annual tea dance at the Hunt Museum, after the Pride Parade on Saturday July 15th, so dust off those dancing shoes!

Article by: Kayleigh Ziolo

Photography by: Tarmo Tulit

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THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

Ar t ist P r of ile A o i fe Slat t ery I shadowed Elke Sada for two weeks in 2013. It was an amazing experience to work with a ceramic artist of such talent. She shared with me a few of her

techniques and since then I have made them my own.

Since leaving college I have continued developing my own style and range of work.

What makes your pieces unique? What do you try to offer people?

My work is contemporary and vibrant and it brings

playful personality to the home. Each piece is hand

crafted with function and aesthetics being the focus.

I consider my work to be ‘usable art’ and encourage

my customers to interact with it daily. I think it is important for people to have a choice to buy work that is Irish and locally handmade.

How involved are in you in the artist community of Limerick?

I was involved with ‘Occupy Space’ and exhibited with Aoife Slattery is a ceramics artist whose work ranges from unconventional homeware to hanging wall art

them in 2015. I was also a member and studio holder

When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?

of Culture 2014) which unfortunately closed in 2016.

expressing myself in class except when it came to art. My teachers and my parents thankfully noticed this and

After leaving college it was hard to find a studio space

the only thing that I really enjoyed! Deciding to go to Limerick School of Art and Design was an easy decision for

provide that. It was also a great space to meet like

in the ‘Craft Hub’ (one of the legacy projects of City

As a child art was the only subject in school I was confident at. Being dyslexic I was quite shy when it came to

The Craft Hub was an amazing experience for me.

encouraged me to continue practicing, although I don’t think I needed much encouragement to keep it up as it was

let alone one that had a kiln but the Hub was able to

me to make and it really helped me to develop as an artist.

minded people to bounce ideas off of. The Hub was

How did you develop your style and medium? What is it that attracted you to ceramics?

I’m a member of Ceramics Limerick, which is an

it. It’s a beautiful material to work with- it can amaze and also frustrate you in equal measures! It’s a material that

group ranges widely and always makes for interesting

contemporary sculpture.

around the Limerick area.

definitely the starting point of my career. Currently

When I started out in college ceramics was the last discipline on my mind, but when I tried it I fell in love with

inspiring group to be part of. The work from the

you cannot rush. I love the range of work that can be made using ceramics from traditional functional pieces to

exhibitions. We try to exhibit at least once a year in or

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Describe the process of your work?

What artists do you admire and are you inspired by?

What is next for you?

printing process. I ‘paint’ with coloured slips onto a

Picasso. He was a genius and someone I get buckets

14th August at the Central Building on O’Connell

To create my vibrant surface decoration I use a plaster bat. This is the fun bit and I have a range of

tools which I use to make certain marks and splashes.

I then pour slip (which is liquid clay) onto the plaster bat. When the clay has dried the decoration will

attach to the slip and I’m left with a flat sheet of clay that I cut and manipulate into my work. This process makes each piece completely unique.

If I had to pick one of the greats it would definitely be

of inspiration from. I really admire Derek Wilson’s

ceramics and the way he photographs his work. I often look at his work to remind myself that sometimes less is more.

I also really love furniture and interior design. Most

of my saved images on Instagram are of beautiful, clean lined living spaces with pops of colour and well

The Ceramics Limerick group is exhibiting on the Street which will include my work. In October we

also hope to exhibit as part of the Pigtown Festival.

To see my current work, my studio is in Ballymorris

not too far from the city, or you can find me on Etsy/ Instagram/Facebook.

Article by: Kayleigh Ziolo

crafted furniture/textiles. I often refer to these colour schemes.

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THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

M usic Int e rv ie w P ro p er M i c ro NV

Proper Micro NV, alias of Limerick musician Rory Hall, is a highly-acclaimed electronic music producer. Following the release of his debut EP titled 'EP1' in June 2016, Proper

Micro NV has been compared to artists such as James Blake and Mount Kimbie and received recognition from Irish electronic songstress and former Moloko frontwoman Roisin Murphy. Hall has recently released a brand new six track EP 'Colours', which offers a blend of electro-pop, ambient and slow burning dance music. TLM chats to Hall about his career to date, the role of electronic music in modern culture and his musical influences.

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THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

How did you start off making music?

Online streaming platforms have certainly aided

As a city, do you think Limerick is a good

sister Tamara, who's a great dance music producer,

musicians, or are they killing the industry?

I think Limerick is really starting to develop a great

I started making music when I was about 16. My was messing around with some software on her laptop

at the age of 14. I always had a passion for electronic

music, but she kind of got me into the production

side of things! I was just experimenting with sounds, putting little snippet tracks together. Nothing really

became properly formulated until I was about 18 or 19 when I started to sing on my tracks.

Who are your main musical influences and have they changed over the years?

I've listened to a lot of different artists over the years.

Everyone from Roisin Murphy to James Blake, Tim Hecker and Aphex Twin. Roisin is somebody I've

you as an artist. Would you say they are beneficial to I think it’s a case of horses for courses. I think it suits

new artists for sure. It's certainly got my music out

there, which I'm grateful for. It’s changed the industry in good ways and bad.

Do you play traditional instruments, as well as experimenting with technology, or intertwine the two?

I do like to play a bit of piano but I'm mainly a tech head. I have a predominantly piano based song on my

new EP Colours though, called Handwriting. I think it’s lovely!

always admired musically.

What do you believe to be the key component to a

You recently performed your first live show. What

It really depends. I think the general atmosphere of

was that like?

I loved it. It was a gig for Nialler9 and Homebeats Future Proof series. It was a great venue and a lovely

crowd. It was really nice to piece everything together

good song?

a song is vital. If you create nice sounds that create

a great atmosphere it can transfer a listener into a different world. A good lyric is always helpful.

with my band after months of rehearsals. It was lovely

Do you have a set method you follow when making

the whole project feel worthwhile.

It changes all the time. Sometimes I'll start with a

to get nice feedback from the audience too, that made

In your opinion, why is electronic music so popular in our culture?

I think it offers something a bit different to most other genres. It has a depth that some genres can't keep up

with. Electronic music can be really emotional. It's

environment for aspiring musicians to settle?

showcase for the arts in general. I really like the

Limerick music scene, especially the alternative scene.

It's growing every day.

For anyone with an interest in making electronic music, what advice would you give them?

You don't need expensive gear! Not to start off with anyway. So many people spend thousands on gear and

don't use half of it. A laptop, midi keyboard and some

software is a good base to begin. Don't be afraid to listen to something a little bit different to the norm.

Who would be your dream collaborator and why?

Definitely a toss up between Roisin Murphy and Gorillaz/Damon Albarn. Roisin because of her

creativity and voice. Damon because I really want to hear that vintage 2D vocal over one of my songs!

Article by: Christine Costello

music?

beat, sometimes I'll start with a vocal. Once I was at a bus stop and a melody popped into my head. I took

out my phone and hummed the sound into my voice recorder. I got a few funny looks but you eventually grow not to care. Music does that to you!

not all high speed happiness! I like happy electronic

music don't get me wrong, but I've always embraced the emotional side of it.

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In t e rv ie w A nn B la ke

A groggy Sunday morning, May 24th 2015 and

Did you expect the play to get the response it has

What is the aim for the production going forward?

text from her brother which brings the image of a

Not at all, like anyone in this game the initial plan was

more stories to tell?

62% of Ireland is #hungoverforequality, Ann gets a new Ireland into sharp focus. “How’s the morning

after the life before?” That was the premise behind Limerick theatre maker and musician Ann Blake’s

play, The Morning After the Life Before, celebrating the unique historical moment when Ireland became the first country, in the world, to support Marriage

Equality by popular vote. It is a a light-hearted, playful

telling of a true story of weddings, ‘coming out’ and

arguments over who takes out the bins, performed

by Ann herself and Dublin actress Lucia Smyth, and directed by Paul Meade of Gúna Nua.

Ann has recently returned from Canada, where the

show has received rave reviews at both the London Ontario Fringe Festival and the Montreal Film

Festival. Oh, and it won the Best in Fringe awards at both – so it’s safe to say Ann and the crew did Limerick proud!

had?

just to get it made, and for it to be good! We weren’t

thinking of much else beyond that. We premiered the show in Limerick and it got a fantastic response, but

I was conscious that this is my home and that the audiences were made up of people who knew me or at least knew of me and the team. Taking the show away

from Limerick was always going to be a very different

As part of the award we get to bring the show back to the Wildside Festival in Montreal in January 2018 – we’re still working out the details of doing that but

I’ve said we will so that’s that! Other than that there are no concrete plans, but of course we would love for it to tour in Ireland.

experience and I had no idea what to expect.

The show started life as a short in the run up to the

We also weren’t sure whether it would even translate

tool; to show people what they were voting for and

– the story is an Irish one, and it’s a personal one too, so would Canadian audiences be able to connect to

it? The feedback we got was incredible, people were really emotional and absolutely got it, they loved the

humour and they really responded to the story. We

took the show to London Ontario and then to

marriage equality referendum, so it was a canvassing

to put a human face on those who would be affected by the decision. The story now is a completely true

personal telling of the aftermath of the Yes vote

winning, but I still feel it has a function to send a broader message.

Montreal Fringe, the latter of which was a different

Certainly in these times when it often feels like hate

the award was crazy. We owe a lot to Laura Flynn, a

can triumph is an important thing for people to hold

beast altogether with over 130 shows, so for us to win

friend over there who worked to promote the play at

the festival; she created such a buzz before we even got

there. We were the only Irish company on the bill and it was such an honour to be recognised. Everything

about the experience was so positive, there was such an outpouring of love and positivity, to see people leaving uplifted and telling us that they just want to hug everyone after watching!

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Will you be taking it elsewhere and will there be

is winning in the world, to show that actually love onto. And we mustn’t forget that progress is fragile, things can always be rolled back, and there are places in the world where they are still fighting for rights, so

for that reason I would like to take the show to those

places. Particularly I would like to take it to Northern Ireland – to be clear there are no plans just yet! – but certainly as our neighbours do not have equality, and

as the DUP are set to gain more power as they go into an agreement with the UK government.

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It wouldn’t be a confrontational thing; it’s my own

How effective is theatre as a medium to speak up on

Article by: Kayleigh Ziolo

than that we need to create a welcoming space to see

As an artist I think it is important to use the voice

photography by: Ken Coleman, Headshot of Ann by:

story so of course I want to use it carefully, but more a different side of the issue.

The play was always trying to help people understand a bit more. A lot of people have said that it has helped

them understand the issues in a way they would not have before. So yes, there is hopefully much more life in The Morning After the Life Before yet!

important issues?

we have as much as possible to share our stories

and theatre can be a very powerful medium to get

people. I mean, you’re trapping people in a room for

a length of time to make them watch and listen to you. It’s a more intimate, focused experience than

seeing a video or a post online, it’s a chance to really

connect emotionally with performer and audience

and get a sense of the reality and individuals behind

all the contradictions and statistics and mudslinging.

Showing people characters and stories is often more effective in getting a message across and I think we have a responsibility to do that.

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The Morning After the Life Before promo Eamonn O'Mahony

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Fashion H O LI DA Y FA SHI O N Getaway booked? Definitely time to stock up on awesome threads, then. From stylish swimwear to

every T-shirt under the sun, this is the ultimate destination for holiday gear inspiration. We’ve basically just packed your suitcase for you.

Packing for a holiday can be stressful, especially with the pesky luggage allowance rules. We all need to

think about what we take want, pack light and not overload the suitcase with clothes you aren’t going to

wear, yet we make this mistake almost every single

time. Strategic planning is in order and only pack holiday essentials.

If you are jetting off this summer, we have taken the hard work out of packing and rounded up the most stylish holiday essentials.

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River Island - White Ground

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Control Print T-Shirt - €25

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Ripped Skinny Fit Denim Shorts - €44

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THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE Dorothy Perkins - Womenswear s/s17

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New Look - Pink Longline Floral Kimono - €34.99 & Lace Up Heels €39.99

New Look - Blue Good Vibes Sequin Denim Jacket - €34.99

New Look - Red

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New Look - Orange Floral Print Culottes €24.99

New Look - Red Gingham Sandals - €24.99

New Look - Red Gingham Sandals - €24.99

Asos - Floozie by Frost French 21 - €16.89

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b e aut y Go bold Ah, summer — that time of year that signals a shift in colours, fashion and, most importantly, fun.

Summer is a great excuse to test new colours and products and we can experiment with as much colour as possible. The easy way to do this is with clothing, but why not take a

cue from this season’s runway and apply some colour block action to your makeup? Bold colours and contrasting hues will give you that fashion-forward look. Check out Inglot fantastic colour options and a few inspirational looks photographed by our team.

Solid Lips

Try out one of the hottest lipstick shades by rocking this solid-coloured white lip to make

a lasting impression. If you’re feeling bold, pair it with a bright, cool-hued eye shadow for the ultimate colour block face.

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Line Up

Equal parts bright and subtle, neon eyeliner is a fabulous way to play with the trend with minimal

commitment. The key to pulling off this look is

to keep the rest of your face as neutral as possible and let the eyeliner be the focal point.

Bold All Over

Not into the two-toned look? Just rock a vibrant

shadow and use colour blocking with your outfit instead.

Credits:

Article by: Michelle Costello

Photography by: Tarmo Tulit MUA: Annette Smyth

Products: Inglot, Crescent Shopping Centre, Limerick Model: Yesunia Appiakorang

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b e aut y Shauna Style Diary Style your stay-cation!

While holidaying abroad is amazing, there is a lot to say for our little country. No, the sun may not always shine but we have some of the most

amazing hotels and spas that would be perfect for your getaway. Although some people might complain about our weather, I love styling outfits

for this season. Pants and jackets are essential with our weather and this season we are seeing some seriously nice pants and jackets, ones you could never wear aboard because it would be too hot!

Check out some of my favourite pieces for your stay-cation below, all in stores now.

Firstly, there's no going wrong with a denim

Shift dresses have truly become a love of mine. Do the

embroidered. You can rock this over anything,

you’re ready for the day! Wear on its own or you can

jacket and this one is even cooler because its

jeans or a dress, day or night. Make the embroidery

pop by matching your shoes or your bag. The embroidery definitely makes this jacket look a lot more expensive than its actual price tag at just €49.95. Available from Zara.

Hate it or love it, khaki ain't ever going out of style and I'm obsessed with this jacket. So much detail

on the back making it look super expensive plus

hair and makeup, slap one of these bad boys on, and dress it up for a casual night out with a pair of jeans and heels as seen above. This off the shoulder shift dress is from H&M and is cheap as chips at just €22.99.

Can we all take a minute to lust over this? I love the colour scheme, great to bring out any bit of tan you've

manage to catch and maintain over our Irish summer.

Pair with a pair of tanned shoes for the cutest outfit on the planet. Available from Zara for €39.95.

the peplum and shoulder detail give this jacket

For me H&M will always be the winners when it

this over anything. Definitely a statement piece

pale pink blouse would be perfect over a pair of denim

the most incredible shape. Again, you can pair and you can't beat Zara's price tag of €59.95.

I don't know about you but I've been loving

summer dresses. I know, I know, sometimes the weather prevents us wearing these BUT as the

model has kindly demonstrated above, pair any summer dress with a cute long sleeve underneath

comes to blouses. They just get it right every time. This of black jeans and a nice pair of tanned wedges. €24.99 H&M and myself have a lot in common.. we love a good frill! Make a statement with this pop of colour for

just €34.99. Also love how there's a pull in on the waist so you can tighten that baby up to give the impression of a smaller waist.

and it gives you this effortless chic look. I

Last but not least : Culottes

asymmetrical which will give great shape to any

the time, especially when I'm travelling. They are so

personally love this dress from Zara because it's

body and it sits at a perfect length on the knee. €59.95

These babies are my actual saviour. I wear these all comfortable and super stylish. Pair these bad boys with

a plain white tea and a pair of trainers and you have the

perfect outfit to travel or explore in. These are available from Zara for €34.95.

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t r av e l

Travelling as a young couple is exciting and a huge amount of fun. Whether you want to explore ancient sights and sprawling cities, party all night, or just get away from it all and laze on the beach, there’s a whole world out there waiting to be explored. We have picked our top 5 destinations to visit this summer.

1. Barbados

Barbados is one of the most beautiful countries in the Caribbean and offers Caribbean luxury at its finest. There are plenty of quiet secluded beaches to enjoy, an atmosphere and culture like no other place on earth, and a laid-back ambience that is exactly what you need for a relaxing escape with your loved one.

2. Rome

Rome remains one of the most exciting cities in the world and is perfect for a city break for a couple. There’s the beautiful Vatican City to explore, the ancient remains of Roman civilisation, food to die for, and a relaxed laid-back atmosphere. The nightlife is exciting and diverse, and the city just oozes romance with its fountains, architecture, and stunning art and parks.

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3. The Greek Islands

The Greek islands have something for all young couples, from fantastic party destinations to islands steeped in ancient ruins and beautiful towns and villages. Wherever

you go, you can find beautiful beaches, wonderful food, warm weather, and warm waters, making this a great relaxing and romantic escape.

4. Cape Verde

Breaks for couples to Cape Verde give you sun, subtropical weather, and lovely warm waters lapping gently on

sprawling sandy beaches. The islands have a wonderful

landscape and a culture much less party oriented than the Balearic Islands. Cape Verde gives a couple a real escape from reality and the perfect chance to indulge yourself in pampering and luxury.

5. Ibiza

Yes Ibiza is back and as trendy as ever. Ibiza may be the

holiday destination of choice for large young groups, but

it’s also fantastic as a couple’s getaway. You can spend

your nights at the clubs and have a secluded out-of-the-

way apartment or villa away from the party when you just want to relax and unwind as a couple. Ibiza’s beaches are incredible, and the atmosphere is energetic.

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hom e Alfresco Dining Wood Burners

Wood-burners are a great investment – they’ll keep

your guests comfortable long after the sun has gone down. To top things off, a few scatter cushions and

cosy blankets will add to the relaxed atmosphere and some tea-lights filled with citronella oil and dotted around the table will keep bugs away.

Seating

Comfort is the name of the game when it comes

to choosing outdoor seating for an alfresco dinner.

Choose sturdy chairs that are easy to move but won’t

tip over easily when you reach for your wine glass.

Make sure you have soft cushions for your chairs so no one gets a numb backside during your lengthy

party. Provide a table with ample space for dishes, goblets, drink bottles, and diners’ elbows.

Summer is here and with the longer evenings and

Linens

Lighting

many of you will be thinking ahead to blissful evenings

bounty of summer. Choose a patterned tablecloth so

that’s needed for an alfresco dinner. Instead of the

outdoors with friends and family. If that sounds like

Dunnes, Debenhams and Marks and Spencer have a

candles for the table or strings of fairy to cast gentle

the perfect barbecue or outside dining soiree, read on

cloth napkin that won’t blow away at a gust of wind.

warmer weather we seem to be enjoying this year,

Cover your table with a cloth that celebrates the

A soft glow with light enough to see your plate is all

spent barbecuing, drinking wine and socialising

inevitable spills and stains are hidden in the design,

harsh glare of a porch light, opt for lanterns with

you but you’re worried about successfully pulling off

lovely selection every year. Supply each guest with a

illumination over the scene.

as we’ve some handy alfresco tips.

Food and Drink

Dishes

Once the stage is set for your fabulous outdoor event,

Given the unpredictable nature of the Irish weather,

parcel of outdoor dining, but you can forestall disaster

making pizzas or fresh bread in a wood fired oven,

inexpensive for the level of use you’ll get out of them

of glass goblets, choose elegant plastic ones that will

marshmallows for gourmet s’mores. Keep wine, beer,

it does rain, but can also be easily decorated with fairy

dishes, use sturdy paper plates. This will maintain the

placed near the table.

cutting down on dishes after the meal.

With your guests’ every need thought of and planned

Setting the scene

A shattered glass or smashed plate are often part and

kick things up a notch on the feasting front. Consider

we recommend setting up a gazebo. They’re relatively

by choosing dishes that won’t easily break. Instead

and then use it after dinner to roast homemade

in this country, and not only do they provide cover if

survive a fall to the patio. Rather than risk your good

and other beverages ice cold with a nice ice bucket

lights to create a relaxed atmosphere.

beauty of your table while saving the dinnerware and

for, your outdoor summer dinner is sure to be a resounding success.

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F ood & d r ink Recipe - Flavoured Water

Some natural summer flavoured water ideas for healthy non-alcoholic refreshment!

Pomegranate Kiwi & Mango flavoured water Fresh pomegranate Kiwi slices

Mango slices

Strawberry and Lime flavoured water 3-4 halved strawberries 1 half of a lime 1 pint of water

Prepare and let it sit in the fridge for 4 hours

Pineapple and Mint flavoured water 1 cup cubed pineapple 1 spring of mint

Remember to bruise all the mint leaves to really help

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the flavour get into the water.

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F ood & d r in k In Season - Summer Foraging Get out and pick some of nature's offering this month!

Field mushrooms

You are never too far away from a cow grazing field in this country, which means delicious field mushrooms

(Agaricus campestris) aplenty. Rule number one is of

course do NOT disturb the cow herds, wait until the

field is empty and keep your dog on a lead at all times.

It should also go without saying that you should have permission to be on the farmer’s land before foraging

for goodies there. Make sure you know how to identify

them too - make sure you research thoroughly first.

Field mushrooms start to pop up around the end

of July (earlier if we experience particularly wet and humid conditions for the month). Get out first thing before the slugs decimate the new growth. Field mushrooms make an incredible wild mushroom soup

made simply with onions, stock and milk, or you can fry them up with a full Irish to reward your early morning efforts!

Hazelnuts

No need to wait until wild hazelnuts have browned as they are also delicious when green – the likelihood

is you won’t see too many brown ones anyway as the

squirrels don’t leave them on the branches for long.

You can eat them straight off the tree (sometimes

that’s where most of the pleasure lies!) but they are

also fantastic when taking home and roasted. Leave the skins on in the oven, then take them out and wrap

in a clean tea towel to allow them to steam so the skins can be rubbed off more easily.

Elderflower

One of the easiest plants to find in your locality, elderflower grows everywhere. It’s currently heading

towards end of season so get out quick to grab the last few bunches. Try to avoid picking from bushes that

grow along roads with high traffic, as they are more likely to be polluted.

Try out this River Cottage Spring recipe for

Cover with clean muslin and leave to ferment in

water and lemon juice for cordial to add to sparkling

becoming a little foamy and obviously beginning to

elderflower champagne, or boil them up with sugar, water and various cocktails! The flowers can also be sprinkled into sponge cakes to provide a summery depth of flavour.

Elderflower champagne 4 litres hot water 700g sugar

Juice and zest of four lemons

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

15-20 elderflower heads, in full bloom

a cool, airy place for a couple of days. If it is not ferment, add a pinch of yeast.

Leave the mixture to ferment, again covered with

muslin, for a further four days. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with muslin and decant into

sterilised strong glass bottles with champagne stoppers or sterilised screw-top plastic bottles (a good

deal of pressure can build up inside as the fermenting brew produces carbon dioxide, so strong bottles and seals are essential).

A pinch of dried yeast (you may not need this)

Seal and leave to ferment in the bottles for at least a

Put the hot water and sugar into a large clean bucket.

keep in the bottles for several months. Store in a cool,

Stir until the sugar dissolves, then top up with cold water so you have 6 litres of liquid in total.

Add the lemon juice and zest, the vinegar and the

week before serving, chilled. The champagne should dry place.

Article by: Kayleigh Ziolo

flower heads and stir gently.

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Go G r e e n in t he Ci t y Cit i es o f t he Fu t ur e

Limerick is tackling some urban greening issues

He said "beauty changes you – surround people with

Setting about making your own patch of green a little

pedestrianisation of O’Connell Street provides the

and the ecosystem for better, and the people become

about the best thing you can do for the planet we live

head on over the next few months and the planned

city with an amazing opportunity to adopt an energy change – to eschew the granite slabs of doom and build a green tinged space that makes us all want to linger longer in the city.

I met up with Gangster Gardener Ron Finley last

beauty, and you physically change the environment

better, happier and there is less vandalism, less crime.

The harder the architecture or design of a city, the harder the people become, but by actually making

the change, whatever you do is 50% more likely to succeed than by doing nothing".

summer while working for BloomFringe and we

There’s something in green spaces, enjoying the world

urban environment that drew many parallels with

to nurture, to be patient and to be more perceptive.

spoke about Limerick. I showed him images of the his own home city. We talked about how those in opposition to adding more green beauty to our towns

and cities tell you that you can’t have planters or benches because they get vandalised, and we discussed

how you can effectively bring about an energy change

to the local community by making gardening, and

caring for your local surroundings fun and engaging, and indeed revolutionary in spirit.

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of amazing plant species that surround us – you learn

You become observant, you get to experience highs and lows, and a lot of satisfaction, particularly if you

grow food or use your skills to live a self sufficient, more sustainable lifestyle. It gives you sense of pride

and place, of investment in the world around you.

more colourful, a bit more diverse, a touch creative, is on right now.

You don’t need a garden itself to start out on a journey

into the plant world, as you can visit some amazingly

diverse gardens in Limerick and just soak up the fruits of someone else’s hard labour!

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Limerick’s Green Jewels

From sublime spring colour with tulips and daffodils

Limerick’s Milk Market is where a lot of us small

thinking of gardens in Ireland – with it’s mild

plant enthusiasts heaven. Deborah also runs popular

over the last year, New Leaf Urban Farmers run by

Cork may well be the first place thought of when climate and lush feel, but Limerick has some real green jewels in her crown.

For example, at Terra Nova Gardens, Dromin, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick, Deborah Begley has spent the last twenty years or so creating this tranquil and

lush oasis in the heart of the Ballyhoura region.

to the rarest Voodoo Lily species tucked away it is a

gardening classes and runs the Limerick Garden

Plants Group, who have a monthly meet with a gardening speaker and plant area and probably the best range of Fairy Garden products in Ireland. Being

on just over half an acre, it’s suitable for old and young alike.

Initially, it began as a rare plant lover’s paradise,

Shopping

tapestry of small garden spaces, with a definite fairy

pant buyer I’ve been around most garden centres

but over time has morphed into the rich colourful

fell, that it is today. And, as Deborah herself says, the little folk just snuck on in and set up home themselves – and who wouldn’t?!

You can’t grow everything yourself, and as a compulsive

gardening growers ad farmers sell our plants, and

Graham Askin and Kevin Wallace, have been selling their locally grown produce at their stall near the

gallery. Based in Ballinagarde, Ballyneety they grow

heritage vegetables and fresh salad leaves, with no pesticides, no GMOs no chemicals.

Article by: Tara Maloney

within a 3 hour drive! I highly recommend D&M Garden Centre in Croagh, who grow their own

bedding plants and have a great range of perennials.

So many garden centres that updated their shops in

the last few years suffer from style over substance

issues – but not here, the plant range is the best in the west, and I often order plants here of rarer species for our gardening projects.

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Ho r t ic ult ur al he a lt h "Have you ever noticed a tree standing naked against the sky, How beautiful it is?

All its branches are outlined, and in its nakedness There is a poem, there is a song.

Every leaf is gone and it is waiting for the spring.

When the spring comes, it again fills the tree with The music of many leaves,

Which in due season fall and are blown away.

And this is the way of life."

- Krishnamurti

I came upon gardening as a hobby and a passion

A couple of weeks in, and I was hooked. Every

People can learn new things, gain qualifications in

accident. I grew up in a tower block in London

by at least twenty smiling little flowery faces and

co-operation,

and now my main source of income almost by to Irish parents, without any access to a garden of any kind, unless you counted the dark greasy

strip of land between the flats and railway sidings.

In the early nineties, scraping a living in London as a record company office minion by day and a

DJ by night, I found myself for a time ‘between

accommodations’ without a deposit or salary for a

morning I opened up my window to be greeted

the scent of some Alyssum atop the diesel fumes.

Alyssum,, I had learned from my new favourite

of geraniums and wet earth, I was taken back to a

time in my childhood, when my grandfather and I would sit in deck chairs outside his shed, picking tomatoes and potting on geraniums. I promptly

decided I was going to take some of this feeling of green joy home with me to brighten my miserable

room, and bought a window box, a six-pack of pansies

and a bit of compost, and lugged it back home.

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numeracy

creativity, and it restored in me some faith, and most

importantly hope at a time when I needed it most.

and

provide

and

getting

attention.

Headway

outside

restorative

literacy

skills.

stress and helps restore the ability to focus

transform lives. When practiced as a therapy, it has

popped in for a look. Immediately hit by the scent

as

concentration

proud of my window box – it allowed me some

undemanding and good in poor soils. I was so

are the words I would use to describe it, but I made city on a walk, I came across a garden centre – and

well

and

Gardens

Gardening, or horticulture as its known professionally,

the best of it. One Sunday afternoon in the hot

as

patience,

TV programme, Gardeners World, was reliable,

flat on my own. Eventually, I ended up in a hostel room in deepest Hammersmith. Spectacularly awful

horticulture and improve skills such as initiative,

promotes

environments

recovery

from

We often organise workshops with

the

brain

injury

charity,

making

flower arrangements and Christmas decorations.

is a wonderfully flexible medium that can literally

It can also provide a means of employment and

resonance on so many levels – helping with physical and

and a few basic tools and a will to work whatever

mental disabilities, addictions, compulsive disorders

and depression. Gardening can help individuals accomplish many things. It can help rebuild a person’s

strength after an accident or illness, and can provide a

purposeful activity for someone coping with a difficult period in their life. It can lift moods and help people to connect with others, reducing isolation by forming

friendships and improve communications skills.

income, at all levels – get yourself a lawnmower

the weather, and you have the beginnings of a small business. As Ron Finley, the US Gangsta Gardener

says, ‘growing your own food is like printing your own

money’. Ron rose to fame in the last few years after bringing about a food revolution in his hometown city of South LA – one of the many places on earth that

now officially qualifies as a ‘Food Desert’, meaning

most people cannot buy fresh fruit or vegetables within a 20km radius of home. "The drive-thrus are

killing more people than the drive-bys" is one of his startling statements.

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His film Can You Dig It? Was shown last year at

the

BloomFringe

weekend

in

Dublin, a

documentary of a couple of summer’s hard work

by himself and his community to change the

environment around them that they were being served and was an emotional journey – showing how plants don’t just soften the environment around

us, they often soften the hardest of people too.

Speaking to Kevin Wallace of New Leaf Urban

Farmers at Limerick Milk Market, he feels that

"For me horticulture is not like work. I love being outdoors and close to nature. I have learned so much about gardening on a larger scale in the

last year. We also get to meet and work with some great and like-minded people that are involved in

horticulture and the markets. I am very grateful for the experience. I also get to eat from the garden and

I know that the fruit and vegetables are top quality,

pesticide, herbicide, fungicide and GMO free.

If you love horticulture and are prepared to put

in long hours with little or no pay for the first couple of years then go for it. I would recommend studying at The Organic College, An tIonad Glas and getting qualified. Get some work experience

in. We take work experience on our farm. Do market research and plan your garden well."

Article by: Tara Maloney

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Ur b an P ic nic kin g

Some of Limerick city’s best spots to walk, sit and

People’s Park

relax with a packed lunch!

Boasting a large playground to keep the kids

The Potato Market

Park is an ideal spot to sit for the afternoon under

one of Limerick’s most spectacular views of the river

Limerick City Gallery of Art as well as the shopping

entertained and wide open green areas, People’s

A secluded spot in the city, the Potato Market boasts

the summer sunshine. With close proximity to the

Shannon as you take a walk across the footbridge.

streets of the city, the park could be the quiet spot you

Arthur’s Quay

need after a long day shopping

Situated in the heart of the city, the park at Arthur’s

Shelbourne Park

view of the river. With close proximity to the city’s

families wide open space to play a game of football, or

O’ Callaghan Strand

and take a breather from the bustling city atmosphere.

As it’s outside the city, you can find that the quiet

an excellent spot to talk a stroll down as the sun sets

University of Limerick

bustle of inner city Limerick.

riverfront, and the city skyline, be sure to add it to

the most impressive campuses in the country. The

Barrington’s Pier

or even just on an afternoon walk.

there isn’t a shortage of places to explore, and makes

can drive straight past it without even realising,

Article by: Amanda Flannagan

Limerick City. Adjacent a quiet nature reserve, and

Limerick

Quay boasts an open air courtyard and a panoramic

Nestled just outside town, Shelbourne Park offers

shopping quarters, the park is a perfect place to stop

just chill out in the grass on a warm summer evening.

A boardwalk like no other, O’ Callaghan strand is

space makes for a great getaway from the hustle and

on Limerick City. Giving an exceptional view of the

Voted University of the Year 2015, UL has one of abundance of green areas and open spaces ensure

An often overlooked viewpoint of the city, as we

for UL to be the perfect family getaway in the city.

Barrington’s Pier gives a refreshing view upriver of

with plenty of paths and walkways, the pier offers

exploration and excellent jogging trails for those who want to get out and run in the sun.

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your running route next time you head out for a jog,

Photography by: Tarmo Tulit & University of

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It 's t he L it t l e T hin g s. . .

It’s the little things in life that matter the most…

I picked up a pen and paper and decided to scribble

Doorway Haunts. Doorways are for walking through

firm believer that it's “little things” that truly brighten

out of my head and clear the way for some nicer

not the ideal place for a gossip or catch up. While on

Well so the old saying tells us anyway. I’m certainly a up your day. Sometimes simple little gestures from

others can leave you smiling from ear to ear without you even realising.

Unfortunately for us mere mortals we’re also plagued by the not so welcome “little things”. You know the

down all these thoughts and minor upsets, get them sleepier thoughts. After half an hour of scribblings I finished my list. The thoughts were out of my head

and down on paper and I felt lighter. Turns out the “little things” were really bugging me and made for some interesting reading when I returned to the list

and not for standing having a chat in. Doorways are the subject of doorways, if someone is polite enough to hold a door open for you, then, a simple thank

you or a friendly smile is the appropriate response.

Walking past with your head in the air is not!

after a few days…

Facebook Complainers and Keyboard Warriors!

niggle at us, and when bottled up can all of a sudden

People in long queues who wait until they reach the

media warriors of our generation whose main aim

a position where we allow something really small and

which is always at the end of their bag! Dear sweet

ones I mean: The “little things” that annoy us, that turn into a festering rage. Let’s face it, we’ve all been usually insignificant to get on our nerves; we try our

best to ignore it but then all of a sudden you start to

notice it more and more then suddenly your brain is totally consumed by this annoying “little thing” until your almost fit to burst and feel like shouting random

top and then go rooting for their purse or wallet

Jesus you have been standing in a line for the past 10

minutes looking around you, God forbid you could

have used that time to take out your money and save us all a few minutes.

obscenities at anyone in earshot. I’m going to put my

Brolly etiquette! It’s pretty simple, it rains a lot in

absolutely nuts! The first slurp or smack of the lips I

umbrella and we should all know the unwritten rules

hands up here - for me its noisy eaters, they drive me

will leave them away with, but the more I hear it the

more I want to make them wear their plate of food.

To avoid these sudden violent urges brought about by

noisy eaters I will sometimes just leave the room, it’s safer for all involved.

Am I just getting to that stage in life where I am getting increasingly pissed off by the smallest of

this country so we should all know how to use an

when it comes to our faithful brollies. If two brolly users approach each other on a narrow path then said brolly users should each tilt their brolly’s politely to

alternating sides which should give both brolly users ample room to pass each other without collision. It is

wholly unacceptable to use said umbrellas as a form of weapon to get people out of your way.

Sensationalism is the name of the game for the social is for their latest complaint to get as many likes as

possible. Favourite words include “disgrace”, “joke” and “boycott” which is always met by a chorus of “you

ok hun?” and “go to the papers luv!” from the baying mob of fellow warriors. Get a life!

Cured Hoors! My grandmother use to always say “there’s nothing worse than a cured hoor”, I always

wondered what it meant whilst at the same time

thinking it was hilarious because my grandmother

had said the word “hoor”. For those who do not know, “a cured hoor” is a term used for someone who has overcome whatever affliction they may have been

afflicted with and now proceeds to preach about their “curing” at any opportunity, whether people are

listening or not. Humility is not something a “cured hoor” is familiar with in any way shape or form.

things, or is it something we’re all guilty of ? As I lay

The Stop and Start Brigade! You know the ones,

So there you have it, the list that was keeping me

“hyper brain” kicked in and thus followed 2 full hours

business and there is always that one person in front

have dismissed but ultimately in hindsight were

in bed one night trying my hardest to get some sleep, of random thoughts flying around my head, mainly

stuff that really wound me up! Having recently been to a mindfulness workshop I decided to try out one of

the tricks which they thought to help with sleeping.

you’re walking through town minding your own of you who decides to stop, start and change direction

in dramatic fashion. These kinds of erratic movement are not good for anyone’s nerves, please just keep

walking in an orderly fashion and no one will get hurt.

Loud eaters and slurpers. Please see above, do not get me started again.

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awake one night. All these “little things” that I should

affecting me in some way because it was keeping me up at night.

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Getting that list out on paper was a little mini form of stress relief for me. I was getting narky at the human

race, society in general and really anyone that crossed my path. Getting the “little things” off my chest

meant that I didn’t have to swear at random strangers who didn’t say thanks when I held the door and more

importantly it meant someone did not get a slap of

an umbrella on a rainy day as I walked to the office.

I’m not cured by any means; these things still really

annoy me but now that I’ve gotten them out of my

system, I can start to trivialise them and laugh about how small they are. I can see now they aren’t actually

“real” problems, they are simple other people’s habits that piss me off !

Is there a moral to my little exercise? Well in a way

it shows that problems can come in all shapes and

sizes but by getting the little things off our chests we can catch them before they turn into big things, and before they start to really mess up our heads. I know

my “little things” may be quite eccentric but at the

end of the day they are my “little things”. I now love

getting them off my chest because it makes me feel

better and at the end of the day it’s better out than in.

Article by: Dave Cuddihy

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Healt h and We l l b e i n g Good Sugar Versus Bad Sugar

For many people, summer is a time to focus on the

Did you know that working out in the heat and

Sweet fuel

feel active and healthy on the beach. The gyms usually

you take the right precautions? During the heat

prominent during summer, it is an important point to

beach body - to get into that new bikini or simply to

get hit hard around this time of year for intensive 6 week programs followed by a quiet spell at the end of

July and August, as people head off abroad. On the rare occasion we do experience a spell of sunshine here in Limerick we will see media comparing us to

Spain, followed by complaints about the heat and to

please bring back the rain! As we aren't used to the heat we can feel drained, but warm weather is a good opportunity to take your training to another level.

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humidity can actually be good for you, as long as and humidity of summer, training outdoors can have an effect on your body similar to the effect of training at high altitudes. This particularly useful

for the endurance athletes too. Studies have shown

that people who train in higher temperature during summer time perform better at endurance exercise.

While ice cream and fizzy drinks become more make that all sugars are not treated equally. Believe it or

not there are good sugars too. It does get bad rap most of

the time, but truth be told we need a certain amount of sugar. Sugars come in many shapes and forms: You have

naturally occurring sugar from fruit and honey, refined

sugar in fizzy drinks and artificial sugars and sweeteners in diet products. You don’t need to be told what happens

when you eat sugar in excess, but it is important from time to time to let go and enjoy a treat.

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Refined Sugar: BAD

Fructose: GOOD

with fibre. The sugar is then refined removing all the

fruit and veg. It does provide a lot of extra calories

all know. As a result, there are zero nutritional values

your blood sugar levels if consumed in excess. Eating

Sugar comes from the sugar cane plant and is loaded

fibre leaving us with the sweet tasting Siucra that we in it. It now has a very high Glycaemic loading which means that spikes our blood sugar after being absorbed

into our bloodstreams and without the help of fibre to

slow it down. This can lead to a higher risk of weight gain and insulin resistance. This is commonly found

Fructose is the form of sugar that can be found in

(which your body quickly turns into fat) and can raise a serving or two of fruit per day you won’t have to

worry too much about raising your blood sugar levels.

Fructose doesn't cause insulin resistance, so it's not one of the primary contributors to diabetes.

in all table sugar and cooking sugar and it appears in

The "How" of Eating Sugar

Artificial Sugar: BAD

treat from time to time, even the most devout of

pretty much all the food we eat today.

Artificial sugar mainly is made up of zero calories, but

that doesn't mean it doesn't take a toll on your body.

Most importantly, it's filled with chemicals such as aspartame & Acesulfame-K (which is certainly worth

a look at in more depth in another article) that your

body is totally unaccustomed to processing, so most

of the sugar ends up collected with the other waste products.

This can strain your organs and increase the risk of

liver or kidney damage.They may have zero calories, but they're just as likely to cause diabetes as refined sugar.

Unrefined Sugar: GOOD

Unrefined sugar has not been treated with chemicals

to remove all nutrients. You'll find it in honey, molasses, natural maple syrup, agave nectar, and other

natural sweeteners such as stevia and xylitol. These can be bought in most health food stores in the city, such

as Holland & Barrett, Natures Hand or Eats of Eden.

It's still high in calories and may increase your blood sugar levels, but at least there are other nutrients to

make it a more valuable food. Unrefined sugars can be a good option, provided they are consumed in moderation.

So let’s be realistic for a moment, We all enjoy a nice us. It really is all about you being clever about how

much when, and the type of sugar that you consume.

Fructose and unrefined sugar are less likely to cause

health problems, especially if eaten in moderation.

A serving or two of natural sugar per day is healthy, especially if it comes in the form of fruit or veg.

Second is the, the timing of your sugar intake. If you consume most of your sugar for the day before and immediately following a workout, your body uses it as an immediate energy source to get through the

exercise effectively without storing excess energy as fat. Make the most of your sugar intake just before

and after you exercise session, and you'll have little to worry about.

Quick Healthy Ice Cream Recipe

2 x Bananas Frozen (Use ripe ones and then freeze them)

2x Scoops of Go Sport Nutrition Whey Protein

Powder (Limerick Made Protein)

1 x Scoop of B-Fit protein powder (Supervalu)

150-200ml Almond Milk (coconut, water or one of

your choice)

2 tbsp. of Chocolate Drops (You can use white, dark

or milk)

Preparation:

Slice the banana up into small piece and place is

blender. Then add protein powder, peanut powder and

chocolate drops. Then add in Almond Milk, don’t pour all in at once. Turn on blender and blitz until mixture

becomes thick then keep adding milk until you have a mousse-like substance. Once you are happy place into containers and put back in the freezer until set.

Tip:

You can add other fruits, or things like flaxseed to

your mix. Also flaked almonds are a lovely mix. It’s

simple and easy and the whole family can enjoy this dessert from these simple ingredients. For the kids add one or two novelty treats like buttons or 100s and Thousands.

Article by: Jason Kenny

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Ki d s Arts Sum m e r C am ps i n L i m e r i ck Now that school’s out for summer, the kids can be at

a loose end. Of course they’ll never admit to missing

school, but the lack of structure can turn to boredom.

No matter what they’re into, be it sports or drama, there’s a summer camp they’re bound to love to keep the summer time blues at bay.

Let’s Go The

Let’s

Go

summer

school

programmes

incorporate education sessions with fun and games.

The programme aims to keep the kids active with

sports, games, and activities, and keep their minds

mentally active too with fun and interesting classes.

The camp is for children between 5 and 12 years of age. Running from the 8th to the 12th of August in

Villiars on the North Circular Road, the kids will be occupied from 9:30 am until 3:30 pm. It costs €100

for the first child, and falls to €85 and €70 for the second and third children attending.

Star Camp

Star Camp will be a dream come true for children who love drama and performance. Taking place in the University of Limerick’s Irish World Academy, the camp accommodates children from 4 years old to 12

years old and hold activities such as acting out movie

scenes, singing classic Disney songs and new releases, dance, script writing, and more. The younger kids are grouped into Starlets (4-5 years old) and Starjumps

(6-8 years old), with the older kids in the Starcamp Superstars (9-12 years old) Star Camp runs over 3

separate weeks, with week 1 taking place from the 3rd

to the 7th of July, week 2 from the 24th to the 28th of July, and the third week from the 14th to the 18th of August. Star Camp also has locations in the Crescent College, Newcastlewest, and LIT.

Bualadh Bos

Taking place in the Lime Tree Theatre, Bualadh B0s’ theme for this summer is “Space and Magic” with activities

such as arts & crafts, drama, puppet making and more the kids are sure to have a blast. The camp accommodates children from first to sixth class of primary school, and parents are welcome to an exhibition on the last day of the

camp to see their kids work. Week 1 of Bualadh Bos begins on the 3rd of July and finishes on the 7th, running from 9:30 am until 3:30 Monday to Thursday, and beginning at 9:30 am and finishing at 1:00 pm on Friday. Week

2 follows the same timetable and takes place from the 10th to the 14th of July. The camp costs €100 per child and €80 for 2nd and 3rd siblings who register as well.

Musical Theatre Summer Camp with Richie Hayes

Running from the 3rd to the 7th of July, the musical theatre camp allows children from 7 to 16 years of age to work on musicals such as Hairspray, The Jungle Book, and Annie, and to perform for friends and family at the end of

the camp. Children will have the opportunity to work with professionals and to learn stage combat, improvisation, costume and prop production, and more. The camp begins at 9:30 am and finishes at 2:30 pm, and costs €95 for the first child registered, and €90 for siblings also attending.

Whether your kids have an aptitude for arts & crafts, theatre, or sports, there’s a camp they’re bound to love this summer.

Article by: Aisling O'Connor

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Par e nt in g Baby led weaning Second time round I was determined to foster healthy

eating habits and to avoid the overbearing stench of

overcooked broccoli that permeated my entire house.

Second time round, I discovered baby led weaning.

No stress, no fuss, no weird pureé combinations.

Baby led weaning involves shunning the traditional pureé and spoon methods and allows the baby to feed themselves with whatever you happen to be

eating yourself. This allows the baby to enjoy eating as

opposed to ‘being fed’. The baby has the control over what he/she wants to eat!

So this is how it works in our house. Every day for

breakfast I always eat boiled eggs and toast. I just mash up a boiled egg with butter and cut up a slice

of toast and place it on front of Jamie. He can eat

it or play with it or do whatever he wants with it. I do not intervene I just leave him to it. For lunch I

usually have fruit and turkey sandwiches. Again I will cut up some melon, strawberries and nectarines along

with a small baby sized sandwich and a cup of water.

I do exactly the same for dinner. Jamie eats mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, couscous, well cooked vegetables

strips of meat and whatever else I happen to be

making. For snacks on the go crispbreads, rice cakes, rusks and bananas are particularly handy and are easy for small hands to grip and chew.

I admit I blame traditional weaning methods for my first born’s extreme fussy eating patterns. First time round I

With baby led weaning you must be prepared for mess.

when the baby is too tired or too distracted. Make sure it’s not too runny. Not too thick. Not too hot. Not too

end up on the floor, in his hair, on the freshly painted

introduce a second type of unidentifiable mush. So I served up the mush for four days and subsequently served up

less stressful and less time consuming for everyone.

food processor and pouring them into ice cube trays and into the freezer so I would always have a plentiful supply

eye co ordination and allows the baby to explore the

frozen food out of these so don’t even bother trying). My hatred for cooking and hours of meal preparation was

not get to experience through traditional weaning

carefully listened to the public health nurses advice. Start off with five spoons of baby rice at 11am. However not

A significant proportion of each meal will inevitably

cold. Do this for four days. Not three days, not five days, just four days. Then and only then can you proceed and

walls and in every orifice and crevice. However it is

a series of strange and unusual purees. I would spend hours boiling up broccoli and pears, whizzing them up in the

In addition baby led weaning helps to develop hand

of baby mush (by the way the ice cube tray thing does not work. It is impossible to pry a single cube of rock hard

texture, feel and taste of foods in a way that they may

compounded further by the fact that my darling little boy point blank refused all the nutritious green gunk.

methods. Best of all baba number two loves food and is now a fantastic consumer of all types of foods, I believe, thanks to baby led weaning.

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Article by: Jane O'Halloran

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Par e nt in g Dads views on… holidays For our gang there needs to be something for

everyone together and something for everyone apart.

There should be moments of planned adventure and moments of ‘make your own fun’. But the same rule

from earlier applies: if you stress about it, so will they.

Our boys are 9, 11 and 14 now, so it is difficult to find something that everyone wants to do. We eat together and go to the beach together but the rest of the time everybody is left to their own devices. The teen will hang around with his mates online or up the town and the other two will play outside with their friends without want or need of adult intervention. Camps are a brilliant idea for the younger ones – swimming

camps, football camps, tennis camps, tech camps, drama camps, general-get-messy-and-have-mad-fun

camps. For the rainy days it doesn’t hurt to retreat to the old favourites – board games, quiz games, card games or a good film.

Jason Kenny: We like to mix it up with both

staycations and vacations. My advice for any holiday Staycation or abroad? Family resort or make it your own? Our dads give their thoughts on the perfect

is to be prepared for any possibility. Look into your

summer holiday

location first and if you can buy things there do, so

James Slattery: At the moment it is staycation - someday we will get to bring the kids to Lanzarote, a place

start you load up on every known item and double

that you lighten the load. More often than not at the

me and my wife love, until then its big jackets and close your eyes to pretend it’s warm!

and triple of things you actually don't need. Look

It doesn’t matter where you are or what the weather is like once you are all together it is what you make it.

abroad it is 100% worth it to have priority boarding,

are here we will find new things to do. This year was our first holiday with them, we spent a week in Kerry

connections from airport to hotel done and dusted

at amenities and family friendly locations. If going

When Josh (our eldest) was young we used to love playing cards on the balcony in Spain. Now the quads

have your seats booked in advance, and have your

and it was brilliant to be away from work and focus on my family - it didn’t matter if we were in Spain or

before going. It is important that it runs as smooth as

Kerry, once we were together that’s what mattered.

it possibly can go.

Mark Lloyd: We are definitely a staycation family. We’ll decamp to Lahinch and spend most of the

Article by: Kayleigh Ziolo

summer there. The kids love swimming and hanging out with the gang of holiday friends and relatives.

Also, it’s not too far from Limerick so we can dash back for the occasional cricket, hurling or football match. Every year we try to do a surprise adventure where we bundle them into the car and go last-minute.

com on Donegal or Dublin or Belfast, or drive from Malin to Mizen, or visit Fr. Ted’s house and the Aran Islands. Last year we discovered camping and even though our tent leaked twice, I’m pretty sure this will feature every summer from here on until the boys are too embarrassed to be seen with us.

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s tar t up spot lig h t Evan Talty, Wild Irish Seaweed

Wild Irish Seaweed, founded by the Talty family on the coast of West Clare, is riding high and recently had success in the Dragon’s Den. Evan tells us about the origins of the company and their plans for future expansion.

Tell us a bit about how Wild Irish Seaweeds started - where did the passion for seaweed begin?

Seaweed has been part of the family for four generations – my great grandfather was harvesting seaweed back in the 1900s. It’s always been a tradition in West Clare, but with

the recession hitting in the early 2000s we started to explore the industry further, and we realised there was a market there to sell quality seaweed products. We started off very

small, concentrating on selling to local shops, but then it just snowballed. Demand really increased and we decided to up production and build a factory to manufacture more high quality seaweed food products. We now employ 11 people full time and have a total of 22 working with us over the summer.

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How have you seen the public response and use of seaweed products change since founding?

Certainly around about 2011 there was a real trend towards seaweed products. Everyone was generally

starting to become more conscience of health and

wellbeing and there were quite a few publications

around that time touting seaweed as a superfood.

Because we were somewhat established with our premises and market presence we were in a good

position to take advantage of that and position

ourselves as the market leader. When we started out

there was one other seaweed manufacturer in Galway, which is government owned and concentrates

mostly on animal feed. Obviously that’s quite niche

so we didn’t feel we could compete with that, so we concentrated on producing a high quality range of products for people.

You're very much a family business - what are your individual roles and how do you work together?

My parents would have been there from the start

setting up Wild Irish Seaweed as it is today, my mum

still takes care of the accounts around her own full time job and my dad works for the ESB but will

still be on hand to harvest and support the general

running of the factory, so they work very hard. My sister and I run the company day to day.

How instrumental has support from the local business community been to your success?

Both Enterprise Ireland and the New Frontiers programme at the Hartnett Centre in LIT have been so valuable to the business. I signed up to New

Frontiers at a very last minute recommendation, and it was one of the best things I ever did – it helped

take us from a farmer’s market seller to a mainstream business operation.

Talk us through your experience on Dragon's Den?

Where can people find your products?

Dragon’s Den was a great experience – a lot of

those are SuperValu and we are also in Dunnes Stores

What has happened since Alison invested?

people commented on how well we pitched and asked how we managed it, and again that was down

We are currently in 600 stores around Ireland, 140 of and health food shops around the country.

to New Frontiers and having to pitch with them

Do you also still conduct Seaweed Safari tours? Do

Alison Cowzer, owner of the East Coast Bakehouse

people to harvest their own seaweed?

every two months, so we were well primed by then!

invested €50,000 for 10% of the company. We’re in planning stages at the moment about how to grow

exports over the next two years. We’re expanding the factory and laying the foundations for further growth

– we’ve doubled turnover year on year and want to

do the same this year and next. We got so far on our

own - often on a wing and a prayer! – but now is the time to really professionalise our operation, and

with Enterprise Ireland coming in with €200,000 investment in us as a High Potential startup we can do what we plan to do.

you think it is important to educate and encourage With our focus on exports and production the seaweed tours have taken a bit of a backseat, as they

are very time consuming, but we still hope to find ways

to encourage people to learn about seaweed nutrition

and how to harvest. One thing we are hoping to do is take Wild Irish Seaweed into schools with talks to educate young people on seaweed and the industry.

Article by: Kayleigh Ziolo

Photography by: John Kelly

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B uild in g B r an d s Visual Identity

In last month’s issue we explored the topic of visual

But where do you begin when creating a logo for a

Typographic consideration - Many of the world’s

identity is far more than just a logo and that visual

logo for a brand that already exists? Here we will go

rely entirely on typography to convert their message.

identity. We examined the idea that a brand’s visual identity is created based on the study of a brand’s

strategy and its values and traits. However, the most prominent identifier of a brand is its logo. When we think of logos we think of things that we like or even

that we dislike. Designer, Martin Lambie-Narin sums

it up succinctly - the logo is capable of assuming a life

brand and perhaps even more challenging, creating a through some of our key steps when creating a logo.

Research - The initial phase of a project is spent conducting intense research. We need to understand your brand as well as your competition in order to set us on the right path to a solution.

of its own. If we are exposed to it often, it becomes

We will assess and critically analyse the information

points to satisfaction and pleasure; if it is associated

design will best suit your business.

familiar; if it reminds us of a desirable purchase, it with activities we enjoy, we support it; if it promotes

charitable acts, we revere it and if it conjures memories of a by gone era, we take it to heart.

Logos have the potential to become representative of personalities, they can become signifiers of many

different things and as such they live a life of their own.

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that we gather in an attempt to identity what logo

Think bigger picture - while we focus on the logo design we remind ourselves that we need to stay

versatile and flexible and consider how the logo will interact with the many different platforms and scenarios that it will need to appear in. From business

cards to packaging and pens to vans, we are constantly thinking about how the logo lives and breathes.

most recognisable brands are word marks which

Typography plays a major role in any brand. Careful

consideration is given to the typeface that we choose.

Typographic solutions provide lots of room to explore

the brand’s personality, be it a minimalist sans serif modern typeface or a dramatic, curvaceous traditional serif font, they can also be tweaked and refined to

further communicate a message. Take for example a recent client rebrand we completed, Cogs & Marvel.

Their logo is comprised of a combination of typefaces.

This solution reflects the nature of their business, they are an events agency that combine their renowned

logistical capabilities with their wildly creative execution. The emphasis has been placed on the &

to highlight how Cogs & Marvel unify these two opposites.

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Typography also allows for the exploration of purely

unique and custom designed logotypes such as the famous Coca Cola logo as well as a combination of letterforms to create distinctive monograms, think the luxurious interlinked Cs of Coco Chanel, a now iconic identity for the famous fashion house.

Colour - The psychology of colour is fascinating and

colour can be a hugely effective tool within the creation of a distinctive brand identity. Colour is a uniquely evocative aspect of an identity. Complementary

colours communicate unison and cohesion while contrasting colours can symbolise youth, energy and passion. Colour has the capacity to become a unique

signifier of a business and therefore it is important to study peer organisations and the visual landscape of the industry you are in.

Organisations can also employ colour as a tool of

identification, possibly for separate areas of a business.

Take for example, our recent rebrand of the Osprey Hotel in Naas, Co.Kildare.

The identity was based on the unique architecture

of the building and a strong dynamic visual framework was divided for the logo design. In order

to differentiate the identities we utilised colour, this carefully considered palette provides cohesion while also allowing each identity to live and breathe individually.

Research, thinking big picture, typography and colour represent the core aspects of a logo development but

there are many other elements involved in creating an overall brand identity. These points aim to give a

general overview of the topics we explore when we are engaged in a logo design process. In today’s immensely

visual society the creation of a well-designed and considered identity is arguably more significant than

ever. Make sure to revisit us next month to find out more!

Article by: Eva Shortt

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b usine ss opin ion Liveable Limerick? Thoughts on the proposals for O’Connell Street development

Plans to rejuvenate O’Connell Street were the main talking point in recent weeks, as the council prepared to present the preferred design option to the public. The expectations were great – with Limerick leading the charge in Ireland as an outward looking, European smart city, this was a chance to bring together some innovative thinking: smart

technology, green spaces, pedestrian and cycle prioritisation. The preferred option was presented in an open consultation for local residents on 19th June. The response was… muted. It seemed to many people in attendance and online that the plans did not go far enough. Others had stronger words, fearing that the development would be a colossal waste of money and signal the death knell for a city centre under threat of stagnation.

So what did the proposals actually include, and why were people so disappointed? The main feeling was the lack of ambition and not meeting the promise of creating a truly liveable space that prioritise pedestrians.

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Dubbed ‘an O’Connell Street for everyone’, the plan

The total estimate for the development is €9million. €4.1 million for the project is being provided by the European

from and around the urban centre and introduces

prioritise the re-imagining of the core retail area between Denmark Street and Cecil Street.

promoted walking, cycling and public transport to/

sustainable travel information to the urban core.

Regional Development Fund, and Limerick City and County Council will be co-financing the project which will

Since the project started there has been a series of

Nothing we see here is heading in completely the wrong direction, or not likely to be of some improvement.

businesses, other stakeholders including the transport

commerce to improve employment options and encourage more businesses to fill the empty retail spaces in parts of

consultations with elected representatives, local

and heritage sectors and members of the public to get their views and opinions about their vision for Limerick’s premier street.

The development plan has divided O’Connell Street into various sections between adjacent streets, and

include upgrades to the urban garden, shared and prioritised spaces for pedestrians and cyclists, an

enhanced public plaza outside the proposed Rugby Museum Experience and on The Crescent, changes to traffic lanes and access during public events and designated days.

Indeed some people were pleasantly surprised by some of the proposals, particularly with a keen focus on retail and

the centre. But do they answer the various reasons why so many people don’t live and spend their time on the city’s

main streets, beyond work and picking up a few bits from the main retail stores? Park spaces and side streets are currently criminally underused. Is there enough creativity in increasing green areas, or is it just a case of adding a

few trees? How does it accommodate the arts community? We surely can go further - the problems facing the city centre can be addressed with simple adjustments, we are not talking pie-in-the-sky undeliverable ideas.

If we are so outward looking why aren’t we looking at other city examples in Europe, and beyond? A quick look

through #liveablelimerick on Twitter showed the potential for creative, sky-high thinking amongst the Limerick community. So why do the proposals play it so safe? A bit of a facelift is fine in the interim, but not at a multi-

million euro price tag. Limerick City needs more than that long term, and in terms of identity and spirit it deserves much, much more. Let’s hope that there will be a return to the drawing board with a little added boldness!

Article by: Kayleigh Ziolo

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Ja ne A uste n 200 F e st iva l L i m e r i ck After studying I went travelling for a while, then I had

How did people respond to the book, did anything

blues, so by that time writing had more or less gone

People really picked up on humour, which was a

my children, and if I’m honest I had a bit of the baby out of the window. Then I saw there was a visiting

writers’ event in Limerick with Donal Ryan and other high profile writers. All the writers were so human

and lovely and I realised writers weren’t of a particular

DNA I wasn’t part of, and that I could do it too. I started writing a few bits and got some flash fiction

published in the Irish Times small things enough for me to feel that I had something.

How did the idea for The Longbourn Letters Interview with festival curator and author, Rose Servitova

Jane Austen 200 Limerick is a series of events

(screen, theatre, architecture, literature, fashion, workshops/talks & tea) taking place in Limerick

from July - December 2017 to celebrate Jane Austen's Bicentenary and Limerick's Georgian heritage. The

brainchild of Rose Servitova, the idea formulated around the completion of her book The Longbourn

Letters, a reimagining of characters Mr Collins and Mr Bennet from Pride and Prejudice and their unique friendship as they correspond with one another through a series of letters. She tells us more about the

novel and how she hopes this event will rekindle the love for all things Georgian in the city.

How did you get started as a writer?

I had always dreamed of writing but never thought

I was good enough. I studied English, which I loved

but at the same time kind of put me off reading for pleasure for a while. I love Jane Austen because I’ve always loved history and learning about different societies and culture.

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surprise you?

surprise but I’m glad it’s being commented on. I have

had some really lovely comments from Jane Austen fans, who were the ones I was most worried about

hating it! People seem to genuinely be attached to the characters. I get such relief and joy when my intentions come across to people, has been received fantastically

and the experience has been a great opportunity to connect with Jane Austen fan groups and Georgian societies all over the world.

develop?

Was the Jane Austen festival always part of the plan?

book. I didn’t want to do what has been done a lot

book; I knew I needed to get it done otherwise it

I had always had the idea of doing a Jane Austen

recently and take it to complete extremes – there’s

no zombies, no new romance! You do find out more

about what happened to certain characters after end of Pride and Prejudice. My initial idea was for a diary

of Mr Collins alone, but I soon realised there was nowhere to go with it. Then I realised there could be

something in the conversations between him and Mr Bennet.

The bicentenary year acted as my deadline for the would never happen. Because there was lots happening

internationally around Jane Austen this year and with the Georgian heritage we have here in Limerick there

was definitely the potential to do something more.

Through the book I connected with lots of societies and organisation relating to Jane Austen and Georgian

Ireland so it was a case of, ‘why wait for someone else to do it?’

The book stays loyal to the original - we do find out

What can people expect from the festival?

brings more side-line characters to the front. I wasn’t

on society, women, fashion, art, architecture, music

certain things happen to certain characters, and it necessarily writing it just for Jane Austen fans, really I writing for myself ! I knew I couldn’t please everyone

but also wanted it to reach a wider audience as well as being liked by fans.

There will be event throughout July to December and all aspects in the novels and of Georgian life.

The Afternoon Tea at No.1 Pery Square this month is sold out, but we’ve added another similar event

in September. Another highlight is Culture Night where there will be a free workshop with Historical

Costumer & Workshop Presenter, Melissa Shiels.

She’s going to give a very entertaining and informative talk on Georgian Clothing, Customs and Material Culture. There is lots more going on so check out the Facebook page for details of all events!

Do you think Limerick’s Georgian heritage has been underappreciated?

Not so much underappreciated, there are so many

people who are passionate about the Georgian quarter, and are working because of the sheer love of it such as

the Georgian Society of Limerick, No.1 Pery Square, the Belltable are there - we have all the elements ready to go, but they just haven’t been brought together. I

believe Limerick is probably the best city Georgian area in Ireland so there’s so much potential there. I

hope that Jane Austen 200 Limerick will be the

flagship event of an annual celebration of Georgian history and culture going forward. It definitely can

be achieved as people here are so willing and creative.

The Longbourn Letters is available to buy in O'Mahonys bookshop, the Crescent bookshop and on Amazon and

Kindle. Jane Austen 200 Limerick runs from JulyDecember 2017.

Article by: Kayleigh Ziolo

Photography by: Eva Birdthistlse

THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

St ud e n t Lif e making the most of your summer job

If you have your eye on your dream job, some firms

have no problem allowing you to shadow a worker for a day or two. Putting yourself out for no pay can seem futile and may not be the most fun way to spend your

summer, but the experience and contacts you gain will become invaluable later on. Shadowing will also show you what to expect and the basics of how the job

works, which you will be thankful for later on if you pursue a career in that area.

Keep an eye out for up-coming events and festivals.

There is almost always some kind of event or festivity on over the summer. You may only receive a day or

two of work, but by putting yourself forward you will

likely asked to work at future events. You might not get consistent work, but be friendly and try your best to make contacts.

Tips for summer employment Summer work is hard to come by these days, and this can leave students hard for money during the summer. If you’re not living in a tourist location, seasonal work can be even harder to find, however it’s important to keep an eye out and put yourself forward for opportunities when they arise.

It feels impossible to get a job when companies won’t hire someone without experience, yet you need a job to get the experience, so how exactly does one get this experience when no one is willing to give them a chance? It seems like an endless cycle of frustration, but sometimes you need to push yourself to gain experience.

How to get summer and part time work

Volunteer work won’t pay you in cash, but will provide the much needed experience to add to your CV. Charity shops are more than happy to have an extra helping hand in the summer months. The retail experience should benefit you later on, and you might get a reference from the staff too.

If you’re friendly with local café staff, ask them if they would be willing to show you how to brew the perfect coffee, or find day courses in barista training. Having barista training or experience in a restaurant gives you a head start if these jobs become available in the future. Management always prefer candidates with experience, and in this case they’ll appreciate not having to spend as much time training you in if a job opportunity arises.

If you’re lucky enough to get hired for the summer, make sure to get the most out of it. Try your best to

impress your managers - while it’s only temporary

work, if a more permanent position arises you stand a better chance of being hired. Furthermore, a good reference for a job will help your career prospects later

on so it’s important to make a positive impression.

Some other tips to keep in mind during summer work are as follows:

•Try to arrive a few minutes early before each shift, this gives you a chance to be composed and calm before starting your day.

•Be willing to be flexible. Employers assume almost full availability over the summer for students, but make sure they know if there are any days and periods that are unavailable well in advance.

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•Make sure to look presentable and professional. They

say dress for the job you want, not the job you have, so it may mean swapping ripped jeans for something

more proper. As superficial as it sounds, how you present yourself matters to most employers, so you need to smarten up in the work place and change back into your casual wear at home.

•This perhaps goes without saying, but make sure to always be pleasant and helpful in work. Even if

it’s time for you to clock out, ask if there’s anything you can do before you leave. They will appreciate the

effort, and you will feel all the more satisfied knowing you put in a good shift.

•Make sure to let them know you are available in the future. A lot of businesses need to hire extra staff

leading up to Christmas, and the people they have worked with before and were impressed with usually have a good chance of getting the job.

•Ask questions! Sometimes it’s daunting because you

don’t want to seem clueless but asking questions means you learn more, and shows that you are genuinely interested in your work and want to do your best.

Article by: Aisling O’Connor

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Lit e r at ur e B o o k Rev i ews Books To Read In July We have a pretty interesting mix of books for you this month - everything from YA to short stories to reflective feminist essays!

What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons

We Shall Not All Sleep by Estep Nagy

from the hard issues, discussing race, identity, sex and death. Thandi, is a black

just been expelled from the CIA on suspicion of treason, decides to put his

Coming to shops on 11th July, Zinzi Clemmon’s debut novel doesn’t shy away

woman raised in Philadelphia who’s struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother. We also see her questioning her identity as she’s often mistaken for Hispanic or Asian. Vogue Magazine has called it the ‘debut novel

Set on an island in Maine in 1964, during the Cold War. Jim Hillsinger, who’s 12-year-old son on a nearby island wilderness for 24 hours. His wife is against it but Jim believes it will make a man out of him.

of the year’.

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

The Lake Effect by Erin McCahan

been called the Agatha Christie of our time. Four best friends bonded in

to live through a book on their staycation. Briggs gets a summer job living in

Atmospheric thriller from the New York Times bestselling author who has boarding school over the Lying Game, a game they invented which meant they lied to everyone around them, but never to each other. But their game had consequences and the friends were expelled in their last year of school under

mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the art teacher. Years later they receive a chilling text from one of the clique, only saying “I need you”, and suddenly their past comes back to haunt them. Published 25th July.

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Published on 11th July, this is a great book for the beach or anyone wanting beaches of Lake Michigan, working funerals. The lake has a strange affect on him as Abigail, the mysterious girl next door, shuns his advances again and again.

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Madame Zero by Sarah Hall

Made for Love by Alissa Nutting

and winner of the BBC short story award. In “Case Study 2" a social worker

bewildered protagonist Hazel finds herself living in an old folks trailer park with

A new short story collection of nine original stories from the acclaimed novelist struggles with a foster child raised in a commune. A new mother runs into an old lover in "Luxury Hour".

Having bowed to the orders and control of her husband for ten years, the her father. Not only is Hazel's relationship with her father somewhat strained, she has the added anguish of sharing her bedroom with her father's alarmingly life like sex doll. A funny and surprisingly poignant book.

The Adjustment by Suzanne Young

H(a)ppy by Nicola Barker

from 25th July. Tatum Masterson never went through The Program, where your

hatred, no poverty, no sickness, no death, no greed’ this is a post-apocalyptic

You can get your hands on the third installment The Program and The Treatment

memory is stripped but her boyfriend did. The years he and Tatum spent together were forgotten, as well as the week when he disappeared before The Program came for him. Tatum fights to get Weston to remember her.

Set in a world, that sounds very like John Lennon’s Imagine, ‘no doubt, no novel. Could you be happy in a seemingly perfect world? That’s what Nicola Barker sets out to explore. Published on 19th July.

Bitch Doctrine by Laurie Penny

Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach

surveillance, the dangers of Facebook, trigger warnings, shock of Donald Trump's

25th August, so pick up your copies now if you’re one of those people who enjoy

A collection of essays from the socialist feminist, which covers everything from election and transgender rights.

The movie adaption of the book with the same name, will come to cinemas on reading the book before the movie. Set in the 1930’s Tulip Fever centres around a

love affair between the young wife of a wealthy merchant and the artist hired to paint her portrait.

Article by: Sarah Talty

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THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

Scaffolding

by Eithne Lannon (i)

(iii)

steel knuckled joints, the spokes of a wheel,

us in shadow, the forgotten unveiled

There are visible binds that hold things together—

And then, the unseen— the past before

triangular frames.

by how things unravel⎯

And here, held in air—a trapeze artist’s rope,

a break, a tear, inner metal unwinding,

slats on a bridge, the wing’s hinged flaps.

scaffolding un-folding, the breach

Now touch the bark of a tree, its ivy stitched

that springs, flings aside meaning,

tight; webbed leaf-veins, balanced limbs that bend in the light.

the tongue that falters, and where language

Then a music stave⎯ pitch tied to notes,

stalls; freefall into wordless spaces.

silence held on a baton stroke.

(iv)

(ii)

across time’s chasm, a speaker who enters,

a skeletal frame, the cranial shell, muscles and

softly breaks through the unloosed chaos,

scales that slide on spaces, on lines,

P o et ry fr o m s tanz as

the self fragmented in silent places−

Yet, invisible binds can keep things together⎯

tendons of face and fingers, tiny bound

And yet, a voice from somewhere

a steady wave over dark confusion.

bones of the middle ear; the hammer, anvil

Now rising to meet me across mind-bridges,

and stirrup of sound.

my deep rooted verbs⎯

And lifelines are held in the curve of the spine⎯

being, doing, loving, believing,

arteries, veins, the blood that sustains, the tiniest cell, the pull of the moon,

speak to me—

tell me again who I am.

the womb-cave where the heart begins.

Eithne Lannon lives and works in Dublin. In 2017, she was published in The Ogham Stone and Stanzas May Chapbook. In 2015 and

2016, she had poems in Headstuff, The Strange Bedfellow Series, Bare Hands, Skylight 47, Tales from the Forest, The Galway Review, A New Ulster, and the anthology Agamemnon Dead.

Eithne does regular open mics around Dublin and has read at Skerries Soundwaves Festival and Skerries Donkey Shots Festival. She was Artist in Residence in Loughshinny Boathouse, Co. Dublin in summer 2016.

Eithne Lannon

Stanzas takes place monthly in Hook & Ladder on Sarsfield Street in the heart of the city. Stanzas aim to encourage and develop new and

emerging writers. The July event takes place on Friday the 21st, from 19:00 on, and will be a birthday celebration marking three full years of Stanzas extravaganzas!

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Lit e r at ur e Stories from Limerick Writers' Centre I could lie: I could have told her that I was tired of

being illegal, of living on the edge, of being exploited.

But then she found out about the green card. Now

she is more confused than ever. We move about each

other, the chat on the radio pouring scorn. She makes question marks with her footsteps about me in the kitchen.

Who doesn’t celebrate a green card? Sure isn’t it like winning the lottery, she wants to ask. Isn’t it like

finding the golden ticket on Willie Wonka? Only better, because it’s real.

Oh America. I remember the feeling in my stomach as the plane left the runway at Shannon, and the yelp

I let out of me, and then how myself and Dee had laughed, had cackled, the laughter a cushion against

the unknown. That’s what he stole from me, or at

Cushion

least, what was lost: that passion, that defiance. The

poor, the tired, the huddled masses, indeed, but

By Ciarán Ó Gríofa

nothing about the broken-hearted? No power ballad

The thing I tell myself when I wake up, is that all that is far, far away. There is an ocean of whales and sharks and

the fickle breeze? No, heartbreak is more like a sepia

playing as I stand looking out to sea, my hair tossed by

ice floes and plankton and shipwreck-graves and albatrosses between me and that place, between me and him. But

stain on an old photograph; colouring everything.

Side: “You can’t run from your own head, Honey.”

There are still posters of Garth Brooks and The Four

In the mornings, my ear is still prepped for his breathing. When I wake up fully, I hear the sea on the strand, the

winter before I left. I am afraid of something terrible

wind in the chimney.

happening if I take them down.

My mother is perturbed. She is not the worrying kind, but she is wondering why I came back. Not much is said,

On Thursday I collect my dole. In the afternoon, I go

and there is always a dinner waiting on the Aga. I have overheard her and my father.

to Joyce’s Bar to play pool with Billy.

“Let her be, Dad,” she says, and he replies with heavy tones I can’t decipher, but the tones alone are enough.

Billy is Joyce the publican’s son. He has the key to the

“She’ll pick herself up again,” says my mother, “She’s a good girl.”

and is bored with summer. His real name is Fergus.

Dee, my loyal roommate, who put up with enough, warned me as I packed up my rucksack to leave Upper West

He leaves to count the cattle on the high field. I wait for his bulk to pass the gap in the door before I move on the Aga.

60

of Us on the walls of my room. They went up the

pool table so we play for free. He is twelve years old, We usually have the place to ourselves.

“Why do they call you Billy, again?”

THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

“Because I can run across the rocky field as fast as

“I’d love to live in New York. I’m going as soon as I’m able.”

always ask?”

“It isn’t for everyone. Those streets can be lonely, ya know?”

“Ah yes. The young puck.”

That brink again, but I can handle it.

A West Coast Cooler and a game of illicit pool with

“But what are you going to do here? There’s nothing. There’s just rock and bog and sand and seaweed.”

a kid goat.” He looks mildly curious. “Why do you

a minor. Highlight of my week.

“Who cares? There are worse nicknames. Toss for first

“And you can’t eat landscape, as my Daideo used to say?”

break?”

Billy looks up directly.

He wins. There is something about his expression as

“No he didn’t.”

in the entire world matters apart from this moment,

“He did, I remember.”

he bends to eye up the cue ball. It is as if nothing else this action. He pots a red with his first break.

“Yes!” he says under his breath, and then, again, that

I remember vividly.

razor concentration.

“Sure how would you know?” I ask.

I miss a yellow.

“Well he wasn’t the first to say it, then,” he says, with a frown that you can see the growing up in.

“Weren’t you in New York?” asks Billy.

“Well, maybe.”

“I was.”

“So what are you going to do?” Again, no malice. He misses a shot. “Shite.”

“My uncle Frank is in Boston.”

There is an unwritten accord. He can curse; I can lose pathetically, unashamedly, at pool, without comment.

“I know. I was in school with Frank.”

Frankie Joyce behind the community centre the

Oh, and it all ends when I finish my West Coast Cooler. I rattle the ice cubes in the glass.

“I might open a bar.”

night of the youth club disco. The taste of Wrigley’s

“Ha! Dad says he’s going to close this place in a few weeks; just keep the shop for the winter. Open the pub

“Why’d ya come back?” Billy is unapologetic but

“Ok. Well, maybe I’ll become an artist and pay no tax. I did art for my leavin’.”

Spearmint chewing gum.

means no harm, already busy eying up another shot.

“Got tired of it.”

again when the tourists come back. That’s unless Mayo wins the All Ireland.”

“Sure, aren’t you that already? A government artist, my Dad calls people like you.”

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THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

“Oh, the good ones never grow old.”

“I think it’s a good one. Drawing the dole.” He looks up mischievously. I mock-punch him on the shoulder. He laughs. So do I. It’s better to laugh.

“Come on, your shot.” He stands back and chalks his cue as he waits for me. The cue is just taller than him.

I manage to pot a yellow, then miss again. This is where it gets challenging for him. There are too many of my yellows clogging up the table.

“We went to the Céide Fields for our school tour,” says Billy, “They found farmers’ fields under the bog. And houses. And trees.”

“Yeah? So?” “So, it isn’t always just landscape. It was worth something once. I’m just sayin’.”

Ciarán Ó Gríofa grew up in east Clare and now lives

I finish my drink as he sinks the black.

in Limerick City. He is a member of the Limerick

“Better luck next time,” he says, and makes a show of shaking my hand.

published in “No. 12 – An Anthology of Writing from

“See ya, Billy.”

the public service.

“See ya. Battlestar Galactica is on.”

The Limerick Writers' Centre is a non-profit

When I hit the air, there is a cushion from the drink, but it’s only the one, so I can still think. I decide

writers, through readings, workshops and publishing.

Us, to the pink frilled duvet, to waiting on the low tones. I turn down the short road to the strand.

first Tuesday of every month at Chez le Fab, Arthur’s

it, when we were Billy’s age, on our pound-shop watches.

Terry McDonagh and Karen J McDonnell. Further

Writers’ Centre Fiction Group. His work has been The Limerick Writers’ Centre” (2016). He works in

organisation established to nurture and support

that I do not want to go straight back to the silence-clogged house, to Garth Brooks, to The Four of

Their 'On the Nail' Literary Gathering takes place the

The tide is coming in. That tide will pull itself across this strand in two minutes flat. We used to time

Quay Park, Limerick. Guest writers for July are poets

I find my rock at the edge of the rocky field, and sit down, running my hand over its smooth surface, looking out over the strand. I curl up.

Yes, here comes the tide, pulled by invisible forces.

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details www.limerickwriterscentre.com

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L im e r ic k M u si c Ro u n d u p 2 0 1 7

Colours - Proper Micro NV

Summer Camp - Anna’s Anchor

I Know You Know - Rusangano Family

released a brand new six track EP 'Colours’. This is

A Lighthouse’, Anna’s Anchor return with an upbeat

Prize win, Rusangano Family tackle our failure to

music, there’s melancholic undertones in its lyrics; a

“Feeling inadequate feeling unfit, losing my confidence,

Despite this, the infectious hooks in each chorus and

the all too familiar sound of Let The Dead Bury

summer anthem; fun and adventurous. Marty Ryan,

the verses like a neat knot tying the old and new

direction saying “Summer Camp is largely different

Bob Gallagher and shot in Clare, addresses the issue

much more of a pop edge to it, hookier chorus but on

Naoise Roo, Eavan Brennan, Linda O’Connor and

of different time signatures."

Know You Know’ signifies a promising new era for

Electronic music producer, Rory Hall recently Hall’s third EP under the alias Proper Micro NV. After an impressive set at this summer’s Body and

Soul Festival, along with the critical acclaim for Hall’s previous releases, ‘Colours’ has become one

of the most highly-anticipated Limerick releases of

2017. Through one of the most popular and complex

genres in modern culture, Hall sets out to explore the depths of human emotion. ‘Colours’’ sullen beats and often haunting vocals serve as a fitting canvas for this

new endeavour throughout the album. Tracks like

‘Handwriting’ showcase Hall’s musical versatility as

he blends the traditional piano with distorted vocals and a running backing track of waterfalls. Innovation

shines through in the opening track, ‘All About Me’ with its flawless, ambient arrangements. These are just

Once again, after their earlier 2017 release ‘You Are

In their most recent release since their Choice Music

pop-punk track. Much like most of Anna’s Anchor

communicate when faced with personal struggles:

running tale of coping with heartbreak and longing.

trying to conceal it.” Clare DJ mynameisjOhn brings

bursts of spontaneous percussion make this an apt

The Dead to this new single, letting it ring through

founder of Anna’s Anchor, comments on this new

Rusangano eras together. The music video, directed by

from anything I’ve done before in the sense that it has

of mental health and features Rusangano Family,

top of this, much more noodlier guitars with a couple

many more. While still referencing sounds of old, ‘I Rusangano Family.

Article by: Christine Costello

some of the key tracks in the EP. ‘Colours’ offers a

unique perspective on the electronic genre for both avid fans and newcomers.

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THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

TV July 2017

Game Of Thrones

Ray Donovan

Friends From College

year, we are finally at the point where a new season

Sky Atlantic and this time it looks as though Ray is

from Nick Stoller - the man that brought us the

Hollywood celebrities. However, it looks as though

Get Him To The Greek. Friends From College is

Samantha Winslow (played by the eminently talented

college friends as they all face turning 40. There's

to hide. We'll also get to see Ray's dad Mickey ( Jon

Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother), Keegan-

welcomed into Ray's home.

Wonder Years). We will see them as they struggle

Possibly the most highly anticipated show each

is about to hit our screens! Like the previous season, the storylines go beyond the books of George R. R. Martin so everything will be a pleasant, and probably

bloody, surprise. This season will see tensions between the Targaryens and Lannisters reach fever pitch as preview clips have shown Daenerys' army charging at the gate of the Lannisters. It also looks like we can expect a new villain to rival the evils of Joffrey

Baratheon and Ramsay Bolton, with the character

Ray Donovan is back for a fifth season this month on

There's another new Netflix showing on 14th July

turning his attention back to fixing the problems of

hilarious comedies Forgetting Sarah Marshall and

he will have his work cut out for him as his new client

an eight-episode series based around a group of old

Susan Sarandon) proves to be a woman with secrets

quite the impressive cast for this show, including

Voight) swear off his criminal ways as he is finally

Michael Key (Key and Peele) and Fred Savage (The

with old grievances and interpersonal relationships.

Euron Greyjoy. He appeared in season six, usurping

With such a writer at the helm and an immensely

just the slightest hint of what is to come. Starting on

new comedy to binge on.

funny cast, hopefully this will be a very promising

and killing his brother Balon but it looks like that was

Sky Atlantic on 17th July, this is the must-watch of the summer.

Ozark

We may be used to seeing Jason Bateman trying to keep the Bluth family together in Arrested Development but Ozark is an opportunity to see a

whole different side to him. This new show on Netflix centres on the Byrde family who are forced to relocate

from suburban Chicago to a resort community in order to repay a debt to a Mexican crime lord. It is

promised to be an incredibly dark crime-thriller incorporating money, death, booze and sex. Also

starring Laura Linney and written by Bill Dubuque

(The Accountant), Ozark looks as though it could be Netflix's next big drama. Check it out on 21st July.

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The Last Tycoon

Ballers

premiering on 28th July. This nine-episode series is

charismatic Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is back for

Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Inspired by the

Based on the lives and loves of American football

stars Matt Bomer as our protagonist Monroe Stahr

help to address the hip issue that had beleaguered

the studio, Pat Brady (based on Louis B. Mayer and

than ever with his business enterprise reaching new

Lily Collins as Brady's daughter who wishes to

are plenty of beautiful women and flash cars, as well

nepotism, sexism and of course, flapper-style fashion.

football stars.

one of the 20th century's greatest writers, this is

Article by: Sarah Lafferty

The Last Tycoon is a new show to Amazon Prime,

Fresh off of the back of the release of Baywatch, the

based on an unfinished novel from the author of The

a third season of Ballers on Sky Atlantic this month.

live of Irving Thalberg, a 1930s film producer, this

players, we last saw Strasmore ( Johnson) seeking

who comes into conflict with the esteemed head of

him all season. This time around, he's back and better

played by Frasier's Kelsey Grammar). Also starring

heights as it goes international. As per usual, there

work behind the camera, this show promises drama,

as some exciting cameos from real-life American

With a cast such as this and based on writings from guaranteed to be a mightily impressive show.

THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

m usic New Music and Releases - july 2017 2017 appears to be the year of comebacks and new comers to the music scene. Whether you listen to pop or rock, there are plenty of new releases that are well worth a listen.

Inspired - Miley Cyrus

After taking a four year break from music, following

her 2013 album “Bangers” Miley Cyrus is back

and seems to have returned to her country roots.

The singer released the first single from the album “Malibu” earlier this month, and was quite emotional

performing it at the Billboard Music Awards. She swapped her short hair and skimpy outfits for a more

Hey Violet – From the Outside

Homey - Chon

to become the pop-band “Hey Violet” and gained

second album this summer. Unlike Good Tiger, the

on their headlining tour in 2015. After releasing two

metal heads. The band fills a niche in the music scene

up to release their debut album “From the Outside”.

and few tracks with vocals. While some may be put

The remaining members of Cherri Bomb went on

Like Good Tiger, Chon is gearing up to release their

popularity after opening for 5 Seconds of Summer

band appeals to fans of alternative rock more than

EP’s in the past two years, the band is finally gearing

by composing a large amount of instrumental tracks,

simple look and sound, and so far her fans seem happy

off by the lack of vocal tracks, their instrumentals make for easy listening.

with the change.

Article by: Aisling O'Connor

Pyrce – Julia Pierce

Good Tiger

teenage years as the front woman and lead guitarist

members all have successful careers in metal and rock

teenage quartet even played at Oxygen in 2012, and

this year, and with Alternative Press praising them

departure from the band in 2013, the musician took

to fans of rock and metal music. Good Tiger began

2017 with her debut album under the name “Pyrce”

at the moment the details and title are being kept

19-year old Julia Pierce gained attention during her

The band has been described as a “super group” as its

of the former all-girl rock band Cherri Bomb. The

music. The band is due to release their second album

opened for Foo Fighters and Slipknot. Following her

as a band to watch for 2017, the band should appeal

her time in releasing new music. She’s set to return in

recording their sophomore album early this year, but

as a solo musician.

secret.

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E v e n t g uid e European 2017

Powerlifting

Conference

Saturday July 1st & Sunday July 2nd @ 9am - 6pm

Summer Cookery Camps

Thomond Swim 2017

Various Dates in July @ 9.30am - 1pm

Saturday July 8th @ 6.15pm

Limerick

Enterprise

Development

Partnership,

University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick

Roxboro, Limerick

The Cottage Market - Kilmallock

Lunchtime Concert – Stuart O’Sullivan (piano)

Saturday 1st July @ 11am- 2.30pm Pastoral Centre Kilmallock

Dog Show & Fun Day

Wednesday 5th July @ 1.15pm

Angela’s Ashes - The Musical

Limerick Racecourse, Greenmount Park, Patrickswell

Thursday 6th - Saturday 15th July @ 2.30pm & 8pm

Outdoor Art Exhibition

Courtbrack Avenue, Limerick

Lime Tree Theatre, Mary Immaculate College,

Sunday 2nd July @12 pm

Dorothy Dolittle’s Magical Adventure Sunday 2nd July @ 2.30pm

Friars Gate Theatre, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick

Lunch Time Poetry @ The Hunt Museum Every Friday in July @ 1pm - 2pm

The Hunt Museum, Custom House, Rutland Street, Limerick City

Monday 3rd July - Friday 14th July @ 10am - 3pm

Friday 7th July @ 8 pm

Limerick

Park, Limerick City

Chez le Fab // Wine Bar & Arts Café, Arthur's Quay

Future Islands

Founder Friday

Monday July 3rd @ 8pm

Friday 7th July @ 6pm - 9pm

Hup na Houra Every Monday & Tuesday in July @ 8pm

Church of Ireland, Kilfinane, Co. Limerick

Ballinvreena Annual Vegetable & Cake Show Ballinvreena, Co. Limerick

Summer Friendly: Limerick v Charlton Athletic

Flannery's Bar, Upper Denmark Street, Limerick

Limerick Animal Welfare Lip Sync Battle

Markets Field, Garryowen Road, Limerick

44th International Council for Traditional Music World Conference Thursday 13th - Wednesday 19th July

Irish World Academy of Music & Dance, University of Limerick, Limerick

Limerick Summer Music Thursday 13th July @ 8pm

Old Crescent RFC, Rosbrien, Limerick

Friday 7th July @ 8pm

Dolans Pub & Warehouse, Dock Road, Limerick

66

Flower,

Tuesday July 11th @ 7.45 pm

Shane Joyce an Evening of Folk Music

Dolans Pub & Warehouse, Dock Road, Limerick

Sunday 9th July @ 2.30pm

Monday 10th - Sunday 16th July

Animation - Summer Course Limerick School of Art & Design, Clare Street

Limerick Animal Welfare, Kilfinane, Co Limerick

Family Fun Raceday

Arthur’s Quay Park, Limerick

Bedford Row, Limerick

Sunday 9th July @ 12pm – 4pm

St Mary's Cathedral, Bridge Street, Limerick City

Limerick Speakers Corner Saturday 1st July @ 1pm

Shannon River, Limerick City Centre

F o l l o w u s o n l i n e f o r m o r e e v e n t l i s t i n g s w w w .t h e l i m e r i c k m a g a z i n e . c o m

THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

E v e nt g uid e Brocon 2017 Friday July 14th - Sunday July 16th @ 3pm

University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick

Bewley’s Café Buridan’s Ass

Theatre

presents

Sunday July 16th @ 8pm

Saturday 22nd July @18:30–21:00

Markets Field, Garryowen Road, Limerick

Friars Gate Theatre, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick

A Weekend Away Friday 14th July @ 8.30pm

Dolans Pub and Restaurant, 3/4 Dock Rd., Limerick

Limerick FC V Shamrock Rovers Monday 15th July @ 6:45pm – 9pm

Markets Field, Garryowen Road, Limerick

Limerick Pride Festival Ft Saara Aalto 2017 SATURDAY JULY 15 @ 8 pm

Dolans Pub & Warehouse, Dock Road, Limerick

Newcastle West Agricultural Show 2017 Sunday 16th July

Ballynoe, Castlemahon, Co.Limerick

The Songs & Tall Tales of Jerry Fish Get the Edge, Learn to Bounce - Teen Summer Programme 2017 Monday 17th -Friday 21st July @ 9am - 3pm St Munchins College, Corbally, Limerick

Summer Exhibition Lecture Series July

The Jane Austen Afternoon Tea at No.1 Sunday July 16th @ 2pm

No.1 Pery Square Hotel and Spa, No 1. Pery Square, Limerick

Sunday 16th July @ 2pm

Broadford Community Enterprise Centre, Broadford,

Friars Gate Theatre, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick

Cubs Club Thursday 27th & Friday 28th July @ 11am - 2pm

Ballyorgan Forest Homes, Ballyorgan, Co. Limerick

One Night with the Stars of Vegas

Limerick City

Limerick Strand Hotel, Ennis Road, Limerick City

Temple of Words with Kim Rosen and Nóirín Ni Riain

Meitheal, 2017

Thursday 20th July @ 7pm -9pm

Friday July 28th @ 8pm

The Hunt Museum, Custom House, Rutland Street,

Don Bosco Centre, Castletroy, Limerick

Thursday 20th July @ 8pm

Dolans Pub & Warehouse, Dock Road, Limerick

Broadford Summer Festival

Sheehy Brothers Commemoration

Saturday July 22nd @ 8pm

Thursday 20th July @ 1pm - 2pm

Damien Dempsey

Co. Limerick

Limerick FC V Sligo Rovers

Friday 21st & Saturday 22nd July Broadford, Co. Limerick

Friday July 28th @ 7pm Centre

Lime Tree Theatre, Mary Immaculate College, Courtbrack Avenue, Limerick

Neckpiece Workshop with Siobhán Daly Designs Saturday 29th July @ 10am - 1pm

The Hunt Museum, Custom House, Rutland Street, Limerick City

Foynes Air Show

Roll with it Oasis Tribute -Hold the Date

Saturday 22nd July

Saturday 29th July @ 9pm

Foynes Harbour, Foynes, Co. Limerick

Dolans Pub & Warehouse, Dock Road, Limerick

F o l l o w u s o n l i n e f o r m o r e e v e n t l i s t i n g s w w w .t h e l i m e r i c k m a g a z i n e . c o m

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THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

s t e am b oat M usi c O ff Th e Reco rd The Vinyl Revival, Fad or Fact?

Music fans now enjoy the ease of everything at their

Damien Dempsey

when they call in to the store, look at all that vinyl, is

more recently, streaming.Digital ways of listening to

For an island filled with creatives, Damien is easily

Probably the most asked question we get from people it really back?

The answer in our opinion is yes!

We’re always interested in keeping an eye on who is buying the vinyl because it’s the easiest way to tell if something is a fad or a growing trend. The age

demographic, the gender and what they’re buying, it all points to the answer.

The general perception is that it is older men buying mountains of classic rock albums and reliving the music from their childhoods and the answer really isn’t that simple. Sure that is there but it’s accompanied

by numerous groupings most notably Generation Z (people born after 1996) and Generation Alpha (After 2011). Yes, our youngest regular customer is a 5 year old boy who every few weeks asks his parents

to bring him in, to pick out albums from our second

finger tips - digital downloads, legal, illegal and

music have their place but what was lost since their introduction is the art of maintaining a collection. The majority of people growing up would develop a music

collection based largely around their personality and what represents them. The different times and

artwork, the whole experience of placing the vinyl on

the turntable and carefully dropping the needle. There are two entire generations that have never dropped a

needle on a record or had to use a pencil to fix a tape cassette.

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to catch Damien in the intimate venue.

July 11th 8pm - Chez les Fab - Pass the hat

that hasn’t sat around with friends going through their music collection and discussing the ‘band’ they found that know one else knows about yet and the pure pride of introducing your friends to them. It was

a badge of honour. Humans in their nature collect, it’s

Presents:

Berea

Ensemble from Kentucky

College

Bluegrass

A five piece Bluegrass band from the heartland of American bluegrass. Comprised of teacher Al White and master students, you won’t hear more authentic music than right here.

as much a part of our DNA as our actual DNA! The

Steamboat Presents: Happy Abandon

youngsters this long to realise what they were missing

As part of the Tuesday night Acoustic Club in Charlie

only thing that surprises me is that it has taken the out on.

July 14th 8:30pm - Dolan’s Upstairs

the novelty of picking his record, the size of the

setting of the Warehouse. This will be a great chance

my generation and older I don’t think I know anyone

With physical formats it’s real, it exists, it’s tangible. In

generations of people looking for something more

it? For this child, as his parents explained, he loves

He tours his new album Soulsun and all his hits in the

Steamboat

Mark’s Gig Picks

tangible to collect and enjoy. What attracts them to

one of the best songwriters the country has produced.

experiences in your life, it’s all there in your collection.

hand selection. A 5 year old? He’s not an anomaly

either, he’s one of the youngest members of these new

July 20th 8pm - Dolan’s Warehouse

A Weekend Away

This local five piece are a band on the rise, after winning the UL Battle of the Bands and performing

July 11th - Charlie Malones - Free Gig

Malones, Steamboat has sponsored North Carolina band Happy Abandon as part of their first ever Irish tour to perform in Limerick before some festival dates in the UK. Their highly anticipated debut album

is released in August and they’re already being tipped for big things.

numerous gigs nationally including supporting All

Christy Moore

They recently released the first single from an eagerly

I only recently took out my copy of Christy’s second

Tvvins.

awaited debut EP which is due out mid July.

July 8th - Lakeside Hotel, Ballina

album Prosperous to listen to it again, one of my favourite acts.

THE LIMERICK MAGAZINE

1 0 M in ut e s Wit h. . .

Olivia O'Sullivan

Occupation:

PR/Marketing/Graphic Design Freelancer Fun fact about you:

I’m a cougar – my husband was born eight and a half years after me. We went to the same secondary school

Are you superstitious/do you have any personal

Sage Café on Catherine Street and No1 Pery Square

Not very but some traditions are ingrained such as

the healthiest and tastiest lunches in town. Others I

rituals for good luck?

looking for the second magpie or thinking a black cat is good luck.

but I was well gone before he even got there.

How would you sum up your life in 6 words?

What motivates you in the morning?

of two’, but in general ‘positive determined ambitious

My children, coffee and deadlines.

Right now it would be ‘busy juggler working mother creative happy soul'.

would be other favourites, and The Grove has one of would drop into are La Cucina, The Curragower is

my side of town and a great gastropub, I love 1826 Adare and The Mustard Seed in the county. The

Strand Hotel is great for lunch meetings and family gatherings and I admire what they do there with local food producer sourcing despite being a high volume

business. You’re also likely to spot me at a meeting in The Hunt Museum Café or at the Milk Market on

What one thing do you never leave the house

Describe your ideal weekend in Limerick?

My iPhone.

friends in one of our favourite restaurants. Saturday

Best drink in town?

around the city lapping up the atmosphere, followed

and breastfeeding - my second child is just six months

without?

Any hidden or lesser known talents?

I used to be a handy jumper in the lineout (rugby).

As a child what did you want to be growing up?

A newsreader, or a truck driver!

What is your favourite word?

Impossible to choose just one, I love words and

Friday evening dinner out with my husband and close

morning family visit to the Milk Market and stroll by shopping and late lunch and cocktails with my girlfriends, then movie/Netflix with my husband

that night after getting the kids to bed early. Sunday

brunch in town followed later by himself ’s homecooked roast dinner and in between if the weather is nice adventuring to somewhere like Curraghchase. (I

weekends, and I love the brunch menu in House.

I haven’t been a big drinker in a while with pregnancies

old - and I’ve (regrettably!) missed the gin revolution completely so my best drink right now would be a

good Flat White or Latte however I still enjoy my glasses of wine, and I’m partial to the odd bottle of Harris Pale Ale by Treaty City Brewing.

should add, I’ve never had this weekend – I’m lucky

Favourite people?

Favourite quote of all time?

Favourite place to grab a bite?

Happiness is...

who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t

of places. I love Canteen on Mallow Street for their

and family

language.

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those mind” – Dr Seuss

What is the most recent book you have read?

Holding by Graham Norton

to get two or three elements of it at any one time!).

This is a tough question for me as I’m a fan of lots

coffee (and their orange and almond muffins, or dark

chocolate dates!) and I love how fresh all their food

is with such care taken for the provenance of their

ingredients. The Cornstore on Thomas Street is one of our all-time favourites, it’s hard to beat with a group or for a date night.

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My husband and children, family and closet friends.

Enjoying good food in good company, travel, creativity

Article by: Michelle Costello

Photography by: Tarmo Tulit

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