Bringing Halloween back to its Irish roots, Púca festival promises to be a fantastic celebration of music and myth, and folklore and fire
Scarily good Halloween entertainment at Meath’s Púca festival
Trim and Athboy, Co Meath, are the places to be from Friday, October 28, to Monday, October 31, as the Púca festival takes place celebrating all things spectacular and spooky.
Bringing Halloween back to its Irish roots, the festival promises to be a fantastic celebration of music and myth, and folklore and fire with featured artists including Kíla, Imelda May, Gavin James, and Sharon Shannon. Joining them are comedians Joanne McNally, Neil Delamere, David O’Doherty, and more, while the Jerry Fish Electric Sideshow Cabaret and Blindboy add their singular takes on entertainment to the mix.
The ‘Arrival of Spirits’ procession in Trim officially kicks things off on Saturday while the auspicious Hill of Ward in Athboy sees the ‘Coming of Samhain’ celebration on Halloween itself.
Celebrate the flavours of the Boyne Valley at the Station House
Speaking of the Boyne Valley, the newly renovated Station House Hotel in Kilmessan, Co Meath, is hosting a Boyne Valley Tasting Dinner on November 12 which will pair some of their finest wines with a seven-course dinner featuring locally produced ingredients from the Boyne Valley.
The menu will feature local delicacies including chorizo by The Wooded Pig, Slane Irish Whiskey, and Boyne Valley Cheese. The hotel has recently undergone refurbishment and is a delightful place to enjoy a formal meal, a casual dining experience, afternoon tea, or a private party.
The Boyne Valley Tasting Dinner costs €80 per person (€120 with drinks). Why not make a night of it for €170 per person with tea or coffee and scones on arrival, the tasting dinner and breakfast the next morning?
New organic collection for kids by Lil & Izzy
Irish sustainable childrenswear brand Lil & Izzy has just launched its autumn/ winter collection — a delightful one inspired by an Irish morning sea swim. Known for great quality products, Lil & Izzy has been shortlisted for two National Parenting Product Awards for their baby grow and sleeping bag products.
The new collection includes the lovely ‘Sun, Moon and Waves’ pyjama sets (€39.99) and baby grows (€37.99) as well as a pretty dreamcatcher print. The pieces are made with certified organic cotton, with printed care labels to avoid irritation, and can be personalised for great gift giving.
World Cancer Research Day and Breakthrough Cancer Research
Today is World Cancer Research Day, and, as Breakthrough Cancer Research marks 10 years of research excellence, the Irish medical research charity has announced an additional €2m funding injection to fund urgent new treatments and early detection for Ireland’s lowest survival cancers.
Typically discovered late and therefore more difficult to treat successfully, these types of cancer cause nearly half of all cancer deaths in Ireland each year. The funding was revealed in the charity’s new five-year research strategy ‘Making More Survivors’.
Go to the website for more information or to donate.
Art at the Pink Moon Café
The Pink Moon Café on Washington Street in Cork is a lovely spot to experience upbeat vibes, great coffee, and a delicious selection of locally produced treats including vegan and vegetarian options.
A short hop from UCC and the Kino, the café is also currently showing the work of textile artist Jenny Monks. Monks’ ‘Runway Exhibition’ brings alluring landscapes and travel experiences to the space — layers of photography and vintage fabrics are held together with delicate fine line stitches capturing the beauty of quiet Spanish villages, busy Lisbon streets and daytime sleeping in the shade.
Pink Moon Café, Washington Street, Cork. Monday to Friday, from 8am to 3pm.
Paul Galvin’s new collection at Dunnes Stores
Paul Galvin’s new menswear collection is inspired by his study of Irish Olympic excellence and a time when art was an Olympic sport (who knew?). Inspired by the iconic Jack B Yeats painting ‘Liffey Swim’, for which he was awarded a silver medal at the 1924 Olympic Arts Competition, you’ll find blue and navy tones, greys and rich reds — the colours of Dublin’s cityscape at the time. The collection includes fleece jackets (€35), boxy t-shirts (€20), and a sleeveless rib knit vest (€25). Elsewhere, sport inspires with jerseys bearing a flat cap print (€20) and the varsity bomber jacket pictured here (€50).
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