Dr Catherine Keena, Teagasc Countryside Management Specialist
Look out for ling heather in our peatlands – both raised bogs in the midlands and uplands throughout the country. It is a small shrub of up to one metre tall and grows in drier areas, particularly dry heaths.
Leafy shoots in opposite pairs on downy brown stems with overlapping leaves so close together they cover the stalk. Pale-purple flowers on flowering spikes provide nectar for heather honey. Our three native heathers are positive indicators in ACRES meaning higher scores and payments, showing how valuable our uplands are.
Find out more at an uplands symposium on Tuesday, 12 November in Louth. See Teagasc.ie/uplands
Ling or calluna nó fraoch mór is part of our native Irish biodiversity.
How do you measure a life?
By Jonathan Roth
The obvious, the number
of years here
The number of those dear
Your happy healthy years
The number of your tears
The friends you outlive
Your capacity to forgive
The careers you had
Your reasons to be glad
Your cash in the bank
The number of pints you drank
Your desire to survive
The cars in your drive
The love of your spouse
The friends in your house
Your well of altruism
Your odd mannerism
The love of a child
The times you smiled
The care you give to others
The support of your brothers
There’s a million measurements
For your life to make sense
Your must pick your own one
When you are on your home run
"The bottom line is Donegal needs more respite centres to be built to meet the needs of the community, but unfortunately that doesn’t appear likely in the short-term.” Letterkenny Sinn Féin Councillor Gerry McMonagle – See full story here.
Last week’s Budget announced 495 new beds will be provided across hospitals and health and community services, to bring the total countrywide to 18,000. See full story here (health) 12/13*
Lú Festival of Light will again bewitch visitors this Halloween season, bringing Drogheda to life with a dazzling light display and audio visual shows evoking the area’s mythological past.
Projections on the town’s historic buildings will tell the legendary stories of the Boyne through visuals and music. This means people can enjoy a free evening adventure journeying through time along the trail discovering the stories of Cú Chulainn, Lú, the Salmon of Knowledge, Boann, and many more.
This will all take place alongside an array of on-street performances including face painters and fire breathers, together with cafés, bars and restaurants in the area staying open late to welcome visitors to the town.
As Halloween approaches – Too Good To Go – the social impact company that operates the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food, has plenty of suggestions to put every part of your pumpkin (see right) to good use. From face masks to tasty snacks, there are many ways to get the most out of your pumpkins beyond decoration and reduce food waste this Halloween.