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Inisfad
By Trevor Johnston
Inisfad.
Long Island in English.
It stretches as long
As the imagination.
Sometimes I look out
And see the mist.
The blindness.
I am not sure if
It rises from the sea
Or falls in vapour
From my heart.
It moves me.
Inisfad is in my soul.
The rawness,
The ruggedness,
The loneliness.
The lack of hope in this
Wilderness,
Is an emotional trigger.
That erupts within
My spirit.
I try to walk off the pain.
And stare through the
Waters to Tantallon.
But it is no good.
The fierce brutal beauty
Trawls me back ashore.
Wild flowers do battle on the
Wracken shore.
Fight for my affection.
On another day
I would be paddling
In the water.
Searching for mussels or
Some such purity.
But today, I labour on,
Through a necklace of
Rock pools crafted by
The power of Nature.
The rock and grit
Sandpaper my feet.
But I ignore the pain.
The raw marine mixes with
The pastoral shore.
In a cornucopia of desire,
I may die here.
The number of triggers for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) detailed in this week’s HealthBytes
If you’re reading a recipe and you are told to “shock” your green vegetables, does that seem like a strange instruction?
It’s actually very important, but I agree the term “shock” can seem vague and even a bit extremist! As our favourite tender greens are starting to come into season - asparagus, green beans, peas - and we get the absolute luxury (in my opinion) of getting to eat them at their freshest, you want to be able to do them justice.
Shocking them is a wonderful way to maintain their vibrant green colour and keep them from overcooking.
For best results, take a large bowl of cold water and add some ice to it. Add your greens to salted, rapidly boiling water and cook for just 2-3 minutes before straining them and plunging them directly into the freezing water. They will stay beautifully green and crisp, and you can toss them in a very hot pan just before serving to get them back up to temperature.
People have said to me, if this knife had dropped out of their hand, they wouldn’t have paid any attention to it. Something that somebody might think is so stupid to go to a
doctor with, go and get it checked out.
Meet the Charolais Angels
With Dr Catherine Keena, Teagasc countryside management specialist
Look out for dandelions – not too hard to find! While this perennial plant keeps its leaves during winter and occasional plants bloom from January, the splash of yellow is now everywhere on roadsides, grass verges, weedkiller-free unmown lawns and urban areas.
They are opportunists surviving in crevices with infertile soil and arid conditions. Bright yellow is visible from a distance, reflecting light and heat– useful in spring with fewer flowering plants and insects around.
Over 100 insects use dandelions, including bumblebees, honeybees, solitary bees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths and pollen beetles. While it may be hated by some gardeners, it is part of our native Irish biodiversity.
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