Fancy a turn about the big house?
The reopening of Mount Congreve Gardens for the 2026 season comes with a timely dose of elegance with the launch of Gardens and Grandeur, The Art of Dining – Life in the Big House.
Visitors can step into 1775 and experience the theatre, ritual and power of dining in one of Ireland’s great country houses. This immersive 60-minute,
character-led experience unfolds in two acts. Inside the ‘Chinese Room’ for the first time, Irish silver and rare wallpaper reveal a world of hierarchy and ceremony. Outdoors, a guided garden walk uncovers the hidden labour that sustained the table. Running
from 1 March, booking is essential. Tickets cost €12-€22, with free entry for children under eight and discounts for seniors. See mountcongreve.com
For the first time, visitors will gain access to the Chinese Room. \Patrick Browne
If the start of the year has felt a bit full-on, Finding Joy, (€13.99) by Dearbhla Mescal offers a gentle reset. Yes, she’s film star Paul Mescal’s mum, but this collection of poems and reflections has its own quiet charm, celebrating everyday moments, gratitude and noticing what really matters.
Thoughtful without being heavy, it’s the kind of book you can dip in and out of whenever you need a lift.
See easons.com
Dearbhla Mescal's Finding Joy.
A new Irish-language film, BÁITE, arrives in cinemas nationwide from 6 March, perfectly timed with Seachtain na Gaeilge. Set in 1975, the story follows Peggy Casey as the discovery of a body in a drained lake unsettles her Gaeltacht community and exposes long-buried secrets. The newly launched trailer offers audiences a first look at the film’s tense atmosphere and striking west of Ireland landscape. Starring Eleanor O’Brien and Moe Dunford, and winner of the IFTA for Original Music, it blends suspense with a strong sense of place. One to watch for anyone who loves atmospheric Irish storytelling on the big screen.
Oisín Mistéil, Eleanor O'Brien, Moe Dunford in Báite. \Robert G
What I carry in my heart.
by Roisin Sheehy, Kinsale, Co Cork
The forest is silent,
I walk it with you beside me.
I’m young and alert, holding you
Warm and strong.
The forest is your home, you say,
Embrace it, nothing to fear here.
You may be mistaken for a fawn
But you are not, your teeth are sharp, your senses keen.
Do not restrict yourself to the fawn’s path
Safe, predictable-
Until it’s not.
Fancy a turn about the big house?
The reopening of Mount Congreve Gardens for the 2026 season comes with a timely dose of elegance with the launch of Gardens and Grandeur, The Art of Dining – Life in the Big House.
Visitors can step into 1775 and experience the theatre, ritual and power of dining in one of Ireland’s great country houses. This immersive 60-minute,
character-led experience unfolds in two acts. Inside the ‘Chinese Room’ for the first time, Irish silver and rare wallpaper reveal a world of hierarchy and ceremony. Outdoors, a guided garden walk uncovers the hidden labour that sustained the table. Running
from 1 March, booking is essential. Tickets cost €12-€22, with free entry for children under eight and discounts for seniors. See mountcongreve.com
For the first time, visitors will gain access to the Chinese Room. \Patrick Browne
If the start of the year has felt a bit full-on, Finding Joy, (€13.99) by Dearbhla Mescal offers a gentle reset. Yes, she’s film star Paul Mescal’s mum, but this collection of poems and reflections has its own quiet charm, celebrating everyday moments, gratitude and noticing what really matters.
Thoughtful without being heavy, it’s the kind of book you can dip in and out of whenever you need a lift.
See easons.com
Dearbhla Mescal's Finding Joy.
A new Irish-language film, BÁITE, arrives in cinemas nationwide from 6 March, perfectly timed with Seachtain na Gaeilge. Set in 1975, the story follows Peggy Casey as the discovery of a body in a drained lake unsettles her Gaeltacht community and exposes long-buried secrets. The newly launched trailer offers audiences a first look at the film’s tense atmosphere and striking west of Ireland landscape. Starring Eleanor O’Brien and Moe Dunford, and winner of the IFTA for Original Music, it blends suspense with a strong sense of place. One to watch for anyone who loves atmospheric Irish storytelling on the big screen.
Oisín Mistéil, Eleanor O'Brien, Moe Dunford in Báite. \Robert G
What I carry in my heart.
by Roisin Sheehy, Kinsale, Co Cork
The forest is silent,
I walk it with you beside me.
I’m young and alert, holding you
Warm and strong.
The forest is your home, you say,
Embrace it, nothing to fear here.
You may be mistaken for a fawn
But you are not, your teeth are sharp, your senses keen.
Do not restrict yourself to the fawn’s path
Safe, predictable-
Until it’s not.
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