Ruth Negga returns as Catalyst ambassador
Hollywood star and Limerick native, Ruth Negga, continues her role as
ambassador for the Catalyst International Film Festival in Limerick from April 23-25 as it returns for its seventh edition. As Ireland’s only film festival dedicated exclusively to gender equality, diversity and inclusion, it champions bold storytelling and underrepresented voices in global cinema. Audiences can expect a schedule of shorts by emerging filmmakers from Ireland and across the globe.Speaking at the launch, Ruth said: “It swells the heart to welcome everybody back and to grow our Shannon-side festival. We are celebrating the many different faces of our film industry and its future.” See catalystinternationalfilmfestival.com
Pictured at the launch: Olivia Enos, audience and outreach coordinator; Dr Susan Liddy, founder and director; Ruth Negga, actress and festival ambassador; and Aoife O’Toole, festival and programme manager. \ Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick
Communities will gather on the shores of Lough Neagh on Sunday 19 April at 2.30pm to highlight the ongoing ecological plight of Ireland’s largest freshwater lake.‘Sing for the Lough’ will unite community choirs from across Northern Ireland to sing Water is Life, composed by Una McCann, to demand a long-term recovery plan for the lake.“Music has a way of reaching the heart of an issue,” says Mairéad Duffy, from Gathered Voices choir, Dungannon. “By singing, we are witnessing the beauty of the Lough and lamenting its current state.”
Mairéad Duffy, from Gathered Voices choir.
On the Monday of the May Bank Holiday (4 May), The Fish Basket restaurant, which sits on beautiful Long Strand at Castlefreke in west Cork, is hosting its fifth tractor run. This year, all proceeds are in aid of Bunscoil Fachtna Future Redevelopment Fund to facilitate the amalgamation of two local primary schools; Ardagh Boys National School and St Mary’s National School. On the day, there will be free breakfast baps, coffee and tea along with fun for all the family. And if you’re not around on the bank holiday, this is a great spot to drop into anytime of the year for their fantastic fish and chips with a view.
The Fish Basket Tractor Run 2025.
This year, The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation marks 10 years of its incognito secret art sale, where artist identities are only revealed after purchase. Each original postcard artwork costs €75, with funds supporting children with neurodevelopmental delay across Ireland. West Cork’s Patricia Bevan is among this year’s artists, saying the charity holds “a very close place in my heart”.The online sale takes place on Wednesday 20 May. See incognito.ie
From the Priests Leap to Bantry Bay painting by Patricia Bevan.
Stone me, it’s a good read
Clonakilty author Louise O’Neill recently launched her latest literary offering. The novel, Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? is centred around twin sisters Madeline and Chelsea Stone in 2002 and 2025 who are joint stars of the AtomicKids sitcom Double Trouble, but everyone knows it’s Maddie who shines most brightly. Chelsea beats her sister for the role of a lifetime, and just as her stardom reaches impossible new heights – Maddie disappears. Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? is a gripping novel and perfect for fans of stories about Hollywood glamour and the dark side of fame. Published by Bantam Press, priced at €16.99.
Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone?
Evening Rounds by John Walsh, New Ross, Co Wexford
There’s a certain
hour in the evening
when the day hasn’t
quite let go.
Jobs are mostly finished,
but no one’s ready
to go in just yet.
You walk the same
ground again,
not because it needs doing,
but because it feels right
to see it once more.
Gates are checked
without thinking,
water glanced at,
stock counted in a quiet,
practiced way
that doesn’t need numbers anymore.
Somewhere, a dog keeps
close at heel,
pausing when you pause,
as if he understands
this isn’t about work.
It’s the time for noticing.
How the place has held up.
What’s changed since morning.
What hasn’t.
You stand a while before
heading back,
hands in pockets, taking in the
ordinary of it all.
And for a moment,
there’s nowhere
else you’d rather be.
Do you have a piece of poetry inspired by the countryside and farming? Please send in your best work for consideration for the weekly Poetry Corner. We’re looking for short poems that captivate, inspire and reflect the landscapes, traditions, and culture of rural Ireland in the past or the present. About 200 words or so is the ideal length. Please send your poetry to icl@farmersjournal.ie or post to Irish Country Living,
Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12.
Ruth Negga returns as Catalyst ambassador
Hollywood star and Limerick native, Ruth Negga, continues her role as
ambassador for the Catalyst International Film Festival in Limerick from April 23-25 as it returns for its seventh edition. As Ireland’s only film festival dedicated exclusively to gender equality, diversity and inclusion, it champions bold storytelling and underrepresented voices in global cinema. Audiences can expect a schedule of shorts by emerging filmmakers from Ireland and across the globe.Speaking at the launch, Ruth said: “It swells the heart to welcome everybody back and to grow our Shannon-side festival. We are celebrating the many different faces of our film industry and its future.” See catalystinternationalfilmfestival.com
Pictured at the launch: Olivia Enos, audience and outreach coordinator; Dr Susan Liddy, founder and director; Ruth Negga, actress and festival ambassador; and Aoife O’Toole, festival and programme manager. \ Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick
Communities will gather on the shores of Lough Neagh on Sunday 19 April at 2.30pm to highlight the ongoing ecological plight of Ireland’s largest freshwater lake.‘Sing for the Lough’ will unite community choirs from across Northern Ireland to sing Water is Life, composed by Una McCann, to demand a long-term recovery plan for the lake.“Music has a way of reaching the heart of an issue,” says Mairéad Duffy, from Gathered Voices choir, Dungannon. “By singing, we are witnessing the beauty of the Lough and lamenting its current state.”
Mairéad Duffy, from Gathered Voices choir.
On the Monday of the May Bank Holiday (4 May), The Fish Basket restaurant, which sits on beautiful Long Strand at Castlefreke in west Cork, is hosting its fifth tractor run. This year, all proceeds are in aid of Bunscoil Fachtna Future Redevelopment Fund to facilitate the amalgamation of two local primary schools; Ardagh Boys National School and St Mary’s National School. On the day, there will be free breakfast baps, coffee and tea along with fun for all the family. And if you’re not around on the bank holiday, this is a great spot to drop into anytime of the year for their fantastic fish and chips with a view.
The Fish Basket Tractor Run 2025.
This year, The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation marks 10 years of its incognito secret art sale, where artist identities are only revealed after purchase. Each original postcard artwork costs €75, with funds supporting children with neurodevelopmental delay across Ireland. West Cork’s Patricia Bevan is among this year’s artists, saying the charity holds “a very close place in my heart”.The online sale takes place on Wednesday 20 May. See incognito.ie
From the Priests Leap to Bantry Bay painting by Patricia Bevan.
Stone me, it’s a good read
Clonakilty author Louise O’Neill recently launched her latest literary offering. The novel, Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? is centred around twin sisters Madeline and Chelsea Stone in 2002 and 2025 who are joint stars of the AtomicKids sitcom Double Trouble, but everyone knows it’s Maddie who shines most brightly. Chelsea beats her sister for the role of a lifetime, and just as her stardom reaches impossible new heights – Maddie disappears. Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? is a gripping novel and perfect for fans of stories about Hollywood glamour and the dark side of fame. Published by Bantam Press, priced at €16.99.
Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone?
Evening Rounds by John Walsh, New Ross, Co Wexford
There’s a certain
hour in the evening
when the day hasn’t
quite let go.
Jobs are mostly finished,
but no one’s ready
to go in just yet.
You walk the same
ground again,
not because it needs doing,
but because it feels right
to see it once more.
Gates are checked
without thinking,
water glanced at,
stock counted in a quiet,
practiced way
that doesn’t need numbers anymore.
Somewhere, a dog keeps
close at heel,
pausing when you pause,
as if he understands
this isn’t about work.
It’s the time for noticing.
How the place has held up.
What’s changed since morning.
What hasn’t.
You stand a while before
heading back,
hands in pockets, taking in the
ordinary of it all.
And for a moment,
there’s nowhere
else you’d rather be.
Do you have a piece of poetry inspired by the countryside and farming? Please send in your best work for consideration for the weekly Poetry Corner. We’re looking for short poems that captivate, inspire and reflect the landscapes, traditions, and culture of rural Ireland in the past or the present. About 200 words or so is the ideal length. Please send your poetry to icl@farmersjournal.ie or post to Irish Country Living,
Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12.
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