WRITE ON It just so happens that World Poetry Day and International Day against Racism both fall on Tuesday, March 21st. The Irish Writers' Centre in Parnell Square, Dublin is using this coincidence to host an evening of music, performances and readings from authors and poets who have written about or been victims of racism.
So far, participants include Irish author Jack Harte, African author Pamela Toyin and Anatoly Kudryavitsky from Russia. There will be music by Portuguese group Dupla Conciencia. The event begins at 7pm and admission is free. For more details call 01-8721302. Eimear McKeith.
A PRESSING DESIRE: If, like me, the first section you reach for in the weekend newspapers is the one with the travel articles, missing your fix can lead to serious withdrawal symptoms. But, if you submit your e-mail address to sign up for the Fare Alert feature on www.travelsupermarket.com, as well as receiving a weekly e-mail with details of discounted fares, you'll also get a link to travelsupermarket news, which contains the latest travel articles from a variety of publications. The week's travel stories from the Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, Condé Nast Traveller, the Guardian, the London Independent and the Daily Mail are posted, in full, and categorised according to whether they refer to short or longhaul. So now there'll be no more multi-shop trawls to nail the last copy of the Telegraph on Saturday. Marie-Claire Digby
YOU SAY POTATO: It's paradise for spud lovers tomorrow in Co Leitrim when the Organic Centre holds its annual Potato Day. Over 100 different varieties of the super tuber will be on display, thanks to Mayoman Dave Langford. For those who want to grow potatoes - rather than just admire them in all their diversity - there will be sessions on making lazy beds with the traditional loy, and controlling blight organically. Ten different varieties of seed potato will be on sale, and the centre's Grass Roof Café will feature potato dishes galore. Sunday, March 19th, 11am-5pm (admission €7; pensioners and unemployed €3, children: free). The Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim, 071-9854338, www.theorganiccentre.ie. Jane Powers
TIME FOR TEA: The Irish still drink more tea per capita than any other country in the world, including China and India. It's surprising, then, that we don't very often stray from traditional black, dust-bag teas. In an effort to better acquaint ourselves with our favourite beverage, Ard Bia, a cafe and gallery at 2, Quay Street in Galway city has created an entire tea menu, to be treated as you would a wine list. The selection ranges from simple white tea, to Bliss liquorice green tea. All are supplied by Sip Tea from Co Cavan, which uses only the "fine pluck" or uppermost leaves of the tea plant, where the highest concentration of vitamins, minerals and flavour can be found. Imogen O'Rourke.
FACE THE MUSIC: Lots of people feel nostalgic about the era of vinyl records, but as downloading music becomes increasingly popular, there could be a time in the not too distant future when we will be reminiscing fondly about those quaint CD collections that used to take up so much space in our sitting rooms. You might be advised, then, to make your way to Filmbase, Curved Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 this weekend, where a music, CD and record fair is taking place. Dealers from France, Spain, England, Scotland and Ireland are attending, and there will be more than 50 stands catering to all music tastes. As well as bargain buys, there are rare collectors' records and CDs, and you can purchase, sell or exchange items. DVDs, memorabilia, T-shirts and posters are also on sale. Snap up those CDs before mp3s take over the world. The fair takes place today and tomorrow from 10.30am-6.30pm; admission €3. For further information contact Brian O'Kelly on 087-244184. Eimear McKeith
THE SIX-MINUTE WELLINGTON: Kate Moss made them famous at Glastonbury, Angelina Jolie wore a pair of red ones in Mr and Mrs Smith, Bette Midler prefers them in green, and Madonna has just ordered a pair in black. Hunter Wellingtons, those sturdy field boots for hunting, shooting and fishing, are fast acquiring a hip new image, and next Wednesday, Kevin Edgar from the company's headquarters in Scotland will be in Arnotts for the day, demonstrating how to make them - a process that takes a mere six minutes. There will also be Design-a-Wellie competition, with the winning design being made up specially in Scotland. Hunter wellies cost €75 a pair, and apart from the traditional green, they come in pale blue, aubergine, pink, red, yellow and black. For the next year, a proportion of each sale of specially-tagged Hunter boots will be donated to Concern. They can be found in Arnotts, in saddleries around the country, or from www.givepovertytheboot.com. Deirdre McQuillan
PARK YOURSELF IN HARRODS: An unusual delivery was made to Harrods of London last Sunday when two lorries pulled up loaded with boulders, branches, twigs, stones, lichen and moss from the grounds of the Park Hotel in Kenmare, Co Kerry. Along with brochures, posters and enough banners to rival a Christo installation, the hotel's celebrated spa, Sámas, was recreated within the store's Urban Retreat department, a vast pamper parlour on the fifth floor. Forget about conventional marketing; this is an example of bringing the mountain to Mohamed. Literally. Leave it to the Park's Brennan brothers, Francis and John (above). When we were newly agog about food, the Park was there with Irish nouvelle cuisine. Before we could say chakra, they were ahead of the posse with a five-star destination spa.
The event - as well as an Irish food fair in Covent Garden - was celebrated at a dinner held in the private quarters of the Irish embassy in Grosvenor Place, where the the Irish Ambassador, Mr Daithí Ó Ceallaigh and Mrs Antoinette Ó Ceallaigh hosted a group of about 30 representatives from Tourism Ireland in London, as well as assorted travel journalists.
It was a far cry from the usual assemblies of government ministers, heads of state, diplomats, financiers and peace negotiators. No political or war correspondents here. The scribblers had an assortment of remarkable titles: Word of Mouth correspondent, Body and Soul editor and Well Being correspondent. "Well Being" has become a new sales category. Beats hen parties any day, and attracts a classier sort of tourist.
The ambassador was happy to mark the occasion, he said, because interest in Irish tourism has never been healthier and the shift in attitudes towards the Irish in Britain is, on many levels, worth celebrating: the recent St Patrick's festival in Trafalgar Square, for example, which have taken place without incident for three years now, would have been unthinkable as recent as 10 years ago.
The Ó Ceallaighs hope to return to Monkstown, Co Dublin, when their tour of duty is over. He is fond of vintage cars and wines, which he likes to buy en primeur. They have yet to visit the Park Hotel, although the ambassador admitted that it was one of the Taoiseach's favourites. Its owner, Francis Brennan, could be described as an excellent ambassador for Ireland; he has been promoting not only his "little hotel in the south-west corner of Kerry", but all things Irish for almost 30 years. Only the previous week he had visited 14 US cities in six days with Tourism Ireland.
But never suggest to a career diplomat, however casually, that anyone is a great ambassador for Ireland. BIG mistake. Big. Irritates the hell out of them. "Ambassadors conduct negotiations between governments," I was reminded rather sternly. "Hoteliers do not."
Indeed. Anyway, should you be in London before March 25th, check out the Urban Retreat atop Harrods, where four therapists from Sámas at the Park are in residence. Or make a promise to yourself that you will treat yourself to a weekend in Kenmare before the year is out. As "treats" go, it's as good as it gets. Patsey Murphy
WEDDING BELLES: If your wedding dress is mouldering in your wardrobe, or if you're planning on getting married in the next few months, then you might be interested in taking part in an RTÉ documentary. When former brides donate their wedding dresses to Oxfam Ireland's wedding shop on Georges Street, Dublin, they are sold on to brides-to-be for a fraction of the original price. Journalist Julien Behal heard about the shop and came up with an intriguing concept for a documentary. "The idea is almost as if you put a camera on a wedding dress," he explains. "To follow the dress's journey from one woman, to the charity shop, to another woman." Behal is looking for a bride who would be willing to donate her wedding dress to the shop, and for someone to buy the dress and have her wedding filmed for the documentary. Last year the shop raised €16,000 for Oxfam, according to manager Agnes Sage. While most of the dresses come straight from wedding shops, others are donated by former brides, and prices range from €100 to €450. For more details phone Behal on 087-982542, or see www.oxfamireland.org. Eimear McKeith