ROCK THE SHOP: Urban Outfitters, in Temple Bar in Dublin, will be rocking this afternoon to the final of the Lee Unsigned New Music competition. Long hair and electric guitars will be taking centre stage in the shop's faux-festival setting, complete with grass and picnic areas.
Four bands whittled down from a roadshow that has been touring the UK will battle it out for the title. There'll be food to nibble - and the opportunity to win tickets to Oxegen. The shop has also recently started Sunday lunchtime sessions, profiling young unsigned bands. Urban Outfitters, 4 Cecilia Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, 01-6706202. Nicoline Greer
GOING POTTY Ceramicists Etain Hickey and her partner, Jim Turner, are well known for their collectable Rossmore Country Pottery dinner sets. This weekend they start a new venture: Etain Hickey Collections, a craft shop and gallery in Clonakilty, Co Cork, where their recent focus on sculptural pieces comes to the fore. The first exhibition will include the pair's sculptures, paintings by Eadaoin Harding Kemp and Cormac Boydell, felt bags by Sally Smart, textiles by Paula Martin and jewellery by Áine Wade and Maurice Henderson. The shop will also stock homeware, such as fused-glass bowls, platters, light façades and other one-off pieces. And, as Clonakilty is a Fairtrade town, the shop also stocks the Fairtrade Zaida range of cushions and wall hangings. Etain Hickey Collections, 40 Ashe Street, Clonakilty, Co Cork, 023-21479. Nicoline Greer
SWINGING IN THE SHADE Lounging outdoors has become a whole lot more enjoyable since the arrival of outdoor heaters, which keep you toasty even when the temperature takes a dip. Threatening to join the list of alfresco accessories are awnings, which will ensure we are dry as well as warm outside. Having protected legions of smokers from the elements since the smoking ban, a Belgian company called Winsol is now targeting the domestic market, promising to make any outdoor space virtually weatherproof with its canopies and screens. Install-it-yourself awnings start at about €1,000; Winsol will also fit more extravagant models, which include lighting and heating. Call 01-8623090 or see www.winsol.ie for more details. Davin O'Dwyer
MAD FOR MOROCCO With everything Moroccan being so fashionable, its influence has spread from fusion cuisine and the fad for kaftans to home decor. Many visitors to Morocco will be familiar with zellij, the intricate geometric mosaics of cut tile or marble that decorate walls, floors and tables, the hallmarks of what's called the Andalusian style throughout the country. A range of tables and plant stands with zellij tops are now available in Ireland, imported directly from artisan craftsmen in Marrakesh by Louise Gallagher Interiors. Colourful coffee tables cost €400 each, with chairs at €75 each. Ideal for a balcony or small garden are the two-seater tables (60cm, or 24in, across), either square or round, at €200. Also stocked are plant stands from €60 to €75, wrought-iron coat stands and towel rails. You can see the furniture at the Garden Heaven show, at the RDS in Dublin from June 24th to 26th. Contact Joan Hoey at 086-2744742. Deirdre McQuillan
SERVED WITH EXTRA PIZZAZZ Pizza Eile is a pizzeria with a Galway twist. Anyone for Irish-breakfast pizza, complete with black pudding, bacon, sausage, tomato and fried egg (a particular favourite with locals)? Or the veggie-breakfast pizza, with spinach, falafel, mushroom, tomato and potato skins? Or banana and Roquefort pizza? Or chocolate banana calzone? There are also slightly more conventional offerings, such as crispy aromatic duck pizza, roast-garlic seafood pizza and vegetable-fajita pizza. All served to jazz music. And they do takeout, too. The duo behind Pizza Eile are Niall Walsh (left) and Jason O'Connell, who are committed to sourcing organic produce, much of it from the suppliers to Galway's famous weekend market. Pizza Eile, Massimo Bar, 10 William Street West, Galway. Rosita Boland
SAY IT WITH A TREE As a housewarming gift - or indeed a surprise on Father's Day - how about sending a tree in the post. The Gift Tree Company is run by Sharon Butler and Emer Gallaher Hall, who bring years of horticultural experience to their new venture. For €60 they will send a two-year-old tree anywhere in Ireland (including Northern Ireland). It arrives in a huge, important-looking tube, and is ready for planting. Their list includes the covetable Japanese maple 'Osakazuki' (bright red autumn colour) and the American tulip tree (for larger gardens). If there's a floral artist who you want to impress, then €70 will dispatch to them a corkscrew hazel, essential for winter arrangements. The Gift Tree Company, Athgarvan Heights, Athgarvan, Newbridge, Co Kildare, 087-2535865, www.trees.ie. Jane Powers
PSYCHO-WHAT: Psychocalisthenics is a 15-minute daily energiser designed to rev up your chi with minimum fuss. Its tongue-tripping name means "strength and beauty with the breath". Invented by Oscar Ichazo, a yoga and martial-arts expert, it's an exercise system that works through the body and creates vital energy, according to Nora Stewart, a London-based teacher who has been practising "P/cals" for more than 20 years. She will be teaching the 23-step routine as part of Patrick Holford's 100% Health weekend in Temple Bar, Dublin, on June 25th and 26th. The nutrition and exercise workshop costs €299. Call Cultivate at 01-6745773 or see www.sustainable.ie for more details. Claire O'Connell
EAT YOUR GREENS: If you feel you've enough on your plate in the way of processed food, book into the Organic Centre's "Learn how to live the good life" week in Co Leitrim. You'll never eat the same way again after learning how to grow organic fruit and vegetables, make yogurt and soft cheese, create and use a herb garden and cook and bake with wholemeal flour. There are also low-gear activities, such as yoga at a local health farm and walks in the countryside, in gardens and at the beach, as well as practical ideas on how to make your living environment a little greener. The course runs from July 25th to 29th and costs €495. Fancy aping Barbara and Tom Good? Contact the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim, 071-9854338, www.theorganiccentre.ie. Nicoline Greer