Ireland of the peaks
Ireland – a saucer with low-lying plains interspersed with "dull, flat lumps" of mountains? Not a bit of it, according to climber, photographer and author Adrian Hendroff, who believes we totally underestimate the heights to which we can climb, physically if not metaphysically.
Hendroff, a mountaineering leader and local guide, has been to the Scottish Highlands, the Icelandic interior and to Romania, but says he always holds a special place in his heart for the Irish landscape. He has climbed all 268 of the mountains over 600 metres in Ireland, as compiled by the late and legendary Joss Lynam with former Salisbury cathedral canon CRP Vandeleur.
Hendroff has now published a book about his passion, which carries an introduction written by Lynam, who died in January. The clockwise journey for From High Places begins in Connemara, and works its way around to Kerry’s MacGillicuddy Reeks. Hendroff has never climbed Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday, he confesses, for it’s the wilderness quality of uplands that appeals to him, and he was fortunate enough to capture Clew Bay with his camera on a clear day – with its “archipelago of harlequin-green drumlin-studded islands”.
There’s much more – and a whole other book, he says, in the Slieve Blooms of Laois-Offaly and Sligo’s Ox mountains – and he is currently giving a series of illustrated lectures over the next few weeks to “share his secrets”.
He speaks today at Kenny's bookshop, Liosbán on the Tuam road in Galway (2pm); in 53 Degrees North, Blanchardstown, Dublin, on April 13th (7pm); at the Talbot Hotel, Carlow on April 14th (7pm); and at New Ross library, Co Wexford on April 19th (7pm). Admission is free; see adrianhendroff.com for more details. Lorna Siggins
WORD ON THE STREET: Sofalising
What it means:It's Friday night, you've finished work and you're ready to meet your mates and unwind for the weekend.
So you grab a beer, curl up on the sofa, and log on to Facebook. Sofalising is socialising from the comfort of your own three-piece suite.
No need to put on your make-up or disco clobber – just put the laptop on your lap and the smartphone on your armrest, and get ready for another wild weekend of tweeting, skypeing and generally having an online ball.
With so many options for online interaction, from emailing and texting to live chat and online gaming, it’s no wonder more people are choosing sofalising over the traditional ways of meeting up, such as the pub or nightclub. It’s a cheap date, too – no need to fork out for drinks or a taxi home.
Spend too much time sofalising, however, and you could turn into a duvet surfer – someone who socialises without even getting out of bed.
How to say it:
“God, I think I overdid the sofalising last night – I’ve got a bad dose of Twitterrhea.”
Kevin Courtney
FASHION SET-PIECES
Easter weekend sees the second annual Style at Set, a weekend of fashion events, nights out and shopping at the Set Theatre in Kilkenny. The weekend, which is the brainchild of stylist, blogger and journalist Blanaid Hennessy, kicks off with a Friday fashion film spectacular. Theatre-style entertainment will continue all weekend, with guest speakers as well as club nights on the Saturday and Sunday. As well as a feast for the senses, the weekend will see a host of fashion, furniture and vintage-style wedding stands, full details of which are available on set.ie. Rosemary Mac Cabe
The new ‘it’ bag
Brown Thomas has teamed up with New York designer Marc Jacobs to create a limited edition tote bag, for the seventh annual Fashion Targets Breast Cancer campaign. The purple bag, which will sell for €35, features the signature cartoon character from his Miss Marc line, with the slogan "Fight Like a Girl". All proceeds from the sale of the bag, which will be launched in Brown Thomas and BT2 shops on Friday, May 6th, will go to Action Breast Cancer and Europa Donna Ireland. In its six years, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer has raised more than €570,000 in Ireland. Marc Jacobs's collaboration with Brown Thomas follows on from bag designs by Diane von Furstenberg, Orla Kiely and Tory Burch. Rosemary Mac Cabe
Japan Appeal
Watch out this weekend for the 10 Japanese students based in Dublin who will be on Grafton Street today and tomorrow, collecting for the Ireland-Japan Association. They'll be wearing white T-shirts printed with "Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami". One of the group members comes from Fukishima, which prompted the friends to try and do something to help their fellow countrymen. Rosita Boland
All that glitters
Miglio is to jewellery as Avon is to cosmetics – sold by "consultants" rather than in stores. The South African collection uses Swarovski crystals and pearls to create eyecatching pieces. There are three Miglio collections per year, ranging in price from €10 to €400, and pieces are typically made with semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals and burnished silver. Today Jenny Miller, the designer of the jewellery, will host an event in Bewley's Hotel in Swords, open to all. There will be accessorising workshops at which you can get advice on what pieces suit you, and you can try pieces from the new Precious Basics collection. To attend (7pm-9.30pm), register with kim@miglio.co.uk. Rosemary MacCabe
Bargain-buy espadrilles
Castaner makes espadrilles that are not only beautiful but comfortable – not surprising since it has been making these rope-soled sandals since 1927. It was Yves St Laurent who persuaded the company to make wedged versions, which it still does to this day. They can be bought online (castaner.com) starting at €80, but in the meantime, Penneys has a new collection of inexpensive flat espadrilles for €4 a pair that come in nine colours. Deirdre McQuillan
Follow the ferns
Unfolding ferns will be the inspiration for children attending today's art session at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin. The nature-themed workshops give kids aged eight and over wonderful opportunities to closely observe the seasonal bounties of these exquisite gardens. Next month's workshop (May 14th) will study bluebells, magnolias and the handkerchief tree – itself a work of art. Later themes include strawberries and lilacs. The two-hour workshops start at 2pm and cost €10 per child. Meanwhile adults can join their children in a bird walk on April 16th at 10am, led by birder Glynn Anderson. Booking is essential for all these events. Tel: 01-8570909. Sylvia Thompson
Clean sweep
This is National Spring Clean month. More than half a million people joined in local clean-ups of streets, rivers, parks and housing estates last year and An Taisce is hoping to match those numbers again this year. Run in partnership with local authorities throughout Ireland, it encourages good community spirit and is a thumbs up for voluntary groups. Nationalspringclean.org. Sylvia Thompson
Humanities fight back
AS DUBLIN BASKS beneath the grand designation of being one of Unesco’s Cities of World Literature, a group of academics have decided to step out of their ivory towers and engage the public in a debate on the value of the Humanities in education and society.
Dublintellectual, organised by Dr Marisa Ronan of Dundalk Institute of Technology, will hold its inaugural event in Shebeen Chic in South Great George’s Street in Dublin next Wednesday. The idea is that academics and researchers can share their work in an informal setting, and bring new energy to the national conversation. Dr Ronan hopes the gatherings will “represent the really varied research” that is being undertaken in Humanities departments across the country. “What I would love eventually is to have a festival that includes all parts of the Humanities: music, literature, film, history . . . ” Meanwhile, the Humanities Institute of Ireland (HII) is inviting respected scholars from around Europe to Ireland to discuss their ideas and research, which will add to the cause.
Humanities departments worldwide have been given short shrift in recent years, while much of the funding focus has gone toward the development of technology and career-centred pursuits. Dublintellectual hopes to draw positive attention to the study of the Humanities, their value in education, and the considerable challenges they face in the current economic climate.
A further objective would be to avoid what happened in the recent UK budget, in which Humanities programmes avoided drastic cuts, but only by agreeing to shackle research objectives to David Cameron’s “big society” concept. This ends a 90-year principle that academics can decide how to spend research funding themselves.
Anyone interested in supporting the group, contributing to the discussion, or simply enjoying the banter over a pint is invited to Shebeen Chic next Wednesday at 8.30pm. The group is happy to receive feedback or ideas via its Facebook group, or on dublintellectual.ie, where you'll also find information about upcoming events. Jack Horgan-Jones
Hang with Handel
Office workers in the capital will be tempted to escape for a long lunch break next Wednesday to enjoy the free musical performances for Handel's Day. Singers from Our Lady's Choral Society will take up their annual position at 1pm on Fishamble Street (where, as every tourist knows, Handel's Messiah was premiered on April 13th, 1742). But the Hallelujah chorus will also ring out from noon on nearby Cow's Lane in Temple Bar where children from the Harold's Cross National School will be joined by the Tullamore Classical String School to perform Handel's music adapted for children. The choir and orchestra will also perform the aria Come Unto Him with soprano, Helen Hassett, the hornpipe from Handel's Water Music and a few of his Airs and a Bourrée. And, if that's not enough for you, you can join a walking tour at Wolfe Tone Park, Mary Street at 11am on Wednesday to find out what exactly George Frederic got up to when he was in Dublin. See Templebar.ie. Sylvia Thompson
WHAT’S HOT
'In Office Hours'If you're drawn to Lucy Kellaway's columns in our business pages on Monday, by way of the Financial Times, you'll love her book, published by Penguin
Esperanza SpaldingThe young singer-composer-double-bassist (right) is shaking the jazz world and has a Grammy to prove it. Have a listen to Chamber Music Society. Plus she sports a great Afro, right out of Hair
London's Mandarin Oriental hotelHarvey Nicks to the front, Hyde Park to the rear, and Heston Blumenthal and Daniel Boulud in the dining rooms
Yoghurt with chunks of gingerRachel's Greek-style yoghurt with honey is one of our favourites, if expensive and calorific, and it now comes with ginger. Lidl's Greek-style yoghurt with honey is equal to it
The first cup of coffee on sunny morningsSitting on our front steps in the early morning warmth makes the rest of the day seem entirely manageable
'Bullfighting'High praise for Roddy Doyle's new collection of stories, mostly about men in midlife
Artisit? exhibition in DublinCutting-edge Irish art, along with gigs, screenings, talks and film screenings? Sign us up. See artisit.org
Mindfield International Festival of IdeasGet your brain in training for some top-drawer banter at the end of the month. See mindfield.ie
There's a grand stretch in the eveningsThere, we said it
WHAT’S NOT
All the sniping at the City of a Thousand Welcomes initiativeBegrudgery is alive and well then so
One-shoulder dressesLet's be honest, they look lopsided and weirdly unflattering on all but maybe one in a thousand
Revivals on stage Umbrellas of Cherbourg, minus Catherine Deneuve, of course, in the West End or, em, Sound of Music? The original movies are quite enough, thanks
The 4.40pm sugar dipGood intentions falter, the contagion spreads and mob rules, okay
