Upcoming events

It's the busiest time of year for events, and I have lots of awards ceremonies and other events coming up between now and Christmas! This month though I am looking forward to hosting: Breaking Barriers: A ball in aid of Cope Foundation and Jigsaww Cork, hosted by Lidl Cork at the Clayton Hotel Silversprings, this coming [...]

2019-09-18T13:30:06+00:00 September 18th, 2019|Categories: Events|Tags: , , , , , |

Travel Thursday: Port au Prince, 2010

In 2010 I visited Port au Prince, Haiti, with the Irish charity Haven. Branding for Denis O'Brien's Digicel towered over UN refugee camps, cluttered market stalls, and even coated roadside shacks (I had never before seen the developing country 'fashion' of having your house painted for free by an advertising company... I'm amazed it's never taken [...]

A massive response (from women, it seems!)

Thank you so much to each and every one of you (shout out to the one man - one!) who responded to my post in relation to kids in direct provision. Quite a few people have expressed an interest in learning more about direct provision, here is a really good link that explains what it is [...]

2018-12-01T09:53:56+00:00 December 9th, 2016|Categories: Opinion|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Spread some cheer this Christmas… A personal post

***updated list at midnight Wednesday - thank you for the enormous response, these are the kids who aren't covered yet but we're nearly there! If I haven't replied to you apologies, just try me again as I'm fielding a lot of very generous offers*** 2 boys under 6 months 1 girl and 1 boy aged 6-12 months [...]

Console row raises bigger questions

If you’re the kind of soft-hearted - or rigidly moral - person who has always given to charity, the Rehab and CRC revelations a few years ago will have shaken your faith in the sector, but probably not weakened your resolve to do what you felt is right. Both of those, however, could be understood under [...]

Celebrating women on #IWD2016 – Carmel O'Keeffe

Yesterday as I was writing about International Women's Day I remembered that I'd interviewed Carmel O'Keeffe of Dress for Success Cork for the Sunday Business Post Magazine's This Life slot a few years ago. Carmel's story is pretty inspiring so I've reproduced it here, for a bit of motivation on IWD2016! Carmel O'Keeffe of Dress [...]

From St Luke's to Sihannoukville – communities connecting #scmf

Ever since I moved to the Cork neighbourhood of St Luke's, I've been intrigued by Henchy's bar. You'd be wrong to describe it as an "old man pub" because they're not the kind of old men you'd normally expect in a city pub. Henchy's is full of arty looking old men wearing hats. They each have [...]

I moustache you a question

Last week I tweeted that I hate Movember. I do. All those beautiful men (and some not so beautiful men, obviously) disfiguring their faces and then showing daily evidence of the mutilation on Facebook! Lads, I'll pay ye not to! Or to grow a proper beard that takes dedication and perseverance! Anyway, after that tweet ended [...]

2012-11-12T22:12:09+00:00 November 12th, 2012|Categories: Opinion|Tags: , , , , |

Tea time

I've never really been able to bake. I'm a cook in the careless, "let's see what happens" sense of the word, and that doesn't really suit baking. Baking is all about precision, timing and patience. Not my strengths. But since I got Lilly Higgins' brilliant book Make, Bake, Love, I've gone a bit baking mad. Not [...]

2012-05-11T13:46:03+00:00 May 11th, 2012|Categories: Opinion|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

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