Bring brolly, suncream, wellies and your humour, there’s no way you’re going to know what’s happening!
First off there’s at least three climates…
Cork Airport – built on a hill so its often in mist whilst everyone else swelters. West Cork – edge of the gulf stream, tropical plants and twin to Florida on a hot day. The Rest of Cork – so big you could be in your raincoat at one end and ‘skimpies’ at t’other!
Cork International Airport!
Airlines makes a fortune with Cork tourists – it’s bring the whole bloody wardrobe every time!
Sometimes this happens…
then so does this…
but go to West Cork, push a stick in the ground, and you’ll be going home with a palm tree!
Here’s todays weather forecast for Cork, as reported from the airport…!
and here's the averages over the year...
Cork Climate graph contributed by climatetemp.info
....and here's the stick me Aunt Kitty brought back to Boston last time she was over!
If you’re trying to trace your ancestral roots in County Laois then Laois Genealogy could be the company to help you fill in the gaps.
They have a series of tips on how to get started yourself, but where Laois Genealogy comes into its own is with its extensive range of gravestone information.
They have collected thousands of headstone inscription records from hundreds of graveyards throughout the county, plus a number in bordering counties, and if you can provide them with some specifics they’ll send you any details they have on file.
It can be very difficult finding records from before the early 1900s, and very often the only evidence of an ancestors existence is the actual headstone on their grave – Laois Genealogy hope to save you the shoe-leather you’d be using visiting far flung cemetries.
You can find out more about their services, including ‘roots records’ that they hold for a number of other areas, by visiting them at the Laois Genealogy website.
I have to say that this is one of those ‘projects’ that makes you stop and think. It has taken two years for those involved to collect the records, and the service being offered is free. It’s a great spirit of generosity when individuals do something like this to help people explore their Irish ancestry – so ‘hats off’ and well done to all who worked so hard to put this one together!
Pathways to Palestine – Slí Phalaistín – are a team of Irish cyclists planning to do just that, and they’ll be setting off on their 4000 mile trip in just 7 hours and 28 minutes from now!
Their aim is to raise public awareness and generate funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a charity set up to counter the effects of the ongoing blockade in Palestine. The team specifically chose MAP because of their track record in delivery of aid and their commitment to long term development projects.
Gearóid, John, Eoghan and Ronan.
The cyclists, all university students in their 20s, are Gearóid Ó Cuinn, John Mayer, Eoghan Quinn, and Ronan Sheehan. Eoghan himself is a Type 1 diabetic, and the idea originally stemmed from a conversation about what it would be like to have diabetes in Palestine.
Their concern about the plight of the Gazan civilians has grown over the last months so they decided to get involved and help do something about it. They will be backed up by their able support team of two – John Lyttle and Tom Watts.
Tom Watts
John Lyttle
To be honest this is one hell of a ride. Starting in Scotland, across to Northern Ireland, down the country and over to France, the guys will then be cycling through Germany, Austria, Slovekia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel, with rest breaks only after every six days – wow!
Born in Dublin in 1987 to working-class Irish and Nigerian parents, Laura Izibor is one of Irelands new young talents to hit the big time. She must have got a hint of what was coming after topping the Jacob’s/RTÉ 2fm song contest while still in secondary school, and winning a Hope for 2006 Award at the Meteor Music Awards meant the train was definitely leaving the station.
She performed at the 2006 Electric Picnic music festival, and in Music Ireland in 2007, and has also opened for Aretha Franklin, India.Arie, Estelle and John Legend on tour. Her debut album ‘Let The Truth Be Told’, which took four years to record, was released in Ireland on 8th May 2009, in the UK ten days later, and earlier this week in the US.
Even whilst writing it’s just been anounced that Laura will be performing on the Early Show on CBS tomorrow morning, so things are motoring! A beautiful pianist with an unbelievably soulful voice, here she is doing a live performance of ‘From My Heart to Yours‘…
and now we’re in the mood here’s Laura singing ‘Shine‘…
and whilst we’re on a roll we can’t leave out ‘Mmm‘…
and finishing off with Laura doing a rehearsal of ‘Don’t Stay‘…
Don’t know about you, but i think my favourite is ‘Don’t Stay’, maybe i’ll just listen to them all again, and again, and…
I found the Irish Canadian Club of Windsor last week and there’s something about it that just deserves some credit.
The club is open to everyone who would like to share in and explore Irish culture, and they have in season meet-ups on the last Friday of the month, usually with Irish-related lessons followed by a family Céilí. The youngsters are definitely in the thick of it, and all in all the place looks very warm and friendly.
Deirdre, Jane, and Kate run the club (well done to them) and are sure to make you welcome. They’ve definitely got that spirit about them that helps keep Irish culture flourishing.
If you join as a member they’ll also keep you updated on club activities and other Irish related events around the area.
So, if you’re feeling sociable and fancy some family orientated fun, you should definitely be planning a visit to Ottawa Street.
Here’s their website where you can get the details, and see for yourself what this great little club is all about.
Windsor (Rose City) is the southernmost city in Canada, and lies at the western end of the Quebec – Windsor Corridor in Southern Ontario. The Irish make up just over 13% of the population so there’s approximately 28,000 Irish and Irish descent – that’s more than twice the size of Killarney!
If you have a story to tell, launched a new business, got an initiative off the ground, or just have some good news with an inspirational nature let us know and we'll pass it on.
They have a series of tips on how to get started yourself, but where Laois Genealogy comes into its own is with its extensive range of gravestone information.
