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Solstice and Reading the Sky in Prehistory
At this time of year during the winter solstice, Ireland offers stunning views of sunlight streaming into the chamber of the passage tomb Newgrange in County Meath, one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments. But what exactly is a solstice, and how did people in the past understand it?…
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Christmas Day Walk – Celbridge, Co. Kildare
If you’d like some fresh air and a peaceful stroll on Christmas Day, join me at 11:00 am at the Castletown gates – the slip entrance (the closest eircode is W23 TD37). A chance to enjoy the outdoors, the land, and a moment of calm with some company on Christmas morning.…
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Christmas Tree Tea
Have you ever walked past your Christmas tree, gotten that lovely pine needle scent, and thought, “Hmm these smell good enough to eat”? Or, is that just me? Christmas Tree Tea lets you actually enjoy that fresh, evergreen aroma in a cup – made from safe, fresh pine needles and…
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Home Spiced Coffee: A Small Winter Gift to Yourself
For most, ‘tis the season to be hectic. Whether it’s working, planning, wrapping, cooking, baking, shopping, partying, travelling, or just dealing with a busy mind, things at this time of year can weigh heavily on our wellbeing. In the middle of it all, we often forget that winter is also…
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Winter Orange & Cardamom Baked Rice Pudding (Gluten-Free)
With the cold winds blowing and the threat of snow in its breeze, it’s time for a warming traditional sweet treat to soothe and uplift – rice pudding has always been one of those recipes. At this time of year it benefits from a touch of citrus brightness and fragrant…
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Fire and One Million Years of Cooking
I have just returned from a walk, and it is safe to say that today feels like the first day of winter – the coldest day of the year so far (it’s –1°C as I write). Passing the houses in my neighbourhood, I could already see Christmas beginning to take…
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Acorn Tea: A Taste of the Forest
Collecting wild foods is something I never imagined I would do but recently I have been thinking about food and questioning the following: Supermarkets are failing us. And in terms of human history, they’re a very recent phenomenon. Large supermarkets only became common after World War II when economic growth,…
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A Coeliac’s Dream: From Judging to Attending the FreeFrom Food Awards
Having judged in September, I had the pleasure of attending the FreeFrom Food Awards on Friday night. The event, held (on the rainiest night of the year!) at The Grand Hotel in Malahide, brought together producers, chefs, and food lovers, all committed to making delicious, inclusive food accessible to everyone.…
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Be Happy and Healthy: Connect in Real Life
Humans are social creatures – we need each other. Sociality is thought to have been one of the key reasons Homo sapiens survived while other human species, such as Neanderthals, did not. We may not be able to draw a direct parallel with their extinction and this new technological age,…
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Beyond Taste: Exploring the World of Flavour
Flavour is often simplified to taste – salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami. But true flavour is far richer, shaped by chemistry, culture, memory, and emotion. To explore flavour is to move beyond the tongue itself and into a world where senses overlap, history lingers, and identity takes shape with…
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Archaeology: Connecting Past and Present
Take a moment to close your eyes and picture a monument, a ruin, or an old building in your local area. Perhaps it’s a stone wall, a church, a dolmen, or the remains of a long-abandoned structure. Imagine the hands that built it, the lives that unfolded around it, and…
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“It’ll Come to You, This Love of the Land”*
People connect to land in many ways – emotionally, socially, historically, spiritually, and economically. These connections provide memory, belonging, grounding, identity, and a sense of continuity with past and future. The land is not just a backdrop for life. It is an active participant in shaping our experiences. This post…
