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Irish Examiner
25 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Field Exchange agri-food festival to return in September
Agri-food festival, the Field Exchange, is set to return for a second year, bringing together artists and farmers to celebrate sustainable agriculture and local food. The festival will be hosted on the shores of Lough Derg, at Brookfield Farm, Co Tipperary, from September 5-7. The three-day programme features art installations, musical performances, expert speakers, and lunch designed by acclaimed chef Valentine Warner. Brookfield Farm is an award-winning organic farm, agri-tourism hub and a conservation area for the native Irish honey bee, run by farmer and teacher Ailbhe Gerrard. A pilot version of the festival ran in 2022 and was supported by Sabina Higgins, wife of President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, former government minister Catherine Martin, and others. The team subsequently secured funding from Creative Ireland's Creative Climate Action fund to host Field Exchange in 2024 and again this year. Day one of the festival kicks off with the 'Fields of Possibility' symposium, with speakers including author Anja Murray, journalist and chef Janine Kennedy, Artistic Director of the Nenagh Arts Centre Trish Taylor Thompson and food policy specialist Ruth Hegarty. Attendees will hear how agriculture can be re-imagined as a creative, cultural and ecological act which enables rural communities to thrive by fostering wellbeing and cultivating a deeper connection with the land and place. Specific topics covered include the benefits of agro-ecology and agro-forestry – agricultural approaches which emphasise the connections between plants, animals and humans – and the role of creativity in regenerative agriculture. Attendees can also connect with a growing Community of Practice working at the intersections of farming, creativity and climate. Visitors can take part in craft workshops with CELT, sensory farm walks, and sustainable agriculture workshops. They can engage and contribute to agro-forestry demonstrations by the Irish Agroforestry Ireland Forum (IAF) and try their hand at dry stone walling with the Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland (DSWAI). There will be music and poetry performances, local handmade craft stalls and a range of delicious local food. Visitors can also engage with sustainability advocates such as the Tipperary Food Producers' Network and Talamh Beo. Project lead Ailbhe Gerrard, a Farming for Nature Ambassador and An Taisce climate ambassador, said: 'We're delighted to bring back Field Exchange for another year of events designed to promote the role that the arts can play in tackling the crises in climate and biodiversity, while developing a more complete understanding of food production and supply with knowledge sharing on sustainable and organic practices. 'This year, we're welcoming back our expert speakers and contributors, including food systems specialist Ruth Hegarty and journalist and chef Janine Kennedy. 'The concepts from the symposium are brought to life on day two at the family agri-food festival, part-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and The Arts Council. 'Building on the success of last year, we've moved to make this year's festival a three-day event. We welcome Valentine Warner, who will be working with the Tipperary Food Producers' Network to prepare a long table lunch from local produce, and we're all excited to taste the mouth-watering fare.'
Sunday World
43 minutes ago
- Sunday World
Deirdre Reynolds: It's still not feminism, but I can't help picking the Rose anyway
HARMLESS | You can even call the Tralee festival woke when compared to other events. Now in its 66th year, The Rose of Tralee returned to the small screen this week, after the long-running festival kicked off in Kerry on Friday. And, maybe it's age, or just the zero feckage that comes with age, particularly for women, but after years of professionally railing against it as has become the fashion, I've softened towards the admittedly twee showcase of everyone from Galway Girls to London Lasses. If Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley can put himself forward to represent the 'ordinary people' of Ireland on the world stage, then I see no reason why a student nurse from Meath or a lawyer from Boston can't battle it out to become an effigy of modern Irish womanhood (or even just get a year's worth of free frocks and blow-dries). Running since 1959, with male presenters including Gay Byrne, Ryan Tubridy and Dáithí Ó Sé holding court, it's not hard to see where the Father Ted comparisons come from, or why a growing number of people view it as a relic of the past that's only short of having a sandwich-making segment. Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas steer the ship of the Rose of Tralee. Picture: Andres Poveda Today's News in 90 Seconds - August 19th Parachuting in a female co-host, Kathryn Thomas, in 2023, lifting the ban on married women in 2021 (when trans women were also welcomed to enter) or unmarried mothers in 2008, is unlikely to have changed too many hearts and minds in that regard. Nor are they the reasons why I've come around to the event which, next to Brasil's Miss Bumbum competition or Miss Beautiful Vagina in the US, is, in any case, positively harmless. It's because, unlike, say, nearby Killorglin's King Puck during the week, the 32 women taking part had a choice, and isn't that what it's all about? Is it possible that some onlookers pillory the Rose of Tralee, not because it's a throwback to a time when women's options were much more limited, but because it highlights the freedoms we have today? Some, like OnlyFans creator Bonnie Blue, choose to sleep with 1000-plus men in a day to make their name. Read more Others choose to make small talk with Dáithí Ó Sé on stage at Munster Technological University - swings and roundabouts, really. Either way, as the comments on Nelly Furtado's visibly curvier body or Taylor Swift's appearance on her NFL star boyfriend's podcast just this week showed, society is going to have something to say about it, so the 32 hopefuls vying for the 2025 title might as well use it to their gain. At the end of the day, the Rose of Tralee is never going to be the bastion of feminism, and I wish organisers would stop overplaying its hand, as in Ó Sé feting the festival as a barometer of 'what Irish were doing socially, when it comes to work, travel and so on' over the years. We get it: while the escorts merely have to rock up in tux, the women, who this year range from yoga instructors to accountants and physical therapists, are ridiculously overqualified for the year-long gig. Now bring back the crown, ditched a few years ago in an attempt to shake off its beauty pageant image, but which even the Puck Fair goat still gets, and may the best Rose win.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Winner of the Irish Bar of the Year Awards 2025 revealed
Bar 1661 in Dublin has been crowned as the 'Bar of the Year' at the 2025 Irish Bar of the Year Awards. The Northside spot, which opened in 2019, has been praised for its inventive cocktails, many of which are dedicated to the revival of Ireland's traditional spirit: poitín. Located on Green St, Rotunda, the establishment was named after the year the drink was banned, with the team branding themselves as "staunchly Irish and fiercely independent". The extensive menu, which pays homage to local community heroes, also earned the bar the 'Best Cocktail Bar of the Year' and 'Innovative Bar of the Year' awards at this year's ceremony. Hosted at the Clayton Hotel in Dublin 4 on Monday, 18 August, the 2025 awards celebrated businesses across the country through a rigorous selection process, including judging panels and blind site inspections. With over 1,000 entries from over 300 entrants, this year was the most heavily entered awards to date. You can find the full list of winners below: BAR OF THE YEAR BAR 1661, Co. Dublin 5-STAR HOTEL BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - The Rooftop Bar & Terrace, Marker Hotel, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - Prince of Wales Bar at Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo Bronze Winner - The Guinness Bar at Cashel Palace Hotel, Co. Tipperary BAR FOOD OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - The Blue Haven Kinsale, Co. Cork Silver Winner - Blake's Bar Galway, Co. Galway Bronze Winner - Moody Cafe Vin, Co. Cork BAR MANAGER OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - Darren Geraghty, Hawksmoor Restaurant, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - Ashley O'Reilly, voco The Club, Co. Kildare Bronze Winner - Akram Bendjeddou, Paladar, Co. Cork BEST BAR TO WATCH THE MATCH Gold Winner - Searsons of Baggot Street, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - Slattery's of Beggars Bush, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - Woolshed Baa & Grill, Co. Cork BEST DESIGNED BAR / BEST INSIDE SPACE Gold Winner - Pig's Lane, Co. Kerry Silver Winner - K Sixty Seven Bar and Grill, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - Laura's Restaurant @ Old Fashioned Sam's, Co. Dublin BEST LIVE ENTERTAINMENT BAR Gold Winner - Canty's Bar, Co. Cork Silver Winner - Backstage Bar at Gleneagle Hotel, Co. Kerry Bronze Winner - Dwyers of Cork, Co. Cork BEST NEWCOMER Gold Winner - The Monks Well, Co. Clare Silver Winner - Ciss Maddens, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - Pitch Ireland, Co. Dublin BEST WINE BAR Gold Winner - Old Brennans Wine House, Co. Cork Silver Winner - Old Town Wine Bar, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - Flannery's Bistro, Co. Mayo CITY BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - Garavan's Bar, Co. Galway Silver Winner - Disndat, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - r.i.o.t., Co. Dublin COCKTAIL BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - BAR 1661, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - Cask, Co. Cork Bronze Winner - Pig's Lane, Co. Kerry COCKTAIL BARTENDER OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - David Taylor, Sackville Lounge, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - Maroje Milosevic, The Sidecar, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - Luka Breskovac, Collins Club, Co. Dublin CRAFT BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - Mo Chara, Co. Louth Silver Winner - Franciscan Well Brewpub, Co. Cork Bronze Winner - Revolution Craft Beer & Whiskey Bar, Co. Waterford GAIL COTTER SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD Patrick McGowan Sr., McGowans Group GASTRO BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - Arthur Mayne's, Co. Cork Silver Winner - JP Clarke's, Co. Clare Bronze Winner - Left Bank, Co. Kilkenny GIN BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - 101 Limerick, Co. Limerick Silver Winner - Conor's Bar & Lounge at Castle Leslie Estate, Bronze Winner - Tigh Nora, Co. Galway HOTEL BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - Cask, Co. Cork Silver Winner - Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa, Co. Cork Bronze Winner - NORTH at The Address Connolly, Co. Dublin HOTEL COCKTAIL BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - The Sidecar, Westbury, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - The Collins Club, The Leinster, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - Brownes at Great Southern Killarney, Co. Kerry INNOVATIVE BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - BAR 1661, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - Flight Club Dublin, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - Soho Bar, Venue & Space, Co. Dublin LATE BAR / NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - 37 Dawson Street, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - 4 Dame Lane, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - The Front Door Pub Group, LOCAL BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - The Laurels Clondalkin, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - Molloy's Pub Dublin, Co. Dublin Bronze - Peggys Bar & Restaurant, Co. Galway OUTSIDE SPACE OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - The Anglers Cork, Co. Cork Silver Winner - House Dublin, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - J.M. Reidy's, Co. Kerry OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD Gold Winner - Lock 13 Brewpub, Co. Kildare Silver Winner - Paladar, Co. Cork Bronze Winner - The Hideout Pub, Co. Kildare PUB GROUP OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Redmond Fine FoodsWinner - Cork Heritage Pubs RESTAURANT BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - The Gables Foxrock, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - The Grayson, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - The Brooklyn, Co. Dublin TOURIST BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - The Quays Bar Temple Bar, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - The Locke Bar, Co. Limerick Bronze Winner - An Púcán, Co. Galway TRADITIONAL BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - The Porter House, Co. Mayo Silver Winner - The Becks, Co. Meath Bronze Winner - Francie Sheahan's Bar, Co. Kerry VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - Celtic Nights Dinner & Show, Co. Dublin Silver Winner - Durty Nellys, Co. Clare Bronze Winner - Rascals Brewing Co, Co. Dublin WHISKEY BAR OF THE YEAR Gold Winner - Mother Macs Public House, Co. Limerick Silver Winner - The Horseshoe Bar, The Shelbourne Hotel, Co. Dublin Bronze Winner - Sonny Molloy's Irish Whiskey Bar, Co. Galway PEOPLE'S CHOICE Leinster - Left Bank, Co. Kilkenny Dublin - The George, Co. Dublin Munster - Costigans Pub, Co. Cork Connacht / Ulster - Mc Hughs Bar, Co. Leitrim Overall Winner - Mc Hughs Bar, Co. Leitrim
