Tots and Teens: Sustainable and good-value summer clothing for kids
Considering just how much kids grow over the course of a year, last year's gear may no longer fit them.
Rather than purchasing brand-new clothes, parents might prefer to visit flopsyshop.ie — an online kids' clothing boutique aimed at parents who want to shop in a sustainable way.
It is run by a mum-of-two, Róisín Delaney, and sells a wide range of second-hand items.
These include clothes for boys and girls aged from newborn up to nine years old.
Everything is checked to ensure it's in good condition before being listed by size, brand and type of clothing. Prices start from as low as €1.
Written in the stars
Constellation print from makeitwithwords.com
Searching for a unique gift for a newborn? This constellation print by makeitwithwords.com could be just what you are looking for.
Produced by the Dublin-based husband-and-wife duo Joe Jennings and Amelia Mantero, the prints can be customised to show the precise location of the stars and planets at the exact moment the baby was born.
The baby's name and other details can also be included.
The prints are available in a range of sizes and come with a choice of frames, with prices starting from €50.
Celebrating our mythology
Irish Legends: Newgrange, Tara and the Boyne Valley
A new book celebrates Ireland's rich mythological heritage.
Irish Legends: Newgrange, Tara and the Boyne Valley by Eithne Massey retells six of our age-old stories.
There's the story of how Fionn used the wisdom he gained from the Salmon of Knowledge, the tale of how the river Boyne was born, an account of the battle between the Hag of the South and the Hag of Loughcrew, and more, all brought to life by Lisa Jackson's colourful illustrations.
Irish Legends:
Newgrange, Tara and the Boyne Valley (O'Brien Books) costs €12.99
Get a handle on names
Irish Baby Names
From Fiadh to Oisín, Irish baby names have gained popularity in recent years. If you or someone you know is expecting a baby and is contemplating what to call them, Irish Baby Names is sure to provide them with lots of inspiration.
It contains more than 200 Irish names for boys and girls. The origin and the meaning of each name are explained in detail, as well as guidance on how to pronounce it and the different spelling variations.
Irish Baby Names is written by childhood friends Féilim O'Connor, Morgan Buckley and Gavin Drea and costs €16.99
Toy Library events
What should you do with toys that your children no longer play with?
One possible answer to this question is to bring them along to one of the two Toy Library Swap and Play events taking place in Cork this weekend.
The first of these events will take place from 2.30pm to 5.30pm on Saturday, June 21 at The Lough Community Centre in Cork City.
The second is happening from 3pm to 5pm on Sunday, June 22 in the Carrigaline Bandstand in Carrigaline.
Families are asked to bring up to five toys in good condition to donate or swap. Those of you who don't have toys to donate are welcome to come along too and take home what you like.
There will also be family-friendly entertainment available at these events, including activities such as eco-crafting, temporary tattoos, face painting, and teddy bear check-ups for all to enjoy.
This event is free for all, but it is recommended you sign up in advance at thetoylibrary.ie/signup
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Irish Daily Mirror
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'You feel jellyfish on your face at night. You can't see them. Usually it's bad enough during the day because you can see them a lot and you can try to dodge them. 'But at night you have to release whatever tiny level of control you had and you just have to keep swimming. 'The stretch from Skerries to Howth and then Dublin Bay was the worst out of the whole lot. 'Now, there are loads (of jellyfish) up the north, but they were quite a bit deeper. 'I just found Dublin, from Skerries down to pretty much Dun Laoghaire was littered with lion's mains, and they are the worst because their tentacles go everywhere. It's like hair everywhere in the water. You are getting stung a lot. 'The worst thing about them is, it gets worse when you get out. You can't sleep and you are kind of twitching with the itchiness and pain of it. 'But I try to use that to be hyperfocused. I try to anchor myself in that, to be focused. It is what it is - you can't really go swimming and not get wet.' Daragh Morgan on the Naomh Cronan Morgan, who works in sales for Innocent drinks, first came up with the idea of circumnavigating Ireland six years ago - and thoughts of achieving it 'just would not leave me.' He usually swims between one and two miles off the coast. 'We've seen great wildlife, a lot of dolphins, porpoises, lots of different diversity on the west coast. We've seen dolphins there by Skerries as well,' he says. 'No basking sharks or bigger mammals. I haven't seen any of them so far, but I can imagine there have been a few underneath me. 'We've seen a lot of seals as well. Sometimes when you are swimming you are in a flow. People have said to me from the boat, this and that was following you, and I didn't realise, because I was just in the zone. 'I know they are checking me out, but I am just firing away.' He couldn't undertake such a challenge without a support crew. 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Irish Independent
21 minutes ago
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
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Oasis gigs underpin more than 9% rise in card spending
Consumer spending surged in Ireland last weekend as the Manchester-born band Oasis played to two sold-out concerts in Dublin's Croke Park. New data from digital bank Revolut shows Oasis fans continued to spend despite soaring hotel prices and efforts by city centre businesses to cash in on the occasion, with card spending soaring by more than 9% as a result of the two Dublin gigs. Marking the first time in over 16 years since the band played in Ireland, the Oasis gig also underpinned a more than 8% rise in the volume of card transactions, with spending of this magnitude not being witnessed since Taylor Swift performed at the Aviva Stadium in June 2024. In addition, over 16% more was spent in Dublin bars, cafes, restaurants, and nightclubs over the weekend compared to the previous one. Anticipation had been building across the capital throughout August, Revolut said, with a pop-up store on St Stephen's Green setting the tone since opening in early August, as fans scrambled for sought-after Oasis merch. Over the last two weekends, merchandise stores in Dublin recorded hundreds of thousands of euros in revenue, which is likely due to the store's lengthy queues. Owing to popular demand, the pop-up store has since announced extended dates. While spending on public transportation was down 9% across the rest of Ireland, it rose dramatically by over 120% in Dublin as Irish Oasis fans descended upon the capital for the gigs. Taxi drivers also benefited from the concerts, with a 15% uplift in revenues last weekend. Dublin sales of store-bought beer, wine, and liquor also rose by over a third compared to the previous weekend. Furthermore, Dublin restaurants, pubs, and licensed stores also saw a boost in sales across the weekend, with Revolut's business customers recording an increase in revenues. Of these, the 'food, beverages or tobacco' industries experienced a notable 2% uplift when compared with the previous weekend. 'Consumer spending of this level in just one weekend sends a very strong signal about the confidence of our more than 3m customers in Ireland," said General Manager at Revolut Bank UAB - Ireland Branch, Malcolm Craig. "Last weekend highlights the value of attracting genuine A-listers to Ireland and that Revolut remains Irish people's preferred way to spend.'
