Latest news with #Howth
Irish Times
30-07-2025
- Irish Times
The best restaurants around Ireland for a long, leisurely lunch
Dax 23 Pembroke Street Upper, Dublin 2; After 20 years in business, Dax still oozes quiet class. Graham Neville's superb classical cooking is a joy – seared Castletownbere scallops with coral bisque, Tipperary beef, and a mille-feuille of Irish rhubarb are textbook examples. Owner Olivier Meisonnave has compiled one of the country's great wine lists – from smart biodynamic finds to serious Grand Cru. Corinna Hardgrave Mamó Harbour House, Harbour Road, Howth, Dublin 13; Mamo_Dublin Since opening, Killian Durkin and Jess D'Arcy have worked tirelessly to deliver wonderful hospitality and modern Irish cooking from their seaside restaurant. Killian uses local and Irish ingredients such as 'lamb lobster' (lamb neck), Winetavern Farm pork and Howth honey to great effect. Don't miss the iconic cod chip or their exquisite tarts. Joanne Cronin mrDeanes 28-40 Howard Street, Belfast; Pasta at mrDeanes Bistro, Bar and Social. Photograph: Rachel Taylor/mrDeans/Michelin Recently refurbished, mrDeanes is a bistro-style restaurant that encapsulates the very best of chef Michael Deane's 28 years in business, and this year received a Michelin Bib Gourmand . It's exactly what a busy city bistro should be, serving up Portavogie crab on toast, entrecôte au poivre, sugar pit pork chops and fish and chips. Look out for their new own label white wine. JC Ruchii 9 George's Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin; Ruchii: Six-tastes non-veg thali. Photograph: Alan Betson Ruchii is a riot of Indian flavours and bright jewelled colours. Marinated jumbo prawns are cooked to perfection in the tandoor oven while the slow-cooked lamb shank nalli nihari is sheer warmth. Chef Sateesh Sayana also serves up authentic South Indian specialities including rava dosa, masala uttapam and a Sunday special of Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani. Read our full review here . JC READ MORE Thyme Bridge Street, Athlone, Co Westmeath; John Coffey does not stand still but continues to develop, always cooking with flair. The focus here is on quality produce, resulting in a glossy golden pithivier of potato, onion and Mossfield cheddar; roast cod with cauliflower, capers and golden raisins or a dark chocolate and sesame ganache. JC Umi 57 Strand Road, Derry, Co Derry; The words 'Asian fusion' can sometimes strike fear, but diners are in safe hands at Umi. Owners Seán Lafferty and Gary Moran have created a fun atmosphere that seamlessly marries great Irish produce with Japanese techniques. Think binchotan grilled steak or crispy dumplings made with local pork and a fiery rayu sauce. They even offer their own wine, a fresh Austrian Blaufränkisch made by ex-employee Jack Mcateer. JC
Irish Times
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Man to run circumference of Ireland in aid of lifeboat volunteers
'If you want to achieve big things, you gotta take risks,' says Vini Cardoso (41), who will be undertaking a 2,200km run around Ireland this August. Having moved to Ireland in 2008, the Brazilian wants to express his 'gratitude to Ireland for all these years that I've loved this country'. He will be running around the circumference of Ireland to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) . Mr Cardoso's journey, which he estimates will take two months, will be just be him and his backpack containing his tent, food and water. He is fundraising for the RNLI to pay homage to his friends who volunteer for them. He spoke of his admiration for one friend who, in some instances, has been eating dinner before getting a call to rescue someone. READ MORE 'Many times he would come back at six, seven in the morning when I was waking up for work the next day.' Another friend, Ronan Murphy, has been volunteering for the RNLI for almost 13 years. He divides his time between working as a firefighter, a paramedic and running a gym in Howth, where he met Mr Cardoso more than 10 years ago. Mr Murphy said even though Mr Cardoso is from Brazil 'he's more Irish than most people I know'. He said Mr Cardoso will be 'seen as one of our own' in the RNLI for taking on the challenge. Ronan Murphy volunteering for the RNLI Mr Cardoso will be using the RNLI lifeboat stations as 'supply stations', which he will send food and water to in advance, to be collected along his journey. Mr Cardoso, an artist and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teacher, began running long distances following the death of his father a few years ago. He 'needed something different' to focus his attention on and 'started running around the fields in Howth'. [ 'Deep and rich' story of medieval high rulers and nobles determined by archaeologists in Galway Opens in new window ] 'I always knew that for me, I would never be able to run and win races, but I understand that there is something about the long distances. I like that long journey, it's a very mental thing.' Last year, he ran The Ireland Way, a 1,000km walking and cycling trail which took him from west Cork to the Giant's Causeway in Co Antrim. He said the journey led him to notice 'how welcoming people were' in many parts of the country. 'Some people invited me to come into their house, offered me a place to stay, a nice comfortable bed, shower, dinner. For me, that was something beautiful to experience.' Since moving to Ireland, a country he says he fell in love with, Mr Cardoso has been teaching himself Irish. He has 'learned a few words and sentences here and there', and in the past year has been 'going deeper, learning the structure of the language'. He hopes to put it to use on his upcoming run. 'If I pass through the Gaeltacht in Connemara, Galway, I would try to immerse myself into the culture, at least learn a little bit. Maybe order some báinne [milk] or uisce [water].' Vini Cardoso trains for his 2,200km coastal circumnavigation run around Ireland, fundraising for the RNLI. Photograph: Alan Betson The mental preparation he has undertaken for the journey has been considerable. He says it is 'about understanding where my mind is gonna go, how my feelings or my mind is gonna react when I find myself sitting in a tent with nobody to talk to'. He says the journey will force him to 'be present in the moment and appreciate the solitude'. 'Being alone is a very powerful thing'. However, Mr Cardoso is used to being alone in such a way, spending many Fridays after work camping in the Wicklow mountains on 'a little night out'. To physically prepare, he runs between 15 and 20km a day, going further on weekends. He wears a heavy backpack to ready himself for what he'll be carrying during the journey, which he says will be between 14 and 18kg of supplies. He also does strength training with a friend who is a coach, and mobility training to stay flexible. He will 'go with the flow', and if there's a day where he can't keep going, he will allow himself to rest, he says. [ Dog is euthanised after attacking owner in Cork incident Opens in new window ] His family in Brazil are 'big supporters' of his plan. His mother is encouraging, but remains cautious and worries about his safety. 'This is life, we gotta take risks,' he said. His friend Mr Murphy will be checking in with Mr Cardoso every day through texts and calls. Mr Cardoso will be posting daily video content of his progress on his Instagram, @vini_on_earth.
The Sun
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Vogue Williams stuns in a black and white bikini as she strips off on holiday with husband Spencer
VOGUE Williams looked incredible as she stripped off to a black and white bikini on holiday with husband Spencer Matthews. The 39-year-old and husband Spencer, 36, jetted to Spain with their three children Theodore, six, Gigi, four, and two-year-old Otto. 4 4 She and former Made In Chelsea star Spencer looked loved-up as they took a dip in the sea, with Vogue flaunting her enviable body. Vogue accessorised with a stylish hat, sunglasses and some gold jewellery while she and Spencer frolicked in the water. Meanwhile he showed off his ripped body in a pair of tiny blue swim shorts. Vogue also shared some sweet family holiday photos, adding: 'I've counted down the days until we got here.' She and Spencer tied the knot in 2018 after meeting on Channel 4 show The Jump and Vogue recently confessed she initially didn't think he was her type. Speaking to The Sun, Vogue said: 'I kind of met him with a preconceived idea, and I was like, 'I'm not going to like him' because I thought he was a sociopath. "But after I met him, I loved his personality straight away . . . 'He was so sound, but I was really good at being single and I wanted to stay single, so I thought, 'He's going to be a really good friend' — that's the first thing I thought.' She and Spencer are now hoping to spend more time near her home town of Howth, Dublin, in a house the couple bought last year. Vogue calls it their 'forever home', and they have put their apartment overlooking the River Thames up for sale, too. Vogue Williams throws lavish birthday party for young daughter They first listed it a year ago and have recently slashed the price by £1.3million to £3.9million. Vogue says: 'I like to take the kids home as much as I can — I want them to have friends in Ireland, so that they always want to go back, and they enjoy spending time there." 4
Irish Times
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ian O'Riordan: How old-fashioned baking soda became the new running superdrug
We were having some drinks in the Blue Light pub this week when the conversation suddenly turned from crazy fast times on the track to explosive diarrhoea. This was all my fault, to be honest, as I was trying to explain why so many running records are tumbling. It was one of those rare evenings in the Dublin Mountains when the heat still lingers after the sun sinks down behind us − the tranquil outline of Howth set out below in perfect miniature − and when living up here feels very wise, unlike the feeling of complete madness you get most days in winter. We weren't a particularly sporty crew, and the question was innocently put to me about why we're witnessing an onslaught of records. World, European, Irish, etc. There's my usual answer of the super spikes, the wavelight technology which has revolutionised pacemaking, possibly some banned substance we don't yet know about, plus the increased use of sodium bicarb – the fast trending and perfectly legal running superdrug better known as baking soda. It amazed me that none of them had heard of this before. The use of sodium bicarbonate, given in full molecular terms, has in fact been flagged as a potentially performance-enhancing aid going back to the 1930s. Just not to be confused with sodium carbonate, which is better known as washing powder. READ MORE There is no precise figure around sodium bicarb use, but judging by any conversation around athletics these days, it's clearly prevalent. Especially among middle-distance runners. Britain's Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson is an ambassador for the Maurten brand of sodium bicarb, her coach Trevor Painter last year saying he 'couldn't recommend it strongly enough'. At last Saturday's Pre Classic meeting in Eugene, Oregon, Kenya's Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet broke the world record over the 1,500m and 5,000m, respectively, and in the Bowerman Mile, a record 13 men ran under 3:50, the deepest field in running history, with 20-year-old rising Dutch star Niels Laros leading the way with his 3:45.94. Bonkers. In the men's 800m, five of the seven fastest runners of all time are currently battling it out on the Diamond League circuit. In the 400m, two-time Olympic gold medallist Vernon Norwood, from the US, is another sodium bicarb ambassador, and my estimate is at least 50 per cent of top athletes in these events are getting their pre-race dose in some shape or form. Vernon Norwood of Team United States during the 4 x 400m Relay Mixed final at the Olympic Games in Paris on August 3rd, 2024. Photograph:There is no telling what exact role sodium bicarb may or may not be playing in these sorts of times, although the science behind its use is relatively simple. Whenever the human body is subjected to intense bouts of physical activity, the muscles, increasingly starved of oxygen, start to produce more lactates. Which is not a bad thing, as lactate acts as a further fuel source. Traditionally, runners tying up in agony at the end of races were said to be swimming in a sea of lactic acid. The problem, rather, is the excess of hydrogen ions, another byproduct of intense exercise, which interfere with muscle contractions, decreasing the PH and causing acidosis. That's the muscle-burning sensation most of us know about. [ Running up that dune: How Keely Hodgkinson follows in the training footsteps of the greats Opens in new window ] So here's the deal: A small amount of the alkaline sodium bicarb in the bloodstream can help buffer the hydrogen ions, reducing acidosis and the sense of exhaustion, thus improving performance. In turn, more lactate production can increase muscle power output. But here's the danger: Getting sodium bicarb safely into the bloodstream is a tricky exercise, as any excess will soon cause digestive issues, including cramp, bloating and, in worst cases, that explosive diarrhoea – fast cancelling out any performance gains in the process. For many years, some athletes might take a teaspoon from that little red tin of Royal Baking Powder and mix it into water, hoping for the best. Same as they might mix a spoonful of Kretschmer Wheat Germ into their cereal, back when that was thought to be performance-enhancing. Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain celebrates winning the women's 800m final during the London Athletics Meet on July 20th, 2024. Photograph:Modern science has looked more closely at sodium bicarb, the newer supplements originally coming in capsule form. One lengthy study carried out by the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2021 concluded that sodium bicarb supplementation improves performance in 'muscular endurance activities ... including boxing, judo, karate, taekwondo and wrestling, and in high-intensity cycling, running, swimming and rowing'. This was mostly established for exercise tasks of high intensity that last between 30 seconds and 12 minutes, the sodium bicarb consumed about 90 minutes beforehand, in an ideally measured dose of 0.3g per kg of body weight. Another study suggested a performance benefit of 1.4 per cent over a 40km cycling time trial. In 2023, Swedish nutrition company Maurten released its Bicarb System supplement, which claims to completely bypass the stomach using its hydrogel technology, carrying it straight into the small intestine for easier absorption, and reduced side effects. This is the same jelly-like technology used in their energy drink mix, which Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge also swore by when breaking the marathon world record, and is also the leading drink of choice in the peloton. [ Tokyo 2020: Kipchoge's memorable marathon success a fitting final act Opens in new window ] A four-pack of Maurten Bicarb System will set you back €70, and comes in five different serving sizes, the small nuggets of sodium bicarbonate to be mixed up with the hydrogel immediately before consumption. An athlete of Hodgkinson's calibre wouldn't play around with this before an Olympic final unless she was sure there was some benefit, and zero risk of any side effects. And the Maurten brand has certainly been setting the pace on sodium bicarb consumption, with few reports of any unpleasant surprises. My current levels of intense physical activity wouldn't justify any such investment, although that 2021 study also concluded that, while the benefits of sodium bicarb are primarily due to a range of its physiological effects, 'a portion of the ergogenic effect seems to be placebo-driven'. You know what that suggests. Like caffeine, creatine and L-carnitine, sodium bicarb may be perfectly legal, but that doesn't always mean it's doing exactly what it says on the tin.
BreakingNews.ie
21-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Body recovered at Laytown beach in Meath after reports of swimmer in difficulty
The body of a boy has been recovered from the River Nanny in Laytown, Co Meath. Emergency services were called when he got into in difficulty in the water at 6.15pm on Friday evening. Advertisement The Rescue 116 helicopter and Drogheda Coast Guard responded immediately to the incident. Gardaí began a search operation and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Rescue 116 helicopter and Drogheda Coast Guard responded immediately to the incident. The Coastguard removed his body on Friday evening, and a postmortem will be carried out at Navan Hospital. In a separate incident, another teenager was airlifted to hospital with suspected multiple fractures and lacerations after falling 6m (20ft) on to rocks in Howth. Ireland Watch: Howth coast guard carries out rescues after... Read More The teenager had to be winched by helicopter from the White Water Brook, a remote beach below cliffs on the eastern side of the Howth peninsula. In another, separate incident, the volunteer crew of the Howth RNLI rescued three children who had been cut off by the tide near Lion's Head. Helm of the inshore lifeboat, Killian O'Reilly, said it had been a 'challenging afternoon'. 'During this spell of hot weather, we are urging everyone to be aware of the dangers and to know what to do should you find yourself in difficulty in the water.'
