Latest news with #Jessica
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Stunning job' – Gardening-mad Peter O'Mahony blown away by Dublin Bloom Festival as it opens to visitors
GREEN-FINGERED Peter O'Mahony has given Dublin's ongoing Bloom Festival the thumbs up by hailing organisers for doing a "stunning job" with it. The annual gardening showpiece opened to the public yesterday and will remain open daily from 9am-6pm until Monday. 4 O'Mahony will be retiring from rugby once Munster's run in the URC play-offs comes to a close Credit: @peteomahony 4 He recommended anyone with a passion for gardening to head out to Phoenix Park over the long weekend Credit: @peteomahony 4 Wife Jessica has also come onboard in promoting Kerrygold's involvement in it 4 Anyone who follows Peter on Instagram knows he definitely walks the walk when it comes to gardening The retiring rugby veteran and wife Jessica The 35-year-old hailed: "It was a pleasure for myself and Jess to launch the 'Nature Wrapped in Gold' garden at Bloom this year. They've done a stunning job." In a follow-up Instagram snap he added: "If you can make Bloom this weekend you'll get some brilliant gardening ideas and tips as well as have a great day out." This Kerrygold debut deepens the brand's celebration of Irish farming, sustainability, and simple everyday pleasures. Read More On Irish Sport The golden theme of the garden reflects the precious habitat that supports diverse wildlife, and evokes the rolling pastures of the Golden Vale. The 'Nature Wrapped in Gold' garden was designed by Ailish Drake and Conor Hourigan, founders of award-winning architecture and landscape design practice Drake Hourigan Architects. The Kerrygold garden holds a special place in Ailish's heart, as she grew up on a dairy farm in the heart of the Golden Vale where her brother Liam continues to farm today. Enclosed within a golden-flecked boundary wall with a verdant green undulating strip, the garden is reminiscent of Kerrygold's deep connection to Irish farming. Most read in Rugby Union The garden provides shelter for native wildlife with its habitat tower made from Douglas fir, which invites birds, bees, butterflies, moths and bats to inhabit the garden. Featuring a mix of pollinator-friendly native and non-native perennials and grasses to encourage biodiversity and plant reproduction. 'Jack Crowley he's coming for you' jokes Peter O'Mahony's wife Jess as son practices his rugby skills Many of the plants were grown by the designers themselves in County Limerick, grounding the project in authentic Irish soil. In creating a show garden at this year's Bord Bia Bloom, Kerrygold is expressing its brand purpose. That is to inspire moments of simple pleasure along life's journey by celebrating the natural Irish landscape, rich biodiversity, and the grass-fed roots that have shaped the quality and character of its dairy from the very beginning. In addition to the garden, Kerrygold will also be giving away 60,000 samples of its famous butter and cream cheese offering visitors a true taste of its grass-fed goodness. As a keen gardener himself, Peter said: 'As someone who loves their garden at home, it's a pleasure to see what Kerrygold and the design team have created for their garden at Bord Bia Bloom. "I particularly love the habitat tower, inviting birds, bees and bats to the space. It's given me loads of ideas to crack on with.' Jessica gave a nod to the iconic butter yellow of Kerrygold butter, with her choice of outfit from Irish designer Aoife McNamara. The look is from Aoife's SS25 collection, Otherland, inspired by the mythical dreamscape of Tír na nÒg. She hailed: "I love working with Irish designers who share the same passion for Irish culture and sustainability that I have. "As butter yellow is the colour of the season I could think of no better pairing than Kerrygold and Aoife McNamara to honour the Nature Wrapped in Gold garden at Bord Bia Bloom this year.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Young scouts earn badges by cleaning up graves
A group of young scouts are proving their reputation for doing good deeds by cleaning and maintaining derelict graves in their local cemetery. The Raunds 1st Scout Group took on unadopted graves from the town council "half a year ago" and work on them once a term. The Beavers working on the project are aged between five and eight years old, and are accompanied by group lead volunteer Josje Reid-Anderson. She said: "It's good from them to give something back to the community." The scouts volunteer at the London Road Cemetery to weed and keep clean the graves they have adopted. Cemetery plots are initially the responsibility of Raunds Town Council, as well as the relatives of the deceased. However, if left unattended, they can be taken on by members of the local community, or groups in the town. The town council has been working on improving the condition of the cemetery for 18 months, including offering volunteers the opportunity to adopt graves. Paul Byrne, deputy mayor of Raunds, said the take up of adopting graves had been "great" but there were still "plenty available". "We have a day where we have a cemetery clean up," he said. "The youngsters come up and help clear the weeds. It's great for them." Seven-year-old Jessica is one of the Beavers taking part in the project. She has been responsible for "pulling sticks out of the graves" as well as "watering bulbs". All Beavers taking part will get a gardening badge, and a community badge at the end of the project. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Public meeting after family told to clear grave Raunds 1st Scout Group Raunds Town Council
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Raunds scout group earns badges by looking after graves
A group of young scouts are proving their reputation for doing good deeds by cleaning and maintaining derelict graves in their local cemetery. The Raunds 1st Scout Group took on unadopted graves from the town council "half a year ago" and work on them once a Beavers working on the project are aged between five and eight years old, and are accompanied by group lead volunteer Josje said: "It's good from them to give something back to the community." The scouts volunteer at the London Road Cemetery to weed and keep clean the graves they have plots are initially the responsibility of Raunds Town Council, as well as the relatives of the if left unattended, they can be taken on by members of the local community, or groups in the town council has been working on improving the condition of the cemetery for 18 months, including offering volunteers the opportunity to adopt graves. Paul Byrne, deputy mayor of Raunds, said the take up of adopting graves had been "great" but there were still "plenty available"."We have a day where we have a cemetery clean up," he said. "The youngsters come up and help clear the weeds. It's great for them." Seven-year-old Jessica is one of the Beavers taking part in the has been responsible for "pulling sticks out of the graves" as well as "watering bulbs".All Beavers taking part will get a gardening badge, and a community badge at the end of the project. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘It's given me loads of ideas' – Retiring Peter O'Mahony lands new gig as Munster hero eyes up post-rugby life
PETER O'Mahony may not be retired quite yet, but he's already landed a new gig that's "given me loads of ideas to crack on with". He and wife Jessica have come onboard with Kerrygold's increased involvement in this year's Bord Bia Bloom Festival from May 29-June 2. 8 The couple are supporting Kerrygold's increased presence at this year's Bloom Festival 8 Peter is well-known for having green fingers 8 Spouse Jessica looked radiant in spring colours 8 The 35-year-old played his last home game on May 16 and is now embarking on a road URC play-off run For the first time ever, Kerrygold will host a 'Nature Wrapped in Gold' show garden at this year's edition. This debut deepens the brand's celebration of Irish farming, sustainability, and simple everyday pleasures. The golden theme of the garden reflects the precious habitat that supports diverse wildlife, and evokes the rolling pastures of the Golden Vale. The 'Nature Wrapped in Gold' garden was designed by Ailish Drake and Conor Hourigan, founders of award-winning architecture and landscape design practice Drake Hourigan Architects. Read More On Irish Sport The Kerrygold garden holds a special place in Ailish's heart, as she grew up on a dairy farm in the heart of the Golden Vale where her brother Liam continues to farm today. Enclosed within a golden-flecked boundary wall with a verdant green undulating strip, the garden is reminiscent of Kerrygold's deep connection to Irish farming. The garden provides shelter for native wildlife with its habitat tower made from Douglas fir, which invites birds, bees, butterflies, moths and bats to inhabit the garden. Featuring a mix of pollinator-friendly native and non-native perennials and grasses to encourage biodiversity and plant reproduction. Most read in Rugby Union Many of the plants were grown by the designers themselves in County Limerick, grounding the project in authentic Irish soil. In creating a show garden at this year's Bord Bia Bloom, Kerrygold is expressing its brand purpose. 'Jack Crowley he's coming for you' jokes Peter O'Mahony's wife Jess as son practices his rugby skills That is to inspire moments of simple pleasure along life's journey by celebrating the natural Irish landscape, rich biodiversity, and the grass-fed roots that have shaped the quality and character of its dairy from the very beginning. In addition to the garden, Kerrygold will also be giving away 60,000 samples of its famous butter and cream cheese offering visitors a true taste of its grass-fed goodness. Rugby legend Peter and wife Jessica were on hand to launch the Nature Wrapped in Gold Kerrygold garden at Bord Bia Bloom. As a keen gardener himself, Peter said: 'As someone who loves their garden at home, it's a pleasure to see what Kerrygold and the design team have created for their garden at Bord Bia Bloom. "I particularly love the habitat tower, inviting birds, bees and bats to the space. It's given me loads of ideas to crack on with.' 8 Savouring the beautiful surroundings provided by Kerrygold 8 Jessica wore a gorgeous outfit by Irish designer Aoife McNamara 8 We particularly love her garden-themed straw hat 8 Peter developed 'a load of ideas' for his own garden from the day out Jessica gave a nod to the iconic butter yellow of Kerrygold butter, with her choice of outfit from Irish designer Aoife McNamara. The look is from Aoife's SS25 collection, Otherland, inspired by the mythical dreamscape of Tír na nÒg. She hailed: "I love working with Irish designers who share the same passion for Irish culture and sustainability that I have. "As butter yellow is the colour of the season I could think of no better pairing than Kerrygold and Aoife McNamara to honour the Nature Wrapped in Gold garden at Bord Bia Bloom this year.' On the concept of the garden, Lynne Andrews from Ornua, owner of the Kerrygold brand outlined: 'The 'Nature Wrapped in Gold' garden brings to life everything Kerrygold stands for - natural goodness, Irish pride and the simple pleasure of food made with care. "Rooted in our grass-fed heritage, it's a golden celebration of the land that inspires us every day.' Kerrygold's connection to golden pastures and Irish farming will be encapsulated in this 'Nature Wrapped in Gold' concept garden.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- The Advertiser
Traveler's warning after pension docked during extended overseas holiday
A 78-year-old was shocked to uncover the government was docking her age pension after an extended holiday to the United State. After six weeks away, Lauren (who wished not to use her real name), noticed her payment was short around $30, then a fortnight later, it was short $50, while the following payment was docked even more. The widow, who was on a trip to visit her son and grandchildren in Tennessee, was only meant to be away for four weeks. But her adult daughter and travelling companion, Jessica, became ill. When her daughter required a small medical procedure, Lauren extended her stay. "I was initially staying for a month, with my daughter going on to do more travelling," she said. "But I wasn't going to leave her in case her condition got worse." Lauren told The Senior she called Centrelink when she arrived home, and they explained pensioners can't leave Australia for more than six weeks without a financial penalty. "And the pension gets reduced more and more - for each week you are away," she said "Older Australians who have worked hard our whole lives get punished for daring to spend more than six weeks out of Australia. It's disgusting." Despite explaining the situation to Centrelink, Lauren was told she wouldn't be reimbursed. But her full pension was reinstated because she was back in the country. "I want everyone to know about this rule. Just because you travel overseas doesn't mean you're rich," Lauren said. "People have direct debits and rely on their pension to pay bills. "It's outrageous." Services Australia Community Information Officer Justin Bott said the rule is called "Age Pension portability" and many factors can affect payment. "How much pension you get changes depending on how long you're away, how long you have lived in Australia or whether you're leaving to live in another country," he said. "If you get the Age Pension and are planning on travelling overseas for longer than six weeks you need to tell Services Australia." The Senior understands the Energy Supplement portion of the Age Pension stops after six weeks and the Pension Supplement keeps reducing until it reaches the basic rate. After 26 weeks overseas, the rate of Age Pension may change - depending on how long a person has lived in Australia between the ages of 16 and when they were eligible to get the pension. Australians will also have their concession card cancelled after six weeks - with a new one issued only when the traveller returns back home and if they are still eligible. "I had a backlog of mail when I got back, and I discovered my new concession card - it was really confusing. There was just no warning," Lauren said. "I am worried other people don't know about it. "I am just lucky I was with relatives and didn't have to worry about finances as much." National Seniors Australia CEO Chris Grice told The Senior he believes the Government thinks people who go overseas must have plenty of money. "You'll find that they're sort of saying, 'Oh, hang on, you're out of the country. You don't need electricity,'" he said. "We all know that's not the case. Not everybody's doing a $40,000 Scenic river cruise," he said. The CEO said Aussies need to be aware that the longer people stay overseas, the more money is docked. "A conversation with Services Australia is pretty important if someone is going for that longer trip," he said. Even if a traveller does not inform Centrelink, their pension will still be docked after six weeks. "Centrelink told me immigration flags the pensioners leaving the country," Lauren said. Shockingly, Age Pension recipients are not the only ones who need to be aware of the "portability" rule. "They're not just singling out the Age Pension. It's any government payment, such as study allowances, carers allowances and disability support," Mr Grice said. But the portability rule is different for the various allowances. For example, the Disability Support Pension can be stricter. Recipients may not be able to spend more than a total of 28 days overseas across a 12-month period. Services Australia recommends anyone receiving a government payment to go to Centrelink to see how their money could be reduced when travelling overseas. A spokesperson for Services Australia said they would reach out to Lauren. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. A 78-year-old was shocked to uncover the government was docking her age pension after an extended holiday to the United State. After six weeks away, Lauren (who wished not to use her real name), noticed her payment was short around $30, then a fortnight later, it was short $50, while the following payment was docked even more. The widow, who was on a trip to visit her son and grandchildren in Tennessee, was only meant to be away for four weeks. But her adult daughter and travelling companion, Jessica, became ill. When her daughter required a small medical procedure, Lauren extended her stay. "I was initially staying for a month, with my daughter going on to do more travelling," she said. "But I wasn't going to leave her in case her condition got worse." Lauren told The Senior she called Centrelink when she arrived home, and they explained pensioners can't leave Australia for more than six weeks without a financial penalty. "And the pension gets reduced more and more - for each week you are away," she said "Older Australians who have worked hard our whole lives get punished for daring to spend more than six weeks out of Australia. It's disgusting." Despite explaining the situation to Centrelink, Lauren was told she wouldn't be reimbursed. But her full pension was reinstated because she was back in the country. "I want everyone to know about this rule. Just because you travel overseas doesn't mean you're rich," Lauren said. "People have direct debits and rely on their pension to pay bills. "It's outrageous." Services Australia Community Information Officer Justin Bott said the rule is called "Age Pension portability" and many factors can affect payment. "How much pension you get changes depending on how long you're away, how long you have lived in Australia or whether you're leaving to live in another country," he said. "If you get the Age Pension and are planning on travelling overseas for longer than six weeks you need to tell Services Australia." The Senior understands the Energy Supplement portion of the Age Pension stops after six weeks and the Pension Supplement keeps reducing until it reaches the basic rate. After 26 weeks overseas, the rate of Age Pension may change - depending on how long a person has lived in Australia between the ages of 16 and when they were eligible to get the pension. Australians will also have their concession card cancelled after six weeks - with a new one issued only when the traveller returns back home and if they are still eligible. "I had a backlog of mail when I got back, and I discovered my new concession card - it was really confusing. There was just no warning," Lauren said. "I am worried other people don't know about it. "I am just lucky I was with relatives and didn't have to worry about finances as much." National Seniors Australia CEO Chris Grice told The Senior he believes the Government thinks people who go overseas must have plenty of money. "You'll find that they're sort of saying, 'Oh, hang on, you're out of the country. You don't need electricity,'" he said. "We all know that's not the case. Not everybody's doing a $40,000 Scenic river cruise," he said. The CEO said Aussies need to be aware that the longer people stay overseas, the more money is docked. "A conversation with Services Australia is pretty important if someone is going for that longer trip," he said. Even if a traveller does not inform Centrelink, their pension will still be docked after six weeks. "Centrelink told me immigration flags the pensioners leaving the country," Lauren said. Shockingly, Age Pension recipients are not the only ones who need to be aware of the "portability" rule. "They're not just singling out the Age Pension. It's any government payment, such as study allowances, carers allowances and disability support," Mr Grice said. But the portability rule is different for the various allowances. For example, the Disability Support Pension can be stricter. Recipients may not be able to spend more than a total of 28 days overseas across a 12-month period. Services Australia recommends anyone receiving a government payment to go to Centrelink to see how their money could be reduced when travelling overseas. A spokesperson for Services Australia said they would reach out to Lauren. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. A 78-year-old was shocked to uncover the government was docking her age pension after an extended holiday to the United State. After six weeks away, Lauren (who wished not to use her real name), noticed her payment was short around $30, then a fortnight later, it was short $50, while the following payment was docked even more. The widow, who was on a trip to visit her son and grandchildren in Tennessee, was only meant to be away for four weeks. But her adult daughter and travelling companion, Jessica, became ill. When her daughter required a small medical procedure, Lauren extended her stay. "I was initially staying for a month, with my daughter going on to do more travelling," she said. "But I wasn't going to leave her in case her condition got worse." Lauren told The Senior she called Centrelink when she arrived home, and they explained pensioners can't leave Australia for more than six weeks without a financial penalty. "And the pension gets reduced more and more - for each week you are away," she said "Older Australians who have worked hard our whole lives get punished for daring to spend more than six weeks out of Australia. It's disgusting." Despite explaining the situation to Centrelink, Lauren was told she wouldn't be reimbursed. But her full pension was reinstated because she was back in the country. "I want everyone to know about this rule. Just because you travel overseas doesn't mean you're rich," Lauren said. "People have direct debits and rely on their pension to pay bills. "It's outrageous." Services Australia Community Information Officer Justin Bott said the rule is called "Age Pension portability" and many factors can affect payment. "How much pension you get changes depending on how long you're away, how long you have lived in Australia or whether you're leaving to live in another country," he said. "If you get the Age Pension and are planning on travelling overseas for longer than six weeks you need to tell Services Australia." The Senior understands the Energy Supplement portion of the Age Pension stops after six weeks and the Pension Supplement keeps reducing until it reaches the basic rate. After 26 weeks overseas, the rate of Age Pension may change - depending on how long a person has lived in Australia between the ages of 16 and when they were eligible to get the pension. Australians will also have their concession card cancelled after six weeks - with a new one issued only when the traveller returns back home and if they are still eligible. "I had a backlog of mail when I got back, and I discovered my new concession card - it was really confusing. There was just no warning," Lauren said. "I am worried other people don't know about it. "I am just lucky I was with relatives and didn't have to worry about finances as much." National Seniors Australia CEO Chris Grice told The Senior he believes the Government thinks people who go overseas must have plenty of money. "You'll find that they're sort of saying, 'Oh, hang on, you're out of the country. You don't need electricity,'" he said. "We all know that's not the case. Not everybody's doing a $40,000 Scenic river cruise," he said. The CEO said Aussies need to be aware that the longer people stay overseas, the more money is docked. "A conversation with Services Australia is pretty important if someone is going for that longer trip," he said. Even if a traveller does not inform Centrelink, their pension will still be docked after six weeks. "Centrelink told me immigration flags the pensioners leaving the country," Lauren said. Shockingly, Age Pension recipients are not the only ones who need to be aware of the "portability" rule. "They're not just singling out the Age Pension. It's any government payment, such as study allowances, carers allowances and disability support," Mr Grice said. But the portability rule is different for the various allowances. For example, the Disability Support Pension can be stricter. Recipients may not be able to spend more than a total of 28 days overseas across a 12-month period. Services Australia recommends anyone receiving a government payment to go to Centrelink to see how their money could be reduced when travelling overseas. A spokesperson for Services Australia said they would reach out to Lauren. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. A 78-year-old was shocked to uncover the government was docking her age pension after an extended holiday to the United State. After six weeks away, Lauren (who wished not to use her real name), noticed her payment was short around $30, then a fortnight later, it was short $50, while the following payment was docked even more. The widow, who was on a trip to visit her son and grandchildren in Tennessee, was only meant to be away for four weeks. But her adult daughter and travelling companion, Jessica, became ill. When her daughter required a small medical procedure, Lauren extended her stay. "I was initially staying for a month, with my daughter going on to do more travelling," she said. "But I wasn't going to leave her in case her condition got worse." Lauren told The Senior she called Centrelink when she arrived home, and they explained pensioners can't leave Australia for more than six weeks without a financial penalty. "And the pension gets reduced more and more - for each week you are away," she said "Older Australians who have worked hard our whole lives get punished for daring to spend more than six weeks out of Australia. It's disgusting." Despite explaining the situation to Centrelink, Lauren was told she wouldn't be reimbursed. But her full pension was reinstated because she was back in the country. "I want everyone to know about this rule. Just because you travel overseas doesn't mean you're rich," Lauren said. "People have direct debits and rely on their pension to pay bills. "It's outrageous." Services Australia Community Information Officer Justin Bott said the rule is called "Age Pension portability" and many factors can affect payment. "How much pension you get changes depending on how long you're away, how long you have lived in Australia or whether you're leaving to live in another country," he said. "If you get the Age Pension and are planning on travelling overseas for longer than six weeks you need to tell Services Australia." The Senior understands the Energy Supplement portion of the Age Pension stops after six weeks and the Pension Supplement keeps reducing until it reaches the basic rate. After 26 weeks overseas, the rate of Age Pension may change - depending on how long a person has lived in Australia between the ages of 16 and when they were eligible to get the pension. Australians will also have their concession card cancelled after six weeks - with a new one issued only when the traveller returns back home and if they are still eligible. "I had a backlog of mail when I got back, and I discovered my new concession card - it was really confusing. There was just no warning," Lauren said. "I am worried other people don't know about it. "I am just lucky I was with relatives and didn't have to worry about finances as much." National Seniors Australia CEO Chris Grice told The Senior he believes the Government thinks people who go overseas must have plenty of money. "You'll find that they're sort of saying, 'Oh, hang on, you're out of the country. You don't need electricity,'" he said. "We all know that's not the case. Not everybody's doing a $40,000 Scenic river cruise," he said. The CEO said Aussies need to be aware that the longer people stay overseas, the more money is docked. "A conversation with Services Australia is pretty important if someone is going for that longer trip," he said. Even if a traveller does not inform Centrelink, their pension will still be docked after six weeks. "Centrelink told me immigration flags the pensioners leaving the country," Lauren said. Shockingly, Age Pension recipients are not the only ones who need to be aware of the "portability" rule. "They're not just singling out the Age Pension. It's any government payment, such as study allowances, carers allowances and disability support," Mr Grice said. But the portability rule is different for the various allowances. For example, the Disability Support Pension can be stricter. Recipients may not be able to spend more than a total of 28 days overseas across a 12-month period. Services Australia recommends anyone receiving a government payment to go to Centrelink to see how their money could be reduced when travelling overseas. A spokesperson for Services Australia said they would reach out to Lauren. Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
