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RTÉ News
2 days ago
- General
- RTÉ News
All you need to know about the blackberry season
Analysis: The blackberry is a plant of notable cultural significance in Ireland, not least in its ability to evoke all sorts of emotional memories and nostalgia It's the blackberry season. The still red and green fruits will darken and ripen over the coming weeks and the white, sometimes blush, flowers will form into berries later, prolonging the supply over several autumn months. The bramble is a widespread shrub, often forming dense thickets with vigorous stems or canes that climb or trail, making the plant a resilient presence in urban as well as its more usual rural settings. As a tough native perennial, the blackberry shrub, with its hundreds of microspecies, holds a long-lived practical, culinary, and economic presence in Ireland, and as a result is a plant of notable cultural significance; not least in its ability to evoke all sorts of emotional memories and nostalgia. The prolonged annual seasonal presence of the blackberry gives us ample opportunity to time-travel, especially to childhood when the excitement and exhilaration of collecting food for free fixed to the near wondrous taste of the first sweet berry. Richard Mabey, one of the pioneering advocates for collecting wild foods, explains that the cluster-forming design of the stems is helpful in deciding which berries to eat raw and which to keep for culinary uses. His 1972 Food for Free advises 'the lowest berry- right at the tip of the stalk- is the first to ripen, and it is the sweetest and fattest of all. Eat it raw. A few weeks later, the other berries near the end ripen; these are less juicy, but still good for jams and pies.' From RTÉ Lyric FM's Daybreak with Evonne Ferguson, Naturefile profiles the blackberry, commonly found in Ireland from the end of the summer until October This first berry is not only sweet, but it is intensely aromatic and once consumed the berry-picking could become a bit more tedious and pricklier, especially if it rained, which tended to spoil or dilute the taste of the collected berries in the can. Moving on to the second phase of blackberrying, the cooking and preserving stage, added to this assortment of memories. Therefore, blackberrying, as a multisensorial activity, bonded memories to childhood, evoking the joy of those days with a sense of lost innocence. The following child's account from Monaghan from the Dúchas Schools' Collection is as timeless and soothingly nostalgic as it is familiar: I usually take a whole day blackberrying. I take a pint tin and a white enamel bucket. I gather them in the tin and then put them into the bucket. If it begins to rain I have to stop picking as they would not keep. I do not gather them along the road as they are too dusty. I always go round the fields where they are sure to be clean. I only pick the largest ones and I do not pick any that are too ripe. If I do not get all I require in one day I go out a second day. I usually bring one of my chums with me and we divide whatever we pick between us. As with the case of bilberries, the children's own reports in the Collection suggest that collecting blackberries was a norm fixed to their seasonal routines. An expression frequently provided by the children that 'I play blackberries in autumn' implies that the activity was an integral and standard one, while the now-forgotten expression that something is 'as plenty as blackberries' denotes the fruit's ubiquitous presence. In comparison to other seasonal wild purple fruits, like bilberries, elderberries and sloes, blackberries were easy to find, identify and collect making them the quintessential representative of wild summer and autumn fruits. With their high and aromatic taste profile and versatile culinary uses, blackberrying was emblematic of childhood and it brought as sense of agency to children's activities and endowed pickers with a bank of emotive memories to indulge reflective nostalgia. Seamus Heaney reads Blackberry Picking That one berry should hold such a network of intermeshed meanings makes it one of cultural, historical, archaeological, material and, indeed, literary import. The blackberry is an item of interest in all these disciplines and it goes without saying that it was a useful food resource from the prehistoric period to near contemporary times. There are also slight pockets of evidence detailing the use of berries, roots and canes as dye material and medicinal resources. The versatility of the plant, therefore, accounts for its inclusion in the list of protected woodland shrubs in early medieval law as outlined by the Celtic scholar, Fergus Kelly, in his 1997 publication, Early Irish Farming. While legal provision for shrubs is not as consequential as that applied to the nobles of the woods (oak, hazel, holly, and wild apple), it does suggest nonetheless a degree of woodland protection, and possibly management, applied to shrubs that have economic importance, and no doubt that value connected to the plant's food and culinary uses. Sources contemporary with the laws indicate that berries were eaten with oatmeal, milk, honey and nuts. Indeed, in a paper published in 1998 in Early Medieval Munster: Archaeology, History and Society, I suggest that such mixtures, seasonally variable, resembled a type of muesli. Interestingly, such meal and milk mixtures continue to feature in folk memory and folklife accounts into the early decades of the twentieth century. From RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Miscellany, Blackberry-Picking by Kathy Donaghy By then, the list of blackberry recipes appearing in cookery books, magazines and newspapers is extensive. For instance, the Belfast News Letter in September 1922 gives readers six options for blackberries including blackberry trifle; blackberry and tapioca mould; cold blackberry jelly; sponges; rolls; and apple and blackberry jelly. For desserts, blackberries went into mousses, puddings, fritters, cobblers, custards, souffles and meringues. They were baked into cakes, pies and tarts with some of the best loved being a mix of apples and berries. They were made into syrups, vinegars and wines, and of course, they went towards preserves in the form of jams and jellies that with careful household management could last into the winter months. However, away from the structured formality of the recipe, the Dúchas accounts of cooking and consuming blackberries provide insight into the more routine culinary uses. Here, jams and jellies are frequently mentioned, blackberry wine is popular, as are cakes, as in one from Kerry made with flour, eggs, butter, cream, apples and berries. In Cavan, a fine oatmeal flummery was sugar-sweetened and eaten with blackberries: A pint of milk was put into a saucepan & while it was coming to a boil oatmeal was sifted through a very fine sieve or strained. The sifted meal was added to the boiling milk & then sweetened with sugar. All was allowed to boil for five or ten minutes. When nearly cold the contents of saucepan was eaten with stewed fruit-blackberries. In Laois, stewed blackberries were eaten on bread so 'you might go on with your hard work.' The simplest of all descriptions was that in a young girl's letter to the Weekly Irish Times in October 1905. Here she gives the starring role to the blackberry in a description that would be at home in the current vogue for minimalist menu-writing - blackberries, milk, sugar. She writes with warmth and affection: 'I often mix some [blackberries] with sugar and milk, and they are lovely.' From RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline, callers discuss the joys of blackberry picking But rather than romanticise these accounts, remembering contextual details is important. Here is evidence of a food system that has undergone irrevocable change since the mid-20th century. The obvious affection for the berries and blackberrying connects to their seasonal presence. Today, by contrast, berries are everyday and everywhere, with production linked to global agri-systems and supported by a wellness industry that prizes the relatively low-carbohydrate profile of mostly tasteless berries. Outside these systems, the seasonal berry of the accounts above was a rare, anticipated but fleeting pleasure. Gathering in the best depended on tacit knowledge of how, where and when to collect and how to distinguish berries of different flavour profiles amongst the different microspecies. Essentially, the tradition expected connection with the natural world and an understanding of the blackberry's variable presence within that system. The following riddle frequently appears in folk material and is not simply playful, but an insight into a world of essential and inherited but now somewhat erased knowledge.
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
In tune - Evening Song with Shirley Keane comes to RTÉ lyric fm
Evening Song with Shirley Keane is an hour of beautiful song from the greatest singers, airing each Sunday evening on RTÉ Lyric FM from the end of July to the end of September - listen to the first show above. Presenter Shirley Keane, a singer and an actor by trade, tells us about how her love of song came about and what to expect from her new show. I am really excited at the chance to turn a spotlight on the world of song. Evening Song will cover quite a wide range of styles. Song of course in a classical sense brings composers like Schubert or Faure to mind but I promise there will be some interesting tangents. Performing has been my profession for a long time. From a very young age I was drawn to singing and particular singers, especially in the old musicals. Singers like Barbra Streisand or Doris Day were mesmerising. I loved Ava Gardner in Showboat or Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Dolittle, only to learn years later their voices were dubbed in those films by opera singers Annette Warren and Marni Nixon. I hope listeners will find themselves transported, memories triggered, new favourites discovered, as you make the dinner, take a walk or relax on an early Sunday evening. As my own performing career developed in theatre and opera there was a natural parallel interest in the performances of the great recitalists, I realised how vital is the collaboration between instrumentalist and singer, the challenges for singer and orchestra, and to not overlook the simple purity of a singer on their own. The art of song is in how much can be conveyed in 3 or 4 minutes. Sometimes it is an intense expression of anger or grief, but there is also wry musical comedy which can drop in a sudden surprise. Interestingly, the song repertoire shows off many women composers from Renaissance times to today. Often kept out of the concert hall and certainly ignored by opera companies, many women composed songs for their own convent, church or the salon. It was a calling card of sorts and a way into the world of composition. Today, many composers will create works for smaller numbers as the cost of staging a new opera production is prohibitive, but a singer and piano or small ensemble can tell wonderful tales and entertain audiences in a unique and powerful way. It is a little like comparing a play with a poem in the first instance, and on Evening Song we follow it, like a river as the song becomes a short scene or is developed for orchestra. Irish songs, singers and composers will feature right across the ten weeks of Evening Song. Lyric plays an important part in continuously highlighting the musicians, the orchestras and composers who are an essential part of the Irish music scene. For centuries, we could be rebellious in our songs, if not in our everyday lives, we could express love or sorrow through impromptu performances by firesides or at wakes, not forgetting the ghost stories and creepy old ballads. These songs continuously reappear, in schools, at rugby matches and on the recital stage. I couldn't watch a horror film, but I enjoy the shivers, the heartbreak, the thrills of these sung stories. You don't have to look too far to find similar stories run through even the most classical of concert hall programmes. I hope listeners will find themselves transported, memories triggered, new favourites discovered, as you make the dinner, take a walk or relax on an early Sunday evening. These songs could take you anywhere.
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- General
- RTÉ News
Here's what to do when wasps crash your picnic
Analysis: There's a reason why wasps prefer jam to ham in late summer and it's down to what is going on inside the colony By , UCL It's summer in the northern hemisphere and that means sun, sea – and wasps. A lot of us have been taught to fear wasps as aggressive insects that exist only to make our lives a misery. But with unsustainable wildlife loss across the planet, we need to learn to live alongside all organisms – even wasps. They are important pollinators and predators of insects. A little knowledge about their natural history can help you dine safely alongside wasps. The wasps that usually visit your picnic are typically the common yellowjacket (Vespula vulgaris) and the German wasp (Vespula germanica). They seem to appear from nowhere so what should you do? Stay still or she'll think you're a predator Her (all workers are female) smell receptors have got her to your picnic table, but she's now using visual landmarks (you and your surroundings) to orientate her way to the food on your plate. Keep your mouth closed and avoid breathing heavily to minimise the release of carbon dioxide, which wasps use as a cue that a predator is attacking. Similarly, if you start flapping and shouting, you are behaving like a predator (mainly badgers in the UK), which might trigger the wasp's attack mode. From RTÉ Lyric FM's Naturefile, a look at wasps with Anja Murray Watch what she is eating This is a worker wasp. She is looking for food to feed to her sibling larvae in her mother's papery looking nest. Is she carving off a lump of ham, gathering a dollop of jam or slurping at your sugary drink? Watch what she is eating because this gives you a clue to what your wasp offering will be. She is so focused on her task that she won't notice you watching. Make a wasp-offering to keep her from bothering you Before you know it, she's off with jaws full of jam or a hunk of ham. She might zigzag away from your table – a sign that she is reorientating for a reliable return. Once landmarks are mapped, she will fly straight and fast. If you followed her, she would lead you to her nest. But you are better off using your time to prepare your wasp offering, because she's going to come back soon. Your offering should be a portion of whatever she harvested from your plate. You can move it slightly away from the rest of your food. If you let her have her share, you too can dine in peace. You can gradually move your wasp offering further away from you. Wasp offerings are well-tested techniques around the world, whether you're looking to track down a wasp nest to eat, or keep customers unbothered by wasps at an outdoor restaurant. From RTÉ Radio 1's Mooney Goes Wild, the panel answer questions about the common wasp Happily, your picnic friend is unlikely to bring a swarm of wasps to your table, because social wasps are poor recruiters. This makes sense because wasp food (insects, carrion) is usually a scattered, short-lived resource. One caterpillar doesn't necessarily mean there's a huge patch of them, for example. This contrasts with honeybees, for which there has been strong natural selection for the evolution of a communication system (waggle dance) to recruit many foragers to a patch of flowers. However, you might get a few wasps at your picnic, especially if the nest is close, just by chance. Wasps tend to be attracted to a forage source by the presence of other wasps. If she sees a few wasps gathered, then she will investigate. But if there are too many wasps, this puts her off. Wasps' changing feeding habits You may already know that wasps go crazy for sugar at the end of the summer. But why do they prefer a protein earlier in the season? It depends on what is going on inside the colony – and this changes with the season. Wasp larvae are carnivorous. Together, the workers rear thousands of larvae. If your wasp wants ham (or some other protein source) at your picnic, you know her colony is full of hungry larvae. You might notice this in early-to-mid summer – and no later than mid-to-late August. Enjoy the knowledge that you are helping feed armies of tiny pest controllers, who will soon set to work regulating populations of flies, caterpillars, aphids and spiders. A defining feature of an adult wasp is the tiny petiole (wasp-waist). This constriction between her thorax and abdomen evolved so her ancestors could bend their abdomens, yoga-style, to parasitise or paralyse their prey. The wasp-waist of an adult worker limits her to a largely liquid diet. She is like a waiter who must deliver feasts to customers without tasting it. The larvae tip her service with a nutritious liquid secretion, which she supplements with nectar from flowers. For much of the season, this is enough. Blend science and a picnic Towards the end of the summer, most wasp larvae have pupated – and a pupated larva doesn't need feeding. So, demand for protein foraging diminishes, as do the sweet secretions that have kept the workers nourished. This means worker wasps must now visit flowers for nectar – although your jam scone or sweet lemonade may also be exceedingly tempting. If your wasp is fixated on sugar at your table, then you know her colony is likely to be in its twilight phase of life. Although time of the year is a good indicator of the balance of ham-to-jam in a wasp's foraging preferences, weather, prey availability, local competition and rate of colony growth can influence them too. This means the switch from ham to jam this year may be different to next year. We'd like you to help us gather data on this, to improve predictions on whether to offer your wasps ham or jam. To take part, report here whether the wasp at your picnic wanted protein (such as chicken, hummus, beef or sausage), jam (or anything sugary, including sugary drinks), or both.
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Funeral of Seán Rocks to take place in native Monaghan
President Michael D Higgins will be among the mourners to attend the funeral of broadcaster and actor Seán Rocks in Co Monaghan. Mr Rocks, 64, the voice of Arena on RTÉ Radio 1, died in Dublin last week following a brief illness. President Higgins described him as one of Ireland's finest broadcasters and advocates for the arts and artists. His funeral Mass will take place in St Macartan's Cathedral in his native Monaghan town at 11am. The chief celebrant will be the parish priest for Ballybay, Canon Patrick McGinn, who is understood to be a friend of the Rocks family. Taoiseach Micheál Martin will be represented at the funeral by his aide-de-camp, Commandant Joseph Glennon. Some of the biggest names from the Irish arts community are also expected to attend the funeral, and pay their respects to the broadcaster, who has been described as someone who championed artists and the industry. Mr Rocks, who presented RTÉ Radio 1's nightly arts and culture magazine, Arena, since its inception in 2009, died at St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin last Wednesday. Born on 8 June 1961, Mr Rocks was raised in Monaghan town with his two brothers and two sisters. He trained and worked as a teacher for seven years, before moving on to a career in acting. He then began presenting programmes on RTÉ Lyric FM in 2000, before producing and presenting documentaries and arts programming on RTÉ Radio 1. He lived in Dundrum in Co Dublin. Mr Rocks regularly hosted important national literary and arts events, and he was a familiar voice at State occasions. He was the MC at notable events at Áras an Uachtaráin down through the years, and also at the State Banquet at Dublin Castle for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland in 2011. Bhí an-ghrá aige don Ghaeilge agus d'úsáid sé go minic í agus é ag craoladh. His sudden death last week shocked those who knew him both professionally and personally, and sparked an outpouring of tributes to the broadcaster, who was known to be at the heart of the Irish arts community. Mr Rocks has been remembered for his warm manner and unassuming intelligence, his interest in all forms of the arts, and his ability to naturally communicate this knowledge. He will be laid to rest in Latlorcan Cemetery following his funeral mass in the nearby cathedral. He is survived by his wife Catherine, his sons Morgan and Christian, and his wide circle of family and friends.
Irish Independent
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘Everybody loved him' – Tributes paid to RTÉ radio presenter Seán Rocks following death at 64
The broadcaster fronted RTÉ Radio 1's nightly arts and culture show Arena since 2009, hosting the show up to last Friday. He recently presented a Sunday afternoon programme on RTÉ Lyric FM, where he started his radio career in 2000. Tributes have been paid to Mr Rocks, who also worked extensively as an actor both at home and abroad and has been remembered as someone whose passion for the arts was 'infectious'. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was 'so saddened' to learn of the death of Mr Rocks, who 'emerged as an authentic voice of the arts and culture in Ireland'. "He broadened the appeal of the arts to a wider audience. I always enjoyed listening to his programmes. My thoughts are with his family, friends and RTÉ colleagues at this time.' RTÉ colleagues have been 'devastated' by the news of his death, with RTÉ arts and media correspondent Evelyn O'Rourke describing Mr Rocks as 'great fun' and 'the warmest person'. 'Walking around the building this morning, I am struck by the amount of people who are stopping me to say that they are so devastated,' she said. "Everybody loved him in this building. He is a beloved colleague. He was the warmest, most supportive colleague you could have. "I had the joy of working on Arena with him for a number of years and he was just endlessly curious and cheeky. He had a twinkle in the eye.' Tánaiste Simon Harris said: 'I am deeply saddened at the sudden passing of RTÉ presenter Seán Rocks. 'Seán was an iconic voice in Irish broadcasting and someone who made an incredible contribution to arts and culture. 'He possessed an unrivalled ability to entertain and inform his listeners, always doing so through his well-known Monaghan charm. 'I want to extend my condolences to Seán's beloved Catherine, children Christian and Morgan and his extended family and friends. 'I also want offer my sympathies to Seán's colleagues in RTÉ, and indeed his loyal listeners, particularly of the long-running Arena programme. 'Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.' Mr Rocks appeared on stage at the Abbey, Peacock and Gate Theatres and his TV and film roles included Fair City and Glenroe. Mr Rocks was the MC at the State Banquet for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland and at several important state events at Áras an Uachtaráin. The broadcaster, who presented Arena as recently as last Friday, has been remembered as a 'top class' ambassador for the arts and a 'brilliant broadcaster'. The head of RTÉ Radio 1 Tara Campbell said those who worked closely with Mr Rocks on his programme are 'devastated'. "It's testimony to the man that each and every one of them offered to come in today. I was saying to them, we wouldn't have an expectation that they would come in, because it's all been so sudden and so shocking. "But they said, 'No, we want to come in and pay tribute to Seán. We owe him that.'' She told how Mr Rocks was as likable off-air as he was on-air and while he was deeply knowledgable, 'he knew so much but carried it so lightly'. RTÉ broadcaster Marty Whelan described Mr Rocks as a 'curious fella [who] always had a great interest in trying to find the story behind the story, which is always important in this business for all of us'. In a statement issued this morning, RTÉ director-general Kevin Backhurst said it was with 'enormous shock and sadness that we learned today of Seán's untimely passing'. "Seán said once: 'Radio is never about the presenter. It's about the person who is opposite you.' "Loyal listeners, especially to Seán's beloved and long-running Arena on RTÉ Radio 1, will recognise the man in that quote: modest yet learned; subtle yet probing; curious yet polite,' said Mr Bakhurst. "The listener at home was always his focus. Not only is radio the poorer for his passing, but so too has Ireland lost one of its most passionate advocates for the arts, and one of its most informed and versatile voices. "I want to extend my most sincere sympathies to Seán's beloved Catherine, his children Christian and Morgan, his friends, and his colleagues at this terrible time.' RTÉ's director of audio Patricia Monahan said Mr Rock's passion for radio and the arts was 'infectious'. "The curiosity with which he approached topics ranging from cinema to theatre and books to classical music was compelling to listen to,' she said. "He was interested in everyone's point of view and had a great ability to command an audience's attention. He was never more at home than when he was on stage. 'He was full of energy and ambition for the future and is a huge untimely loss to radio and RTÉ. "He will be sorely missed by his RTÉ Radio 1 colleagues and his wider RTÉ family. "Our thoughts are of course with his beloved, Catherine, children Christian and Morgan and his extended family and friends. As you take your final bow Seán, May you rest in peace.' This article was amended on 31 July, 2025. Seán Rocks was 64 at the time of his death, not 63 as originally published.
