Bringing in the green on May Day was a common yet lovely tradition around here, the idea was that by bringing greenery and the blue flowers of the periwinkle or Vinca Major you would also be bringing in good luck to the house. The tradition is ancient and even the Romans celebrated the Roman goddess of flowers and vegetation, Flora from April 28th to May 3rd! Other piseogs incuded the fanciful notion that washing one's face in the dew on May Day morning would result in astounding beauty, no need for plastic or serums then!
Convent girls of a certain vintage will no doubt remember the May Procession and singing 'bring flowers of the rarest, bring blossoms the fairest, from garden and woodland, hillside and dale' and then oh joy the trip into the Nuns' garden, the very picture of perfection with flower beds and fruit trees!
A wet and windy May fills the barns with corn and hay…So says the old adage, the last few days certainly bear that out, sweet peas and rockets and other plants recently planted out were a bit lack lustre until the rain yesterday, this morning all are standing to attention and look as though they grew a bit even over night! Amazing the power of soft rain and mist it seems to just nudge the plants on into growth. Rain pearls sparkle in the heart of lupin leaves today and they are as appreciated as the flowers themselves. New raised beds are going ahead a pace in the back garden, with peas, red cabbage, lettuce, artichoke and spinach and of course a few indian prince calendulas, and nasturtiums , still a few beds to put together and fill up with some herbs and beans, courgettes and a very audaciously named pumpkin ‘invincible’ ect. Hopefully providing some tasty bites as well looking pretty!
Bio-diversity will be the focus from June 6th to 12th where you can enjoy a multitude of free wild-life/ heritage events taking place the full programme is listed here.
Cape Clear Bioblitz Programme
TUESDAY 7TH JUNE
08.00 – 09.00 Bird walk/ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
10.00 – 12.00 Flower walk – Geoff Oliver
10.30 – 12.30 Goat milking/husbandry – Ed Harper
11.00 – 18.00 Maritime Photographs – Pat Con O’Driscoll
12-00 – 16.00 Heritage Museum – Joan Kearney
13.00 – 15.00 Rocky shore as Gaeilge – Paula Ní Ríogáin
13-00 – 15.00 Fastnet Trip (low tide 14.19) – MJ Cadogan
19.00 – 21.00 Slideshow of Cape photographs – Simon Cocking
21.00 – 22.00 Bird Observatory Log (daily record of wildlife sightings)
WEDNESDAY 8TH JUNE
08.00 – 09.00 Bird walk/ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
10.00 – 12.00 Dry-stone walling – Áine Ní Ríogáin
10.30 – 12.30 Goat milking/husbandry – Ed Harper
11.00 – 18.00 Maritime Photographs – Pat Con O’Driscoll
12.00 – 14.00 Flower walk – Geoff Oliver
12-00 – 16.00 Heritage Museum – Joan Kearney
14-00 – 16.00 Fastnet Trip – MJ Cadogan
14.00 – 16.00 Net-mending demonstration – To be confirmed
21.00 – 22.00 Bird Observatory Log (daily record of wildlife sightings)
THURSDAY 9TH JUNE
08.00 – 09.00 Bird walk/ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
10.00 – 12.00 Dry-stone walling – Áine Ní Ríogáin
10.30 – 12.30 Goat milking/husbandry – Ed Harper
11.00 – 18.00 Maritime Photographs – Pat Con O’Driscoll
12.00 – 14.00 Flower walk – Geoff Oliver
12-00 – 16.00 Heritage Museum – Joan Kearney
14.00 – 16.00 Net-mending demonstration – To be confirmed
15-00 – 18.00 Fastnet Trip – MJ Cadogan
FRIDAY 10TH JUNE
08.00 – 09.00 Bird walk/ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
10.30 – 12.30 Goat milking/husbandry – Ed Harper
11.00 – 18.00 Maritime Photographs – Pat Con O’Driscoll
12-00 – 16.00 Heritage Museum – Joan Kearney
14.00 – 16.00 Flower walk – Geoff Oliver
16-00 – 18.00 Fastnet Trip – MJ Cadogan
21.00 – 22.00 Bird Observatory Log (daily record of wildlife sightings)
22-00 – 23.00 Bat walk and star gazing – Paddy Sleeman
SATURDAY 11TH JUNE
08.00 – 09.00 Bird walk/ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
10.00 – 12.00 Flower walk – Geoff Oliver
10.30 – 12.30 Goat milking/husbandry – Ed Harper
11.00 – 18.00 Maritime Photographs – Pat Con O’Driscoll
12-00 – 16.00 Heritage Museum – Joan Kearney
12.00 Launch of Island BioBlitz 2016
12.30 – 15.30 Sea watch from the cliffs – Padraig Whooley, IWDG
14.00 – 18.00 Pelagic boat trip – Paul Connaughton
16-30 – 18.30 Fastnet Trip (low tide 17.26) – MJ Cadogan
21.00 – 22.00 Bird Observatory Log (daily record of wildlife sightings)
22-00 – 23.00 Bat walk and star gazing – Andrew Harrington
SUNDAY 12TH JUNE
08.00 – 10.00 Bird walk/ringing demonstration – Steve Wing
09.00 – 11.00 Opening of Moth traps – Eamon O’Donnell
10.30 – 12.30 Goat milking/husbandry – Ed Harper
11.00 – 18.00 Maritime Photographs – Pat Con O’Driscoll
12-00 – 16.00 Heritage Museum – Joan Kearney
12.00 FINISH of Island BioBlitz 2016
12.30 Winners of Island BioBlitz 2016 announced
14.00 – 16.00 Heritage walk – Diarmuid Ó Drisceoil
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