The Nettle – A right of passage
Growing up in the countryside, it was almost a right of passage to be able to take a sting from a nettle and not complain. They were your enemy and your flailing cattle stick was useful to slice them down.
House Sparrow – Gealbhan binne – A bird in the hand
The House Sparrow has taken food from the hand of strangers in parks. It is found throughout Ireland, though it tends to live close to humans and farms and as a result there are still large areas where you do not find House Sparrows.
Alder – Fearnóg
This is common in damp areas in most parts of Ireland.
Where is the Sea? The curious case of sea-blindness
“The British Isles depend on the sea, but we who live here can suffer from sea-blindness, little realising how much our way of life is made possible through ships that bring goods and food, export our manufactured products, and provide the naval defence of our island.” These are the opening words of a book by…
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Faraway Hills are Grey
The comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has small cliffs that stretch across the landscape for months at a time.
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We are not from around here – Interstellar objects
Parts of the Earth may have originally been from another part of the galaxy, having crossed light years to form what we stand upon right now. This is the suggestion of research that says that the Milky Way should be full of flying rocks like Oumuamua, the interstellar asteroid that visited our solar system in…
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Tree Sparrow – Gealbhainn crann
There are less Tree Sparrows than in the past and you are more likely to find them in the east of Ireland.
Seamounts – The mountains that you cannot see
We have discovered thousands of previously uncharted underwater mountains, which are also known as seamounts. They are included in the most detailed map of the ocean floor ever produced.
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Wren – Dreolín
Due to St Stephen’s Day and the Wren rituals, this bird is extremely well known in Ireland. It is one of the 20 most common birds in Ireland and is found all over the country.
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The Drumlins and Vikings of Strangford Lough
Though Strangford Lough is a long way from Scandinavia, it has an impressive Viking heritage. The ford from Old Norse Strangr Fjörðr. But it was also host to a battle between two groups of Viking rivals.
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