LSL News Archives - Page 34 of 59

LSL News

Housing Education Bursary Scheme 2022

Recent years have seen significant developments in the areas of housing delivery and policy, and the Housing Agency amplifies this with its Housing Education Bursary Scheme, which has just launched for the 2022/2023 academic year. Housing professionals play a key role in shaping future developments in the sector, and the Housing Agency is committed to supporting the education, training, and development of these housing practitioners, as well as those interested…

Positive market conditions for beef

The latest prime export benchmark price of €5.06/kg, is now 27c/kg ahead of the prime Irish composite price of €4.79/kg indicating positive conditions for Irish beef. However, factories are not reflecting the strength of the market in prices paid to farmers. IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said supplies of prime cattle are tight and all market indicators bode well for Irish beef. Beef price update 12 August, 2022 Steer base…

Artist Jill Quigley hones in on architectural space in ‘Builds’

Donegal artist Jill Quigley is exhibiting at the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, from 16 to 20 August. Her focus is on photography and installation, which she uses “to inhabit and imprint upon architectural space.” Her project, on show during Heritage Week, examines basic mark-marking in architectural space, where photographic material of interior walls being painted is taped to a wall and painted with similar techniques and tools. She explains further:…

Irish organic producers target export growth

Bord Bia is on track to deliver several projects in the autumn to best support future growth in Irish organic production. These include a project to quantify the volume of Irish organic produce available for both the domestic retail sector and for export. This insight will enable Bord Bia to plan targeted lead generation and promotional activities in 2023. Meanwhile, in early autumn, Bord Bia will present the results of…

‘Recent Works: Donations, Acquisitions, Commissions’ – Waterford

Key recent works, newly gifted, purchased or commissioned by the Waterford Gallery of Art (WGOA) and the Waterford Arts Office are on exhibition at the gallery until 3 September, 2022. Much of the work on show for ‘Recent Works: Donations, Acquisitions, Commissions’ has rarely been seen on public display. Exhibiting these significant additions to the Waterford Collection of Art acknowledges the generosity and foresight of those that have helped to…

Farming and agri sector should remain united – McConalogue

Speaking at The Tullamore Show this past weekend, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said that, “It will be a decade of change for the sector, but the bedrock will continue to be high-quality dairy, beef and sheep proteins, as well as our tillage crops for the net 10, 20 and 30 years plus.” In the face of this, he added that it is important that, “We as a farming and…

Events galore during National Heritage Week

National Heritage Week is in full swing. This initiative by the Heritage Council celebrates all aspects of Ireland’s heritage, and unites communities, families and cultural institutions to build awareness about the value of heritage and support its conservation. The week’s calendar features a huge number events – so there’s plenty to see and do. Take your pick of a range of interesting activities. Here are some upcoming events to consider:…

Dublin Horse Show Public Judging Competition is now digital

The Public Judging Competition, which is synonymous with the Dublin Horse Show, has gone digital. This year the competition will run over 2 or 3 classes on each day of the five-day event, which takes place from Wednesday, 17 August to Sunday, 21 August, 2022. The competition is open to everyone, and provides visitors with the opportunity to demonstrate their extensive equine knowledge. Gone are the days of writing down…

Ireland ranks ninth for cost of living – Numbeo

Numbeo, the world’s largest cost of living database, has released mid-year 2022 statistics that rank countries around the world across a range of categories. Numbeo is also a crowd-sourced global database of quality of life data: housing indicators, perceived crime rates, healthcare quality, transport quality, and other statistics. Of the 42 countries assessed in Europe for the mid-year 2022 report, Ireland is at ninth spot for cost of living. Switzerland,…

Creative Land Sand Stone Art Festival

Responsible Fishing UK will host a Land Sand Stone Art Festival 2022 to celebrate Bridlington’s coastline through creative connections to nature on 9 September, 2022. The event will feature land artists from across the UK and beyond. They include James Brunt, Julia Brooklyn, Sean Corcoran, James Craig Page, Jon Foreman, Mark Antony Haden Ford, Tim Pugh, Richard Shilling, and Laurence Winram. Responsible Fishing UK is a small but perfectly formed…

Status orange thunderstorm and fire warning

On the back of another heatwave, and despite the national weather forecaster’s issuing a status orange thunderstorm warning for yesterday and today, the Department of Agriculture has released an orange forest fire warning which is in effect until noon tomorrow (Tuesday). The effective period of the high fire risk warning expires at noon on 16 August, 2022. A consequence of current weather patterns, a high fire risk is deemed to…

Beef sector should be a celebrated

“What’s on show today is testament to the passion, commitment and investment of farmers who take great pride in what they produce. Contrary to some commentary about livestock farming, we should celebrate what they do, not denigrate it,” said IFA President Tim Cullinan at yesterday’s (Sunday’s) Tullamore Show and FBD National Livestock Show. “The Food Vision beef sub group is currently looking at proposals for the future of the sector.…

Ensure safe consumption of duck eggs – FSAI

The Food and Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) issued a statement on the safe consumption of duck eggs this month. The eggs are available on the Irish retail market and are often used by some people as alternatives to hen’s eggs in the cooking and baking process. While producers are responsible for ensuring the safety of food placed on the market, sometimes incidents involving duck eggs and Salmonella have been…

Tractor pulling, truck show, wrestling at Dualla Show

The Dualla Show offers an affordable family day out in the heart of Tipperary on Sunday, 28 August, 2022 – basically a fun-filled day with plenty of events and surprises for all ages. The organisers hope to present something of interest for everyone and the day will feature livestock, showjumping, a truck show, live music, tractor pulling, gardening and cookery demos, free circus, free kids zone, food village, exhibitors and much…

‘Puffins Galore’ punts Visit Yorkshire campaign

Whether you call it a colony, a puffinry, a circus, a burrow, a gathering, or an improbability, ‘Puffins Galore!’ has arrived. Forty-two artist-decorated sculptures can be seen all along the Yorkshire coast from Bempton to Spurn Point, with a cheeky few migrating inland. With their brightly coloured bill, striking black and white plumage, orange legs and comical waddle, puffins are some of the world’s best-loved seabirds. They are also seriously threatened…

Tree budding and propagation event

Teagasc will host a tree budding and propagation event at Kildalton College, Piltown, Co. Kilkenny on Wednesday, 17 August, 2022 at 11am and 2pm. With growing demand for young and semi-mature trees, there is scope for new and developing growers in this potentially lucrative sector. The farm gate value of amenity plants produced in Ireland in 2019 was estimated to be €37.8 million. In 2021 the amenity sector was valued…

Residential property prices are up

The latest statistics released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that residential property prices increased by 14.1% nationally in the year to June 2022. This compares with an increase of 14.4% in the year to May 2022 and an increase of 6.8% in the 12 months to June 2021. In Dublin, residential property prices saw an increase of 11.8% in the year to June 2022, while property prices outside…

Economic Pulse falls in July

A pullback in consumer and business confidence dragged the Economic Pulse lower in July 2022. The Bank of Ireland Economic Pulse came in at 70.2. The index combines the results of the Consumer and Business Pulses, and the latest figures reflect a 17-month low. The outcome is due to households feeling the pinch from inflation and fretting about the economy as well as firms being more circumspect about business activity.…

Funding allocated to improve 446 walking trails

Almost €1 million has been set aside to support and improve around 446 walking trails across the country. This was announced by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, on 10 August, 2022. Some of the walking trails subject to grant funding include The East Clare Way in Co. Clare, Beara Way in Co. Cork and Kerry, Leitrim Way in Co. Leitrim, Land of the Giants in Co.…

Online FSP portal open for the proposed ACRES scheme

The FSP portal (Farm Sustainability Plan) is now available for use. The online function aims to support farmers and advisors by providing crucial farm level data for the preparation of draft plans and applications. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. made the announcement. The portal will enable ACRES advisors to start the process of developing farm plans in preparation for the submission of applications under…

Reasons to be hot under the collar this week

Feeling hot under the collar took on new meaning in Ireland this week as temperatures reached their highest in more than 25 years yesterday. Met Éireann pegged Oakpark, Co Carlow for the provisional highest temperature on Thursday with 30.4 degrees. It hasn’t been this hot since 2 August, 1995 when the recorded temperature was 31.5 degrees. In fact it hasn’t exceeded 30 degrees since August 2003. Other areas with higher…

Music, theatre and visual arts at Clifden Arts Festival

Clifden Arts Festival always aims to be a great celebration of all the arts, and the annual event returns to the heart of Connemara from 15 to 25 September, 2022. One of the longest running community arts festivals in Ireland, this 45th showcase will include poetry readings, lectures, recitals, traditional music, concerts, comedy and more. The organisers promise that audiences can expect a high-quality artistic programme with superb literary, musical…

Cost of inputs wipes out profits – CSO

Farm commodities are getting better prices now, but unprecedented increases in the cost of inputs are wiping out profits, according to CSO figures. Prices paid to farmers are up nearly 30%, but the hike in input costs is running at 40%. IFA Farm Business Chair Rose Mary McDonagh said. “It’s simply just not sustainable at current levels, and the fear is where costs will go in the months ahead with…

Tourism figures are up, but constraints mar the sector’s continued recovery

The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) monthly tourism dashboard was released yesterday, 11 August, 2022. Data for July indicates that the sector’s recovery continues to gather pace, but concerns remain about the pace of recovery beyond the summer season. CEO of ITIC, Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, said that “July data shows that for the first time since pre-pandemic, Ireland had over 1 million monthly visitors, which is very encouraging, however supply…

‘Anne Yeats: The Everyday Fantastic’

The National Gallery of Ireland is hosting the ‘Anne Yeats: The Everyday Fantastic’ exhibition until 9 October, 2022. It highlights the creativity, experimentation and process in Yeats’s art practice across a number of decades. Moving between traditional and modern worlds, Yeats was interested in both the everyday and the fantastic. As the chief designer for the Abbey Theatre and founding member of both Graphic Studio and Aosdána, Yeats’s important contribution…

IFA pre-Budget 2023 submission

The IFA is calling on Government to introduce a series of tangible measures, outside funding purely diverted from CAP, pre-Budget 2023 to support Irish farm families in their efforts to boost on-farm sustainability – from economic, social and environmental perspectives. “Budget 2023 gives this Government the chance to demonstrate just how committed they really are to supporting the agri sector, and how much they truly understand the on-farm challenges arising…

Goal 13 Climate Action 2021 – CSO report

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has published its 13 report detailing Ireland’s progress towards meeting its targets under the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Commenting on the publication, Kevin McCormack, Senior Statistician, said: “This new report, Goal 13 Climate Action 2021, has data on eight indicators for Ireland, divided over two chapters: Climate and Strategy. Data are presented in categories such as gender, age group, vulnerable groups and geographical location,…

Spuds suffer under soaring temperatures

Soaring temperatures and the peak holiday period have caused retail sales and home consumption to plateau over the past week. However, the IFA says trade to the food service sector remains buoyant. Ireland has experienced two heatwaves in less than a month. This is likely to have an impact on maincrop yields as drought conditions kick in. Late-planted crops will be worst affected. There are numerous reports indicating that crops…

Past, Present, Future – Iteration III

Iteration III of Past, Present, Future, an ongoing installation project by artist Catherine McDonald, is on at the LAB Gallery in Dublin until 27 August, 2022. Each iteration of this work unfolds the narrative of five clay creatures and their journey to achieve immortality. Their goal is to fuse their bodies to the planet through fossilization and to combine themselves with flora in the hope of successful reproduction. This way, they will…

Food Structure and Functionality Symposium

The fifth Food Structure and Functionality Symposium will take place from 18 to 21 September, 2022. It will be hosted at The Clayton Hotel in Cork City, Cork. The theme is “Structuring Foods for a Sustainable World”. The event is organised by Elsevier and the Food Structure Functionality Forum (FSFF). The symposium will bring together renowned speakers from across academia and industry, including those at the forefront of cutting-edge food science…