Spring is here, and whether you are planning on dusting off old interests, or picking up new ones, the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland team are here to recommend their favourite activities, books, films and podcasts for this time of year. We hope you find them as enjoyable and engaging as we did!
- Tim: two stellar books of late have been Heat by Bill Buford and A Garden from a Hundred Packets of Seed by James Fenton for those considering starting a garden!
- Anne: recently visited Dunmore East, and loved the beautiful cliff walk to Ballymacaw.
- Sara: suggests Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, for being equal parts hilarious and devastating.
- Louise: thoroughly recommends visiting as many local garden centres as possible. “My husband and I have our very own garden to plant a variety of flowers, fruits and veggies in this year, having previously had been confined to urban gardening on an apartment balcony. We are taking every opportunity to visit local garden centres and particularly recommend The Orchard Celbridge and Ratoath Garden Centre.”
- Gráinne: is aiming to start monthly aperitif afternoons with friends, featuring nibbles and a few drinks in the garden to celebrate the good weather.
- Babs: recommends A Cloud Where The Birds Rise by Michael Harding with illustrations by Jacob Stack. It’s a book “about the moments in life of love and belonging, shared lives and losses amidst the sweeping landscape of Ireland and all the beauty that this life has to offer us all!”
- Sophie: would suggest going on a solo yoga retreat. Sophie recently did one herself and found it stretched her physical and mental flexibility, and pushed her out of her comfort zone.
- Joan: recently hiked the Spinc in Glendalough and would highly recommend it! Steep climbs are rewarded with stunning views and ever-changing terrain. Get there early and park in the upper car park in Glendalough for the quickest access and stop in the Wicklow Heather in Laragh for lunch afterwards.
- Tanya: advocates starting your morning with some energising music, like Chopin’s Finlandia op. 26 and Polonaise in A-Flat Major.
- Darren: advocates for exploring all that Cork has to offer, and is planning more trips to Cork’s beaches himself
- Éabha: recommends The Worst Person in the World for its great storytelling and visuals and “how much it’ll make you want to visit Oslo!”. She also said that Joyce exhibition in the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) is well worth a visit.
- Ciara: suggests buying yourself and your friend’s flowers! With the weather swinging wildly between rain and sunshine, having tulips in a vase means you can always enjoy the colours of the season, regardless of how hard it is bucketing down outside.
- Lydia: recommends keeping an eye on the Whelans and Olympia websites for smaller gigs, where you can listen to brilliant music for a reasonable price.
