Notions and necessities: From fairy-tree gin to street parties, sculpture and floral displays, it’s all here

Festival of friendship

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (dlr) County Council is hosting its annual Festival of Inclusion, which runs until May 26 — an opportunity to celebrate social inclusion initiatives. This year’s theme is Building Friendships in the Community. The programme includes activities, exhibitions, performances, talks, coffee mornings, training events, seminars and workshops, with over 70 events in total. LH

See dlrcoco.ie

NOTION

Riverside delights

The River Lee Hotel in Cork has just launched Solstice at the River Club, a floral installation created by Fox Flowers, on their riverside terrace. They have partnered with Peroni to create a new summer drinks menu for their terrace, and will be hosting three brunch events there with live music and cocktails, on June 8, July 13 and August 10. LH

For bookings, see theriverclubcork.ie or tel: (021) 493-7772

NECESSITY

Hail Hilary

Hilary Heron: A Retrospective, an exhibition of some 60 works celebrating the work of modernist sculptor Hilary Heron (1923 – 1977) will open at IMMA this Friday, May 24. The first major retrospective of the Dublin-born sculptor’s work since 1964, this exhibition intends to correct the ways that her work has been overlooked in Irish and international histories of modern sculpture. The exhibition brings together work from national and international collections, including carvings, welding and castings. Heron was a master welder, a practice highly unusual for an Irish artist, let alone a woman in the 1950s. LH

See imma.ie

NOTION

A sporting read

For anyone interested in a quality sports read from further afield, Fine Margins is an online shop for books and magazines. It gets well-loved and niche titles delivered to your door, taking care of all the customs and postage details that can prove off-putting. Titles cover cycling, boxing, tennis, cricket and more, including Rouleur, The Links Diary and Glory, as well as a growing library of sports books. SC

See finemargins.ie

NECESSITY

Fishy fishy dishy

The latest beautifully illustrated and easy-to-follow publication from Blasta Books is Whole Catch, written by Aishling Moore of Goldie seafood restaurant in Cork and focusing on fish. Start small with accompaniments such as bread and butter pickles or preserved anchovies, and soon you’ll be following the diagrams to prepare a whole hake or squid. SC

€15, published by Blasta Books

NOTION

Street people

Street Feast, the country’s weekend of street parties and community celebrations, takes place next Saturday and Sunday, on May 25 and 26. In previous years, community parties have taken place in front gardens, on streets and greens, in car parks, laneways, community centres and local parks. LH

For more, see streetfeast.ie

NECESSITY

Berry boost

Switch up your regular Revive Active supplements for summer with the maker’s new Zest Active Berry Burst, with vitamins and minerals that promise to help with energy, immunity, brain and muscle function. Gives new meaning to bikini-ready. Always consult your GP before starting supplements. SC

€34.95 for one-month supply, available nationwide

NOTION

Away with the fairies

The nutty note in Fairy Tree Gin comes from the addition of dried leaves from the wild hawthorn that surrounds the farm in Co Tipperary where it is distilled. The hawthorn, also known as the fairy tree, also gives this gin its name and when each small batch is complete, a cup is left out overnight for na sí to enjoy. Enjoyable for humans too with tonic and a citrus twist. SC

€35, The Celtic Whiskey Shop, D2, or see tipperarydistillery.ie