March 2017

Planting Trees for Song Thrushes

Me and Pad (see what I done there?) went down to his forest in East Cork to plant trees the other day. It’s a Sitka Spruce forest, set out in the mid nineties I think, and himself wants to plant other trees there, wherever they can get a hold, with a bit of light and a bit of rain and a bit of luck. The forest was thinned a couple of years ago and there are pockets of brightness here and there now, where his own seedlings might prosper.

Barry Proves Beyond Doubt He’s The King

A review in The Irish Examiner of Kevin Barry’s book of short stories, There Are Little Kingdoms, which was reissued by Cannongate in 2017. A typically masterful collection, brimming with soul, wit, and craft. Click here for photo.