Outdoors - Irish Examiner

Sign in

Logo IE
Outdoor Trails

Discover the great outdoors on Ireland's best walking trails

<p>Scientists in Austria are investigating the potential of the human heart and circulatory system to solve the problem of energy loss by liquid swirling through pipes. Picture: iStock</p>

outdoors

This one scientific advance could help reduce energy use and bills. The key is the human heart

Small science can beat Big Tech at finding solutions to the real problems facing the planet

<p>Some university campuses include important local ecosystems, an example being University College Cork which has extensive areas of natural habitats on campus.</p>

outdoors

Artificial intelligence can’t replace the benefits of nature intelligence

<p>Autumn is time to turn back time. </p>

outdoors

Whose bright idea was it that the clocks should go backwards?

Ireland

outdoors

Tough old birds: Resourceful crows are true survivors

Researchers read one of Herculaneum's 'lost' carbonised scrolls in full for first time

outdoors

Scientists decipher charred ancient scrolls buried by Vesuvius

Naomi Klein, a renowned Canadian author, social activist,

outdoors

‘Big tech’s lapdog’: How can Ireland break free from the sector’s malign influence?

Close-up of farmer holding potato at farm

outdoors

Under threat: Weather proving a problem for potato growing

coconut crab

outdoors

Enduring mystery: Giant crabs the latest lead in hunt for Amelia Earhart

Here are the best places to go pumpkin-picking in Ireland this Halloween

outdoors

Here are the best places to go pumpkin-picking in Ireland this Halloween

Heads or tails, 3D printing can make fish waste appetising

Heads or tails, 3D printing can make fish waste appetising

Beril Bayrak is a PhD student at Munster Technological University, Cork

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Belt holes or BMI? Experts must weigh up best way to talk about obesity

Belt holes or BMI? Experts must weigh up best way to talk about obesity

‘Displaying nutritional information and communicating it effectively are not quite the same thing’

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Forest fire

Learning from the past: Australia’s wildfire crisis was shaped by colonialism

Climate change is making wildfires more dangerous but heat alone does not decide how a landscape burns. Fuel, vegetation and decades, or even centuries, of land management matter too

Sat, 10 Oct, 2026

Tall Ash tree

Under threat: Securing the future of our elm and ash trees

Urgent action is needed to protect the small number of our elm and ash trees that are resisting two devastating diseases

Fri, 09 Oct, 2026

FRANCE-WEATHER-TORNADO

Heatwaves, drought and then a tornado: France fraught over extreme weather stress

Rare supercell twister that ripped through a quiet village exposed common vulnerabilities

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

House model wrapped in scarf on radiator winter energy, heating and insulation background

Cutting fuel taxation in the budget does nothing to cure the disease

Households need help to break free from home heating oil for good

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

Sky Matters: Gaining perspective by using objects visible in the October sky

Sky Matters: Gaining perspective by using objects visible in the October sky

Maps provide perspective but once we move from maps of Earth to a map of the galaxy, the Earth becomes almost vanishingly small and map projections lose their relevance. So perhaps we can consider perspective based on comparisons beyond the Earth

Sat, 03 Oct, 2026

Hedgehog, Scientific name: Erinaceus Europaeus. Wild, native, European hedgehog at dusk, foraging on a fallen log in wet, Autu

The usual suspects: Small, spiky and surprisingly mysterious

Over the next few weeks, if something starts crashing around beneath the hedge after dark, it may be a local hedgehog, spending its nights eating as much as possible before disappearing into its winter nest

Fri, 02 Oct, 2026

spraying pesticide with portable sprayer to eradicate garden weeds in the lawn. weedicide spray on the weeds in the garden. Pest

Residual risk: Concern over industry-friendly pesticides package

Critics are warning against proposals to give pesticides longer, or potentially unlimited, approvals with implications for health, children, drinking water, farming and biodiversity

Thu, 01 Oct, 2026

92641

Nat Geo scientist warns of rapid decline in African wildlife in new documentary

'We’ve lost 75–80% of all wildlife on the continent and it’s pretty much the same globally'

Wed, 30 Sep, 2026

Nepal Flash Floods

If we don’t listen to the science on climate change, can we at least hear its victims?

The stories of people whose lives, livelihoods and cultures have been destroyed should resonate clearly with Ireland’s famine past

Mon, 28 Sep, 2026

Nature is our most critical infrastructure but it is being positioned as a hindrance

Nature is our most critical infrastructure but it is being positioned as a hindrance

Government should not only reserve legal designation for fast-tracking built projects but should extend it to nature too

Mon, 28 Sep, 2026

Moving with the times: Is there room for a greener commute?

Moving with the times: Is there room for a greener commute?

As we build more housing, proximity to public transport is not the key influence when it comes to trying to reduce car dependence. It's the supply of public transport services in terms of frequency, reliability, and capacity that matters most

Fri, 25 Sep, 2026

Outdoor School Group Of Diverse Children Studying Together In Green Field

Education is key: Heritage scheme hopes to turn learning into action

Children everywhere are being invited to take part in the National Heritage Keepers Programme so as to discover and protect the natural, built and cultural heritage on their doorstep

Thu, 24 Sep, 2026

Turf block piles, industrial peat extraction on a raised bog landscape, nature destruction in the Venner Moor, Lower Saxony, Ger

Ireland’s peatland paradox: Restoring bogs while commercial extraction continues

The taxpayer is helping fund rehabilitation to undo decades of drainage on one set of bogs, while environmental authorities are simultaneously having to pursue unauthorised commercial extraction on others

Fri, 18 Sep, 2026

Kennel dogs locked

Pet peeve: Dog owners can make mistakes from day one

People often fail to give sufficient thought to what they are taking on when choosing a pet which in turn can lead to problems down the road

Thu, 17 Sep, 2026

Portrait of female standing near open fridge full of healthy food, vegetables and fruits.

Donal Hickey: Let’s stop and think to avoid wasting food

The EPA says households could save upwards of €60 per month by making small changes in how they buy, store and cook food. If people are thinking about waste, they will do something to prevent it

Thu, 10 Sep, 2026

Croagh Patrick

Michelle McKeown: Stronger source-to-sea approach needed to protect our oceans

Our relationship with the ocean does not begin at the beach. It begins in upland bogs, farm drains, city streets, groundwater and small streams. And what happens on land can have very real consequences at sea

Thu, 10 Sep, 2026

Saturn moon Enceladus in front of planet Saturn, rings and other moons

Sky Matters: Active research into enduring and complex question

It’s one of humanities greatest questions: are we alone? And in the 50 years since the 1976 Viking landings on Mars, the question of life in the universe has become so much more complex

Sun, 06 Sep, 2026

Large crowds expected for 54th Irish Hot Air Balloon Championships

Large crowds expected for 54th Irish Hot Air Balloon Championships

First established in 1971, the championships have grown from hosting a handful of hot air balloons to more than 40 participating last year.

Sun, 06 Sep, 2026

Bouquet of flowers in vase

Best buds: Just how green is your wedding bouquet?

Weddings are never an exercise in environmental perfection. But there are a few simple choices we can make that can lessen the environmental footprint of our big day without lessening the beauty of the occasion.

Sat, 05 Sep, 2026

FRANCE-MOUNTAIN-SANCY-AUGUST-2025

Groundhog day: Call for end to hunting of French marmots

Shooting marmots is permitted from September 1 each year in France, however, animal rights activists do not approve and are calling on the French government to prohibit such hunting on humane grounds

Fri, 04 Sep, 2026

SCOTLAND Hedgehogs 1

Urban crawl: Number of hedgehogs in cities spikes

Urban populations appear relatively stable, highlighting the critical role that suburban gardens, parks, and other managed green spaces play in hedgehog survival

Thu, 03 Sep, 2026

Sargassum seaweed in Mayan Riviera and Cancun beach on Caribbean,

Too much of a good thing: Why sargassum has become such a problem

Offshore sargassum is extremely valuable as nurseries and refuges, providing shelter and food for fish, crabs, seabirds and young sea turtles, Near shore, however, excessive quantities can lower oxygen levels, block light and smother seagrass, corals and other marine life

Fri, 28 Aug, 2026

Dodo Bird

Bird-brained: Research debunks long-held beliefs about dodos

Was the dodo really the overweight, intellectually-challenged slob of popular opinion? A new study suggests not

Fri, 28 Aug, 2026

Hikes and trails: Sit in Synge's Chair on defiantly traditional and tranquil Inishmaan

Hikes and trails: Sit in Synge's Chair on defiantly traditional and tranquil Inishmaan

Untroubled by the daily pressures of tidal tourism, Inishmaan continues as an authentic outpost of Gaelic culture where Irish defiantly persists as an everyday language

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

British Berry Growers Blackberry Spotlight

Donal Hickey: Blackberries ripe and 'ready for the bucket'

People of all ages, often three or more generations together, are out harvesting and moving along the ditches as brambles are well-laden with blackberries ready for picking

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

Lunar eclipse to make moon glow red later this week — here's when to see it in Ireland

Lunar eclipse to make moon glow red later this week — here's when to see it in Ireland

Early risers will be rewarded as the shadow of Earth will make the moon glow red before dawn

Tue, 25 Aug, 2026

Pet rat

Rat trap: Much of what we blame on rodents is our own doing

Rats are dirty. They contaminate food stores, spread disease and damage buildings. But we have only ourselves to blame for their ubiquitous presence

Sat, 22 Aug, 2026

Herd Of Holstein Friesian Cattle

Farming bailouts a barrier to climate-resilient food system

Farmers need and deserve wide public support however that support is under increasing strain and will not last while the focus of the industry is on maintaining business as usual

Sat, 22 Aug, 2026

A real buzzkill: Ecological change and the potential threat from mosquitoes

A real buzzkill: Ecological change and the potential threat from mosquitoes

Mosquito-borne disease is not a major public-health problem here. But a new Irish review suggests we should not assume that will always remain the case

Fri, 21 Aug, 2026

A Peacock butterfly sitting on Lavender flowers in the sunshine in Hampshire, UK

Donal Hickey: Plants to help our under-threat butterflies

Since 2008, when systemic monitoring of the butterfly population began, there’s been a steep decline, with habitat loss being a critical issue

Fri, 21 Aug, 2026

Dollars Yen Pounds Euros Financial Washout

Paradise lost: Tourist taxes and the price of visiting beautiful places

There is a strong argument that tourists should contribute towards maintaining the places they enjoy. Properly designed taxes can raise substantial sums for conservation, infrastructure and public services. But revenue raised is not an environmental outcome and its what happens afterwards is real the problem

Sat, 15 Aug, 2026

Woolly Rhinoceros

Wisdom teeth: Rhino remains cast light on Neanderthals' resourcefulness

‘Grizzly’ Neanderthals have been depicted as brutal and sub-human. They were deemed to have been artistically challenged. However, paintings left by them on the walls of caves suggest otherwise

Fri, 14 Aug, 2026

Buff-tip moth

Wild Matters: Farmer-led initiative helping reveal the magic of moths

The Farmer Moth Monitoring Project is opening our eyes to the world of moths, helping us to appreciate and value these secret inhabitants of our ecosystems

Fri, 14 Aug, 2026

DENIS SCANNELL

Donal Hickey: Local dismay over delays to Killarney sewage plant works

Concerns are growing as essential work to upgrade the town’s underperforming sewage treatment plant will not now take place before 2030

Thu, 13 Aug, 2026

1/8/2008 Solar Eclipses

Solar eclipse in Ireland FAQ: Weather, times, viewing events, and where to get solar glasses

A solar eclipse is a celestial event that occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, obscuring the view of the sun from a small part of Earth, totally or partially

Wed, 12 Aug, 2026

Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus, male bird perching

More than half of Earth’s migratory bird species are declining — here’s how we can save them

A bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) leaves its breeding grasslands of North America for the Pampas of South America

Sun, 09 Aug, 2026

Hikes and trails: Enjoy an easy ramble back through the centuries at Portumna Forest

Hikes and trails: Enjoy an easy ramble back through the centuries at Portumna Forest

The quicksilver waters of the Shannon sparkling vividly through the trees at Bonaveen Point is undoubtedly the high point of this three-hour route around this leafy forest trail

Fri, 07 Aug, 2026

Donal Hickey: Warm Atlantic waters attract exotic creatures to our shores

Donal Hickey: Warm Atlantic waters attract exotic creatures to our shores

Our coasts, especially in the south and west, have been seeing more sharks

Thu, 06 Aug, 2026

Adder, Vipera berus

Richard Collins: We have an ancestral fear of snakes — the feeling is mutual

I encountered a snake swimming in the French Basque region’s Huchet River last month. We have an ancestral fear of snakes; the fixed stare of a serpent’s cold eye spooks us

Thu, 06 Aug, 2026

Festivals can make it easy to be sustainable — here's how

Festivals can make it easy to be sustainable — here's how

All Together Now felt culturally self-assured, imaginative and proudly local. A festival ambitious enough to put Irish talent at its centre should be equally ambitious about protecting the landscape hosting it

Wed, 05 Aug, 2026

'Knowledge is power': Showing off the undersea wonders of Cork Harbour

'Knowledge is power': Showing off the undersea wonders of Cork Harbour

A new marine experience has opened up on Cork's coast, spearheaded by local man Dave Quinlan, who tells MARGARET DONNELLAN how the fishing industry has helped provide many of the fascinating exhibits

Mon, 03 Aug, 2026

AI-altered images on birdwatching forums are putting research at risk

Experts warn increase in enhanced photos on birding platforms creating fake sightings, threatening credibility of tool used by scientists

Sun, 02 Aug, 2026

Car driving on winding road through lush green valley at sunset

Going electric won’t clean up our hedgerows. So what can be done?

We tend to treat hedges as attractive boundaries, but they are busy doing a lot of work. They provide food and shelter for wildlife, connect fragmented habitats, store carbon, and slow water moving across the landscape. Beside roads, their leaves and branches can also intercept airborne particles

Sat, 01 Aug, 2026

Get ready for two rare astronomical events — on the same day

Get ready for two rare astronomical events — on the same day

On August 12, we will have the opportunity, weather permitting, to view the deepest eclipse of the sun by the moon until 2090. That’s 64 years, or almost three generations

Fri, 31 Jul, 2026

Scene & Heard

Newsletter

From music and film to books and visual art, explore the best of culture in Munster and beyond. Selected by our Arts Editor and delivered weekly.