AN Irish vessel is playing a central role in important research into cod stocks in the North Atlantic, which is beginning to show signs of hope for the endangered species.

THE belief that animals can give signs to humans of impending death is still strong in folk traditions internationally, including our own.

A LONG-HORNED king of the hills, which must have been bemused by the curiosity of thousands of humans over the weekend, will today be returned to his fastness in the Kerry mountains.

OF the thousands of people out walking during the bank holiday, some will choose bogs and general peatland areas, but how many really understand how unique that landscape is?

IRELAND, especially the south and west coasts, is now regarded among the best places in the world for watching whales, dolphins, sharks and many other large sea creatures.

GIVEN the millions of cubic metres of rain that have fallen this summer, it can be difficult to get across the fact that water — no matter how plentiful it appears to be — is a precious resource.

WE’VE come a long way from the days when cod liver oil was dosed in unwelcome spoonfuls to children and carrageen moss was sampled by ageing grandmothers, who seemed to find it more palatable than we did the oil.

THE flooding that devastated parts of Cork and other places was unexpected, coming as it did in the final days of June.

ANYONE who has ever taken part in a local litter clean-up knows wrappers for sweets, chocolate, biscuits, crisps and chips account for a large amount of the rubbish that blights the countryside.

THE upland countryside where the counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick meet continues to be a place where rare and threatened species of wildlife can still be found.