Weekend Loves: Reframing women's stories at Cork City Library - and GodKnows opens the LSAD Graduate Show

Ruth O'Connor's guide to inspiring ideas and beautiful things

ActionAid Ireland's Women by Women exhibition opens at Cork City Library on June 8

Women by Women photo exhibition reframes women’s stories

The ActionAid Ireland charity brings its Women by Women photography exhibition, which celebrates female trailblazers across the world, to Cork City Library this month. 

The exhibition, developed by ActionAid, showcases women on the frontlines of climate change who have overcome obstacles to become leaders in their community. 

The photos include those of a local women’s oyster farm in Senegal, a volunteer firefighter in Bangladesh, and a young Palestinian woman who sells desserts in the West Bank. 

All photography is by talented local female photographers. Women by Women launches in Cork City Library at 1pm on June 8 and runs for one month,

• actionaid.ie

The Collective jewellery store and Silver Works studio celebrates five years in business.

Get creative at the Silver Works jewellery studios

Silver Works is a bit of a hidden gem just perfect for anyone who wants to learn or develop skills in jewellery making.

Recently celebrating five years in business, the studios are tucked away across an incredible four floors at The Collective – a beautiful jewellery shop on Dublin’s Drury Street stocking Irish and international jewellery designs at a wide range of prices. 

Not only is the shop a great place to pick up a gorgeous piece of contemporary jewellery, but crafty folk of all skill levels can take part in workshops that range from a 2.5 hour ‘carve your own ring from wax’ workshop to a more detailed five-week jewellery making course. 

Get playful with mouldable silver clay or make your own wedding bands – owner Madeleine Blaine has created a welcoming hive of creativity and craft.

• thecollective.ie

Bring the kitchen outside with Lidl's affordable outdoor pizza oven.

Dough not miss out on Lidl’s outdoor pizza oven

With the good weather set to continue (fingers crossed) now is a great time to take the kitchen outdoors with Lidl’s new portable outdoor pizza oven priced at just €76.99. 

Create your own crispy woodfired pizzas for a fraction of the cost of a takeaway from your local restaurant with this portable oven that is perfect for even small outdoor spaces. 

Made from powder-coated steel with a removable pizza stone, this pizza oven is a fraction of the cost of similar designer options. 

Use charcoal or briquettes and the built-in thermometer to help get the perfect results. 

Available in Lidl stores nationwide while stocks last.

• lidl.ie

"Unit 21" young rebels Patrick Holohan and Matthew Murphy on Vinegar Hill, ahead of the 1798 Rebellion re-enactment. Photograph: Patrick Browne.

Wexford commemorates 225 years since the 1798 Rebellion

This summer sees 225 years since the 1798 Rebellion and Wexford is going all out with an exciting series of events including a battle reenactment at Enniscorthy Bridge and a Rebellion Day battle encampment. 

There will be lots of different events taking place including public talks and guided walks. 

Events include ‘The Ideals of Revolution: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité – how the French Revolution influenced the Irish Rebellion’ on June 9, and a rebel camp showcase on June 18 featuring blacksmith and cookery demonstrations. 

Events will culminate on June 21 with a public commemoration of the 1798 Battle of Vinegar Hill on the hill itself,

• visitwexford.ie/rebellion

GodKnows: Limerick hip-hop lifer helps open the LSAD Graduate Show

Students get to the heart of design in LSAD graduate show

The Limerick School of Art and Design TUS Graduate Show kicks off today at 3pm at the Clare Street Campus in the city showcasing the incredible work of this year’s graduates across disciplines including fashion, graphics, film, fine art, design, sculpture, photography and digital media. 

The annual show is the culmination of years of hard work and creative development by this group of international and Irish graduates and has become something of a cultural highlight on Limerick’s calendar. 

With the show tackling themes including propaganda and nostalgia through the lens of the war in Ukraine, the ecological crisis and consumer excess, the exhibition promises to be a thought-provoking opportunity for members of the public to engage with the work of some of Ireland’s most talented up-and-coming artists and designers. 

Following the official opening by God Knows Jonas, Artist and MD of Narolane Records, the exhibition opens to members of the public at 3pm today and runs until Sunday, June 1, from 10am to 5pm daily.

• www.lsadgraduates.ie

Cahirsiveen native Amy Conroy stars in Every Brilliant Thing at the Abbey

A beautiful, brilliant thing at the Abbey

Cahersiveen actor Amy Conroy stars in the excellent one-person show Every Brilliant Thing which returns to the Peacock stage this month with previews from Friday, June 9. 

This tender and thought-provoking show written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe in 2013 returns to the Abbey Theatre following its debut there during the restrictions of the Covid pandemic. 

The play is about a child whose mother lives with depression. 

The child devises a list of joyful little things in life from birdsong and ice-cream to the smell of old books in order to help them both cope. 

This is a positive and heartfelt look at family, love and resilience and a sunnier take than expected on a very serious topic. 

A beautiful play about the human capacity for optimism and resilience,

• abbeytheatre.ie