Weekend Loves: Traditional tunes and Pride-month colour

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

The colourful LGBTQ Bar by Bean and Goose in support of the Outhouse Centre

Bean and Goose chocolate bar with a sprinkle of Pride

For this year’s Pride, Bean and Goose have teamed up with Outhouse to create the limited edition LGBTQ+ Bar — with all profits going to the Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre. 

The Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre in Dublin has a library, theatre, and event spaces and a cafe. 

The centre also provides services including peer support and social groups as well as support for LGBTQ+ refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. 

The LGBTQ+ Bar by Bean and Goose (€6.75) is an indulgent 70g solid bar of caramelised white chocolate infused with a smoky twist of lapsang tea and finished with a sprinkle of colourful floral petals and lavender. 

Available from
Outhouse, stockists nationwide, and online.

• beanandgoose.ie

Colourful furniture and accessories from Sostrene Grene

Pretty, practical and affordable — Søstrene Grene goes online

If, like us, you can’t walk past the door of a Søstrene Grene shop without buying a bunch of stuff you didn’t think you needed but simply must have, then you’ll be pleased to know that the Danish company recently launched an Irish online store. 

With an offering that’s somewhere in between Ikea and Tiger, it’s a terrific place to pick up affordable and on-trend homewares (we love the tableware, glassware, and planters) as well as art supplies, partyware, and picture frames. 

You’ll also find funky items of indoor and outdoor furniture and home textiles such as curtains, rugs, and cushions. The new website also features items such as jewellery and dried flower arrangements that aren’t available in the bricks-and-mortar stores. Oh, the temptation!

• sostrenegrene.com/ie

Charlie Bird's Climb with Charlie initiative will help fund complementary hotel breaks for those with Motor Neuron Disease

The iNUA hotel group offers R&R to people with Motor Neurone Disease

Owners of Cork’s Radisson Blu hotels, the iNUA Collection, has just announced a partnership with the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) to support those affected by MND thanks to funds raised from the Climb with Charlie initiative. 

The IMNDA and the iNUA Collection will provide complimentary hotel breaks to those living with MND and to their families in hotels across Ireland including the Tullamore Court Hotel, Hillgrove Hotel & Spa, and the five-star Muckross Park Hotel & Spa. 

Each location will offer guestrooms with fully accessible services, accessible dining venues and relaxation areas, along with tailored experiences based on guests’ needs in order to provide much needed time out, rest and respite.

• imnda.ie

Tunefest Dungarvan takes place this weekend with a wealth of traditional music from many of the country's most talented musicians and dancers

Traditional music takes over Dungarvan at Tunefest this weekend

The sunny southeast will be hopping this weekend as Tunefest Dungarvan takes over with concerts, outdoor performances, and sessions taking place in venues around the town. 

With headline gigs from the likes of folk act Dervish, Glasgow five-piece Ímar, and traditional ensemble Danú as well as instrumental workshops, pub sessions, Irish dancing, busking competitions, and book launches, the town will be the very best place in the country to experience outstanding traditional music this weekend.

• tunefest.ie

€10 each from the sale of these limited McWilliam Bags holdalls will go to LGBTQIA+ charity BelongTo.

Make a statement with BeLonG To x McWilliam Bags

Cork favourite, McWilliam Bags, has teamed up with BeLonG To in the design of a new limited-edition holdall in celebration of Pride 2023. 

BeLonG To is a national charity that works with LGBTQ+ young people to provide them with the care and resources they need through one-to-one support, schools training and a network of LGBTQ+ youth groups across Ireland. 

The exclusive new holdall features a rainbow-striped strap and the BeLonG To logo embroidered on the side to symbolise unity and individuality. The bags cost €85 with €10 from each sale going to BeLonG To.

• mcwilliambags.com

Ballyvolane House hosts Robert O'Byrne aka The Irish Aesthete for a wonderful evening conversation and dinner on Friday 30th June

The Irish Aesthete visits Ballyvolane House

This coming Friday, the beautiful Ballyvolane House in north Cork will play host to Robert O’Byrne, aka The Irish Aesthete, for what promises to be a fascinating evening combining history and great food. With some 37K followers on Instagram, the historian, writer, and presenter is renowned for his knowledge of the decorative arts as well as Ireland’s country estates, castles and gardens. 

Join O’Byrne for a Bertha’s Revenge cocktail (gin made on site) and a talk on the 80-acre gardens at Ballyvolane House. Why not stay for a three-course dinner or make a night of it with breakfast the next morning? It’s the perfect base to explore other local delights too including Anne’s Grove, Lismore Castle, Cappoquin House, and Mount Congreve. Tickets from €25. To book call 025-36349 or email [e-mail].

• ballyvolanehouse.ie