Lifestyle Loves: The reading, viewing and adventures we enjoyed in September
Lifestyle Love: From fizzy drinks to driving tests, here's what we got up to in September
London day trips. I popped over to London for the day to see a West End matinee and forgot how easy it is to do. Granted, it's a long day, but it's worth it if you're looking for an adventure on a budget. We hopped on the 6am flight from Cork to London and were having breakfast on Duck&Waffle's 40th floor by 8.30am. We also fit in some shopping, sightseeing and an art gallery visit before curtain at 2.30pm. After the show, it was straight to the airport to catch the 9pm flight home.
Local drag. As part of this year's Culture Night, I grabbed a ticket for Camp Culture by Cork's leading drag haus, Mockie Ah!, and it was everything I hoped it would be and more. From high-end drag to burlesque, comedy, and jaw-dropping vocals, it was hard to believe that it was their Everyman debut. Curated by the renowned Candy Warhol, the event celebrated iconic queer inspirations. A topic that, in this current climate, is vital to showcase on a main stage, and judging by the love and energy in the room, the audience was very appreciative of doing so.
Married at First Sight. It's back and I'm hooked, yet again! Starring a former clown and the show's first deaf groom, the series has once again lived up to its Australian counterpart. So far, I'm pinning all of our hopes on Ross and Sacha, and Kieran and Kristina.
Lunch at Isaac's on MacCurtain Street is always a treat. The whole street is enjoyably bustling and trendy now. The food and atmosphere are great and there are plenty of other snack, fast-food and fine dining options on this strip now – and you'll definitely see 'half of Cork' passing by the windows too.
I got a gift of a Phalaenopsis (moth orchid) a good few years ago. It produced a lash of flowers and then sort of 'fainted'. It was alive but not thriving. I tried orchid food, wiping the leaves, and a few 'holidays' in different locations around the house but nothing worked. But then I got a tip to repot it and bury some chopped-up, dried banana skin in the base. I dried the banana skins in a baking bowl in the bottom of the oven when I was making dinner (and I ignored the snarky comments of 'oh god, what kind of food is that?' and 'please don't make us eat cooking experiment again'). It's early days now but it does look like there's an actual raceme (flower stalk) coming now. Maybe one living thing around here appreciates my cooking!
Weird I know but aren't the absolute best comedies the ones with sad bits in them? I'm thinking of the final Blackadder Goes Forth scene or the hospital memories scene in Frasier or too many times to count in Scrubs. Hacks is a newish comedy-drama and it's got the blend just right. There are biting put-downs, side-eye galore, clashes between Gen-Z and Boomer generations and many many costume changes. It's multi-award-winning with Emmys and Golden Globes under its belt. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are just comedic timing pros but the secondary characters are scarily credible too — I love everything about the supremely unhelpful assistant, Kayla (Megan Stalter) from her dire clothing and hairbands to her wild and deeply inappropriate enthusiasm.
Faro, Portugal. I jetted off to Faro with my mother and brother for a few days in the sun earlier this month. Direct flights from Cork Airport are a great gateway to this Portuguese port town and it is full of history, shopping and culture. It’s hard to beat a stroll through the shaded mosaiced streets — except perhaps a cold drink at the only bar on a nearby beachy island.
Only Murders in the Building on Disney Plus. Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez are back for the fourth season of this fun whodunit where the podcasters are investigating – you guessed it – another murder in their apartment building. Only Murders is the perfect viewing to unwind midweek, the murder-mystery element will keep you guessing, and the cameos are to die for.
Culture Night in Cork. I felt spoiled for choice when it came to his year’s Culture Night offerings in Cork City. I started off wandering the city’s streets and enjoying pop-up music and basketball matches before meeting friends in the English Market for more music and food. €10 for a grazing plate and a glass of red was not to be passed over and it was with full bellies that we set our sights on our next destination: Elizabeth Fort, where De Barracka were playing on home turf. My night ended in the Everyman, where Mockie Ah! put on a truly spectacular drag cabaret.
Taking part in the Echo Women's Mini Marathon this month was definitely a highlight. The atmosphere, the camaraderie... the pints in Goldbergs afterwards! A group of us walked/jogged/skipped to raise funds for The Irish Kidney Foundation and we had a ball doing it. Bring on 2025, we can't wait for next year.
Luigi Malones in Cork is our family's go-to for birthday celebrations and I always opt for the same tried and tested dishes, so I decided to go mad and mix it up a bit and go off script for our newest teenager's dinner in September. I'm glad I did, the Singapore Chicken was ridiculously good, I'm adding it to my favourites. No change in the dessert course though, we all went for the Toblerone Cheesecake. The gorgeous staff put a candle in one, and all sang happy birthday to our embarrassed newly minted 13-year-old. Pro tip - If you haven't tried their buffalo chicken wings, you're not living, friends. We order extra sauce to bring home. It's that good.
New crisps? I am there for it. I'm normally not a fan of prawn cocktail, but this drop from O'Donnell's changed my tune. They are ridiculously good, I recommend putting some in a bowl and hiding the rest of the bag though, because unless you have the willpower of Fr Matthew, you will devour them all. They came with the most beautiful flowers from The Crate too. Day made.
The new season of Grand Designs, a perfect distraction while doing the ironing.
The latest book from David Nicholls, You Are Here is full of heart and humour. Anne Enright's intergenerational masterpiece The Wren, The Wren is unsettling and compelling.
The moon over Garryvoe beach. Can't image a better place to be.
Gaeilge i mo Chroí, by Molly Nic Céile. After being a follower of Gaelgóir Molly Nic Céile's 'Gaeilge i mo Chroí' project for a few years now on social media, I'm about to sit down to read her first book, ar fáil anois. Part autobiography, part reader, this incrementally-paced dive into the language is perfect for foghlaimeóirí fásta, relaying her story and that of the modern Irish language in an easy-to-read, bilingual fashion, with more new Irish words and phrases being introduced in each chapter. Go hálainn ar fad.
Mo Léan, by Róis. It's shaping up to be another exciting autumn/winter for gigs and music releases close to home - Bricknasty, Gurriers and Bantum are among the ones to watch for - but I'm making downtime on release day for Mo Léan, the second long-player from Fermanagh singer and composer Rose Connolly, aka Róis. Building on a thrilling body of live and recorded work in reclaiming old Irish song-forms, Connolly further turns her attention to new work and rearrangements in the tradition of keening, investing the raw catharsis of mourning with pensive electronics and the tangible passion of a creator who has found themselves and their future in long-denied pasts.
Football Special (Lidl, limited-time sale). The pride of Donegal, Football Special, is finally available nationally after decades of cult-classic status - albeit for a short time via Lidl's Kickstart campaign for the Irish food sector. And dear reader, I'm among a legion of newly-besotted devotees that hope this arrangement will become a permanent one. What does it taste like? An informed fizzy-drink palate suggests the bite of cola, but with the body of UK berry drink Vimto. But then, there's also that medicinal overtone... Anyway, it's long past time to get in touch with an enduring part of Irish pop-culture, that will hopefully become a national institution. And grab socks, tea-towels and what have you from their website ( football-special.com) while you're at it.
I passed my driving test during September after four years of having a Learner's Permit! I started the whole process during Covid and spent more time than not unable to do lessons due to restrictions and waiting lists. I had my second go at a test this month and passed, so I am officially an N plater. My lime micra - also know as the Bratmobile or Micra Wazowski - and I will be taking plenty of road trips. Send any and all recommendations my way.
A friend of mine gave me the Let The Good Times Roll cleanser from Lush for my birthday at the end of August and the smell is just to die for. It is so autumnal, like a warm cookie. I feel like I'm in an episode of Gilmore Girls using it. I also attended the Lush Seasonal Showcase last week and picked up a few bits including their Ultrabland cleanser (loving so far) and Pansy perfume - which I wasn’t mad on at first but I can’t stop smelling now.
I went on a press trip down to Mount Congreve in Waterford for the official launch of their collaboration with Foxford. More on that later in the form of a travel article, but the renovated Gate Lodge is to die for. I am dying to go down with a group and stay altogether in this little house. The interiors are so beautiful and there are plenty of vintage and antique pieces to marvel over. I think I could spend days upon days just exploring the grounds and gardens of the historic estate and cosying up with some board games and cocktails in the lodge in the evening.
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