To make wind energy generation possible in towns and cities, Galway startupYeloblade has developed a new turbine that’s both compact and silent, and can sit on a flat roof.

I believe in beauty. I believe in stones and water, air and soil, people and their future and their fate.”

A €257m, 10-year tourism masterplan for our national parks has been a long time coming, writes Caroline O’Doherty.

The number of garda stations without a permanent garda has continued to rise, despite a net increase of 600 in the size of the force last year.

Numbers of red deer in the two main herds in the lowland areas of Killarney National Park are now believed to be higher than ever, writes Donal Hickey. 

Two parts of Ireland have official designation as dark sky reserves and are being marketed to star-gazing tourists, writes Donal Hickey

The Galway extravaganza kicks away on Monday and it is a real case of the calm before the storm, with Wexford this afternoon the only meeting in Ireland for the weekend.

THE announcement that Coillte, in conjunction with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, is to develop 4,000 hectares of forestry in north Mayo as a wilderness area for conservation and amenity use is very good news.

Galileo’s Choice justified 9/4 favouritism in the Ballyroan Stakes in Leopardstown last night, recording his second win at Group 3 level and confirming himself on course for the Irish St. Leger next month, with the Melbourne Cup looming as another possible target.

1. Kinsale Arts Festival, Co Cork

IT’S not so long since Irish people thought trees were for the birds — a century ago, a miserly 1% of our land had trees on it, the nadir of 1,000 years of plundering and chopping for which we can blame the Vikings, the Normans, the English and ourselves.

Heritage is as much about where we’re going as where we’ve come from. So why not spend Heritage Week getting in touch with our past – and having fun in the process?

AS I STAND at the Mulranny Park Hotel in Co Mayo on day one of a weekend trip, my eye races over the empty spaces, trying to comprehend the beauty of the interlocking mountains, the sweep of the sea, the sense of boundless landscape.