Denise O’Callaghan has been baking — and eating — mince pies since August. But then, Christmas has to start early if you want to send a staggering 500,000 hand-finished mince pies to gourmet food markets in Ireland and, for the first time, Europe this festive season.

McCormack Family Farms in Co Meath produces herbs and baby leaf greens for supermarkets and the hospitality sector all over the country. Stephen McCormack talks about how the business has grown and its plan to move into the drinks market.

FEW insects, apart from butterflies, have managed to become celebrities. Ladybirds are a spectacular exception; everybody knows these colourful members of the beetle family.

WHY is it so many people automatically squirm at the sight of insects and bugs, most of which are utterly harmless and are living closer to us than we think? I’ve seen normally fearless, grown men recoil on seeing a cockroach crossing a kitchen floor or a spider weaving its web.

IF you have a vegetable garden May and June are the months when the weeds try to take it over. They seem particularly aggressive this year, probably because May was rather wet and the soil is still holding a lot of moisture. So I’m spending time using the hoe, or on my knees hand-weeding the spots where the hoe is too indiscriminate a weapon. This year, however, I have a new interest. I’m looking out for the forget-me-not shield bug.

Salthill-Knocknacarra star Sean Armstrong knocked in Galway's only goal as they comprehensively beat GMIT 1-19 to 0-7 to qualify for the Connacht FBD League final today.

Galway 0-7 Leitrim 0-4