THERE is history, travel, sporting memorabilia and a little bit of whatever you are having yourself at Fonsie Mealy’s Rare Book sale in Castlecomer next Wednesday.

The first phase of the project, which is being developed by Cork County Council, will focus on developing a launch area for boats/kayaks close to Mallow bridge.

Unique drawings by Quentin Blake, one of Britain’s best-loved illustrators, are available at a Christie’s online auction which runs until December 17.

What seems like a premature withering of leaves on certain trees iscausing concern to some readers. After all, we’re only just movinginto autumn and it’s early to behappening.

This early mezzotint portrait of Mrs Elizabeth Aldworth (1695-1775) in masonic robes comes up at Fonsie Mealy’s auction in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny on July 23.

A magnificent 17th country home set in one of Ireland’s most visited parks is set to open to the public tomorrow for the first time in half a century.

Ridgeway collection is from Kilcolman Reserve at Doneraile, writes Des O’Sullivan.

A voluntary group which engineered a huge increase in visitor numbers to Doneraile Park does not intend to sit on its laurels.

A 6,000-year-old home built in the Ballincollig area features in a 200-page book on Heritage Houses of County Cork which could make an interesting Christmas stocking-filler.

DONERAILE PARK WALK

A former 25-mile section of railway line which features a bridge made famous by the 1966 World War One film, Blue Max, could be opened as a walkway-cycleway.

THE Office of Public Works (OPW) is set to carry out €500,000 of restoration work on a park in north Cork in a bid to increase visitor numbers to 300,000 per year within the next five years.

A €10 MILLION plan to turn a stately mansion and its extensive grounds into a major tourist attraction rivalling the Rock of Cashel and Muckross House is to be discussed next month by Fáilte Ireland and the Office of Public Works (OPW).