There is a risk that we are raising children that are physically unscathed by injury but are psychologically fragile, Carl Dixon tells Mark Boyden.

Here's your morning news bulletin.

Hidden away on the Beara peninsula is one of our last remaining rainforests, discovers Carl Dixon.

Ongoing problems at Aras Attracta, Cork punter scoops a Euromillions prize, Burger King Tralee goes viral and April Fools that went horribly wrong. These are some of the latest and most read news on irishexaminer.com this lunchtime

Ecologist Carl Dixon tells Ellie O’Byrne how an article he wrote for this newspaper inspired him to make a documentary about a female angler that is enchanting audiences in the US and Europe

Carl Dixon on how Cork Craft Month showcases local talent and initiative

Former ‘South Bank Show’ presenter Melvyn Bragg’s latest novel delves into his past, writes Carl Dixon.

Veteran travel correspondent Paul Theroux will talk at the Immrama writing festival, says Carl Dixon

A year after his cartoons hit the web, Jason Sullivan has big career plans, he tells Carl Dixon.

Writer Ruth Padel, who opens West Cork Literary Festival this summer, is a direct descendent of Charles Darwin and is greatly inspired by science, she tells Carl Dixon

Two photography books take different approaches to a similar subject, writes Carl Dixon

Corkman Adrian McCarthy wrote about the brutality of being a prisoner in Japan in WW2, says Carl Dixon

The late John Updike’s essays on Joan Miro and other artists are collected in Always Looking, Carl Dixon reports

A bloody end to the Corona Cork Film Festival saw Martin McDonagh reign supreme, write Carl Dixon and Marc O’Sullivan

Folk artist Pepe Belmonte says music has helped him rebuild his life after a horrific bicycle accident, writes Carl Dixon

The Corona Cork Film Festival has adapted constantly to retain its position as one of the country’s top arts events, writes Carl Dixon

Once famous as the location for Wicker Man, Scottish village Wigtown is now known for its book festival, says Carl Dixon

Confronting his fear of scary movies, Carl Dixon donned a bloody mask and ran riot in a Cork house of horrors

Cork Film Centre has been at the forefront of the growth of filmmaking in the south, writes Carl Dixon

We Irish have become beer connoisseurs, insisting they have obscure names and are from far-flung places, says Carl Dixon

The Plough and the Stars, set around the Easter Rising, is the story of one woman’s efforts to preserve her family, says Carl Dixon

A Woman of No Importance is Wilde at his best — and full of resonance for modern audiences, writes Carl Dixon

Author Alex Scarrow talks to Carl Dixon ahead of his appearance at the West Cork Literary Festival

* TODAY AT THE FESTIVAL

CORK Midsummer Festival launches today with openings that include Rian at Cork Opera House; the world premiere of Fearghus Ó Conchuir’s Starlight at Firkin Crane; Pat Kinevane in Silent at the Commodore Hotel in Cobh; Catherine Wheels’ White at the Granary Theatre; and TPO Company’s Kindur: The Adventurous Life of Icelandic Sheep at the Cork School of Music.

The sweat and the ballads still flow freely and when Christy takes to the Marquee stage, expect the unexpected. Carl Dixon reports

Recent tours by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers show that, like many veteran rockers, they are becoming more popular with age.

Edna O’Brien’s 1960 novel The Country Girls was banned. Now she has adapted it for the stage, she tells Carl Dixon

Carl Dixon talks to twoof the top writers appearing at this year’s Immrama festival in Lismore

Listowel Writers’ Week enjoys such a reputation that major figures are more than happy to be invited, says Carl Dixon

Tom Creed promises an innovative but accessible programme for the 16th Cork Midsummer Festival, says Carl Dixon

The shortlist for the €100,000 IMPAC award for literary fiction was revealed this morning, says Carl Dixon

Young classical instrumentalists and singers have been performing at the Feis Ceoil since 1896, and 5,000 more do so this week, says Carl Dixon

The Conversations exhibition at IMMA reflects on the relationship between photographers and their subjects, Carl Dixon reports.

The Artist’s Oscar success is also good news for The Cork French Film Festival. Its line-up boasts some real gems, Carl Dixon reports

Ireland’s blighted socio-economic landscape is interpreted by four artists in a fascinating new exhibition, says Carl Dixon

Dara Ó Briain’s Irish wit is loved in England where he is a big hit as a TV host, but stand-up is his first love, writes Carl Dixon

Neil Jordan’s in-production Byzantium is just one of many films to use the Beara Peninsula as a backdrop, says Carl Dixon

Does music’s referencing its own past stifle the rise of anything truly original, Carl Dixon asks rock writer Simon Reynolds

As the IFTA awards show, the Irish entertainment industry has kept up its quality output despite the recession, writes Carl Dixon

Camille O’Sullivan performs contemporary songs with emotional depth on her new CD, Changeling, writes Carl Dixon.

Exhibition at CIT Wandesford Quay contrasts classical realist drawing with contemporary practices,says Carl Dixon

George Whitman offered refuge to writers and readers at his unique bookstore in Paris, writes Carl Dixon