Positive stewardship

The arrival of the first — hopefully not the last — instalment of summer weather reminds us all, that despite cloud computing, CAT scans and Bill Gates that we are still sentient animals profoundly influenced by the world around us. Good weather makes for good moods, happy people and fun.

Good weather is also a catalyst for venturing forth into the great outdoors, urban or rural. It is indeed a cliche but it is, like all real cliches, also true that when the sun shines Ireland is as pleasant and beautiful a place as there is on this planet. We are more often than is clever guilty of taking that beauty for granted, imagining that it is untouched by human hand and capable of sustaining itself. Of course that has not been true of the great majority of our world for centuries. Even the most cursory assessment of the world around us will confirm that — wonderful innovations at Cork city’s Fitzgerald Park and the splendid redevelopment of Ballincollig Regional Park are just two of the many examples of what conscious, committed stewardship of our public spaces can achieve. If the sun shines today why not go and enjoy them and the many other wonderful public spaces around our country?