SISTER ACT Sex and the City was the inspiration for the girlie-boudoir style of Shag, a shop in Dún Laoghaire, in Co Dublin, so you can probably guess what the main product line is: shoes - none of them flat and all of them glamorous.
Owner Aisling Kilroy has assembled a wide range of Irish and international crafts, from Portuguese glassware to quirky Belgian hens that would liven up any lawn or indoor space. As well as ceramics and pottery, the shop stocks fashion accessories such as Cathy Prendergast's leather bags and unusual pieces of ethnic jewellery from husband-and-wife team Brandino. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30am and 5.30pm. Call 052-27838. Deirdre McQuillan
STRICTLY NO BALLROOM International Dance Festival Ireland, which kicks off this weekend, aims to appeal to both the curious newcomer and the serious dance enthusiast. Now in its third year, the festival prides itself on bringing the best in international contemporary dance to Ireland, with the renowned dancers and choreographers Jerôme Bel, Nigel Charnock and Shen Wei taking part. Look out for a collaboration between a tap dancer from French Guiana and an Irish sean-nós dancer, a performance in which the audience lies down, a Swan Lake with a difference, and a Dance Karaoke on the streets of Dublin. Lectures, interviews, forums and, even, an exhibition of photographs of dancers' feet will be among the events.
And if all this dance talk is making your feet itch, then you'll be pleased to hear that there will also be dance classes for professionals and beginners, and a children's season at the Ark, in Temple Bar. The festival takes place at various locations in Dublin city centre until Sunday, May 7th. More details from www.dancefestivalireland.ie. To book call 01-8721122 or go to www.centralticketbureau.com. Eimear McKeith
FILM BASE Back in July 2003, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, aka Desperate Optimists, embarked on an ambitious film-making project known as the Civic Life series. For each film - among them Leisure Centre, above - they worked with residents of communities such as Ballymun and Moore Street, in Dublin, as well as several in the UK. The result is seven striking short films, each shot in a single take and involving an amateur cast. They will be screened together in Ireland for the first time at 1.30pm next Saturday at the Irish Film Institute, in Dublin, as part of The Theatricality of Cinema, a weekend-long series of films programmed by Molloy and Lawlor. If the title of the series conjures up notions of stiff, claustrophobic stage-to-screen adaptations, then think again. Molloy and Lawlor, who come from theatrical backgrounds, have taken an oblique approach to the theme of theatricality, and the result is a varied and challenging range of films, including Night after Night, by the French director Eugène Green, Back against the Wall, by the cult director James Fotopoulos, and Day of Wrath, which was filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. The series runs from next Friday until next Sunday, in association with Project arts centre. Book on 01-6793477. www.irishfilm.ie. Eimear McKeith
A RUM DO It was quite unexpected. Within minutes of the jar of babas being passed around the office, we were laughing, saturated with rum after eating tiny mouthfuls of very potent cake. They come from a new Italian speciality food shop in Limerick called O&F, or Olio & Farina, run by Susan Mulvihill, who has brought the franchise to Ireland after falling in love with the shop in St Albans, near London (there are also branches in Genoa and Dijon). She stocks a good range of exotic sauces (wild-boar ragu, anyone?), olive oils and vinegars (including figs in balsamic), preserves and dried pastas, as well as a selection of Italian wines. And there is a small selection of Italian cookware, ceramics and implements made from olive wood. Lucky Limerick. Olio & Farina is at 2 Little Catherine Street, 061-319133. Patsey Murphy
SINGALONG-A-SHOWER We recently featured portable speakers for your digital music player; now Muji has gone one step further, with a water-resistant speaker case. It is designed for the shower, making it perfect for people who can't part with their iPods even for long enough to wash themselves. Just open the plastic case, plug your player into the headphone socket, pump up the volume and - not forgetting to close the rubber-sealed case securely, of course - enjoy a singalong in the spray. It costs €59.95 from Muji, 5 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, 01-6794591. Eimear McKeith
STEPPING OUT Walking in the Wicklow mountains at night is normally reserved for those who have lost their way, but next Friday torches will guide the way on the opening night of West Wicklow Walking Festival. Afterwards, walkers will unwind at a Celtic ceremony complete with complimentary meal. It's a taste of the weekend ahead, which, among other things, travels back in time as far as a 5,000-year-old passage grave on a megalithic walk. The people at Wicklow County Tourism aren't the only ones who think that the area around Kippure is stunning: it was also chosen as the backdrop for Braveheart (above) and Dancing at Lughnasa. The 11 walks of varying length and levels of difficulty will visit the film locations, go on a deer-hunter trail, to see the home of the sikha deer of the region, or, for children, provide an opportunity to hang out in the trees and become Tarzan for the day. Based on the Kippure Estate, from April 28th to May 1st. See www.visitwicklow.ie Nicoline Greer
TIP YOUR HAT It's 100 years since Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing an elegant straw hat to protect him from the sun as he inspected the building of the Panama Canal. The Ecuadorian hats were originally known as paja toquilla, but their popularity among canal workers seeking relief from the sun meant they became known as panama hats. The Panama Hat Company sells hats that are woven in Ecuador and blocked in traditional shapes in England. The shop, now online, was run by Cornter May from Ecuador, on Oxford Street in London, until four years ago. She has mastered the dying art of being able to tell a man's head measurement at first glance. From wide brims to fedoras and flat caps, the women's range is super-slick; the men's range includes trilbys fit for the smokiest of tangos. See www.panamahats.co.uk or call 00-44-1296-489482. Nicoline Greer
CRAFTY SPACE The Narrow Space is a craft gallery on Mitchell Street in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, known locally as the "narrow street". Owner Aisling Kilroy has assembled a wide range of Irish and international crafts, from Portuguese glassware to quirky Belgian hens that would liven up any lawn or indoor space. As well as ceramics and pottery, the shop stocks fashion accessories such as Cathy Prendergast's leather bags and unusual pieces of ethnic jewellery from husband-and-wife team Brandino. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30am and 5.30pm. Call 052-27838. Deirdre McQuillan
FILM BASE Back in July 2003, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, aka Desperate Optimists, embarked on an ambitious film-making project known as the Civic Life series. For each film - among them Leisure Centre, above - they worked with residents of communities such as Ballymun and Moore Street, in Dublin, as well as several in the UK. The result is seven striking short films, each shot in a single take and involving an amateur cast. They will be screened together in Ireland for the first time at 1.30pm next Saturday at the Irish Film Institute, in Dublin, as part of The Theatricality of Cinema, a weekend-long series of films programmed by Molloy and Lawlor. If the title of the series conjures up notions of stiff, claustrophobic stage-to-screen adaptations, then think again. Molloy and Lawlor, who come from theatrical backgrounds, have taken an oblique approach to the theme of theatricality, and the result is a varied and challenging range of films, including Night after Night, by the French director Eugène Green, Back against the Wall, by the cult director James Fotopoulos, and Day of Wrath, which was filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. The series runs from next Friday until next Sunday, in association with Project arts centre. Book on 01-6793477. www.irishfilm.ie. Eimear McKeith
A RUM DO It was quite unexpected. Within minutes of the jar of babas being passed around the office, we were laughing, saturated with rum after eating tiny mouthfuls of very potent cake. They come from a new Italian speciality food shop in Limerick called O&F, or Olio & Farina, run by Susan Mulvihill, who has brought the franchise to Ireland after falling in love with the shop in St Albans, near London (there are also branches in Genoa and Dijon). She stocks a good range of exotic sauces (wild-boar ragu, anyone?), olive oils and vinegars (including figs in balsamic), preserves and dried pastas, as well as a selection of Italian wines. And there is a small selection of Italian cookware, ceramics and implements made from olive wood. Lucky Limerick. Olio & Farina is at 2 Little Catherine Street, 061-319133. Patsey Murphy
SINGALONG-A-SHOWER We recently featured portable speakers for your digital music player; now Muji has gone one step further, with a water-resistant speaker case. It is designed for the shower, making it perfect for people who can't part with their iPods even for long enough to wash themselves. Just open the plastic case, plug your player into the headphone socket, pump up the volume and - not forgetting to close the rubber-sealed case securely, of course - enjoy a singalong in the spray. It costs €59.95 from Muji, 5 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, 01-6794591. Eimear McKeith
STEPPING OUT Walking in the Wicklow mountains at night is normally reserved for those who have lost their way, but next Friday torches will guide the way on the opening night of West Wicklow Walking Festival. Afterwards, walkers will unwind at a Celtic ceremony complete with complimentary meal. It's a taste of the weekend ahead, which, among other things, travels back in time as far as a 5,000-year-old passage grave on a megalithic walk. The people at Wicklow County Tourism aren't the only ones who think that the area around Kippure is stunning: it was also chosen as the backdrop for Braveheart (above) and Dancing at Lughnasa. The 11 walks of varying length and levels of difficulty will visit the film locations, go on a deer-hunter trail, to see the home of the sikha deer of the region, or, for children, provide an opportunity to hang out in the trees and become Tarzan for the day. Based on the Kippure Estate, from April 28th to May 1st. See www.visitwicklow.ie Nicoline Greer
TIP YOUR HAT It's 100 years since Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing an elegant straw hat to protect him from the sun as he inspected the building of the Panama Canal. The Ecuadorian hats were originally known as paja toquilla, but their popularity among canal workers seeking relief from the sun meant they became known as panama hats. The Panama Hat Company sells hats that are woven in Ecuador and blocked in traditional shapes in England. The shop, now online, was run by Cornter May from Ecuador, on Oxford Street in London, until four years ago. She has mastered the dying art of being able to tell a man's head measurement at first glance. From wide brims to fedoras and flat caps, the women's range is super-slick; the men's range includes trilbys fit for the smokiest of tangos. See www.panamahats.co.uk or call 00-44-1296-489482. Nicoline Greer
CRAFTY SPACE The Narrow Space is a craft gallery on Mitchell Street in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, known locally as the "narrow street". Owner Aisling Kilroy has assembled a wide range of Irish and international crafts, from Portuguese glassware to quirky Belgian hens that would liven up any lawn or indoor space. As well as ceramics and pottery, the shop stocks fashion accessories such as Cathy Prendergast's leather bags and unusual pieces of ethnic jewellery from husband-and-wife team Brandino. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30am and 5.30pm. Call 052-27838. Deirdre McQuillan
FILM BASE Back in July 2003, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, aka Desperate Optimists, embarked on an ambitious film-making project known as the Civic Life series. For each film - among them Leisure Centre, above - they worked with residents of communities such as Ballymun and Moore Street, in Dublin, as well as several in the UK. The result is seven striking short films, each shot in a single take and involving an amateur cast. They will be screened together in Ireland for the first time at 1.30pm next Saturday at the Irish Film Institute, in Dublin, as part of The Theatricality of Cinema, a weekend-long series of films programmed by Molloy and Lawlor. If the title of the series conjures up notions of stiff, claustrophobic stage-to-screen adaptations, then think again. Molloy and Lawlor, who come from theatrical backgrounds, have taken an oblique approach to the theme of theatricality, and the result is a varied and challenging range of films, including Night after Night, by the French director Eugène Green, Back against the Wall, by the cult director James Fotopoulos, and Day of Wrath, which was filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. The series runs from next Friday until next Sunday, in association with Project arts centre. Book on 01-6793477. www.irishfilm.ie. Eimear McKeith
A RUM DO It was quite unexpected. Within minutes of the jar of babas being passed around the office, we were laughing, saturated with rum after eating tiny mouthfuls of very potent cake. They come from a new Italian speciality food shop in Limerick called O&F, or Olio & Farina, run by Susan Mulvihill, who has brought the franchise to Ireland after falling in love with the shop in St Albans, near London (there are also branches in Genoa and Dijon). She stocks a good range of exotic sauces (wild-boar ragu, anyone?), olive oils and vinegars (including figs in balsamic), preserves and dried pastas, as well as a selection of Italian wines. And there is a small selection of Italian cookware, ceramics and implements made from olive wood. Lucky Limerick. Olio & Farina is at 2 Little Catherine Street, 061-319133. Patsey Murphy
SINGALONG-A-SHOWER We recently featured portable speakers for your digital music player; now Muji has gone one step further, with a water-resistant speaker case. It is designed for the shower, making it perfect for people who can't part with their iPods even for long enough to wash themselves. Just open the plastic case, plug your player into the headphone socket, pump up the volume and - not forgetting to close the rubber-sealed case securely, of course - enjoy a singalong in the spray. It costs €59.95 from Muji, 5 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, 01-6794591. Eimear McKeith
STEPPING OUT Walking in the Wicklow mountains at night is normally reserved for those who have lost their way, but next Friday torches will guide the way on the opening night of West Wicklow Walking Festival. Afterwards, walkers will unwind at a Celtic ceremony complete with complimentary meal. It's a taste of the weekend ahead, which, among other things, travels back in time as far as a 5,000-year-old passage grave on a megalithic walk. The people at Wicklow County Tourism aren't the only ones who think that the area around Kippure is stunning: it was also chosen as the backdrop for Braveheart (above) and Dancing at Lughnasa. The 11 walks of varying length and levels of difficulty will visit the film locations, go on a deer-hunter trail, to see the home of the sikha deer of the region, or, for children, provide an opportunity to hang out in the trees and become Tarzan for the day. Based on the Kippure Estate, from April 28th to May 1st. See www.visitwicklow.ie Nicoline Greer
TIP YOUR HAT It's 100 years since Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing an elegant straw hat to protect him from the sun as he inspected the building of the Panama Canal. The Ecuadorian hats were originally known as paja toquilla, but their popularity among canal workers seeking relief from the sun meant they became known as panama hats. The Panama Hat Company sells hats that are woven in Ecuador and blocked in traditional shapes in England. The shop, now online, was run by Cornter May from Ecuador, on Oxford Street in London, until four years ago. She has mastered the dying art of being able to tell a man's head measurement at first glance. From wide brims to fedoras and flat caps, the women's range is super-slick; the men's range includes trilbys fit for the smokiest of tangos. See www.panamahats.co.uk or call 00-44-1296-489482. Nicoline Greer
CRAFTY SPACE The Narrow Space is a craft gallery on Mitchell Street in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, known locally as the "narrow street". Owner Aisling Kilroy has assembled a wide range of Irish and international crafts, from Portuguese glassware to quirky Belgian hens that would liven up any lawn or indoor space. As well as ceramics and pottery, the shop stocks fashion accessories such as Cathy Prendergast's leather bags and unusual pieces of ethnic jewellery from husband-and-wife team Brandino. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30am and 5.30pm. Call 052-27838. Deirdre McQuillan
And if all this dance talk is making your feet itch, then you'll be pleased to hear that there will also be dance classes for professionals and beginners, and a children's season at the Ark, in Temple Bar. The festival takes place at various locations in Dublin city centre until Sunday, May 7th. More details from www.dancefestivalireland.ie. To book call 01-8721122 or go to www.centralticketbureau.com. Eimear McKeith
FILM BASE Back in July 2003, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, aka Desperate Optimists, embarked on an ambitious film-making project known as the Civic Life series. For each film - among them Leisure Centre, above - they worked with residents of communities such as Ballymun and Moore Street, in Dublin, as well as several in the UK. The result is seven striking short films, each shot in a single take and involving an amateur cast. They will be screened together in Ireland for the first time at 1.30pm next Saturday at the Irish Film Institute, in Dublin, as part of The Theatricality of Cinema, a weekend-long series of films programmed by Molloy and Lawlor. If the title of the series conjures up notions of stiff, claustrophobic stage-to-screen adaptations, then think again. Molloy and Lawlor, who come from theatrical backgrounds, have taken an oblique approach to the theme of theatricality, and the result is a varied and challenging range of films, including Night after Night, by the French director Eugène Green, Back against the Wall, by the cult director James Fotopoulos, and Day of Wrath, which was filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. The series runs from next Friday until next Sunday, in association with Project arts centre. Book on 01-6793477. www.irishfilm.ie. Eimear McKeith
A RUM DO It was quite unexpected. Within minutes of the jar of babas being passed around the office, we were laughing, saturated with rum after eating tiny mouthfuls of very potent cake. They come from a new Italian speciality food shop in Limerick called O&F, or Olio & Farina, run by Susan Mulvihill, who has brought the franchise to Ireland after falling in love with the shop in St Albans, near London (there are also branches in Genoa and Dijon). She stocks a good range of exotic sauces (wild-boar ragu, anyone?), olive oils and vinegars (including figs in balsamic), preserves and dried pastas, as well as a selection of Italian wines. And there is a small selection of Italian cookware, ceramics and implements made from olive wood. Lucky Limerick. Olio & Farina is at 2 Little Catherine Street, 061-319133. Patsey Murphy
SINGALONG-A-SHOWER We recently featured portable speakers for your digital music player; now Muji has gone one step further, with a water-resistant speaker case. It is designed for the shower, making it perfect for people who can't part with their iPods even for long enough to wash themselves. Just open the plastic case, plug your player into the headphone socket, pump up the volume and - not forgetting to close the rubber-sealed case securely, of course - enjoy a singalong in the spray. It costs €59.95 from Muji, 5 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, 01-6794591. Eimear McKeith
STEPPING OUT Walking in the Wicklow mountains at night is normally reserved for those who have lost their way, but next Friday torches will guide the way on the opening night of West Wicklow Walking Festival. Afterwards, walkers will unwind at a Celtic ceremony complete with complimentary meal. It's a taste of the weekend ahead, which, among other things, travels back in time as far as a 5,000-year-old passage grave on a megalithic walk. The people at Wicklow County Tourism aren't the only ones who think that the area around Kippure is stunning: it was also chosen as the backdrop for Braveheart (above) and Dancing at Lughnasa. The 11 walks of varying length and levels of difficulty will visit the film locations, go on a deer-hunter trail, to see the home of the sikha deer of the region, or, for children, provide an opportunity to hang out in the trees and become Tarzan for the day. Based on the Kippure Estate, from April 28th to May 1st. See www.visitwicklow.ie Nicoline Greer
TIP YOUR HAT It's 100 years since Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing an elegant straw hat to protect him from the sun as he inspected the building of the Panama Canal. The Ecuadorian hats were originally known as paja toquilla, but their popularity among canal workers seeking relief from the sun meant they became known as panama hats. The Panama Hat Company sells hats that are woven in Ecuador and blocked in traditional shapes in England. The shop, now online, was run by Cornter May from Ecuador, on Oxford Street in London, until four years ago. She has mastered the dying art of being able to tell a man's head measurement at first glance. From wide brims to fedoras and flat caps, the women's range is super-slick; the men's range includes trilbys fit for the smokiest of tangos. See www.panamahats.co.uk or call 00-44-1296-489482. Nicoline Greer
CRAFTY SPACE The Narrow Space is a craft gallery on Mitchell Street in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, known locally as the "narrow street". Owner Aisling Kilroy has assembled a wide range of Irish and international crafts, from Portuguese glassware to quirky Belgian hens that would liven up any lawn or indoor space. As well as ceramics and pottery, the shop stocks fashion accessories such as Cathy Prendergast's leather bags and unusual pieces of ethnic jewellery from husband-and-wife team Brandino. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30am and 5.30pm. Call 052-27838. Deirdre McQuillan
FILM BASE Back in July 2003, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, aka Desperate Optimists, embarked on an ambitious film-making project known as the Civic Life series. For each film - among them Leisure Centre, above - they worked with residents of communities such as Ballymun and Moore Street, in Dublin, as well as several in the UK. The result is seven striking short films, each shot in a single take and involving an amateur cast. They will be screened together in Ireland for the first time at 1.30pm next Saturday at the Irish Film Institute, in Dublin, as part of The Theatricality of Cinema, a weekend-long series of films programmed by Molloy and Lawlor. If the title of the series conjures up notions of stiff, claustrophobic stage-to-screen adaptations, then think again. Molloy and Lawlor, who come from theatrical backgrounds, have taken an oblique approach to the theme of theatricality, and the result is a varied and challenging range of films, including Night after Night, by the French director Eugène Green, Back against the Wall, by the cult director James Fotopoulos, and Day of Wrath, which was filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. The series runs from next Friday until next Sunday, in association with Project arts centre. Book on 01-6793477. www.irishfilm.ie. Eimear McKeith
A RUM DO It was quite unexpected. Within minutes of the jar of babas being passed around the office, we were laughing, saturated with rum after eating tiny mouthfuls of very potent cake. They come from a new Italian speciality food shop in Limerick called O&F, or Olio & Farina, run by Susan Mulvihill, who has brought the franchise to Ireland after falling in love with the shop in St Albans, near London (there are also branches in Genoa and Dijon). She stocks a good range of exotic sauces (wild-boar ragu, anyone?), olive oils and vinegars (including figs in balsamic), preserves and dried pastas, as well as a selection of Italian wines. And there is a small selection of Italian cookware, ceramics and implements made from olive wood. Lucky Limerick. Olio & Farina is at 2 Little Catherine Street, 061-319133. Patsey Murphy
SINGALONG-A-SHOWER We recently featured portable speakers for your digital music player; now Muji has gone one step further, with a water-resistant speaker case. It is designed for the shower, making it perfect for people who can't part with their iPods even for long enough to wash themselves. Just open the plastic case, plug your player into the headphone socket, pump up the volume and - not forgetting to close the rubber-sealed case securely, of course - enjoy a singalong in the spray. It costs €59.95 from Muji, 5 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, 01-6794591. Eimear McKeith
STEPPING OUT Walking in the Wicklow mountains at night is normally reserved for those who have lost their way, but next Friday torches will guide the way on the opening night of West Wicklow Walking Festival. Afterwards, walkers will unwind at a Celtic ceremony complete with complimentary meal. It's a taste of the weekend ahead, which, among other things, travels back in time as far as a 5,000-year-old passage grave on a megalithic walk. The people at Wicklow County Tourism aren't the only ones who think that the area around Kippure is stunning: it was also chosen as the backdrop for Braveheart (above) and Dancing at Lughnasa. The 11 walks of varying length and levels of difficulty will visit the film locations, go on a deer-hunter trail, to see the home of the sikha deer of the region, or, for children, provide an opportunity to hang out in the trees and become Tarzan for the day. Based on the Kippure Estate, from April 28th to May 1st. See www.visitwicklow.ie Nicoline Greer
TIP YOUR HAT It's 100 years since Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing an elegant straw hat to protect him from the sun as he inspected the building of the Panama Canal. The Ecuadorian hats were originally known as paja toquilla, but their popularity among canal workers seeking relief from the sun meant they became known as panama hats. The Panama Hat Company sells hats that are woven in Ecuador and blocked in traditional shapes in England. The shop, now online, was run by Cornter May from Ecuador, on Oxford Street in London, until four years ago. She has mastered the dying art of being able to tell a man's head measurement at first glance. From wide brims to fedoras and flat caps, the women's range is super-slick; the men's range includes trilbys fit for the smokiest of tangos. See www.panamahats.co.uk or call 00-44-1296-489482. Nicoline Greer
CRAFTY SPACE The Narrow Space is a craft gallery on Mitchell Street in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, known locally as the "narrow street". Owner Aisling Kilroy has assembled a wide range of Irish and international crafts, from Portuguese glassware to quirky Belgian hens that would liven up any lawn or indoor space. As well as ceramics and pottery, the shop stocks fashion accessories such as Cathy Prendergast's leather bags and unusual pieces of ethnic jewellery from husband-and-wife team Brandino. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30am and 5.30pm. Call 052-27838. Deirdre McQuillan
FILM BASE Back in July 2003, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, aka Desperate Optimists, embarked on an ambitious film-making project known as the Civic Life series. For each film - among them Leisure Centre, above - they worked with residents of communities such as Ballymun and Moore Street, in Dublin, as well as several in the UK. The result is seven striking short films, each shot in a single take and involving an amateur cast. They will be screened together in Ireland for the first time at 1.30pm next Saturday at the Irish Film Institute, in Dublin, as part of The Theatricality of Cinema, a weekend-long series of films programmed by Molloy and Lawlor. If the title of the series conjures up notions of stiff, claustrophobic stage-to-screen adaptations, then think again. Molloy and Lawlor, who come from theatrical backgrounds, have taken an oblique approach to the theme of theatricality, and the result is a varied and challenging range of films, including Night after Night, by the French director Eugène Green, Back against the Wall, by the cult director James Fotopoulos, and Day of Wrath, which was filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. The series runs from next Friday until next Sunday, in association with Project arts centre. Book on 01-6793477. www.irishfilm.ie. Eimear McKeith
A RUM DO It was quite unexpected. Within minutes of the jar of babas being passed around the office, we were laughing, saturated with rum after eating tiny mouthfuls of very potent cake. They come from a new Italian speciality food shop in Limerick called O&F, or Olio & Farina, run by Susan Mulvihill, who has brought the franchise to Ireland after falling in love with the shop in St Albans, near London (there are also branches in Genoa and Dijon). She stocks a good range of exotic sauces (wild-boar ragu, anyone?), olive oils and vinegars (including figs in balsamic), preserves and dried pastas, as well as a selection of Italian wines. And there is a small selection of Italian cookware, ceramics and implements made from olive wood. Lucky Limerick. Olio & Farina is at 2 Little Catherine Street, 061-319133. Patsey Murphy
SINGALONG-A-SHOWER We recently featured portable speakers for your digital music player; now Muji has gone one step further, with a water-resistant speaker case. It is designed for the shower, making it perfect for people who can't part with their iPods even for long enough to wash themselves. Just open the plastic case, plug your player into the headphone socket, pump up the volume and - not forgetting to close the rubber-sealed case securely, of course - enjoy a singalong in the spray. It costs €59.95 from Muji, 5 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, 01-6794591. Eimear McKeith
STEPPING OUT Walking in the Wicklow mountains at night is normally reserved for those who have lost their way, but next Friday torches will guide the way on the opening night of West Wicklow Walking Festival. Afterwards, walkers will unwind at a Celtic ceremony complete with complimentary meal. It's a taste of the weekend ahead, which, among other things, travels back in time as far as a 5,000-year-old passage grave on a megalithic walk. The people at Wicklow County Tourism aren't the only ones who think that the area around Kippure is stunning: it was also chosen as the backdrop for Braveheart (above) and Dancing at Lughnasa. The 11 walks of varying length and levels of difficulty will visit the film locations, go on a deer-hunter trail, to see the home of the sikha deer of the region, or, for children, provide an opportunity to hang out in the trees and become Tarzan for the day. Based on the Kippure Estate, from April 28th to May 1st. See www.visitwicklow.ie Nicoline Greer
TIP YOUR HAT It's 100 years since Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing an elegant straw hat to protect him from the sun as he inspected the building of the Panama Canal. The Ecuadorian hats were originally known as paja toquilla, but their popularity among canal workers seeking relief from the sun meant they became known as panama hats. The Panama Hat Company sells hats that are woven in Ecuador and blocked in traditional shapes in England. The shop, now online, was run by Cornter May from Ecuador, on Oxford Street in London, until four years ago. She has mastered the dying art of being able to tell a man's head measurement at first glance. From wide brims to fedoras and flat caps, the women's range is super-slick; the men's range includes trilbys fit for the smokiest of tangos. See www.panamahats.co.uk or call 00-44-1296-489482. Nicoline Greer
CRAFTY SPACE The Narrow Space is a craft gallery on Mitchell Street in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, known locally as the "narrow street". Owner Aisling Kilroy has assembled a wide range of Irish and international crafts, from Portuguese glassware to quirky Belgian hens that would liven up any lawn or indoor space. As well as ceramics and pottery, the shop stocks fashion accessories such as Cathy Prendergast's leather bags and unusual pieces of ethnic jewellery from husband-and-wife team Brandino. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30am and 5.30pm. Call 052-27838. Deirdre McQuillan
And if all this dance talk is making your feet itch, then you'll be pleased to hear that there will also be dance classes for professionals and beginners, and a children's season at the Ark, in Temple Bar. The festival takes place at various locations in Dublin city centre until Sunday, May 7th. More details from www.dancefestivalireland.ie. To book call 01-8721122 or go to www.centralticketbureau.com. Eimear McKeith
FILM BASE Back in July 2003, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, aka Desperate Optimists, embarked on an ambitious film-making project known as the Civic Life series. For each film - among them Leisure Centre, above - they worked with residents of communities such as Ballymun and Moore Street, in Dublin, as well as several in the UK. The result is seven striking short films, each shot in a single take and involving an amateur cast. They will be screened together in Ireland for the first time at 1.30pm next Saturday at the Irish Film Institute, in Dublin, as part of The Theatricality of Cinema, a weekend-long series of films programmed by Molloy and Lawlor. If the title of the series conjures up notions of stiff, claustrophobic stage-to-screen adaptations, then think again. Molloy and Lawlor, who come from theatrical backgrounds, have taken an oblique approach to the theme of theatricality, and the result is a varied and challenging range of films, including Night after Night, by the French director Eugène Green, Back against the Wall, by the cult director James Fotopoulos, and Day of Wrath, which was filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. The series runs from next Friday until next Sunday, in association with Project arts centre. Book on 01-6793477. www.irishfilm.ie. Eimear McKeith
A RUM DO It was quite unexpected. Within minutes of the jar of babas being passed around the office, we were laughing, saturated with rum after eating tiny mouthfuls of very potent cake. They come from a new Italian speciality food shop in Limerick called O&F, or Olio & Farina, run by Susan Mulvihill, who has brought the franchise to Ireland after falling in love with the shop in St Albans, near London (there are also branches in Genoa and Dijon). She stocks a good range of exotic sauces (wild-boar ragu, anyone?), olive oils and vinegars (including figs in balsamic), preserves and dried pastas, as well as a selection of Italian wines. And there is a small selection of Italian cookware, ceramics and implements made from olive wood. Lucky Limerick. Olio & Farina is at 2 Little Catherine Street, 061-319133. Patsey Murphy
SINGALONG-A-SHOWER We recently featured portable speakers for your digital music player; now Muji has gone one step further, with a water-resistant speaker case. It is designed for the shower, making it perfect for people who can't part with their iPods even for long enough to wash themselves. Just open the plastic case, plug your player into the headphone socket, pump up the volume and - not forgetting to close the rubber-sealed case securely, of course - enjoy a singalong in the spray. It costs €59.95 from Muji, 5 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, 01-6794591. Eimear McKeith
STEPPING OUT Walking in the Wicklow mountains at night is normally reserved for those who have lost their way, but next Friday torches will guide the way on the opening night of West Wicklow Walking Festival. Afterwards, walkers will unwind at a Celtic ceremony complete with complimentary meal. It's a taste of the weekend ahead, which, among other things, travels back in time as far as a 5,000-year-old passage grave on a megalithic walk. The people at Wicklow County Tourism aren't the only ones who think that the area around Kippure is stunning: it was also chosen as the backdrop for Braveheart (above) and Dancing at Lughnasa. The 11 walks of varying length and levels of difficulty will visit the film locations, go on a deer-hunter trail, to see the home of the sikha deer of the region, or, for children, provide an opportunity to hang out in the trees and become Tarzan for the day. Based on the Kippure Estate, from April 28th to May 1st. See www.visitwicklow.ie Nicoline Greer
TIP YOUR HAT It's 100 years since Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing an elegant straw hat to protect him from the sun as he inspected the building of the Panama Canal. The Ecuadorian hats were originally known as paja toquilla, but their popularity among canal workers seeking relief from the sun meant they became known as panama hats. The Panama Hat Company sells hats that are woven in Ecuador and blocked in traditional shapes in England. The shop, now online, was run by Cornter May from Ecuador, on Oxford Street in London, until four years ago. She has mastered the dying art of being able to tell a man's head measurement at first glance. From wide brims to fedoras and flat caps, the women's range is super-slick; the men's range includes trilbys fit for the smokiest of tangos. See www.panamahats.co.uk or call 00-44-1296-489482. Nicoline Greer
CRAFTY SPACE The Narrow Space is a craft gallery on Mitchell Street in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, known locally as the "narrow street". Owner Aisling Kilroy has assembled a wide range of Irish and international crafts, from Portuguese glassware to quirky Belgian hens that would liven up any lawn or indoor space. As well as ceramics and pottery, the shop stocks fashion accessories such as Cathy Prendergast's leather bags and unusual pieces of ethnic jewellery from husband-and-wife team Brandino. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30am and 5.30pm. Call 052-27838. Deirdre McQuillan
FILM BASE Back in July 2003, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, aka Desperate Optimists, embarked on an ambitious film-making project known as the Civic Life series. For each film - among them Leisure Centre, above - they worked with residents of communities such as Ballymun and Moore Street, in Dublin, as well as several in the UK. The result is seven striking short films, each shot in a single take and involving an amateur cast. They will be screened together in Ireland for the first time at 1.30pm next Saturday at the Irish Film Institute, in Dublin, as part of The Theatricality of Cinema, a weekend-long series of films programmed by Molloy and Lawlor. If the title of the series conjures up notions of stiff, claustrophobic stage-to-screen adaptations, then think again. Molloy and Lawlor, who come from theatrical backgrounds, have taken an oblique approach to the theme of theatricality, and the result is a varied and challenging range of films, including Night after Night, by the French director Eugène Green, Back against the Wall, by the cult director James Fotopoulos, and Day of Wrath, which was filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. The series runs from next Friday until next Sunday, in association with Project arts centre. Book on 01-6793477. www.irishfilm.ie. Eimear McKeith
A RUM DO It was quite unexpected. Within minutes of the jar of babas being passed around the office, we were laughing, saturated with rum after eating tiny mouthfuls of very potent cake. They come from a new Italian speciality food shop in Limerick called O&F, or Olio & Farina, run by Susan Mulvihill, who has brought the franchise to Ireland after falling in love with the shop in St Albans, near London (there are also branches in Genoa and Dijon). She stocks a good range of exotic sauces (wild-boar ragu, anyone?), olive oils and vinegars (including figs in balsamic), preserves and dried pastas, as well as a selection of Italian wines. And there is a small selection of Italian cookware, ceramics and implements made from olive wood. Lucky Limerick. Olio & Farina is at 2 Little Catherine Street, 061-319133. Patsey Murphy
SINGALONG-A-SHOWER We recently featured portable speakers for your digital music player; now Muji has gone one step further, with a water-resistant speaker case. It is designed for the shower, making it perfect for people who can't part with their iPods even for long enough to wash themselves. Just open the plastic case, plug your player into the headphone socket, pump up the volume and - not forgetting to close the rubber-sealed case securely, of course - enjoy a singalong in the spray. It costs €59.95 from Muji, 5 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, 01-6794591. Eimear McKeith
STEPPING OUT Walking in the Wicklow mountains at night is normally reserved for those who have lost their way, but next Friday torches will guide the way on the opening night of West Wicklow Walking Festival. Afterwards, walkers will unwind at a Celtic ceremony complete with complimentary meal. It's a taste of the weekend ahead, which, among other things, travels back in time as far as a 5,000-year-old passage grave on a megalithic walk. The people at Wicklow County Tourism aren't the only ones who think that the area around Kippure is stunning: it was also chosen as the backdrop for Braveheart (above) and Dancing at Lughnasa. The 11 walks of varying length and levels of difficulty will visit the film locations, go on a deer-hunter trail, to see the home of the sikha deer of the region, or, for children, provide an opportunity to hang out in the trees and become Tarzan for the day. Based on the Kippure Estate, from April 28th to May 1st. See www.visitwicklow.ie Nicoline Greer
TIP YOUR HAT It's 100 years since Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing an elegant straw hat to protect him from the sun as he inspected the building of the Panama Canal. The Ecuadorian hats were originally known as paja toquilla, but their popularity among canal workers seeking relief from the sun meant they became known as panama hats. The Panama Hat Company sells hats that are woven in Ecuador and blocked in traditional shapes in England. The shop, now online, was run by Cornter May from Ecuador, on Oxford Street in London, until four years ago. She has mastered the dying art of being able to tell a man's head measurement at first glance. From wide brims to fedoras and flat caps, the women's range is super-slick; the men's range includes trilbys fit for the smokiest of tangos. See www.panamahats.co.uk or call 00-44-1296-489482. Nicoline Greer
CRAFTY SPACE The Narrow Space is a craft gallery on Mitchell Street in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, known locally as the "narrow street". Owner Aisling Kilroy has assembled a wide range of Irish and international crafts, from Portuguese glassware to quirky Belgian hens that would liven up any lawn or indoor space. As well as ceramics and pottery, the shop stocks fashion accessories such as Cathy Prendergast's leather bags and unusual pieces of ethnic jewellery from husband-and-wife team Brandino. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30am and 5.30pm. Call 052-27838. Deirdre McQuillan
FILM BASE Back in July 2003, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, aka Desperate Optimists, embarked on an ambitious film-making project known as the Civic Life series. For each film - among them Leisure Centre, above - they worked with residents of communities such as Ballymun and Moore Street, in Dublin, as well as several in the UK. The result is seven striking short films, each shot in a single take and involving an amateur cast. They will be screened together in Ireland for the first time at 1.30pm next Saturday at the Irish Film Institute, in Dublin, as part of The Theatricality of Cinema, a weekend-long series of films programmed by Molloy and Lawlor. If the title of the series conjures up notions of stiff, claustrophobic stage-to-screen adaptations, then think again. Molloy and Lawlor, who come from theatrical backgrounds, have taken an oblique approach to the theme of theatricality, and the result is a varied and challenging range of films, including Night after Night, by the French director Eugène Green, Back against the Wall, by the cult director James Fotopoulos, and Day of Wrath, which was filmed during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. The series runs from next Friday until next Sunday, in association with Project arts centre. Book on 01-6793477. www.irishfilm.ie. Eimear McKeith
A RUM DO It was quite unexpected. Within minutes of the jar of babas being passed around the office, we were laughing, saturated with rum after eating tiny mouthfuls of very potent cake. They come from a new Italian speciality food shop in Limerick called O&F, or Olio & Farina, run by Susan Mulvihill, who has brought the franchise to Ireland after falling in love with the shop in St Albans, near London (there are also branches in Genoa and Dijon). She stocks a good range of exotic sauces (wild-boar ragu, anyone?), olive oils and vinegars (including figs in balsamic), preserves and dried pastas, as well as a selection of Italian wines. And there is a small selection of Italian cookware, ceramics and implements made from olive wood. Lucky Limerick. Olio & Farina is at 2 Little Catherine Street, 061-319133. Patsey Murphy
SINGALONG-A-SHOWER We recently featured portable speakers for your digital music player; now Muji has gone one step further, with a water-resistant speaker case. It is designed for the shower, making it perfect for people who can't part with their iPods even for long enough to wash themselves. Just open the plastic case, plug your player into the headphone socket, pump up the volume and - not forgetting to close the rubber-sealed case securely, of course - enjoy a singalong in the spray. It costs €59.95 from Muji, 5 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, 01-6794591. Eimear McKeith
STEPPING OUT Walking in the Wicklow mountains at night is normally reserved for those who have lost their way, but next Friday torches will guide the way on the opening night of West Wicklow Walking Festival. Afterwards, walkers will unwind at a Celtic ceremony complete with complimentary meal. It's a taste of the weekend ahead, which, among other things, travels back in time as far as a 5,000-year-old passage grave on a megalithic walk. The people at Wicklow County Tourism aren't the only ones who think that the area around Kippure is stunning: it was also chosen as the backdrop for Braveheart (above) and Dancing at Lughnasa. The 11 walks of varying length and levels of difficulty will visit the film locations, go on a deer-hunter trail, to see the home of the sikha deer of the region, or, for children, provide an opportunity to hang out in the trees and become Tarzan for the day. Based on the Kippure Estate, from April 28th to May 1st. See www.visitwicklow.ie Nicoline Greer
TIP YOUR HAT It's 100 years since Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing an elegant straw hat to protect him from the sun as he inspected the building of the Panama Canal. The Ecuadorian hats were originally known as paja toquilla, but their popularity among canal workers seeking relief from the sun meant they became known as panama hats. The Panama Hat Company sells hats that are woven in Ecuador and blocked in traditional shapes in England. The shop, now online, was run by Cornter May from Ecuador, on Oxford Street in London, until four years ago. She has mastered the dying art of being able to tell a man's head measurement at first glance. From wide brims to fedoras and flat caps, the women's range is super-slick; the men's range includes trilbys fit for the smokiest of tangos. See www.panamahats.co.uk or call 00-44-1296-489482. Nicoline Greer
CRAFTY SPACE The Narrow Space is a craft gallery on Mitchell Street in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, known locally as the "narrow street". Owner Aisling Kilroy has assembled a wide range of Irish and international crafts, from Portuguese glassware to quirky Belgian hens that would liven up any lawn or indoor space. As well as ceramics and pottery, the shop stocks fashion accessories such as Cathy Prendergast's leather bags and unusual pieces of ethnic jewellery from husband-and-wife team Brandino. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.30am and 5.30pm. Call 052-27838. Deirdre McQuillan