A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Paper trail
In our quest for a gift for the person who has everything or wants nothing (you know the one) we've come over all nostalgic with the help of, believe it or not, Ordnance Survey Ireland. The national mapping agency – bear with us – has a great little service on its website ( shop.osi.ie/shop) in which users can rummage through old 6in and 25in scale maps, choose specific areas, and purchase A4 PDFs in colour or black-and-white from €10 (A0 prints also available). Printed and framed, they make thoughtful gifts for anyone with a special place in their heart for a special place, and if you get really lucky, you might just hit on a vintage photograph to match, from the collection at emerald-isle-gifts.com.
Emma Somers
CLEVER CUTS
The Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland is organising a free Rose Clematis Group rose pruning demonstration.
It will be given by Darina O’Sullivan on Saturday, March 10th, from 2pm to 3.30pm in the Walled Garden, UCD, Belfield
The Amazon in Dublin
Starkly contrasting images from the Amazon rainforest are on show in Dublin for the month of March. Amazon features the work of two photographers, Sebastião Salgado (whose work is pictured here) and Per-Anders Pettersson, giving a unique perspective into the plight of the rainforest and the people who live there. Brazilian photographer Salgado's work is part of his ongoing photographic essay, Genesis, portraying pristine landscapes and the communities that live in balance with their environment. Pettersson's photographs document a visit to the Acre region in north-west Brazil with actor Gemma Arterton, showing the reality of the area's devastation caused by deforestation. The exhibition is in aid of Sky Rainforest Rescue, which aims to save a billion trees in the region. Amazon is at the Gallery of Photography, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 from March 1st-31st. Admission free. galleryofphotography.ie
Take a walk on the LeCool side
It’s that time of the year when small talk has finally moved from the Christmas (“Quiet enough – and you?”) to the grand stretch in the evenings. So if you find yourself with more daylight hours than you know what to do with, why not sign up for one of LeCool Dublin’s alternative walks.
Each one is unique, guiding participants around some of Dublin’s lesser-known places of interest and introducing them to all sorts of characters, from tailors and tattoo artists to historians, artists and curators. Previous experiences have included a pop-up Street Feast and an impromptu reading from author Belinda McKeon.
The first one of the year is at 11am this morning, but two upcoming Thursday evening walks (March 1st and 22nd, 5.30pm, €15) would be a fine way to build up an appetite between work and dinner. See lecoolwalkdublin.tumblr.com
Emma Somers
It's declutter week - everything must go
Believe it or not there is a week dedicated to the art of cleaning up. National Declutter Week takes place in the UK from March 7th to 18th. While it sounds absolutely mental, it offers time to rethink the traditional spring-clean and consider instead a scorched-earth policy, in which you get rid of everything that you don't wear or use. Once you've done that, the secret to staying on the wagon and clutter-free is clever storage. Smart storage ( smartstorage.ie086-9794425) can create under-stairs storage drawers from €585 (left). Dunnes Stores has a selection of baskets that are perfect for smalls and the bathroom. Prices range from €5 to €15.
Alanna Gallagher
Hot fashion for lunch
Arnotts' Pure Style fashion show and lunch is a fund-raising event for Cry, the Irish charity set up in 2002 to raise awareness of cardiac risk in the young. It takes place in the Shelbourne hotel, Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, next Friday at noon. Pamela Flood is the MC. The best-dressed attendee wins an appointment with a personal shopper at Arnotts, lunch at Homemade by Clodagh, plus a €250 voucher to spend at Arnotts – which should go some way to buying their latest fashion hot property, the new Mary Katrantzou collection for Longchamp, which has garnered waiting lists. The totes (above) cost from €350-€385. Tickets for the event are €100 and are available from Lucia Ebbs (01-4525482, cry.ie).
Alanna Gallagher
