Beauty of Blackwater at Lismore is Prizewinning

The beauty of the Blackwater at Lismore, as captured on camera by Dungarvan woman Alice Daly, has taken first prize in RTE Weather Photo Competition.

The photograph which has been used as a backdrop on RTE weather forecasts also features on RTE.ie and the RTE Weather Calendar.

The photograph won first place in the Autumn 2009 segment of the competition but it was on 25th March that Alice was presented with her prize by weather girl Nuala Carey.

Entries are now being accepted for the Spring 2010 competition. Details are available on the RTE Weather website.

Combined Discount Ticket to Lismore Heritage Centre and Lismore Castle Gardens

You can now visit Lismore's most popular visitor attractions together at a very special price.

A €10.00 combined ticket will allow the bearer to:

• view The Lismore Experience, our 30 minute audio-visual introduction to the fascinating history of the town, the exhibition galleries and The Robert Boyle Room at Lismore Heritage Centre
• visit Lismore Castle Gardens
• visit Lismore Castle Arts, the contemporary art gallery located in the renovated west wing of Lismore Castle

These great value tickets are available now from the ticket desks of Lismore Heritage Centre and Lismore Castle Gardens.

Lismore Farmers’ Market Prepares for A Taste of West Waterford 2010

A very special Lismore Farmers’ Market will convene on Saturday 17th April to set the stage for A Taste of West Waterford. As part of the Waterford Festival of Food chefs from the area’s most popular eateries will assemble on Castle Avenue to ensure that some of the region’s very finest produce is enjoyed exactly where it is made- in West Waterford

Cooks who between them have been described as creating “culinary sparks”, earned a Michelin award and inspired The Irish Times’ celebrity food critic Tom Doorley to declare that, if you have never visited Lismore then “this is the time”, will gather to attest to the culinary clout of the area.

Cuisiners such as Paul Deevey of Richmond House, Joe Willoughby from Ballyrafter House Hotel, Noel and Annmarie Costello of the Brideview Bar and Restaurant and the O’Brien’s Chop House’s Justin Green will display their skills al fresco to serve up the best of local meat, fish and much more for lunch.

Fresh produce to suit all tastes will be on sale on the day. Baked goods, both sweet and savoury, cheese, eggs and honey all produced within a stone’s throw of Lismore will stand alongside an impressive array of Meadowfresh vegetables, Ballycotton Fresh Fish and Tipperary Organic Ice-Cream. O’Flynn’s Gourmet Sausages are guaranteed to go down a treat on the 17th. The Tallow-based company, who have been serving their mouth-watering sausages to crowds on the go in Corks’ English Market for years, are delighted to have the opportunity to feed the hungry hoards on their doorstep. Junior musicians from the Booley House will provide musical accompaniment while plant, jewellery and craft stalls will provide some non-edible temptation.

Those wishing to really get out and about in West Waterford can take the Bus Bia Down On The Farm. Delight younger members of the family with a visit to Michael O’Donnell’s spring lambs and let the adults better understand one of Ireland’s most important industries with an introduction to the Shanavoola suckling beef herd. The Bus Bia will arrive at Lismore Farmers Market just in time for you to choose your lunch from among the wares on offer from the Taste of West Waterford chefs. Bus Bia tickets which include lunch are on sale from the main Waterford Festival of Food ticket office on (058)21104 from Monday 29th March.

According to Michael J. Walsh, Chairman of Lismore Farmers’ Market, Saturday 17th April will be a great day in the market’s history. “The Taste of West Waterford Farmers’ Market will see the greatest showcase of local produce ever arranged right here in the heart of Lismore and I am really looking forward to it.”

Much time and co-operation has gone into ensuring that a true spectacle is in store to those visiting Castle Avenue on the 17th April. Michael J. Walsh extends the Farmers’ Markets’ thanks to Lord and Lady Burlington for their continuing kind support and to all the staff of Lismore Estates. The Market is also grateful to Lismore Mochuda Development Company, Lismore Heritage Centre, the Ballysaggart Festival Committee and Waterford County Council.

Fauré's Requiem for St. Carthage's Cathedral

Requiem will be performed by Lismore Choir in St. Carthage's Cathedral on Palm Sunday (28th March) at 15.00hrs.

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The choir will be conducted by musical director Carmel O'Shea and accompanied by Colin Nicholls. The choir's performance will feature soprano, Caroline Fraher and baritone, Gordon Garde.

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Fauré's most famous major work, Requiem, is probably best known to the world for one movement; the soprano aria Pie Jesu as performed by popular artists Katherine Jenkins, Sarah Brightman and Charlotte Church.

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All are welcome to Sunday's performance. A retiring collection will be held in aid of Cathedral funds.

Blackwater Community School Among the Top Three at the Festival of Food Cookery Competition

On Friday 19th March Colaiste Cathal Naofa, Dungarvan was the venue for the hotly contested final of the 2010 Waterford Festival of Food Secondary Schools Cookery Competition.

Judges Eunice Power, Powersfield House, Louise Clarke of Nude Food and Tony Barry of the Culinary School of Waterford Institute of Technology were left astounded by the level of skill displayed by the young chefs. Assessing the students’ creativity in menu choice and presentation alongside their technical abilities the judges felt that the standard was exceptional with very high marks awarded in every category.

Tony Barry believes that some of the youngsters may have a career ahead of them in the kitchen, reminding them that a previous winner of the competition went on to win gold for WIT in the European Culinary Arts Competition.

The home venue, Colaiste Cathal Noafa was represented by Clodagh Behan and Amy Keohan. A past pupil of the school, Louise Veale, now of Lawlors Hotel passed on some of her professional expertise to the pupils with a short cookery demonstration.

Aoife Brockie and Kate Maher took the helm for last year’s winner Meánscoil San Nicolas while Laura Tobin and Lucy Whelan took part on behalf of Ard Scoil na nDeise. The St. Augustine’s College competitors were Leann Herlihy and Ellen Ferncombe. Jessica O’Donnell flew solo for Blackwater Community School, Lismore while Finnbar Duff White and Kieran Conway of CBS bravely represented the boys.

While the order of prizewinners will not be announced until the Festival of Food proper, 17th-19th April, the top three teams were revealed as Ard Scoil na nDeise, CBS and Blackwater Community School. While Laura, Lucy, Jessica, Finnbar and Kieran will have to bear the suspense a little longer they can relax in the knowledge that a great prize awaits them all. The prizewinners will each gain an amazing opportunity to work up close and personally with some of the Festival’s finest chefs: Paul Flynn in The Tannery Restaurant & Cookery School, Eunice Power in the catering element of Powersfield House or with Louise Clarke in her bustling café, Nude Food.

Louise Clarke, Chairperson of Waterford Festival of Food, presented certificates to all the students who participated and thanked them and their teachers for all the time and effort they dedicated to the competition. The organizers would also like to thank Colaiste Cathal Naofa for once again generously allowing the use of their facilities.

Lismore-Born Father of Modern Chemistry Portrayed By Royal Mail

2010 marks the 350th anniversary of The Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science and the world's oldest science academy.

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To celebrate this milestone the Royal Mail has issued a series of ten commemorative stamps. Each stamp features a Royal Society fellow who has "helped us to better understand the world and the universe through observation and experimentation." First in the series is Robert Boyle, the Lismore-born scientist who was instrumental to the foundation of the Royal Society in 1660 and who was elected to its presidency in 1680 (a position he declined as the oath contravened his religious principles).

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Boyle was the youngest son of Richard Boyle, the First Earl of Cork who purchased Lismore Castle, Robert's birthplace, as part of Walter Raleigh's Irish estates. Robert left his County Waterford home at a tender age to study at Eton and Oxford and to undertake a Grand Tour of Europe.

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Boyle earned the epitaph 'The Father of Modern Chemistry' for discoveries such as the importance of air in combustion, respiration and sound, the possibility of a vacuum and most importantly, the law that bears his name. It was Boyle's Law on the behaviour of gases (i.e. that at a constant temperature the pressure and volume of a gas are inversely proportionate) that guaranteed that the Lismore man's legacy to the scientific world would never be forgotten.

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Robert is already commemorated in his hometown. In the Heritage Centre 'The Robert Boyle Science Room' is a 17th century styled gentleman's study that welcomes budding scientists who visit the Heritage Centre, an accredited Discover Primary Science centre, on school tour. Pupils are made very aware of the town's most famous scientific son through a cartoon that introduces Boyle's life and works in a fun child-friendly way.

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Information on The Royal Mail's commemorative stamps can be found at

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/stamps/jump1?catId=116000769&mediaId=115800796.

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More information on the Robert Boyle Science Room and science education at the Heritage Centre can be found on http://www.discoverlismore.com/ or you can call Alice on 058-54975.

Up Up and Away: Bookings Now Being Taken at the Heritage Centre

Up Up and Away is the flighty theme of the classical music concert to be held in Lismore Castle on 9th and 10th April.

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A captivating evening is in store for patrons who, following the short stroll or shuttle bus journey down a candlelit Castle avenue, will be greeted by a champagne reception before the music strikes up.

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A wonderful musical line-up has been arranged with performances by Duo Chagnall: husband and wife cellist and violinist Gillian Williams and Arun Rao and pianist Sandy McPherson. Vocal talent will also be richly represented with appearances by Dilys Lloyd, contralto, Emma Nash, soprano and Frank Ryan, tenor. Musical direction of the evening rests in the capable hands of flautist Patricia Pearse.

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A whimsical touch, well in keeping with the concert's aerial theme, is the top prize on offer to those in attendance in the Castle's Pugin Room: a flight for two in a hot air balloon over west Waterford will ensure that the magic of the evening will endure long after the music has died away for at least one lucky ticket holder.

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Organised by Principal Mary England and the committee of Lismor Mochuda Primary School, Up Up and Away is a fundraising event. The proceeds are going to Liosmor Mochuda National School and the restoration of the old Presbyterian church building on East Main Street in the hope that it may resume its one-time role as a community centre.

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Tickets are priced €25. Bookings to 086-8153793 or to the Heritage Centre on 058-54975.

The Wiz for the Courthouse Theatre

Lismore Dramatic Society will stage The Wiz in the Heritage Centre's Courthouse Theatre over the next two weekends.

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The Wiz is a musical retelling of the Frank L. Baum classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Wiz became a Tony award-winning sensation on Broadway when it was first produced in 1975 and has since been made into a motion picture.

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The Lismore Dramatic Society production opens Friday 19th March and runs Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st before returning for a second run from Thursday 25th- Sunday 28th March.

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The curtain goes up at 8.15pm nightly and tickets are available from Cahills or on 058-53992.

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Best of luck to all the cast and crew!

Sunday 14th March: Devonshire Day Book Signing and Farmers Market

This Sunday, 14th March, promises to be a very enjoyable day in Lismore.

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Devonshire Day, the once a year opportunity to enjoy a pre-view of Lismore Castle's spring gardens and to indulge in cream tea in the Castle's Pugin Room, is booking up rapidly. Meanwhile preparations are well underway for the start of the 2010 season of the Lismore Farmers Market.

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The Heritage Centre will be open from 11.00am on Sunday to welcome all Devonshire Day guests whose tickets will admit them to a complimentary showing of The Lismore Experience, our 30 minute audio-visual introduction to the history of the town and castle.

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An extra special afternoon will be had in the Centre as Mr Donald Brady will be on hand to sign copies of his newest work "The Book of Lismore: An Introduction" from 14.30-17.00hrs.

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Devonshire Day tickets may be booked on 058-54975 or 058-53365.

Lismore Farmers Market will be held in Castle Avenue from 10.00-16.00hrs every Sunday until November.

Lismore Farmers Market 2010 Season

Lismore Farmers' Market begins its 2010 season this Sunday, 14th March.

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The best of local fresh produce will be on sale with stallholders offering fruit and veg, eggs, cheese and farmers butter. A fine array of newly baked goods both sweet and savoury, cakes and breads, will be available. Also on sale will be organic ice cream and Ballycotton fresh fish. If the selection on fine food on display whets your appetite snacks, tea and coffee can be enjoyed in the beautiful setting of Lismore Castle Avenue. A pleasant Sunday browse is assured with traditional music and local craft exhibitions also convening along the avenue.

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This Sunday's market will be a pleasant accompaniment to Devonshire Day at Lismore Castle.

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Lismore Farmers' Market will run from 10.00am-16.00pm every Sunday until November.

Medieval Launch for Waterford Festival of Food

The Banqueting Hall of Lismore Castle returned to the style to which it was once accustomed last night as harpists, jesters and honoured guests heralded the launch of the 2010 Waterford Festival of Food.

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Some of the county's finest chefs served up a venerable feast of suckling pig, stew, salmon, artisan bread and cakes and custard tarts to a happily sated crowd. Costumed ladies of the house welcomed guests as they arrived and Sir Walter Raleigh ushered the crowd round his old domain.

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If the wonderfully atmospheric evening that delighted all present is a harbinger of the Festival of Food which is to follow on 16th-18th April then we are all in for a treat!

Take a Peek at the Craft Shop New Stock

The girls in the Heritage Centre are hard at work pricing and displaying the deliveries of new stock arriving daily. A totally restocked and revamped Craft Shop is on the way!

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To take a sneak peek at some of our favourite new things visit our Facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000122755760&filter=1#!/album.php?aid=17466&id=100000122755760

Beautiful Baby Gifts in the Craft Shop

Pure Love is a range of adorable baby gifts now in stock in the Craft Shop.

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Beautifully packaged and presented the bedding and toys are all loving crafted from organic natural fibres. Destined to become much loved keepsakes the products now in stock include Snuggle Buddies, Noisy Knits, Sleepytime Gift Sets, Velour Pram Blankets and Petite Gifts.

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With prices starting at just 11.50 Pure Love are the perfect gifts to give as well as to receive!