I never thought I'd get the chance to see Patti Smith live, let alone in Limerick. I never take for granted how blessed we are to have John Hennessy/Seoda Shows and Dolans bringing amazing music to us but this was extra special. Thanks @foggynotions.bsky.social too!

An early evening charity gig after work on a Friday in a beautiful space out the back of a city centre coffee shop (Klaud9) with gorgeous music (Anemone and Eoin Ryan) was the perfect way to shake off the work week. The icing on the cake: a harmonium played with feet, slide guitar & birdsong. ❤️

From Noggus Bog in Offaly at the weekend. Among the many wildflowers & dragonflies I recorded were these Bee, Butterfly, Fragrant & Marsh Helleborine Orchids, & the mighty Four-spotted Chaser. They're my favourite dragonfly, partly because they're the only big one that will pose for photos!

I got back home for the weekend & went to see if the Peregrine Falcon was about. Both the male and female were visible for hours. Since they weren't on the nest, and there were no cries of chicks or any sign of recent fledglings, I assume this means they didn't manage to raise chicks this year.

I just finished uploading all my records from the weekend (69 in total/55 plants, which isn't bad for just two field sessions with non-stop yapping). The highlights were my 1st (&2nd, 3th, 4th) times to see the Marsh Fritillary butterfly & my 1st & 2nd to see this fabulous beetle Rutpela maculata.

Just home from a brilliant recorders weekend in Killarney to mark 20 years of the National Biodiversity Data Centre. I met so many people I've only known online for years, including some of my favourite experts & recorders I’ve learned from. It was a magical bubble I didn't want to leave. 🐝🐞🦋🐛🌱

I saw my first Painted Lady butterfly of the year tonight, quickly followed by my second and third. These migrants have been reported in their hundreds around the coast the last few weeks. Nice to know they've made it to Limerick. Saw two Ringlets and found a nice patch of 23 Bee Orchids too.

I spent my Friday night with Paddy Steer and am all the better for it.

This is my favourite example of it, from near Kylemore Abbey in Galway. I saw the anglicised name while driving by and thought it sounded Australian/Aboriginal. I went back for a second look and then it all made sense. Well, as much sense you can make from bastardising names like this.

Take a good look at this list to see who has decided to keep violating people and this most sacred of relationships in this horrendous ways. It's utterly appalling.

The University of Limerick, where I work, has greatly reduced its mowing and is now leaving large meadows, wild patches and verges throughout the campus. I found Bee Orchids and a Common Spotted Orchid where there used to be a manicured lawn. #WildflowerHour

Castletroy park also has large unmown areas & the verges of the Castletroy Greenway have been left to do their own thing. This is what we need to get used to seeing, instead of manicured lawns in institutions & parks. I’ve given my front lawn back to nature, despite the disapproving neighbours.

@unioflimerick.bsky.social has changed the way it mows and we now have glorious meadows and grassy wildflower verges everywhere. I go recording wildflowers and butterfly eggs on my lunchbreaks. Today, I came across my first Bee and Common Spotted Orchids of the year, and this lovely Common Blue.

I was 13 when I first heard this song on '7 Bands on the Up', a series of live shows from the SFX broadcast on RTE on Saturday evenings. Of course, we taped it & watched the videos to death. The music that means something to you at that age stays with you forever. That was a beautiful night.

Some of my favourites from the LSAD graduate show: Aoife Dunne's map, audio piece and sound walk Aine Mulcahy's ceramics Dylan Sweeney-Dargan's dog prints And paintings from Conor McEvoy Dargan Adam Dillon Robyn O'Doherty 10-5 until next Sunday, with lots of brilliant work available to buy.

Not a bad way to spend the Sunday night of a bank holiday weekend!

Came home to a gorgeous big female Ghost Moth on the wall outside. It's a nocturnal moth so not one you'd expect to see in daylight, and my first time ever!

Came back from my holidays to find some of my Dahlias reduced to stumps. No sign of the culprits...until I moved a stone sculpture I had propped against the wall and found the whole gang hiding from the sun and waiting for their night time assault. All safely relocated. 🐌🐌🐌

My last sight-seeing day was to the Meelick Weir, where you can walk over the Shannon from E Galway to W Offaly, with Tipp in sight. It leads you to Victoria Lock & the fanciest middle-of-nowhere toilets ever. Saw the stunning nearby 1414 St Francis Church and the 12th C COI Clonfert Cathedral too.

So cute!

And today we found out that my parents' resident fox has two cubs.

My evening's entertainment was watching a Peregrine Falcon leave the local church spire to go hunting, then coming back with a small bird, which it plucked and ate. It was all happening at 180-190ft above my head so the photos aren't great. 🙏 @rickywhelan.bsky.social for the head's up about them.

The last of my summer holiday pics: - Ben Bulben - Gleniff Horseshoe, Diarmuid & Grainne’s Cave - Classiebawn Castle on Mullaghmore - Costello Memorial Chapel (1879, 16x12ft, Carrick-on-Shannon) - Parke’s Castle (Lough Gill, Leitrim). Fascinating history en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parke%2...

Carrowmore, with its restored cairn and passage tomb, from where you could see the huge 180 x 33 ft Knocknarea Cairn on the hill, one of the few that hasn't been excavated. The court tomb of Creevykeel, with it's large gathering space. Amazing to be able to walk freely among these ancient sites.

I've been traipsing around Roscommon, Leitrim & Sligo since Monday and though the trip wasn't focused on wildflower recording, like my annual trip to Fanore would be, I had some lovely woodland walks along the way & couldn't walk by all the gems I saw. Top plant recorder in Roscommon now 🤣

One of the lovely things about being on holidays in Sligo is encountering @anniewestdotcom.bsky.social's wonderful and iconic artwork in the wild.

My day started in a fancy hotel in Roscommon & then went on a journey back 5000+ years to the neolithic passage tombs of Carrowkeel (first read about 25 yrs ago) & nearby Kesh caves from the same period. Thanks to @neiljackman.bsky.social, whose Amplify Archaeology podcast added so much to my trip.

I've wanted to visit Moylurg Tower in Lough Key Forest Park for ages. I finally got to today, and climbed to the top. It's a great example of an attractive Brutalist structure. It was smaller than I expected but I loved it. Built in the 70s on the spot of the old manor house that burned down.

I think this is Dactylorhiza Kerryensis, found beside a pond in Limerick during the week. Can anyone confirm that or correct me if I'm wrong? #WildflowerHour