Take a walk (or a drive) on the wild side. West Cork offers an abundance of wildlife, nature, and scenery. Is there a more intriguing place in Ireland than West Cork? On a recent trip, I was dazzled by the wild beauty of its rugged coastline. I loved its small towns and villages, each buzzing with life. And I was thrilled to uncover its history through sites that still hold … [Read more...] about West Cork
Issues
From Reefer Madnessto Reefer Medicine
The highs, lows, benefits, and downfalls of legalizing marijuana. ℘℘℘ The archeologists who discovered the bones of a man in China’s Gobi Desert determined his age at over 2700 years and noted he was buried alongside 28 ounces of marijuana. Thanks to dry desert conditions, the pot, unlike the man, was well-preserved and scientists speculated the stash may have been a … [Read more...] about From Reefer Madnessto Reefer Medicine
Wild Irish Women: Dr. James Barry
The famous British Army surgeon was actually an Irish woman. ℘℘℘ Dr. James Barry was born in County Cork as Margaret Anne Bulkley, the daughter of Jeremiah and Mary-Ann (neé Barry). Accounts vary on the year of her birth but whether it was 1789 or 1795, women were denied a formal education. Her father was a feckless grocer who lost his business, landed in debtors’ prison and … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women: Dr. James Barry
The Upside of Having YourLife Turned Upside Down
Karen Duffy writes about living with chronic pain. ℘℘℘ There is pain that hurts you and pain that changes you. Pain is a survival mechanism; it’s a signal that you need to pay attention to what is causing you harm – pull your hand away from the hot stove; jump back from the prickly cactus. Acute pain is usually caused by tissue damage and will resolve in a period of three … [Read more...] about The Upside of Having YourLife Turned Upside Down
The Irish Nightingale of the Civil War
"The Irish-American Florence Nightingale" of the Civil War – Sister Mary Anthony. The name of this Civil War medical pioneer has unjustly slipped between history’s proverbial cracks. Still, her legacy flourishes: “Her innovative triage techniques remain standard practices in every theater of war where American troops fight.” Those words come from a 2003 Pentagon report. They … [Read more...] about The Irish Nightingale of the Civil War