Conor's Bandon Blog

Running, Food and Local stuff from a blow-in

African Drumming Workshops Available

Patrick Naughton has been in touch to tell me about African drumming workshops that he runs for community groups, schools and festivals in Cork and the surrounding areas. If you know of any such group that are looking for workshops or entertainers then do get in contact with him on pat.naughton@yahoo.co.uk Quote: Full Circles African Drumming workshops are an exciting, fun, addition to any festival or gathering that you have planned.

Check out the new bandon.ie site

Brilliant job by Andrew Kingston of Arkutech.ie in building the newbandon.ie site. bandon.ie A quick poke around confirmed that it is built on the same fantastic Wordpress foundation as this fine blog. A certain person named Donncha O’Caoimh is one of the main developers of Wordpress and just lives a few miles away in Blarney. Bandon is clearly commited to buying local. OK Wordpress is free but you get my point!

Allotments for Bandon

I was thrilled to get an email from Tara O’Donoghue to tell me that Bandon allotments are up and running. The allotment garden is located in Cloughmacsimon – a short distance off the bypass, right behind Coláiste Na Toirbhirte. Plots are available in 2 sizes 5x7m for €80pa or 5x10m for €100pa. There are plenty of plots available so call 023 8852922 or 087 9567452 or email bandontransition@gmail.com for more information.

RTE finally has a new Darina and his name is Martin Shanahan

With a single episode, the greatest TV show RTE have made about food in at least 25 years. Martin Shanahan jumps out of the screen, grabs you by the scruff of the neck and demands that you watch him and start loving fish. After decades of dreary formulaic yawn inducing food programmes on Irish TV or worse, the “crayzzzzze kooky” shows, someone in RTE finally saw an episode of Jamie Oliver and realised what was missing - personality.

For Your Consideration

Not Christopher Guest’s best movie but I always liked the title. I’ve been shortlisted in the Irish Internet Association Net Visionary Awards as front-man for LouderVoice. It’s in the Innovation category. If you have a spare minute, pop on over to the site and vote for all your favourite Irish web businesses. Your support is appreciated by us all.

A Kitchen Paradise in Bantry

We recently discovered this shop as it seems to be the only one in a few hundred miles of Bandon that sells Sodastream gas refills. Catherine popped down a few weeks ago to get two refills and raved about the place. I drove down yesterday to have a look and get some of the Sodastream flavours. They are just at the top of town on the main street, impossible to miss.

Live Pre-packed Mussels - Genius Idea

I popped into the fish shop in Bantry today and spotted these. A fully sealed pack of live local mussels. I have long lamented the lack of fresh shellfish in shops in Cork and now they have no excuse. All you need is a cooler cabinet with no need for special shellfish expertise or having to deal with smells or things going off. These could literally be sold in every garage and convenience shop in the country.

Annual Paddy's Day Post

The cold seemed to reduce the numbers quite a bit this year but still a great display by the locals. Fire engines and tractors still firm favourites in our house with the Steam Tractor being my own personal highlight·

Rosmini Community Event Needs Your Help

I’ll keep it short and sweet. If you know of any family-friendly comedians or mind-trick guys who would be able to perform on March 26th in Bandon, can you get in touch with me and I’ll pass it on to the Rosmini Centre people? They do have some budget for it, so pro or semi-pro is fine. Also the dog owned by one of the kids who was going to perform has gone missing.

Community Variety Show on March 26th in Bandon

Every year the great people who run the Rosmini centre for adults with an intellectual disability organise a fun and interesting event to promote community integration and inclusion for everyone. This year they are organising a community variety show. It’s on Friday the 26th of March in the GAA Hall in Bandon. Doors opening at 7.15, show starts at 8 sharp. It is not a fund raising event so tickets will be at the very affordable cost of €5 each.