Mrs Ts have nothing to do with Mr T or his gold medallions - instead, they are handmade limited-edition clogs.
The brainchild of Melanie Tosh and her mother, designer Barbara Robinson, Mrs Ts are limited to 100 pairs of each floral design, and painted by local artists in Sussex. They cost £85 (€125) from www.mrs-ts.co.uk Nicoline Greer
There have been quite a few Irish sporting highlights this year, but whatever the Ryder Cup cheerleaders tell you, Munster's Heineken Cup victory in May was the most memorable - full of sustained excitement and drama. Now you can relive the journey to European Cup triumph with Our Road To Glory, a beautifully produced official record of the 2006 campaign. The book, written by Alan English, has interviews with all the team and management, including Paul O'Connell, Ronan O'Gara, Peter Stringer (above) and Declan Kidney, and behind-the-scenes photography by Billy Stickland. The result is a fascinating insight into the team spirit that propelled Munster to victory. Davin O'Dwyer
STILL LIFES AND WILD LIFES
Richard Ward, a Yorkshire-born artist who lives and works in the Maam Valley in Connemara, is to mount his first exhibition for 20 years in Galway next month. Best known for his wildlife subjects, he has made many forays to Africa, Europe and the Middle East. During a visit to Oman, he had the rare opportunity to see and photograph in the wild a young male Arabian leopard, an endangered species, of which there are only 200 left in the world. His subsequent portrait of the beautiful animal so enchanted the Sultan of Oman that the painting was turned into an official stamp commemorating the 2002 Year of Conservation. Ward's series of portraits of the Himba tribes of Namibia, noted for their beauty and intricate body decoration, make up a substantial part of the exhibition, which also includes portraits, still lifes and flights of fancy. The exhibition runs at Norman Villa Gallery in Galway, October 12th-28th. Deirdre McQuillan
WESTPORT FOR ALL SORTS
It may have been the tidy town of choice this year for politicians fancying a bit of a ponder, but it's not all chicken in baskets and flower beds in Westport, Co Mayo. Here are a few favourites to check out if you're in town.
Looking for The Victor Book for Boys 1971 or a first edition Mrs Beeton's Cookbook? Go to Young's Interesting Books run by Barry Young, who deals in second-hand and collectable books. You can find just about anything among the towers of books - prepare to lose an afternoon to its pleasures.
Then take a detour off James's Street and come face to face with a full size El Hombre Tranquilo film poster showing John Wayne in a passionate clinch with Maureen O'Hara. John Moran, owner of The Long Acre antiques shop, has the original film poster for The Quiet Man in six languages - all he is missing now is the Japanese one. Obsessions aside, he sells everything from art nouveau to 1960s pieces - pop in or visit their website at www.thelongacre.com. Sinead Mooney
EXPECTING IN STYLE
Expectant women need not take a pregnant pause from style any more, with more ranges of maternity clothing now on the market. Wondermummy.com is the newest online offering of affordable stylish maternity wear, with prices starting below €20 for cotton basics. Caroline O'Kane is one half of the partnership that started the company and, having just given birth to a baby, has test-driven every piece of clothing that appears on the site.
At the upper end of the scale, Nelo Maternity, which has just opened a branch in Cork, supplies designer maternity wear from the catwalks of New York, London, Paris and Milan. Their autumn range includes brands such as Earl, Juicy Couture and Citizens of Humanity. See www.wondermummy.com and www.nelomaternity.com for details. Nicoline Greer
BUY UP THE BIG HOUSE
Leaving Dublin along the coast via the Rock Road, you may have noticed the rear facade of a large 18th-century building. The house, called Lios an Uisce, overlooks Blackrock Park and was recently sold. Now Sara Kenny Fine Art will auction the contents on Tuesday, October 17th. It has an interesting history: Lady Arabella Denny, daughter of the first Earl of Kerry, lived there in the 1750s. In the 1920s the house was rented to Kevin O'Higgins, a founder member of the first Free State government.
Some 700 lots will be sold, including inexpensive things such as a 19th-century ivory letter opener with an estimate of €150, or a pretty blue and white washbasin for €100. Everything from silk curtains to drop-leaf tables and picture frames are on offer, even items such as a ping-pong table. More exceptional lots include a Nathaniel Hone watercolour with a modest guide of €1,000; an elaborate early 19th-century cut glass chandelier for €8,000; and a set of 20 dining chairs for €12,000. On view Sunday 15th and Monday 16th. Call Sara Kenny Fine Art on 01-2060235. Eoin Lyons
DESIGNER LABELS
The ingenious Indian laundry system uses a secret marking method known only to the dhobis, who wash, dry, iron and return every item to its owner with military precision. Leaving initialled bottles to the creche is another story - forget indelible markers, and even nail polish wears off after 10 sessions in the steriliser. And how do you ensure each child brings the right set of gear into the changing room?
There's a simple solution - the labels from www.kidlabels.ie stick to everything that can be lost: shoes and skateboards; bottles and books; lunch boxes and iPods. The industrial-strength vinyl labels, available in seven colours, withstand dishwashing, microwaving and the weather, and there are also white iron-on labels for clothes.
Depending on the size you choose, you can have a cute picture alongside the name, and the larger labels and laminated bag tags have space for a phone number. The cheerful boxes of mixed labels, priced from €15 for 100 labels with no picture to €32 for 171 assorted labels, would make ideal birthday or newborn gifts. Order online or by telephone from Dave Jenkins on 01-2063565. Joyce Hickey
FRIENDS IN STEP
Life-long friends Laura Murphy and John Hurley (below) grew up next door to each other in Kinsale, Co Cork. As kids they played and danced together, and as they grew older both became interested in pursuing careers in dance. But, as tends to happen with childhood friends, they went separate ways: Murphy studied at University of Limerick and went on to further training at Trinity Laban, the prestigious dance conservatoire in London; while Hurley performed with Cork City Ballet and also moved to London, where he trained at The Place dance school.
Now, after many years, they have reunited as dance partners and will return home for a new collaboration at Limerick City Gallery of Art next Saturday, October 14th, at 3pm; admission free. For more details, call 061-310633, see www.limerickcity.ie/LCGA . Eimear McKeith