GREEN PAGES Although we may strive to be greener and more organic in our daily lives, it can be hard to find out how to go about it. The Organic Centre's Organic & Green Guide to Ireland 2005-2006 (€12), edited by Siobhán Morris, is a directory of all that is green and good on this island.
Farmers' markets, organic producers, health-food shops, organic restaurants and accommodation, eco-builders and environmental organisations are all listed. There are pithy little items explaining food miles, fair trade, composting and some of the other key concepts of the environmentally-aware lifestyle. And when next year's guide is issued, rest assured that this one is recyclable and biodegradable - so you can pop it on the compost heap. Available from bookshops and health shops, or click on www.organicgreenguide.com. Jane Powers
LEDWIDGE DAY Admirers of Francis Ledwidge will be paying tribute to the poet from 3pm tomorrow in the grounds of the cottage where he was born, in Slane, Co Meath. Seán Tyrell and Fergus Feeley will perform musical settings of his poems, and there'll be a cottage market and face painting. Ledwidge (left), who was killed in Ypres on July 31st, 1917, is known primarily as a war poet, but he began writing long before he went to the trenches, often about his beloved home county. Entry to the afternoon at the cottage (below), which has been the Francis Ledwidge Museum since the early 1980s, costs €5. If you're interested in hearing about the poet's time in Gallipoli, Prof Keith Jeffery is giving a talk as part of tomorrow's Ledwidge evening at the Conyngham Arms Hotel, also in Slane. Tickets for the event, which includes a harp recital and a
buffet, cost €12. More details from www.francis ledwidge.com or 041-9824544. Emma Cullinan
COTTON CLUB Introduce the newest member of your family to a more just world by kitting them out in the latest clothes to arrive in Oxfam Ireland's Fair Trade shops, in Dublin, Galway and Belfast. Its oh-so-cute Babygros are made from organic cotton by Assisi Garments, a company established in 1994 to employ hearing-impaired and impoverished women in southern India. No chemical pesticides, defoliants or fertilisers are used in the garments, which come in three styles. Prices range from €12.50 to €20. Lauren McCreery
MOSQUITO BOAST The brother-in-law, vehemently opposed to logos or, indeed, any form of writing on clothing, appeared at the annual family reunion this summer sporting the words Buzz Off on his shirt sleeve. Great to see you, too, we replied. His jacket, it transpired, was impregnated with insecticide, as were his hat, shorts, socks and, well, we didn't inquire beyond that. While the rest of us stood around the garden smacking our arms, scratching our ankles and drawing blood, he remained oddly serene. A great idea for camping, fishing, hiking and foolhardy barbecues, the repellent is odourless, invisible and doesn't change the feel of the fabric. More effective than sprays, he says, and it is supposed to last for more than 20 washes. Perfect for anyone who tends to get welts rather than bites. L. L. Bean, the great US outdoor-clothing mail-order specialist, sells the complete range; www.buzzoff.com will direct you to other stockists. T-shirts start at $22 (about €18); fishing shirts cost $59 (about €49). Shipping is extra. Patsey Murphy
KIDS' CLUB Banish the words "Mum, I'm bored" from your house this summer. Kayaking in Kinsale, canoeing in Killaloe, soccer skills, storytelling, dolphin-watching and drama and are just some of the summer activities covered by the parenting website Rollercoaster.ie. Its region-by-region guide is a godsend for parents climbing the walls after just a couple of weeks at home with the kids. There are links to organisations all over the country - there's still time to sign up for many of the courses - as well as ideas for rainy days at home. Turn up the heating, put on swimming togs and lay out beach towels on the livingroom floor. It's worth a try. www.rollercoaster.ie. Charlotte Coleman-Smith
COFFEE WATCH Outraged by the price of takeaway coffee, we asked you to tell us about shops and cafes that sell good coffee at a reasonable price. This week's offering is: "Prego, on Henry Street (064-42350) does the best coffee in Kenmare - €1 to take away. They'll even deliver it if you work on the same street. Yours, FS."
Send your info to coffee@irish-times.ie, and remember it has to be good value, which we define as €1.50 or less.
This is a readers' forum. Coffee has not been tested by The Irish Times
LEAD THE WAY Are you always getting lost on continental roundabouts? Or don't trust your better half to direct you out of your driveway, never mind across Europe? Help is at hand. Satellite navigation, the technological godsend that offers a digital map and a patient, reassuring voice to guide you to your destination, is available to hire. For just under €10 a day, Satnavhire.ie is offering short-term rental of a complete system. It's portable, attaches to your windscreen or dashboard and is powered via the cigarette lighter. Of course, while you may find your way from Orange Square in Marbella to the shores of Lake Saimaa, in Finland, without a single wrong turn, the poor state of sat-nav mapping in Ireland means you will be hard pushed to find anywhere outside the M50. So this is really one for the holidays. See www.satnavhire.ie. Michael McAleer