Village Green Garden Club

The topic for the November garden club meeting was ‘Hedgerows and Woodlands’, with Eoin Donnelly as guest speaker. Eoin is a fourth generation forester, reared in the Chiltern Hills in England but living in Ireland for the past 16 years. He spoke of the changing landscape in Ireland and the fact that intensive farming has changed many of the hedgerows. He stressed the importance of using native hedging such as thorn, crab apple, spindle, hazel, holly, gorse, elm, privet, as these will provide a habitat for our native birds, animals and insects. Hedging should be dense enough to give protection to wildlife, and should not be cut between the end of February to the 1st of September, as this is the nesting season. It is a good idea to select some upright growth from hedging to grow as trees interspersed in the hedge, as this allows birds to shelter and nest and gives them a perch to look out for predators.
Eoin showed us slides of different styles of hedge laying in England and Ireland and of his work with students in managing forests and woodland. He showed the coppicing of Hazel wood, which allows it to re-grow from the base and the use of the hazel wood to make rustic furniture, pig houses, garden implements and small wooden toys. It was a fascinating talk by Eoin, a man steeped in knowledge of trees, hedgerows and woodland.


RUSSBOROUGH 2009 MUSIC EVENTS
Following a highly successful series of indoor music events , outdoor theatre and candlelight tours in Russborough during 2008 there are already plans being made for the 2009 season.
On Wednesday 11th February , Russborough is hosting its first traditional music evening with ‘The Tradition Club’ featuring Kevin Conneff of The Chieftans on vocals and bodhran , Dubliner Paul McGrattan on flute , Dundalk maestro Gerry O’Connor on fiddle and Breton guitar virtuoso Gilles le Bigot on guitar and tambura. Wine reception at 7.30pm for concert commencing at 8.00 pm
On Saturday 14th February , to celebrate Valentine’s Day, there is an evening of Valentine’s Love Music featuring Karin Leitner playing Flute and Cormac de Barra playing Harp. Vehicles can be parked in front of Russborough House before the wine reception in the Front Hall at Russborough and the Valentine’s concert itself which will be in the Candlelit surroundings of the elegant Saloon at Russborough.
On both evenings a pre-concert evening meal is available from Russborough’s resident Head Chefs , Dawn and Kevin Farley, in the casually elegant candlelit surroundings of the Kitchen Garden Restaurant . Their menu offers a selection of freshly prepared wholesome food as well as an excellent range of wines to accompany the meal. It sounds like just the way to start your Valentine’s evening !
For information on both events see www.russborough.ie or contact Marian on 045 865239 or by e-mail to marian@russborough.ie.
A Christmas Poem
He didn’t have a ’telly’ with the news being spread about,
But instead He had an angel, who proclaimed the news, from God.
The news that His beloved Son, the glorious Prince of Peace,
Had come to dwell among mankind to bring God within our reach.
A choir of angels sang God’s praise to some gentle shepherd men,
Not in a great cathedral, but o’er the hills of Bethlehem.

We often think of Jesus as being deprived at birth,
Of being poor and needy when He came from Heaven to Earth.
A prince would have had flash bulbs, - but Jesus had His star,
Which shone on many countries and brought wise men from afar.
Three wealthy, wise stargazers, who found in it a sign,
That somewhere a geat King was born to fit with God’s design.
We dance and sing and drink our wine, and have Christmas parties,
And it’s right to celebrate just why it all got started.
We tell the story, set up the crib, and bells peal out and ring,
And we sing our lovely carols, to bring praises to our King.
And by our gifts and greetings and cards sent with all our love,
We try to copy, in some small way, God’s goodness from above.
So let’s make sure He’s not left out, among all our glee and din.
As it happened on that fateful night, when there was no room at the Inn.

Happy Christmas to all,
Sincerely Trudy Jeffers.