TREASURE HUNT Logging on to the site of the inventive American label Paper Treasure can be a cross-your-fingers experience; many of designer Jesseca McCloskey's handmade products are one-offs or limited editions, so browsing through her online shop becomes a race against time.
Getting there early is worth it, however, if you manage to grab one of her notebooks, bags or scarves in handmade or vintage fabrics. Features include edgy ribbons and ties, and some are finished with oversize buttons - deliberately eccentric and bohemian in a sense that is endearing rather than wearying, which is the only way that this season's Sienna-aping styles can be described. The notebooks are hand-bound, the paper acid-free; among them is the Collector's Notebook, a hodgepodge of papers and pockets that has to be the quirkiest of all takes on the humble scrapbook. The bags include revamped 1980s clutches in contrasting leathers and hand-sewn canvas totes, while the site also sells wallets, cuffs and compacts graced by 1950s pin-up stars. With prices ranging between $15 and$30, it's little wonder these treasures are snapped up fast. Check the shipping costs by chosing the UK quotation option. www.pinkthread.com/papertreasure. Belinda McKeon
THESE FEET WERE MADE FOR ...
Tales of witchcraft, murder, rebellions and riots will keep you entertained as you walk the historic streets of Ennis, Co Clare this summer. Discover the links Daniel O'Connell, Eamon de Valera and Charles Stewart Parnell had with the town - and the fascinating information referred to in this brochure (pictured left). The walks leave from tourist office at Arthur's Row at 11am and 7pm every day except Tuesday, between May and October, and tickets cost €8, with accompanied children free of charge.
For some, walking is an opportunity for reflection, rather than education, and on the Wicklow Way (below) the drama is provided by the scenery. There has been some confusion surrounding access to these inter-linked paths, but wicklowway.com confirms that the trails which make up a seven-day walk from Marlay Park in south Dublin to Clonegal, Co Carlow are open. The website can help you plan your route and book accommodation en route.
JOLLY HOCKEYSTICKS
Hockey is usually a winter sport, but this summer teenagers will get the chance to bully-off in less chilling conditions. Hockey summer camps and day-clinics, run by Sportways, are coming to Ireland for the first time this summer. For the past few years, Irish teenagers have been travelling to Barcelona and Amsterdam to take part in the camps there, and this year, the Irish camps will be visited by players from Spain, Holland and the UK. Top European coaches have come together and devised new and innovative ways of playing the game. One of the highlights at the National Hockey Stadium this June will be coaching by Dutch player Bram Lomans, who is a double Olympic gold medallist with wins in Atlanta and Sydney. The camps, for 10 to 16-year-olds, take place on June 6th-10th and June 20th-24th. The date for 12 to 16-year-olds is August 14th-19th. For more information contact 087-8207538, www.sportways.com. Nicoline Greer
ALL ABOARD
The wheels on the bus go round and round - except when it is a Walking Bus, that is. Donabate residents have become accustomed to daily processions of children in high-visibility jackets walking to and from school. They are the pupils of St Patrick's Girls' and Boys' National Schools, which are the first schools to take part in the Walking Bus project run by the Donabate/Portrane Safer Routes to School Committee. Volunteer parents marshal the children, who join it at various stops on specified routes. "You won't rust" is what they like to say, and weather has proved to be no deterrent. Since the scheme began two years ago, only two days have been lost to the elements. Teachers and parents think the benefits of the one-mile walk, to the children as well as the environment, far outweigh the hard work it took to set up. If you are interested in hearing more about the scheme, Joan O'Meara, chairperson of Safe Roads for Schools, gives talks to schools. Contact her through the school on 01-8436201. Nicoline Greer
STUDIED VISION
Fancy buying an original print from a future Salgado, Avedon, Miller or Lartigue? The first exhibition from the first degree course in photography in Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology opens on Wednesday. The class have just finished their second year and this is their first opportunity to show off their talents. Styles vary from the extraordinary detail of Cian O'Donoghue's Tilled Earth (above) to the urban realities of Fiona Hackett's Ordinary World. Prices are negotiable with individual photographers. The venue is the fourth floor of The Chancery, Chancery Lane, Dublin 8. This is adjacent to Dublin Castle, and connects Bride Street with Golden Lane. The exhibition opens at 6pm, and will run until Sunday. Cormac Kinsella