Latest news with #OldIrish
Irish Examiner
16-06-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Podcast Corner: Celtic Studies show delves into Ireland's fascinating history
There are various rabbit holes you could dive into on listening to the opening episode of the second season of Ní Hansae, the School of Celtic Studies Research podcast. While the episode title itself, What is the School of Celtic Studies?, isn't the most exciting, the hour-long chat with Professor Ruairí Ó hUiginn is fascinating and might leave you scrambling for your old college notebook to take down titbits. Halfway through, he tells host Dr Nina Cnockaert-Guillou about some of the school's colourful history, having been set up in the 1940s. 'TF O'Rahilly published the famous lecture on the two St Patricks, and for people who had been brought up on the legend of St Patrick and all that went with it were somewhat put out a bit by the fact there might have been two St Patrick's. It did attract public attention.' Cnockaert-Guillou is the researcher behind Ní Hansae. From Brittany, France, she arrived in University College Cork in 2017 and decided to study Old Irish having never done Irish before! She eventually completed a master's degree in UCC and a doctorate in Cambridge. She is now doing post-doc work in the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS), under which the School of Celtic Studies falls, focused on a 13-century text about Fionn Mac Cumhail. Ó hUiginn is working on something similar, and has been for a long time, he explains, working off a very old edition of an Irish text on the training of Cú Chulainn and the death of his son, Conlaoth. There have been a number of different versions and the story travelled widely. He says he's hoping to publish his work in the not too distant future. In more recent history, they talk of how DIAS was founded in 1940 by the then taoiseach Éamon de Valera, based on the Princeton School of Advanced Study. 'Initially it embodied two schools, the School of Theoretical Physics and the School of Celtic Studies, and it's said that this was established by de Valera to satisfy two of his own interests; he was a mathematician and had an interest in physics, and of course he had an interest in Irish and Celtic studies as well.' Every day is a school day! The first season of Ní Hansae ran in 2020-21, with multilingualism, 'Samhain and science', and bardic poetry among the topics discussed across the eight episodes. Coming up in the second season, episodes focus on Medieval Irish kings and the English invasion, early Medieval Irish philosophy, and storytelling and Irish manuscripts. There are so many great history - and Irish history - podcasts around. Ní Hansae, with its conversational aspect, is one you can put on and just sink into - without the pressure of cramming for an exam at the end.
The Independent
03-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Urgent recall for popular sandwich and burger ingredient over allergy fears
A popular sandwich topping has been urgently pulled from shelves over fears it could pose a health risk to some customers. Food safety watchdogs has placed a ' do not eat ' warning on Baxter's Sliced Gherkins Crunchy & Sweet, sold in supermarkets such as Tesco for £2.50. It is feared the sandwich and burger accompaniment contains undeclared mustard, which could pose a danger to those with an allergy to the spice. Baxter's Food Group, which manufactures the product, said the recall only affects certain jars with specific best before dates. These include June 2026 and July 2026. Mustard allergy sufferers can experience symptoms such as stomach pain, swollen lips, vomiting or rashes if they accidentally eat a product containing it. A Baxters spokesperson said: 'If you have bought the above product and have an allergy to mustard, do not eat it. 'Instead dispose of the product and contact the customer care team on 0800 389 8389 and CCUK@ for a replacement.' The Food Standards Agency (FSA) added: 'Baxter's Food Group is recalling Baxter's Sliced Gherkins Crunchy & Sweet because they contain mustard which is not mentioned on the label. 'This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to mustard.' In February, supermarkets selling a range of Irish blended cheeses issued an urgent recall over fears batches could be contaminated with the potentially killer bacteria listeria. Shoppers who bought Horgans Irish Smoked Cheddar, Claddagh Bo Irish cheese and many variants of Old Irish cheddar were urged to return the products. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) warned that symptoms caused by listeria could be similar to flu and include a high temperature, muscle aches and diarrhoea. Symptoms of listeria poisoning can start quickly, within a few hours or days after eating contaminated food. However, in some cases they can take up to three months to show. Those most vulnerable to getting sick include the very young, people older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems or who are pregnant.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Supermarkets issue urgent recall warning for cheeses that could contain deadly bacteria
Supermarkets selling a range of cheeses have issued an urgent recall warning as batches could be contaminated with a deadly bacteria. The warning relates to Horgans Irish Smoked Cheddar, Claddagh Bo Irish cheese and many variants of Old Irish cheddar - including one infused with Murphy's Stout - with expiry dates in May. Shoppers, including Tesco and Spar customers, are being urged to return the JOD Food Products to the point of purchase over fears of listeria. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) symptoms caused by listeria can be similar to flu and include a high temperature, muscle aches, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea. The infection can in rare cases cause serious complications such as meningitis. If consumers still have these products in their fridges or freezers, they should be returned to the place of purchase or discarded of. Refrigerators, containers and other surfaces that may have touched the foods should also be cleaned and sanitised. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here READ MORE: A parking ticket almost ruined my life - I was minutes late, paid the fine and suffered a year of hell READ MORE: If you always have blackbirds and robins in your garden it might be a sign something's wrong According to the NHS In most people, listeriosis has no symptoms or only causes mild symptoms for a few days, such as a high temperature, aches and pains, chills, feeling or being sick, or diarrhoea. Although listeriosis is not usually serious for most people, some people have a higher risk of serious problems, including anyone who is pregnant, newborn babies, people with a condition that weakens their immune system and people having treatment that weakens their immune system. Older people are also at higher risk of getting seriously ill from listeriosis, and this risk increases with age. If you get listeriosis while you're pregnant, there is a risk it could cause miscarriage or stillbirth.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Urgent cheese warning issued for Irish cheddar sold by Tesco and Spar over deadly bacteria fears
Supermarkets selling a range of Irish blended cheeses have issued an urgent recall over fears batches could be contaminated with the potentially killer bacteria listeria. Shoppers who bought Horgans Irish Smoked Cheddar, Claddagh Bo Irish cheese and many variants of Old Irish cheddar including one infused with Murphy's Stout with expiry dates in May, are being urged to return the JOD Food Products to the point of purchase. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned that symptoms caused by listeria can be similar to flu and include a high temperature, muscle aches, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea. However, in rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis. Although the foods have been recalled, some may still be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers. The products should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase. Refrigerators, containers and other surfaces that may have touched the foods should also be cleaned and sanitised. Listeria poisoning is tricky, because symptoms can start quickly, within a few hours or days after eating contaminated food. But they also can take weeks or up to three months to show up. Those most vulnerable to getting sick include the very young, people older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems or who are pregnant. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria was first identified in 1911 but named in 1940 to 'honour' British surgeon Joseph Lister, who recognised the importance of sterilising equipment before attempting invasive operations. It enters the human body after contaminated food is eaten or handled or contaminated surfaces are touched. The institution's website said: 'After a person ingests Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria grow quickly in the liver and then move into the bloodstream and can invade many places in the body, including the brain, membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, the gastrointestinal tract and the bloodstream.' In November, a baby died and at least 10 other people fell ill in an outbreak of listeria food poisoning linked to meat supplied from Yu Shang Food, Inc., of Spartanburg, South Carolina.
