Alpaca Man.

A mini documentary about Joe Phelan, an ex-bank worker turned full-time Alpaca farmer in Wicklow.

Colin Brady writes:

In this mini-documentary we visit Joe as he introduces us to his alpacas Ted, Ted 2, Gene Simmons and Katiet to name a few. Joe names every alpaca and his first few were named after his own children. It turns out most people LOVE these weird and wonderful creatures.

Taller Stories (Facebook)

At Sean Walsh Memorial Park in Tallaght

This morning.

In The Irish Times.

Brian Hutton reports:

Thousands of creatures have been killed during the unexplained destruction of a “unique little gem” of a nature reserve in south Dublin, conservationists have said.

A parcel of wetland at Sean Walsh Memorial Park in Tallaght, used for decades as a dumping ground for silt, had rewilded itself into a “little miracle” that was home to several protected species, including frogs, newts, eels and bats, according to experts.

…On a trip to the wetland on Saturday to carry out a new survey of the wildlife he [Collie Ennis, a research associate at Trinity College Dublin and science officer with the Herpetological Society of Ireland] found that the entire reserve was “flattened like a carpark” and covered in heavy machinery tracks.

“It had completely gone. It was like the surface of the moon. Just blank. Flattened,” he said.

Anyone?

Ecologists outraged as Dublin nature reserve is ‘flattened like a car park’ (The Irish Times)

Padre Pio, relics of whom, including his mitten, will go on display in Limerick this evening

Speaking to the Leader, organiser Fergal Golden said that there are number of relics touched, worn, and blessed by Padre Pio on display.

According to Mr Golden, there are three distinctions of relics. First-class relics are parts of the Saint’s body, so a mitten that was worn on his left hand, and a heart bandage when he bled from a side wound are on display.

Second-class relics are items worn by a Saint, such as a Habit, and third-class relics are items touched by a Saint.

Padre Pio relics to be displayed in Limerick hotel (Limerick Leader)

Pic: Padre Pio Devotions

Yesterday.

College Green, in Dublin 2, was closed to cars from 7am until 7pm, as part of Dublin City Council’s Car Free Day.

The event was held as part of European Mobility Week.

Pics: Ciaran Cuffe

Friday night.

Baldongan Church, near Loughshinney.

(Thanks Anton in real life)

Meanwhile…

Via Photos of Dublin:

This is one of our favourite drone shots of Dublin! Excellent capture by @igwhereami

Yesterday.

In Waterford.

Catherine Drea tweeted:

At 6AM in this corridor, where I spent 5 days, a nurse attempted to insert an IV in my arm. I held my phone as a torch. She failed twice to insert it. Instead I missed my vital IV antibiotics for the second time. Our health system feels like a war zone from here.

Defence Visual Information Distribution Service (a communications service for the US military) has apologised after a tweet (above) appeared to threaten people visiting Area 51 (top).

There’s an area called 51
And some folk decided, for fun,
To go take a look
The army were shook
And threatened them with a big gun

John Moynes

Top pic: Getty

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