The January/February issue is here and it is jam-packed with interesting people, places and things to get your year off to a good start. Editor Klara Heron picks her highlights.
A very warm welcome to 2023! January has such a feeling of a fresh start, but sometimes that brand new calendar before us can feel overwhelming, not to mention the relentless messaging to set goals and get fit. You’ll find none of that here – this is a safe space – but we do have plenty of interesting reads to settle us all into a new year. As always, I’d love to share some of my favourites features from the January/February 2023 issue of Irish Country Magazine with you.
If this is a time you love to plan getaways, then there are lots of travel ideas. Read about the next-big-thing holiday destinations on page 112, or the best romantic staycations in Ireland on page 108. Our resident life coach, Ariana Dunne, shares a beautiful essay all about her dream year travelling and working across Europe with her dog Molly, and why she has decided to come home to Ireland (page 72).
I was delighted to sit down with Doireann Garrihy for her Irish Country Magazine cover interview, as she takes on Sunday nights with her new role on Dancing with the Stars. Not only did she share her signature dance move (a Beyoncé-esque twerk), but she spoke about stepping into her confidence and having more fun as she navigates a new job, a new home, and a whole new chapter.
In features that strike an emotional chord, I really enjoyed Niamh Ennis’s essay (page 64) about getting unstuck from parts of herself that weren’t serving her; and Niamh Devereux’s piece on ‘Too Into You’, the new campaign from Women’s Aid looking to prevent young women settling for toxic, and potentially dangerous, relationships, is a fascinating read that will help all of us to recognise the red flags amongst our daughters, sisters, nieces and colleagues. We are very happy to welcome Niamh to the team as our new Deputy Editor and I look forward to reading more of her insightful writing.
I’m delighted to see our columnist Santis O’Garro (pictured above), has a new book coming this month. She has a great ability to make budgeting accessible and so my final recommendation of where to start within this issue, is with her ambitious plans for a No Spend Month, on page 16. I also highly recommend you pick up her new book.
Happy reading!
