Last month members of Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed had two very different history lessons. The warm humid conditions in the earlier part of the month provided the perfect conditions for phytophthora infestans, the potato blight fungus that caused the Famine. So, our entire crop of potatoes at our plots at Turvey Allotments was lost, despite our best efforts. Thankfully the other plants – onions, scallions, cabbage and tomatoes – were not affected. Obviously, the inconvenience and disappointment of our loss was nothing compared to what our ancestors experienced in the 1840s. Our second history lesson was at the Irish Military Museum, near Collon Co. Meath, a hands-on exhibition of weapons and uniforms ranging from the Viking raids to the Vietnam War. If you’d like to join us, please contact Jim on 086-3694316.