David Condon Finds

Every year on March 17th, Ireland celebrates St Patrick’s Day. It has become something quite remarkable. Cities across the world turn green, Irish flags appear in places you wouldn’t expect, and people with only the faintest connection to Ireland suddenly feel a little bit Irish for the day. In many ways it’s something special. Very few countries have a national day that the entire world seems happy to celebrate with them.

Introduction – A Changing Country Ireland has changed an awful lot in a very short space of time. Anyone who grew up here in the 1980s or 1990s can see it clearly. The country feels different, the towns feel different, and in many ways the sense of national identity that once felt obvious has become harder to define. That doesn’t necessarily mean change is always bad. Countries evolve, societies move forward and new people arrive with new ideas and experiences. Ireland itself has a long history of people leaving and settling in other parts of the world, building lives far from the island where they were born. Many, never to return again.  In fact, that global Irish identity is something I reflected on recently in my post  Did St Patrick Change Ireland Forever? , where I looked at how Ireland’s past helped shape the sense of Irishness that still echoes around the world each St Patrick’s Day.

My connection to Killorglin runs deep. Both sides of my family come from this vibrant Kerry town, and I spent a lot of my early years there. I remember the fairs, the markets, and the hum of local life that filled every corner, a real sense of community and tradition that stays with you. Every August, Killorglin’s streets fill once again with music, markets, cattle, horses and sheep. A fair like no other in the world. For centuries, locals have gathered to crown a wild mountain goat as King Puck. Strange? Yes. Wonderful? Absolutely. And it’s that mix of the unusual and the traditional that makes Puck Fair so memorable. A Kerry Tradition Older Than Most Puck Fair has run, in some form, for over 400 years. It began as a cattle fair and grew into something much bigger, part trading event, part carnival, part reunion for families scattered across Ireland and beyond. You’ll find: • Livestock trading • Street music • Market stalls • The travelling amusements of William Bird & S...

We've all been there at one time or another.  A leisurely trip to the local Farmer's Market suddenly turns sour and brings you to the point of panic. Unexpectedly, a Market Trader and your good self  have made brief eye contact.  He/she has smiled pleasantly with a hopeful look that you will come over and look at their goods on display and possibly make a purchase.   Your heart beat increases exponentially and in your 'fight or flight' state your eyes dart around left and right looking for that distraction that will get you off the hook. You only came down for a loaf of bread and some small cake goodies, you never expected to be caught in the gaze of some small craft maker who wants you to buy from them. 

There was a time when Christmas morning meant pure chaos, tearing through wrapping paper like wild animals, sugar highs by 8 a.m. and that magical feeling that something incredible was about to happen. Fast forward a few decades and… well, the only thing getting torn apart now is your back when you bend down to plug in the tree lights. Somewhere along the line, the magic faded a little. The excitement that used to keep us awake half the night has been replaced by the adult version of Christmas anticipation, waiting for the turkey to defrost properly and praying the power bill won’t double because of those “warm white” fairy lights that you swore were energy efficient. 

Are we in trouble as a planet, as a species? Every single decade since the 1970s we’ve been told the same or similar warning: “In 10 years we’ll be in big trouble if nothing changes.” The bogeyman keeps shifting. Back in the 1970s, headlines warned of a looming new ice age. By the 1980s the panic had moved to the ozone hole and skin cancer. In the 1990s and 2000s it became global warming and rising sea levels. And now, in 2025, it has been rebranded once again as the “Climate Crisis” with most of the consequences already listed — rebranded new buzzwords for a new decade, but the same old gremlins rolled out to scare us into action.

Selling online has been part of my life for over a decade. Like many people, I started with eBay but quickly discovered how much the fees eat into your earnings. Listing costs, final value fees, and PayPal charges all stacked up and by the time I shipped an item, I was often left wondering if it was even worth the hassle. That’s when I first came across eBid.net . The difference? I paid once for a lifetime membership right from the start, so I knew exactly where I stood. No recurring costs, no monthly pressure — just the freedom to sell when I wanted and only a small final value fee when you sell a product.  That decision still pays off today. Notes: I’m writing this post now as I reactivate my stores once again, and I thought it might be useful to share my experience for anyone considering giving eBid a try. This post contains an affiliate link  at the end — if you sign up, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. 👉 You might also be interested in a related p...

Every so often, I feel the need to step back from my usual topics and write something that’s been niggling away in the back of my mind for a while. This post isn’t about woodcraft, or even the day-to-day struggles of running a small business, although in some ways, it’s connected. It’s about leadership and how those who are meant to represent us are often doing the exact opposite these days. Sometimes it looks like obliviousness, but more often, it feels like something else.

Introduction – A Changing Country I've been more than a little nostalgic of late due to all the current bad press in our country and indeed the rest of the world. I began thinking about my younger years and all the goings on of the past and how different life was ' back in the day '. After a bit of mental gymnastics looking over the last few decades, I keep coming back to the same conclusion: the 1990s was Ireland's golden decade and the last time Ireland truly felt alive, in my opinion.

A National Language, Barely Spoken. Ireland is one of the few countries in the world where a large part of the population seemingly feels awkward or embarrassed about speaking its own national language. After many years of learning Irish in school, most of us can only string a handful of words together — Dia duit, Go raibh maith agat — maybe a sentence if we’re brave like '' An bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí an leithreas? '' which was drilled into us on day one and probably the only line spoken with confidence by all Irish people. Why do so few Irish people speak Irish today? The main reason is that Irish has traditionally been taught in schools as an academic subject rather than as a living language. Students spend years studying grammar, poems, and textbooks but rarely practise speaking Irish in real conversation. As a result, many Irish people leave school understanding parts of the language but lacking the confidence to actually use it in everyday life. Why is it so ba...

Why I wrote this Post When the first symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy hit — those strange pin-pricks in my feet and legs, followed by tingling and numbness in random parts of my body — it completely blindsided me. I was worried, confused, and desperate for answers. If you’re feeling the same way right now, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I wrote this post: to share what I’ve learned, what I wish I’d known sooner, and hopefully offer a bit of calm in what can feel like a very chaotic time. Because those first strange sensations are often just the beginning. Over the past few years, I’ve tried different approaches, tracked my own progress, and paid close attention to what actually made a difference. What started as a personal journey has turned into a detailed, real-world account of using the Revitive Circulation Booster for Peripheral Neuropathy. Everything here is based on first-hand experience — not theory, not guesswork. TL;DR — My Results Using Revitive for Peripheral Neuropat...

Hoping for a Miracle Let’s be honest — if you live with any kind of chronic pain, inflammation, or restless nights, you’ll try just about anything that might help. Tablets, snake oils, electronic devices, praying to your fairy godmother — anything to bring relief from what ails you. I’ve always been a bit sceptical of “miracle cures,” especially when they’re splashed all over social media ads promising to heal you overnight.  Before I go on: I have a series of posts on Peripheral Neuropathy if you'd like to read how I found relief after reading this post.

When you're tight on space, every square inch counts - especially if you're running a small business from home. I needed a way to hang tools, other stock and packaging bits in a way that didn’t involve putting up more shelves or stacking more boxes on the floor taking up valuable real estate.  So, I put together a simple wall-mounted grid panel mostly using bits and pieces I already had lying around, a sheet of mesh I bought, plus a few Amazon extras. It didn’t cost much, took less than 2 hours to prep and install, and has made a massive difference to how I use the current space. The entire job cost about €60 and has cured a lot of headaches for me. Here’s how I did it, and how you can too. Be sure to check out this great post Game-Changing Amazon Tech and Accessories for Everyday Use after you finish reading here!

Beyond the Revitive Circulation Booster, I’ve experimented with several other approaches to ease foot pain and neuropathy symptoms, from specialist socks to, surprisingly, a grounding mat. None of this is medical advice; I’m simply sharing firsthand experience from living with neuropathy day to day. I’ve spent a good chunk of money testing things that might help, mostly out of desperation rather than curiosity. If I can spare you some of the trial and error, then it’s worth writing this. If you want to know exactly what’s worked for me, stick with me and I’ll explain everything step by step.

After writing my first blog post about the Revitive Circulation Booster, (link at the end if you missed it) I thought readers might like an honest update based on a year (and more) of living with Peripheral Neuropathy. It’s been a tough journey, and if you’ve landed here, maybe it has been for you too. I’ve added three updates in total (listed below), written at key intervals to reflect real life progress, slip-ups, and tips that may help. This updated version first appeared on my original blog at davidcondonwoodcraft.ie. (linked below) and has been split up and rewritten for an easier read.  

You’d be surprised how often a simple mistake in a phone number causes delays. Every week I see customers enter their number incorrectly at checkout, sometimes just one digit out, other times so far off the mark you'd swear they were writing an IBAN! Most of the time, small businesses like mine can spot and fix the obvious ones. But sometimes we need to email you for clarification, which can delay your order being dispatched. This post will show you the most common phone number mistakes I see and how to fix them in 10 seconds flat.  Why not check out this post on Amazon Health & Fitness Products  for some great ideas after you've finished here

 Let me ask you something. When was the last time you saw more than one staffed checkout in a major supermarket? Lately, I’ve found myself standing in front of rows of glowing self-checkout machines with no real choice at all. No staffed tills open or a single one with a long queue, no one to talk to, just a machine and a scanner. I’m not against technology.  Far from it but something about this shift feels off. It’s not convenience anymore. It’s replacement. Staff are being sidelined, and shoppers like you and me are being quietly turned into unpaid workers. This post isn’t a rant, but a reflection. What started as a mild irritation has grown into something that bothers me and judging by the conversations I’ve seen online and in person, I’m not alone. Self-checkouts only work because most people are honest. If theft were the norm, these machines wouldn’t exist. That trust is being exploited, we’re expected to do the work and prove we didn’t steal. Looking for some cool...

Thinking About Switching from Amazon UK to Amazon Ireland? Here's What to Know   You're not alone. With the launch of Amazon Ireland, many Irish shoppers wonder if it’s worth making the move. From delivery speeds to product availability, this guide breaks down everything before you switch—and how it might change your shopping habits.

Is Amazon Prime Worth It in Ireland – or the UK? Short answer: Definitely worth it. Based on my years of experience as a Prime member and customer on the UK site, I can honestly say the perks, from fast shipping to exclusive deals; make it a smart choice, especially for people in Ireland and the UK. If you’re on the fence, keep reading. Still unsure after that? You can use one of my links below to sign up for a 30-day free trial—I doubt you’ll want to cancel once you see everything Prime offers. 

Why I Wrote This Post When the first symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy hit, those strange pin pricks in my feet, tingling in my legs, numb patches appearing out of nowhere, I was completely blindsided. I didn’t know what was happening, and like most people, I went searching for answers straight away. If you’re feeling the same way right now, you’re not alone. That early stage can be confusing, worrying, and at times overwhelming. That’s exactly why I wrote this post, to share how it started for me, what I experienced in those early days, and what I wish I had understood sooner. Because those first strange sensations? They were just the beginning.