Category: Blog
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Wolves and foxes
I want to add a few comments to a recently published blog post about fox hunting with hounds. The issue has to do with opposition to fox hunting. I hit on this briefly in that previous post because there is no way to talk about fox hunting without mentioning its opponents. I have had a few interactions online with folks who are wholeheartedly opposed to fox hunting and I have come to an interesting conclusion about their motivations. I started…
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Fox Hunting with Hounds
Recently I have read a lot of articles, blogs and press releases about fox hunting with hounds. The vast majority was negative. They were pointing out the cruelty of the endeavour and the callousness of participants. There were even reports about protesters clashing with hunt supporters. Also in my own circle, fox hunting with hounds is often criticized by people who otherwise don’t have an issue with hunting in general. In fact, this type of hunting has its opponents in…
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Ted Kelleher @ShopFirstAid
Tommy’s Outdoors podcast and blog talks and promotes all things outdoors. From cycling and running, to hunting and fishing. If it takes place in the outdoors we got it covered. Some of these activities involve prolonged hours spent in sometimes remote outdoor locations. Moreover, they often require handling of mechanical devices or sharp objects. With all these factors combined, the risk of injury is higher in certain groups of outdoor enthusiasts. That is especially true if we add to the…
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First Aid Matters in the Great Irish Outdoors
This is a guest blog post by Catherine Kelleher We are delighted to guest post about the importance of First Aid on “Tommy’s Outdoors” Here in Ireland many of us enjoy outdoor activities from walking, hiking or biking to camping to adventure sports. There is so much that our beautiful countryside here in Ireland offers. Getting away from it all is only a short drive away for most of us. However many outdoor lovers do not consider being prepared in…
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Happy New Year and Some Housekeeping Items
The new year has started and all the fuss and distractions of the Christmas holidays are behind us. In this short blog, I would like to address a few housekeeping items as we enter 2019. Firstly, I would like to draw your attention to the excellent episode of the podcast, Forestry and Native Woodlands with Ciaran Nugent. The episode was published right after Christmas, so I’m afraid that many of you might have missed it. It should be appealing, not…
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Tommy’s Outdoors end of year summary
The year is coming to an end, so it is a good time for a quick review. Even though Tommy’s Outdoors podcast online presence reaches back to late 2016, this is the first year that I did it right. In 2018 I launched Tommy’s Outdoors website and Tommy’s Outdoors YouTube channel. I established a regular schedule for publishing podcast episodes and blog posts. I discussed a wide variety of topics ranging from hunting and angling to the benefits of the…
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Podcasting controversy
Dear friends, it finally happened! I knew it would at some point, so I really shouldn’t be surprised. Someone who initially agreed to be my guest decided to pull out because he didn’t like one of the subjects previously discussed on the podcast. People are different and have different motivations for their actions. I respect his decision but thought this would be a good moment to make a short statement about the purpose of the podcast. Tommy’s Outdoors is dedicated…
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Extinction Rebellion
There is a lot of buzz, at the moment, around the activist group called Extinction Rebellion. The group is organizing direct action campaigns and acts of civil disobedience in a protest against governmental inaction on climate change and disappearing wildlife. As concerned as I am about the environment and wildlife I have mixed feelings about that group and their actions. So let me break it down for you. I do recognize the role of such campaigns in environmental advocacy. Showing…
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Benefits of the outdoors
This article was posted earlier this year as a guest entry on the DigiGranBiz travel blog. Unfortunately the aforementioned blog no longer exists, so I decided to publish a slightly refreshed version of the original text here on Tommy’s Outdoors website. Taking on outdoor activities is like a cure for the damaging, sedentary lifestyle that most of us are living. Our bodies are fundamentally built for movement. Prolonged hours in the same, often unnatural position, are damaging to our…
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Sportsmen and Ecologists
While recording episodes of the podcast I get to meet and speak with people involved in the outdoors. Most of them are interested in the use and preservation of the natural environment. Among those people two distinct groups stand out the most: sportsmen, most often represented by hunters and anglers, and ecologists as in conservationists and environmentalists. In theory, they should represent one consistent front for protection of the natural environment. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Oftentimes representatives…