“You don’t know how lucky you are”. I find myself saying that to my kids repeatedly.

“It was raining at lunchtime so we watched a movie”. “We’re doing archery on the school tour”. “Homework off again - the school team won the final”.

Each time, the same response from me: you don’t know how lucky you are.

I’m saying it even more frequently as we romp through the last few weeks of school, crossing off dates on the calendar to the SUMMER HOLIDAYS!!! In bold. Underlined.

I don’t understand what the rush is to wish away June, it’s the best month for kids in Cork.

I was repeating the line to myself all weekend as I watched kids waft from Cruinniú na nÓg circus and dance events to an extravaganza of science entertainment at the Carnival of Science in Fitzy’s Park. All for free.

As a child of the 1980s, I remember when an outing to Fitzgerald Park to go on one of the 24 swings and one vertiginous metal slide was a big deal. Such was the demand on a fine day that you had to queue patiently and wait your turn. The slide was one you could genuinely “break your neck” off if you fell onto the concrete below - none of this shock-absorbing woodchip back then.

A trip to Fitzy’s Park and a biennial outing to Fota were the height of childhood excitement. However, just this past weekend my kids watched acrobatic performers defying gravity, got shot with a water pistol during a Siege of Ennis set dance, and took part in live science experiments on stage in a mini-Big Top! Again, “you don’t know…etc.........

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