We’re ready for snow, but drizzle is more likely to kill us

Thu, Nov 15, 2012

I was asked on the radio this week what sort of weather the AA was expecting this winter. Quite how I was supposed to know is beyond me. The AA’s crystal ball is no better than anyone else’s.

I can guarantee that it will be dark at night. Apart from that we really can’t say. There may be mystics counting sheep on the hillsides or drawing inferences from the behaviour of pigeons, but the science just isn’t there to be accurate about what will happen.

Volvo’s sportierV40 R-Design and Cross Country

Thu, Nov 15, 2012

Volvo Car Ireland has announced prices of the new Volvo V40 R-Sesign and Volvo V40 Cross Country.

Western Motors offers three years of worry-free Seat motoring

Thu, Nov 15, 2012

Western Motors, newly appointed Seat dealers in Galway, and Seat Ireland have unveiled a quintet of special offers to take the stress out of buying a new car in 2013.

Driving on the left – we’re right and everyone else is wrong

Thu, Nov 08, 2012

That fellow Napoleon has an awful lot to answer for. Not satisfied with conquering the whole of Europe he has left a legacy that divides us from the Continent and indeed from most of the world.

In Ireland, influenced of course by Britain, the convention is to drive on the left hand side of the road. That puts us in a minority that may seem as if we're at odds with the world but I can tell you on good authority that everybody's out of step except us.

Stylish new Honda CR-V with a new tough edge

Thu, Nov 08, 2012

The new fourth generation CR-V has gone on sale with a lower entry level price of €37,785 ex-works.

It will no doubt build on the success of the previous generation models because it has been improved in terms of efficiency, quality, practicality, refinement and it looks well.

New Renault Clio offers style and substance

Thu, Nov 08, 2012

Back in 1990 Renault launched the first Clio. Do you remember the hugely successful and compelling 'Nicole and Papa' Clio series of television advertisements in the nineties?

Dark days mean danger for cyclists, so light up please

Thu, Nov 01, 2012

It has become dark all of a sudden: very dark. Since the clock went back on Sunday the great bulk of commuters are now returning home in darkness. Sunset in Dublin is 16:45, and you get five or ten minutes more on the west coast. But driving home in darkness is the norm for the next few months. This makes life dangerous for pedestrians, bikers and especially cyclists.

Fiesta wins MPG Marathon with 108.78 mpg

Thu, Nov 01, 2012

The Ford Fiesta Econetic 1.6 TDCi has won the 2012 ALD Automotive MPG Marathon, clocking up 108.78mpg over a 370-mile route involving tough, real-world driving in challenging weather conditions.

Galway man heads up new Peugeot design lab

Thu, Nov 01, 2012

Galway man, Cathal Loughnane, has been appointed manager of the new Peugeot Design Laboratory in Paris.

Europcar to open new Galway branch

Thu, Nov 01, 2012

Europcar, Europe’s largest car rental company, is poised to create 50 jobs with the opening of two new branches in Ireland, including one in Galway.

New Volkswagen Golf arrives in December

Thu, Oct 25, 2012

The new Golf, which goes on sale in Ireland in December, will have a starting price of €19,995 for the Trendline three-door 1.2 TSI (petrol) and €22,695 for the Trendline 1.6 TDI (diesel) three-door, writes Padraic Deane.

New rules for new drivers

Thu, Oct 25, 2012

New drivers will face new rules from next year. The Road Traffic Act that is currently in preparation will have a number of eye-catching provisions and the group most affected will be young people learning how to drive.

Knockranny House Hotel wins AA Hotel of the Year

Thu, Oct 18, 2012

There are some things in Ireland that we are really genuinely good at. OK, so soccer isn’t one of them these days, but hospitality is. 

Stylish and accessible new Ford B-Max arrives

Thu, Oct 18, 2012

The new Ford B-Max, featuring a unique design and new small car technology among the most advanced in Europe, has arrived in Ireland, with an entry level price of €19,170 for the 1.4 petrol and €21,840 (both ex-works) for the 1.5 diesel version. The former slots in to the current Band B for VRT and road tax, while the latter is in Band A.

Skoda new special edition Octavia Exclusive

Thu, Oct 18, 2012

Skoda Ireland tells us that their biggest selling car, the Octavia, has undergone a specification enhancement for 2013. Having made its first public appearance at the National Ploughing Championships in September, the new Octavia Exclusive has now gone on sale in both hatchback and Combi (estate) body styles.

Knockranny House Hotel wins AA Hotel of the Year

Thu, Oct 18, 2012

There are some things in Ireland that we are really genuinely good at. OK, so soccer isn’t one of them these days, but hospitality is. 

Stylish and accessible new Ford B-Max arrives

Thu, Oct 18, 2012

The new Ford B-Max, featuring a unique design and new small car technology among the most advanced in Europe, has arrived in Ireland, with an entry level price of €19,170 for the 1.4 petrol and €21,840 (both ex-works) for the 1.5 diesel version. The former slots in to the current Band B for VRT and road tax, while the latter is in Band A.

Skoda new special edition Octavia Exclusive

Thu, Oct 18, 2012

Skoda Ireland tells us that their biggest selling car, the Octavia, has undergone a specification enhancement for 2013. Having made its first public appearance at the National Ploughing Championships in September, the new Octavia Exclusive has now gone on sale in both hatchback and Combi (estate) body styles.

Safe Journey – Ireland’s battle against road death

Thu, Oct 11, 2012

Last week business and pleasure coincided for me nicely: I found myself in Co. Sligo, where I have roots and relatives aplenty. I was giving an address to the annual conference of the National Irish Safety Organisation at the Radisson Blu hotel so I was able to spend part of my afternoon looking out at the magnificent view across the harbour. It’s never a hardship to go West.

And I found myself among well informed friends. The NISO is a not-for-profit body that helps professionals and workplaces with advice, training and support to continually improve safety.

New Mazda6 wagon adds to the saloon line-up

Thu, Oct 11, 2012

Mazda premiered the new Mazda6 at the 2012 Moscow Motor Show a couple of months ago, and added to that with the launch of the Mazda6 wagon at the recent Paris Motor Show.

E-paper

Read this weeks E-paper. Past editions also available from within this weeks digital copy.