Vintage fashion for all your summer occasions

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

Vintage fashion has been hugely popular for the last two years, especially since the TV drama Mad Men featuring actresses wearing fabulous sixties inspired clothing. At last month’s Punchestown racing festival one of the best dressed lady finalists wore an Audrey Hepburn inspired outfit.

Discover a new career in hairdressing

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

The College of Hairdressing Connaught has just launched its new courses for 2011 at Kiltartan House, Galway, and at its satellite centre in Castlebar, Co Mayo.

Due to the economic downturn students are now finding it harder to get jobs in hairdressing salons. To counteract this, the College of Hairdressing Connaught will now offer a part-time City & Guilds course to be held evenings and Mondays. This gives everybody the opportunity to gain a City & Guilds Level 2 certificate on a part-time basis and emphasises the importance of gaining qualifications in their chosen career. This course would also be suitable for those who meet the Back to Education Allowance criteria.

Enjoy some luxury at Be A Diva

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

Be A Diva is a tranquil paradise in the heart of Galway city, located just seconds from Shop Street and offering a complete range of luxurious and pampering facials and body massage treatments.

Free shopping shuttle lets Galway shoppers enjoy Zara and H&M at Athlone Towncentre

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

Big brand shopping has never been closer to Galway with the new M6 motorway connecting the city with Athlone. The introduction of this route has opened up a whole new shopping experience to fashionistas in the west with big brand names like Zara and H&M now less than 40 minutes from Galway city. Athlone Towncentre has now made it even more convenient with its new shopping shuttle bus initiative, a complimentary service for Galway shoppers which will run next Saturday June 25.

Athlone Towncentre, which is located in the heart of Athlone and just two minutes from Exit 10 on the M6, offers more than 60 stores conveniently located under one roof. The centre features major international fashion powerhouses including Zara, H&M, River Island, M&S, Next, Coast, Promod, and many more together with the best of homegrown brands.

Eyeshadow is having a moment

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

Having watched some of the best make-up artists in Brown Thomas work for years, when it comes to eyeshadow, the mantra is always the same: blend, blend, blend. Start off by covering the eye area with a good primer, such as MAC’s painterly, the closest to human skin colour you will ever find. This covers all the imperfections and gives the shadow something to stick to. If you have oily lids you will love this product. Then, using a good brush (I like MAC 217) swirl the make-up around, tap the excess off, and then really work that brush so that no hard lines are visible. Remember not to use the darkest colour too close to the brow bone, unless you are in drag. Then not only is it OK, but appropriate.

I adore looking at someone getting a makeover in the cosmetic hall, and I particularly adore a bit of theatre from the make-up artists themselves (you know who you are). That vigorous tap of the brush, that serious expression as they assess their canvas, I mean face, all adds to the drama, all the while ad-libbing a few helpful tips while smoothing and correcting and polishing, adeptly making the asymmetrical symmetrical.

McGinns on the Quay, Dock Road, Galway

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

Last week I visited McGinns on the Docks (previously Sheridan’s) to see what the new owners are serving in that lovely room upstairs overlooking the dockside area. The first thing I noticed is that it is now also an exhibition area and currently features some stunning limited edition framed photos by Joe Geoghegan of scenes from the Volvo Ocean Race. They are quite spectacular, well framed and mounted. In fact from any small viewing distance they look like paintings. There is also an exhibition by six local Galway photographers downstairs. I understand this will be a venue for further exhibitions.

Peanut butter is good for you

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

I have read many articles expounding the benefits of peanut butter; an ounce will give you 10 per cent of your daily folic acid requirements, it has a low glycemic index (ie, it releases its energy slowly in to your body), it is good for keeping blood pressure low, it has got high protein levels, and generally a good all around food. Most of the brands I have seen are from multinationals but recently I spotted one in Enjoy delicatessen in Moycullen called Glór. It is made by hand in Killarney, the nuts are roasted then ground by hand, and depending on whether you have the plain one, a chocolate chip, or the peanut butter and honey, these are the only additions — no stabilisers or additives. A jar of the peanut butter with chocolate chip disappeared very quickly in my house and the fact that it is Irish made makes it a no-brainer, especially as a quick-to-prepare snack for active kids.

Ardrahan Saturday country market

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

Each Saturday between 11am and 2pm at the rear of Joyce’s pub in Ardrahan is the venue of the newest farmers’ market. It is in a lovely garden area with loads of parking. On sale are breads, cakes, vegetables, preserves, fish, crafts, and expected next week is a meat stall. I wish them all the best and hope you can visit regularly.

Galway volunteers urged to sign up for Build It Week in Haiti

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

Irish NGO Haven, and George Hook, will visit Galway tomorrow (Friday) in an effort to recruit volunteers for the organisation’s Build It Week in Haiti. This will be the last time the event takes place in its current format.

A future vision for stroke rehab

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

A new concept in stroke rehab has been created by two local chartered physiotherapists, Karen Roberts and Daniel Szoska, who share 30 years’ experience in delivering neurological rehabilitation.

Roberts and Szoska have had great success in using the proven Bobath/neural development training (NDT) conceptual approach to treating those with stroke. The approach is based on our ability to re-learn old and incorporate new surrounding information. Our capacity to learn, to facilitate useable function and get rid of unwanted function, is called plasticity and is an important aspect of our development. The greater our plasticity, the more successful our rehabilitation.

Erase the years with revolutionary new treatment, micro-needling

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

The treatment of choice of Hollywood stars such as Angelina Jolie and Demi Moore, medical micro-needling, has just been made available at Therapie Clinic. This is a revolutionary treatment which has the incredible ability to naturally stimulate elastin and collagen production in the skin. It smoothes and tightens the skin, treats fine lines and wrinkles, and is also excellent in the reduction of acne, surgical scars, and even cellulite.

Micro-needling is a pain-free treatment that can be carried out on lax skin or wrinkles of the face, upper lip lines, neck, décolletage, arms, abdomen, buttocks, and legs. It works by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin, the key ingredients we need to keep fine lines and wrinkles at bay.

Grasp the nettle and get some first aid for bites and stings

Thu, Jun 23, 2011

Whether you are taking in a music festival or simply taking out the weeds this summer, you will need some first aid for insect bites and stings from wasps and nettles.

Notes for the season

Thu, Jun 16, 2011

Lisa Lane
[email protected]

The Townhouse restaurant, and really good pork products

Thu, Jun 16, 2011

The Townhouse restaurant has a new expanded summer menu, which is pretty comprehensive; it has also just launched a much bigger and better wine list. Fair play to it as most restaurants are cutting back on wine lists and menus. It is also championing many local suppliers, and that is one of the really good movements that has taken off recently in the restaurant world, all the more important when there are scares such as the e coli outbreak, which now seems to be traced to beansprouts, and the disturbing RTE programme on large scale pig production.

Asthma Society ‘nose’ how to garden safely

Thu, Jun 16, 2011

Up to 400,000 people with asthma also suffer from hay fever (allergic rhinitis), which is triggered by pollen, dust and spores. Allergies often deter people from enjoying their garden and that was the theme of the Asthma Society of Ireland’s ‘Treat not Trigger - the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Garden’ on show at the Bloom festival last week. The imaginative garden was designed by horticulturist, Fiann O’Nuallain, to highlight how better air quality and managing environmental triggers contribute to improved asthma control and a better quality of life in general for people with asthma and allergies.

Excellence in nutrition education in the heart of Galway

Thu, Jun 16, 2011

Everywhere you look these days you can see an increasing awareness of the link between good nutrition and wellness, and the evidence is mounting that disease can often be prevented, stabilised, or even reversed by changing how we eat.

Aisling Connolly Plexus Bio Energy Clinic

Thu, Jun 16, 2011

Aisling Connolly’s Plexus Bio–Energy clinic is the perfect place to revive your health and vitality. Plexus bio-energy has achieved exceptional results in the treatment of a diverse range of conditions, including back pain, digestive disorders, stress, headaches, grief, depression, asthma, and sports injuries.

Roll back the years with micro-needling

Thu, Jun 16, 2011

Hollywood’s best kept secret has just been revealed

Treat stress, anxiety, and depression with Chinese acupuncture

Thu, Jun 16, 2011

The internal imbalance caused by the exposure to external stress can lead to what is called an energy blockage, resulting in difficulty sleeping, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Acupuncture treats the root cause of this condition.

The golden rules for great weight loss

Thu, Jun 16, 2011

1. Your metabolism is the master controller of your weight loss — even more than diet or exercise. Metabolism faults (like high blood sugar, constipation, bloating, sluggish liver, hormone imbalances, and sluggish thyroid) will limit or stop your weight loss no matter how much dieting or exercise you do. Addressing your metabolism problems opens the door to better and easier weight loss.

E-paper

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