The Galway sessions

Thu, Jun 17, 2010

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann in Galway was formed in the mid-fifties by schools inspector Pádraic Ó h-Eidhin and by Dr Galligan. Groups of musicians began to meet in St Patrick’s School, the Industrial School, and Mattie Forde’s Eagle Bar on the corner of Henry Street and William Street West. This represented the first stirrings of general interest in Irish traditional music in the city.

In the end the Mayos didn’t say much

Thu, Jun 17, 2010

In the early 1990s the Mayos in Galway were getting so uppity that it was decided that action would be taken. It is believed that Seamus Keating, the legendary Galway city and county manager, and a Tipperary man to boot, was never slow in taking the hard decision. Exasperated by the controls exerted by the Mayos, their prestigious positions in all walks of life in the city, their swagger about the place, and the whingeing by the few Galwegians left on his staff at the unfairness of it all, one day he pressed the red button on his desk.

The Queen’s Gap

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

Hardiman tells us, “There was from time immemorial a gap in the river called the Main Gap, through which small boats, sometimes with difficulty, passed up and down the river from the lake to the sea. This particular gap was always kept open from February to August, when all others were shut. The proprietors of the fishery, finding that it diminished the value of the weirs, caused it to be closed. This became the subject of legal contention, but it was finally decided that the gap should be, and it has ever since accordingly been, kept open.”

Further adventures of our Dan

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

Week II

A Saunders still lives in Woodford area

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

Following a recent series of Diary entries about the Woodford evictions in August 1886, and in particular the siege of ‘Saunder’s Fort’ I believed there was no descendant of the brave Saunders’ family living in the Woodford area today. I was very pleased to receive the following e-mail from Tom Page:

Thanks for your interesting articles on the Woodford evictions. My name is T J Page and I am a great-grandson of Thomas Saunders. My mother who is now 82 is his granddaughter and before she married my father Thomas Page she was Merlin Saunders - so there is still a living Saunders relative. She lives in Rossmore, near Woodford close to Lough Derg and 5 or 6 kilometres from the original site of the eviction of her grandfather Saunders Fort.

Urban chic

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

With names, like Moroccan Oasis, Le club and Riviera you can see how the Augusta Weekend summer collection combines the elegance of rich travel inspired outerwear with the practicality of leisure dressing.

Safe in the sun

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

In the past people were reluctant to use high factor sunscreens because these tended to be tacky, heavy and white when applied.

Keep skin smooth

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

An advanced bio active serum promises to keep skin looking smoother, younger and more radiant.

In the red

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

Bright colours leapt off the catwalks this season especially red hot

vermillion.

Men’s stuff

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

A new skin revitaliser for men from Shiseido promises to provide toned radiance and visible smoothness.

Hats off to style

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

If you want to step out in style this summer don a hat or headpiece. That’s the advice from hatmaker Aisling Maher. She says these accessories are easy to wear and can dress up an outfit in seconds.

Builín Blasta Café, Spiddal

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

I met Jamie Peaker, owner and chef of Builín Blasta Café, at a tasting of his chutneys and salad dressings during the McCambridge’s food and wine tasting last Christmas. I loved his products and said I would call sometime to see his café in Spiddal. J-Me (as he spells his name) hails from New Zealand and made his way to Galway via two years in London working at that fantastic London restaurant The Ivy, then a stint in Africa visiting 20-plus countries and meeting his Galway partner Nina. The Ivy has an incredible name for producing uncomplicated food in the best way possible. It is so successful at this that some of the dishes on the menu have not been changed in over 26 years.

Get cooking...

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

The Nutrition and Health Foundation has teamed up with top chef Rozanne Stephens who has come up with quick and nutritious, budget friendly, recipes.

Put the joy back into beauty

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

It’s amazing how fabulous and confident a person can feel just with a simple trip to a beautician. No matter how small the treatment the ‘feel-good’ factor kicks in almost immediately - the fresh feeling skin, the smooth tanned legs, and a stress-relieving massage can make one feel a million euros.

Figure fixing swimwear

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

Get ready to turn heads on the beach this summer with top tips to shop for the perfect swimwear to suit you.

Luxury boutique salon Renaissance invigorates style

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

The new Renaissance unisex boutique salon on Merchants Road will offer customers a calm, relaxing, and alluring atmosphere, while their haircare and styling needs are catered for by experienced professionals with a fabulous reputation in the Galway city area.

At Renaissance the team specialise in cutting, shaping, and styling and they also have Matrix colour and styling treatments which have proved very popular with customers. Daithi Conneely who has worked as a hairdresser and stylist in Galway for the past eight years set up the business and Renaissance opened its doors five weeks ago.

How to help relatives and friends with hearing loss

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

By developing a few good habits, you can make conversation much easier for people with hearing loss.

Composting — a natural way to recycle your household waste

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

Everybody is composting these days. In a society where getting rid of waste can be both a laborious and costly task, it makes ergonomic, environmental, and economical sense.

Johnstone’s in Galway now stocking wallpaper

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

Johnstone’s decorating centre in the Tuam Road Retail Business Park now stocks more than 200 wallpaper lines in store. The store was opened in 2008 and has a full range of Johnstone’s paint, decorating tools, and accessories in stock.

home ground

Thu, Jun 10, 2010

There must be very few people in this world who don’t enjoy the beautiful sounds of birds singing outside their window. Perhaps we don’t get to hear them as much in the winter time, but they brighten up the place when invited.

Just like people, birds won’t keep coming to the same place unless they feel they are wanted there, or something attracts them. If you feel like a little bird company, you can show them you want them in your garden in a few simple ways. A good start is to build or buy a few birdhouses that you will be then filling with food and water on a regular basis. If you leave out food and water once in a while, the birds might not keep coming back, knowing the food will not always be there.

E-paper

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