The west of Ireland lacks civilisation – But it has poetry

Wed, Aug 25, 2021

‘The capital, Galway, is a terrible place. It has of course St Nicholas, one of the few remaining preReformation churches; the frontispiece of a Renaissance town house erected as a gateway to the public park; and a medieval fortified house about which they tell the well-known story of the Lynch who hanged his own son when the sheriff wasn't available. At least once a year while I was director of the Abbey theatre we got a play on that. From Miss Edgeworth's account of her travels to Galway it would appear that as a theme for tragedy it was popular a hundred years ago. But even before that I had a lively hatred of the town....'

Back to school time

Wed, Aug 25, 2021

This is the time of the year when our thoughts turn to schoolbooks, copy books, pens and pencils, bus schedules, etc, as we prepare our children and grandchildren for the new school year. Inevitably it brings our thoughts back to our own school years, the friendships we formed, the teachers we liked or disliked. In those first days in class you felt you had been abandoned by your mother as she left you in with a crowd of complete strangers presided over by an adult that you had never seen before. In the case of anyone who went to Scoil Fhursa that adult was known as Bean Uí Duignan. She was a saint who quickly became a surrogate mother to every child that entered her classroom, walked them up and down the clós during sosanna, and prepared them for whatever was ahead.

Croí Galway webinar on cardiovascular disease

Thu, Aug 19, 2021

The emotional recovery involved in post cardiac events or after receiving a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, will be the subject of a free webinar taking place next week.

Skills to Advance with GRETB

Thu, Aug 19, 2021

Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB) has a number of highly funded online business courses available this autumn. These courses are available to employees and employers to upskill and provide relevant, valuable, skills for today’s workplace.

Under the Government funded Skills to Advance initiative, employers can avail of this funded training to help and benefit their organisation, which can help to improve their employees' skills level, respond to the changing nature of business, or help take advantage of emerging opportunities. Upskilling staff is central to delivering long term sustainable growth and adapting to the rapid changes businesses are facing.

Irish language classes at Áras na nGael

Thu, Aug 19, 2021

Áras na nGael is now offering a chance to learn Irish through its series of autumn language classes. The classes are tailored to students' needs. There are classes for complete beginners, a refresher course for those who are slightly rusty, and intermediate classes for those who would like to advance to the next level with their language learning.

The teachers have several years of experience facilitating classes to enable learners to develop what they hear, read, and speak in the language. Learners will be amazed at how quickly their confidence develops; understanding and speaking Irish in the relaxed environment of classes where the emphasis is on conversational Irish and words and phrases that are in everyday use.

Wine of the week – Enate Cabernet Merlot 2018

Thu, Aug 19, 2021

Check out Joyce’s new and exclusive wine range from Spain and Portugal selected by Masters of Wine student Antonia Dominguez from Antonia’s Wines.

Wonderfully adventurous menu from the innovative team at Menlo Park Hotel

Thu, Aug 19, 2021

The team at the Menlo Park Hotel are quite adept at reinventing their offerings and coming back with something even more enticing and they have done it again with the relaunch of the P Francis and Son Bar and Bistro, a breathtaking modern take of a beautiful location for the times we live in.

Chiropractix Galway clinic celebrates twenty one years in operation this summer

Thu, Aug 19, 2021

Chiropractix Galway has been helping Galway patients to feel their very best for many years, supporting optimum back, neck, and joint health for clients of all ages across the city and county. Chiropractix recently commissioned research to see how pain was affecting people’s ability to exercise, and discovered that frequent pain prevents almost one third of adults in Ireland from taking part in sport as much as they would like. It is even higher among 18 to 24 year olds at 36 per cent.

Dream kitchens and bedrooms at Cherrymore

Thu, Aug 19, 2021

Cherrymore Kitchens & Bedrooms is one of Ireland’s premier kitchen and wardrobe manufacturers. The company has an extensive showroom in Oranmore Business Park with more than 30 displays of kitchens and bedrooms.

G Conboy Electrical - open for business

Thu, Aug 19, 2021

G Conboy Electrical, a Galway institution, is open for business and offering call out services to repair appliances in your home. Now operating exclusively at its New Road location, Conboy Electrical is providing a walk-in service for clients' home appliances and has a large supply of spare parts including elements, pumps, motors, and belts.

For a while Galway dreamed of greatness

Wed, Aug 18, 2021

“...give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

Galway Swimming Club, a brief history

Wed, Aug 18, 2021

Ninety years ago, on August 2, 1931, the world famous long-distance swimmer, Miss Mercedes Gleitz, attempted to swim from the Aran Islands to Salthill. She did in fact manage to swim from Inis Meán to Spiddal in 18 hours 43 minutes, a distance of 18 miles as the crow flies, but it was estimated that with currents, etc, she covered a distance of nearly 30 miles. Two days later she gave a swimming demonstration in Salthill and presented a cup to the Chamber of Commerce to be presented to the school in the county which presented the greatest number of swimmers in relation to its student numbers. She stimulated a lot of interest in the sport, which had received a terrific boost just a few months before with the formation of two clubs, Blackrock Swimming Club and Galway Swimming Club. This guaranteed competition between the clubs and quickly helped raise standards.

EZ Living Furniture teams up with inspirational doctor to help children with cancer in Tanzania

Thu, Aug 12, 2021

Every now and again you hear a story that stops you in your tracks, leaving you feeling inspired and amazed. This is exactly how the Dilleen family, founders of EZ Living Furniture, felt in 2019 when they met Dr Trish Scanlan and heard her incredible story. So much so, they felt it absolutely necessary to do whatever they could to help.

Thinking of tiles? New Line Tiles has you covered

Thu, Aug 12, 2021

How do I measure a room?
Measure the widest point, the longest point and the height and the shop will make it up from there. Take some pictures of the old bathroom before calling into the shop, this will help the sales team design your new room.

Wine of the week – Enate Chardonnay 2020

Thu, Aug 12, 2021

Check out Joyce’s new and exclusive wine range from Spain and Portugal selected by Masters of Wine student Antonia Dominguez from Antonia’s Wines.

Connacht Hospitality Group have outdoor dining covered

Wed, Aug 11, 2021

With summer now in in full “bloom”, the teams at the Connacht Hospitality group have transformed all their al fresco dining options throughout the Group. From the new Heineken Garden in An Púcán, the bustling 1520 outdoor space in the heart of the Latin quarter, the trendy HYDE Bar bringing style to Forster Street, to the breath-taking views from Galway Bay Golf Resort and the very talented team at the Connacht Hotel who have created fantastic outdoor space, with beautiful furniture custom made using recycled materials.

The extraordinary Fr Peter Daly walks on to the Galway Stage

Wed, Aug 11, 2021

In the early decades of the 19th century fortunes were made in giving hundreds of thousands of emigrants safe passage to America. As the decades slipped by the numbers grew into millions. Liverpool had the main transatlantic business for these two islands, but Galway, situated some 300 miles closer to America, and with the onset of powerful steam-driven ships, believed that a better and quicker service could be provided.

The big fire, August 1971

Wed, Aug 11, 2021

Monday morning, August 16, 1971 (50 years ago next Monday), started off in a normal way in Galway but that quickly changed very dramatically. A fire was discovered shortly before 11.30am in McDonough’s Yard on Merchants Road. It was spotted by a lady standing across the street at the Tourist Office and she alerted the fire brigade. At the time, there were only about four full-time firefighters in the station but they responded very quickly.

Gardenwise | A Gorgeous Garden when you’re not always there

Mon, Aug 09, 2021

For many of us, the garden is the first thing we see when we open the door in the morning, or return to our homes after a day’s work. Increasingly, however, I find I’m called on to produce garden plans for second homes, for lots of reasons. The second property might be a holiday let, or a much- needed weekend refuge for city dwellers. It’s often the ‘home house’, originally belonging to parents and now being restored for the next generation to spend vacation time in with their families, keeping them linked to their roots. Sometimes, the plan is to move there altogether during the retirement years, so starting the garden now and allowing it to grow and mature in the meantime makes sense

Gardenwise | Can you have a gorgeous garden by the sea?

Thu, Aug 05, 2021

A garden by the sea can be magical. Or windswept, bare and failing to realise its potential. Personally, I’d go for the former if I had one – and lots of people do – we seem to be drawn to towards the coast like a magnet, to live, to holiday, or just to spend a day near the water.

E-paper

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