The Sacre Coeur Hotel, the early years

Thu, Apr 14, 2022

My earliest memory of Jim was of him building his house near us in Salthill. He had a small corrugated iron shed he lived in while working there. We local working men, all of us about six or seven years old, decided he needed a hand, so we went to “help” him, moving sand and mixing cement, etc. We were obviously a complete distraction and a nuisance but he was a gentle man. He would sit us down beside his shed, give us a slice of bread and jam, and then frighten the life out of us telling us ghost stories. A very nice way of getting rid of us at the same time as vastly improving the efficiency level of the amount of work being done on site.

ICDL - digital skills for employability and productivity

Thu, Apr 14, 2022

GRETB Training Centre is offering a fully funded International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) course. This full-time online course starts on May 16 and runs for 20 weeks which includes four weeks’ work placement.

The tutor-led course with daily online classes provides the skills and knowledge to use software applications on a computer and achieve a worldwide recognised qualification. ICDL provides a practical programme of up-to-date competencies and knowledge areas which are validated by exams.

An overview of my transition year

Thu, Apr 14, 2022

When I started transition year in Presentation College Headford last September, I wasn’t sure what the year ahead would bring. I feared at the start it would be a year I regretted doing. However I am now in my final two months of transition year and I am mournful that it is coming to an end. On my very first day, my TY coordinator told us, “Your transition year is what you make of it.” I promised myself that I was going to make the most out of it and take every opportunity given to me, a few of which I will share in this article.

By the end of September, my year had all taken a first aid and manual handling course which earned us certificates in these important areas. Along with this, we had a team building day which really helped our year bond and become more comfortable with each other, which proved to be important in future activities.

A new shopping experience in Galway – Woolworths

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

The expansion of the Woolworth chain in Ireland in the early 1950s proceeded smoothly except in one location, Galway. A number of city councillors, supported by some local retailers, were against bringing new business into town. Eventually, Woolworths purchased the site of the old Royal Hotel in the Square. The hotel was demolished and a new purpose built retail store constructed in its place. When Woolworths advertised for staff, more than 500 girls applied. Officials of the firm were very taken aback and it took several days to complete the interviews. The weekly wage offered to the girls, £4 7s 6d, was very good for the time. About 50 people were initially employed.

A story of two fathers and two children

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

The final chapter in the history of Shakespeare and Company, the famous Paris bookshop, began with the publication of James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, in May 1939. The shop closed in December 1941 when a Nazi officer saw a copy of Joyce’s book in its window and asked to buy it. Sylvia Beach refused saying it was her only copy, and was not for sale. The officer threatened to return and confiscate her entire stock, and left. He returned the next day and demanded she sold him the book. Again Sylvia refused, and the officer, ‘trembling with rage’ warned that he would be back that afternoon and seize all her books.

Breakthrough treatment for incontinence and confidence

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

Chez Elaine has brought yet another new treatment to Galway and this time it is medical. BTL Emsella is a breakthrough treatment for incontinence and confidence. This unique technology revolutionises intimate health and wellness by providing those suffering from incontinence with a completely non-invasive option. This treatment is for both men and women.

Dubbed the “Kegel throne”, Emsella was featured in The Irish Times and radio stations such as Newstalk and 2fm in recent weeks. "The device is getting a lot of press coverage in recent times and we are so delighted to be the first clinic in the west to bring this medical breakthrough to the public," said Elaine Joyce, owner of Chez Elaine.

Evergreen Healthfoods: What are the health benefits of collagen supplements?

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

Collagen supplements are a hot topic right now, and for good reason. Collagen is an amazing nutrient which helps to optimise overall health and provide essential amino acids responsible for healthy joints and skin elasticity.

How to revive your decking

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

Given our climate in Ireland, decking requires regular maintenance. We get a lot of queries at Pat McDonnell Paints this time of year about how to breathe new life into old decking. Once you have decided it is time to spruce up your deck, below are the steps that are involved.

Buy once and buy well - interiors pieces to invest in

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

In an ideal world, everything that fills your home would be something special - the sort of considered designs that you will keep forever. While that is not always possible, knowing where to focus your attention when you invest in your interior means that your favourite pieces will last through moves, changes in style, and hopefully be passed down and treasured again.

Galway holds same amount of top restaurants as Dublin in first Top Ten list

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

A unique new Supper Club is set to take place at the five-star g Hotel & Spa, launching on April 27, 2022.

Enjoy classic carbonara with a cheesy twist

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

This delicious pasta dish is an Italian favourite. This recipe, courtesy of Bord Bia, swaps locally produced cheese for the traditional parmesan.

Spice up mealtimes with surprisingly simple whitefish

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

Fish has long been recognised as one of nature’s healthiest foods, and with its rich package of nutrients it is one of the few foods that can truly be called a superfood. Bord Bia's whitefish campaign aims to highlight how fresh Irish whitefish is the perfect ingredient for any occasion.

Galway Community College welcome Erasmus+ students to unveil outdoor classroom on the shores of Lough Atalia as part of climate change study in the EU

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

Galway Community College, (GCC), GRETB is welcoming an Erasmus+ delegation of 30 students and four teachers from a school in Croatia and a school in Spain, to Galway city this week. The students are here as part of the endangered species and biodiversity project, a climate change research study in the European Union, that all three schools have been working on.

Alternative route to education a hit with Galway teens

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

‘In your own time’ could be the motto at Galway Community Training Centre (CTC) where early school leavers who, for a variety of reasons, find mainstream education a less than perfect fit can access a practical creative two year accredited alternative.

Galway’s Equal Ireland welcomes two new universities

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

Welcoming the establishment of two new universities, AUT and TUS, Eddie Higgins and Nuala Keher, EQUAL Ireland directors, stated: "We are happy to be education partners with these two major universities and we welcome their dedication to access, equality and inclusion."

New MSLETB Hospitality and Catering Training Centre opened by the Minister Simon Harris

Thu, Apr 07, 2022

Mayo Sligo Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB) welcomed Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science, Simon Harris, on Monday where he performed the official opening of the new MSLETB Hospitality and Catering Training Centre at MSLETB Training Centre - Sligo.

Speaking at the event Minister Harris said: “After an emotional morning at the launch of the Atlantic Technological University, I am delighted to be here to open this new Hospitality and Catering Training Centre at MSLETB Sligo Training Centre. Hospitality has suffered an awful lot over the past two years, but the future is so bright, it really is great to see MSLETB leading the development of skills for people working in the hospitality sector. This is another giant leap forward with regards to apprenticeships and provision of skills development for the northwest and the west of Ireland.”

From Crooked Lane to Church Lane

Thu, Mar 31, 2022

On a 1625 map of the city, this lane is referred to as ‘Crooked Lane’ and a little later in that century, it was commonly known as ‘Céim Cam’. In 1708 it was referred to as ‘Church Lane’ and on two documents dated 1824 it is down as ‘Bohercranmore’ (the Lane of the Big Tree) and also as Church Lane, sometimes called Lána an Teampaill. During the last century it was locally known as ‘O’Gorman’s Lane.

Two weddings and a broken young girl

Thu, Mar 31, 2022

There has never been a concentration of outstanding literary and artistic talent such as that in the Paris of the 1920s. The city heaved with outrage and ecstasy at the paintings of Piccaso, and Henri Matisse, the music of Igor Stravinsky, and the wild dancing of Joséphine Baker at the Folies Bergere, and the most extraordinary avant-garde literature, where new boundaries were created by a wave of modernist writers, the most celebrated being James Joyce.

HSE West hears of plan for mental and emotional health supports for Leaving Cert students

Thu, Mar 31, 2022

BY DECLAN VARLEY
A motion seeking to provide targeted mental and emotional health supports to students sitting the Leaving Cert and state exams was put to HSE West at this month's Regional Health Forum.

ICPPD to host information evenings

Thu, Mar 31, 2022

The International College for Personal and Professional Development, (ICPPD) based in Athlone with outreach centres in Galway and Dublin are preparing for the next intake of learners in September 2022.

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