Deli excellence — Olio & Farina

Thu, Oct 02, 2008

A really good deli should focus on certain food types and have staff that know the products inside and out. One of the problems that a consumer faces is that when confronted by shelves filled with jars, bottles, and things that are vaguely recognisable, is to try to make a decision. That is why you need expert help, someone who has tasted most of the items and who has a passion for food. I recall a visit to a fish shop where I asked the assistant what a particular fish tasted like and the answer was that she never ate fish!

Stuffed peppers

Thu, Oct 02, 2008

These delicious stuffed, roast peppers are great comfort food for cold winter evenings. Recipe courtesy of Clodagh McKenna, Irish ambassador for Aga.

gardening with Anne McKeon

Thu, Oct 02, 2008

As the growing season slows down and prepares to rest for the winter months ahead, gardening takes a change of direction. Foliage is beginning to change coats, putting on its rust and red shades of autumn; annual bedding plants are dying off while perennials on the other hand are storing up food supplies for the dormant season ahead. All things considered autumn enters and leaves in a blaze of colour.

Revamp your house with Home Improvements

Thu, Oct 02, 2008

Home Improvements is an established carpentry service which offers householders the opportunity to completely revamp their homes. If your interior is looking a little dated this service can offer you a competitive rate on fitting laminate, semi solid, and solid wood flooring.

Embrace autumn in deep purple

Thu, Oct 02, 2008

Pencil style dresses in black, deep purple and pink are some of the hottest looks for autumn/winter, according to A/wear.

Heaven Scent

Thu, Oct 02, 2008

“An unexpected and daring union of patchouli and sweet flavours for a woman who is part angel, part devil, bewitching and free spirited.” That’s how fashion designer and film maker Thierry Mugler described Angel, the first fragrance he created in 1992. It was the world’s first blue coloured and non floral fragrance and was inspired by his childhood memories of “guardian angels” and “celestial stars”.

Renew your skin as you sleep

Thu, Oct 02, 2008

Are you over 50 and keen to get the upper hand on wrinkles and fine lines? If so check out Baume Excellence from Decleor (€91).

Tone that tum

Thu, Oct 02, 2008

Fancy toning your tummy without stepping inside a gym? That’s exactly what an innovative new body care serum called Tummy Toner promises.

Helping men fight skin ageing

Thu, Oct 02, 2008

More than 45 per cent of men in the 20 to 30 year age group say their skin suffers from fatigue.

Stress, lack of sleep, irregular eating habits and an aggressive environment can visibly upset its balance. Natural skin exfoliation slows down and dead cells build up on the surface making it look rough, dull and fatigued.

A May procession in the Claddagh, c1935

Thu, Oct 02, 2008

This photograph was originally taken from the top of the high wall which fronted the town dump in the area of the Claddagh still known as ‘The Swamp’ in 1931. In the early years of the 20th century Galway’s Parliamentary Representative Stephen Gwynn prompted the Government to award a grant of £450 for the reclamation of this marshy ground between the Claddagh and the seashore, which was prone to flooding, and as a result a half-mile racing track in the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners was built around the perimeter of the area. It cannot have been very successful, because some time afterwards the area became the site for the city dump. In 1931 the Carnegie Trust presented the city with a grant of £500 to help develop part of the site into a number of playing pitches. This development was a gradual process and eventually, in the early fifties, the whole area was converted into a municipal park devoted entirely to sporting activities. The high wall was largely knocked and reduced to its present height. It took a while to completely clear the ground... many who played matches there at the time remember taking lumps of glass or tin out of the surface of the playing pitch and leaving them on the side wall.

Lady Gregory’s ‘missing’ grandson

Thu, Oct 02, 2008

Following the success of the publication Me and Nu - Childhood at Coole published in 1970,* it is sometimes forgotten that Lady Augusta Gregory had three grandchildren, and not two as is often assumed. Written by Lady Gregory’s granddaughter Anne, Me and Nu is a charming account of life at Coole, as the children watched with amusement (and disillusionment at their human foibles), many of the great figures of the Irish literary movement of the 20th century as they came and went.

Managing your anger

Thu, Sep 25, 2008

Do you get angry easily and tend to overreact to small things such as someone leaving the cap off the toothpaste, delays in the supermarket queue or minor traffic congestion?

If so, you may be more hotheaded than others and have a low tolerance for frustration or inconvenience.

The Aga experience

Thu, Sep 25, 2008

Many people who have an Aga today lived in houses that had an Aga in the kitchen when they were children. There seem to be lots of pleasant memories from childhood that are associated with having an Aga in the kitchen, and for many such people it is top of their shopping list when setting up home. One friend of mine used to sit up on the shiny lid that is on top of the range (not recommended) when she was a child, and believe it or not she does the same thing some 30-plus years later. I was not brought up with an Aga in the house but both my grandparents and parents had solid fuel ranges and I still remember cooking breakfast in a big black cast iron pan on my grandmother’s red hot range. I also remember the constant need to get logs and logs and even more logs!

Tomato and basil soup

Thu, Sep 25, 2008

This delicious, hearty soup is the perfect counterfoil to the cold days ahead.

Sheridan’s launches new duck confit

Thu, Sep 25, 2008

Sheridan’s Cheesemongers has introduced a delicious new duck confit to its artisan range of foods. Expanding beyond its fantastic range of farmhouse and European cheeses, the duck confit is a welcome addition for fans of the quality Irish cheesemongers. Sheridan’s premier range also consists of a variety of wines, cured meats, pastas, and olive oils among other specialities for cooking and eating. Sheridan’s was awarded Food & Wine magazine’s Hall of Fame award alongside Richard Corrigan at the annual Food & Wine awards in August.

Bags of style for breast cancer

Thu, Sep 25, 2008

This October designer Orla Kiely will launch a new exclusive accessories collection in Ireland to support Fashion Targets Breast Cancer in aid of Action Breast Cancer, a programme of the Irish Cancer Society and Europa Donna Ireland.

Greater Harmony for acupuncture clinic

Thu, Sep 25, 2008

Harmony Acupuncture Clinic, formerly located in Flood Street, Galway has recently moved to new premises. The modern, custom designed clinic is now located in Charter House, Liosban Business Park, Tuam Road, Galway.

Get dressed for the new season at GM2

Thu, Sep 25, 2008

Catch the latest trends in menswear for autumn/winter with a visit to GM2 in Liosban.

Visit Santa in Lapland

Thu, Sep 25, 2008

Lapland promises fun for all ages. It's not just Santa Claus that makes Lapland so exciting — there is fun for all ages and a whole host of activities to enjoy in a snow-covered winter wonderland.

You can meet with Santa Claus, visit Santa's village, and Santa's post office, cross the Arctic Circle, take a trip on a skidoo, and see the reindeer and huskies. Lapland is the winter experience of a lifetime.

Buy beds and get free duvets and pillows at Better Bedding

Thu, Sep 25, 2008

A Galway bedding company is making sure that its customers are as snug as a bug in a rug this winter by offering free duvets and pillows with all beds that are sold.

E-paper

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