Some of the awful things George Moore said...

Thu, Sep 25, 2008

You might think that those at the core of the Irish literary renaissance at the beginning of the 20th century, were one big happy family beavering away in their rooms at Lady Gregory’s home at Coole, Co Galway. In those early days it was a house full of voices and sounds. Sometimes you heard WB Yeats humming the rhythm of a poem he was cobbling together; or the click-clacking of Lady Gregory’s typewriter as she worked on another play for the Abbey. There was the sound of the Gregory grandchildren playing in the garden; the booming voice of George Bernard Shaw, as he complains that he is only allowed to have either butter or jam on his bread, but not both to comply with war rations (He cheated by the way. He put butter on one side of his bread, and when he thought no one was looking, piled jam on the other!); or the voices of the artist Jack Yeats and JM Synge returning from a day messing about on a boat calling out to a shy Sean O’Casey to come out of the library for God’s sake and enjoy the summer afternoon.

And then there was the flamboyantly Bohemian Augustus John, who was her son Robert’s best man at his wedding. John was a bit wild, and loved to pinch maids’ bottoms as he swept by (“Oh! Mr John!”). It was unlikely, however, he ever pinched Marian. She was the kindly but formidable Lady Gregory’s right-hand ‘man’ in all domestic arrangements. Marian saw that guests dressed properly for meals, which were always served punctually. Despite his wickedness, she had a soft spot for Augustus. Augustus would climb to the top of the highest trees at Coole, and lie on the uppermost branches swaying in the breeze. Marian’s voice could be heard shouting up to him to come down or he’d be killed, and that dinner was on the table.

The time trap

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

“Oh, look at the time, where has the day gone?” or “How am I going to get all these jobs done before bedtime?” are familiar moans.

Introducing Coole Desserts

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

A selection of signature sweets created exclusively for Coole Swan

Gourmet dinner on a budget

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

A lot of people are complaining that they cannot afford to eat out as often as before, prices are too high, less money in the home budget, cost of babysitting, etc. The cost of eating out is indeed high and that is why I recommend that you take great care when planning a meal out.

Hotel Meyrick - a fine dining gem in the heart of Galway

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

If you thought that a well cooked meal complete with great service and relaxing atmosphere was near to impossible to find in Galway these days, well look again, because there’s still a gem of a restaurant to be found at the Hotel Meyrick in Eyre Square.

Lipsy collection now available at Anthony Ryan’s

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

Lipsy, the red carpet label of choice for celebrities in the know, is now available at Anthony Ryan’s.

Kate and Ava unveil autumn/winter 08 collection

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

Kate and Ava’s autumn/winter collection hits the shops this month and is being sold in a large number of stockists due to the popular demand of their stylish designs.

Magnify your lip colour

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

New Smashbox Double Take, a double ended lip pencil and co-ordinated creamy lip colour all in one, gives powerful, vibrant, colour that glides on velvety smooth and last for hours.

home ground

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

What is underfoot in the garden is as important as the shrubs, trees, etc, growing in it. Believe it or not pathways and ground surfacing in general can be as decorative as it is functional.

Ground surfacing/covering need not be expensive or elaborate and the variety of surfacing available is endless. Even surfacing done on a budget can be attractive. Never fear!

Go Victorian on your bathroom

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

The bathroom is the perfect place to add all the charm and opulence of the Victorian era. The timelessness design of the Adelphi suite has been the best selling collection from the Shires portfolio to date. Combining tradition and quality, the easy clean glaze of the suite brings a modern benefit to make your life that little bit easier.

Conserve energy with CREM

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

CREM’s mission is to promote the conservation and sensible use of our scarce and depleting energy resources. To promote this aim, CREM specialises in providing information through education, assessments, and consultancy on the efficient use of energy in our everyday lives through the services is provides.

CREM Ltd will carry out BER Assessments on your property (see accompanying advertisement) and advise you on how to improve your building energy rating. Building energy ratings are required for all new dwellings from July 2007 and for all buildings sold, leased, or rented from January 2009.

The egg and butter market

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

Hely Dutton in his “Statistical and Agricultural Survey of the County of Galway” which was published in 1824, wrote, “The vegetable market near the Main Guard is generally well supplied and at reasonable rates ; all kinds come to market washed, by which means any imperfection is easily detected. The cabbage raised near the sea on seaweed is particularly delicious ---- those who have been used to those cultivated on highly manured ground cannot form any idea of the difference. There are also in the season peaches, strawberries, gooseberries, apples, pears etc.

How Ireland lost thirty nine famous paintings – Week II

Thu, Sep 18, 2008

The sinking of the Lusitania on May 7 1915, off the Cork coast, by a German submarine electrified Ireland, Britain and America. In Ireland, the fact that German submarines were lurking so close to the Irish shore, added fuel to the propaganda that Germany was planning to invade the country. It spurred recruitment into the armed forces. In Britain, the shameful practice of using passenger liners to carry munitions across the Atlantic without telling the passengers they were in effect travelling on a British war ship, was to come to an end. But it was too late for more than 1,000 men, women and children who lost their lives. And ironically for Germany, the Lusitania proved to be a Pearl Harbour. Among the dead were 114 Americans which caused such an outcry in the US that it led to their coming into the war, and ultimate victory for the Allies.

Coping with life

Thu, Sep 11, 2008

When you wake up in the morning do you wish you could go back to sleep? Does getting through each day seem difficult and exhausting?

If so, you are not alone. You may be one of the many people who are juggling several roles at once and find little free time to recharge your batteries. Or maybe you are recovering from an illness or emotional upheaval and feel your energy is spent. The simplest tasks seem to require huge effort and you feel you just cannot keep up with the world.

Get to know your grapes with The Twelve’s wine tasting package

Thu, Sep 11, 2008

Whether you’re winging it when it comes to wine, or a wannabe sommelier, a new wine tasting package from The Twelve in Barna will bring you up to speed on choosing and appreciating wines for all occasions.

Festival foods

Thu, Sep 11, 2008

For those who do not attend festivals such as the Electric Picnic, Mantua, Solas, etc, you may wonder what the standard of food at such a festival is like in 2008. Perhaps you have children who attend these outdoor festivals and worry that they will be eating lots of greasy burgers and dodgy frankfurters. Indeed my own memories of concerts are that you could smell the chip vans long before you saw the concert stage, and yes it is a miracle that more of us were not as sick as dogs (we probably were but nobody cared too much).

Organic salmon and vegetable fritters with wild rocket and vegetable dressing

Thu, Sep 11, 2008

Wild salmon would be far better for this dish but due to the sustainability of wild salmon the organic salmon makes a good substitute.

Shimmer in the nude

Thu, Sep 11, 2008

Bobbi Brown is renowned for her beautiful and natural looking make-up collections and the newest shimmering nudes edition is no different.

Meet your eye-deal match with Bare Escentuals

Thu, Sep 11, 2008

Bare Escentuals introduces the most wearable trio of complementing colours your eyes will ever meet. This family of easy-to-apply eye shadows has been tried and tested on a wide range of skin tones and eye colours to ensure these shades will be wearable on you.

Colours have been tried and tested to assure day long, year round wearability. Following the purely natural ethos of Bare Escentuals make up the 100 per cent pure bareMinerals eye shadows have been specially formulated with just the right amount of coverage and opacity. Each collection includes a light, medium, and dark bareMinerals eye shadow colour for different areas of the eye.

Galway Shopping Centre to hold fashion show in aid of Croí

Thu, Sep 11, 2008

Ensure you’ll be stepping out in style for this year’s party season with a visit to the west’s top fashion event with Galway Shopping Centre. Taking centre stage on October 1 in The Ardilaun, Galway Shopping Centre retailers will showcase their latest autumn/winter collections that include the best of this season’s party trends. The fashion show this year will be held in aid of Croí and will be hosted by well known TV personality Daithí Ó Sé.

E-paper

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