Whiskey of The West

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

In the last Whiskey Review for the year, I’d like to give an honourable mention to some great Irish Spirits that have made the West of Ireland their home.

Merry Christmas from West Coast Insulation

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

Galway company West Coast Insulation would like to wish all its customers a happy Christmas and prosperous New Year, and thank them for their custom during 2020. For some good news at this time of the year, the Galway company has announced it will be continuing to offer an increased grant amount of €1,123 into 2021. The company will also continue to take the grant directly off the price which covers a high percentage of the cost.

West Coast Insulation has an agreement with SEAI, which provides the grants, that the company can handle the paperwork on behalf of the homeowner. This means the homeowners get their grants taken directly off the price and no longer have to wait for grant refunds.

Real Christmas trees the prevailing choice for families

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

An estimated 150,000 extra families have made the switch over the last three year from plastic to a real Irish Christmas tree, as growers expect to sell well in excess of half a million real Irish Christmas trees this year in Ireland.

Treating rheumatism and related syndromes with acupuncture

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

Normally, once you have been diagnosed with rheumatic disorders such as arthritis, neck/back pains from disc problems, fibromyalgia, etc, you will be told to “live with” these diseases, take drugs that may risk some unexpected, even dangerous, side effects, change your lifestyle, and even accept loss of mobility. In addition, the long-term pain may also cause related psychiatric symptoms including anxiety and depression, which are recognised as chronic pain syndrome.

Sleep well this Christmas season with Better Bedding

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

Christmas is here and it's that time of the year when our sleeping patterns go off the rails.

Free online or phone consultation with O'Neill Counselling & Psychotherapy

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

With Galway-based O'Neill Counselling & Psychotherapy Practice, clients can now avail of phone and online counselling from the comfort and privacy of their own homes.

A homely Christmas made simple at Iceland Ireland

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

Whether you are roasting the turkey, making the dessert, or simply preparing some festive nibbles to have in front of the fire, Iceland Ireland is taking the stress out of the kitchen this year. Iceland’s head chef, Dave Lennox, has created a wide array of delicious festive recipes so shoppers will be spoilt for choice this Christmas and New Year. Iceland Ireland’s 27 stores nationwide are packed with hundreds of Irish brands, festive treats, and everything needed for an amazing Christmas dinner.

Christmas is in the air

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

With Christmas Eve only a day away, the last minute shopping has begun. Christmas Eve celebrations are made easy with the wide range of delicious foods available at your local Joyce’s Supermarket. All Joyce’s Supermarkets will open until 7pm on Christmas Eve and reopen on St Stephen's Day for all your last minute shopping needs.

No love for olives when it comes to pizza

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

In a shock development for anyone who agrees that pineapple has no business being on a pizza, olives have been found to be the nation's least favourite topping according to Irish-owed chain Four Star Pizza.

Happy New Year 2021 from the French Institute Galway new spring term

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

This is the time of the year for ‘les bonnes résolutions’, perhaps more so than ever, in what looks like being an extraordinary but challenging year. So, why not start the year by joining a French class with the French Institute Galway? The friendly staff members are all fully qualified, very experienced, and native; thus ensuring all students are immersed in an authentic linguistic and cultural experience.

Further education and training leading the way in new technologies

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

The Further Education and Training Department in GRETB is currently reviewing the FET work of 2020 and planning its programmes for 2021. The FET Department is conscious of the challenges Covid 19 posed for all of us as a society, both nationally and internationally and is continuing to do so.

Challenges such as those presented by Covid-19 can often lead to new opportunities for individuals. The team in FET are conscious of the importance of providing tailor made bespoke programmes to make the pathways into employment and education as smooth as possible for all.

The Holland influence in Galway

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

In the year 1900, Patrick Holland had a travelling shop near Athenry. He later opened a shop there and is credited with having the first car in the town. In 1914 he met Dorinda Egan and it was love at first sight. They married and had five children Brendan, Michael, Maureen, Angela and John. They eventually moved to Galway in 1930, and tried to set up a business in Dominick St. but the bank would not give them the money. They eventually managed to buy the premises of Mary Leahy’s Newsagency in Williamsgate Street.

A writer finds spiritual comfort in Connemara

Wed, Dec 23, 2020

‘The bus comes at last with a great blaze of headlights, and figures emerge from the darkness and climb aboard….’

The British raid on Inis Mór, December 1920

Thu, Dec 17, 2020

November 1920 was a bloody month in Galway with the killing of Eileen Quinn, Fr Michael Griffin, Michael Moran, and Harry and Patrick Loughnane. D Company Auxiliaries had made their presence felt.

An Bearna

Thu, Dec 17, 2020

In 1928, Galway Urban Council prosecuted a Mr James McHugh from Bohermore for failing to comply with a notice requiring him to remove his butcher’s stall at Kingshill, Salthill, on the grounds that he had built it without authority, beyond the alignment of the adjacent houses. In fact, Mr McHugh had already sent the council a letter requesting permission to build the stall but those on the council were not yet aware of their powers at the time, and their solicitors had advised them that they, the council, did not have any control over the erection of such structures. Though they did not approve of the stall, they had failed to notify Mr McHugh. The case went in and out of court but the stall stayed where it was.

A writer comes for Christmas 1945

Thu, Dec 17, 2020

Back in Connemara for Christmas, which she insisted on calling Christ Mass, Ethel Mannin opens the door of her little cottage, located between Roundstone and Clifden, close to Mannin Bay. She has been away for some time. She lights fires in all three rooms, to drive away the musty smell and damp, and soon she is comfortable sitting by the window looking out at the sea, the mountains beyond. She was back to stay until restlessness, or some political challenge, calls her away again.

GMIT careers service launches online CV tool for students entering the jobs market

Thu, Dec 17, 2020

The GMIT careers service has launched a new online CV tool, CareerSet, to support GMIT students as they prepare to enter the competitive placement and jobs market.

The new resource enhances the current virtual career supports offered by GMIT, to ensure high quality CV standards and improve student employability.

'Why I trained in acupuncture'

Thu, Dec 17, 2020

I trained as a social scientist with a PhD from the London School of Economics before discovering my interest in acupuncture and naturopathy.

Supporting young people in a time of uncertainty

Thu, Dec 17, 2020

Galway City Comhairle na nÓg is a youth council for young people aged 12 to 17 years in education in or living in Galway city. In 2020 the committee worked on the topic of mental health, as voted on at the AGM in 2019.

This year has been an especially difficult year for everyone, and in particular for young people, managing the interactions between online schoolwork, friendships, and family were a struggle that many young people found difficult to deal with. These difficulties were magnified by the isolation and disruption caused by Covid-19.

Galway social enterprise wins prestigious national award

Thu, Dec 17, 2020

Meals4Health, a Galway-based social enterprise that provides fresh ready meals to suit the dietary needs of older people and those needing specialised nutritional support, has been announced as winner of the Social Enterprise of the Year at the Charity Impact Awards.

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