Bella Roma — a welcome addition to Galway’s dining options

Thu, Apr 15, 2010

Co-owned by Rome native Sandro Perna and the familiar Richy Gorman, Bella Roma in Forster Court, presents Italian cuisine in grand style with a great atmosphere and warm presence.

Creating the perfect eyebrows

Thu, Apr 08, 2010

Eyebrows frame the face and are one of our most defining features. Avoid unflattering shapes and over-plucked brows with this step by step guide from Ireland’s top make-up artist Zoë Clark.

Having a reliable and competent babysitter has the potential to change your lifestyle completely. It is great to have someone to call on when you want to spend some time together or if you need to keep appointments, etc.

Do you want to win a handful of fantastic family prizes?

Thu, Apr 08, 2010

Just email a photograph of you enjoying some time with your family and you could win a super family prize thanks to FamilyTime and the Galway Advertiser.

home ground

Thu, Apr 08, 2010

Landscape designers are increasingly drawing inspiration from the master designers of bygone eras. This popular throwback to times gone by is replicating itself in our gardens, where cottage gardens and traditional cobbles are making a comeback.

Aubergine and grey are the new neutrals

Thu, Apr 08, 2010

In this article we will review decorating in neutral colours including the new neutrals such as dove grey and aubergine. Neutral usually means without colour. Neutral colours such as beige, ivory, taupe, black, grey, and white appear to be without colour, and yet in many applications they often have undertones of colour.

Be aware of these underlying tones as you match colours or choose paint. For example, beige might have an undertone of pink or tan or gold. White might be slightly ivory, yellow, bluish, or peachy.

Kinvara Farmers’ Market returns

Thu, Apr 08, 2010

Kinvara Farmers’ Market will reopen tomorrow (Friday) from 10am to 2pm in Johnston’s Garden, Main Street.

The market offers great value on fresh produce, with 24 stalls selling a variety of produce including fresh fish, free range eggs, chicken and bacon, Irish cheeses, organic vegetables, fresh fruit in season, organic yeast bread, home-baked products, bottled goodies like jams, honey, preserves, pickles and flavoured oils, coffee beans and assorted teas, garden plants, flowers, soups, coffee and snacks, local crafts like knitwear, soap, and body products, paintings, jewellery, and books.

Restaurants Association of Ireland awards for Galway

Thu, Apr 08, 2010

The Restaurants Association of Ireland held its Connacht awards ceremony in The Ardilaun on March 23. The awards were open to all establishments and not just associated members, thus the result is very important for all the finalists and winners. The winners were decided by a combined result of a panel of judges and direct voting by customers. The winners below will go forward for the national awards in June.

Nutrition for children

Thu, Apr 08, 2010

An introductory three hour seminar on nutrition for children will be held at Atlantic College, Fairgreen, Galway, from 10am to 1pm on Sunday April 11. The seminar is open to anyone and may be of particular interest to parents and those in the childcare industry.

What to wear on Easter Sunday

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Whether you’re heading to church, a family brunch, or a gathering with friends, a new outfit will surely add a spring to your step. Here are style tips to help you look your best this Easter Sunday.

Galway designer wins jewellery award

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

A young designer from Loughrea has scooped the prestigious Jewellery Designer of the Year Award at the Fashion Innovation Awards, which were held in Galway recently.

Amazing new spring/ summer collection at Kilkenny shops nationwide

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Spring/summer 2010 has officially arrived at the Kilkenny shop in Galway.

Fine meat in Galway and fine wine in Tuam

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

I called in to see Brendan Loughnane in his relatively new butcher’s shop beside the Tesco Express located at Tornóg, Ballinfoyle, on the Headford Road. Brendan is part of the Loughnane dynasty of butchers who were originally from the Loughrea area and is a brother of Sean Loughnane who created Galway’s first super butchers/delicatessen at Forster Court some years ago. Brendan is a master butcher and spent about 30 years running his extremely busy butcher’s shops in Limerick city. He has collected many awards over the years for his products and all that knowledge and experience is there for the customer when you call in. The shop is open six days a week until 6.30pm.

Know your fabrics — Designers Guild

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Established in 1970 by Tricia Guild, Designers Guild designs and wholesales furnishing, fabrics, wall coverings, upholstery, and bed and bath collections throughout Europe and worldwide. The Designers Guild business philosophy is to combine creativity and innovation with the highest levels of quality — quality of design, product, service, and people.

Grow your own spuds

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Keane’s Garden Centre, Kilcolgan, has all you need to produce your own tasty potatoes this season. The centre can provide you with everything from the seed potatoes, farmyard manure, and fertiliser to fungicidal spray and protection fleece. Keane’s also has easy to use grow bags for customers who are limited in space or just want to try growing their own.

Meals on wheels for your pets

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Galway Home Delivery Pet Foods, based in Newcastle and established in March 2009 is a tailored solution to the hassle that all pet owners have in bringing the best quality foods direct to the door.

Sheep fair, Eyre Square

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Like most towns and cities in Ireland, Galway had a lot of fairs and markets. They were a vital part of life and the economy of the city, helping to feed the local population and provide much needed cash for farmers in the hinterland.

A child remembers Easter in Russia

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

The busy city of Harbin is the 10th largest city in China, and regularly features on our TV screens for its famous winter ice sculptures. In the 1920s, Harbin, practically on the borders of Russia, was a refuge for thousands of émigrés, fleeing the Bolshevik revolution and the blood bath that followed. The Russians, many of them wealthy, brought style and glamour to this once far flung post on the Trans-Siberian railway. Among those seeking refuge was a 74-years- old Galway/Russian woman Kathleen ffrench, who was not only the chatelaine of Monivea Castle and its 10,000 acre estate in Co Galway, but who also had inherited vast estates on the Volga from her Russian grandparents.

The ffrenchs (Ffrench), whose ancestor came to Ireland in the company of the Anglo-Norman nobleman Strongbow in the 12th century, was one of the 14 Tribes of Galway. Kathleen’s father Robert, whom she adored, served in the British diplomatic service, and met his young wife Sophie Alexandrovna de Kindiakov while working in St Petersburg. Although Robert was in his thirties and Sophie was just 18, and from a totally different culture, it was considered a brilliant match. Robert would inherit Monivea; while Sophie’s family were known from the 16th century as great landowners, breeders of fine horses, who harvested enormous acres of wheat and vines south of Simbirsk on both sides of the river around Kazan, about 600 kilometres southeast of Moscow.

Fine meat in Galway and fine wine in Tuam

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

Brendan is very committed to having the very best meat for sale on his counters, and to do that he has a farm outside Loughrea where all the beef is fattened on the best of grass and oats until he is happy it is ready for the next stage. Here again he ensures quality as he does this himself at a local abattoir, hangs the meat for 20 days, and cuts it into the best joints for your table. He has focused on Hereford and Angus cattle as they give a much better fat distribution, and to see this in reality just have a look at his Sunday roasts. They are everything that all the great chefs recommend, and having sampled one myself I can guarantee that you will be delighted. A typical roast for that special Sunday dinner will be €13 to €14. I also sampled some of his bacon ribs and they were the most meaty and tender I have had. I have a real fondness for bacon ribs so I can assure you these are excellent. He only sells the smaller rib that has lots of meat so they are great value.