The ‘amusements’ in the Fairgreen

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

It is good to see the funfair being set up at the moment along the Prom, a sure sign that the summer is on the way. There has been a history of summer funfairs in Galway for well over 100 years, though they were always known here as ‘the amusements’. In the early days, the Toft family used to organise them in Salthill Park. Occasionally, the neighbours used to object to the noise and the traffic, and on at least one occasion, they were invited next door on to the site in front of Dr O’Beirne’s house (where Leisureland is today).

All that is left is ruins and a photo album

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

Whether it was to defuse the call for Home Rule, or whether Chief Secretary Arthur J Balfour was genuinely moved at the shameful poverty that existed among the western counties of Ireland, his ‘walkabout’ among the people was generally very well received.

Meet Galway SISU doctor – Dr Alex Quinn

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

Dr Alex Quinn graduated medicine from Semmelweis University in Budapest in Hungary and has worked in NCHD Mater Hospital as a general practitioner. Dr Quinn has always shown interest in aesthetic medicine, hence why the role of a lead doctor of SISU Galway was a natural progression of his career in aesthetic medicine.

Your guide to interval training

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

Do you want to train yourself to run faster? Intervals are hard but these example sessions could be just what you need to run better times.

Ivors for top quality garden machinery to give you the garden of your dreams

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

Gardens are our little place of sanctuary from stresses and strains of the outside world, and keeping them neat is important so they can be enjoyed to the fullest when they are looking their best in summer. Ivors on the Rahoon Road, Shantalla, is the place which can help fulfil customers' garden needs.

Bord Bia to get the nation growing this ‘Bloom Bank Holiday’ weekend

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

Bord Bia is encouraging people to embrace their gardens and outdoor spaces this summer. For the second year in a row, the public can take part in #BloomAtHome this weekend via a series of virtual initiatives and events providing gardening advice and inspiration.

Enjoy a Galway city tour

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

As we roll into the June Bank Holiday Weekend, we can almost taste the summer, those long bright evenings spent with friends and family, the hustle and bustle of Galway city streets, a drink sitting outside Taaffes as we watch the world go by or the luxury of a 99 from the Bon Bon while sitting on the Prom in Salthill.

Picturing all that, you’d be forgiven for thinking the world was as it once was, and although the prospect of jetting off to an exotic land for a week’s sun, sea and sangria may be off the cards this year we have this wonderful Island we call home offering some of the greatest holiday options around. We are lucky enough to have the greatest little city in the world right here to explore and experience this summer, so is it time to be a tourist in your own town?

Dunguaire Castle - a picturesque stop along the Wild Atlantic Way

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

Rumoured to be Ireland’s most photographed Castle, Dunguaire Castle, located just outside the picturesque fishing village of Kinvara, sits perched on the shores of Galway Bay.

One of the 10 best things to do in Connemara this summer…

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

Farm Tours and Oyster Picnics serving up a Taste of the Atlantic

The best things in life are sweet

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

Treat yourself this Thursday to a delicious, sweet treat from home, the perfect end of week pick-me-up. And with all of the ingredients for these Thursday night treat recipes available at your local Joyce’s supermarket, it could not be any easier.

Outdoor dining in the garden of Galway city

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

The Skeff Bar & Kitchen is welcoming customers back to its new and improved outdoor dining area. From Monday June 7 the team at The Skeff Bar & Kitchen will be back to doing what they do best, serving delicious food, tasty cocktails, and cool pints.

Tempt your tastebuds with this delicious mousse au deux chocolat

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

Treat yourself to the perfect weekend dessert by whipping up this mousse au deux chocolat, courtesy of Siúcra. Rich and creamy, yet light and fluffy, these little pots of perfection will leave you wanting more.

Musgrave MarketPlace campaign aims to help reboot hospitality businesses in Galway

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

Musgrave MarketPlace, Ireland’s leading wholesale supplier to foodservice, retail, and SME businesses, today announced it is investing €650,000 to support the reopening of Irish hospitality at the beginning of June. As part of this investment, Musgrave MarketPlace has launched a range of new initiatives to support the industry and assist the reboot and recovery of the sector.

Further your career at Galway Community College

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

Galway Community College of Further Education (GCC) continues to offer full-time courses in a wide variety of career areas designed as a step towards skilled employment, in preparation of starting an apprenticeship, or progression to further and higher education. All one-year courses offer a mix of blended learning, with work experience which gives the opportunity to people, who are unsure of their career path, to taste a vocational area before committing to a longer course. These courses are aimed at Leaving Certificate graduates, mature learners, and anyone finding themselves unemployed or facing uncertain job security, this is the perfect time to reevaluate their options regarding their future career paths.

There are no CAO points required to apply for a further education course and, on completion, you can convert your results from the course, up to 390 points, to apply for more than 1,200 CAO courses that will accept a QQI award for progression to institutes of technology and universities nationwide. GCC's Level 6 courses give direct access to some second-year courses in GMIT. Information talks by GMIT and NUIG on progression opportunities are held throughout the year, and GCC's guidance counsellor is available for information on progression and job opportunities in Galway and nationwide.

GMIT expands apprenticeship course offerings

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

GMIT has secured circa €1.8 m from the Higher Education Authority to increase the number of apprenticeship courses at its Galway (Dublin Road) and Letterfrack campuses from September 2021.

The funding will allow for an increase in places on GMIT’s electrical apprenticeship courses in the Galway city campus and the delivery of a new wood manufacturing and finishing apprenticeship course in the GMIT Letterfrack campus.

How to manage your stress and maximise your performance in a written Leaving Cert exam

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

There is less than a week to go until this year's Leaving Cert class sit down to take the first written paper. It has been a two-year programme like no other in the almost 100-year history of this examination.

GMIT launches new Level 7 diploma in school age childcare

Thu, Jun 03, 2021

GMIT’s Department of Nursing, Health Sciences, and Social Care has added a new course in its suite of early childhood education and care programmes, the new diploma in school age childcare (Level 7), the first such course to be offered in Irish third-level colleges.

The innovative academic programme was designed in consultation with stakeholders in the school age childcare (SAC) and early learning and care (ELC) sector. One hundred and five participants took part in the consultation process representing 89 SAC and ELC organisations.

Gardenwise | Could Porcelain be the Perfect Paving?

Tue, Jun 01, 2021

Choosing the right paving is one of the most important decisions you’ll make if you’re renovating your garden or planning a new one. It’s probably the biggest investment you’ll make in terms of cost – not just the cost of buying your paving but of laying it correctly too. Natural flagstone paving and brick or block paving all have their place – but the suggestion I’m making increasingly often to my clients recently is to consider outdoor porcelain paving.

The egg and butter market in Church Street

Thu, May 27, 2021

Some weeks ago we wrote about the virtues of country butter being sold at the Saturday Market, but it seems there were occasional vices there too. The ink was hardly dry on the paper when David Barrett sent us an account of a court case that took place at the Galway Petty Sessions in September 1910 before the magistrates Messrs J Kilbride and JS Young. District Inspector Hildebrand prosecuted Mrs Sarah Bane, Moycullen, on three different counts of selling butter that was unfit for human consumption to Kate Hoare, Mary Griffin, and Norah Joyce. Mr Cooke, from Blake and Kenny solicitors, appeared for the defence.

Echoes of the American west as railroad gets under way

Thu, May 27, 2021

Once the Galway-Clifden railway route was agreed, pressure came from the chief secretary’s office for the Midland Great Western Railway to commence work immediately, and that ‘every able bodied man in Connemara’ was to be offered a job building the railway.

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