The Jesuit church

Thu, Jul 31, 2014

On this day, July 31, in 1863, “The new Church of St Ignatius on the Sea Road in the vicinity of the city was dedicated by the Most Rev Dr McEvilly, Lord Bishop of Galway. Sea Road is one of the most fashionable and frequented thoroughfares in the suburbs of our city. The Church, which was commenced in 1861, is now complete with the exception of the organ, altar and some minor internal decorations; and we have no doubt the zeal of the faithful will only require such a desirable opportunity of enabling the Jesuit Fathers, whose excellent judgement in these matters is fully acknowledged, to complete the required improvements, and that nothing shall be wanted which the good taste of the architect can suggest to make everything perfect. The Church is built of hammered limestone ashlar work in courses. The south gable, or principal front, the spire and the quoins, dressings etc, being finely punched and the depths of the jambs and arches of the principal doors and windows, which are richly moulded, adds greatly to its appearance. The Church, which is Gothic in style, is in the form of a Latin Cross, 115 feet in extreme length, 36 feet wide and 70 feet across the transepts, 56 to the ridge and 110 to the top of the spire”.

Clarinbridge goes Rustic

Thu, Jul 24, 2014

In the pretty town of Clarinbridge, a picturesque pub, Sherry's Bar, provides a surprising venue for Rustic Grub. Recently opened in a village already well supplied with good cafes and tea-rooms, it has hit the ground running — which says a lot about chef Maria McNeela and the ethos she has brought with her. There are very few people who could match the passion and respect that she has for food, and the menu reflects this in a variety of ways. She has found a space to showcase the best that the west has to offer and cooks in the Irish tradition — unrestrained, imaginative, and dedicated to pleasure — maternalism at its finest.

The tennis club

Thu, Jul 24, 2014

The Galway Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was founded at a meeting in the Royal Hotel, Eyre Square, on May 19, 1900. Many of the founders were members of the British army, the landed gentry, and the professions such as doctors, solicitors, professors, etc. Membership was by invitation only so there was a certain elitism attached to the club in the early days.

Forty years a-binding, and more to come

Thu, Jul 24, 2014

An extraordinary row on the Late Late Show, 17 years ago, had a positive impact on a small Galway business struggling for survival. ‘A very attractive lady,’ Siubhan Maloney, called into Kenny’s Book Bindery, located in Salthill at the time, and told Gerry Kenny that she was a contestant in the Late Late’s Antique Show. She was re-upholstering an old chair, which included a small shelf. She wanted to see how to re-cover an old book in highly decorated leather, which would sit into the shelf. Jerry was happy to show her how it was done. First of all the pages are handsewn together, then clamped and trimmed ready for gold foil, which is applied with heat. This prevents the pages becoming dusty.

The First Holy Communion dress did not fit everyone

Thu, Jul 17, 2014

If there isn’t some dramatic change, and matters as they stand are allowed to drift, it is easy to see that the impact of the child abuse scandals within the Catholic church have had a very negative impact on the present and future generations in Ireland. Despite being one of the most generous generations ever when it comes to helping others, young people today are quite indifferent to the church. In fact many are openly hostile.

The Corrib Club, one hundred and fifty years

Thu, Jul 17, 2014

The Corrib Club was founded in July 1864, 150 years ago this month. Unfortunately the minutes of the club for that year and 1865 are nowhere to be found, but the late Maurice Semple, having access to minutes for most other years, produced a book entitled A Century of Minutes, the Story of the Corrib Club 1864-1966, from which we publish extracts today.

Summertime in Salthill

Thu, Jul 17, 2014

Approached from the Seafront Promenade side with uninterrupted views over Galway Bay, Arabica is a busy hub, now an established part of Salthill's buzzing cafe culture. The day starts early and there’s a great choice for breakfast from a traditional fry to a more healthy granola or fluffy Belgian waffles. Lunch brings all kinds of sandwiches and panini, soups, and various colourful salads to eat.

Is your thyroid killing your weight loss and energy?

Thu, Jul 17, 2014

Nothing affects your health and weight loss like low thyroid function. It drastically limits your energy and ages you well beyond your years. It can mean you are operating at 50 per cent of normal power – mentally and physically. It makes weight loss almost impossible because you burn 400 or 500 calories less than normal per day. It can limit or stop your weight loss no matter how much dieting or exercise you do.

Thyroid hormones affect every cell in the body. Low thyroid can be at the root cause of depression, poor digestion, constipation, poor circulation and feeling cold, fatigue, poor skin and hair quality, fertility problems and low sex drive – it is connected to everything. It of course causes big weight gain and can especially contribute to stomach fat. In our hurried and stressed lifestyle, the thyroid is one of the most beaten up glands of all.

Are you tired of feeling tired, low mood, and lack of stamina?

Thu, Jul 17, 2014

Food can be your greatest medicine, or the slowest poison if you don’t eat the right foods for your body. At the new Food Therapy Clinic in Renmore, Yvonne O’Shaughnessy, leading food intolerance specialist and nutritionist, offers food intolerance testing using blood analysis of 200 foods, aiming to avoid symptoms such as chronic fatigue, bloating, IBS, weight gain, migraine, skin conditions, constipation, irritability, and sugar cravings.

Six ways to beat seasonal sniffles

Thu, Jul 17, 2014

1. Know your enemy.
If you are a hayfever sufferer then arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can about it. An inflammatory condition of the nose caused by an allergy to pollen, it is estimated to affect from two to 10 per cent of the population between May and August. Asthmatics are more likely to suffer from it.

The Galway-Clifden Railway

Thu, Jul 10, 2014

This railway line was built under the auspices of the Congested Districts Board and was of enormous importance to the people of all of Connemara. It was a great feat of engineering from the point of departure westwards from Galway station with the necessary building of bridges and tunnels by Bohermore and across the Corrib itself.

Coping with the Magdalen fallout

Thu, Jul 10, 2014

Ilearn something of the impact that the Magdalen Laundries scandal had on the Mercy nuns themselves reading the personal testimony of Sister Phyllis Kilcoyne. Sister Kilcoyne is part of the Leadership Team of the Western Province of the Mercy Order.*

Summer starts at McCambridge's

Thu, Jul 03, 2014

The Irish Summer. You know when it is coming and you know when it has arrived. It is not the weather that indicates the summertime, that will remain as changeable as ever. The summer season is indicated by strawberries. Not the ever present ones in the shops, but the glorious seasonal Irish ones. I go overboard when they first arrive, bringing home punnets full, far more than we could possibly eat in their limited lifetime. Those not immediately consumued go into cakes, ice-cream, milkshakes, and popsicles.

The Gaslight Bar and Brasserie presents its ‘Cocktail Pairing’ supper club

Thu, Jul 03, 2014

The Gaslight Bar and Brasserie will host the second of its themed “supper clubs” on Thursday July 10 at 7pm, featuring a dinner with pairing cocktails for each course.

Keep those teeth healthy with Forster Court Dental, three minutes from Eyre Square

Thu, Jul 03, 2014

At Forster Court Dental Surgery, you can be sure your teeth will be kept healthy and sparkling for years to come.

Exercise your motivation at the Coast Club

Thu, Jul 03, 2014

For those who, despite hopes of excercising this summer, have found their motivation begining to suffer, the Coast Club is offering to help along the way.

Health and Herbs introduces Small Crane herb garden

Thu, Jul 03, 2014

Health and Herbs, the natural health clinic based in Galway city, is introducing a new community herb garden to the public on Saturday July 5 at 12 noon in the Small Crane, Galway.

A better metabolism leads to better weightloss

Thu, Jul 03, 2014

Metabolism faults can severely limit or stop weight loss, regardless of how much dieting or exercise you do. To achieve real weight loss and to keep the weight off, you need to address your metabolism’s weak spots.

The Corrib Drainage Scheme

Thu, Jul 03, 2014

The waterways of the city are of great engineering significance. Two major projects resulted in the waterways system which exists today. The first scheme was constructed between 1848 and 1858. Its primary purpose was to improve drainage thus reducing winter water levels and the areas of flooded land and also navigation, without any detrimental effect on the mills or fishery interests. So the Eglinton canal was built, the Claddagh Basin, the dredging of the Corrib, Gaol and Western rivers, tailraces, culverts, the weir and salmon pass and Steamer’s Quay at Woodquay

Patricia’s vocation did not take root

Thu, Jul 03, 2014

Patricia Burke Brogan joined the noviciate of the Mercy Sisters at the convent of St Vincent, Newtownsmith, Galway  at the end of the 1950s.  It was before the reforms of Vatican II had relaxed rule of the heavy medieval habit, the shorn hair, and a constant reminder ‘to keep custody of the eyes’. What was called ‘discipline’, which was nothing less than outrageous bullying, was meted out on the novices by some of the older nuns, in a cutting and wounding way. The nuns were hard on each other.

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