A Christmas made in Galway

Thu, Dec 18, 2008

This year in the belief that money spent in Galway goes around Galway, I have concentrated on what I consider would make amazing gifts, by just looking at the wonderful range of crafts, beautiful things, skills, and services actually made in the city and nearby. I had a marvellous time and I thank everyone who showed me what they are doing. It was truly a journey of discovery. I was very impressed with a little boutique in Kirwan’s Lane called Cloon Keen Atelier, and the heavenly smell as I opened the door. Run by Margaret Mangan and her partner Julian Checkly, they offer more than 35 scented hand -poured candles, all made at their larger shop and factory in the craft and design studios, Ceardlann, at An Speidéal. I’ll come back to the Ceardlann in a moment, but I was intrigued by Cloon Keen, named after the village, near Tuam, where Margaret was born. Very professionally wrapped and presented, this is an outstanding product. If you ever wondered what is the smell of Christmas, three particular candles caught my nose and made me smile: Christmas Pomander, Christmas Tree, and Christmas Morning all €14.95.

It’s hard to pass through Kirwan’s Lane without visiting Judy Greene’s beautiful shop. Her Connemara floral designs on her tableware are famous, but check out her new An Dressiúr range which include the popular ‘Malaí Tae Caite’(€17. 50) for the old tea bags, and the cups with ‘An Múinteoir is Fearr (€15), and ‘An Boss Beag’.

Whatever happened to Barry’s tea? And other food conundrums

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

Barry’s tea still has that kick-awake taste in the morning when you take the first gulp; but tea in general has changed, and changed dramatically. Just look at the choice of teas next time you reach for a packet. Where once there was only Lyons, Barry’s and PG Tips, now there has to be a choice of at least 50 different blends including herbal, organic, loose or bagged, or the plain ordinary black. And I was surprised to learn that there are at lest two tea blenders in Galway; including Solaris Botanicals, which not only won last month’s Junior Chamber of Ireland Entrepreneur of the Year, but in the same week clinched a deal to supply Harrods of London.

Three steps to looking and feeling fashionably fantastic with Delila

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

We asked Delila, our fabulous Galway Advertiser stylist, to give us some special tips for looking and feeling great this Christmas.

Win a €2,000 wedding package at the Dream Wedding Exhibition

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

It's now full steam ahead for the Dream Weddings Exhibition taking place on Saturday January 10 and Sunday January 11 at Leisureland. The exhibition puts couples directly in touch with wedding service providers to help make wedding dreams come true and will be full to the brim with specialists who know everything about choosing dresses, venues, flowers, cars, and cakes.

Every couple that attends the Dream Weddings Exhibition can enter into a free draw to win an exclusive wedding package worth more than €2,000 from the leading wedding specialists including Marian’s of Galway and Boyle, Emily-Jean Designs, Corless Formal Wear, Peter Harkin Photography, Amanda Designs, About Face Makeup, Sound to Light, Galway Bay Hotel, and Hotel Meyrick, a fantastic package to get your dream wedding off to a good start!

No fuss party looks for bareMinerals

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

A range of new box sets from bareMinerals will have you looking fabulous through the festive season.

David Martin opens in Knocknacarra

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

David Martin recently opened its latest hair salon in the city in the Burkeway Construction development at Kingston Road, Knocknacarra, formerly known as O’Brien’s Pavilion Stores. David Martin, one of the city’s most established and well-respected salons, now offers its renowned expertise to the Galway west population. This is the second salon by the David Martin Group, with the first situated at New Dock Street.

A Christmas gift that reduces your carbon footprint

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

We are all being encouraged to reduce our carbon emissions — the much publicised change.ie website lets us calculate our carbon number and gives advice on how to reduce it. As Christmas approaches, the gifts we buy often further add to our carbon footprint as much carbon has been produced during their manufacture while their packaging, often a large component of the gift, also has to be disposed of.

The giving of a tree as a Christmas gift produces the opposite effect. A tree uses carbon as it grows, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If you give a tree as a present you will be reducing carbon emissions. Throughout its life an average tree will remove 12.5kg of carbon dioxide a year once mature. Over its lifetime one tree will offset five return air trips from Dublin to London.

Get roasting

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

Treat your turkey to one of these great roasting pans, available at Anthony Ryan’s home store and online at Anthony Ryan’s dedicated homeware site, www.shopcookware.ie

Home Ground

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

Now to state the obvious, another week over and another week nearer to Christmas. I hope that you have enjoyed some days outdoors, and by that I mean in the garden and not walking up and down the main shopping streets. The shopping can wait but the garden cannot.

No doubt you will get a poinsettia or two for the Christmas, because as I pointed out briefly last week they and other pot plants make great gifts.

Feet first

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

Hitting the Christmas shops can be hard on your feet and even harder if your killer heels are now actually killing you! So why not treat your feet this Christmas to Aldi’s boot slippers (€6.99) which are in the shops from Thursday December 18.

Bags of style

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

Choose the perfect bag to complement your festive outfit and boost your style appeal in an instant.

Get knitted

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

Young girls who step out in multi coloured knits this season are guaranteed to look great.

That’s the fashion advice from K2 and Klassy Kids at Cross Street. Girlswear labels, Catimini and Kenzo, put stylish knitwear in a rainbow of colours top of their priority lists.

Pamper those peepers

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

If your eyes are looking less than sparkling as the party season beckons check out Eyesential, a unique, non surgical gel that promises to temporarily erase bags, puffiness, fine lines and dark circles, in minutes.

Beat the bugs

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

Are you going into hospital soon but worried about superbugs, viruses and bacteria? If so, you may be interested in the bug beating Patientpak kit.

It includes sprays, wipes and a body wash containing a patented anti-microbial formula - the most powerful skin-friendly one available - according to the makers. The kit also includes surface wipes which will kill a wide spectrum of bugs and a hand sanitizing spray to leave your skin refreshed and free of microbes.

Festive glow

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

Fancy brightening up your skin in time for the festive season? Then, check out No7’s Highlighting Star Palette (€18) which promises to give your face a healthy glow.

Perfect for any skin tone, according to the makers, it has a soft peachy-rose base colour to warm the skin while highlighting tones of silver and lavender help to accentuate the cheekbones.

Making faces

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

How can you stay at the height of fashion during the festive party season? By accessorising your most glamorous outfit with this season’s must-have make-up purse from Clarins.

Scoil Fhursa, seachtú cúig bliain ag fás

Thu, Dec 11, 2008

The Irish Church Missions was the missionary wing of the United Church of England and Ireland. They were a very rich organisation and at the height of their endeavours, had an income of between £30,000 and £40,000 a year in this country alone. They first came to the west of Ireland, to Clifden, in 1849. Soon after a school was established in Galway, where a child might be given an evening meal and a night’s lodging after his attending a Bible class. They had two houses in Merchants Road, one named ‘The Dover School’.

Look after your feet

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

During a typical day our feet endure a cumulative force of several hundred tons, with the average person, engaging in non-strenuous activity, walking approximately four miles per day or about 115,000 miles in a lifetime. All too often our feet are ignored, or squeezed into ill-fitting shoes in the name of fashion. The result for many people is sensitive or troublesome feet and difficulty in finding footwear to alleviate the problems caused.

Robert Lyons from Green Comfort Medical Footwear will be at Homecare Medical Supplies in Terryland Retail Park on the Headford Road from 10am to 4.30pm today (Thursday) to offer advice on footwear for problem feet.

Twice the choice at Riah hair salon

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Riah hair salon has been operating in Tuam for the past three years under the capable management of Jason Murray, but as business has grown Jason decided that it was time to introduce a new partner.

Great results with Tantastic

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Tantastic has launched the innovative VersaSpa™ automatic skin treatment system at its Prospect Hill premises.

VersaSpa, the world’s first patent-pending high-volume, low pressure (HVLP) automatic skin treatment spa, combines numerous healthy skin therapies with exclusive comfort technologies. With a completely mist-free application environment, an open, non-claustrophobic design, top-quality skin treatment solutions and features such as intelliSENSE™, EZ-2Breathe™, and Comfort-Dry™, customers can now feel relaxed, comfortable, and dry before, during, and after their VersaSpa experience.

E-paper

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