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CONNEMARA’SFRONT PAGE
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095-30707 or email sales@
connemarajournal.ie
connemaraJOURNAL
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Your FREE community newspaper l arts l features l sports l listings
April 2014Issue 20
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MARTIN COURCEY CONSTRUCTION LTD.
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GALWAY WestDeputy Éamon Ó Cuívhas raised ‘grave con-cerns’ about new rulespreventing voluntaryambulances in Galwayand Mayo from re-sponding to localemergencies.
The Fianna FáilDeputy raised the mat-ter with the Ministerfor Health JamesReilly in the Dáil lastweek (April 2).
Deputy Ó Cuív said:‘When I was a minis-ter, we recognised thatthe more isolated ruralareas were unlikely toever get an ambulanceservice adjacent tothem.
‘As a result, we pro-vided grant aid throughthe Order of Malta andthe Red Cross for thepurchase of voluntaryambulances. Localpeople did all the nec-essary training to thestandards laid down tobecome voluntary am-bulance workers.
‘We had a very goodambulance service inplaces like Carna,
Ó Cuív callsfor ambulancepolicy reformGREENWAY CONSTRUCTION
SET TO BEGIN THIS SUMMERMore than €400k secured infunding for phase one ofwalking and cycling routefrom Galway to Cifden
Aoife Ní DhálaighFunding for the first phase of the Connemara Greenway was announcedlast week, with work on the route expected to start this summer.
The €403,000 of funds for the walkingand cycle trail will allow work to begin onthe section from Oughterard to Clifden.
The route along the old railway line fromGalway to Clifden is expected to attractthousands of additional visitors to Con-nemara each year.
The allocation is separate to two applica-tions by Galway County Council to the Na-tional Cycle Network funding 2014-2016.These relate to a proposed cycling route
Mannion Quarry & Plant Hire
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“Serving Connemara for over 40 years”
Virginia Tech students Anna McCauley and Sarah Schneider joined staff and studentsfrom GMIT Letterfrack last month in a tree-planting event as part of the college’s bidto achieve its Green Campus biodiversity flag – see page 5
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PHOTO: AOIFE HERRIOTT
ROUNDSTONE featured in the re-cent ‘Urban Waste Water Report’from the Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) as one of the 42urban areas which did not have ‘ad-equate sewerage treatment in place’.
Following a request for an updateon Roundstone Sewerage Treat-
ment by Fine Gael CouncillorEileen Mannion , the council said itsubmitted an ‘Asset Needs Brief’ toIrish Water to get a wastewatertreatment solution for Roundstoneincluded in any early funding pro-gramme initiated by Irish Water.
Cllr Mannion said: ‘Roundstone
is one of the most popular touristdestinations in the country and it isvital for the future of the villagethat a new wastewater treatmentsystem is progressed.
‘I have written to Irish Waterhighlighting the need for an urgentsolution for Roundstone.’
THE children’s playground in Clif-den, which was damaged by thestorms of January and February, re-mains closed, and locals are still inthe dark as to when the facility willreopen, writes Tony Kiely.
Lisa Glynn McCarthy, a memberof the playground committee, toldthe Journal: ‘An initial assessmentby members of the playgroundcommittee and community warden
Thomas O’ Sullivan has been sub-mitted to Galway County Council,as they provide insurance for the playground.’
The playground committee hasbeen gathering information on thetype of repairs needed to best suitthe playground – considering itsproximity to the sea – and exploringpossible sources of funding to fi-nance the project.
Ms Glynn McCarthy added:‘Thanks to everyone who supportedour bag packing day in SuperValuClifden, which raised €1,183. If youwant to get involved, please get intouch’
l Donate to the campaign atBank of Ireland Acc. 29495625(Sort Code 90-37-79), Clifden Chil-dren’s Playground or call LisaGlynn McCarthy on 086 0792376
2NEWS
APRIL 2014
connemaraJOURNAL
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NewsStorm damage update€2million fund secured for repairs to public piers and quays damaged in January – page 4Letterfrack Green CampusTree planting and waste reduction develop college’s green ethos – page 5Drugs haul in MaamWoman remanded in custody following seizure of€42,000 worth of cannabis plants – page 7
Queen of the mountainsCill Chiaráin native Niamh Ní Chuaig came home from Barcelonafor last week’s marathon – she tellsEamon Donoghue about herpreparation – Sports, page 23
Photographic Society: This month’s competitionexplores the theme ‘Circles’ – page 12Connemara collaborationsA new book to coincide with her RHA exhibition explores the local inspiration behind the works of
Dorothy Cross – page 12
PLUS... all our regular arts, health and sports features,
bringing you the best of Connemara
Enda O'Malley B.Eng MIEIEngineering, Planning & Project Management Consultant
Bunowen,Ballyconneely,Connemara,Co. Galway
Tel: (095) 23614Fax: (095) 23544
Mob: 086 3567851Email: [email protected]
Arts and Features
News in briefl A JUMBLE sale andraffle in aid ofRoundstone Playschoolwill take place in theCommunity Hall,Roundstone, on SundayApril 20 from 12.30pm –2pm. Organisers are nowseeking donations for thesale, including bric-a-brac, books and clothes –and all donations must bein good condition. TextBridget on 087 9152665or Yvonne on 087 9632751, or drop theitems into the playschoolany morning before thisFriday (April 11).
l KINGSTOWNNational School, Clifden,marks its 50thanniversary this yearwith a number of eventson May 2. A goldenjubilee mass will becelebrated at the school,followed later in the daywith a celebration at theStation House Hotel,including a buffet andlive music. For ticketsand further information,contact the school.
l THE Blue Way ‘tastersessions’ will take placeon Sunday April 27 andWednesday April 30.Claire Wheatley fromReal Adventures will beon hand to show localsand visitors what toexpect at the Mannin BayBlue Way site. Timeshave yet to be confirmed,but will be posted onlineat www.connemarajournal.ie and on ourFacebook page whenthey are made available.
connemaraJOURNAL
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The next issue of the Connemara Journal will be
published on May 14
The deadline for advertising and submitting articles is Tuesday, May 6
To advertise, email [email protected]
or call 095-30707
Roundstone lacks ‘adequate sewerage treatment’
Calls for clarification on Clifden playground repairs
A HIGHLY anticipatedart auction in aid ofDomestic ViolenceResponse (DVR) tookplace on March 16 inGlenlo Abbey Hotel.
More than €10,000was raised, and theorganisers say they were‘delighted with theoverwhelming responsefrom everyone involved’,adding: ‘DVR would liketo sincerely thank all theartists who contributed,Glenlo Abbey and theauctioneer ColmO’Donnellan.’
Featured artistsincluded Dorothy Cross,Robert Ballagh, PádraicReaney, Margaret Irwinand Joe Boske.
Established in 1998,
DVR is a community-led organisation thatresponds to issues ofdomestic violence inGalway county.
The organisation wasset up following years ofcampaigning by locals,notably LetterfrackWomen’s Group. It wasinitially based in RecessOld National School butmoved to a more centralbase in Oughterard in2006.
In 2009, it opened anadditional counsellingroom in Salthill tofacilitate clients fromsouth Connemara.
Last year it provided900 counsellingsessions, 163 courtaccompaniments, and
telephone support tomore than 80 clients amonth. Children alsoreceived interventions,including play therapy
and child therapy. l For more, call
(091) 866740 or visitwww.domesticviolenceresponse.com
Art auction raises €10,000 for charity
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4NEWS
APRIL 2014
Leenane and Clonbur, butalso around the country.
‘We had ambulances inplace anywhere a localcommunity was willingto commit to this service.They were available oncall-out [and] it meantthat times getting to inci-dents were vastly re-duced.
‘It was with greatshock that I found out re-cently that the ambulanceservice of the HSE hasclaimed that these peoplewho are trained to the na-tional standard and havethe qualifications laiddown by the Pre-HospitalEmergency Care Councilare not considered suffi-ciently trained to con-tinue to provide thisservice.
‘My understanding isthat there are four levelsof qualified staff – emer-gency first responder,emergency medical tech-nician, paramedics and
advanced paramedics. ‘I understand that the
HSE’s argument is thatthese people are nottrained paramedics. It isstrange then that they areallowed to attend footballmatches and other eventsgratis and that if a personhas a heart attack there,there is no problem withputting them in the ambu-lance.
‘However, they cannotdo a call-out in the localarea and people are ex-pected to wait for anhour, an hour and a halfor two hours for a HSE
l from page 1 ambulance. ‘It makes no sense
whatsoever. An ambu-lance could be sittingwithin 10 to 15 minutesof the person affected, butaccording to some bizarrerule they cannot get thatambulance to provide theservice.
‘Given the alarmingfailures in the HSE ambu-lance service meeting itsown targets, and thetragedies that have oc-curred involving patientswho have been forced towait far too long for anambulance, it is crucialthat the Minister investi-gates what is going onhere.’
‘Grave concerns’ over ambulance rules
News in briefl THIRTY-FIVEprotected buildings andstructures across Galwaycounty and city are tobenefit from theDepartment of Arts,Heritage and Gaeltacht’snew ‘Built Heritage JobsLeverage Scheme’. TheConnemara projects tobenefit from the fundinginclude ClarevilleHouse, Oughterard(repairs to joinery) andKylemore House andChurch (repairs to roof).The funding wasdescribed by DeputySeán Kyne as ‘a verywelcome initiative thatprovides for theconservation of some ofGalway’s most importantheritage buildings’.
l SINN Féin’s EUcandidate CouncillorMatt Carthy launched areport entitled ‘Standingup for Rural Ireland’ inthe Station House,Clifden, on March 19 –setting out what hedescribes as ‘clear andconstructive alternativeapproaches of how wecan support and sustainrural Ireland’. SinnFéin’s local electioncandidates forConnemara, Tom Healyand Máirín MhicLochlainn, accompaniedCllr Carthy on a two-day tour of the regionalong with SenatorTrevor Ó Clochartaigh.
l KAVANAGH’SSuperValu Clifden hasteamed up with CancerCare West for anotheryear of fundraising.First up in whatpromises to be anotherbusy year ofcommunity-based eventsis an in-store coffeemorning on Friday April25. The fundraisingpartnership betweenSuperValu and CancerCare West has raisedmore than €24,000 overthe past two years.
FOUR Local Develop-ment Companies (LDCs)in Galway – Forum Con-nemara, Comhar nanOileán, Galway RuralDevelopment and GalwayCity Partnership – haveagain raised their con-cerns over proposed localgovernment reforms.
The future of local de-velopment companies na-tionwide, includingForum, is under threat be-cause of a governmentpolicy that proposes hand-ing over their function tolocal authorities.
Minister Phil Hogan’s‘Putting People First’ re-port, published in October2012, proposes an over-haul of Ireland’s localgovernment system.
As part of this overhaul,local development com-panies such as Forumwould cede their powersto the relevant city orcounty council. Such amove would remove
Forum from the deliveryof the Leader Programmeand the Local CommunityDevelopment Programme(LCDP).
The LDCs are particu-larly concerned that anytransfer of these two core
programmes to GalwayCity and County Councilswould ‘impact negativelyon the delivery of serviceson the ground’.
Terry Keenan, Chair ofFORUM Connemara,said: ‘These proposalsthreaten the employmentof 84 people in the county– people who have, overthe last 20 years, built upexpertise and good rela-tionships with clients andcommunity groupsthroughout the county.
‘We have supportedhundreds of small busi-nesses, farmers, and com-munity groups over theyears under the Leaderprogramme.
‘If we lose these twoprogrammes, we may notbe able to survive – andthat poses a threat to thefuture of 645 TÚS, RuralSocial Scheme and Com-munity Employmentworkers throughout thecounty who also rely on
us for their employment.’The companies contend
that the proposed reformswill not save money, asstaff costs in the local de-velopment companies arelower than those for com-parable positions in localauthorities.
There are also fears thatany transfer of responsi-bility for the LCDP orLeader programme will‘erode the independentvoice of the communitysector’.
Tom Madden, Chair ofGalway Rural Develop-ment, added: ‘Our com-bined experience, ourlocal knowledge and thepassion we have for ourcommunities will be lost ifthese programmes aretransferred to the countycouncil.’
l See www.ildn.ie for more information and to sign a petition support-ing LDCs such as ForumConnemara
Reforms will ‘erodevoice of community’PUT YOUR
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MORE than 300 peoplepacked into Clifden TownHall on the night of FridayFebruary 22 in a defiantshow of solidarity for ForumConnemara.
The future of localdevelopment companiesnationwide, including Forum,is under threat because of agovernment policy thatproposes handing over theirfunction to local authorities.
Minister Phil Hogan’s ‘PuttingPeople First’ report, publishedlast October, proposes anoverhaul of Ireland’s localgovernment system. As part ofthis overhaul, local development
companies like Forum wouldcede their powers to the relevantcity or county council.
Such a move would removeForum from the delivery of theLeader Programme and theLocal Community DevelopmentProgramme (LCDP).
These two programmes fundschemes in communityemployment and job creation,as well as services in adolescentsupport, youth and social care.
Forum chairman TerryKeenan outlined the backgroundto the meeting, calling on thosepresent to ‘unite in their fight toretain Forum’.
Karen Mannion of Forum
Aoife Ní Dhálaigh
Hundreds turn out to Town Hall meeting inshow of support for under-threat Forum
l turn to page 2
REFORM BID‘AN INSULTTO YEARS OFHARD WORK’
AN enhancedcapital investmentscheme wasannounced lastmonth for the repairof publicly ownedharbours, piers andslipways whichwere damaged inthe adverse weatherof recent months.
Just over €2 millionwas allocated to Galway,with the funding madeavailable by the Ministerfor Agriculture, Foodand the Marine, SimonCoveney.
The funding willfacilitate repairs to 15quays, slipways andpiers and includessignificant funding forareas which were leftdevastated following thestorms such as SeanCéibh Spideál(€135,000), Cé na TráBan, Lettermore(€198,000), Cé Sruthan,An Cheathru Rua(€216,000) and CéAnnaghvaan, Lettermore(€180,000).
Minister Coveneyvisited Connemara inearly February (pictured
above with CllrsSeosamh Ó Laoi, EileenMannion, Seán Kyne TDand Senator HildegardeNaughton) to view theextensive damage thathad been caused tocoastal communities bythe storms.
Fine Gael Deputy SeánKyne said: ‘The fundingthat has been announcedis very welcome […]Many of the piers,harbours and slipways,along with other marinefacilities, were severelydamaged by the powerfulstorms which hit ourcoastal communitiesfrom late December toearly February.’
Additional fundinghas been provided forthe Gun Rock Beacon onInishbofin, which wasdestroyed in the storms.
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The Journal reportedfrom a meeting in Clifden in March 2013,which described the reform bid as an ‘insult’
€2m secured to repaircoastal infrastructure
Taking the sting out of Spring– page 13
PHOTO: AOIFE HERRIOTT
5NEWSJOURNAL
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VISITING students fromVirginia Tech, USA,joined with staff and stu-dents of GMIT Letter-frack last month for a dayof tree planting in Con-nemara National Park.
The event was part ofthe college’s ongoingprocess of achieving‘Green Campus’ status,which began with thetheme of ‘waste’ but nowhas moved on to ‘biodi-versity’.
The plot of land wherethe planting took place –referred to as the Com-munity EducationalWoodland – was estab-lished in April last year tocoincide with the na-tional One Million Treesin One Day initiative.
Some 3,500 trees wereplanted in 2013 – all na-tive species, includingholly, oak, scots pine andwild cherry – and inkeeping with the biodi-versity theme, no fer-tiliser or pesticides areused on the plot.
Students followed tra-ditional methods of tend-ing the plot, weeding andthinning the saplings byhand. It makes for morework, but the reward isthe creation of a plot ofnative trees with mini-mum impact on the land.
At last month’s plant-ing, 75 stems of hollywere added to the plot. Aside project saw the cre-ation of a wooden panelsproviding information oneach species of tree, withthe panels made from thespecies itself and en-graved in the collegeusing laser technology.
GMIT Letterfrackbegan its pursuit of GreenCampus status in 2012,and was due to be as-sessed for its ‘green flag’under the theme of wasteon Monday (April 7). Acommittee, comprised ofstudents and members ofstaff from both GMIT andConnemara West, co-ordi-
nate a range of actions andactivities designed to pro-mote sustainability andenvironmental awareness.
In anticipation of theassessment, students andstaff have been exploringways of reducing wasteand increasing recyclingon campus.
A new bin system de-signed and manufacturedat the college streams tim-ber waste for recycling,while waste is now paidfor by weight instead ofbulk collection – reducingboth costs and the amountof waste going to landfill.
The college also plansto tackle the other themesof Water, Transport and
Energy on campus in thecoming years.
Ross Molloy and Ger-ard Dunlea were hon-oured at the GMITStudent Achievementawards last month fortheir role in the Green
Campus project – formore, see page 8.
l Pictured: staff and students from GMITLetterfrack with visitingstudents from VirginiaTech at last month’s treeplanting
Green shoots continueto take root at GMIT
Tony Kiely
This is a ring
Call in to see our new collections or make an appointment to discuss a custom ring
Main Street, clifden – tel: (095) 22119 – email: [email protected]
that holds a promise
A €200,000 fundinginitiative to assist localauthorities in carryingout projects that‘enhance public areas’has been announced.
The funding willprovide once-off grants tocounty councils to helpmanage public spacessuch as parks, walkways,graveyards and otherlands or buildings inpublic ownership.
Fine Gael Deputy SeánKyne said: ‘This fundingwill be particularly usefulto Galway’s localauthorities in the efforts
to enhance public spacesfollowing the storms andadverse weather whichthe city and countyexperienced in Januaryand February.’
l Further funding of€25,500 was announcedon March 21 to facilitatean ‘anti-litter and anti-graffiti awareness grantscheme’. The schemecovers a broad range ofmeasures aimed atraising public awarenessof the litter issue andpromoting anti-litter andanti-graffiti activity at alocal level.
FUNDRAISINGfor Ryan Croker,the Moycullennative seriouslyinjured in Perth inJanuary, iscontinuing, with aremarkable showof community supportfor events held over thelast few weeks.
A ‘scrap Saturday’collection raised almost€9,000, while CoisteCeantair Tuairinidonated €4,000 raisedduring St Patrick’s Day.
Ryan’s cousins in theLuton-based bandHealyum have alsoreleased a single,Summer Memories, oniTunes, with proceedsgoing to the fund.
A message from the
family postedonline said:‘Ryan has movedto a rehabilitationhospital in Perth.He has started hisphysio andoccupational
therapy and we arehoping there will besome improvements inthe next few weeks.
‘Overall he is in goodspirits and determinedthat he will make a goodrecovery.’
l This Sunday (April13) a 35km fundraisingcycle will be held,starting in Moycullen at10am (entry €20). Forfurther details on allevents or to donate, visitwww.facebook.com/RyanCroker25
Funding announcedfor public area upkeep
Community supportfor Ryan continues
PHOTOS: AOIFE HERRIOTT
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Connemara, by Dorothy Cross– page 12
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APRIL 2014
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would give the growingnumber of tourists pursu-ing active holidays ‘afirst class experience’ inthe area.
He added that the trailwill also benefit localpeople, ‘offering a saferroute for them to walkand cycle to school orwork, and for exercise’.
Councillor EileenMannion also welcomedthe news, and looked for-ward to work beginningon the Clifden to Der-rylea section within thenext four months.
Galway West TD BrianWalsh said the fundingannouncement wouldhelp provide a ‘fantasticamenity’ for the area, andwould provide a boost tothe future economic de-velopment of Con-nemara.
The ConnemaraGreenway is one of threekey discovery pointsalong the Wild AtlanticWay that are included inthis funding announce-ment, as part of an over-all €10 millioninvestment in the route.
This long-distancetouring route stretchesalong the west coast from
the Inishowen Peninsulain Co Donegal to Kinsalein Co Cork, and is thefirst of its kind in Ireland.
The other projects in-
cluded in the announce-ment are at DownpatrickHead, Co Mayo, and atthe Old Head of Kinsale,Co Cork.
Funding in place forGreenway first phasefrom Galway to Moy-cullen, which would formpart of the Greenway, andan extension of the trailfrom Clifden to Letter-frack. A decision is ex-pected to be made onthese applications shortly.
Minister for State forTransport, Tourism andSport, Michael Ring TDannounced the funds lastThursday (April 3), aspart of €1.4m being in-vested in three keytourism sites along the na-tional Wild Atlantic Waytouring route.
Fine Gael TD for Gal-way West, Seán Kyne,welcomed the announce-ment, saying it ‘is great tosee investment such asthis focused on the West’.
Deputy Kyne said theConnemara Greenwaywould be similar to thesuccessful Great WesternGreenway in Mayo, and
l from page 1
Minister for Tourism Michael Ring with CllrEileen Mannion in Letterfrack last Friday. TheMinister was visiting Connemara to announce€1.4million in funding for three locations alongthe Wild Atlantic Way
News in briefl TIGH na nÓg crèche,Letterfrack, is organisinga fundraising family funday this Sunday (April13) from 12pm-6pm,featuring a cake sale andsale of children’s toys,books and clothes. Aswell as all the bargainsand tasty treats on offer,there will be a bouncycastle and face painting,and the committee areseeking volunteers tohelp out with the runningof these events. TheSupermacs Bunny alsohopes to put in anappearance, and EddieByrne of SupermacsClifden will beproviding refreshments.Donations for the salecan be given in to thecrèche no later than thisFriday (April 11).
l DOG owners havebeen reminded to actresponsibly as peaklambing seasonapproaches. Under theControl of Dogs Act,owners can be held liablefor financial damagecaused to farmers andcosts can run to severalthousand euro. DrAndrew Kelly, CEO ofthe ISPCA added: ‘Wedo not want to see anylambs or ewes distressed,injured or killed by dogsthis Spring – nor do wewant to see any dogsdestroyed as a result.’
School crossing ‘accident waiting to happen’
PHOTO: AOIFE HERRIOTT
Members of the 1973 Junior Championship winning team werealso honoured – pictured: Seamus O'Maille, Kevin Clancy,Kevin O'Connor, Mike Joyce, Paddy Clancy, Tom Coyne, JohnnyLee, Roddy Joyce, Martin Lee, Gerry Darcy and Mikey McGauley
Player of the year medal winners at the Oughterard social andGAA award ceremonies, held on Saturday March 22 in the BoatInn, Oughterard. Pictured: front row: Ciaran Hanley, DonalGibbons, Stewart Upton, John Canavan, Jason Coyne, Ian Gibbons, Jamsie Butler, Brian Lambert, Eoin Curran, andPhillip Gibbons; back row: Colm McMahon, Harry Walsh, Cian Harte and Laurence O'Toole
The new committee for 2014; front row: Niall Walsh, LiamTierney, Willie Moran and John Gillespie; back row: Jim Kelly,Dr Peter Harte, Matt Healy, Patrick McGauley, TommyFinnerty, Terence Monaghan, Paddy Geoghegan, John Byrneand Tommy Gill
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THE Connemara ActionGroup has beenapproached by a numberof parents regarding theissue of road safety forchildren on the N59 inClifden, writes TonyKiely.
Liam Allen, chairmanof the group, said:‘Following the concernsraised by parents, we arecalling on GalwayCounty Council to
re-examine the trafficcalming measures on theClifden to Galway roadat the junction to ScoilMhuire National School.
‘Traffic is posing agrave risk to schoolchildren and theirparents. There is a needfor a zebra crossing,lollipop person or eventraffic lights at thejunction as childrenhave to cross roads from
both sides to get to theschool.
‘There is also a needfor railings along theoutside of the footpathgoing up to the schoolas, especially at hometime, the children have atendency to run downthe hill while there is ahuge amount of trafficon the road.
‘It is only a matter oftime before there will be
an accident or, evenworse, a fatality, and Ihave asked CouncillorSeosamh Ó Cuaig tobring this matter to theattention of council.’
A campaign launchedon the group’s Facebookpage last month hasalready garnered supportfrom concerned parents,and a meeting withcouncil representativesis now being sought.
PHOTOS: TOM BRODERICK
FRIDAY March 14 wasanother busy day in ClifdenCommunity School – but theStation House Hotel was thebackdrop for someentertaining extra-curricularactivities that evening.
As calls of ‘good luck’ and‘best wishes’ echoed in thecorridors from students, staffand management, [specialneeds assistant] AngelaClancy carried on with herwork unperturbed.
Supporters turned out inforce to encourage Angela,who was very competentlyassisted that evening by herfellow performers, Rose andGertrude – both 5th yearstudents – and Leaving Certstudent and tutor, John Joyce(pictured, inset).
Angela was in theunenviable position ofperforming last, which couldhave given rise to stress anddoubt as the CCS teamwatched the stiffcompetition of the othersean nós dancers.
But stress and doubt didnot enter into the equation asTeam CCS knew that Angelawas a ‘model student’ whohad done her homework thatthe words ‘could do better’would never apply to her!
There was no furtherrevision required as Angelatook to the stage with adecidedly ‘Higher Level’performance. Angelaappeared on stage in fullschool uniform, arrived withall necessary materials andshowed enthusiasm andmotivation in all therequired tasks. Both herperformance and propsdeserved an A1 grade. Butwould the examiners/voters
agree that Angela hasattained all the requiredcriteria for success?
By voting in their hugenumbers and assuring thatAngela was top of the classand winner on the night,nobody could argue that shewas not a deserving winner.
It just goes to show thatorganisation, hard work,revision and practice all payoff...
(Clifden Community School)
7NEWSJOURNAL
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CLIFDEN Comhaltas CelebritySean Nós was held in the ClifdenStation House Hotel on March 14.
Now in its third year, it has be-come a ‘must attend’ event for any-one who wants a good night outwhile also helping out a local or-ganisation in its fundraising efforts.
This year saw 14 local ‘celebri-ties’ from all walks of life perform-ing, with public voting todetermine the winner.
Each celebrity incorporated theirorganisation into their act, whichadded great variety and entertain-ment to the show. Acts ranged from
SuperValu checkouts to GAA goal-posts, a brush dance done with agolf club, a fire extinguisher fromClifden Fire Service and amakeshift bar from O’Malleys Bar.
The overall winner, AngelaClancy, representing Clifden Com-munity School, dressed up as aschool girl, and her winning per-formance was a great routine.
Led by her tutor and Oireachtaschampion dancer John Joyce, shewowed the crowds with her steps,blackboard and student helpers.
With the hotel packed to capac-ity, reports of a great night out for
a worthy cause filled the town forthe whole of St Patrick’s weekend.
All funds raised go towards theClifden Traditional Music Festival,which takes place this weekend(April 10-13, see page 18).
Winner Angela Clancy and theother Celebrity Sean Nós contest-ants will be making another appear-ance on stage at the festival duringthe Dartry Ceili Band’s ‘Gig on theRig’ this Saturday (April 12).
Marie Walshl For videos from the night visit
www.youtube.com/clifdencomhal-tas
€42,000 cannabis haul in MaamGARDAÍ from Clifdenand Maam seized an esti-mated €42,500 worth ofcannabis from a premisesin the Maam area last Fri-day, April 4.
A statement from theGarda Press Office saidthe seizure was made as
part of ‘an ongoing oper-ation into the illegal saleand supply of controlleddrugs in the Galway Re-gion’.
A Regional SupportUnit assisted with the op-eration. which included‘a number of planned
searches of premises inthe Maam area’.
A 29-year-old femalewas detained at ClifdenGarda Station under Sec-tion 4 of the CriminalJustice Act, 1984.
Investigations are on-going.
Public vote crowns thisyear’s sean nós queen
Couldn’t do better: Hardwork and revision pay off! Traditional seaweed harvesting ‘at risk’
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SEAWEED harvestershave voiced theirconcerns over revelationsthat a number ofcompanies have appliedto the Department of theMarine for licensingrights – putting thetraditional harvestingrights sytem at risk.
At a meeting held inClifden last week,harvesters warned of theimpact that the grantingof a licence would causeto the traditional, small-holding method ofcollecting seaweedalong the coast.
Fianna Fáil local
election candidate JosieConneely, who attendedthe Clifden meeting,said: ‘It would be unfairto have harvesterspaying for this licence inthe future. It appears thatthe work involved inapplying for this licencecould be costly.’
The mighty mussel is back!– page 14
The GMIT Student AchievementAwards were held in the GalwayBay Hotel on March 2. Studentsreceived recognition in areasranging from cabinet making toparticipation in the college’shurling team. Ross Molloy andGerard Dunlea (pictured right, with GMIT President Michael Carmody andGMIT Student’s Union Vice President Michael Kerrigan) received awards fortheir work on the Green Campus project (see page 5). l For more from the event, see www.facebook.com/OfficialGMITLetterfrack
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News in briefl GALWAY CountyCouncil has received€400,000 in funding forsocial housing as part ofa €68 million nationalpackage announced bythe government lastmonth. The funding willrestart the ‘LocalAuthority HouseBuilding Programme’,and a number of unitswill be constructed atthree locations includingCallowfeenish, Carna.The funding wasdescribed as ‘hugelywelcome’ by Fine GaelTD Seán Kyne, whoadded: ‘[This] will go along way in reducingsocial housing waitinglists, while also creatinglocal construction jobs.’
l THERE is still time toadd your name to theregister of electors forthe upcoming local andEuropean elections. Tobe eligible, a person mustbe 18 years of age orover on polling day (May23) and must beordinarily resident in theState. Candidates canonly erect posters fromApril 23, and all postersmust be removed withinseven days of the poll.For further information,visit www.checktheregister.ie or see ourCitizen’s Advice columnon page 17.
l THE Easter Bunny isvisiting Kylemore AbbeyVictorian WalledGardens again this yearon Easter Sunday (April20). The bunny isplanning a fun quiz tolead children through thegardens – with clues allaround the grounds –and children will berewarded with chocolatetreats in the GardenTeahouse, where anEaster colouringcompetition will alsotake place.
PLANS for a car parkfor Cleggan are‘progressing well’ withwork expected to startlater this year, writesTony Kiely.
Officials from GalwayCounty Council metwith members ofCleggan/CladdaghduffCommunity Council inCleggan last month todiscuss the project, andit was confirmed at themeeting that planningpermission is in placeand the lands for the carpark have beenpurchased.
Work on the long-awaited car park is dueto start in the next fewmonths.
It was also confirmedthat a TrafficManagement Plan forthe village will be put inplace in consultationwith the CommunityCouncil and localpeople, and any
comments orsuggestions on the planare welcomed.
A draft TrafficManagement Plan willbe drawn up, taking onboard suggestions madeat the meeting, and willgo on public display.There will then be aperiod of time whensubmissions can bemade.
Council officials notedthat it was important thatthere was ‘localengagement’ with theplan, and they ‘lookedforward to continuing towork closely with theCommunity Council’.
While the car park andmanagement plan willnot be in place for thissummer the members ofthe Community Councilare ‘delighted that the 20year battle for a car parkis coming to an end’,and they expressed theirappreciation to Galway
County Council and toCouncillor EileenMannion for progressingthe project.
Plans for Cleggan car park ‘progressing’
Summer works scheme for six schoolsTWENTY-EIGHT schools acrossGalway – 21 primary and sevensecondary – will benefit from the firstround of the new Summer WorksScheme.
Almost €36 million is beingprovided nationally by the Departmentof Education and Skills under the firstround of funding for the SummerWorks Scheme 2014.
The Connemara schools – inBallconneely, Cill Chiaráin, Leenane,
An Cheathrú Rua, Carna and Clifden –will receive funding to improve andupgrade existing school buildings.
The works, which should also benefitlocal construction companies involvedin carrying out the improvements, havebeen scheduled for the summer monthsto minimise any disruption to theschools, pupils and parents.
A second round of the scheme isexpected to be announced in comingweeks.
Conamara LEA
Please continue your preferences for my colleagues, Hosty, Lee, Thomas, Tuairisg, Walsh
Vote No.1 JOSEPH
CONNEELYAIMSl Fair planning for all in Connemaral Upgrading of N59l All local roads brought up to adequate standardl Lobbying for new community school for last 20 yearsl Water treatment plants brought up to standard so all in Connemarahave quality drinking waterl Sewage treatment plants built in all villages and towns in Connemaral More social and affordable houses built throughout Connemaral Work to be done to protect Connemara coastline and offshore islandsl Building Regulation changesl Quality Services for Elderly and Disabled
CURRENT MEMBERSHIPSl Clifden GAAl Rugby Clubl CSI Clifdenl Chairman of West Connemara Comhairle Ceantar
l Secretary Ballyconneely Cumann
Contact Joseph(m) 087 952 8808(e) joseph.conneely54
@gmail.comMannin, BallyconneelyConnemara, Co Galway
INDEPENDENT Coun-cillor Tom Welby hasagain voiced his opposi-tion to the proposed Gal-way Bay fish farm – andcalled on Minister SimonCoveney to shelve theproject.
Cllr Welby has consis-tently raised what he de-scribes as a ‘completelack of detail’ in the envi-ronmental impact state-ment published by BordIascaigh Mhara in rela-tion to Amoebic Gill Dis-ease (AGD) with both theMinister for Marine andthe Marine Institute.
Cllr Welby attendedthe Bord Iascaigh Mhara(BIM) conference inDublin last month, andtold the Journal he was‘astounded’ by a state-ment made to him by asenior BIM official.
‘I pressed the BIM of-ficial about why AGDwas not covered in the en-vironmental impact state-ment, and his response
was that “the disease was-n’t around at the time”[the report was written].
‘I was shocked withthis statement, as a cur-sory search on the inter-net indicates that AGDcame to prominence in1984 and has been amajor issue in Ireland fora long number of years.’
AGD – a potentiallyfatal disease for fishwhich sees a build up ofmucus and the eventualdeterioration of the gills –has affected fish farmsaround the world since itwas first diagnosed in1984. An outbreak of thedisease at a fish farm inDonegal in 2012 forcedits closure for two years.
Treatment of the dis-ease requires bathing thefish in fresh water for twoto three hours, thoughCllr Welby has alsoraised concerns that thereis inadequate provisionfor this kind of treatmentin place at the proposedGalway Bay facility.
Cllr Welby added: ‘It is
incredible that BIM couldhave published such aflawed document withoutdealing with a basic issue.
‘I have been vigorousin my attempts to find outwhy AGD was not ad-dressed in the environ-mental impact statement,with both the Departmentof the Marine and theMarine Institute failing toanswer my queries.
‘This project, if grantedby the Minister and thenappealed to the EuropeanCommission, will proveto be a major embarrass-ment to the Irish Govern-ment and it should beabandoned immediately.’
Fine Gael local elec-tion candidate NiamhByrne also voiced her op-position to the schemelast month. Ms Byrnesaid: ‘Minister Coveneyshould refuse the fishfarm off the coast of InisOirr until the seriousquestions about sea lice,escapees and pollutionhave been addressed andthe risks fully examined.’
Welby ‘shocked’ overfish farm comments
FINE Gael Councillor Eileen Mannionhas welcomed the announcement byMinister for Education and SkillsRuairi Quinn that €60,000 is beingprovided towards anti-bullyingtraining sessions for parents.
Course participants will learn how
to spot the symptoms of bullying intheir children, as well as learning howto monitor their online activities in abid to combat cyber bullying.
l For further information about thecourses and tackling bullying, seewww.npc.ie or email [email protected]
Anti-bullying courses to aid parent awareness
Tony Kiely
Student awards
9NEWSJOURNAL
theconnemara
THE Connemara PonyBreeders Society (CPBS)had a very busy SpringFestival, with visitorsfrom the UK, France,Germany, Sweden, Bel-gium, the Netherlandsand the United States inattendance, as well as astrong local turn out.
Following two days ofcolt inspections, 20 of the60 colts presented wereaccepted into Class One,while 43 performanceponies were offered forsale at the Elite Con-nemara Pony Perform-ance sale in Duffy’sEquestrian Centre on Fri-day.
Of the 43 offered, 22were sold and com-manded good prices at theauction in the ArdilaunHotel that evening – hugecongratulations must goto the organising commit-tee for a job well done.
Trainer Vida Tanseygave a dressage master
class to six young localriders – Alana CazabonSullivan, Talitha Dia-mond, Cathríona Curran,Sadhbh O’Toole, Cather-ine Gorton and Caoimhe
Curran – on Connemaraponies on Saturday after-noon.
Later on Saturday theBartley O’Sullivan lec-ture was delivered by
Henry O’Toole to a largeaudience in the StationHouse Theatre.
The sun shone brightlyon Sunday afternoon forthe 10th annual Con-nemara pony stallion pa-rade. Crowds flocked tothe Clifden Showgroundsto see the stallions on dis-play, and local musiciansand sean nós dancers kepteveryone entertained.
There was also a blastfrom the past when, forthe first time in 80 years,a ‘train’ departed the sta-tion in Clifden – bringingdelighted children aroundthe Showgrounds.
The novelty ClifdenExpress travelled from toand from the StationHouse, and there wasalso a face painter onhand to add to the festiveatmosphere.
Also at the Show-grounds, Alessia Stoccaand Susanne Hehle gavea fascinating Western rid-
Spring show attracts aninternational audience
ing demonstration, whileAlana Cazabon Sullivanperformed a wonderfulmusical dressage demon-stration on her Con-nemara pony, BlackwoodDancer.
A local rider, Alana hasqualified for the Euro-pean Pony DressageChampionships, whichtake place in Millstreet inJuly.
Silver Shadow, an in-ternational show jumpingstallion, recently returnedto Ireland and he gave anexcellent jumping dis-play, ridden by John Mc-Manus. Two formersupreme champions ofthe Connemara PonyShow, CurrachmoreCashel and GurteenCathal were also on show.
l The CPBS wouldlike to thank everyonewho helped make theweekend such a huge suc-cess – for more informa-tion, see www.cpbs.ie
Alana Cazabon Sullivan on Blackwood Dancer atthe Connemara Pony Stallion Parade
CONNEMARA AdventureTours is an offshoot of KillaryAdventure Co, a family-owned business based inLeenane for more than 30years, and offers guided andself-guided walking andcycling tours mainly inConnemara.
They have recentlylaunched their new websitewww.connemaraadventuretours.com which includes fulldetails of their range ofluxury tours. These toursoffer visitors the chance toexperience some of the mostmagnificent properties in thearea including BallynahinchCastle, Renvyle House andLough Inagh Lodge.
Bringing over 3,000 bednights yearly to local B&Bs,hostels and hotels, as well asbenefit to restaurants,
transport providers andtourist attractions,Connemara Adventure Toursare very proud to becontributing to the buoyanttourism industry of theConnemara area.
The Tours are managed byChloe, originally from Francebut married to an Irish manand living in Leenane.
A high percentage of thetour customers are fromFrance, so for the 2014season ConnemaraAdventure Tours are seekingFrench speakers from thelocal community who wouldbe interested in joining theirteam of guides for bothwalking and cycling tours.
l Contact Chloe Bolger on095 42276 or [email protected]
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Have you a flair for Frenchand the great outdoors?
THE Further Education CentresLetterfrack and Clifden presentedtheir annual award ceremony inthe Ellis Hall, Letterfrack, onWednesday March 26.
FETAC/QQI awards werepresented in the disciplines ofBusiness, Tourism, ECDL, EarlyChildhood Care and Education,
Healthcare Support, ComputerAided Design, General Learning,Art & Design and IT.
The awards were from levels 3up to 5 on the NationalFrameworks of Qualifications.Level 6 Awards were beingpresented by EQUAL Ireland inthe Essential Skills Certificate.
An exciting element to theevening was a contribution fromYouthreach LCA students who, aspart of their enterprise task,planned and prepared the food andrefreshments for the ceremony.
These students are also usingthe task as a project to submit tothe national annual Gaisce awards.
FREEchocolate
treat for the first 400 children!
Easter Funat Kylemore Abbey
Easter Sunday, April 20, 2-4pm
Full-time students receiving awards in Business Administration and Computer Aided Design; frontrow, from left: Eithne NicDhonnchadha (AEO of the GRETB), Pat Gilmore (GRETB Chairman), Jarlath McDonagh (Adult Education Board Chairman), David Leahy (GRETB CEO) and Sorcha O’Toole (Director of Further Education Centres, Letterfrack and Clifden)
Above, left: Dillon King, Aaron Bell, Brian Keaney, Aaron Sweeney and Sharon Lacey of YouthreachLetterfrack; above, right: Amanda Kearney received two major awards in Early Childhood Care andEducation and Healthcare Support – for more pictures from the awards, see www.connemarajournal.ie
Youths reach for the stars at awards ceremony
Connemara Photographic Society‘Circles’ – page 12
excellent indoorfacilities of the newGAA hall in Baile Dóite.Indoor games and lightexercise – with a smile –is now provided everyThursday at 11am.Weather permitting,outdoor walks andgames are also provided.Activities are ideal forboth men and women,so come along to BaileDóite and be part of theaction and fun.
q MAIGH CuilinnCommunity Bingorecently celebrated itsfirst birthday. Theweekly Thursday nightbingo sessions in theForge have become animportant social event inthe general area. Variousdonations have beenmade to local worthycaused during our firstyear. Cash prizes,jackpot and a nightlyraffle all add to theenjoyment of our loyalpatrons.
q FOLLOWING onfrom the successful,local history meeting inScoil Baile Nua and AnTuairiní, furthermeetings are planned forTulach Uí Cadhain,April 22 at 8pm. Beidhfáilte riomh óg agusaosta.
q OUGHTERARDYouth Café hasannounced a second date
for the Oughterard andKillannin teen disco,which will take placenext Wednesday (April16) in the KillanninCommunity Centre. Theevent is open to first andsecond year pupils, andtickets (€10, €7members) can bepurchased from theYouth Café. There willbe a live DJ, cloakroomand tuck shop. Doorsopen at 8pm, and thedisco – which will befully supervised bycommunity volunteersand will operate a strictno alcohol policy – willrun until 11pm.
q LOUISE Gibbons andthe Gibbons family,Church Hill, Clifden,would like to thankeveryone whosympathised with themon the death of JohnGarvey, Ballyheane,Castlebar. John,pictured, died on March18, aged 96.
q THE staff andmanagement ofKavanagh’s SuperValu,Clifden, have extendedtheir thanks to thechildren whoparticipated in thestore’s Mother’s Daycompetition. The entrieswill be available to viewin the front lobby of thestore until this Friday(April 11), and if youwould like to take homeyour child’s work pleasejust ask a member ofstaff and we will behappy to pass it ontoyou. The winners of ourMother’s DayCompetition will bereading their poems onConnemara CommunityRadio (date to beconfirmed). Johan Nobywon the ‘best picture’category (junior infants),Roisín Gavin won ‘best
poem’ (4th class), SinéadLapierre won ‘bestpoem’ (5th class) andTheo Joyce was chosenas overall winner.
q FROM Sunday April20 until the end of thesummer season,Kavanagh’s SuperValuClifden will beextending Sunday andBank Holiday openinghours until 9pm.
q THE next issue of theJournal will bepublished on May 14.The deadline forsubmitting articles isTuesday, May 6.
q A TOTAL of€1,651.96 was collectedin Clifden on March 28for the Irish CancerSociety. Event organiserRegina Hopkins said:‘Thanks to all thevolunteers who helpedout on the day. Thanksalso to Joe Lynch and allthe staff at Kavanagh’sSuperValu, Clifden, fortheir support, and to allthose who donateddaffodils. A specialthanks to the staff andpupils at Scoil Mhuire,Clifden, who raised€250. Each pupil woresome yellow clothing oraccessories to school aspart of the Daffodil Dayfundraising effort.’
q MEMBERS ofMoycullen ActiveRetirement Association(MARA) recently visitedthe various old railwaystations along thedefunct Galway toClifden railway line,which was in operationfor 40 years from 1895to 1935.
q MARA members arethoroughly enjoying the
10NEWS
APRIL 2014
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q SuperValu’s entry won the ‘best comical float’ in this year’sClifden St Patrick’s Day parade. The staff members werepresented with a cheque for €100 which they have decided todonate to Cancer Care West to help kickstart the 2014fundraising efforts. For pictures from St Patrick’s Day paradesaround Connemara see www.connemarajournal.ie
q Communion and Confirmation class students from InishbofinNational School – six children were confirmed and one receivedFirst Holy Communion. The blessing of the boats took placebefore the departure of the evening ferry. The confirmationchildren are pictured here with teacher Mary Joyce
q Confirmation students from Cashel National School –including Aodhán Linnane, Cillín Dunne, King Joyce, LauraFlaherty, Rachel Bodkin, Sinéad Lapierre and Theo Joyce withteacher Cepta Stephens and Archbishop Michael Neary
q Confirmation students from Tully National School –including Caroline Coyne, Amy Flaherty, Cora Heanue, EmilyMcConway, Jessica Thorp, Emma Coyne, Ríona Coyne, AlannahAspell, James Kearney, Gary Heanue, Kayleigh Duane, ConorThorp, James Barry, Liam Salmon and Benjamin Lui withteacher Barbara Warbout and Archbishop Michael Neary
q Confirmation students from Roundstone National School –including Ben Owen, Dylan King, Dylan Kerr, StevenMcDonagh, Owen Joyce, Ben Swift and Rory Keane withteacher Micheál Mc Donagh
q Confirmation students from Eagle’s Nest School – includingCiara Heagney, Zack Ribbon, Jack Nee, Paul Walsh, JenniferHeanue, Sorcha O’Malley, Noreen Coyne, Éanna Walsh, KireanHeanue, Luke Heanue-Coyne and Dillon Holland with teacherPaul Gannon
q Confirmation students from Letterfrack National School –including Erika Pollington, Catherine Ward, Justine McGreal,Ciara Nee, Alex Heanue, William Nee, Fiona Gray and DylanO’Malley with teacher Olivia Kerrigan
Vote No1Eileen Mannion
Working for a better Connemara
I am asking you for your No. 1 Vote on the 23rd Mayso that I can continueto represent you tothe best of my ability.
Only with your support will Ihave the chance to continueto be an effective publicrepresentative for the area.
Continue your preferences for the other Fine Gael candidates – Niamh Byrne,Seosamh O Laoi and Mary McHugh
Contact details087 9555645
[email protected]: @EileenMannion1
PHOTO: DON BROWN
PHOTOS: PADRAIC LYDEN
11DIARYJOURNAL
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The next issue of the Connemara Journal will be
published on May 14
The deadline for advertising and submitting articles is Tuesday, May 6
To advertise, email [email protected]
or call 095-30707
l SWEENEY Oilmarked 20 years inbusiness at Sweeney Oil,Moycullen on March 14,with the Galway BayFM Baycaster, prizes,face painting and specialgifts all making for agreat family day out.
The occasion alsomarked the firstanniversary of therebranding of all fourSweeney Oil ServiceStations, located inMoycullen, Clifden,Headford Road Galwayand Oranmore.
As part of theongoing anniversarycelebrations, SweeneyOil Clifden is giving
l TOM Mongan of Letterfrack is pictured here withDeputy Mayor of Galway, Councillor EileenMannion, at the launch of his first book, A SongFor The Forest. The launch took place in a packedPaddy Coynes, Tullycross, on Sunday March 9. Thebook recalls Tom’s time working around Ireland inthe 1960s as a forestry plough driver.
l FOLLOWING the success of this year’s Over-35ssoccer league charity fundraiser in Letterfrack (see Sports, page 21), cheques were presented to thetwo charities represented by the winning teams.Pictured above, right: John Brittain, GeraldineHeanue and Jody Pollington, with members of thewinning RNLI team, accept a cheque on behalf ofClifden RNLI for €1,000; left: Marie Gallagheraccepts a cheque for €500 on behalf of GalwayHospice; above, left: RNLI captain Leo McGrealreceives the trophy for his winning squad
l CONNEMARACommunity Radio held agathering of workers andvolunteers recently to markthe retirement of stationmanager Pat Walsh(pictured right, with SueEldred). Pictured above arethe station’s news presenters, Anne Conneely(Roundstone), Bernard Lee (Cashel), BreandanO’Scanaill (Clifden), John O’Malley (Ballyconneely)and new station manager Grainne O’Malley
Shane Curran
Ciara Keady
Laura from OopsaDaisy withJohn and Ellie Keady
Isabelle Brannelly
l An awards night was held in The Forge in Moycullen last month, withstudents from Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB)Moycullen receiving their FETAC certificates (Level 1 – 5); Pictured, left:students who received certificates in Information Technology; back row, fromleft: Eithne NicDhonnchadha (Adult Education Officer), Claire Corrigan, DeirdreLyons (Tutor), Bridie Devaney, Joan Conneely, Ann Faherty, Winifred McDonagh;
front row, from left: Veronica Verney, Margaret Barrett, Annemarie Fitzgerald,Una Thornton, Frances Glynn, Rosaleen O'Connor and Christina Schaefer;Pictured, middle: back row, from left: John Harty (tutor), Martin O Toole,Martin Joyce, Robert Joyce, Martin Joyce, Eithne NicDhonnchadha (AdultEducation Officer), Mairtin O Morain (Skills for Work West Co-Ordinator); frontrow, from left: Bridie Gibbons, Bridget Walsh, Fanxu Heraty, Phil Kavanaugh,
Marie Connaughton, Marian Lynch (National Co-ordinator of Skills for WorkProgramme); Pictured, right: students who received certificates in Childcare;back row, from left: Grace Kelly, Caroline Griffin, Philomena Lydon, ColleenGilmore (Tutor) Geraldine Burke (Tutor), Ann Faherty, Linda Cormican, PaulineÓ Flaherty and Eithne; front row, from left: Diane Faherty, Ann-Marie Grealish,Marie O Malley, Aine Ni Mhaille and Orla Clancy
each customer a freeticket for the StationHouse Cinema with
every €50 of petrol ordiesel purchased untilApril 17.
12FEATURES
AFTER 12 years of living inthis pocket of westernIreland, Dorothy Cross hasmade Connemara the focusof her most recent book.
Published to coincide withan exhibition at the RoyalHibernian Academy in Dublin– which also ran at TurnerContemporary, Margate, UK
– the book traces both herpersonal experience of thearea and the works she hascreated while living here.
Originally from Cork,Dorothy has lived andworked in Connemara since2001, when she bought afield running down to therocky shore in Mullaghgloss,Renvyle.
For Dorothy, the pull to the area was a passion fordiving, rather than the lightand landscape that havetraditionally drawn artistshere. At first she wouldspend summers working in asmall shed she had built inthe field, later buying ahouse across the road.
She added a large, light-filled studio overlooking thesea, and the surroundinglandscape, animals andpeople have informed herwork ever since.
Dorothy’s workcharacteristically exploresthe interactions between
humans and nature, and shedescribes the pieces in thisbook as ‘not strictly aboutnature – perhaps they are acollaboration with nature’.
Her works are strikinglyvisual and tactile, capturedhere in a bounty of imagesaccompanied by spare,explanatory text.
Designed by VincentMurphy of Letterfrack-basedArtisan House Editions, thebook is a lush encapsulationof Connemara’s many faces.The opening trio of variouslycoloured sunsets off the coastat Renvyle hints at how theever-changing natural worldwill make itself felt
throughout the book. Things found on the shore
provide starting points forher work, with results suchas the striking Basking SharkCurrach and Cast BronzeCrabs, while records of hertravels from Antarctica toMelanesia offer a strikingcontrast of colour and theme.
A beautiful overview of howDorothy’s life and work havecollided to create an individualtake on the world around her.
Aoife Ní Dhálaighl To order a copy of
Dorothy’s Cross Connemara,(€25) – call (095) 30707.Connemara is at the RHA,Dublin, until April 27.
A long-standingcollaborationwith nature
In pictures: CirclesConnemara Photographic Society
1st –
Pad
dy H
ow
ard
: Shape and Form/H
ighlights and Shadows2n
d –
Mark
Fu
rniss: O
il droplets on water photographed over coloured card3rd
–A
oife H
erriott: Sunlit dew on grasses
Th
e them
e for A
pril is
‘Doors’–
the clo
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tries is March
25
www.connemaraphotosociety.com orwww.facebook.com/connemaraphotosociety
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Sky Road, Clifden087-6687468
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SERVING THE CARNAAND KILKERRINAREA WEEKLY
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Lightnet provide fast, reliable, affordable Internet
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Tel: 091 395804
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ConnemaraDorothy Cross(RHA, €25)
New Ireland, Melanesia, 2006:Sogang Boas, shark-caller, returning to land
FEATURESJOURNALtheconnemara
This is the perfect time of yearfor a root around the woods oron uncultivated ground forwild garlic and nettles.
Bristly, stingy nettles, a joy to behold,but not to hold…
My first experience of these was asmy brother and I dived under a tree inthe vegetable garden at home to hidefrom my mother – I can’t rememberwhat we were up to, but we soonrealised that we had jumped out of thefrying pan and straight into a bed ofnettles. Ouch! Shorts! More than ouch!
My second experience of nettles wasbeing brought back to the vegetablegarden by a chef from our family hotel,where we grew up, and being asked tohelp pick the nettles for soup. I wascompletely intrigued and absolutelyloved the thought that I might get myrevenge!
Now, I love the flavour of nettles anda spring nettle soup speaks of goodnessand nourishment, with its iron andblood purifying qualities. The old wives’tale of eating nettles in spring to wardoff colds and flu feels so true.
March, April and early May is the besttime to pick. This year there was no signof nettles around here until late March.
As it comes into late May/June they begin to
flower and, althoughedible, they taste a
bit rough and peppery.Do have a look in late summer or
early autumn when new nettles comeup again.
I have to admit that for my kids, thethrill of gathering them far outweighsthe joy of eating of them – but theyare coming around.
When picking you will need a pairof gloves and a scissors. Look for theyoung tender nettles. A good guide is
not to pick anything that is higherthan your knee.
The nicest, freshest parts are thetips, the top 5-7 leaves. You need quitea large amount, as you will discard thestalks and all you use is the leaves.
When foraging for anything itsimportant to not take too much fromone area. You need to ensure a cropthe following year, leave some forothers and remember there are lots ofinsects and animals living off foragedfood too, and we must protect theirhabitats.
So while its nice to pick, neverransack an area and always askpermission if on private property.Common sense and courtesy willensure a lifetime of wild goodness.
At this time of year we are also onthe hunt for one of my favouriteforaged finds, wild garlic.
It comes out in early spring andbrings with it a sense of the openingup of fresh, light food again after awinter of gutsy flavours and comfortfood.
Wild garlic, or ramson, has to beone of my favourite ingredients. It hasbeautiful little white flowers and youoften get wafts of it in the woods asyou walk by, but if unsure scrunch aleaf up between your fingers and thearoma will leave you in no doubt.
You can use the flower and the
leaves but there is no need to go nearthe root – unlike its better knowncousin, the flavour is in the leaf.
Nettle SoupServes 4(A little goes a long way)200g nettle leaves2 medium/250g onions, chopped3 cloves of garlic, chopped200g/1 small fennel, slicedSalt and pepper1lt chicken stock1tbsp crème fraiche
First, the nettles have to be washed incold water and while you do this, withrubber gloves, remove the stalks anddiscard.
Heat a saucepan and gently sweatthe onion and garlic with a pinch ofsalt and pepper. This means gettingenough heat in the pot to startsteaming but not to colour the onions.Then remove and set aside for a fewminutes with the lid on. They shouldlook transparent and have softenednicely.
Slice the fennel and add to the pot.Add the chicken stock and bring to
a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes.Add the nettle leaves, bring back to
a simmer and cook for just about fiveminutes, tops.
Any green leaves or vegetable in asoup should be cooked for as littletime as possible to keep the nice greencolour and freshness.
Remove from the heat and allow tocool a little – then liquidise.
You should have a vibrant, green,super-healthy soup.
Plop a bit of crème fraiche in andthen drizzle a little garlic oil on top(see right).
You will know straight away thatthis is stingingly good for you.
Nettles can also be taken in asmoothie or juice – once crushed itdoesn’t sting.
Wild Garlic Oil150g wild garlic leaves300mls olive oil (not your best)
Wash the garlic in cold water. Chopthe garlic up roughly and put in thefood processor. Blend a little, thenpour in the olive oil, blending all thetime.
And – hey presto – garlic oil forsalads, steaks, pestos, soups and garlicbread. Or just about anything youwant to add this beautiful flavour to.
(It may taste a little grassy afterblending but will mellow within a fewminutes)
A joy to behold, but not to hold...
‘BRINGING FOOD AND COOKING TO THE NEXT GENERATION IN A HEALTHY, FUN AND INFORMATIVE WAY’
Cliodhna Prendergast takesthe sting out ofnettles with a vibrant, healthySpring soup
Deborah Watkins finds inspiration in Brigit’s Garden,‘a treasure of a place on our doorstep’
Longer, warmerdays are here atlast. If you arelooking for
somewhere different toenjoy the Spring air, lookno further than Brigit’sGarden in Rosscahill,just outside Galway.
If you haven’t been,it’s a must at any time ofthe year but especially inSpring and earlySummer when the wildflowers come into theirown.
The garden is a not-for-profit organisationand registered charity setup by Jenny Beale out of
her passion for natureand the environment.
Designed by MaryReynolds – the first Irishperson to win a goldmedal at the prestigiousChelsea flower show – itis a ‘natural’ garden inevery sense of the word.
There are few straightlines – paths curve andwind, circles pop upeverywhere – sunken,interlocking, a tinymoon-like island and agreat sundial. Wildflowers and grasses,herbs and plants arecelebrated in bursts ofcolour that greet you at
every turn.The design is based on
the four Irish seasons –four gardens thatinterconnect and takeyou on a voyage throughthe Irish festivals ofSamhain, Imbolc,Bealtaine and Lughnasa.The journey mirrors thecycle of life fromconception and birththrough to old age anddeath.
Samhain begins onOctober 31 and marksthe beginning of thecycle. It is celebrated inthe Winter garden, whichpays homage to a timefor death with a promiseof rebirth.
It is a period of sleepand reflection, evoked bya mound of earth that hasbeen shaped into thesleeping body of awoman, wrapped arounda pool.
Another figure madeof bronze rests on theground in an islandwithin the pool (picturedabove). She is listeningto the earth, waiting forit to stir again and bringforth new life.
Imbolc is the Spring
garden. This is the oldIrish name for thefestival now known as StBrigid’s Day.
In the garden’s cycleof life it is a place for theyoung, where childrencan play and enjoy thebasketwork swings and awildflower meadow.
May Day heralds thefestival of Bealtaine,which is celebrated inthe Summer garden. Thisis a time of youngadulthood, sexualawakenings and
marriage. The gardentells the story ofDiarmuid and Gráinne,the fleeing lovers in Irishmythology. Their bed isa grassy hollow facingthe sun. A path ofstanding stones leads to athrone where the loversunite and sit together.
The Autumn gardenmarks the festival ofLughnasa which beginsin August. It is a time ofharvest and celebration.Spiral beds contain herbs for cooking as well
as healing. Two circular lawns
interlink to create a largespace for dancing and along table provides apicnic area.
Three yew trees markthe exit of the Lughnasagarden, which signifiesthe end of the cycle andthe possibility of renewalwhich lies ahead.
There is much more tosee – a woodland walk, aliving willow play areafor children and awishing tree. You can
round off your visit inthe cafe which offers atempting variety of homebaked cakes.
A treasure of a place,on our doorstep and wellworth a visit.
l Read more from Deborah’s blog at www.deborahwatkinspaintings.com
l Brigit’s Garden,Pollagh, Rosscahill, CoGalway – for moreinformation visitwww.brigitsgarden.ie orcall (091) 550905
‘Bursts of colour greet you at every turn’
The Summer garden
For more, visitwww.breakingeggs.com,
www.facebook.com/BreakingEggs,
or follow on Twitter@Cliodhnaof
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14FEATURES
APRIL 2014
The ninth Con-nemara MusselFestival takesplace in Tullycross
over the May Bank Holi-day weekend (May 2 – 4).
While the festival wasoriginally established topromote the excellence ofthe mussels of Killaryharbour, it has nowgrown to become a cele-bration of local people,food, culture and her-itage, and is recognisedas the premier food eventin Connemara.
This year’s festival –one of the first to takeplace on the Wild At-lantic Way – will beopened by Sally and JohnMcKenna of theMcKenna Guides, whowill also take part insome of the festival’scookery demonstrations.
With the programmedetails now being fi-nalised, festival organis-ers have once again linedup an exciting schedulethat promises somethingfor all the family to enjoy.
Some of the main culi-nary highlights includedemonstrations with headchef Keith Carden (O’-Gradys on the Pier), chil-dren’s cookerydemonstrations with Jac-inta Dalton (Food Ambas-sador for the WildAtlantic Way) and com-petitions with studentsfrom GMIT College ofTourism and Arts.
The festival also wel-comes members of theFins Goussiers d’Anjoufrom France includingGraham Roberts (Con-nemara Smokehouse),who was inducted into theprestigious society lastyear.
And that’s not all – anew addition this yearwill be the Made in
Paddy Coynes Pub Tullycross, Renvyle,
Connemara, Co. Galway
Tel: 095 43499 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.paddycoynespub.com
HOME OF THECONNEMARA
MUSSEL FESTIVAL!
MAY 2 – MAY 4
The shellfish giant: Mussel Fest2014 promises to be the best yet
David Keogh (Busker Brownes), Mayor of Galway City Cllr Padraig Conneely, Máirín Uí Chomain, Mayor of County Galway Cllr Liam Carroll,and Gerry Coyne, Chairman of Connemara Mussel Festival
The bustling country market
Cooking demo with professional chef Jack Duffy
Galway market, runningover the full weekend andshowcasing the finestproduce of the west ofIreland.
On the cultural side ofthings, author and re-searcher Nicola GordonBowe will give a presen-tation on renownedstained glass artist HarryClarke, whose work canbe seen in thewindows of theChurch of Christthe King in Tul-lycross.
Historian JoanJohnson will givea talk on Jamesand Mary Ellis,followed byHunger: A Playfor Voices by CurlewTheatre Company. Theywill also be performingthis piece on May 7 aspart of National Com-memoration.
Add to this children’sstorytelling by Tegolin’sTales Theatre, an art ex-hibition featuring thework of Connemara-
based artists, a children’sstorytelling competition,talks on beekeeping, or-ganic gardening withKlaus Laitenberger,seashore foraging andguided walks exploringthe surrounding area, andthere’s something onoffer for all tastes.
In the evenings, thelocal pubs will offer tra-ditional music and danc-ing while there will be awine and beer tastingevent on the Saturdaynight, followed by livemusic with Madrid-basedband Track Dogs on Sun-day night.
Speaking after thelaunch in BuskerBrownes last month, fes-tival chairman GerryCoyne said: ‘The Westcertainly knows how tothrow a festival and theConnemara Mussel Festi-val promises to be no ex-ception!
‘This year’s pro-gramme of entertainmentpromises to be the best
yet, with anarray of eventsplanned for allthe family,many of whichare free ofcharge.
‘We are alsodelighted tohave a selectionof the country’s
top chefs on board and ofcourse head judge for theweekend Máirín UíChomáin, author of IrishMussel Cuisine.
l For more informa-tion visit www.con-nemaramusselfestival.com, where details of theprogramme will beposted in early April
Máirín Uí Chomáin with 2013 Celebrity Chef competition entrants ChrisShanahan (Connemara Chamber of Commerce), Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Féin) and winner Owen Heanue (fisherman)
2013 FESTIVAL PHOTOS:AOIFE HERRIOTT
15HEALTHJOURNAL
theconnemara
ACUPUNCTUREIS BENEFICIAL IN THE TREATMENT OF:
Back pain SCIATICANeck Pain JOINT PAIN Sports InjuriesMigraine HEADACHESinusitisAnxiety and Stress Related DisordersDigestive & Bowel DisordersMENSTRUAL / MENOPAUSAL PROBLEMSInfertility and ImpotenceFibromyalgia
Ethel Feneran Dip.Ac, Lic.AcClifden & Galway
085 1737071www.fenwestacupuncture.com
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Herbs. Diet. Supplements.Acupuncture (VHI, VIVAS, BUPA)
Dooneen Clinic, Clifden086-3651590 (text only)[email protected]
Ap p r o x i m a t e l y2,500 years ago ayoung Greekm e s s e n g e r
named Pheidippides wassent from the battlefieldof Marathon to Athens toannounce that the Per-sians had been defeatedin the Battle of Marathon.
It is said he ran the en-tire distance withoutstopping and burst intothe assembly, exclaim-ing: We have won.
The distance he wasforced to travel was 25miles, and from this pieceof history the marathonwas born.
Today’s marathon dis-tance is 26.2 miles – theextra 1.2 miles added toaccommodate the 1908Olympic Games whenthey needed the extra 1.2miles to allow athletesfinish in front of theRoyal Family viewingbox at Windsor Castle.
On April 6 the Con-nemarathon was run fromthe Inagh Valley throughthe village of Leenane,before finishing in MaamCross. Four months ago Isigned up to run this, myvery first marathon.
It was during trainingthat I often asked myselfthe question: Why doesanybody run a marathon?
Marathon training istough. Don’t let yourselfbe fooled into thinking itis anything else. Yes,there are training sessionswhen you feel you couldrun indefinitely and youare in the zone, but thereare also many occasionswhen your lungs burn,your feet blister, yourlegs feel like jelly and
you are still 10 milesfrom where you are dueto finish. It’s a big com-mitment.
The training is timeconsuming and takescareful planning, espe-cially when trying to fit itin around family andwork commitments.
However, there issomething magic abouttraining for a marathon. Itforces you to learn aboutthis machine we call ourbody. You are pushed tothe threshold of your en-durance and then, whenyou get to that point, youhave to walk thetightrope so you don’t hitthe infamous marathon‘wall’.
You get a fundamentalunderstanding about nu-trition and how yourbody physically operatesunder pressure. You de-velop mental toughnessthat you can apply to anychallenge in life. You
learn about motivationand commitment, asthese are essential toolsneeded in order to com-plete the training for therace.
Friendships are bornfrom your commonshared experience.
We can all complete amarathon. It is not out-side the ability of any-body to tackle thisendurance challenge, butthere is work to do to getto the start line. Even ifyou have not run foryears you can still com-plete the race.
Twelve months ago Ihad no interest in com-pleting a marathon. Buton the eve of last year’sevent I happened to bewalking past a large gath-ering of people organis-ing themselves for thefollowing day’s chal-lenge.
The buzz and energywas palpable and I
wanted to be involved.Maybe this year will beyour year.
I hope this sparks aninterest in you to committo a marathon. It has beenone of the more interest-ing fitness journeys Ihave travelled. By thetime you read this, I hopeto have followed in thefootsteps of Pheidippidesand completed themarathon distance.
I forget to mentionthat, as legend has it,Pheidippides did actuallyfall over and die on deliv-ery of his news. Let’shope I avoid this minorinconvenience and that Ihave worked from a su-perior training plan.
l If you have anyquestions regards train-ing for a marathon pleasecontact me at [email protected] – Iwould really like to helpyou with your marathonaspirations
PremenstrualSyndrome (PMS)occurs in thephase after
ovulation and beforemenstruation. It is ahormonal imbalance.There are differentpatterns of hormonalimbalance, each with itsown characteristicsymptoms.
High estrogen/lowprogesterone is thecommonest imbalance.This characteristicallypresents withnervousness and anxiety,irritability and moodswings.
Low estrogen/highprogesterone ischaracterised most of allby depression. Thisimbalance leads to lowamounts of theneurotransmitterserotonin, whichaccounts for thedepression. There mayalso be crying,confusion, forgetfulness.Facial hair (hirsutism)may be more obvious.
A third pattern ofhormonal imbalance hasedema – weight gain,abdominal bloating,swollen and tenderbreasts.
A fourth pattern hascarbohydrate cravings(sweets, bread, biscuits,etc), increased appetite,heart palpitations,dizziness and fainting.
These patterns mayoverlap.
Given these differentbiochemical patternsunderlying PMS, itmakes sense to treat eachwoman, and each case ofPMS, for what it is. Ageneralised approach forPMS is far less effectivethan treating the uniqueindividual.
The hormonalimbalance of PMSresponds well to natural
connemaraJ O U R N A L O N L I N Ew w w . c o n n e m a r a j o u r n a l . i e
www.facebook.com/connemarajournal/@ConnemaraJ
Follow us on Facebookand Twitter
Taking the first stepto a 26 mile journeyAlan King looks at the dedication required for marathon running
medicine. A diet high inrefined carbohydrates,processed food, andfactory-raised meats arered flags.
The bean or legumefamily is rich inphytosteroids, which hasa balancing effect. Eatbeans, peas, chickpeas,lentils, etc, often –especially during thePMS phase.
Herbs including thosefrom the bean family andrich in phytosteroids arevery helpful.Supplements made ofphytosteroids areavailable, but mypreference is to usewhole foods and herbs.
A diet rich in fibrehelps to pull unwantedestrogens out of thebody. Conversely, ahighly refined dietdeficient in fibre makesit difficult to excrete
unwanted hormones. Eatwhole carbohydrates andavoid highly refinedcarbohydrates.
Herbs are used inmany ways: to calm theemotions, to reduceexcess or build updeficiency, to boostserotonin, to balancehormones, to reducesugar cravings andenhance insulinefficiency, and to buildup a deficient thyroid.
Acupuncture has manyways to approach PMS.To calm the emotions, toreduce excess or build updeficiency, to reducesugar cravings, to movestagnant liver Qi, and tobalance the organsassociated with themenstrual cycle. Chinesemedicine excels atunderstanding andtreating the individual.
There are manyunderlying causes ofPMS. These includeallergies, toxicity such aslead exposure, lowmagnesium, deficientthyroid, blood sugarimbalance, and sexualabuse or other trauma.
Identifying andaddressing these causesmay be essential.
l Nicolas Kats ND,Lic Ac, is a USNaturopathic Doctor andlicenced acupuncturist.He practices at DooneenClinic, Clifden, and atHealth & Herbs, Galway.086-3651590 (text only),[email protected]
A natural approach to dealingwith premenstrual syndrome
The key totreating PMSis getting togrips with theunderlyingcause, writesNicolas Kats
Detail from ‘Le soldat de Marathon’(Luc-Olivier Merson), showingPheidippides announcing the defeat ofthe Persians at the Battle of Marathon
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theconnemara
I moved house earlier this yearbut have not registered to vote atmy new address. Is it too late forme to register to vote in the localelections next month?
You can still be added to the registerfor the local and European electionswhich will be held on Friday, May23 this year.
The Register of Electors ispublished every year on February 1 but theclosing date for submitting changes to the lastdraft register was November 25 – before youmoved to your new address.
Changes after this date are taken into accountin a supplement to the Register of Electors, anduntil May 6 you can apply to be added to thesupplement for the upcoming elections.
You can check if you are on the register atchecktheregister.ie or at your local authority,Garda station, post office or public library.
If you are on the register but your previousaddress is listed, you can have your newaddress added to the supplement bycompleting form RFA3. The form is availableonline at checktheregister.ie or from yourlocal authority, post office or public library.This will also remove you from the registerfor your previous address.
If you check the register and find that youare not listed on the register, you can stillapply be added to the supplement up to the
closing date of May 6, 2014. In this case theform you use is called RFA2.
There is an earlier deadline of April 26, 2014for changes to the supplement for postal voters.This may apply if you are not able to vote at apolling station because of your occupation,illness or disability, being in prison, or if youare studying full-time in Ireland but away fromthe address where you are registered to vote.
The application form for inclusion in thissupplement to the postal voters list isavailable from your local authority.
l Further information is available fromClifden Citizens Information Service whichprovides a free and confidential service to thepublic. Tel: 0761 07 7580 / 087 1301100Email: [email protected] – address: 2ndFloor, Credit Union, Clifden. Opening hours:Thursday 7pm – 8pm, Friday 10.30am –3.30pm – call mobile outside these hours andto confirm dates of Letterfrack OutreachService
l Please note: we will be closed for Easterholidays on Thursday and Friday, April 17 and18
l Information is also available online atcitizensinformation.ie and from the CitizensInformation Phone Service, 0761 07 4000
The month of April is rathereventful owing to the occurrenceof two eclipses and a notablemeteor shower.
There is a total eclipse of theMoon (which will not be visiblefrom Europe, except for itsending from Ireland and the UKjust prior to sunrise on April 16)and an eclipse of the Sun on April29, which will be seen only froma limited area of WesternAustralia and Antarctica.
The Lyrids are showers ofmeteors lasting from April 16 toApril 26. The radiant, which is theapparent point of origin from ourviewpoint, is located in theconstellation Lyra, near thisconstellation's brightest star,Alpha Lyrae (proper name Vega).
The peak onset of the meteorstypically occurs around April 22each year. The source of themeteor shower is a cloud of dustfrom Comet Thatcher.
Counts typically range from 5to 20 meteors per hour,averaging around 10.
April Lyrid meteors are usuallyaround magnitude +2 so mayput on a good show. However,some meteors can be brighter –these are known as ‘Lyridfireballs’ and cast shadows for asplit second, and may leavebehind debris trails that last afew minutes.
Mercury is too close to the Sunfrom our viewpoint for most ofthis month to make for idealviewing.
Venus is found low in the SEbefore sunrise for the entirety ofApril. Look before dawn on the
morning of April 26 because at avery bright magnitude –4.1,Venus will be seen less than sixdegrees of arc to the right of athin crescent Moon.
The International SpaceStation (ISS) is sometimes visibleover Connemara via the nakedeye before sunrise or after sunsetas a slow moving, bright whitedot, crossing the sky in only twominutes or so as it zooms past(always to the south as it nevergoes further north than 52degrees of latitude – it’s at least205 miles above us travelling atan incredible rate of 17,000mph).
Visibility occurs before dawnand after dusk when the ISS issunlit but the ground and sky aredark, which is typically the caseup to a few hours after sunset orbefore sunrise.
Because of the large size ofits reflective surfacearea, the ISS isalways verybright, with anapproximatemaximumbrightness ofmagnitude −4whenoverhead,similar to Venus.
For thecomplete, exactdetails of the times of ISS(and other satellite) appearancesabove your location, please referto the website Heaven’s Above,www.heavens-above.com.
The Moon was at First Quarteron April 7, is Full (and, as notedabove, totally eclipsed) on the
night of April 15, and reachesLast Quarter on April 22.
Seen rather low in the Southafter sunset is Mars (picturedbelow in a computer-generatedimage). The Red Planet, foundabove the star Spica inconstellation Virgo, reached‘opposition’ on April 8 (that is, ina direct line with the Sun andEarth) when its magnitude was -1.5 and its angular diameter 15.1arc seconds.
Due to the fact that Mars, andto a lesser extent, the Earth, haveelliptical orbits, its distance fromus at opposition can vary fromapproximately 54 to 102 millionkm. For an opposition in July2018, it will be not much morethan 56 million km away, so willthen be quite a bit brighter toEarth observers due to its 24.3
arc seconds in apparent size. Jupiter is found highin the southern sky
from around8.30pm early in
April. Jupiter islying in theconstellationGemini and isnow moving
westwardsaway from the
star Mebsuta, akaEpsilon Geminorum.
Saturn rises in themiddle of the evening(progressively earlier than10.30pm as the month goes on)and is visible the entire night.Found in constellation Libra, it isshining with a magnitude of+0.1 by late April.
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THE CONNEMARASKY AT NIGHT
with GERRIT NUCKTONSiopa Troscán:Supporting Irish jobsand ensuring style
See the range of quality Irish manufactured suitesat Siopa Troscán, Moycullen.
All the suites can be made to order with pricesstarting at €1,799 for 3+1+1 and styles coveringeverything from contemporary to traditional.
Customers who require orthopaedic support arealso catered for, with custom made orthopaedicchairs on offer.
Siopa Troscán also offer a choice of density foamsavailable on all suites.
All suites can be customised to order by eachindividual customer to meet their own requirements.All fillings and cushions are of the highest qualityfibre-filled duck down and meet all fire safetystandards and regulations.
The experience of shopping there starts with asmile from the staff and ends with a smile from all thecustomers.
Supporting Irish manufacturers and Irish jobs atSiopa Troscán, they aim to make a house your dreamhome with prices you won’t lose sleep over.u Siopa Troscán, An Fuarán, Moycullen.
(091) 868992. See www.siopatroscan.ie or followthe store on Facebook for the latest offers
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18FEATURES
APRIL 2014
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THE fifth annual ClifdenTraditional Music Festi-val takes place this week-end (April 10 – 13) inClifden.
As always, publicevents are free and every-one is encouraged tocome along and experi-ence what should be agreat weekend of music,song and dance.
The festival will be of-ficially opened by headof music at Raidió naGaeltachta, Neansai NíChoistealdbha, in theClifden Station HouseHotel at 7pm, with a con-cert to follow featuring ahost of visiting and localtalent.
With music sessions,workshops, craic and (ofcourse) lots of ceol, thisyear’s festival promisesto be a must-do for alllovers of traditional Irishmusic.
A host of championmusicians from all overIreland will attend, in-cluding: Laura Beagon(fiddle) from Mon-aghan, James Duggan (fiddle), Maura Walsh (con-
certina), Graham Guerin(accordion) from Kerry,Michael Curran (Tyrone)and Daithi Gormley(Sligo) both on accor-dion, husband and wifeduo Lorna and BrianFitzgerald from Limer-ick, members of the Bor-der Collies GroupTheresa and DeclanPayne, the Broderick
Family from Corofin andmany more musicians.
Sessions will takeplace in the town allweekend, and musicworkshops will takeplace in Clifden Commu-nity School from 10am –12.30pm on Saturday.
Great dancers andsingers will also be seenin the sessions over the
weekend including AllIreland Champion singerCian Kearins, from Sligo,and dancers includingGearoid Devane (seannós) and Canadian clogdancer Nathan Pilatzke.
A highlight of the fes-tival this year will be the‘return of the Dartry’.Following on fromtheir great performance
in 2012, the Dartry CeiliBand returns to Clifdento perform an outdoor gigon the Saturday night ofthe festival.
They will be joined bya stream of accomplisheddancers and guest artists.
Some special eventshave been added to theTrad Fest this year suchas a Vintage Car Run andStreet Market that willtake place on Saturday.
There will also be twoCD launches – one by Fi-achra Ó Regan (tomor-row, Thursday), anda new offering from thisyear’s All Ireland SeniorConcertina ChampionRoisin Broderick andNoel Battle, seven-timemouth organ champion.
Street entertainmentaround the town on Sat-urday will include stiltwalkers, face paintersand jugglers.
Marie Walshl For more informa-
tion and the full lineupvisit www.clifdentrad-fest.com or follow thefestival on Twitter @clifdencce
CONAMARA Bog Week iscelebrating its 30th year in 2014,and the first details of the festival– which takes place between May 23 and June 2nd – have beenannounced.
With the usual mix of ‘mightymusic and madness for all thefamily’, highlights of this year’sfestival include:
A Family Fun Day on SundayMay 25, with its fun run, sportingevents, music on the gig rig,cookery demonstrations, cake saleand celebration of three oldevents – 56lb weight, sheafthrowing and the game of Cad –all wrapped in brilliant music;
There will be two CD launches,with new albums from local singerEileen Keane, Currywongaun, andanother from well-known Co.Clare box playter, Conor Keane;
A series of parish walks willexplore the locality with the help
of expert guides;An art exhibition featuring the
work of Tanya Doyne and TommyCasby;
And another stellar line up inthe Kylemore Concerts series.
An exciting element of thisyear’s festival is the creation of apoetry trail linking Connemara
National Parkwith the villageof Letterfrack.
Nine eminent poets will beacknowledged with nine plaques,with a poem on each exploringaspects of ‘Place’.
l Further details of the festivalline up will be made available onwww.ceecc.org, and a full featureon Conamara Bog Week will bepublished in next month’s Journal
THE Leenane MountainWalking Festival takesplace from May 2 – 4.
The festival has beendesigned to suit alllevels of walkers, fromcasual low-level walksto the more challenging,and each day there is achoice of at least threewalks as well as aguided cycle.
Speaking at the festivallaunch, chairman MartinGavin said: ‘This is agreat opportunity for allto enjoy and celebrateour local countryside. Iwant to acknowledge thegenerosity of the locallandowners, as withouttheir support this festivalcould not take place.’
This year’sprogramme includes thefirm favourite Mweelreamountain walk, as wellas two new walks fromBenbaun to Kylemoreand a nature walkaround the new Delphiwalking trails.
Michael Gibbons isback by popular demandwith an illustrated talkon recent archaeologicaldiscoveries on CaherIsland, as well as his
historical walk on theSunday.
Each walk is lead byqualified, experiencedguides. The uniqueelement of the festival isthat the local farmers getinvolved with guiding thewalks and share theirknowledge of the folkloreand history of the land.
Transport to and fromstarting and finishingpoints will be provided,and another special partof the experience is thatwalkers are greeted withtea and scones fromvarious local businesseson their return.
Other evening eventsover the weekend willinclude a talk fromShane Young on therecent ‘North of Disko’Greenland expeditionand the annual céilí andbarbecue in LeenaneHotel.
l Walkers mustregister online for theevents. For a full detailsand list of events pleasevisit www.leenanevillage.com, [email protected] call Martin on 087 1422 452
All levels catered for atLeenane Walking Festival
Bog Week set for a 30th anniversary extravaganza
Trad Fest is good to go!
EcologistMicheal Jacob withpupils fromLetterfrackNS at lastyear’s festivalPHOTO: AOIFE HERRIOTT
PHOTO: TERENCE O’TOOLE
19A – Z DIRECTORYJOURNAL
theconnemara
Kevin Barry & Associates Receiving Farm Assist Payments or Area Aid? If you receiveda tax form lately it needs to be dealt with inside the next 30days. Call 1 800 476 984 for our FREE info leaflet on what todo. www.barryaccountants.ieMannion, Lochrin & Company LtdChartered accountants. Contact us for all your businessadvisory and tax planning needs. Tel: (095) 30030, Fax:(095) 30031; Email: [email protected] AccountingDelivering high quality service to our clients who makemore profit, pay less tax and have more fun along the way.We offer traditional accounting services or our CloudAccounting System to keep on top of your finances in aneffective interactive way, saving you time and money.Contact us on (095) 30584 or 086-2664542 EMail:[email protected] O Flaherty – Certified Public Accountant5 Connemara Way, Westport Road, Clifden.Experienced accountant specialising in accountspreparation, Income Tax/VAT/PAYE/RCT Returns. RentalIncome. Contact Sinead at: 083-1551059 or [email protected] Vaughan & CoCertified Public Accountants, Statutory Auditors. TheArchway, Market Street, Clifden. Accounting, taxation,audit, all business/personal financial advice. Contact: TomVaughan, (095) 22584, 087-9975346 or [email protected]
Killary Adventure Co & Connemara Adventure ToursKillary Adventure Co outdoor activities for beginners andexperts from ages 8 to 80. Choose from bungee, paintball andclay pigeon shooting to kayaking, gorge walking and ringorides. Killary Adventure Co vouchers make an ideal present. Log on to our website www.killaryadventure.comand click the vouchers tab at the top of the page. You can alsocall us direct on (095) 43411
Martin Courcey Construction LtdNo job too big, no job too small. Member of CIF with fullinsurance. SEAI registered contractor for insulation grants.Knockbrack, Cleggan. Call 095 44606 or 086-8161885Enda O'Malley B.Eng MIEIProviding a Reliable, Friendly and Professional servicenationwide: Planning PermissionsApplications, Legal Mapping, Site & Boundary Surveys,Structural Reports, Pre-Purchase Property Inspections, CivilEngineering Design, House Plans & Construction DetailDesign, Project Management, Cost Estimates, Land RegistryCompliant Maps, Certificates of Compliance with BuildingRegulations, Mortgage Supervision Certificates forBanks, Bill of Quantities & Specifications, Insurance Reportsfor Storm and Flood Damage. Bunowen, Ballyconneely,Connemara, Co. Galway. Tel: (095) 23614, Fax:(095) 23544,Mob: 086-3567851, Email: [email protected] Door & DIY CentreThe Lodge Road, Westport, Co Mayo. Tel/Fax: (098) 28705.Mobile: 086 2656395. Stockists of Timber Mouldings,Plywood, MDF, Panels (shelving etc), Flat pack kitchen units& kitchen worktops, Full range of internal doors & doorfurniture, Grosflex Bathroom Panelling, Timber andLaminate, Flooring, Skirting & Architrave (hard & softwood)Bathroom mirrors & accessories, Power tools andhand tools
Basmati Indian CuisineMarket Square, Clifden. Opening hours: 4.30pm-11pm.Sunday lunch, 1pm-4pm. Tel (095) 22619
Walsh’s BakeryHandcrafted cakes for every celebration. Now taking ordersfor communions and confirmations. Put an edible photo onyour cake. April hours: Cake shop, Mon-Sat, 8.30am-6pm;Coffee Shop, 8.30am-5.30pm. Open Easter Sunday. MarketStreet, Clifden. (095)-21283 – www.walshsbakery.com
Yellow Door Expressive ArtsClasses in Oughterard and Clifden teaching ballet, moderndance and stage door courses: drama, dance and singing.Skills for stage, confidence for life. For more informationsee www.yellowdoor.ie or call Elaine on [email protected] help creating or editing your CV with agreat cover letter to land that elusive job?Experienced word processor can also quickly type andformat your hand-written assignments. Please call (087)693 9902 for help at very reasonable rates
Bike Electric at All Things ConnemaraElectric Bike Hire and Tours. Making cycling less strenuousand more accessible to all Open 7 Days a Week. MarketStreet, Clifden, Connemara. 095 22630.www.bikeelectric.ie www.allthingsconnemara.com
LiveWire ElectricalDomestic wiring, emergency lighting certs, periodicinspection reports for electrical installations (for fire officeror insurance companies), CCTV for cattle/sheep sheds(watch from the comfort of your own home during lambingseason), fire alarms, security lighting, Internet/Ethernetcabling. Replace existing lighting with energy saving LEDlighting. Saorview/satellite television installation. Safeelectric member (registered & insured). Tax clearance cert.Contact: Stephen on [email protected]
Connemara FloristYour local flower shop for all your floral needs; birthdays,thank yous, congratulations, anniversaries, new baby,weddings, funeral tributes, sympathy bouquets and muchmore. All budgets catered for. Clifden (095) [email protected] – Sister shop, VillageFlowers, An Cearnóg Nua (beside SuperValu), Moycullen091 556513 [email protected]
Sweeney OilFor quality fuels, outstanding service and real value, wedeliver! 20 litres of universal tractor oil or 20 litres ofhydraulic oil: €49.95. Order your Sweeney Oil Fuel Cardtoday! Call (095) 22636 or order online atwww.sweeneyoil.ie
Bernie’s Hairdressing SalonChurch Hill, Clifden – Ladies and Gents Salon. OpenMonday-Saturday. Late opening Thursday and Friday byappointment. Cutting, Colour – 10mins permanent colouravailable. Conditioning body waves and root lifts. Tel: (095) 21135
Mongan MemorialsHeadstones – Sandblasting – Additional Names EngravedStill on the Seafront on Derryinver Bay, right beside Ocean’sAlive. Open Monday to Saturday.Tel: (095) 43473 / 087-6461189 / 087-1307752
Acupuncture and Massage TherapyEthel Feneran, Dip. Ac, Lic. Ac, Cert. Nanjing, China.Recognised by the World Health Organisation to bebeneficial in the treatment of: Back pain, Sciatica, NeckPain, Headache & Migraine, Muscle & Joint Pain, Sinusitis &Allergic Rhinitis, Insomnia, Digestive & Bowel Disorders,Depression, Anxiety and Stress, Gynecological Problems,Stroke-related complications. Dooneen Clinic, Clifden. 085 1737071Back Pain Specialists In Moycullen!Rolfing is a comprehensive treatment of deep tissuemanipulation and movement education. We specialise inreleasing chronically tightened muscles and mobilising stiffjoints causing pain and dysfunction. Effective forback/shoulder pain, sciatica, walking difficulty, fatigue. Getback into action after injury and surgery. Regain a pain free,flexible body. Experienced certified Rolfing practitioners,Susanne Keane, B.A., LSLT. Seamus Keane, M.A.,M.P.H.Quality treatment, clinical knowledge, personal approach.Tel 091 555221, 087 2355749 (text only)Breakthrough Retreat‘I can help you to find your true self, your gifts, your skillsand your talents, so that you can make a real difference inyour business and/or personal life ... helping you to freeyourself from any ‘negative baggage’ and empowering youto achieve this both easily and effortlessly. Imaginediscovering the key that unlocks your full potential.’ – CarolPassemard. www.breakthroughretreat.com E:[email protected], T: 087 1413 026Health & Wellness through CranioSacral TherapyCST is a gentle yet profound whole-body-treatment toachieve health. CST releases tensions, relieves pain andpromotes healing. CST also boosts resistance to disease andis increasingly used as preventive health care. CST works atsuch a fundamental level in the body it has proven effectivein helping people of all ages with a wide range of healthchallenges. SomatoEmotional Release (SER) balancesemotions, reduces stress and anxiety, releases traumas ofthe past, provides mental clarity and improves well-being.Please contact Jessica Conneely at 087-6430667Nicolas Kats ND, Lic. Ac.Herbs. Diet. Supplements. Acupuncture (VHI, VIVAS, BUPA)Dooneen Clinic, Clifden. 086-3651590 (text only), [email protected] TrainingReach your fitness goals faster with Kass at Station HouseLeisure Centre. General fitness, weight loss, muscle toning,nutrition. Training sessions are held every Monday,Wednesday and Friday, 10am-7pm. Enquire at reception orcall (095) 30433
Alcock & Brown HotelNew dining room area opening in April, offering a range ofdining options. Now taking bookings for communions,conferences, parties and other functions. Come in and viewour new space! Town Square Clifden, Co. Galway. (095) 21880Station House HotelFamily Easter breaks – Kids under 12 stay free (B&B);Complimentary Kids Club; Courtyard designer shopping; freeleisure centre access; in-house theatre with movies and shows.2B&B+1D from €109 pps, 3B&B+2D from €169pps. See page18 for full details. Call us on 095-21699 for bookings or visitwww.clifdenstationhouse.com
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Ní Ráighne OpticiansThis month’s special offers: First time varifocal lenses from€130. Complete glasses from €69. Terms and conditions apply –see in store for details. New season sunglasses: Maui Jim,Oakley and Ray Bans now in stock. Bridge Street, Clifden. Tel:(095) 30995. Email: [email protected]
Johnny CoynePainting and decorating – interior and exterior, timber floorssanded and varnished. Residential and commercial. Power-washing service. All areas of Connemara covered. Neat and tidyjob guaranteed. Competitive rates. References available. Alsooffering garden and lawn maintenance service. Contact JohnnyCoyne on 086-8570302 or (095) 43006
Connemara Bouncy CastlesBouncy Castles for hire for all occasions. With rain cover.Delivered, erected and collected. Call 095-21219
Connemara Coastal Cottages, self-catering agency, requireproperties for 2014 in Ballyconneely, Clifden, Roundstone andInishnee. NO JOINING FEES! FREE ADVICE! and a visit to yourproperty. Call Sandra on 095 41844 [email protected]
Mannion Quarry and Plant HireSuppliers of High Quality Stone Products & ConstructionPlant Services. Road & Site Development. ServingConnemara for over 40 years. Lettershea, Clifden. 095-21264. [email protected]
Dash.Dot DevelopmentWeb design, hosting, social media, e-commerce, software,office efficiency. 086-3868311, [email protected],www.dashdot.ieKeane’s Computer ServicesConnemara area covered – computer and laptop repairs,smartphone and tablet repairs, website design. Collect,repair and return service. Onsite repairs also available. 085-7779018. www.keanescomputerservices.ie,[email protected] value broadband – 10 times faster than the rest – visitwww.lightnet.ie or call them on 091-395804 and getconnected!Peter KeaneAerial and satellite installations. Saorview and Saorstat. Sky Road, Clifden. 087-6687468, 095-21827
O’Dalaigh JewellersCall in to see our new collections or make an appointment todiscuss a custom ring. Main Street, Clifden – Tel: (095) 22119 – email: [email protected]! By GumEco-chic Boutique stocking: childrenswear, womenswear, yarn,sweets and accessories. Looking for a gift for someone near orfar? Why not buy an online gift card at ohhbygum.ie – TheCourtyard, Station House, Clifden. Tel 095-21334. www.facebook.com/OhhByGum. Open Mon - Sat 10am – 5.30pm.Siopa TroscánAn Fuarán, Moycullen. See our display advert on page 16 forfull details of this month’s special offers.www.siopatroscan.ie – (091) 868992.SuperValuMarket Street, Clifden. Monday - Sunday. Underground carparkavailable. 095 21182. Open from 8am and until 10pm Fridays.Viviana’s Italian BoutiqueFootwear, Fashions, Accessories, Jewellery, Gift Items andmuch more. Main Street, Clifden Tel 095 30751
Connemara Adventure ToursDo you speak French and enjoy the outdoors? Join us as awalking guide in 2014 and show our French visitors thewonders of Connemara. Contact Chloe at 095 42276 or [email protected]
AAA Sky Taxis Eight-seater available – 085-1133033Connemara Taxi CompanyCars & 8-Seater Minibus available. Telephone (095) 30000Day or Night
West Coast Tree Surgery: Tree pruning, crown reductions,tree removal, hedge cutting & chipping. Tree surveys andtree reports carried out. Est 1998. Contact Alan Linnane on086-2848340 or 095 43018
West VetGalway Road, Clifden, 095-22209. Emergencies: 087-9179248(24hr) Business Hours: Mon to Fri 9.30-5.30, Sat: 10.00-12.30
Martin CaseyWindow fitting and maintenance. uPVC, aluminium windows and doors. 087-2766924
20A – Z DIRECTORY
APRIL 2014
Opticians
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Shopping
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Situations Vacant
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Padraic LydenPHOTOGRAPHYLetterfrack, Connemara
21SPORTSJOURNAL
theconnemara
football West Coaststarted well and hadplenty of possession, butstruggled to breakdown astubborn and much morephysical Headford outfit.
Moyne Villa hit thefront on 12 minutes witha fine goal from theircentre forward, and itwas fitting that their cen-tre mid-fielder – the bestplayer on the park by adistance – added a sec-ond five minutes after therestart.
To their credit, WestCoast fought to the finalwhistle and they willhave better days ahead. Acup final appearance andsecond place in a closelycontested league is a fairreturn in any season, anda few disappointmentswill help them develop asplayers, both physicallyand mentally.
Letterfrack over 35Soccer League 2014The second annual over-35 soccer league wasplayed on the astro pitchin Letterfrack over sixweekends from Januaryto March.
The idea of the leagueis to get the over-35s,both men and women(though there is no lowerage limit for women), in-volved in some sportingactivity with the empha-sis on fun rather thancompetitiveness.
Six teams took part,with players from allover West Connemara –from Roundstone, Bally-conneely, Leenane, Let-tergesh, Renvyle,Letterfrack, Cleggan,Clifden and almost everyvillage in between.
Each panel had about14 players and gamesconsisted of two 20-minute halves. Each teamwas assigned a charity,with the idea that thewinning team and run-ners-up would earn somemoney for their charity.
Each participant paid€5 a night to play andended up with €1,500 todivide out, having paidfor the pitch.
It was a wonderful com-petition again this year,with all the games playedin a great spirit, and it cre-ated a great buzz aroundthe village.
After five rounds ofleague games, all theteams qualified for gradedfinals on the last night.
The Golden Bootaward went to Joe Acton,with seven goals, and theMost Sporting PlayerAward went to FeichinCoohill. Special thanks toreferee Brendan Ridge,who kept the whole thingunder control (most of thetime) and Kurt Lydon,who looked after all fix-tures, scorers and league
tables.As the interest seems to
grow year on year we mayhave to increase the num-ber of teams for 2015 –but the fun element willdefinitely remain.
Finally a big thanks toall the players. After all,there is no competitionwithout ye.
l For full details on thewhole event join the WestCoast Utd Facebook page
West Coast Utd /FAI Summer SoccerSchools 2014West Coast Utd will hostthe FAI Summer SoccerSchools for the 12th con-secutive year from Au-gust 4-8.
Camps are open toboth boys and girls aged6 to 14, and run from10.30am until 3pm eachday. As well as five daysof football with FAI qual-ified coaches, each par-ticipant will receive a fullplaying kit, a backpackand a football.
Whether you’re new tothe game or a seasonedcampaigner, we promisea fun-filled week whereyou will learn new skills,make new friends andscore plenty of goals. Toencourage early booking,the first 5,000 onlinebookings made nation-wide will receive a freeadult and child ticket to asenior international gameat the Aviva Stadium.
The fee for the week is€65. For more informa-tion contact local FAI co-ordinator Joachim Lydonat 086-4098814 or anymember of West CoastUtd.
PLATE FINALSt Vincent de Paul – 1Cancer Care West – 1
St Vincent De Paul won 3-2 onpens after extra time
SHIELD FINALOur Lady of Fatima Hospital – 0
Red Cross Leenane – 2
CUP FINALRNLI – 4
Galway Hospice – 1
RNLI come out on topin over-35s league cup
Pictured: Teams in the second annual over-35sleague representing, from top: RNLI; Galway Hospice; Our Lady of Fatima; C.R.O.S.S.; St Vin-cent de Paul; Cancer Care West – the RNLI wereoverall winners, beating Galway Hospice 4-1 in theCup Final. For presentation pictures, see page 11
l from page 24
SOCCER
THIS year’s Tour de Conamarawill take place on Saturday May24 – and to mark the starting ofthe Giro d’Italia in Ireland, thisyear’s event will also include avintage bike category which willinvolve classic racing bikes andparticipants competing inheritage cycling clothing.
Cyclists dressed in vintagecycling gear from the 1970s and1980s will lead out the event –the first of its kind in Ireland.
The sportive starts andfinishes in Clifden, offering140km and 80km routes, andwill give many cyclists their firstglimpse of the Wild Atlantic Way.
The Tour de Conamara, theonly Irish event in theinternational Celtic Cycling
Series, is already in highdemand, with registrations for the event already upconsiderably on this time last year.
Event organiser Padraic Quinn
said: ‘The event has alreadyattracted considerableinternational interest, withregistrations already receivedfrom cyclists in the UK, France andthe USA.
‘We are hoping to build on thesuccess of last year’s cycle, and inthe past few months receivedextensive cycling media coveragein the UK that generated a lot ofinterest. One journalistdescribed the route as the finestand most picturesque he hasridden in the world and we willhighlight the Wild Atlantic Waythis year as it represents asignificant sports tourismopportunity for the country.’
l For more information seewww.tourdeconamara.com
l THE weekend of March 14 was a very busy one forOughterard Boxing Club. On Friday evening at ourgym we had the last night of training for our 8-10 yearolds and hosted a mini-tournament for them.
Family and friends all came along to see our futureboxers display their skills. Boxers from ChonamaraBoxing Club and Galway Boxing Club were also invitedto take part, and a great evening’s entertainment washad, with all kids receiving a medal and goodie bag.
On the Saturday we hosted our annual tournamentin the community centre. Before proceedings got un-derway, news had already come through that Oughter-ard boxer Gearoid Clancy had won his bout in Sydney.
Also boxing that evening was Kieran Molloy, com-peting in the Netherlands against the Dutch champion.Kieran won his bout convincingly and was one of onlythree Irish boxers out of a total of 15 to win his bout.
In all, Oughterard had 11 bouts, with the eveninggetting started with two exhibition bouts. First upwere Thomas Kinnevey and Tom Savage at 44kg. Bothboxers gave a great exhibition of their skills, andThomas won the Gerry Clancy Shield for best club per-son of the year.
Next up was Nicole Lydon Murphy of OughterardBoxing Club versus Mary Baily of Chonamara. Nicolewill be hoping to go all the way to Dublin this year, inher first year of competitive boxing.
Kevin Fahy of Oughterard took on Chonamara’sPadraig Folan at Boy 1 31kg. These two had a greatbattle previously in the counties, and both showedgreat hunger again on this occasion. Padraig was tocome out the victor, with the trophies kindly spon-sored by Keogh’s Bar.
Next up was Éanna Davoren of Oughterard versusThomas McDonagh of Olympic. This was Eanna’s firsthome tournament bout for his club and he showedgreat composure against a very capable McDonagh.Éanna came out on top, winning the bout sponsoredby Rosskid Engineering.
Lizzy Lydon Murphy versus Aishling Ryan of Corrib
BC was the next bout, and Lizzy boxed impressivelythroughout. Lizzy has two All Ireland titles to hername and won the bout, which was sponsored byCouncillor Thomas Welby. Lizzy also won the JohnnyO’Connor Cup for best home boxer.
Next up was Ben McKenna of Oughterard versusPatrick Maughan of Loughrea Boxing Clubat Junior 263kg. Ben boxed well throughout and won the bout,with trophies sponsored by The Mayfly Inn.
Next up for Oughterard was Daragh Kennedy versusJonathan Ward of Olympic at Boy 1 48kg. Daragh wonhis bout, with trophies sponsored by Keogh’s Centra.
There followed an exhibition bout between twoOughterard boxers, Shauna Prunty and Serena Cabry.This was the two girls’ first time boxing at a hometournament and they put on a great display of theirskills. Trophies were sponsored by RF Transport.
Seán Seoige beat Laurence Ward of Loughrea inthe Boy 2 54kg bout, with trophies sponsored by TheBoat Inn. Cillian Tierney had a good test againstPadraig McDonagh of Chonamara, his high work rateover the three rounds being the deciding factor. Tro-phies were sponsored by Siopa Troscán, Moycullen.
The last bout of the evening was Dylan Murphyversus Sean Folan of Chonamara at Junior 1 66kg,Sean winning the contest, with trophies sponsoredby Ryan Hanley.
Shay Molloy was also due to have a bout in the tour-nament but his opponent pulled out and the club wereunable to find a replacement at such short notice.
The club would like to thank all those that at-tended the tournament, our sponsors, and the parentsthat helped with the ring, running the shop and man-aging the door – without their support we wouldn’tbe able to run the event.
On Sunday March 16 the club hosted a 5k funrun/walk – thanks to all those that supported theevent, and Keogh’s Bar for providing the refreshments.
The club would also like to wish all our boxers thevery best for the summer months.
THE weekend of March 8-9 sawsix boxers from the OughterardBoxing Club start their champi-onship season.
This time it was the turn of theBoy 1/2/3, which covers ages 11to 13. First up for Oughterard onthe Saturday was Kevin Fahy, ofRosscahill, at Boy 1 31kg in a boutwith John Ward (Champs Camp).This was a high tempo and openbout from the offset, with bothboxers not afraid to exchangeblows. Kevin’s coaches felt he haddone enough to come out as vic-tor, and though the judgesawarded the bout to Ward, Kevin
can be very happy with his display.Next up for the club was
Daragh Kennedy, of Clifden, at theBoy 1 48 kg in a bout with DarrenCorcoran (Olympic). This wasDaragh’s first competitive bout,and he came out on top – win-ning his first county title.
The last boxer of the day forOughterard was Sean Seoige at Boy2 54 kg, taking on Patrick Ward(Monivea). Sean was giving away aheight advantage but went for itfrom the off. He had to force his wayin and was on top going into thelast round. Unfortunately he got awarning in the last round, which ul-timately cost him the bout.
On the Sunday, Oughterard had
two boxers competing. First up wasEanna Davoren versus MartinO’Brien (Olympic). This was alsoEanna's first comptitive bout andhe boxed very impressively, landinggood clean shots throughout andcoming out victor in the end. He be-comes the first boxer ever fromMoycullen to win a county title.
Next up was Cillian Tierney atBoy 3 in a bout with Edward Cor-coran (Balinasloe). This was aclose contest but the experienceof Cillian and his eagerness toland punches won favor with thejudges.
All in all, a great return for theclub, with four wins out of sixbouts.
BOXING
Oughterard shine in championship
CYCLING
Vintage race to mark Giro d’Italia
Seán Clancy
l SSE Renewables, who have sponsored Killannin GAA club forthe last three years, presented acheque to the club on March 2.Picture (right) is John Sullivan(SSE Renewables) and Killanninintermediate club captain, MarvinLee; above, from left: club playersPJ Gorham, Cathal Sweeney, John Sullivan, Marvin Lee, David Walsh and Patrick Sweeney
22SPORTS
APRIL 2014
conceded a penalty, whichShane Sweeney kicked for thegame’s opening points.
Loughrea were soon in theascendancy in the pack, butwhen they played the ball wideto their backs, Connemara’sdefence always had an answerfor their endeavours.
It was clear that any potentialLoughrea score would have itsgenesis in the set piece, andthat’s exactly how it transpired.A man light in the pack due toBarry Gibbons’ sin binning,Loughrea, with a five metrescrum, powered their way overthe line to touch down at thebase. The conversion driftedwide to take the score to 5-3 toLoughrea at half time – much tothe delight of their largecontingent of fans housed in the
Clan Stand of the Sportsground.Despite being a man in
arrears and behind on thescoreboard, Connemararemained calm and stuck totheir attacking principles at thebeginning of the second half.With plenty of territory andpossession, the Blacks wererewarded for their persistencewhen Michael O’Toole, receivingan offload after a fine archingrun by his half back partner,Shane Sweeney, touched down.
Sweeney, who was growingin prominence, slotted theresulting conversion to giveConnemara a 10-5 lead.
The try saw Connemara’s tailsrise and they began the turn thescrew on Loughrea, with wavesof attacking pressure. Loughrea’sdefence of Connemara’s attackwasn’t always legal and theybegan to concede numerous
penalties in dangerous areas.Shane Sweeney’s accurate placekicking continued as he caressedtwo more penalties between theposts to take the score to 16-5.
Connemara could sense moretries in the game and, soon, theyhad another. Kevin Keogh’s quicktap penalty caused disarray inthe Loughrea defence and, aftertwo phases, Michael O’Tooledotted down for his second tryof the evening and effectivelyended the game as a contest. Amissed conversion left the scoreat 21-5.
Loughrea were staring downthe barrel of defeat, but theynever wilted and deserveimmense credit for their ‘neversay die’ attitude. Late on, withConnemara permanently downto fourteen thanks to BarryGibbons’ dismissal, they addedanother try from a pushover
scrum. The conversion, again,was missed to make the score atthe final whistle 21-10 toConnemara.
The relative youth ofConnemara’s team must benoted. In their starting 15, theBlacks boasted eight playersunder the age of 24 and severalmore in their mid-to-late 20s.
Comfortably the youngestside in their division, nextseason could well prove to be anexciting year for the Blacks asplayers inevitably improve withage.
The first senior silverware toarrive at the club in a number ofyears, the Blacks will hopeSunday proves to be abenchmark for more successes inthe coming years.
With coach Eddie Walsh andan extremely young squad at hisdisposal, the sky is the limit.
U-15s: Connemara’s Under 15sdid the club proud again on March8 when they beat a highly-ratedGalwegians side in the Connachtfinal on a scoreline of 17-15. Itwas a hugely entertaining gameand all the young players put in agreat effort.
That evening, the medals andtrophies were presented to theplayers by club president MattO’Sullivan at the Station House,Clifden.
This was the second season insuccession that this squad hasbrought silverware back to theclub. Coaches John O’Halloranand Dara Heanue, as well as lastyear’s coach, Nigel Murray, werecongratulated on their greatachievement.
U-17s: The Under 17s, coachedby Henry O’Toole and BernardKeaney, qualified for their league final with a strong win
over Monivea.SENIORS: Connemara’s
seniors secured a place in theConnacht Plate final and won fourvaluable league points with a 22-10 victory over Ballina in a fixturethat counted as both a plate semi-final and league game.
SECONDS: Connemara’sseconds qualified for the semi-final of their league with a 10
point victory away to Westport.The game was sealed late onthanks to Mark Staunton’s try.
FUNDRAISING: The finale ofthe Connemara RFC fundraisingtook place on St Patrick’s Day,shortly after the annual parade.The main prize, an Opel Astra car,was won by Ronan O’Sullivan ofArdbear, and 11 of the 13 prizewinners were local.
‘Sky is the limit’ for Eddie Walsh’s young squad
U15s secure silverware for second year running
Mini and Lep rugby: Theboys and girls of the miniand Lep sections of ORFChave been extremely busyover the past few weeks.First up the boys of theUnder 10 sections made thelong trip up to Ballina fortheir age grade Connachtmini blitz.
Having a really strongand big squad meant thatORFC could enter twoteams on the day. Bothteams played some amaz-ing rugby against teamsfrom all over the province.
The Under 9 boys andLep girls both travelled totheir blitzes on the sameday. The girls’ squad ‘flew’up to Ballina with ‘AirMichelle’, while the ladsbussed over to Westportfor their regional get together. All play-ers enjoyed their day with some fantastictries scored by both squads, meaningtheir medals were well earned.
Youth rugby: The ever-growingUnder 13/14 squad is going fromstrength to strength. The league seasonis over, but the team is still busy trainingfor and playing in the cup competition.A great 12-0 win over Loughrea has setup a tough away tie with Ballinrobe.
The lads are also heading to Englandon an end-of-season tour, and are busyraising funds. A race night is being heldon April 17 in Faherty’s Bar, Oughter-ard, and is open to all, so please comealong and enjoy the fun.
Junior rugby: The ORFC juniorsquad’s season has ended prematurelyafter a quarter final defeat in the Ard naCregg cup. In a repeat of last season’sfinal, ORFC came up against unbeatenleague winners Buccaneers, fromAthlone.
The game was played in Athlone in
perfect conditions, with the hosts goingthrough following a 27-5 win. The disap-pointment will no doubt spur the evolvingsquad onto greater things next term.
Tag Rugby: Tag rugby training iswell underway with a growing squad ofnew and experienced players. The startof the Tag Spring league is only a fewweeks away, but it’s not too late to joinin the fun. If you fancy giving Tag a go,have played before or simply want tokeep fit and also enjoy the craic for thesummer, give Sinead a call on 087-9777290.
Vets rugby: ORFC over 35 gentlemensection recently made their almost tradi-tional biannual trip down to Clonmel fora very social rugby ‘match’. Whiskey-filled water bottles, mankinis and othershenanigans ensured that a great tour washad by all. Plans are already being madefor the return trip next season.
For further information visitwww.orfc.ie , find us on Facebook oremail [email protected]
Underage sides hit the road for blitzes
Football training for allunderage teams is now in full swing.
The Under 6, 8, 10 and 12squads have been training in theschool gym, but outdoor trainingwas due to resume onWednesdays at 5pm andSaturdays at 10am on the GAApitch. The numbers attendingare fantastic – keep it up!
Fixtures for the Under 8s and10s are now on the Facebookpage (search ‘clifdenyouthgaa’).We are part of a wider leagueinvolving 10 teams, so we’ll beseeing plenty of action oncegames start in May.
Under 12 fixtures have notyet been released. Keep lookingon the Facebook page forupdates.
Under 14s and Under 16shave had numerous trainingsessions and have alreadykicked off their leaguecampaigns.
Under 14s played Carraroe on
April 4 in Carraroe at 7pm (noresult at time of going to print).Best of luck lads.
The under 16s playedCarraroe in Carraroe on April 1and had a great start to theircampaign, recording victorywith a score line of Clifden 2-09,Carraroe 0-08.
Most players are nowregistered. Anyone still toregister please do so ASAP.
Hurling Training for theUnder 8, 10 and 11 teamscontinues every Wednesdayevening and Saturday morning.League games commence inMay. Keep an eye on the club’sFacebook page for regularupdates. New players alwayswelcome.
Trolley Dash: Our mainsource of income comes from thebi-monthly Clifden Youth GAATrolley Dash. We sell tickets forthis in Kavanagh’s SuperValu,Clifden, on the first Friday ofevery month.
The latest winner of ourTrolley Dash draw is Amy Gavin,Kingstown, who took to theSuperValu aisles last Friday (April 4).
The previous winner wasDermot Laffey, who didexceptionally well – netting€499 in groceries in just threeminutes. Well done Dermot!
We again want to thankKavanagh’s SuperValu for their
continued support of ClifdenYouth GAA, and all the ticketsellers who give up their freetime to help out.
We are continuously lookingfor volunteers to help out withall sorts of club activities. If youhave an interest in gettinginvolved please don’t hesitate tocontact one of the committee.Your help will be very muchappreciated.
Club supporter scores bigwith Trolley Dash fundraiser
GAA
RUGBY
Kavanagh’s SuperValu manager Joe Lynch (left)with Dermot Laffey and family – Dermot scoopedup €499 of groceries in his three-minute dash
U9s mini squad in Westport at the Connacht blitz
ORFC Leps at the recent Connacht blitz in Ballina
Matt Henderson
l from page 24
23SPORTSJOURNAL
theconnemara
Barcelona basedrunner Niamh NíChuaig came homefor last weekend’s
Connemara marathon,aiming to break the halfmarathon record.
Niamh, from Áill na Brun,Cill Chiaráin, moved toBarcelona almost three yearsago with her partner Vitto, anArgentinean quad racingenthusiast.
The 30-year-old runnerfirst started her athleticscareer with Galway CityHarriers, where she waspredominantly a 3000m trackrunner.
‘The last races I did inGalway were 10k and 8k,’Niamh recalls.
‘Before that, while inschool, it was 3000m on thetrack and that was the mostI’d ran.
‘I stopped running formaybe five or six years. ThenI started back doing bits inIreland and when I moved [toBarcelona] I started runninglonger distances.’
Since the move, Niamh hasmainly been competing inmountain races, and has beena regular podium finisherover the past two years.
‘I have a good friend Lucyand she got me into themountain running. One day
she said: Do you want tocome for a 25km run in themountain?
‘I thought to myself:What? I’ll never be able todo that!’
Despite her aprehensions,Niamh has gone fromstrength to strength in hernew field. In her last threeSpanish races she hasrecorded one first and twosecond place finishes, herlatest win coming in theCatalan championships.
‘Long distance was alwaysmy strong point but I nevertrained hard for, say, a 10kon the road while I was inIreland.
‘My father always said Iwas a long distance runner,but I never had a chance todo that in Ireland on thetrack, so it’s only now thatI’m doing the half marathondistance. I think it’s the bestdistance for me.’
Mountain racing has reallytaken off in Catalunya inrecent years, and is quicklysetting the benchmark for therest of the world.
‘In Barcelona,every mountain isdifferent. Yourtime one weekcould be 1hr 40and the next week2hrs 40. Itdepends onaltitude, itdepends on theincline, if it’s atrack, a stonypath or [crossing]rivers and youhave to walk overthem.
‘So it’s difficultto put a time onmountain races. Ijust have to lookat the pastwinning timesand I aim to beatthem, to benumber one.
‘Mountain racing has takenoff so much here that everyweekend you have mountainraces. Some are part ofleagues, some are part of theCatalonian championships,and one or two will gotowards the nationalchampionships.
‘But the ones I’m doingmainly at the moment areones that suit me best andthat I have the bestopportunity of winning.
‘I’m still not entirelyfamiliar with the wholesystem. A lot of the time Iask friends of mine, whohave been running for years,about the race that’s mostsuited for me and I just dothem.’
Niamh’s success in theCatalan capital has lead tosponsorship deals withcompanies such as Inov-8footwear and Catalan clothescompany Coreevo.
‘As long as I’m getting myphoto taken on the podiumwith their gear on, thesponsors are happy.’
Speaking before theConnemara marathon, Niamhsaid she was hoping thestrength gained from runningthe Catalan mountains wouldbe an advantage for her inGalway’s relatively flatterterrain.
‘The mountains reallystrengthen you up a lot andany hill for me now on a roadrace is nothing because I’mso used to that training.
‘But the thing is with roadrunning that you need to dokilometers to prepareyourself for that drain andthat ground – it’s just asimportant.
‘The experience of runningin the hot temperatures inBarcelona will possibly helpin a way – but I know I rantwo years ago in theConnemara 10k and I nearlydied with the cold!’
Niamh returned home tocompete in the Connemara10k 2012, finishing secondonly to CatherinaMcKiernan.
‘Catherina was running soI didn’t have much of achance!’
Along with competingNiamh is also busy runningher ‘doggie excursions andday care’ company.
Her new company takescare of dogs while theirowners work during the day,taking them on walksthrough the mountains andbeaches.
Unfortunately, the dogsaren’t quite up to standard totake part in her training.
‘They’re not fit enough,’Niamh explains.
‘The owners are usuallypeople who wouldn’t be asactive [as me], so I usuallyjust take the dogs to themountains or the beach,depending on the level [offitness]’.
Speaking before the race,Niamh said that her familywere looking forward tosupporting her on the day.
The Ó Cuaig family are
well known withinConnemara: Niamh’s sister,Mairéad, is a TG4 presenterand her brother, Cathal, is afilm director.
‘They just keep hearingabout the races in Barcelona,but they can never be here tosee them,’ Niamh said.
‘So if the weather is nice Ithink they’ll be spotted allover the road.’
‘Hopefully everyone isgoing to be home. My sistermight be in Kerry buthopefully she can make ithome.
As the race dateapproached, Niamh wasfeeling strong and prepared.
‘At the end of last summerI decided to start training forit. I haven’t done many roadraces before, and my traininghasn’t gone fully as planned.I was hoping to do 1hr 20.
‘I did a half marathon threeweeks ago so that was goodtraining for this, so I’mpretty strong.
‘I’m hoping to make itone, two or three but younever know who’s going toenter. Someone might enterto break the record and if
they do, I don’t know whatwill happen.
‘But I’ll be doing my bestto win.’
l Niamh was among thetop women finishers,crossing the line 21 secondsbehind the overall women’shalf marathon winner.
Speaking afterwards, shesaid: ‘It was such anenjoyable race.
‘Even though the weatherwasn’t ideal to do a goodtime, I really enjoyed thepelting rain and gale-forcewinds,’ she laughs.
‘It was great to have somany supporters out cheeringfor me in the rain. My friendJavi Castillo, who travelledall the way from Barcelona,enjoyed the race that muchthat he will be back againnext year – he positionedfourth in the full marathon.’
And Niamh herself alsoplans to return.
‘I will definitely be backagain next year, I enjoyedevery single moment of therace. You can’t beatConnemara, it’s the mostbeautiful place on Earth.’
Cill Chiaráin native Niamh NíChuaig returned
from her new home in
Barcelona lastweekend to
take part in theConnemara marathon –
Eamon Donoghuetalks to her
about training,conquering themountains, and
going easy onthe dogs...
On the homeward stretch
‘A friend askedme to go for a25km run – Ithought, I’ll never be able to do that!’
24SPORTS JOURNAL
theconnemara
Oughterard boxers hostannual tournament Page 21Page 23
Queen of the mountainsis back on home turf
West Coast advance in Jack Lillas cupWITH promotion in theleague now assured, WestCoast advanced to the lasteight of the Jack Lillas cupwith an exciting penaltyshoot-out victory overKinvara Utd in Letterfrack.
This was always goingto be a tricky fixtureagainst opposition recentlypromoted to Division 1 ofthe Galway league. Thegame began at a franticpace, and Niall Lydonpowered home an earlyheader to give the homeside a deserved lead. ShaneLydon and Mark Gannonboth missed good chancesto extend the lead beforeKinvara hit back to levelmatters with a fine free-kick.
Things got worse whensome really poor defend-ing gifted the visitors asecond goal, but thisseemed to spur West Coastto dig in and slowly get agrip on the game again.
As the second halfbegan, Kinvara, who com-pete a division higher thanWest Coast, seemed con-tent to defend and see thegame out – but they cameunstuck with 15 mins re-maining when ShaneLydon was upended in thebox and Mark Gannonconverted the resultingpenalty.
With the sides tied at 2-2 at full time it was intoextra time, as the fixturehad to be decided on theday. Lee Rima scored anamazing solo goal to putWest Coast ahead in thefirst period of extra time
and it remained this wayuntil Kinvara levelled inthe last few seconds toforce a penalty shoot-out.
For West Coast, MarkGannon, Shane Lydon, IanBatley, Gary Mullen andCathal Acton all found thenet and a brilliant savefrom goalkeeper JamesSalmon on Kinvara's fifthspot kick saw West Coastadvance.
We are now at the busi-ness end of the season andgames are coming everyweek. Next up are leaguegames to decide the des-tiny of the Division 3league title. With only twocontenders left, West Coastand Renmore, hopes arehigh of some reward for along season.
SOCCER RUGBY
Joachim LydonJohn O’Sullivan
l turn to page 22
Martin CaseyWindow Fitting& Maintenance
087-2766924
uPVCAluminum
Windows & Doors
WEST VETWestern Veterinary Clinic
Galway RoadClifden, Co. Galway
Jens WernerPhone: 095-22209Emergencies: 087-9179248 (24hr)
Business Hours: Mon to Fri 9.30-5.30 Sat: 10.00-12.30
West Coast United’s Under 13 squad, who faced Moyne Villa in the Division 1 cup final last month
Blacks winConnachtJunior Plate
THANKS to a hardfought 21-10 win overLoughrea, Connemarawere crowned ConnachtJunior Plate winners atthe Sportsground onMarch 30.
The contrast in thestyle of play was clearfrom the outset –Loughrea, with theirmassive pack, preferredto play a more abrasive,forward-orientated game, whereasConnemara looked totheir back line.
The openingexchanges were fairlyeven, with Connemarafiring a warning shotwhen Loughrea
U13s come undoneagainst Moyne VillaFor the second time thisyear West Coast cameup against Moyne Villato decide the major hon-ours at Division 1 level.
Back in January theHeadford based teamwon the league title, de-feating West Coast 2-1on the final day of theseason, and on StPatrick's weekend theycompleted the doubleover the West Con-nemara lads on a 2-0scoreline.
Playing a final on thepristine surface in
Eamon Deacy Park,Terryland, is always abig occasion and theWest Coast team andmanagement will be dis-appointed they didn’treach the levels of whichthey are capable.
They can have nocomplaint with the out-come as they were al-ways fighting to stay ina game that the Moynemid-field controlledthroughout.
On a perfect day for
l turn to page 21
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Nutrition
Training sessions are held every Monday,Wednesday and Friday, 10am-7pm
Enquire at reception or call (095) 30433
Reach Your Fitness Goals Faster
with Kass
Personal Trainingat the Station House Leisure Centre
