July 2009 Connemara View

I n T h e V i e w

Local Election Results...Page 4Kylemore Abbey Reunion...Page 7

Summer Events Schedule...Page 23New Businesses...Page 29

Hello Dolly Photos...Pages 38-39 Free Community Newspaper

Th e Connemara summer season was kicked off in tremen-dous style in June when the spectacle and sound of aircraft of varying sizes, shapes and speeds resounded over Clifden Bay in celebration of the 90th Anniversary of John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown’s historic fi rst non-stop transat-lantic fl ight. Onlookers in various locations were treated to a free display of thrilling performances by the featured air-crafts and their crews. What started as a grey day gradually improved to ensure that while some people were dampened

(including the photographers), spirits were not! Team Guinot’s Wingwalkers, the Blades formation fl ying team and the Team Viper Jets drew gasps with their high octane displays and the eagerly anticipated return of the elegant and intriguing Vickers Vimy was superbly received by the crowds when it appeared on the horizon as the Grand Finale of the Air Show. See Pages 26 and 27 for a full round up and photos of the Connemara Air Show and Alcock & Brown 90th Anniversary celebrations.

All eyes on Connemara skies!

Naomh Feichin U 16 League Win...Page 14

Connemara Starlets Premiere...Page 39

REGIONAL

P a g e 2 J u l y 2 0 0 9 C o n n e m a r a V i e w N e w s p a p e r

Omey Tragedy Benefi t NightTh e Benefi t Night, organised by the Omey Island Tragedy

Fund Committee in aid of the families of Fechin Mulker-rins and Tony Coohill who lost their lives earlier this year, will take place at the Station House Hotel on Friday July 3rd, starting at 8pm sharp. Music on the night will be provided by performers from all over Connemara, including Inishbofi n. A large auction will also take place due to the fantastic amount of items donated, including works of art by Margaret Irwin, Joe Boske, John Coll, Caroline Canning, Cathal O’Malley and other local artists. An enormous com-munity eff ort and expressions of support have already taken place and the night is sure to be a great success. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. (See also acknowledge-ment on Page 31).

Class of 1989 ReunionA Clifden Community School Class of ’89 reunion will be

held in the Station House Hotel on Saturday 4th July 2009 at 7.30pm. For further information or to book your ticket please contact France at 087 7595035 or Yvonne at 087-775-8579.

Books of Solidarity opened for Abuse Victims and Sur-vivors Books of Solidarity with the victims and survivors of clerical abuse in Irish Institutions have been opened in Clifden and Letterfrack, which members of the public may sign as a gesture of support and solidarity.

In Clifden, a Book of Solidarity has been placed at the entrance of Clúid, the old convent building, by Clifden & District Community Council, where it will be available for signing by members of the public for the summer months between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday. It will then be forwarded to the Survivors of Institutional Abuse Ireland (SOIAI) as a gesture of solidarity from the people of Clifden and Connemara.

Th e Parish of Ballinakill has also placed a Book of Soli-darity at the entrance of the Connemara West building in Letterfrack, formerly St Joseph’s Industrial School, and

members of the public may sign it between the hours of 9am-5pm Monday-Friday.

Commuter woes over reduced Bus Services

Bus Éireann are reducing bus services and withdraw-ing many routes under a current cost-recovery pro-gramme. Th e company has stated that the routes chosen have had little customer support and that due to the current climate the com-pany has seen a 10% fall in demand and that it now has “no choice but to take action to address these losses as

quickly as possible”. Th e changes to services will begin on Sunday 5th July

2009 and be phased in over a period of time. Th e routes af-fected within the Connemara Area are; 416 Galway-Carna, withdrawn, 424 Galway-Carraroe, reduced by 50% and 419 Galway-Clifden, Th urs and Sat, cancelled. Source www.irishrurallink.ie & www.irishtimes.com

VTOS Letterfrack goes to PetersburgEvery year, VTOS Letterfrack has an end of year trip and

this year the group went to Petersburg Outdoor Education Centre on June 19th last. Th e day started with some orien-teering and some team work to get the group going. After a lovely lunch, we got geared up in our buoyancy aids to go to Red Island for the obstacle course. Th is was great fun. Th e team work continued until we had to go against each other – if we had the energy! We were all pretty exhausted after the day but it was extremely enjoyable and great fun. Th anks to Brian and Pete for looking after us so well. So it

is not all work and no play at VTOS, Letterfrack! If you are interested in returning to full-time education and keeping all your benefi ts, please contact Sorcha O’Toole on 095-41302. VTOS is currently enrolling for September 2009.

Pictured on their trip to Petersburg Outdoor centre in June were VTOS Letterfrack group: Danny Scullion, Lisa McNamara, Anita Daly, Louise Mullen, Jacinta Walsh, Maria Faherty Caff erkey, Front (l-r): Claire Mullen, VTOS Co-Ordinator Sorcha O’Toole, Catherine Walsh.

C o n n e m a r a V i e w N e w s p a p e r J u l y 2 0 0 9 P a g e 3


REGIONAL

Election Results: Please note that there were a number of boxes not tallied. Th ese included box numbers 88,92,104,120,121,123,125 and there were partial tallies done on 115, 125 & 127. Th e tallies are undertaken by the political parties and are done when the boxes are open and they cannot be calculated at any later stage. Th e Local Authority has no input into the tallies except that the sorters will facilitate the tally people to see the No. 1 vote on every paper.

Foinse Set to Close downDespite eff orts and negotiation between

Foras na Gaeilge, the body responsible for the promotion of the Irish language throughout the whole island of Ireland and the management of Ireland’s only complete Irish language newspaper Foinse, the paper is now set to close. Foinse and Foras na Gaeilge have been in talks about the renewal of a four year contract since last year but no satisfactory terms could be reached. Th e paper, which is owned by businessman and Aer Arann operator, Padraig O Ceidigh, say Foras’ current off er of €355,000 in funding is simply not enough to keep the paper afl oat. Ten full time jobs from the Foinse offi ce in Carraroe have now been lost and Foras na Gaeilge now say they will put the current contract for an Irish language paper out to tender. Foinse is Ireland’s only fully Irish language paper and the President of Con-radh na Gaeilge, Pádraig Mac Fhearghusa said its loss is a huge disappointment for everyone in the Irish speaking community.

CSI: Clifden News UpdateOn the 5th June the planning section of

the Department of Education & Science confi rmed in writing to CSI: Clifden that the band rating for the Community School rebuild was increased from 2.3 to 2.1. Th is is a signifi cant development and was brought about through local pressure with petitions, public meetings and input from our local and national government representatives. However, there is some way to go yet and the local pressure must be maintained to progress plans for the badly needed new school building. Th is aff ects everyone in the community and we appeal for your sup-port. Everyone is asked to attend our public meetings to show our elected representatives the interest we have in this campaign. We all can realise the benefi ts that a new, modern “fi t for purpose” school building will be for the students coming down the line from the feeder national schools across Connemara. Th is campaign has being going for over ten years and we need to ensure that it doesn’t take another ten. Th e more people who are vocal the better chance we have of being heard sooner rather than later. Our next meeting is Wednesday July 15th at 8pm in the Community School. Councillor Eileen Mannion will be attending this meeting. Please support this initiative to get our new school building.Log onto www.connemara-view.com/csiclifden for more news.

Jessica Hansson recently completed the Mini Marathon in Dublin with sponsorships for CSI: Clifden.

CSI: Clifden tee-shirts are on sale now in Keane’s Shop, Main St, Clifden.

GMIT Letterfrack Graduate Furniture Exhibition

Th e annual Graduate Furniture Exhibi-tion at the Letterfrack Campus will open to the public on Monday July 6th and features many pieces of work from talented students studying furniture design making, produc-tion, conservation, restoration, research and technology.

Th e Graduate Furniture Exhibition is housed in the new gallery on campus, which was offi cially opened by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. Opening hours are 9am to 5pm daily and admission is free. Th e exhibition runs until August 28th.


The ‘Golden Mile’ of Galway 2009Galway County Council in conjunction with Galway Rural Development Company,

Comhar na nOileán, Forum Connemara, Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta and Galway County Heritage Forum, invites community groups to enter this important heritage competition.

The Golden Mile of Galway is an initiative of Galway County Heritage Plan, the aim of which is to foster a greater appreciation and awareness of our country roadscapes by rural dwellers and visitors. This can be done through careful management of the fl ora and fauna, ditches, traditional stone walls and other natural and man made features in a litter/rubbish free environment. Awards will be given for:•Overall award : Perpetual trophy •The mile showing best potential•Best natural heritage mile•Best built heritage mile•The safest mile•The Tony Dervan RIP, award for best community effort (including litter management)- Applications are confi ned to either a local primary, local secondary or local tertiary

road. - It is hoped to produce a calendar at the end of the year which will highlight the rich

heritage of the miles selected.- Judging will be by an independent panel of judges and will take place in September/

October 2009.

Closing Date: Friday 21st August 2009 at 4.00pmApplication forms and further information fromMarie Mannion, Heritage Offi cer, Galway County Council, Prospect Hill, Galway. Phone 091 509198 E-mail: [email protected] or Frank Keane,Rural Resource Offi cer, Galway Rural Development, Mellows Campus, Athenry, Co. Galway. Phone 091 844335 E-mail: [email protected]

Workshops will be held as follows:Saturday 27th June 2009 at 10.00am Coldwood National School, Coldwood,

Craughwell, Co. Galway.Saturday 18th July 2009 at 10.00am VEC Centre, Oughterard, Co. Galway.

Tugann Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe i gcomhar le Forbairt Tuaithe na Gaillimhe, Comhar na nOileán, Fóram Chonamara, Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta agus Fóram Oidhreachta Chontae na Gaillimhe cuireadh do ghrúpaí pobail cur isteach ar an gcomórtas tábhachtach oidhreachta seo.

Is tionscnamh de chuid Phlean Oidhreachta Chontae na Gaillimhe é Míle Órga na Gaillimhe, a bhfuil sé d’aidhm aige tuiscint agus aithne níos fearr ar ár mbóithre tuaithe a chothú i measc chónaitheoirí tuaithe agus cuairteoirí. Is féidir é seo a dhéanamh trí bhainistíocht chúramach ar fl óra agus fána, díoga, ballaí traidisiúnta cloiche agus gnéithe eile nádúrtha agus saorga i dtimpeallacht shaor ó bhruscar/dramhaíl. Bronnfar dámhachtain ar•Dámhachtain Fhoriomlán : buantrófaí •An míle a léiríonn an acmhainneacht is fearr•An míle leis an oidhreachta nádúrtha is fearr•An míle oidhreachta tógtha is fearr•An míle is sábháilte•Dámhachtain Tony Dervan RIP don iarracht phobail is fearr (bainistiú bruscair san áireamh)- Tá iarratais teoranta do phríomhbhóthar áitiúil, bóthar áitiúil den dara grád nó bóthar

treasach áitiúil.- Tá súil féilire a chur le chéile ag deireadh na bliana a thabharfadh suntas

d’oidhreacht shaibhir na mílte a roghnófar. - Is painéal moltóireachta neamhspleách a bheidh i mbun moltóireachta, agus beidh

sé seo ar siúl i Meán Fómhair/Deireadh Fómhair 2009.

Dáta Deiridh: Dé hAoine 21ú Lúnasa 2009 ag 4.00i.n.Foirmeacha iarratais agus níos mó eolais óMarie Mannion, Oifi geach Oidhreachta, Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe, Cnoc na Radharc, Gaillimh. Fón 091 509198 Ríomhphost: [email protected] nó Frank Keane, Oifi geach Acmhainní Tuaithe, Forbairt Tuaithe na Gaillimhe, Campas Mellows, Baile Átha an Rí, Co. na Gaillimhe. Fón: 091 844335 Ríomhphost: [email protected].

Tionólfar Ceardlanna mar seo a leanas:Dé Sathairn 27ú Meitheamh 2009 ag 10.00r.n. Scoil Náisiúnta Fuarchoill, Fuarchoill,

Creachmhaoil, Co. na Gaillimhe.Dé Sathairn 18ú Iúil 2009 ag 10.00r.n. Ionad Coiste Gairmoideachais, Uachtar Ard, Co.

na Gaillimhe.

Slí Dhúlra na Gaillimhe 2009

Domestic Arts Revival A popular aspect of pony show attractions

for those without a four legged entry in the competitions of the day is enjoying a revival. Th e Claddaghduff and Roundstone Shows have added Domestic Arts and Home Pro-duce classes to their events.

Th e Claddaghduff Show on August 9th will have craft classes at the Claddaghduff Hall. Classes will be held for Eggs, Home-made Produce and Home Grown Produce. Th ere will be special classes for under 12’s.Th e entry fee is €3 per class and there will be a trophy for each fi rst prizewinner, and a rosette for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each class. En-try forms are available at local shops and the closing date for entries is Sunday, July 26th. For further details contact Susan Cock-burn on 087-676-8584 or Laura Woods on 085-121-1544.

Roundstone Connemara Pony Show have also added an Arts and Crafts competition to the Show on Sunday July 12th. Entry forms are available to download from the website www.roundstoneevents.com or from Paddy McDonagh on 086-346-9372 and entries will also be accepted on the morning of the Show at Farrell’s Field. Entry Fee is €3 per Class or 4 Classes for €10 and there are classes for home produce, crafts and home baking.

Th e Clifden Pony Show saw a great renewed interest in the Domestic Arts com-petition in 2008, with an increase in entries making for a great display. Entry forms are available now from the CPBS Offi ce at the Showgrounds and by calling 095-21863 and can also be downloaded from www.connemaraview.com . Th e closing date for entries is Friday July 10th.

Fire Brigade New RecruitKenny Flaherty of Clifden is the latest ad-

dition to the Clifden Fire Brigade crew and is pictured here undertaking training exer-cises at his fi rst offi cial Fire Drill at Clifden Fire Station.

Fire Brigade Car WashTh e annual Clifden Fire Brigade car

Oughterard in over 20 primary schools and every year school children in those schools help by colouring approximately 1,000 post-ers which will be used in August to advertise the day. Activities on the day include scuba-diving, kayaking, boat and pony rides, the big sandcastle competition, beach races, bouncy castle, slide and face painting, sheaf throw-ing and Tug O’ War, all rounded off with a barbecue and refreshments, all for just €4 per adult and €3 per child. Th is day would not be possible without all the voluntary help from the WaterSports Day Team who tirelessly give of their time year after year. Newcom-ers who wish to become involved are always welcome. 095-41024.

1920’s Masquerade BallA Roaring Twenties Masquerade Ball in

aid of Cancer Care West will take place on the 15th August 2009 in the Clifden Sta-tion House Hotel. For further information please contact Cancer Care West on 091- [email protected]. Th anking you in advance for your generous support.

Research Study of ConnemaraIn June of 2009, researchers and students

from the University of Notre Dame and Hamilton College Cultural Landscapes of

the Irish Coast Project (CLIC) spent three weeks conducting historical and archaeo-logical research in western Connemara. Th e project combined archaeological survey and excavation with paleo-environmental, his-torical, archival, linguistic and photographic research to study topics related to changing rural and coastal life ways. Th is included one week camping on Inish Shark and two weeks centered in Clifden.

While staying on Inish Shark researchers focused on three tasks; (1) to photograph and record the abandoned 18th - 20th century fi shing village, (2) to undertake test excavations of the remains of two Bronze Age (approximately 2,000 to 600 BC) huts at the western end of the island and (3) to record oral histories of the people who lived on Shark. In addition, the team conducted a boat survey to record early Christian (5th to 8th century) occupation of remote islands along the northwestern area of Connemara. Th e work to date was shown at an exhibition on Inishbofi n in the Community Center on Saturday June 27th. Th is research will now be expanded over the next three years. Photo below: Th e abandoned fi shing village on Inish Shark which was recently studied by U.S. researchers.

wash for charity will take place outside the Fire Station on Saturday July 11th from 12-4pm. All are invited to come along for a great day’s fun and meet with the local Fire Brigade crew who will ensure you leave with a sparkling clean car!

Watersports Day 2009Th e ever popular WaterSports Day will be

held this year on Sunday, August 9th. Th is event is held on Glassilaun Beach, Renvyle, Co. Galway since 1995 as a fundraiser for ISPCC & Childline. It has proven itself to be a great success both as a fundraiser and as a wonderful day out and over €30,000 has been collected for ISPCC/Childline over the years-this money goes towards helping abused and neglected children. Th e annual Colouring Competition recently took place throughout Connemara, Westport and


ClifdenLocal pubs get ‘Pub Spied’ Two of Clifden’s pubs were recently visited by the Sunday World Pub Spy. Griffi n’s and Th e D’Arcy got great reviews and even though the fi rst thoughts regarding Clifden were “how anyone lived this far out…”, just a few minutes in Griffi n’s made them feel they could spend a week here. Griffi n’s was described as ‘ a real auld Irish pub that any tourist would be happy to visit’ and was one of the nicest pubs visited in the area. It also got a ‘Sparkling’ four out of fi ve Guinness rating. In Th e D’Arcy, ‘the craic was just mighty’ and the barman described as ‘very friendly and attentive’.

Connemara Chamber NewsAir Show Weekend

June 13th saw the culmination of 18 month’s planning for the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the historic fi rst nonstop transatlantic fl ight by Alcock and Brown from Canada to Connemara. Our hard working committee included Gerard King, Joe Lynch, Paul Mannion, Conor McEvaddy, Michael King and Paula Bann, aided as always on behalf of the chamber by Michele Hehir. Th e media exposure the area got from this event far exceeded even the most optimistic estimates with national news and media carrying extensive reports on the event. Th ere was also a signifi cant short term commercial boost to the area with a big visitor infl ux for the weekend. Th e show was spectacular and was only made possible by the hard working committee and the ongoing fi nancial support of the members of the chamber who, every year, invest in the promotion of events like this, to ensure our area remains at the forefront of visi-tors’ minds when they are deciding where to holiday. However, we did also have principal sponsors who gave signifi cantly to assist the Airshow committee and they were: Galway Airport, Galway County Council, Fáilte Ireland, SuperValu, Station House Hotel, Bank of Ireland-Clifden, Foyles Hotel and Abbeyglen Hotel, but in fact all chamber members who, actively contribute to this and other successful events through their support of the marketing and events fundraising by the chamber. (See photos on pages 26 & 27).

Other FestivalsIn fact June was a busy month for cham-

ber activities as we also organised a Family Walking Festival for the June bank holiday weekend. Working with Fáilte Ireland, we hope to build on the experience of this event to make this an annual event to add to the activity calendar of the area.

We held the Jazz and Blues weekend on the same weekend, with many old favourites returning to Clifden. Th is event will grow in the coming years as we establish a working relationship with our sponsors to get back to the heady days of the old Country Blues Festival.

Ongoing DevelopmentsWe currently have a number of major

projects which we are advancing to build on the tourism infrastructure of the area. All are at various stages of design and we hope to make signifi cant inroads in all of these projects in the coming months.Marconi/Alcock & Brown Guided Tour

We have submitted planning (thanks to Shane Joyce Engineer for all his voluntary

help in this) for a self-guided tour of the site in Derrygimla together with a proposal to upgrade access and parking facilities on the site. Th is project is being worked on in conjunction with NPWS and Failte Ireland, and once planning is approved, we hope to be able to seek funding for this project from various sources.

Architectural Guided TourFunded by Galway County Council, we

are at an advanced stage to developing a guided tour of the town and developing a professionally designed brochure together with text and an audio guide. We would hope to have the end product in place for Arts Week this year.

Pontoon/Jetty for Clifden BayTh e chamber has a foreshore licence for

the development of a jetty structure in Clifden Bay. Th is would be a permanent structure and would allow a degree of all water access to the boat club. Th e proposal is expandable, so in time it could be added to create a signifi cant boat infrastructure area in the bay. We are working closely with the Clifden Boat Club (thanks to Damien Ward for his input) on this joint eff ort and again we have our funding proposal with the Forum Leader Company for this project, so we await developments.

Clifden 2012Th e plans to celebrate the bi-centenary of

the town in 2012 are already underway. A committee has been formed and various pro-posals are being worked on and considered and the funding options explored. If you would like to get involved in any way, please contact us and we will put you in touch with the committee.

Please note that all this work is mostly un-dertaken by chamber volunteers. We provide the time and we are delivering on various projects but we do have costs. If you are in business in the area you should support this valuable work and join the chamber. By sticking together and advancing our princi-pal industry of tourism we will all benefi t. In fact it is in tougher economic times that the greatest need for collective action is required. Contact our treasurer Brendan Madden ([email protected]) for details of how you can help by joining the chamber.Declan Mannion, President, Connemara Chamber of Commerce.

Clifden & District Community CouncilBall Alley Development

Th e Clifden & District Community Council has recently applied to Galway County Council for planning permission for an all weather outdoor facility on the grounds of the Ball Alley.

Th e project is being promoted in conjunc-tion the Clifden Community Playground Committee and has already been given grant aid approval. It is hoped that planning will be granted for this community facility and that work on this project will begin as soon as possible.

LEADER PresentationKaren Mannion of FORUM Connemara

Ltd. gave a very informative presentation to the Council on Wednesday June 24th on the FORUM LEADER programme and in particular the funding supports available to community groups. Th e Council wishes to thank Karen and look forward to further meetings and collaboration with Karen and LEADER.

Meeting with Galway Co.Co. Th e Council has also held an introduc-

tory meeting with representatives of Galway County Council on Monday June 22nd. In attendance were Community Council mem-bers together with Mr Evan Molloy, Senior Engineer, Ms. Eimear Dolan, Administrative Offi cer, Community Enterprise & Economic Development and Mr TJ Redmond, Clifden Area Local Engineer.

Issues including the new Sewerage scheme, Water supply and an Urban Re-newal Scheme were discussed.

Procedures regarding community expres-sion of concerns in relation to County Coun-cil issues were also discussed. Further meet-ings will be arranged for later in the year.

Suggestions/ProposalsTh e Community Council is currently in

the process of arranging to have a sugges-tion box or boxes placed locally in order that ideas, complaints and concerns regarding lo-cal issues may be brought to the Community Council notice.

In the meantime, queries and suggestions may be sent or dropped to Clifden & Dis-trict Community Council, c/o Th e offi ces of JB Joyce Solicitors, Main Street, Clifden or e-mailed to [email protected].

Book of SolidarityA Book Of Solidarity for the Victims of

Abuse in Irish Institutions has been placed at the old Clifden Convent building, now Clúid Housing Association. Members of the public may sign the book from 9am-5pm from Mon-Fri over the summer months, and the book will then be forwarded to the Survivors of Institutional Abuse Ire-land (SOIAI) as a gesture of solidarity and support from the people of Clifden and Connemara.John Durning

Scoil Mhuire NewsSchool Year 2008-2009

On Th ursday 18th June, 6th class gradu-ated at a beautiful ceremony. Earlier in the day, at a special assembly, the staff and students honoured and said goodbye to them. Th ey are a very special group of young people. Th eir quiet leadership had a positive impact on the entire school and this was re-fl ected in the tributes paid to them by fellow

students and staff . Th ey are such a talented group of young people. Th eir parents must be so proud of them as are all of us at Scoil Mhuire.

Th anks to the 5th class parents who supplied the treats for the evening and to Loretta Joyce, Maureen McGrath, Patricia Moran, Mary and Shauna O’Toole, Siobhan and Megan Stoney who served the refresh-ments on the night. Th ank you to Fr. James Ronayne, PJ Lee, Eimear Kelly, Christine Mullen, Aodan McGlynn and the students and staff of Scoil Mhuire who helped make this a very special evening.

Year Book 2009Th is year 6th class has been involved in

producing a yearbook for the entire school. Normally, as in the years gone by, the year-book would be a 6th class production, but this year it has been extended to cover the entire school. We have noted the events and goings on from Junior Infants to 6th class.

Editors from 6th class students were cho-sen to take on the stressful role. Th ey were assigned one class to gather articles, infor-mation, and art during the course of the year. It was a lot of hard work, so we hope that you enjoy the whole yearbook in general.

Our hard working team of editors were: Grace Barry Hughes, Elaine Fahy, Katherine Kelly, Ryan Maher, Aoife Mannion, Muire-ann Mc Gylnn, Steven Slevin and Arlene Walsh Wallace.

Special thanks to Marie-Noëlle who directed this work throughout the year and laid out and published the year book.

We remind families that they can pick up their copy of the year book at the offi ce for €5. Photo: Scoil Mhuire 6th class students in Ball-intubber in April.

Mol an Óige 2009Th e Mol an Óige concert took place in

Christ Church on Sunday 21st June. Stu-dents from 3rd and 4th class and four violin-ists from Scoil Mhuire with their teachers took part in what was a wonderful display of talent from the Connemara area. Special thanks to Attracta McEvaddy, Siobhan King and Eimear Kelly.New School Year 2009-2010

All monies and relevant forms must be in the school offi ce by July 31st. See your school calendar for offi ce opening hours.


Over 600 Grace Kylemore Abbey Reunion

Th e Kylemore Abbey School Reunion took place on Saturday 27th June when over 600 former pupils descended on the grounds of Kylemore Abbey on a hot sunny after-noon. Registration took place from 9am on the Saturday morning as the schedule was to kick off at 12pm, but due to the large amount of girls, the schedule was running slightly behind time, as the queuing time exceeded expectations. On registration and payment (€35 p/p), each girl received a form to fi ll out for the reunion database, a schedule of the day’s events, a specially commemorated reunion memento key ring or emblem and a lunch ticket.

Girls came from near and far, from as near as Renvyle, Clifden, Galway and Dublin and as far away as Spain, Swit-zerland, Mexico and California.

A ceremonial Mass took place in the gym which was adorned with pictures from yesteryear from as far back as there was a camera available, right up to the present day, and it was packed to capacity with 3 priests giving Mass, Fr Gerry Burns, Fr. James Ronayne and Abbot Patrick Heder-man. Th e school choir gave an exceptional and admirable performance. Following Mass there was a tree planting ceremony, followed by lunch in a specially erected marquee where friends mingled and chatted over times gone by.

After lunch a ‘History of Kylemore’ presentation was shown in the Gothic Church and many girls chose to wander around, taking in a tour of the classrooms, the ref, the dorms and the Abbey itself before the concerts kicked off in the gym. Tea, coff ee, water and sweet pastries were available throughout the day, as many chose to sit and reminisce in the sunshine outside the marquee or stroll along the avenues. Inside the gym, the Irish Dancing display kicked off with a phenomenal display of some of the fi nest dancers who would give River Dance a run for their money. Local girls Emma O’Sullivan, Amy Coyne, Chelsea Kane, Hannah Mama-lis among a few, displayed their Sean Nos and Irish Dancing talents to a very impressed audience. Some of these displays can be now be seen online on YouTube. Th roughout, there was also an exhibit of Irish music and a show from the chil-dren of Letterfrack N.S. Up in the music room in the Abbey there was a reunion shop where memorabilia was on sale; cards, soaps and much more.

Nearing the

end of the day, a special plaque dedicated to the nuns was unveiled and presented to them. Sharon Molloy, the or-ganiser of the event was also thanked and praised, before the girls started to say their goodbyes and go their separate ways. Th ere were also Vespers in the Abbey church for anyone that wanted to partake after the day’s events came to a close. For many more the party continued as the hundreds of girls descended upon the villages of Letterfrack, Tullycross, Tully

and also on to Clifden to cel-ebrate the day a little more.

All in all it was a great day

of memories and nostalgia and it will be remembered for many, many a year to come.Priscilla Diamond Photos: Photos from top (l-r): Aoife Lydon nee Faherty, Catriona Conneely, Charlene Conroy, Nicola O’Malley nee Lydon. Chlodagh-Muire Callinan, Triona Doyle, Gerrie O’Neill, Carmel Ribbon, Priscilla Diamond and Sr. Dorothy. Fr James Ronayne and Sr. Genevieve. Carmel Rigney-Con-neely and Ann Kane.Below: Nicole Coyne and Louisa Jack.Photos courtesy of Priscilla Diamond and Louisa Jack


Clifden continued

Clúid 5th Anniversary Clúid Housing Association held a 5th Anniversary Patio Party at St Joseph’s Court in Clifden on Wednesday June 3rd where residents and friends enjoyed a great day of ceol and craic and a buff et lunch and refreshments in the sun-shine. Photo below courtesy of Kathleen Mortimer

Tigger by Leah DyckI’ve had a cat called Tigger since I was three years old,She has black and brown stripes, she is as good as gold,‘Meow, meow’ is what she likes to say as she sits on the

windowsill all day,I love to stroke her soft fur and listen to her gentle purr,She likes to lie in the warm sun,She is loved by everyone.

Summer Reading ChallengeTh e summer reading challenge takes place during July and

August. Children are encouraged to read all types of books and points are given for each book read; any child who reads six books or more will receive a certifi cate at the end of the summer. Th e theme of this year’s chal-lenge is Fantasy.

Photo CompetitionTh e library is running a junior pet photo

competition over the summer; just take a photo of your pet (or a friend’s) and attach it to the special entry form available at the library and send it in. Only photos attached to the special entry form will be accepted. Special thanks to Noreen Casey of Clifden Pharmacy for sponsoring 1st prize which is a fabulous digital camera.

Book SaleKeep a look out for our one off book sale later

in the summer; thank you very much to every-one who has donated books to the library. All

Library NewsPoetry Competition

Th e winners of the poetry competition were Leah Dyck aged 11 and Sadhbh O’Toole aged 6. Prizes were also award-ed to: Oriana Young; Ciara Heagney; Luke Carty; Matthew Barry; Alexander Davitt; Gráinne King; Ben Bartley; Aoife Mannion; Katherine Mannion; Eoghan Walsh; Lorcan Gay; David Stoney; Gemma Walsh; Johanna Browne; Cliona Gay; Anthony Curran; Amber Rima; Niall Heagney; Victo-ria Rima; Kelsi Young; Annie Conroy; Annabel Redman.

Winning PoemsDawn by Sadhbh O’TooleDawn is my favourite pony,I ride her every day,She’s silver grey,She’s only six,She doesn’t bite,She doesn’t kick,She only licks!Dusty is her foal.

proceeds of the book sale will go towards funding the children’s events at the library. Bernie Jeff riesPhotos : Clifden Community School Transition Year student

Patrick Wallace on work experience in Clifden Library. Readers of the month for April and May Clifden Library:

Eoghan Walsh and Alexander Davitt. Winners of Clifden Library Poetry Competition with Paul

and Bernie.

BallyconneelyPony Show Fundraiser

A Fundraising night in aid of the Ballyconneely Pony Show 2009 will take place at Ballyconneely Hall on Saturday July 11th when the Cunningham Family bring their ac-claimed show “Fuaim na Chuinneaganai” to Ballyconneely for the fi rst time. Special guests will join the show and a fantastic night of the best Sean Nos dance and song is prom-ised. Th e show will start at 8:30pm; tickets are €25 and can be bought locally where the poster is displayed, or by calling Bridget on 095-23053.

FORUM Leader Information NightAn information evening on the FORUM LEADER rural

funding programme will take place at the Ballyconneely Hall on Wednesday July 8th at 9pm. Karen Mannion of FORUM will explain the benefi ts and potential for obtaining funding for both individuals and community groups at the presentation and all are welcome and encouraged to attend on the night.

Ballyconneely NS Principal RetiresA surprise party organised by the Parent Association to mark the

retirement of Marion O’Malley was held at Ballyconneely N.S. on Friday June 26th. Family, friends, parents, pupils and past pupils attended to thank Marion for her years at the school and wish her well for the future. She was presented with two beautiful pictures by the students and vouchers by the parents. Marion then planted a shrub in the school grounds and took another plant of the same type with her to plant at home to remind her of the school.Photo top: Marion O’Malley pictured with her family at her recent

retirement function. Photo below: Retiring principal Marion O’Malley with past and present pupils of Ballyconneely N.S.

Photos courtesy of Ann Mitchell


Ballyconneely continued

PigFest 2009!Ballyconneely’s fi rst ‘PigFest’ will be held on Saturday Au-

gust 1st at 1 o’clock sharp until late in aid of Ballyconneely and Aillebrack National Schools, Ballyconneely Playschool and After School Service and Inclusion Ireland.

A great day of fun is guaranteed for all the family. While the pig is roasting in the Ballyconneely Show Field, a lot of fi eld events will be available for all ages from bouncy castles, face painting and novelty fi eld sports for the children and adults, to three legged races, sack races, and egg n’spoon races. Th ere will also be football matches, an over 35’s Vs under 35’s, and an adults tug-o-war.

Lights refreshments will also be available in the hall. All are welcome to attend and support what promises to be a great day out for all the family.

CarnaPictured are Geraldine and Riona McTavish from Carna

at the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway in June. Riona was a mascot for the Puma team at the closing ceremony.

CarraroeEU Direct Centre

Carraroe is one of seven library authorities across Ireland which has been awarded a four year contract to operate EU Direct Centres and is the only dedicated Irish language centre. Th ese public libraries have taken on a valuable new role to provide easy access to EU information to everyone. People who require information about Europe can contact Europe Direct Information Centres, where they will fi nd a wide range of documentation, multimedia information and expertly trained staff ready to discuss any questions about Europe. Th e centres will provide free phone access to a live Q&A service and free PC access to EU online services.

CashelCashel NS News

Hi everyone! Seeing as it’s the last Connemara View for us before we go on holidays, I thought we could make it an extra-special review over the last month!Scríobh Leabhar Competition Winners

Every year, our school enters the Scriobh Leabhar Com-petition. Th e Scriobh Leabhar Competition is a competition where pupils from schools around Galway write books in the Irish language. Th ey send them to a group who send the books around to other schools around your area. Th e pupils from other schools decide who wins in your class and they send it back to the group, who then send a letter to your school to tell them that they have won and that they must go to the Ardilaun Hotel in Salthill to redeem their prize. Th ere is an award ceremony and you will get a medal, a certifi cate and a t-shirt. Th is year, the winners from our school were; Niamh Mannion from 6th class, with her book ‘An Cluiche Peile’; Roma Joyce from 5th class, with her book ‘Mo Dhi-

alann Peile’; Rachel McDonagh from 4th class, with her book ‘Bia’ and Cailim Higgins from 3rd class, with his book ‘Michael Breithla’. Photo below - top (l-r): Rachel McDon-agh, Roma Joyce, Cailim Higgins and Niamh Mannion.

Write A Book winnerEvery year, Cashel School enters the Write-a-book

Competition. Th is is a competition that is nearly the same as the Scriobh Leabhar Competition, but you write your book in English, not Irish. Th ey have the same system as the Scriobh Leabhar Competition except for the fact that one winner will be picked from the school. Th is year, our winner was Gracie McDonagh. She went to the lovely Gal-way Bay Hotel to collect her prize. She is pictured with our teacher Ms. Stephens. Photo below - second from top (l-r):

Cumann na mBunscoilWe entered the Cumman na mBunscoil. Th is tourna-

ment is Gaelic Football and we like to enter it as many years as we can. Th is year, we entered a Boys team, which includes a few girls. On Friday the 12th, our school played against other schools. Our fi rst match was against Cleg-

gan School. Cleggan has a very good team and after a 14 minute match, we won the match. Our second match was against Roundstone. Th ey were also a good team and we won against them also. We then found out that we were through to the semi fi nals in Oughterard on the 18th of June. We then played other matches there and got through to the fi nals for Th e Plate- but unfortunately lost- c’est la vie! Photo

below - third from top.

Off to Secondary SchoolOn the 30th of June, we broke up for the summer and

this year two of our pupils will be leaving. Niamh Man-nion and Lorraine Cunningham will be leaving for Clifden Secondary School. We will miss them very much. We will also miss their wonderful talents that they had shown to us and we hope that they will carry on their talents in Second-ary School. We will remember them for a long time in our school. Induction day and meeting for new pupils take place soon as well as our sports day. Photo below - bottom

Bye! Cashel School Journalist, Roma Joyce.

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P a g e 1 0 J u l y 2 0 0 9 C o n n e m a r a V i e w N e w s p a p e r

Claddaghduff Volvo Ocean Race – “Let’s Do It Galway”!

During the recent stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race, the community of Cleggan and Claddaghduff made a presentation to Eamon Conneely to mark his tremen-dous contribution and tireless work in bringing the race

to Galway port for the two week stopover event. Eamon was presented with a beautiful painting titled “Omey from Patches” by Cathal O’Malley which depicts the view from Eamon’s homeplace of Patches in Claddagh-duff . Th e presentation was made by one of the commu-nity’s most senior and well known citizen’s, Stevie King of Aughrismore.Photo (l-r): Cathal O’Malley (Artist), Eamon Conneely, Stevie King, Ian Walker, Skipper of the Green Dragon. Photo courtesy of Dorothy Conneely

Dolphin Country Market-ClegganEvery Saturday and Wednesday-fresh vegetables, fi sh,

free range eggs, home baking, arts, crafts and lots more.Saturdays: 11:00am to 3:00pm, Wednesdays: 4:00pm

to 7:00pm. Location: Cleggan Community Centre at the top of the pier in Cleggan Village.

BingoBingo takes place in Claddaghduff Hall every Sunday

evening at 8:30pm. Come along and try your luck! All welcome.

Books-Bring & BuyEvery Sunday morning at Claddaghduff Hall from

11:00am to 1:00pm-bring your used books and have a browse through the extensive collection of books available.

Community T’sCommunity T-shirts are now selling at Gannon Sports

Clifden, O’Toole’s Foodstore in Cleggan, Sweeney’s Claddaghduff and at Claddaghduff Hall.

Slogan Competition WinnersChildren from the Cleggan and Claddaghduff area

were invited to enter a slogan for the new community website which is currently under construction. Th e win-ners are: Ciara Hewitt with “Can’t get enough of Cleg-gan and Claddaghduff ”; Róisín O’Malley with “Beauti-ful features with friendly creatures”; Kelsi Young with “Home Away from Home”.

Each of our winners will receive a “Community T” and their slogans will be displayed on the home page of the Cleggan / Claddaghduff community website. Well done to all of the entrants and thank you for your input. You are certainly a talented group!Dorothy Conneely

Green Flag SuccessCladdaghduff National School recently raised their

new Green Flag awarded to them by An Taisce. Th is is the school’s second Green Flag achieved for energy awareness. All the children have put in a lot of work in helping to get this fl ag for the school. Photo right: Th e pupils of Claddaghduff N.S. raise their latest Green Flag.

Cleggan/Claddaghduff Festival of the SeaFriday July 31stOpening of the Festival by Declan Nee of Bord Iascaigh

Mhara. Declan will give a short talk on local maritime which will be followed by a talk and presentation by Bren-dan O’Connor on the marine environment of the Aughrus area.Time: 8pm,Claddaghduff Hall.

Saturday August 1stOver 40’s Soccer on Omey Strand-Peter

Lydon Cup-check festival posters for time.

8:30pm. Margaret Irwin-Art Exhibi-tion, Claddaghduff Hall. Launch of ex-hibit of works by artist Margaret Irwin. Margaret studied in Dublin and with André L’Hôte Paris. From 1977 to 1991 she lectured at Dun Laoghaire School of Art, Co. Dublin and at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. Margaret has received many internation-al awards for her work. In 2008 she was the recipient of the “Lifetime Achieve-ment Award” from Galway County Council. Margaret lives in Claddaghduff where she has a modern print studio and an etching press. Th e exhibition will run for the duration of the festival.

Sunday August 2nd11am-1pm . Kids Badminton Tournament Claddaghduff Hall.1pm . Family Sports Day on Omey Strand. All welcome.

Followed by Super Soccer Match! Married VS- Singles on Omey Strand.

8:30pm. Bingo. Claddaghduff Hall.Monday August 3rd 1pm. Senior Badminton Tournament–Mixed Doubles.Cladd-

aghduff Hall.8pm. Talk and Presentation with Guest Speaker, Claddaghduff

Hall.9:30pm. Table Quiz (teams of 4). Sweeney’s Strand Bar,

Claddaghduff .Tuesday August 4th10:30am sharp. Archaeology Field Trip with Michael

Gibbons. Cleggan to Bundowlish. Please wear suitable footwear and clothing. €15 per person. Meeting point, Cleggan Beach.

11am. Irish Dance Workshop with Síona DeLappe-Claddaghduff Hall.

8pm. Not-to-be-missed Seafood Buff et at Oliver’s Bar, Cleggan - Tickets available locally. €25 per person.

9:30pm. Darts Competition. Pier Bar, Cleggan.Wednesday August 5th11am. Sean-Nós Workshop with the Cunningham

Family–Claddaghduff Hall.

Guided Walk with John O’Halloran to Omey Island or Inisbofi n–see posters for more info.

7pm . Archaeology of Connemara:a talk by John O’Halloran, Claddaghduff Hall.

8pm. Céilí Mór–Céol agus craic at the Irish Night in Cladd-aghduff Hall.

Th ursday August 6th11am . Irish Dance Workshop with Síona DeLappe–Cladd-

aghduff Hall8pm. “A History of Cleggan Lobster Pond”. Talk and presen-

tation by John Fouere. Claddaghduff Hall.8:30pm. Art Exhibition at Sweeney’s Strand Bar, Claddagh-

duff with Wine & Cheese Reception.Friday August 7th4pm. Golf: 3 Ball Scramble, Ballyconneely Golf Club. Fol-

lowed by evening Bar-B-Q, prizegiving and presentation of trophies at Oliver’s Bar, Cleggan.

8pm . “Chasing Tom Crean – An Antartic Experience”. Talk and presentation by John Coll. Claddaghduff Hall.

Saturday August 8th2pm. Children’s Art and Poetry Workshop with John Dunne.

Claddaghduff Hall.8pm. Close of Festival with music, song and dance-Claddagh-

duff Hall.Sunday August 9thCladdaghduff Pony Show. Showfi eld adjacent to Sweeney’s,

Claddaghduff . Domestic, Arts & Crafts Fair on show in Claddaghduff Hall. Fun Day for all the family!

Inishbofi nInishbofi n N.S. News

Th ree children from Inishbofi n N.S won medals in the recent Scríobh Leabhar competition. Th e children had to write a book ‘as Gaeilge’, decorate it and type it up. All the children took part in the competition and the three prizewinners are pictured here. Photo: Chloe Cunnane (4th Class), Sarah Lavelle O’Connor (3rd Class) and John Ward (5th Class). Photo courtesy of Mary Day Lavelle

KylemoreDay Retreat

A Day retreat will take place at Kylemore Abbey on Saturday July 25th. All are wel-come to attend.

Flag of Ramillies UnveiledSr. Máire, O.S.B., Superior of the

Benedictine Community, Kylemore, Con-nemara, Co. Galway is pictured talking with the Belgian Ambassador Mr. Robert Devriese after he had unveiled the Flag of Ramillies. Th e historic fl ag has recently been restored and is now on display at Kylemore Castle.

Also attending the ceremony were Min-ister Éamon O’Cuív, Minister for Commu-nity, Rural and Gaeltacht Aff airs and Ms Marie Mannion, Heritage Offi cer, Galway County Council.

Th e Flag of Ramillies belonged to the Irish Brigade, led by Charles O’Brien, Viscount of Clare that fought in support of the French King in the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 1700’s.

Continued on next page

C o n n e m a r a V i e w N e w s p a p e r J u l y 2 0 0 9 P a g e 1 1

Kylemore Flag of Ramillies Unveiled continued

At the Battle of Ramillies (12 miles north of Namur in Belgium) on 23rd May 1706, the French army was routed by the English under the Duke of Marlborough aided by the Dutch.

Even as the French troops fl ed, Viscount Clare’s brigade turned round and engaged with the oncoming victorious English. Th ey succeeded in recovering their regimental fl ag, which the English soldiers had captured from them. Th e rescued fl ag was later deposited for safe keeping in the convent of the Irish Benedictine nuns in Ypres, where it hung for many years in the choir, as a proud reminder of the courage of the Irish soldiers. By the time the Irish nuns left Ypres (1914) to return to Ireland after an exile of over 200 years, they took the precious relic with them. It had however been damaged and only the middle part of the fl ag, depict-ing the Irish harp, has survived. It has now been restored and can be seen in Kylemore Abbey.Photo courtesy of the Benedictine Community, Kylemore

LetterfrackLetterfrack NS Graduation

Th e Graduation of sixth class pupils from Letterfrack N.S. took place at the school on Tuesday June 23rd. Th ey are wished all the best as they continue in their education and paths through life. Photo below (l-r): Chloe Folan, Ellen Ormsby, Gillian McGreal, Teacher Laura Dunne, Aoife Prendergast, Yasmin Rima, Seamus Walsh, Dylan Holloway, Cathal Acton, Alan Kearney, Keith Kane.

GMIT Students travel to ZambiaTh ree students from the Letterfrack GMIT campus have

set off for Zambia in Southern Africa to set up a woodwork training facility in a remote village. Th e three recent gradu-ates, supported by GMIT, the Irish Sisters of Charity and the parish of Tourlestrane in Co.Sligo, left Galway in early June with the proceeds of several fund-raising events in Sligo, Kerry and Galway.

Fiachra McInerney from Raheen, Limerick and Dan Wright, from Liskeagh, Co. Sligo who have just completed the B.Sc. in Furniture Design and Manufacture at the Con-nemara campus, have spent the fi rst few weeks setting up and fi tting out the woodworking training centre and have been joined by another graduate Ann Foley from Lissel-

ton, Co. Kerry. All three are delivering a 10-week training programme to a group of local students in Maamba, Zam-bia. Th is is not the fi rst time GMIT Letterfrack has been involved in overseas voluntary work. A few years ago three students went to Th ailand for their placement and helped set up a furniture making enterprise in one of the villages aff ected by the Tsunami.Photo: Recent graduates of the GMIT Letterfrack campus who have traveled to Zambia to help build a woodwork training skills facility in Maamba. L-r: Dan Wright from Liskeagh, Co. Sligo, Ann Foley from Lisselton, Co. Kerry

and Fiachra McInerney from Raheen, Limerick, with their GMIT lecturer and project co-ordinator Dr. Paddy Tobin.

Letterfrack CICTh e Citizen’s Information Service will be available at Con-

nemara West, Letterfrack on Tuesday July 7th and Tuesday July 28th from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Call on 087-130-1100 or drop in on the day.

MaamFéile an Mháma

Th e Festival Weekend in Maam, organised by Coiste Forbartha an Mhama, will take place on the 24th, 25th and 26th of July.

On Friday 24th there will be Mass in Breenane Graveyard at 7.30pm. Th is will be followed by the opening of the Festi-val and music in Ionad Pobail An Mháma.

On Saturday a hill walk will take place. Climbers are re-quested to be at the Community Centre in Maam at 11am- starting time. Th at evening there will be Ceol agus Craic in the Kilmilkin Bar.

Sunday 26th will be a great day for families, with a Chil-dren’s sports day, bouncing castle, tug of war, barbeque etc. Th e festival will fi nish with music at Keane’s Bar. (see posters for further details.)

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the week-end activities. Fáilte Róimh Gach Duine!

Maamturk Walking GroupTh is group meets every second

Sunday to climb diff erent moun-tains in the locality. Th ey recently climbed Croagh Patrick, Benbaun Mountain and Diamond Hill.

Th eir next climb will be Ben Gorm and Ben Creggan, also Maméan, from the Recess side to Maam.

Th ere are two hill climbs each fortnight, depending on experience and levels of fi tness. Everyone is welcome to come along and join the Walking Group.

Maam Women’s GroupTh e Women’s Group meets on

the fi rst Th ursday of every month at 8.30pm. Plans for the future include a pottery workshop in Westport in July, Art classes in the Autumn, and various other talks and workshops.

At the next meeting, a Citizen Information Offi cer from MFG will give a talk on aspects of social welfare, housing, health entitlements, taxation, etc.

To celebrate their 15th birthday the Women’s Group are organising a concert in Maam on Sunday, September 6th. More details in the next issue of Connemara View!

WeddingCongratulations to Brenda Laff ey, Mounterown and Ken-

neth O’Dea, Clarinbridge who got married in Italy on 23rd of June. We wish them many years of happiness together.R. Hanley

OughterardSewerage Scheme Update

Cllrs Sean Kyne and Th omas Welby presided over the opening of tenders for the pre-qualifi cation stage of con-tracts for the Oughterard Sewerage Scheme. Th e County Council received a total of 14 expressions of interest. Th ese documents will be reviewed by the County Council Water Services Section and there will be a short-listing of possibly 4 or 5 consultants. An interview process will follow to select the successful consultants. Th e approved consultants will draw up contract documents for the sewerage scheme. Both councilors have impressed on Galway County Council to appoint the winning consultants as fast as possible to allow the next stage of this scheme to proceed.

WestRun Vintage rally hits OughterardOn Sunday 26th July, Oughterard will be welcoming

WestRun 2009, which is a rally of Veteran and Vintage cars, organised by the Western Veteran and Vintage Motor Club. Th e stopover is being organised in partnership with Oughte-rard Community Council.

Th e cars will be stopping in Oughterard on their return journey from Clifden to Galway and will be parked in the village for viewing starting at approximately 12 noon.

Additional events have been organised including live tra-ditional music, face painting and competitions. Th e Oughte-rard Tidy Towns Group will also be running a summer fair, which will take place in the grounds of the church starting at 12:30. On sale will be locally produced fresh cakes, veg and refreshments. Proceeds of the summer fair will be in aid of the Oughterard Tidy Towns Group and all are welcome to attend on the day.

Oughterard Community Archive LaunchedOughterard Culture and Heritage Group in Partnership

with the National Museum of Ireland launched their Com-munity Archive for the internet on Th ursday evening June 18th at the Oughterard V.E.C.

Guest of Honour at the launch was Minister Éamon Ó Cuív. Th e Oughterard Community is the fi rst group in Ireland chosen by the museum to spearhead their “Capture it before it’s gone” project. Th e Museum is hoping to encour-age groups across the State to use the museum’s facilities to organise, record and create digital archives which are then to be published on the web for all to share.Photos: David Collins, Éamon Ó Cuív T.D. and Pat McGrath. Pictured at the launch of the Oughterard Com-munity Archive were Dermot Joyce and Christy Butler.Photos courtesy of Tom Broderick


Oughterard continued

Community Council AGMTh e Oughterard Community Council held its AGM at

the Oughterard Community Centre on Wednesday June 17th. Th e committee are pictured (l-r): Brid Mhic An Iomaire (Treasurer), Marie-Helene Poudevigne, Robert Watson, Th eresa Tierney, Eoin Bresnihan (Vice-Chair), Patrick Faherty (Chair), Justin Keogh (Oughterard Business Association & G.A.A.), Carmel Geoghegan (Secretary) and Heather Watson ( P.R.O.).

LEADER Presentation A LEADER Presentation Night explaining the benefi ts

and potential of the FORUM LEADER programme took place in Oughterard at the Connemara Lake Hotel on June 9th. Photo below middle (l-r): Cllr Tom Welby, Marie-Helene Poudevigne, Joe Conaty, Cllr Sean Kyne, Christine Mulker-rins, Cathy Keane, Patrick Faherty, Carmel Geoghegan and Th eresa Tierney.

HB Ice Cream PartyTh e HB Ice-Cream Party held in aid of Down Syndrome

Ireland on June 29th was a huge success! Held in the beauti-ful Brigit’s Gardens who allowed all attendees entrance free of charge, the event attracted many local parents, children and

adults.HB donated the ice-

cream while the Ough-terard Parent & Toddler Group donated the cones and organised the day. Everyone enjoyed a free ice-cream cone with a donation to DSI. Th ere were also toddlers toys, volunteers face-painting, and Brigit’s Gardens’ huge sand-pit with gorgeous surroundings, which made for a really great afternoon.

A total of €511.17 was raised on the day and with the left-over ice cream, the Toddlers Group is organis-ing a few small parties to increase the total raised as high as possible.

Th e Oughterard Parent & Toddler Group would like to especially thank Brigit’s Gardens and all who made such generous donations and helped out with the day.

Th e Oughterard Par-ent & Toddler Group is on break for the summer but will reconvene on September 2nd. Th e group meets in the Oughterard Community Centre on Wednesday mornings from

10am-12am. Mothers, fathers and carers are all welcome. For more information please contact Renske 085-765-0075. Photo bottom left: Oughterard Parent & Toddler group enjoy sunshine and ice-cream at the HB Ice Cream party in Brigit’s Garden.

Oughterard Show/Special Olympics Fundraising Day

Oughterard Show Society has teamed up with Special Olympics for a Fun-day fundraiser to take place on Saturday 4th July. Th ings kick off at 11 a.m. on Saturday with a Treasure Hunt designed for age groups 4 to 6, Under 10 and Under 12. Th is will be followed by Novelty Sports at 12 noon and will include a 40 foot infl atable obstacle course as well as a wide variety of fun races and activities for adults and children. Th e day fi nishes with a barbecue and music at the Boat Inn from 2.30 to 5pm. Cost is €5 per child and adults are free. Contact Maria at 086-151-7289 for further details.

Oughterard Show takes place this year on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th of August and we look forward to having two bright sunny days as in 2008! In the meantime look out for the launch of the 2009 Show Schedule in a few weeks time. Leslie Lyons

RenvyleAnimal Rescue

A sale in aid of Renvyle Animal Rescue will be held on Sunday 2nd August in Th e Ellis Hall, Letterfrack from 10am-3pm. Home baking, plants, toys, bric-a-brac, household items, crafts, pottery, curios, books, DVDs, clothes and more. If you have anything to donate for the sale please contact Judy on 087-056-6302 or Babs at WestVet. We would also welcome more contributions of home baking on the day. Th ank you for helping us to help animals in need.

RoscahillFunding for St Annin’s N.S.

Deputy Frank Fahey and Councillor Seamus Walsh have announced that they have secured additional funding to cover costs associated with car parking which was recently applied for by the school authorities.

Th e school has been granted an overall amount of €360,000 from the Dept. of Education to build 2 classrooms and 2 resource rooms as part of the Permanent Accommodation Scheme. To date, 1 classroom, a principal’s offi ce and 1 re-source room have been built and completed.

It is understood from the school authorities that a planning application is to be submitted for the additional classroom, and if permission is granted, the works are scheduled to com-mence immediately. Th e further funding, as secured, will allow for a badly needed car park to be provided at the school.

Both Deputy Fahey and Cllr. Walsh were in direct contact with the Minister in order to secure this grant.

Welcoming the news both Deputy Fahey & Cllr. Walsh added “we are delighted to have secured this funding for the people of Killannin and surrounding areas.”

Th ey have also complimented and congratulated the Board of Management of the school and their architects for the hard work done in achieving this development.

RoundstoneArts Festival 2009

Arts Week has gotten off to a good start, of course the weather helps! I take my hat off to Ann Conneely-I had to be away in Dublin for a family commitment for those few days and Ann was on her own to see that all went well with the opening of various events.Trust me when I tell you it’s quite stressful to be on your own, but the feed back to me from the attendees was that Ann did a good job and survived! Well done to you Ann and to all the other various helpers. Th ere is a lot more to come over the second weekend for all ages, workshops, cooking demonstrations, the making of Bridget’s Crosses, dancing work shop with Brian Cunningham, the build up to a fabulous parade on the Sunday 5th July with theme of the sea and the environment, drumming-the drum-mers will also lead the Parade on the last day, lots of noise, through the village-that will be fun!

One thing that should not be missed is the Saturday 4th July 6.30pm in the protestant church, is a concert with two very well known harpists, Glynis Casson and Cormac de Barra. So we hope to see great attendance from all over Con-nemara for these events. Richard de Stacpoole.Th e full schedule of events of the second weekend of the Roundstone Arts Festival can be found on Page 36.


Roundstone Noyelles sous Lens visit

Th e second half of the Noyelles Sous Lens group, i.e. the cyclists, arrived on Wednesday evening June 10th after a 520k ride from Dublin, to a real Roundstone welcome, (there are some photographs of the event on the website, which were taken by Sam Reynolds) led by the Mayor him-self. Th eir whole trip was a great success as far as they were concerned, particularly with the friendships made through-out Ireland as well as Roundstone. A reception was held for them in Eldon’s hotel with speeches and presentation of gifts from both sides. Chairman Michael Reynolds and Michael Ferron represented the Roundstone Community Council. My thanks to Brona and her staff for all their work that night and Brona’s generosity for giving them a buff et supper, Nicky Griffi n for giving them wine on Wednesdays dinner in O’Dowd’s, the Shamrock Bar for their help and generos-ity and various members of the Youth Club. All in all it was a very successful event for Roundstone. I am sure they will also look after us when we go over to France to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Twinning.

BirthCongratulations to Allison & Steve: Allison is the daughter

of Liz and the late Marty Devane. A baby girl was born to them recently and they have called her Fay. We wish them all well and hope that little Fay will grow up good and strong.

EngagementCongratulations to Simon Ashe and Anne Pryce on their

engagement- I gather Simon proposed on Inishlacken-how romantic on an island close to home, perfect Simon! Con-gratulations to Simon and Anne. We all wish you both all the very best for the future.

WeddingCongratulations also to Nicky Griffi n and his new wife

Diana who got married in Bulgaria in June. A long and happy life together is wished to them both.Gurteen Graveyard Mass

Father McCarthy will say Mass at Gurteen graveyard on the 19th July and not on the 12th July, as he announced some time ago. Th is is owing to the pony show being on that date. So that’s the 19th July at 3pm. Plenty of time to get graves tidied up.

Bottle Banks Talking about tidying up, there has been a few comments

about the overfl owing of the bottle banks in early June. A lot of boxes fi lled with empty bottles were left strewn all over the place in front of the banks. It looked awful. I only hope none of the Tidy Towns adjudicators saw this, as it rarely happens. If this overfl ow happens again, don’t leave the bottles out, take them home with you or inform a member of the Community Council to give Rehab a ring. So please don’t leave any rubbish whatsoever around those banks. It’s also very unfair on those who live within that area, looking out on the mess, never mind what our visitors will think.

DeathOur condolences to Donal Nee and his immediate family,

on the passing of his mother Sara, sister to Paddy Folan. Sara was one of these extraordinary people who had a great glint in her eye, gentle and a sense of humour right up to her later years. Sara will rest in peace, knowing a good job has been done. God bless you.

Date RemindersTo end off with reminders-10th July is the selection of the

Show Queen in the Community Hall. On 11th July there will be Mass at 8pm for all the deceased in Connemara, and of course, the Roundstone Pony Show on the 12th, but another date for you- 19th September up on the show grounds, there will be a town fair and sale of ponies rather like Ballinasloe.Richard de Stacpoole

Queen of the Show Selection 2009Th e Roundstone Connemara Pony Show in associa-

tion with Western Alzheimers foundation are to hold their Queen of the Show 2009 selection evening at the Commu-nity Hall, Roundstone on the 10th July 2009.

Due to the success of last year’s event, the Roundstone Connemara Pony Show committee has decided to associ-ate their Roundstone Queen of the Show 2009 selection evening with a charity for this year also. Roundstone Con-nemara Pony Show in association with Western Alzheimers

has teamed up for the Roundstone Pony Show Queen selec-tion and fashion evening.

All information on the Roundstone Pony Show dates and events for 2009 can be seen on our website www.round-stoneevents.com

Our Queen selection will be put forward to enter the Galway Rose selection in 2010, an exciting concept for the winner on the night. Th e winner at our event will receive a beautiful tiara sponsored and designed by House of Mag Aoide. Th e winner will also receive a consultation with Maureen O’Halloran of Anu Image Consultant. Th ere will be prizes of jewellery for the 2nd and 3rd placed competi-tors. Queen entries are now been taken by contacting Paddy at 086 3469372.

Running alongside the enjoyment of the Roundstone Pony Show Queen selection the evening will showcase Designer Hat Fashion, produced by designer, Suzie Mahony. Th ere are many spot prizes planned throughout the evening, alongside the main raffl e.

A little nostalgia - fashion through the bygone era-outfi ts from each decade from 1950’s to present day fashion will be modelled on the evening. Look out for your favourite fashion trend and the memories that you experience with it. You might even spot a local face on the ramp modelling their favourite fashion trend!

Tickets for the event on sale are priced at €15. Getting your tickets early is advisable. Not only are you enjoying a great evening out, but you are supporting a worthwhile fundraiser and event. For more details or tickets email [email protected] or call 086 3469372.

Dear EditorMy name is Jane Andrews and I was elected to the CPBS

Council on May 10th 2009. It was a great honour for me to be elected to the CPBS Council and I was the second deemed elected out of four seats to be fi lled on that day. I have been a member of the CPBS for approximately 18 years. I have produced ponies in hand and under saddle, including performance in England and Ireland and am cur-rently a Junior Judge with the CPBS.

In October of 2008 the Council of the CPBS voted to change the judging procedure in Clifden to having one judge per ring, where there are normally 2 or 3 judges, similar to inspections. I lodged a petition to the CPBS for the mem-bers to decide whether this was the right thing to do. In order to call an E.G.M. I had to get 75 names; I got double that amount in just 2 days. Th is motion went forward to the AGM where a vote was held. Th e vote resulted in an 84

Letters to the Editor to 24 majority in favour of having more than one judge in Clifden. However, after the vote I was told that the fi nal de-cision would have to go back to the Council. To date, there has been no decision since May 10th,-does this mean that the wishes of the members are to be ignored?

I would also like to bring to member’s attention that on the day of signing on the Council, I notifi ed both the sec-retary and the president that I had an unavoidable prior ar-rangement to travel to England for 8 days. Th e meeting was then called during the dates when I was away. Th is meeting was very important to me as it was to be my fi rst Council meeting and all committees were to be re-elected. Also for the fi rst time ever, and without prior notice the meeting was informed that all committees are now limited to 3 members. More outside members can be elected by the sub committees of which there are 9. Th is gives 27 positions to 24 Council members. I was not elected to any committees despite be-ing proposed and seconded. Some Council members hold 3 positions, most have 2 positions and 5 of us are without positions. One person holds two chairperson positions, and three others have chairperson positions. I now have no position at all, and in my opinion this is as a result of block voting, which is illegal, as all members of the Council should be on 2 committees in order to represent the people who elected them. I strongly feel that there may be discrimina-tion within the Council, in addition to the member’s wishes being ignored in relation to having more than one judge in Clifden.

Th e second Council meeting took place on June 30th and lasted all of 5 minutes as the president and a fellow director had a dispute at the previous meeting. With no position on the Council now to represent those who elected me, I con-clude from what I have seen, and the minutes I received of the June 2nd meeting, that the CPBS has split into 2 groups and is going nowhere. I fi nd this extremely disappointing as there is so much that could be and needs to be done to improve the promotion of the Connemara pony.Jane AndrewsConnemara Pony Society Council Member

More Letters to Editor on Page 31

Quick Response To StrikeOn Tuesday June 30th striking Gal-

way County Council workers could be seen assuming strike position complete with placards all over Galway, including Clifden, in protest at the suspension of 17 outdoor council workers for failing to work with private contractors else-where in the county. After three hours of talks between council offi cials and union representatives, the council agreed to reinstate the workers later that evening. Trade union SIPTU is also asking the Labour Court for an early hearing to try to resolve issues surrounding job cuts and reductions in allowances paid to Galway Co.Co. employees.


Naomh Feichin Under 16 League WinnersTh e Clifden Naomh Feichin Under 16 side were presented with the League cup after defeating St Gabriel’s

from Kilconnell at Pearse Stadium Galway on Friday June 26th. Th e game was tight throughout with a lot of midfi eld action and Naomh Feichin led by 8 points to 5 at half time. Overall, Naomh Feichin’s pace and play was superb and they held out to take the fi nal on a scoreline of 0-18 to 1-7. Photos: Th e Naomh Feichin Under 16 League cup winners 2009. Captain Ronan O’Donnell receives the cup amid celebrations from fellow team mem-bers. Photos courtesy of Ann Mitchell

Clifden Minors beat ClonburNaomh Feichin Minors

played their fi rst Champion-ship match in Rosmuc in

June where they got off to a winning start against Clonbur

minors. Photos: Left - Th e Clifden team. Right - Th e

Clonbur team.


GAA Cúl Camps 2009G.A.A. summer camps in both football and hurling will

take place all over Connemara this year providing kids with an action-packed and fun-fi lled week of activity during the summer holidays which revolves around maximising enjoyment and sustaining participant involvement in Gaelic Games. Activities are game based with a strong emphasis placed on skill acquisition and are organised in an age appro-priate manner with a view to: optimising learning, enhancing friendships, improving physical and psychological well being and promoting school and club links. A diff erent aspect of the game is worked on each day and on the last day of the camp a “blitz” will be organised to provide each child with an introduction to competitive games. To fi nd out more or book a place at a camp go to www.vhiculcamps.gaa.ie and book online or contact the co-ordinators at the numbers below.Football

July 6-10: Moycullen Club Grounds. 086-212-4830

July 13-17: Oughterard Club Grounds. 085-761-5421)

July 20-24: Clifden Club Grounds. 095-21631. Registration

Day is July 18th 11am-1pm at the Clifden GAA pitch.

July 20-24: Clonbur Club Grounds. 087-245-5427

July 27-31: Renvyle Club Grounds. 086-300-1624

July 27-31: Rosmuck Club Grounds. 087-286-9929

July 27-31: Carna Club Grounds. 087-987-8010

Hurling/Camogie

July 20-24: Moycullen Club Grounds. 086-811-9373

July 27-31: Clifden GAA Grounds. 086-172-8954

Forum Youth in Action Summer Camps 2009

Th e Forum Youth in Action Summer Camps will take place around Connemara in July and August at the following locations and dates:

July 6-10: Roundstone Community Hall.

July 13-17: Claddaghduff National School.

July 20-24: Tullycross Community Hall.

July 27-31: West Connemara Leisure Centre (Clifden Com-

munity School Gym).

August 4-7: Cashel Community Hall.Activities will consist of Arts, Crafts & Sports. Kids are

asked to bring suitable sports gear and rain gear if necessary, and a packed lunch. Th ere will be a special barbecue on the last day of each camp. All camps are from 12-3pm daily, €4 per day, 7-12 yrs old. It is not necessary to book in advance, just come along on the fi rst day of camp.

RNLI 10k Run 2009Following last year’s big success, the Clifden Lifeboat 10k

race will take place in Clifden on Sunday 13th September 2009 at 2pm. Th e route will once again take competitors up the scenic Sky Road and will have 5 diff erent categories to suit all levels of fi tness from serious runners, walkers and youths, as well as teams of 3 or 4 people. Entry fee is €10/individual or €25/team.

Last year’s race raised almost €9000 for the Clifden Life-boat and we hope to match this again this year.

For more information/entry forms, you can email: [email protected], or text/phone 085-168-0402 or enter online at www.runireland.com.

Hallmark Continues Winning Ways

Clifden’s yacht racing ‘Team Hallmark’, led by Jackie Ward, started this season’s racing in the ‘Purcell Marine Spring Series’, a month of Sunday racing in Galway Bay. Th ere were six races in this series and the end result was an impressive six wins for Hallmark.

After the Volvo yachts had drawn the crowds and held their races in Galway Bay, there was then the Galway Bay Sailing Club’s annual regatta, GB’09. A fur-ther six races were held in this regatta, and a further six wins for Hallmark were achieved.

Th e follow-ing week saw the ‘ICRA National Champion-ships’ held on the West Coast, in Tralee Bay, for the fi rst time. Th is brought an extra 30 or so yachts, comprising of the best of the East and South coasts, to race against the best of the West. Th is event also coincided with the ‘WIORA West Coast Championships’ and both events were hosted by Tralee Bay Sailing Club.

Six races were held at the Nationals but this time it wasn’t quite so straightforward. Th e hot favorite and defending title holder, ‘Alliance’ from Howth Yacht Club and another of Hallmark’s favorite competitors, ‘Battle’ from Foyne’s Yacht Club, were but two of the accomplished Class 3 IRC Fleet.

Of these top three it was a fi ght to the very last race to decide who would be this year’s title holder, but to cap off a great run of wins, Hallmark once again prevailed, gaining the title of 2009 ‘Class 3 IRC National Champions’.Photos: Team Hallmark 2009 (L-r): Th omas Davis, Barry Ward, Damian Ward, Jackie Ward, Mike Coquil, Michael Da-vis. Hallmark fl ying her latest spinnaker in Tralee Bay in June. Photo courtesy of Donal McCormac, yacht ‘Battle’, Foynes Yacht Club.

SAILING

Th e Naoimh Feichin Under 11’s squad

performed superbly in Moycullen in June. Th e team is

advancing in skills at a rapid rate, accord-ing to a prominent GAA offi cial who commented at the end of the scoring

“blitz” by the young Clifden based side.

Photo courtesy of Malachy Kearns

P a g e 1 6 J u l y 2 0 0 9 C o n n e m a r a S p o r t s V i e w

Grainne Mhaoil Under 9 and Under 11 Girls team who played in Barna in June. Photo courtesy of Geraldine McTavish

Oughterard Golf07/06/09 18 Hole V Par Competition,

Sponsor: Valu Homes.1st Dick Lyons (23) 7 Up. 2nd Chris Gould (11) 6 Up (4Up, b9). Gross: Liam O’Reilly (3) 2 Down Gross. 3rd Richard O’Brien (18) 6 Up (2Up, b9). 4th Christy Smyth (18) 5 Up (5Up, b9), 5th John M Walsh (17) 5Up (4Up b9). CSS 1 UP.

14/06/09 18 Hole Stableford Competition.Sponsor: Sutton Oil. 1st Colum O’Grady (18) 42 pts. 2nd Darren Waters (10) 41 pts (21B9). Gross: Hugh Walsh (4) 33 Gross pts (18b9). 3rd JJ Faherty (12) 41 pts (20b9). 4th Maurice Power (8) 40 pts. 5th Seamus Hynes (12) 39 pts. CSS 36 pts.

10/06/09 Ladies 18 Hole Competition. Sponsor: Dixon Carpets-Open. C.S.S. 73. 1st Laura Gore (16) 40pts (B9) 2nd Ann Kavanagh (23) 40pts Gross: Gina Gilligan (10) 29 Gross pts, 3rd Marguerite Fallon (15) 38pts. Category 0 – 20. 1st Ann Woods (17) 35, 2nd Ann Casburn (19) 33, Category 1 – 28. 1st Mary Slyne (28) 37, 2nd Valerie O’ Toole (26) 36, Category 29 – 36. 1st Mary Mylotte (29) 37, 2nd Bridie Duane (32) 34.

16/06/09 18 Hole Open Day. 1st Joe Healy (18) 40pts, 2nd Robert Monroe (16) 39pts (23b9), 3rd Ken Jenkins (18) 39pts (19b9), 4th Antone Kelly (14) 38pts (21b9), 5th Brendan King (23) 38pts (18b9, 15b9), CSS 36pts.

20/06/09 Brendan Ferguson’s Presidents Prize Competition. 1st Gerry Cox (11) 64 Nett. 2nd Bartley Lydon (16) 65 Nett (33B9). Gross: Frank Ford (5). 3rd Donal Conlon (15) 66 Nett. 4th Eugene Mc-Mahon (14) 68 Nett (33B9). 5th Darren Waters (9) 68 Nett (33.5b9). 6th Seamus Connelly (17) 68 Nett (35.5B9). 7th Gerry Carroll (16) 69 Nett (32B9). 8th Rory Murphy (15) 69 Nett (33.5B9).9th Cathair Connelly (6) 69 Nett (35B9). 10th Pierce Lawrence (22) 69(36B9). Front 9 John Morley (13) 31.5. Back 9 Eugene Th ornton (9) 31.5. Veterans: Joe Trehy (23) 71 Nett. Past Presidents Joe Brown (13) 76 Nett. Committee: John Waters

(17) 71 Nett. CSS 71.21/06/09 18 Hole Pairs Competition. Spon-

sored by Ray and Mary Croke. 1st Ted Murphy (17) & Alice Murphy (26) 54 pts. 2nd Gerry Egan (11) & Bernard Merrick (16) 53 pts. 3rd Tom Gallen (14) & Ken Jenkins (17) 52 pts. Ladies: Bridget Walsh (16) & Linda McDonagh (29) 47 pts. Mens: Pat McEvilly (10) & Pat Egan (16) 51 pts. Mixed: Cyril Foye (11) & Mary O’Grady (26) 48 pts.

23/06/09 Open Day Competition 18 Hole Stableford.1st Brian Buckley (22) 44pts, 2nd Robert Monroe (15) 40 pts, (22B9) 3rd Stephen Th ornton (26) 40 pts(21B9) 4th Mike Matthews (21) 40pts(19B9) 5th Vivian Noone (13) 40pts(18B9) CSS 36 Pts.

24/06/09 18 Holes Stableford. Sponsor: Wrapsody, Moycullen. C.S.S. 73.1st Martina Duggan (23) 40pts. 2nd Phil O’ Reilly (28) 35pts (B9) Gross: Patricia Lee (17) 16 Gross pts 3rd Phil Kavanagh (20) 35pts Category 0 – 20 1st Monica Power (19) 32pts, 2nd Barbara Buckley (20) 30pts, Category 1 – 28 1st Debbie Ann Leonard (25) 34pts (B9), 2nd Peggy Blehein (24) 34pts,Category 29 – 36 1st Cathy McGoldrick (35) 33pts, 2nd Una Russell (30) 32pts.

28/06/09 18 Hole Medal Competition Sponsor: M. Power. 1st Sean Coyne (18) 67 Nett (35B9). 2nd Robert Monroe (14) 67 Nett (36B9). Gross: Michael Darcy Jnr. (5) 74 Gross. 3rd Cammie Gallagher (13) 68 Nett (32.5B9) 4th Rory Murphy (15) 68 Nett (32.5B9). 5th James Geoghegan (14) 68 Nett (33B9). CSS 70 Nett.

Connemara Golf13/06/09 Open 4 Ball Betterball

Stableford,Sponsor: Clifden Supply Centre. Ladies: 1st: Ita Mangan (21)/Mary Arthur (17) 37pts(b9),2nd: Laura Daly (10)/Ethna Moran(21)37pts. 3rd: Mary McGeough(16) Marga-ret Lavelle(10)35pts, Mens: 1st: Tar Higgins(12)/Des Griffi th(11)46pts. 2nd: Padraic O’Gaora(10)/Dermot Cribben(16)41pts,3rd: Rory MacMa-hon(10)/Ray Lyons(23)38pts(b9).

14/06/09 Open 4 Ball Betterball Sta-bleford, Sponsor: Abbeyglen Castle Hotel. Ladies: 1st: Anne Joyce(21)/Geraldine McGettigan 45pts,2nd: Margaret Lavelle(10)/Maureen Brennan(19)42pts,3rd: Laura Daly(10)/Eithne Moran(21)41pts,Mens:1st: Tar Higgins(12)/Des Griffi th(11) 44pts,2nd:

Marty Courcey(16)/Leo De-courcey (22)42pts(b9),3rd: Julian Jeff ries(21)/Ger Lynch(5)42pts.

15/06/09 Open Singles Stableford: Connemara Fisheries, Ladies:1st: Margaret Carrigan(27) 40pts(last 6),2nd: Eileen O’Brien(11) 40pts, Gross: Margaret Lavelle(10) 22pts gross,3rd: Margaret Da-vis(20) 37pts,CSS: 36pts Mens: 1st:Stuart Healy(13)39pts,2nd: Norman Doyle(10)39pts,Gross: Rory Sweeney(3) 34pts gross,3rd: Mike Kearney(14) 37pts,Visitor CSS:35ptsHome CSS:35pts.

16/06/09 Open Singles Stabl-eford: Golfstyle, Ladies: 1st: Judith Kelly(27) 38pts,2nd: Mary McGeough(16) 35pts(b6),Gross: Paula Led-better(12) 21pts,3rd: Colette Jordan(23)35pts(b9),Visitor CSS: 33ptsHome CSS: 36pts ,Mens: 1st: Pat Hamell(20) 40pts,2nd: Tom Pomphrett(14) 38pts,Gross: Peter Higgins(6) 30pts,3rd: Wil-liam Faller(15) 37pts,CSS: 34pts

17/06/09 Open Singles Stableford: Renvyle House Hotel, Ladies: 1st: Sheila Nolan(20) 38pts,2nd: Margaret Lavelle(10) 36pts,Gross: Paula Ledbetter(12) 22pts,3rd: Catherine Hetherington(24) 35pts,Visitor CSS: 33ptsHome CSS: 34pts ,Mens: 1st: Ciaran Arnold(12) 39pts,2nd: Ken-neth Coyne(19) 35pts Gross: Frank Kealy(4) 28pts(b9),3rd: John Keely(9) 34pts(b9),Visitor CSS: 32ptsHome CSS: 33pts

18/06/09 Open Singles Stableford: Find-later Wine & Spirit Group,Ladies: 1st:

Catherine Kelly(25) 31pts,2nd: Margaret Fagan(18) 29pts(b9) Gross: Maurethe Jack-son(12) 17pts,3rd: Cath-erine Hetherington(24) 29pts CSS: 33pts,Mens: 1st: Stephen Mullen(20) 34pts,2nd: Pat Hamell(18) 32pts(b9) Gross: James Moore(8) 23pts,3rd: Jimmy Joyce(16) 32pts,CSS: 32pts(Reduction Only).19/06/09 Open Singles Stableford: AIB,Clifden, Ladies: 1st: Karen Jack-son(18) 39pts, 2nd: Tare DeCourcey(8) 37pts, Gross: Terese Kenne-dy(12) 18pts, 3rd: Sharon Kaine(21)35pts,CSS: 35pts,Mens: 1st: Clive Clarke(8) 39pts,2nd:

Rory Sweeney (3)38pts,Gross: David Collins(5) 26pts,3rd: Macdara Clan-cy(20) 37pts,Visitor CSS: 33pts,Home CSS: 34pts,9 Holes Mixed Scotch Foursomes:1st: Mary McGeough(16) / Kevin McGeough(15) 30nett.

21/06/09 Open Singles Stableford: Elec-tronic Concepts, Ladies: 1st: Antoinette Waldron(20) 37pts, 2nd: C Nash(26) 36pts,Gross: Teresa O’Buachala(14) 21pts,3rd: Catherine Hethering-ton(24) 35pts, CSS: 36pts Mens: 1st: Chris Shanahan(12) 43pts(b9),2nd: Rory Sweeney(2) 43pts,Gross: David Stapleton(1) 34pts,3rd: Derek Joyce(13) 41pts,CSS: 35pts.

28/06/09 Captain’s Prize, Tom Vaughan. 1st: Donal Standun (13) 99.5 2nd: Paddy Gannon(16) 102 ,Gross: Gerard O’Donnell(5) 114gross.3rd:Ian David-son(14) 103, 4th:Hugh Millar (7) 108.5, 5th:JP McDowell(9) 109(b9). Ladies 18 Hole Singles Stableford. 1st Kathleen Burke (26) 37pts; 2nd Marie Bourke (27) 34pts; Ladies 9 Hole Stroke; 1st Dolores Kilgarriff (25) 34.5 (last 6).

Best 18 Holes: Jim Mulcair(10) 70,Past Captains: Sean Birmingham (18)111. Visitors Prize: Seamus Vaughan 72 ,CCS: 72nett,Visitor CSS: 72nett.

Photos: Captain’s Prize Winners Donal Stand-un and Ladies Winner Kathleen Burke both shown with Captain Tom Vaughan.

GAA Scoreboard05/06/09 West Junior C League Group 2Clifden 2-3 / 4-15 Renvyle 07/06/09 West Junior A League Group 1 Killanin 3-16 / 1-6 Oughterard Renvyle 1-11 / 5-14 Lettermore 13/06/09 Claregalway Hotel Intermediate

Football Championship Williamstown 2-10 / 0-5 Clifden Carna Cashel 2-10 / 1-7 Oranmore-Maree Dunmore McHales 0-13 / 2-9 Oughterard 14/06/09 West Junior C League Group 1 Kinvara 1-4 / 2-7 Oughterard West Junior B League Ballinderreen 2-7 / 1-12 Carna Cashel

West Junior A League Group 1 Renvyle 0-6 / 1-10 An Cheathru Rua 21/06/09 West Intermediate League Oranmore-Maree /Clifden (conceded by

Clifden)West Junior A Championship Oughterard 2-5 / 3-14 Fr Griffi ns Eire Og 23/06/09 Sweeney Oil Knock Out Stages Oughterard 0-6 / 1-13 Annaghdown 24/06/09 West Minor B League Group 2 Carna/Na Piarsaigh 1-13 / 4-14 Aran Islands City & County West Minor B Championship Oughterard 0-4 / 2-12 Lettermore 27/06/09 West Junior A League Group 1 Oughterard 1-9 / 0-12 An Cheathru Rua

C o n n e m a r a S p o r t s V i e w J u l y 2 0 0 9 P a g e 1 7

As the show season gets into full swing, several winning rosettes have been awarded to Connemara Breeders.

At Westport the Jane Andrews owned Coral Misty Jane won the Supreme Championship and Cailin Conneely from Roundstone repeated a previous success at Claremorris when awarded the Junior Championship with Letterdyff e Rira. Raymond Conneely from Ballyconneely was awarded the Stallion class with Bay Shadow.

At Ballinalee, Padraic and Nicola Heanue’s stallion Village Fionn, (Boden Park Finnard-Village Grey) (Abbeyleix Owen-Village Belle) bred by Paddy King at Lehid, was judged Supreme Champion, while Padraic Hynes from Canal Stage was Reserve with Currach Court Lady (Clonberne Boy and Clydagh Maria) which he bought at Clifden Mart sales last May. She also won her class for four to fi ve year-olds and qualifi ed for All Ireland Broodmare Final.

Th e Junior Champion at Ballinalee was another Clifden sales bargain, P.J.Watson’s three year-old fi lly Be My Star (Monagh-anstown Fionn-Gentle Star 2nd). Sienna Bright Sparrow (Callowfeenish Mairtin-Ashfi eld Grey Sparrow)(Ballydonagh Bobby-Wise Sparrow) bred by Shirly Car-acciolo and owned by Sean Hoare from Bushypark, Co.Galway also qualifi ed for the All Ireland Broodmare Championship.

At Galway County, Danesfi eld Heather owned by Martin Feeney from Moycul-len and Oughterard’s Roger Joyce with Knockillery Tomas emerged Champion and Reserve champions of the show.

At the Cork show, judged by Henrietta Knight, Gearoid Curran’s Glencarrig Rose took the Supreme Championship sash.

Th e Midlands All Ireland Broodmare qualifi ers are now in full swing. Perfor-mance classes are sponsored by Jim Der-win Bloodstock, Th e Open Stallion class and Supreme Champion have a prize fund

Connemara Riding ClubA meeting is to be held in Cleggan on July 7th with a view

to setting up a riding club in the Connemara area to be affi l-iated to the AIRC (Association of Irish Riding Clubs). Th e intention behind this is to fi ll the void of facilities and inter-action among the Connemara equine community, and also bring horse riding enthusiasts from the area together with a view to competing in various disciplines such as dressage, showjumping and eventing in a relaxed environment. To allow people who do not own a horse or may lack experience the chance to partake fully in all the activities, the intention is to base the club at Cleggan Riding Centre, as the wide range of horses and quality of instructors would benefi t the club. Th e aim of this meeting is to form a committee for the club and make a formal submission to the AIRC requesting affi liated status. Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting which will be held in Oliver’s Bar Cleggan on Tuesday 7th July at 8.30pm. Anyone with questions or queries before this date can contact Andrew Cahill at [email protected].

EQUESTRIAN

Culfi n AnglingCulfi n Anglers held a fundraising competition on June

21st in aid of Clifden Hospital, with weigh-in afterwards at Ros’s Bar, Tully. Approximately 20 anglers took part as well as 5 junior anglers. First place went to John Peter Coyne, second was Ricky Cronnelly and third was Brian Walsh. Th e

of €500 each plus several other In-hand and ridden classes. Entries close Friday July 17th. Ruth RogersPhotos: Jane Andrews ‘Coral Misty Jane’ exhibited by Tom

Conneely was judged Supreme Champion at Westport Show on May 31st.

Currach Court Lady owned by Padraic Hynes was judged Reserve Champion of the show at Ballinalee on June 10th and also qualifi ed for the Midlands All Ireland Broodmare Championship on July 26th. She is seen here receiving the Midlands Rosette from Midlands’s secretary Mary Rabbitt.

Padraic Heanue is pictured here with Village Fionn, who was judged Supreme Champion Connemara of the Show at Ballinalee on June 10th last.

Photos courtesy of Ruth Rogers

The Connemara Pony Show Scene

heaviest fi sh was caught by Chris O’Connor. Th e event raised approximately €500 for Clifden Hospital.Photos from top: First place winner John Peter Coyne with his father Jackie Coyne. Jackie Coyne, winner of the heaviest fi sh Chris O’Connor and David Keane. Photos courtesy of Tracy Joyce

Send in your news, views & photos to

[email protected] phone 095-22888


Photo Corner New ArrivalsCongratulations to (photos from top left):Paula Conneely and Rainer Prauer on the birth

of their daughter Ella, born on June 2nd. Lavinia and Brian O’Malley of Clifden who

welcomed their fi rst baby Evan on May 24th.Aoife Heanue and John O’Toole on the birth of

their son Emmet, born on June 17th. (No photo).

Birthday GreetingsNiall Davitt of Ballinafad celebrated his 6th

birthday on June 19th.

Graduation Success (photos above l-r):Connie Conneely of Errislannan, Clifden, re-

cently received her National Vocational Quali-fi cation Certifi cate in Pharmacy Services from City & Guilds at the Royal Hospital Kilmain-ham, Dublin. Connie is pictured here with Noel Stenson M.P.S.I. and Sheila O’Driscoll M.P.S.I. from the Irish Pharmaceutical Union.

Anne Walsh of Oughterard was conferred with a Ph.D. in Sociology on Tuesday June 16th. She is pictured here with her cousin Tomas Finn

who was conferred with a Ph.D. in History.

Saturday June 27th. Tom and Mary have been married for 52 years and are wished many more happy years together.

Croí Cowboys hit ColoradoDeclan Ridge (left) and Peter Coneys

travelled to a working ranch in Colorado in May to take on the challenge of becom-ing cowboys for a week, having raised over €5,500 each for Croí, the West of Ireland Cardiology Foundation. Th ey fi rst had the idea after seeing a Croí fl yer at the Clifden Pony Show last year and then embarked on a fundraising campaign all over Connemara for the heart charity, consisting of a monster raffl e, two bingo events, darts competitions and much more. Private donations were also made, and after a long winter’s work, the lads set off on their trip. Despite little experience in the saddle, both Peter and Declan took to it with no problems and very quickly got into

the routine of the early morning starts (5am sunrise) and long days. Days were spent driving and moving the ranch’s stock of over 1000 cattle and experienc-ing life as the real deal cowboys employed at the ranch do on a daily basis. Highlights included a trip to a nearby rodeo and bar on the Friday night, where Peter joined the band performing on stage to sing Johnny Cash’s ‘A Boy named Sue’ to a crowd of over 400 people! Declan also brought home an unusual souve-nir, the rattle of a rattlesnake which they encountered out riding one day and which was presented to him by the cowboy who killed it. Both Peter and Declan agree that the entire process turned out to be the trip of a lifetime and having gotten a taste for adventure, who knows where they will end up next!

Paul Nessans of Oughterard was conferred with a Ph.D. in Archaeology on June 16th.He is pictured here with his wife Bridy.

Photos courtesy of Tom Broderick

Rolling Stone at Walsh’s BakeryOn a recent visit to Clifden, Ronnie Wood,

of Rolling Stones fame, dropped into Walsh’s Bakery on Market St. where Róisín Walsh was delighted to have her photo-graph taken with the iconic rock star.

Tom Burke Turns 80 Congratulations to Tom Burke of Clifden

who celebrated his 80th birthday in June with a party of a large gathering of family and friends at the Station House Hotel on

C o n n e m a r a V i e w D i r e c t o r y J u l y 2 0 0 9 P a g e 1 9

AA and Al-Anon Meetings Connemara AA and Al-Anon meetings: Al-Anon: Mon-

days, Elm Tree Centre (Day room), 8-9 pm. AA: Tuesdays, Old School, Recess, 8.30 pm. Wednesdays, Clifden Day Centre, (behind the hospital) 8.30 pm. Th ursdays, Clifden Day Centre, 8.30 pm. Fridays, Ellis Hall, Letterfrack, 9pm. Saturdays and Sundays, Clifden Day Centre 12 noon.

Antiques & RestorationsPrendergast Antiques. Lower Market St, Clifden. For that

unique gift or special piece for your home why not pe-ruse our extensive collection of antique furniture, silver, ceramics, collectibles, antique and reproduction glassware, prints, mirrors. Best prices, 32 county delivery, world-wide shipping, trade welcome. www.clifden.biz Phone 087-629-6195 anytime.

AutomotiveOmey Tyres. Connemara’s 1st complete mobile tyre fi t-

ting centre. Th e best prices - Every day – Guaranteed. 24 Hour - 7 Days. Call Out Service throughout Connemara. March special off er available on Saturdays only: Whole-sale pricing on the following tyre sizes – 175/70/135, 175/65/14 reinforced, 195/65/15. Call Daniel Ryan on 095-44979 or 087-244-5129.

D&N Auto Store. Suppliers of: Oils, parts, batteries, acces-sories, body kits, alloys, number plates. Now stocking trac-tor parts. Open 6 days 9am-6pm. Unit 4, Clifden Business Park. 095-30615. 087-274-4165.

Bicycles & QuadsMannion’s Bikes. Bridge St, Clifden. 095-21160. Adult and

children’s bikes. Rentals.Galway Quads. Quads, buggies, repairs, servicing, accesso-

ries. Kids Quad July Special Off er: €650. Plus: Sale prices on helmets & kids clothing. Boley, East Barna. Contact Keith Trill on 087-988-6514 or email [email protected]. www.galwayquads.com.

Books & PeriodicalsClifden Bookshop off ers a comprehensive range of titles

with particular emphasis on local Connemara history, Irish literature, guide books, maps, best sellers, memoirs and book tokens. Also stockists of artist’s materials, cards & stationery. Provides ordering and mail-order service. Th e Clifden Bookshop, Main St, Clifden. 095-22020. [email protected].

King’s Paper Shop. Main St, Clifden. 095-21119. Lotto. Newspapers & magazines.

Building & Trade Summer Deck Off er: 100 sq. ft. deck including treated tim-

ber, railings and labour for €1200 inc vat. Also specialising in roofi ng, attic conversions & timber framing. Contact Pat O’Malley. Full service builder. C2. Ltd Co. North Star Builders. 087-228-3862 or 085-780-6351. [email protected].

Connemara Seamless Gutters. Suppliers of roof line clad-ding and guttering systems. Over 17 years experience. Aluminum, UPvc. Wide range of colours. Free quotations. 095-41180. Gerry: 086-103-1053. Peter: 085-760-4130.

Diamonds of Renvyle. General Merchants & Builders Pro-viders. Animal feedstuff s, fencing, gates, wire, fertilizer, hay & bedding. Blocks, lintels, cement, pipes & much more. 095-43486.

Auro Natural Paints...let your house breathe again! Auro products contain no environmentally harmful additives like petroleum based solvents. For more information about our extensive interior and exterior high grade paints and care products, call Matrix Custom Interiors on 091-39-57-07 or 086-366-5768.

Airfl ow Renewable Energy Solutions, Ballybrit, Galway. 091-76-47-61.www.airfl owireland.ie. Daikin air to water heat pumps. Ground source geothermal heat pumps. IVT heat recovery ventilation. Solar panels. System design & project support. Domestic & commercial. SEI approved. 3

year warranty.Cut your oil bill by two-thirds with solar powered water

heating. Call Michael Carey for a free no obligation quote. Testimonials from satisfi ed customers available. SEI grants available. Carey Solar Powered Systems. Sky Rd. Clifden. 086-603-9299. www.careysolar.com.

Creative Wood Flooring & Fireplace Warehouse. Kilroe, Inverin, Co. Galway. Factory prices, nationwide delivery. 091-553-995. 087-285-3114. www.creativewarehouse.ie

P a g e 2 0 J u l y 2 0 0 9 C o n n e m a r a V i e w D i r e c t o r y

Building & Trade Painting and Decorating: Interior and Exterior, timber

fl oors sanded and varnished. Neat and tidy job guaran-teed. Also off ering garden and lawn maintenance service. Competitive rates. References available. Contact Johnny Coyne, Renvyle, 086-857-0302.

Cafés, Pubs & RestaurantsOliver’s Seafood Bar and Restaurant, Cleggan. Fresh sea-

food. Bar food served daily until 9pm. Restaurant open every night in July and August. Live music on Saturday nights. 095-44640.

O’Dowd’s Bar & Seafood Restaurant. Roundstone Harbour. Food served daily from 10am-9:30pm. Fresh seafood daily. 095-35809.

EJ King’s Bar and Restaurant. Th e Square, Clifden. 095-21330. Open 7 days a week. We cater for all kinds of parties. Special 2 course and 3 course meal off ers available. Live music every night including our Rock night every Friday. Great fun.

Griffi ns Bar. Main St, Clifden. Serving hot food Mon-Fri from noon to 5pm. Live music every night. 4 TV Screens for the best sports viewing. Air conditioned. Beer Garden and smoking area. 095-21370.

Abbeyglen Castle Hotel. Sky Road, Clifden. Open for din-ner 7 nights a week. Early booking is advisable. Tuesday night is Irish Night. Entertainment nightly. 095-21201. [email protected]. www.abbeyglen.ie.

Steam Café at the Station House Courtyard, Clifden. Mon-day to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Mouth watering selection of salads, sandwiches & desserts. All homemade. Java Republic coff ees and teas. Dinner & desserts available to order for collection. 095-30600. Mon-Sat 10:30-5:30.

Cards, Gifts & FlowersKing’s Paper Shop. Main St, Clifden. 095-21119. Visit our

new Card & Gift Gallery. Offi cial opening Friday, July 3rd. Homeware Plus & Shamrock Dry Cleaners. Th e Square,

Clifden. Everything at discount prices! Household prod-ucts and toiletries. Cards & gifts. Tools. 095-21348.

CateringA la Carty Catering: For all your home catering needs

contact Joe and Olive Carty. 095-22842. 087-260-5961. [email protected].

Award Winning Chef John Walsh is now off ering cater-ing services and cookery courses. Look for the Pangur Ban stall at the Clifden & Moycullen weekly markets for gourmet breads & more. 095-4124. [email protected] www.pangurban.com.

Computers & IT SuppliesTwo Dog Computer & Business Solutions. Website design

services. Full computer repair services. 095-22194 or 086-404-3125. [email protected]

Offi ce Chat. Offi ce supplies, digital cameras and printers, mobile phones. Vodafone, Meteor, 3 networks. Galway Rd, Clifden. 095-21911. sales@offi cechat.ie.

Driver TrainingJohn Lyden – Clifden School of Motoring. Road Safety

Authority and UK approved driving instructor. Lessons given in Toyota Yaris Diesel or an Automatic Car. For de-tails and appointments ring 095-21170.

EmploymentPart-Time Secretary Required 12 hrs per week. Computer

skills necessary. Applications with C.V. and references by July 17th to: Th e Chairperson, Board of Management, Kingstown National School, Clifden, Co. Galway.

Pub staff required for busy Irish pub in Naples, Florida, U.S.A. For details contact Paddy Yank McDonagh 086-346-9372. Email: [email protected].

ChildcareChildminder required to mind 2 small children in their

own home 5 days a week. Must have own transport. Ring Karen. 086-846-0009.

Qualifi ed, experienced childminder available to mind chil-dren in own home. References available on request. Please contact Olive. 087-2605961. 09522842.

Established Childcare Service: A home away from home for your child to get the care they thrive for with daily activities and a fun place to learn new things. Now tak-

ing enrolments for September for toddlers/babies and after-schoolers. Perfect for siblings of diff erent ages. Registered and fully insured. Jessica Hansson 086-406-2604.Nanny looking for summer job. Exp nursery nurse in England looking for live in Nanny posi-tion in Connemara. [email protected].

Entertainment / Sports / ArtsFundraising Night for the Ballyconneely Pony Show. Cun-

ningham Family Sound Fuaim Na Chuinneagáinaí Sean Nós Dancers with special guests. Ballyconneely Hall, 11th July 2009 at 8:30pm. Tickets €25. Contact Bridget on 095-23053 or 087-655-5804.

Art Classes. Would you like to learn watercolour paint-ing? One to one and small group classes available. Take a one off class or several. I can also come to your small group. Patricia Morrison. Derrigimlagh, Ballyconneely. 087-656-9255.

Yellow Door Expressive Arts. Dance (ballet, creative, hip-hop); Drama and Singing School. Trained and experi-enced teacher previously with Stagecoach and Gymboree worldwide companies in creative education. For ages 4 and up. Contact Elaine Enright on 085-154-4664 or [email protected]. View my webpage at www.yel-lowdoor.ie.

Station House Th eatre, Clifden. Check out our fantastic line-up of cinema and live acts. www.stationhousetheatre.com. [email protected] 095-30303.

Video rental and purchase. Music. Video Games. Video Vault. Main St, Clifden. 095-22033

Th e Ultimate Girls Night In!! An Ann Summers party is the great girls night in for you and your friends. Parties are full of games, fun and laughter and it will be one night you will not forget. To book your party or order a cata-logue please contact Paula on 087-758-9710.

Riding CentresCleggan Beach Riding Centre. Connemara’s Premier Beach

Trekking Centre. Long & short beach rides. Lessons for beginners to advanced for children and adults. Selection of horses and ponies to suit Adults and children. www.clegganbeachridingcentre.com Tel: 095-44746 Email: [email protected].

Diamonds of Renvyle. Equestrian Centre and Connemara Pony Farm. Trekking daily and professional horse train-ing. 095-43486.

Knockillaree Riding Centre, Oughterard: Children’s lessons every Saturday. New! Adult lessons & trekking. Book now for our Summer Pony Camp 6th – 11th July. Beginners welcome! Livery – Breaking – Tuition – Private & group lessons – Stallions at stud. Contact Roger Joyce on 087–9604517 or email: [email protected].

Financial/LegalCashel-Connemara Credit Union. Clifden Offi ce at Unit 3,

Tom Barry House 095-21101. Cashel Offi ce 095-31128.Th erese Th ornton, Solicitor, Clifden, Co. Galway. Profes-

sional, comprehensive legal service at reasonable rates. Call (087) 2625385 or email Th ereseTh [email protected] for advice or a quote with no obligation.

Send in your news, views & photos to [email protected]

or phone 095-22888.

C o n n e m a r a V i e w D i r e c t o r y J u l y 2 0 0 9 P a g e 2 1

Food & WineDuanes Fish Shop, Main Street Clifden For a large selec-

tion of fresh fi sh, locally produced organic salmon, live lobster and fresh crab. Also, top quality frozen prawns, garlic mussels, Manx kippers and lots more. Open six days a week for summer months. 095-21804.

Des Moran Family Butchers. Main Street, Clifden. Home of the national award winning sausages, white pudding and black pudding. Catering to all of your meat and poul-try needs.

Th e Connemara Hamper. Lower Market St, Clifden. Large selection of Irish and European farmhouse cheeses. Or-ganic wines, fruit and vegetables. Freshly baked breads and baguettes. Gourmet lunches and Illy coff ee to go. Open all year. Phone for opening hours. 095-21054.

Malone Meats. Lower Market St., Clifden. Stop in for quality and service from your local butcher. 095-21868. Clip out this ad to receive 10% off your purchase.

Pangur Bán. Gourmet breads and more by Award winning Chef John Walsh. Visit our market stall in Clifden & Moycullen. Custom cookery courses available. 095-41243. [email protected] www.pangurban.com.

Jagur Organic. Eat healthy and get your organic fruit and vegetables from your local organic grower at Friday mar-ket in Clifden Square and Saturday Dolphin Country market in Cleggan. Box delivery to your home available. Call Linda and Vincent 095-44855 or 087-691-0234.

Kavanagh’s SuperValu. Th e Square, Clifden. 095-21182. Opening Hours: Monday-Th ursday/Saturday 8am-9pm. Friday 8am-10pm. Sunday & Bank Holidays 8:30am-9pm.

Clifden Fruit & Veg, Main Street, Clifden. Half price sale now on. Briquettes & coal. Open Mon-Sat 8:30am-6pm. 086-836-5864.

Health & BeautyHedz. International Haircare Locally. Clifden Station

House Courtyard 095-22202. Opening Hours Tue-Sat 9am to 6pm. Late night Fri. till 9.

Shiatsu Massage. Th e ancient art of touch for health and re-laxation. Serving all Connemara. €10 Summer discount! Irene Buglia 085-101-6140

Acupuncture Clinic. Maara Mulgrew Lic.Ac.TCM. Re-store and maintain health naturally. Wide range of conditions treated. Anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, depression, eczema, fatigue, headache, insomnia, IBS, menstrual disorders, muscular pain, sports injuries, stress. VHI, VIVAS, Quinn Healthcare approved. Connemara Chiropractic, Bridge St, Clifden. 087-970-1648. www.acupunctureclinic.ie.

Úna McKeever M.Sc., M.I.A.H.I.P., M.I.A.C.P. is a fully accredited Psychotherapist/Counsellor who off ers private and confi dential counselling. For an appointment call 0872505015. email: [email protected].

Do you suff er from anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, digestive disorders, depression, headaches, lack of energy, ME, MS, muscle tension, stress? I f so, contact Lucy Ly-don (BEHA Dip) on 087-757-9237. True Awakening Plexus Bio-Energy Th erapy.

Reiki/Seichem. Experience the calm and healing energies of this treatment which is drug free and non-invasive. Th ese powerful energies can heal on a mental, emotional, spiri-tual and physical level. Qualifi ed Reiki/Seichem Master Practitioner, call Yvonne on 086-365-3266.

Clifden Holistic Centre. Kinesiology, Food Testing, Acupuncture, Bowen Th erapy, Massage and Hypno-therapy at An Bhean Fheasa Health Shop, Lr Market St, Clifden.095 30671. Open Mon-Sat 9:30-6 p.m. Patrick McKeown author of “Close Your Mouth – Stop Asthma, Hay Fever and Nasal Congestion Permanently” will be delivering a talk in An Bhean Feasa on Wed 8th July at 2p.m. Patrick is a renowned expert in the Buteyko Breathing Method and has appeared on RTE’s Health Squad and RTE 1’s Open House. €3 Admission Please Book Early to ensure your place at this life enhancing talk. Afternoon Tea on 15th July at 2p.m – Learn to De-Stress and Relax and add years to your life. €3 Admission, please book early.

Th e Ultimate Girls Night In!! An Ann Summers party is the great girls night in for you and your friends. Parties

are full of games, fun and laughter and it will be one night you will not forget. To book your party or order a cata-logue please contact Paula on 087-758-9710.

Th e 5 Rhythms® Movement Meditation Practice of Ga-brielle Roth is a movement meditation practice- simple, profound, joyful and transforming. Th e practice helps to free our bodies, still our minds, reduce our stress levels and alleviate depression. Caitríona Nic Ghiollaphadraig, Finisglen, Recess, Connemara, Co. Galway. 095-34664. Email: [email protected] Web-site: www.deorade.com

Clifden Outreach Service by Cancer Care West at the Clifden Health Centre opposite Clifden Hospital on the 4th Th ursday of every month. Drop- in, information and support service. 091-545-000. www.cancercarewest.ie.

Nicolas Kats, ND, Lic. Ac., is a Naturopathic Doctor and a licensed acupuncturist. Nicolas integrates acupuncture, herbal medicine, diet, supplements, homeopathy and hy-drotherapy. 087-7714710.

Ní Ráighne Opticians. Bridge St., Clifden. 095-30995. Eye exams. €35. Medical cards and PRSI welcome. Wide se-lection of designer frames and sunglasses.

Th e Treatment Rooms at Abbeyglen Castle off ering Hot Stone Massage, Luxury Yonka facials, Indian Head Mas-sage, Refl exology, Zen Spa Pedicure/ manicure, waxing, California tanning. Non Residents welcome. Open 9-6 Monday to Saturday. Sunday 12 – 5. 095-21306.

Connemara Chiropractic Family Health Clinic. Bridge St, Clifden. 095-21376.

Home FurnishingsHomeware Plus & Shamrock Dry Cleaners. Th e Square,

Clifden. Everything at discount prices! Household prod-ucts and toiletries. Cards & gifts. Tools. 095-21348.

Creative Wood Flooring & Fireplace Warehouse. Kilroe, Inverin, Co. Galway. Wood fl orring, fi replaces, stoves, granite worktops, fi rewood. Factory prices, nationwide delivery. 091-553-995. 087-285-3114. www.creativeware-house.ie

Lydons Carpet & Furniture. Moycullen. 091-555-962.

Information Services & MediaDoes your partner? Call you names, constantly criticise you?

Control your access to money/phone/car etc? Monitor your time, threaten you and the children? If so you may be in an abusive relationship. For free, friendly, confi dential advice and support call D.V.R. @ 091-866-740.

Clifden Citizens Information Centre. Free and confi dential service to the public. Galway Rd, Clifden. 095.22000 and 087-130-1100. Th urs 7pm-8pm. Friday 10:30am- 3:30pm.

Connemara Community Radio. Letterfrack. 095-41616.Connemara View Newspaper. Clifden. 095-22888.AWARE Depression Support Group meetings take place at

the FORUM Offi ce (upstairs), Ellis Hall, Letterfrack on the 1st Th ursday of every month at 8pm. Contact Marga-ret 095-21741 afternoons except Tuesday for more details.

Items for Sale or RentConnemara Bouncing Castles for hire for all occasions,

supplied with rain covers, delivered, erected and collected. 095 21219.

MusicTh e Bens. Bridge St, Clifden, Connemara. 086-103-1154.

Now Open. Irish Music – Traditional, Country and Local Artists. CDs & DVDs. Large range of personalised gifts. Picture framing.

Offi ce SuppliesOffi ce supplies, digital cameras and printers, mobile phones.

Vodafone, Meteor, 3 networks. Galway Rd, Clifden. 095-21911. sales@offi cechat.ie.

Pets, Animals & Ponies Animal Rescue Fundraiser: A sale in aid of Renvyle Animal

Rescue will be held on Sunday 2nd August in Th e Ellis Hall, Letterfrack from 10am-3pm.

P a g e 2 2 J u l y 2 0 0 9 C o n n e m a r a V i e w D i r e c t o r y

Connemara View Newspaper8,000 copies distributed monthly

throughout Connemara

095-22888 087-290-9351 086-400-6666

[email protected] www.connemaraview.com

Editor-in-Chief/Publisher: Ellen McDonough

News Editor: Catherine PryceDistribution Mgr: John Dunne

Graphic Design/Layout: Marie-Noelle Biddulph

Features: Paula Bann, John Durning

Contributors: John Amenhauser, Gareth

Anthony, Marie Bourke,Tom Broderick, Kathleen

Burke, Andrew Cahill, John Claró, Dorothy

Conneely, Laurence Conneely, Terri Conroy, Tim

Gordon,Rosemary Hanley, France Ingelbach, Laurence

Ingelbach, Louisa Jack, Caroline Joyce, Mary Day

Lavelle, Richard de Stacpoole, Priscilla Diamond,

Rosemary Hanley, Roma Joyce,Nick Kats, Patricia

Keane, Bridget Lee, Padraic Lyden, Leslie Lyons,

Brendan Madden, Declan Mannion, Iain McDonald,

Geraldine McTavish, Ann Mitchell, Simon Murray,

Kevin O’Connor,Mike O Malley, John O’Neill,

Breandan O’Scanaill, Maurice O’Scanaill, Kate O

Toole, Sorcha O Toole, Ailbhe Patten, Marie-Helene

Poudevigne, Ruth Rogers, Suzann Schley, Cathriona

O’Toole, Th eresa Tierney, Cathal Walsh, Marie

Walsh,Damian Ward, Declan Weir, Alex Xuereb. Plus many local schools, groups & organisations.

Photography by staff unless credited otherwise.

NEXT ISSUE: Thursday, August 5th

Display Ad Reservation Deadline: Friday, July 24th

News Deadline: Wednesday, July 28thClassifi ed Ad Deadline: Friday, June 30th

Photography ServicesPhotos Restored, Rescued & Reprinted. Have your photos

digitally scanned, burned to cd, ready for print at Video Vault. Main St, Clifden. Call 095 22033.

PropertiesPetrol shop at Maam Cross is available for lease. Interested

parties should contact Caroline on 091-552-306. Clifden: 2-bedroomed cottage to let. Five minutes from

town centre. Parking. Oil-fi red central heating. Avail-able immediately. Contact 086-805-3760.

Clifden: 2-bedroomed apartment to let. Town Centre. All mod cons. Spacious and refurbished to a high standard. Responsible tenants sought. Available immediately. Con-tact 086-805-3760.

Clifden: Commercial premises to let. Prominent location in Clifden town. Suitable for shop or offi ce. 700 sq. ft. Includes WC and two storerooms. Available immediately. Contact 086-805-3760.

Properties - BERSelling Your House or Renting Long-term? Th en you must

have a Building Energy Rating. Contact Oliver Coyne today! 095-35813. 086-238-4195. [email protected]. Listed on the SEI Register of BER Assessors.

Building energy rating (BER)call today for a quotation,also a solar panel and heat recovery ventilation installer.SEI registered.contact Aodan on 087 0660755 or email at [email protected].

Book now for your Building Energy Rating certifi cate which is compulsory for all homes for sale or rent from January 1st 2009. If you are buying or renting a new house or apartment now, you are entitled to a BER. BERs will

be carried out by specially trained BER assessors, regis-tered by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI). Call Sinead at Matt O’Sullivan Estate Agents on 095-21066 or e-mail [email protected] www.mattosullivan.com. Listing properties for long term rental.

Sand & GravelJust need a bag or 2 of sand, gravel, decorative chippings or

bark mulch? We are now supplying 25kg, 40kg and 500kg bags. Free delivery throughout Connemara. 095-43473. 087-130-7752. 086-199-1988. Mongan’s, Derryinver, Letterfrack

Th e Original Bagged Sand Supplier. 5% discount with this ad until the end of July if you buy 2 or more bags. Stonetech, Clifden. Call Seamus on 087-668-7437.

Taxi Service

TV/Satellite/BroadbandWireless broadband. Aerial and satellite installation and

repair. Peter Keane, Clifden. 095-21827. 087-668-7468.Lighthouse Networks provides a high quality broadband

service throughout most of Connemara using the very lat-est wireless technologies. (Lo-Call) 076-6020502 or visit our web site at www.lightnet.ie.

WebsitesWebsite Design: Creative, professional and aff ordable web-

sites by Cuán Mara Design, Letterfrack, Co. Galway. For pricing and to view portfolio visit www.cuanmaradesign.com. For a competitive quote phone Caroline Herriott on 086-0791918 or email [email protected].

Wedding ServicesFor Hire: 20 free-standing 4ft cast iron candle stands for

your church wedding pews. Contact Maureen 095-22829.Wedding Videography by Pat Coyne. 095-43756.

086-406-2394. email: fi [email protected]. www.fi ddisco.com. Phone for a Free Demo DVD.

Hat Hire. Wedding headpieces, occasion shoes, bags, scarves & jewellery. Schu Concept. Bridge St., Clifden. 095-30606.


Connemara View Summer Events ScheduleJulyJune 27th - July 6th: Roundstone Arts Week 2009.

Details-www.roundstoneartsweek.net or 095-35834.3rd: Omey Island Tragedy Fundraiser Event, Station

House Hotel.4th: Clifden Community School Class of ’89 Re-

union. Station House Hotel. Call 087-759-5035/087 -775-8579.

4th: Th e Cunningham Family Show. Station House Th eatre. Doors open 8pm. Show starts 8:30pm. €20.

4th: Oughterard Show/Special Olympics Fundrais-ing Day. Contact Maria at 086-151-7289 for further details.

5th: Maam Cross Pony Show6th –10th: Inishbofi n Summer School 095-41034

www.ceecc.org.6th - 10th: Connemara Drama Club Summer Camp.

tation House Th eatre. 10.30 - 11.30am 5 days. Ages: 4 - 7 years. €30. To Book phone Ros on 095-43589

7th: Th e Citizen’s Information Service, Connemara West, Letterfrack, 1:30-4:30pm. 087-130-1100.

8th: Patrick McKeown - renowned expert in the Buteyko Breathing Method, An Bhean Feasa, 2pm, €3.

8th: Forum Leader Information Night, Ballyconneely Hall, 9pm.

8th: Tommy Tiernan, Station House Th eatre 8pm, €25. 095-30303.

10th: Closing Date for Clifden Pony Show Domestic Arts entries.

10th: Roundstone Rose Selection, Community Hall, Roundstone. Details Paddy McDonagh 086-346-9372.

11th: Ballyconneely Show Fundraiser Concert: Th e Cunningham Sound, Ballyconneely Hall, 8:30pm.

11th: Fire Brigade Annual Charity Car Wash, Clifden Fire Station, 12-4pm.

11th: Volvic IRFU Tag Rugby, Omey Strand. Details- www.tagrugby.ie.

11th: Th e Th ree Tenors, Station House Th eatre,9pm, €35. 095-30303.

11th: Mass in honour of all the deceased Connemra Pony owners all over the world in Roundstones’ Star of the Sea Church. 8pm.

12th: Roundstone Connemara Pony, Dog & Sheep Show & Arts and Crafts Fair. Farrell’s Field, Round-stone, 12noon.

15th: Afternoon Tea - Learn to De-Stress and Relax, An Bhean Feasa, 2pm, €3.

15th: CSI: Clifden meeting. Community School Clifden, 8pm.

16th: MacDara’s Day, Carna and Roundstone, Galway Hooker Racing.

18th-24th: Ceol na Mara Summer School for strings, Connemara West, Letterfrack. Details: Oonagh Keogh. 086-266-8428.

18th: Mick Molloy Classic 10k Run, Oughterard.18th-19th: Roundstone Regatta, Roundstone Harbour.19th: Gurteen Graveyard Mass, 3pm.19th: Ballyconneely Pony Show.24th-26th: Feile an Mhama, Maam Valley, 24th –26th: WestRun 2009. Annual Summer Run of

the Western Veteran & Vintage Motor Club Rally (WVVMC).Details-wwvmc.com.

25th: Triathlon Chonamara-Ras Na Portaigh 09, Cill Chiaráin, Connemara. Details-www.galwaytriathlon-club.com.

25th: Day retreat at Kylemore Abbey, all welcome.25th: Omey Races, Claddaghduff .

31st- August 2nd: Feile an Doilin August, Galway Hooker regatta and festival events. Details-www.doilin.com.

31st - August 8th: Cleggan/Claddaghduff Festival of the Sea.

August1st: New works by Phillip Morrison at the Stable Gal-

lery, Errisbeg House, Roundstone with wine recep-tion. 6:30pm.

1st: PigFest 2009, Ballyconneely Hall & Show Field, 1pm till late.

2nd: Cashel Pony Show.2nd: Renvyle Animal Rescue Fundraiser, Th e Ellis Hall.3rd: Oughterard Regatta.3rd: All Ireland Dog Show, Roundstone, 12 noon. 6th: Roundstone Tour de Bog 2009 Cycle event.8th-9th: Clifden Regatta.9th: Claddaghduff Pony Show.9th: Connemara WaterSports day, Glassilaun Beach,

Renvyle. Annual Fundraiser in aid of ISPCC and Childline commencing at 1pm.Details: 095-41024.

13th –16th: Roundstone Summerfest, Roundstone. 085-706-6535 [email protected].

15th: Roaring Twenties Masquerade Ball in aid of Cancer Care West, Station House Hotel, Details 091-545000 - [email protected].

15th: Volvic IRFU Tag Rugby, Omey, Claddaghduff . Details- www.tagrugby.ie.

16th -21st: Festival of the Connemara Pony Show and the Connemara Pony Show on August 20th.

22nd-23rd: Gaelforce West, the World’s largest multi-sport one day race. North Connemara & Mayo. More details from www.gaelforcewest.ie.

29th–30th: Oughterard Show, Oughterard.

September13th: All-Ireland Supreme Champion of Champions,

Connemara Pony Show. 086-346-9372.13th: RNLI 10K Fun Run. Clifden. 2pm.

085-168-0402. www.runireland.com.17th to 27th. Clifden Arts Week.19th: Roundstone Connemara Pony Fair. 086-346-9372.26th - 27th: Leenane Food Festival.25th - 27th: Feile an Doilin September, Carraroe.

Maritime Festival and Giants Parade.Details-www.doilin.com.

Weekly EventsConnemara National Park, Letterfrack. Open daily.Clifden Irish Nights at Town Hall. 8pm, every Tuesday

and Th ursday from June 23rd to August 27th.Roundstone Irish Nights, Community Hall, 8pm

Wednesdays weekly from July 1st-August 26th.Irish Music sessions at the Teach Ceoil, Tully, Renvyle

8pm, weekly on Tuesdays from July 7th for 8 weeks.

Irish Nights, Dolphin Hotel, Inishbofi n, Tuesday nights from July 21st-August 25th.

Dolphin Country Market, Cleggan Community Cen-tre, every Saturday: 11-3 and Wednesdays: 4-7.


Bogman 51

Connemara Crossword 57

Enter crossword

answers into a draw of correct

answers for a voucher for

Homeware Plus in Clifden by

July 29th.

SU

DO

KU

June WinnersBogman 50

Mark Mac Mahon, Ballyconneely

Crossword 56Mary Gough, Clifden

Bogman Across 1 Deathly response to a chap’s show of amusement

and pleasure. (12) 8 Claimed, incorrectly, to be the point of mathematics. (7)10 A good deal of the reason that the landlord makes

his profit. (7)11 Cold at first, but made warm by unfair means. (7)15 From trips like this, I go nuts, crazy. (7)19 It is not in dispute that shuffling the remaining letters

will be a sham. (5)20 Initially, Australia’s largest state, being backward, is

swallowed by African state to make it change into another. (6)

21 Giving out for doing about fifty? (6)22 Unprincipled scoundrel about to join select group? (5)25 Basic division in the prison system first reveals the

one behind a major fiddle. (7)28 Good place for a prayer or a large party? (7)32 How stupid! I had half a score before getting an at-

tack of nerves at the end. (7)33 They travel round and round in circles, but never in

the same plane. (7)34 And added on top of all that, it’s a chaotic mess up.

Period! (12)Bogman Down 2 When it’s such a small volume, regret that it’s going

to accumulate. (6) 3 Peak when there’s just the tiniest measure in a suit. (6) 4 Thatcher’s beginnings lead to split on economy. (6) 5 Could this be the cause of a Spanish wife becoming

upset? (6) 6 Find that there are tarts going about on little rides? (6) 7 Had company reorganised as a temporary measure.

(2,3) 9 This comes down on such estates? (5)10 To a degree, you could find yourself up the creek in

the Bible Belt. (5)12 With great effort, provides some pull in the avenue? (5)13 Take advantage when arteries and veins begin to

get sick? (5)14 Write long stories about spice. (5)

16 Used to steer losing head and becoming part cow. (5)17 Land that has been rented out in an offshore location? (5)18 How an indefatigable traveller around the north be-

came a hopeless case. (5)23 Make room for the high livers. (5)24 How the loser readjusts to having them in play. (5)25 Have some say in whether or not to remove the centre

of an ice-cream and chocolate lollipop on a stick. (6)26 They are very popular, that is, amongst boys. (6)27 Visit a low joint in March. (6)29 With just a pound to start, in no way will he be one of

our more colourful characters. (6)30 Notes that after a shortened month an old greeting is

given. (6)31 Raising production in some part of the food industry,

yet about as much of a clue as you’ll get. (5)

Crossword Across1. Game played with a

shuttlecock (9)9. Large amphibious ro-

dent with flat tail (6)10. Metal goods and uten-

sils (8)11. Acquire (6)12. Vicars helper (6)14. Ride the waves (4)15. Self assurance (5)16. Mentally infirm with

age (6)18. London soccer outfit

a.k.a. ‘The Gunners’ (7)21. Vengeance (7)24. Kidnap (6)26. Dread this viper (5)30. Weaving apparatus (4)

31. Language of the Koran (6)32. Furniture wheel (6)33. Cantering (8)34. Revised (6)35. Sudden loss of ability (9)Crossword Down2. Counting frame (6)3. Lunatic (6)4. Closer to (6)5. Supervise (7)6. Insect (6)7. Flight, the art of (8)8. Colourful Ulster march-

ers (9)11. Passageway (5)13. Sea bird (4)17. Job opportunities (9)19. Deriving pleasure from

inflicting pain (8)

20. Performer (5)22. Change course (4)23. Popular rodent (7)25. Sagacious (6)27. State of U.S.A (6)28. Informed on (6)29. Small fish (6)

What Do You Know? Quiz 10No winner. Prize money now €30 for 12 correct answers for Quiz 10.

Nature: Who was London Zoo’s resident Giant Panda from 1958 until her death in 1972?

Science: Who was the first to discover that the Universe is in fact expanding?

Politics: Who sits on the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland’s throne, where and why?

Sports: In what year were the Olympics first televised? Entertainment: In what year were two actresses rewarded

with a best actress Oscar and who were they?Geography: If the equator crosses Africa’s West coast in

the country of Gabon, in which country does it cross the East coast?

Literature: How many of Shakespeare’s heroines disguise themselves as males and in which works?

Food: What very popular food item was invented by Alex-ander Grant in Edinburgh in 1799?

Music: What was the name of The Rolling Stones TV Show that was filmed in 1968 but wasn’t released until 1996?

History: Who was the first head of state in the 20th century to give birth in office?

General Knowledge: What is the most common non contagious disease in the world?

Local Interest: How many of the Twelve Bens are part of the Connemara National Park?

June Quiz AnswersGeography: What is the name of the plain that was once the

chief industrial region of the USSR? Answer: The Oka Don Plain. http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/questionsbycategory/Geogra-phy/40/answers.html

History: The Brittanic and the Olympic were sisters to what? An-swer: The Titanic. http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/questionsbycat-egory/History/0/answers.html

Sport: How many times has the host nation won the football World Cup? Answer: 6 (Uruguay 1930, Italy 1934, England 1966, West Germany 1974, Argentina 1978, France 1998). http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/questionsbycategory/Sport/20/answers.html

Math: What number is an improper fraction always greater than? Answer: One. http://www.triviaplaying.com/62_Math_.htm

Science: What is the only animal that cannot jump? Answer: El-ephant. http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/questionsbycategory/Sci-ence%20and%20Nature/20/answers.html

Cooking: The fear of having peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth is called what? Answer: Arachibutyrophobia. http://homecooking.about.com/library/trivia/bltrivia1.htm?lastQuestion=8&answers=3&submit=Next+Question+%3E%3E&ccount=2

General Knowledge: If you walked one mile south, one mile west, and then one mile north, and ended up where you started, where would you be? Answer: The North Pole. http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/questionsbycategory/General%20Knowledge/20/answers.html

Politics: The shortest presidential inaugural address was de-livered in which year? And by whom? Answer: 1793, George Washington. http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20090109/pl_cq_pol-itics/politics3005493

Music: What was the first song played on Radio One? Answer: “Flowers in the Rain” by The Move. http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/questionsbycategory/Music/40/answers.html

Art: Which artist had Blue and Rose periods? Answer: Pablo Pica-sso. http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/questionsbycategory/Art%20and%20Literature/80/answers.html

Entertainment: Who was the first American actor to be nomi-nated for Emmy Awards for portraying the same character on 3 different shows? Answer: Kelsey Grammar (Cheers, Frasier and Wings). http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/questionsbycategory/TV%20and%20Films/20/answers.html

Literature: From which French novelist is the term `sadism` de-rived? Answer: Marquis de Sade. http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/questionsbycategory/Art%20and%20Literature/120/answers.html

Local Interest: Who were the only football team to beat the Republic of Ireland in their qualifying campaign for the 2002 World Cup Finals? Answer: Iran. http://www.quiz-zone.co.uk/search_qs.php?search=ireland&start=&display=answers


Saint Joseph’s Church, ClifdenTh e typical view of Clifden is the town nestled below

the mountains, overlooking the sea and dominated by its twin spires. Th ese spires belong to the two churches, Christ Church and St Joseph’s.

St Joseph’s is described as a large Gothic revival style, cru-ciform plan church with side aisles and chapels, apse, tower and spire. It is set on an open site overlooking the town. Th ose few lines describe the structure in a nutshell, but give little clue as to the majesty of the building. It is very impres-sive standing on top of its hill, with the roof, tower and spire standing out against the sky. Th e weathered cut stone dress-ing, almost honey coloured, gives it a warmth, even though it is a large building. It becomes even more impressive when you get closer and look at the quality of the work, especially the fi nely cut and beautifully worked limestone around the doors and windows.

As fi ne and lovely as the exterior is the interior; open and high with arcades, clerestory windows, gallery and an open truss roof. Th e beautiful early 20th century decoration and windows give a warm feeling to the whole building.

Th e church was designed by J.J. O’Callaghan of Dublin in 1875. Th e priest at that time was Patrick McManus, and he worked tirelessly to build Saint Joseph’s. It is diffi cult for us to imagine what it would have been like at that time; the famine had been part of a good many people’s lives. Th e priest himself had arrived in 1853, six years after the worst year, but as we all know, the famine didn’t just go away. Th ere were many years of hardship and near starvation, mass emigration and land issues to follow. I think that Rev. McManus, in building the church, was trying to give back a sense of pride to the people, allowing them to rise out of the state of dejection in which they had spent so many years.

As with any new venture, fundraising was a major part of the process and quite a lot of this would have taken place lo-

cally. A number of the shop keepers and merchants from the town would certainly have been contributors. Around that time there was a big increase in the Catholic middle class, and these would have been supporters of the church, but it was the people abroad, particularly in America who contrib-uted the majority of funds. Th ose who contributed so much to the building fund were ordinary people, people from our parish and the locality who were working hard, saving a bit of money, some even doing well, but all willing to support this eff ort.

Th e tower and spire which are such important features of the church have been through many changes. Early Lawrence photographs show the tower without the spire but this was added in 1898, while the clock and bells were added in 1899. A cross was put on top and the distance from ground to the top of the spire was 200 feet. Th is spire has been damaged a number of times and the old cross has also been replaced.

Th e early photographs show the interior as having fairly simple decoration, especially around the sanctuary area. Th e structure would be recognised but there have been many changes made. Th e timber rails dividing the sections of the church are gone, as are the gas lights along these rails. Th ese changes came about especially at the time of Canon Patrick McAlpine. Th is energetic man was parish priest from 1898 until his death in 1932.

Th e mural decorations added at that time were by Joshua Clarke. Th e Clarke Studios were also responsible for the very fi ne stained glass, which depict local saints, such as Mc-Dara, Fechin, and Flannan. Th ere are also many representa-tions of national and international saints and other scenes. Th e early 20th century saw a big increase in the interest in Irish stained glass and such important places as Loughrea Cathedral and Laban church played a major role in fostering this interest. Joshua Clarke had moved from Leeds and in 1886 had set up his own business as a church decorator and manufacturer of objects of art. His company supplied many churches throughout Ireland with various works, while his son Harry became one of our greatest stained glass artists. It is possible that Harry could have worked on some of the windows in the church, but I think it would be fair to say that none are in his signature style.

Th e windows are still much admired and recently an

important and timely restoration took place on many of them. As well as being artistically important, they also have an importance in social history as many of them were paid for by prominent people around the area. Th e fabric of the church has also been changed on a number of occasions and of course after the Vatican Council, there were many changes. It has to be regretted that this led to the destruction of the altar rails and pulpit but we are lucky that the general decoration was not changed.

Th e graves of the various Parish Priests are to be found outside to the right of the building, but recently it was dis-covered that the grave of the builder of Saint Joseph’s, Pat-rick McManus was located under the Sacred Heart chapel. A plaque now honours this man for his dedication and hard work. Breandan O Scanaill

091000 St. Paul’s Secondary School, Board of Management, Carrowmanagh, Oughterard 20/05/09. For ball stop netting to all-weath-er playing pitch previously granted planning permission Ref. No. 08/3368.

091007 Clifden Chamber of Commerce, Der-rigimlagh 20/05/09. For a walking trail with ancillary signage, car park, improvements to existing access road and roadside passing points.

091024 Community Council, Clifden & Dis-trict , Clifden 21/05/09. For an allweather pitch, ancillary fi ttings, fencing and lighting at the Ball Alley.

091030 Community Development Ltd, Foscadh, Letterfrack 22/05/09. For reten-tion of playing pitch and boundary fence as constructed on reduced site to that granted under planning reference 01/1145 and permission for a new sports hall to include a new site entrance, service road, car parking, boundary walls and associated works.

091036 Bourges, Ronan, Inishnee, 25/05/09. To retain existing dwelling house, ancillary sheds, wastewater treatment system and ac-cess road.

091042 Folan, Brendan & Anne, Inverin 25/05/09. For the construction of a single storey extension to the front and another single storey extension to the side of existing dwelling.

091052 O’Lochnain, Beartla, Inverin, 27/05/09. Le haghaidh 1) teach nua conaithe a thogail chomh maith le 2) garaiste nua a thogail agus 3) coras nua searachais King-span Envirocare.

091053 McWilliams, Leo, Ballyconneely, 27/05/09. for a developement comprising of

the construction of a single house dormer style and connection into previously approved sewerage treatment scheme (reg ref:05-776. Permission is also sought for retention of an entrance, gate and access road.

091066 Shaughnessy, J, Ballynew, Cleggan, 28/05/09. To (a) convert existing store/loft to habitable space comprising of kitchen/living space, 2 no. bedrooms, bathroom, (b) raise wall-plate level of store/loft to provide increased living space at fi rst fl oor level (c) construct 2 no. dormer windows to front elevation (d) additional sky-light windows (e) decommission existing septic tank and re-place with treatment system with percolation area to serve proposed development area (f ) extension to front elevation of store/loft and existing dwelling comprising of hallway and sunroom, linking the respective buildings (g) up-grade existing roadway to serve as access to site and (h) associated external site works.

091073 Mulkerrins, Christine, Canrawer West, 28/05/09. To demolish and reconstruct an existing chalet/fl at.

091074 Coyne, Catherine, Cloonamore, 28/05/09. To convert existing garage to granny fl at. Th e original garage was granted under planning ref no 04/609.

091077 Inglebach, Anne, Derryinver, 29/05/09. For retention of extension/attic conversion.

091085 McDonagh, Christy, Moycullen, 29/05/09. Chun teach conaithe, garaiste agus coras searachais a thogail.

09867 Ferguson (nee O’Malley), Barbara, Let-termullen , 01/05/09. Chun teach conaithe, garaiste agus coras searachais a thogail.

09891 O’Toole, Kim, Crocknaraw, 07/05/09. To retain alterations to the dwelling house and garage previously granted under Pl. Ref. no. 02/884.

09892 McDonagh, Ultan, Leagaun, 07/05/09. For the construction of a dwellinghouse,

garage and kingspan envirocare sewage treat-ment system.

09897 Homburger, Philippe, Cloonderowen, 07/05/09. For the renovation and extension of a derelict cottage and the installation of a septic system.

09908 Whelan, Tommy, Clifden Demense, 07/05/09. To retain and complete new agri-cultural entrance upgraded cattle crush and all ancillary site works.

09909 Monahan, Daragh , Claddaghduff , 07/05/09. For single-storey rear extension to dwelling house with ancillary storage area in roof space and replacement upgraded waste-water treatment system with percolation area.

09911 Diamond, Liam Tully More, 07/05/09. For the construction of commercial stor-age warehouse on existing storage yard for storage of general merchandise equestrian and agricultural supplies and all ancillary site works and services.

09925 Mulkerrin, Dermot, Cloon, Cleggan , 11/05/09. For renovation of existing semi-ruinous structure consisting of the following (a) Proposed new roof to existing structure, which shall be retained. (b) Th e construction of a new extension to the north. (c) New septic tank, percolation area and ancillary site works. (d) Proposed upgrade of access road.

09927 Dillane, Kevin, Cartronlahan, 11/05/09. Chun an meid seo leanas: garaiste nua a thogail chomh maith le aon seirbhis a bhain-eann leis.

09934 O’Conaola, Simon, Dooyeher, 12/05/09. Chun a) uasghradu a dheanamh ar an gcoras searachais ata ann cheana, agus b) cloch aitiuil a chur ar an mballa binne tosaigh. Ta cead a lorg freisin chun c) na hathruithe ata deanta ar an teach agus an garaiste a choinneail, agus d) na hathruithe ata deanta ar theorainn an tsuimh a choinneail, o bhi ceadaithe faoi iarratas pleanala 00/2767.

09935 Barry, Kevin and Jennifer, Clooncree 12/05/09. For the construction of a single dwelling house, a proprietary effl uent treat-ment facility and all ancillary site works and services.

09942 Scholes, Josephine Roundstone, 13/05/09. For the construction of dwelling house with associated site works and services.

09948 O’Flaherty, Sinead Drinagh, 14/05/09. For a road entrance, single storey dwelling home with waste water treatment system and raised soil percolation area.

09951 Laff ey, Kevin Bunowen, 14/05/09. For an extension to an existing building which development will constitute a dwelling house, also a sewage treatment plant, perco-lation area and ancillary services.

09954 Th ornton, Kathleen Cloughanover, 14/05/09. For extensions to existing dwelling house.

09963 Boylesports Ltd, Clifden, 15/05/09. For retention for development at this site (for-merly known as AIB Bank). Th e develop-ment consists of retention of existing signage to the front elevation.

09976 Ni Shioradain, Elisa, Derryloughaun, 15/05/09. Chun a) cloch aitiuil a chur ar clonna tosaigh an ti. Ta cead a lorg freisin chun b)na hathruithe ata deanta ar an teach agus ar an ngaraiste a choinneail, agus c) na hathruithe ata deanta ar theorainn an tsuimh a choinneail, o bhi ceadaithe faoi iarratas pleanala 07/2107.

09980 Kenny, Mary, Cloonkeenmore, 18/05/09. To extend existing bungalow and convert it into a dormer style dwelling house with proprietary treatment system.

09984 Daly, John, Carrowmanagh, 18/05/09. For the construction of a building and asso-ciated services, for the storage and handling of grain and feedstuff s.

Continued on page 29

Planning ApplicationsMay


Th e historic landing in Derrygimlagh Bog by John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown after mak-ing the fi rst non-stop transatlantic fl ight, 90 years ago, was celebrated with nostalgia and enthusiasm in an impressive weekend’s programme of events from June 12th-14th organised by the Connemara Chamber of Commerce.

Th e weekend’s main event, the thrilling Air Show, was launched at Galway Airport on the morning of Friday June 12th, where Team Guinot, the world’s only formation wing walking team, demonstrated their skills and the Vickers Vimy replica biplane fl ew (photo right) over Galway city, whetting many appe-tites for the main event in Clifden the following day.

Th e Connemara Air Show weekend was offi cially opened on Friday 12th at the Station House Mu-seum with an exhibition by local historian Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill. Archaeologist Michael Gibbons led a guided walk on the Marconi site and gave a lecture on the aerial archaeology of Connemara in honour of Marcus Cases.

Th e undoubted highlight of the weekend was the thrilling Air Show that took place over Clifden Bay on Sat-urday June 13th. Th e crowds that gathered along the Beach and Sky Roads and various look out points were treated to extraordinary displays by many acts, including the extremely impressive and exciting ‘Blades’ formation aerobatic team, while the wingwalkers of Team Guinot drew particular interest with their unique and stunning performances. Th e Irish Coastguard Sikorsky S-61 also gave a winch display with the Clifden Lifeboat crew and the Air Corps Agusta Westland 139 helicopter also featured, in addition to appear-ances by the Vans RV-7, Bucker Jungmann, Pilatus PC-9M, and the Casa CN 234. Another huge hit with the crowds, the Team Viper Jets gave a high octane display of rapid formation changes, loops, barrel rolls, fast passes and vertical breaks that amazed onlookers.

Despite some unpleasant weather earlier in the day, all of the planned displays went ahead and the return of the beau-tiful Vickers Vimy biplane replica rounded off a fantastic programme. Crew John Dodd and Clive Edwards soared over the Bay and surrounding areas, evoking memories of the re-enactment landing in 2005 by Mark Rebholz and the now sadly deceased Steve Fossett. Th e largest biplane fl ying

today, and the world’s largest home-built aircraft, the Vimy is now owned by the Brooklands Museum in Surrey, U.K. and was represented in Clifden by Jenny Moseley, crew chief of the Atlantic fl ight, and Brooklands Museum General Manager Julian Temple who said “after the Vimy success-fully completed the transatlantic re-enactment in 2005 she was donated to Brooklands Museum and we were delighted to be in Clifden this weekend to pay tribute to Alcock and Brown and to what we consider the most important fl ight in aviation history”.

Saturday evening saw the launch of Brendan Lynch’s book ‘Yesterday We Were in America’ at the Station House Th eatre where Minister Éamón O Cuív congratulated him on his achievement in the book, saying that while reading the book ‘we live through their anxious ordeal of cloud, snow and ice, we share their hopes and aspirations, their trials and their triumph and we celebrate with them in their remark-able achievement’. Brendan himself related an irreverent anecdote at the launch- ‘It’s wonderful to see Alcock and Brown being commemorated in such stirring style. Sadly, I can’t resist repeating what a Clifden man said to me last night – drink had been consumed, of course!- “Sure we never

Alcock & Brown Remembered In Style

did anything for those fellows. We stole all we could from the plane and, a few years ago, tried to concrete over their bog landing site to make an airport. And as regards Marconi, whom we also celebrate, didn’t we burn his entire station right down to the ground!”

‘While I’ll give this gentleman credit for his sense of hu-mour and veracity, I think all will agree that this weekend’s programme has been a memorable and highly professional one, without tasteless or commercial over-kill and well wor-thy of the historic fl ight. So well done, to all those involved - and long may your commemorations continue in that vein’, Brendan Lynch concluded.

A gala dinner at the Station House Hotel rounded off a nostalgic and hugely enjoyable weekend for all involved which marked Clifden and Connemara’s place in the history of aviation indelibly on the map once again. Catherine Pryce

Night at the Dogs FundraiserTh e Connemara Chamber of Commerce coordinated

numerous fundraising eff orts to fi nance the activities of the Alcock & Brown 90th Anniversary weekend. Th e most money was raised through the ‘Night at the Dogs’ held at the Galway Greyhound Stadium. It was a fabulous night with a rotation of wining, dining and betting from the big crowd (photo left) from Clifden and Connemara. Great fun and to top it off , a few big winners! Photo courtesy of Iain McDonald

Alcock & Brown Documentary PremiereLondon paid tribute to Capt John Alcock and Lieutenant

Arthur Whitten Brown at the City of Westminster Archive Centre, on Saturday June 22nd, with a drama-documentary and a play on the British airmen and their historic fl ight across the Atlantic. Th e documentary entitled, ‘Yesterday we were in America’, is the fi rst documentary to be made on the historic achievement of the airmen and is expected to be screened by television stations throughout the world. Among those interviewed in the documentary are Mark Rebholz who, with Steve Fossett, fl ew the replica Vickers-Vimy to Clifden in 2005, and historian, Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill. Th e play was a dramatisation of the fl ight, which the producers hope will go some way towards awakening the British public to the story of their forgotten heroes. Photo below: Attending

the London screening of the fi rst documentary pro-duced on the fi rst non-stop transatlantic fl ight were, Terence Potter, Producer, Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill, historian and Peter Daniel.


Photos left from top: Vickers Vimy, Guinot Wing Walkers, Irish Coastguard Sikorsky S-61, Vans RV-7. Photo above: Blades formation aerobatic team.

Business & Finance


Surviving the RecessionReduced sales need not mean reduced profi t

All businesses are looking to grow or at least retain the level of revenue they have achieved over the last few years. An obvious strategy now is to put more eff ort into re-taining existing customers and attracting new business. But what do you do when even your most loyal customer is shopping around?

To remain profi table you need to consider your margins. Put simply, this is the gap between how much it costs you to deliver a product or service and the money you receive for it.

Th ere are two levels of margin, Gross Mar-gin and Net Profi t Margin. Th e fi rst is the one we think of immediately. Th is takes into account the direct cost of making the prod-uct which can usually be traced directly to the product e.g. the ingredients in a meal, or the materials and labour costs of a building job. When you deduct these from the money you received, you get your Gross Margin.

Th is is not profi t since there are a number of other costs in the business which are not directly related to the fi nal item delivered but without which you could not be in busi-ness. Th ese other indirect costs are known as overhead costs which are mostly fi xed, e.g. premises costs such as rent and phone. Th ese cannot be assigned to a particular job or meal, but they are necessary to deliver your business.

Th ere is always room to renegotiate the

overhead costs but assuming you have al-ready reviewed these, and made the appro-priate cuts in premises and suppliers etc, the area where savings can be most dramatic will be around the Gross Margin.

Every percentage point saved here will boost the bottom line directly. Since the overheads will not change, this means that any gain will be profi t.An example of how this works:

If you receive €10,000 and it costs you €5,000 in direct costs i.e. wages and materi-als for the job your Gross margin is €5000 or 50%.

To calculate your profi t you would have to include your other indirect fi xed costs and overheads, fuel, transport, tools etc. Assum-ing these cost €3,000, then your net profi t will be €2,000 or 20%.

Increasing Gross Margin is done either through charging more or reducing your direct costs. If you manage to increase your Gross margin to €5500, i.e. 55%, and indi-rect costs are relatively fi xed, the result will be an increase in Net Profi t of €500, increas-ing Net Profi t from 20% to 25%; the whole 5% is added to your bottom line.

Increase your gross margin and therefore your profi t, by getting more revenue. One of the best ways to do this is to review your ser-vices or products to identify where you make the most profi ts. Can you justify charging a higher price to some customers? Th is could be a particular group of customers e.g. a builder may be able to charge higher rates to corporate clients than private individuals. Aim to increase sales to these groups.

Another way to increase revenue is to

adjust the price you charge. You should con-sider the impact of a price increase as well as a price decrease.

Be aware of the impact of discounting which will directly impact on your bottom line; a drop in price will need a larger per-centage increase in sales to maintain current profi t levels.

If you buy something for €7 and sell for €10 your gross margin is €3. If you reduce your selling price by 10% to €9 your margin drops to €2. You would need to sell 50% more to get back the €3 you have now. Th is percentage will change based on your specifi c margin, but in this scenario, if you cannot reasonably expect to increase your sales by more than 50% of their current levels, do not consider lowering your prices.

Aim to create value for your customer rather than reduce your price. By creat-ing value for your customer, you can justify charging slightly more for your service.

In this example: If you increase your prices by 10% you can aff ord to lose 25% of your sales before you go below your current profi t level. Buy for €7, sell for €11, your gross margin is now €4. Th at’s €1 more for every item sold, so you can aff ord to sell 25% less and still make the same profi t.

Re-work your prices based on your current gross margin. You may be surprised at the impact a small price change will have on your bottom line.

Fear of losing customers is the main argu-ment against increasing prices, but the ones you lose will be those who are most price sensitive. Th is group will probably move to your competitors anyway as they continually

monitor the market for the best prices and are not necessarily interested in quality or value. Direct Costs

Try to increase your gross margin and therefore your profi t, by decreasing your direct costs. One way to reduce direct costs would be to increase productivity. Get more out of your existing resources, for example, a hotel may be able to service a large group such as a conference or wedding at a lower staff cost than if the same number of people booked individually over time. Aim to increase sales where you can-utilise exist-ing staff and premises to maximum eff ect. Another option is to negotiate with your ex-isting suppliers but be careful about cutting quality; remember you are trying to create value for the customer.

In summary, your priority in these reces-sionary times should be to sort out your profi t margin-either increase the value of your sales, or decrease the costs of delivering each item or service.

Suzann Schley is a Chartered Management

Accountant based at Bridge St, Clifden, open

Monday to Friday 9am-6pm. Contact her on

(095) 30584 and (086) 2664542 for all busi-

ness & accounting solutions.

Tips for A Healthy Computer

Here’s a guide to a few things you can do on a regular basis to keep your computer running smoothly.

Anti-Virus Program. Th is Is A Must! Make sure you have an Anti-virus pro-gram on your PC. Again I say, this is a must! Get an anti-virus program on your PC! Once a week (or even every day), download the latest anti-virus defi nitions from the web with Norton Antivirus, this is called doing a Live Update. About once a week (or every day), run a virus scan. Remember, you usually have to renew your software license every year. Don’t let it expire on you!

Delete Unknown Emails. Delete emails from people that you don’t know. Most viruses come from email attachments.

A Warning about Downloading Freeware. When you download freeware from the Internet, you run the risk of messing up your system. Some programs share the same fi les. If one of these shared fi les is downloaded from the web and it overwrites the one on your hard drive, the program that was using that fi le may not work anymore because a newer version of the shared fi le has been installed. Th is newer version doesn’t necessarily work

with all programs. Good luck fi nding out which fi le(s) need to be restored to the original version.

Keep Free Space on the Hard Drive. Before you install a new software program, make sure you have enough hard drive space, plus some! Th e documentation for the software program will tell you how much space the program will use on your hard drive. (However, hard drives are big enough these days that most people don’t fi ll them to capacity.) Some people still have older PC’s with smaller hard drives. One symptom of the lack of hard drive space is that either Windows or an ap-plication might not open, or your system keeps crashing.

Delete Temp Files. Periodically remove the temp fi les that build up on your PC. (When applications are opened, tempo-rary fi les are created that are ‘temporarily’ stored on your hard drive, usually under C:\windows\temp or C:\documents and settings\user profi le\local settings\temp). Th ese temp fi les are in use by the appli-cation that is opened. Th is is one reason why you always need some free space on your hard drive. When Windows shuts down properly, these temporary fi les are removed. If Windows crashes, the tem-porary fi les aren’t removed, they build up and can take up a lot of space on your hard drive. Th e temp fi les can be removed via Windows Explorer (Go to My Computer – right click on C drive – left click Proper-ties – left click Disk Cleanup) or by doing Start..File..Search..*.tmp.

Delete Temporary Internet Files. Also

periodically remove your Temporary Inter-net Files. Th is can be done via Windows Explorer or through your internet browser (For Windows Internet Explorer: Tools Menu – Internet Options – Browsing History)

Back up your data. If your data is so important to you, back it up! Remember this...all hard drives eventually fail and yours will too one day, so save your data or else have a good cry.

Email Tips. Keep the inbox of your email application relatively small. I’ve seen people with 2,000 email messages in their inbox and they wonder why their email is slow or crashes. Either delete your messag-es or create folders and move your email messages into the folders. Also, email in the Sent folder and Trash can build up (unless it’s confi gured to automatically delete). Many people are unaware of this and are surprised at the size of their email when they back it up.

Computer Noises. Pay attention to the sounds your PC makes. If you hear a loud humming noise coming from your PC, it’s probably a dirty fan (either the CPU fan or Power Supply fan). In either case, this means the bearings are dirty and are giving out. If the noise ceases, the fan stopped and your CPU or power supply is now overheating. Don’t say ‘oh good, the noise stopped’. You need to replace the fan.

John Claró is an I.T. Consultant with over 20

years international experience, operating Two

Dog Computers in Clifden. Contact him on 095

22194 / 086 404 3125, or at kennel@twodog-

computers.com.

Revenue focussing on cash-based businesses

Th e Revenue Commissioners are stepping up their surveillance of cash businesses with a number of unannounced visits to compa-nies in the West of Ireland. Th e Revenue confi rmed that its offi cials visited shops in Portunma, Tuam and Gort.

Revenue Chair Josephine Feehily said 2,000 offi cers would be targeting shops, pubs, restaurants and other cash businesses and that the offi cers now have the tech-nological ability to access tills’ electronic memory to get a record of all transactions and discover if there is any under-declaration of sales. Unlike Revenue audits, retailers will not get any advance warning of the visits, although proof of identity must be shown before entering the premises. Accountancy sources said that staff were interviewed and asked if they received bonus pay, holiday pay, what hours they worked, whether they received payslips and how they were paid.

As the recession deepens, it’s feared that many businesses are using monies destined to the Revenue to stay afl oat. “Th ere’s a sig-nifi cant number of businesses in the hospi-tality sector that are now going into liquida-tion and we’re fi nding under-declaration there,” stated the Revenue Commissioners recently.

Ms Feehily stated that struggling busi-nesses should contact the Revenue Commis-sioners if they need to arrange to pay taxes in instalments. “ We have no interest in making a diffi cult situation worse for a viable business. I can assure you that you will fi nd us very willing to engage,” said Ms Feehily.Source: www.sbpost.ie / www.barkeeper.ie / www.rgdata.ie

Send in your news, views &

photos to news@

connemaraview.com


New & Changing BusinessesDiamond Hair in Letterfrack

Rose Coyne, for-merly of Hedz Hair in Clifden has now opened her new salon, Dia-mond Hair Studio in Letterfrack, the prem-ises that was previously Honeyfoot gift shop. Th e impressive and stylish new salon has been refurbished and refi tted to an extremely high standard by Rose’s son Raymond and is now open for business to both ladies and gents, from washing and blowdrying to a full and extensive range of cutting and colouring techniques. Rose uses the TiGi range of hair products and looks forward to welcoming clients to her new salon in the heart of Let-terfrack village.

Roma Takeway & PizzeriaTh ere are new faces at the fast food restaurant on Bridge

St, Clifden as new management Hisen Zejnullahi and Af-rim Morina have taken over, operating as Roma Takeaway and Pizzeria. Originally from Kosovo, Hisen and Afrim have been in business there now since early June and off er an extended range of fast foods, from kebabs and burgers to a wide range of fried chicken and freshly made to order pizzas and calzone. Roma

also off ers a number of combined meal deals, from pizza and drink deals to a special kid’s menu, and lunch time specials. Roma is now open 7 days a week, from 2pm ‘til late, and orders can also be phoned in on (095) 30661.

Moycullen Back & Wellness Clinic Dr Patricia Roy, DC, has recently established Moycul-

len Back & Wellness Clinic in Moycullen village where she specialises in chiropractic and acupuncture. Patricia uses gentle techniques, eff ective for all ages and can combine chi-ropractic and acupuncture care for faster recovery if neces-sary. Arthritis, back and neck pain, headaches, jaw pain, knee pain, maternity and infant care, sciatica, shoulder pain, and trapped nerves are just some of the conditions that Patricia treats and she can be contacted for appointments on (091) 868 675.

Acupuncture at Connemara ChiropracticConnemara Chiropractic has added another element to

its business- Maara Mulgrew Lic.Ac.TCM. is now hold-ing an Acupuncture Clinic there. Her aim is to restore and maintain health naturally, a wide range of conditions are treated, from anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, depression, eczema, fatigue and headache to insomnia, IBS, menstrual disorders, muscular pain, sports injuries, and stress. For more information go to www.acupunctureclinic.ie or contact Maara on 087 970 1648.

Shiatsu MassageShiatsu Massage uses the fi ngers and palm of one’s hand

to apply pressure to particular sections on the surface of the body for the purpose of correcting the imbalances of the body and for health and relaxation purposes. It is now being off ered in the Connemara area by Irene Buglia, I.E.S, F.I.S. Shiatsu works along the same pressure points as acupuncture, but is needle free, using pressure with fi ngers. Irene can be contacted for appointments at 085 101 6140.

Have your Luggage DeliveredA new 7 days a week Luggage Transfer Service is now

fully operational throughout Galway, South Mayo, Westport,

Cong and Connemara. From €5 per transfer, per bag, Bag-Cab can pick up and drop off luggage to any of their listed locations along the route. Same day delivery is guaranteed to listed accommodations and luggage is transferred in Bag-Cab’s branded and highly visible vans. For more details and a list of drop off locations all over Connemara go to www.bagcab.com or call 087 25 9885.

The Paper Shop Card & Gift GalleryTh e spacious new area at the rear of King’s Paper Shop on

Main St, Clifden has now been transformed into a light and airy Card and Gift Gallery with an extensive range of greet-ing cards for all occasions and to suit every budget. Soft toys,

themed kid’s helium balloons, gift bags, wrapping papers and ribbons, and a wide range of gift items are now on sale with new items arriving on a regular basis. Proprietor Joan King and her staff are always on hand to off er assistance and advice and the Gallery will have a Grand opening day with instore promotions on Friday July 3rd. All are invited to drop in and browse the extended new premises.

Get Snug in Guy’s BarA new snug style bar has recently been added to Guy’s

Bar on Main St, Clifden, off ering cosy and comfortable

surroundings in addition to the bar’s original layout. Th e intimate second bar area, which replaces Guys off license, incorporates one private snug as well as a number of tables with soft scatter cushions, next to an open fi replace with a vintage style feel provided by the decor and lighting. Th e new area has been a hit with locals and visitors alike so far, adding an old style and welcoming feel to one of Clifden’s oldest bars.

West PC RepairA new computer services business has opened an offi ce

premises on Market St in Clifden. West PC Repair, run by Paul McNamara and Emma Wennersten off ers a full range of IT maintenance and repair, from PC clean-up, network-ing and troubleshooting, to onsite repairs, pick-up and return of PC, and much more. Internet access, printing, laminating, media transfer and CD burning from digital cameras are also available. West PC’s dedicated van is available for collec-tions and house calls when necessary and is open from 10-6 daily from Monday to Friday, phone (095) 22668.

Planning Applications continued

09986 Foyle, Barbra, Belleek, 18/05/09. For renovation of existing semi-ruinous structures: consisting of the following (a) proposed new roofs to existing structures, which shall be retained (b) the construction of a new extension (c) new septic tank, percolation area and ancillary site works.

091088 McDermott, Ruth & Paul , Roundstone, 02/06/09. For a new dormer window in the front roof pitch to replace existing roof light.

091089 Hession, Ivan, Inverin, 02/06/09. Chun coimeadu do oiriunu aileir do dha sheomra codlata agus seomra teaghlaigh, agus cead togaa do gharaiste le ailear.

091090 Murphy, Catherine, Oghery, 02/06/09. For the con-struction of a storage shed.

091093 McWilliams, Leo, Ballyconneely, 03/06/09. For a development comprising of a single house dormer style and connection into previously approved sewerage treatment scheme (reg ref: 05-776). Also for a retention permission for an entrance gate and access road.

091094 Emin, Chris & Lesley, Derryadd West, 03/06/09. For (a) retention of demolition of existing dwelling house, (b) retention of foundation and site works to date, (c) comple-tion of works as per granted permission Ref. No. 08/2410.

091105 McDonagh, Brid, Minna, 04/06/09. Chun teach con-aithe, garaiste agus coras coireala fuiolluisce a thogail.

091106 Tiernan, Cathal, Aille, 04/06/09. Chun teach con-aithe, garaiste agus coras coireala fuiolluisce a thogail.

091124 De Brun, Reamonn, Mweenish, 05/06/09. Chun sineadh a chur ar theach conaithe agus poirse le cloch aitiuil ar thosach an ti.

091127 O’Dowd, Peter, Kylemore, 05/06/09. For the develop-ment of a two-storey dwelling, conservatory, garage, treat-ment unit and percolation area.

091128 O’Toole, Michael, Cloonisle, 05/06/09. To erect a dwelling with sewage treatment plant, polishing fi lter and ancillary site works.

091130 Donovan, Richard & Elanor, Eighterard, 05/06/09. For the change of house plans and elevations on new revised site boundaries (on already approved planning ref. no. 06/502) and new rear garage/store with septic tank and associated services (lands zoned residential).

091146 Coyne, Darren, Tooreena, 09/06/09. For the construc-tion of a dwelling house, garage proprietary treatment plant, percolation area and ancillary site works.

091155 Gallagher, Peter & Mari, Letterfore, 10/06/09. For demolition of existing single storey

extensions to existing cottage and construction of new dormer extension, new shed, connection to main sewer and associ-ated site works.

091172 Flaherty, Anthony, Tooreena, Renvyle 11/06/09. For retention/completion for development consisting of an existing dwelling house which diff ers in design from that submitted in the original planning application which was granted and the enlargement of an existing septic tank.

091173 O’Neill, Winifred, Ballyconneely, 11/06/09. To replace existing unoccupied dwellinghouse, with a new one, tertiary sewage treatment system including sand fi ltration system and percolation area and ancillary services.

091192 McDonagh, Patrick, Clynagh , 16/06/09. To retain (1) alterations to existing offi ce to funeral home, (2) retention and completion of rear yard, toilet, store and headstone stor-age area to rear of existing building and (3) change of use of offi ce to toilets and kitchen.

091193 Doorley, Eamonn, Scrahallia, 16/06/09. To construct a dwelling house, domestic garage, advanced mechanical wastewater treatment plant, polishing fi lter and all associ-ated services.

091219 Ni Th uathail, Maire, Bealadangan, 19/06/09. Chun teach conaithe, garaiste agues coras eisilte a thogail.

091221 McHugh, Kathriona, Dohulla (Ballynahinch by), 19/06/09. For a dwelling house and private wastewater treatment system.

091265 Redmond, Colm J, Cashel, 25/06/09. For 1) new sew-age treatment and polishing fi lter, 2) construction of 8 no. self-contained holiday units, 3) construction of new facade, including singage to the existing bar of the hotel and extend same at the Zetland Hotel, which is a protected structure, RPS (Ref. No. 659).

091269 Staunton, Ann, Clifden Demesne, 26/06/09. For (a) extension and alterations to existing dwelling house, (b) construct a new septic tank and provide purifl o sew-age treatment system, (c) all ancillary site works and site services.

091271 McNulty, P, Ballynahown, 26/06/09. Chun teach conaithe, garaiste agus coras searachais.

Source: www.galway.ie


Consumer Watchdog: Online Shopping and WiFi Hotspots

Have a Consumer Complaint? Let us know! Phone us at 095-22888 or email us at [email protected]

Staying Connected In ConnemaraIt is not so long ago that the ‘real world’ was very far away

from Connemara. Connecting to the internet when touring our beautiful countryside was near to impossible. However, this has all changed and whether you are a tourist or a local on a day out, you can check your email, Skype, upload your photos or even do some work throughout the region.

If you are travelling with your laptop, you have a wealth of wifi hotspots at your disposal. Below we have a chart outlining some of the outlets that have internet access. Th e list is continuously changing and some outlets (not included) have reservations about advertising the service. While some outlets may charge, you might be surprised what a smile and the purchase of a beverage or two might do for you. Where a coded password is required this may be gotten from a staff member on request.

Th ere are also a number of internet cafés in the region if you have left the laptop at home:Video Vault, Main Street, Clifden. €4 per hour. Atlantic Hotel, Market Street, Clifden. €4 per hour. O’Dowds Café, Roundstone. €1 for 15mins. Th ere are also

Izone cards available that off er internet access at a rate of €1 for 30mins or €4.50 per day. Th ese rates also apply to use of the wireless facility in O’Dowds Bar.

Th e Bards Den, Letterfrack. €2 for 20mins. John Durning

Telephone Allowance: Worth €26 per month.Free Television Licence: ‘Lifetime’ TV Licence.To apply, you need Form HB1.

Everyone aged 66 and over living permanently in Ireland is entitled to the free travel scheme. Free travel is available on all State public transport (bus, rail and LUAS), and also on some private bus services. To apply, you need Form FT1.

Under the National Fuel Scheme, a means-tested Fuel Allowance is payable to people who cannot provide for their heating needs from their own resources. It is paid weekly from the end of September to May. To apply, fi ll out Form NFS1. Declan Weir

Further information is available from Clifden CIC, which provides a free and confi dential service to the public. Tele-phone: 095 22000 & 087 1301100 / Email: [email protected]. Address: c/o VEC Offi ce, Statoil Apartments, Galway Road, Clifden. Open Th ursday 7pm to 8pm & Friday 10:30am to 3:30pm. Phone service available outside those hours (087 1301100). Citizens Information is also available online at www.citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service, Lo-Call 1890 777 121.

Know Your Rights I am 67 and live in Ireland and my pension is paid from the UK. I own my house and live alone. Can I get Living Alone Allowance or other Irish benefi ts?

Unfortunately, as you are not getting an Irish social welfare payment, you do not qualify for Living Alone Increase. However, there are several other benefi ts for which you may qualify, including Household Benefi ts, Free Travel and Fuel Allowance. Th e Household Benefi ts Package is made up of:Electricity Allowance: Covers normal standing charges and

up to 2,400 units of electricity per year.Natural Gas allowance: Up to €540 per year.Electricity (Group Account): For tenants who have slot

meters or whose bill is in the landlord’s name.Bottled Gas Refi ll Allowance: For people who are not con-

nected to an electricity/gas supply.

Scared To Shop Online?Does the idea of entering your credit/debit card details on-

line send a shiver down your spine? Well, you are right to be cautious, however, shopping online can be a good experience when you do it wisely.

It may surprise you to know that Irish shoppers are lead-ing the way in online retail therapy. According to Europe-wide research by online marketplace eBay, the Irish are at the forefront of the growing business of online shopping! E-commerce specialists Magico.ie found that in 2008 more than €12 million a day was spent on online sales in Ire-land. EU consumer aff airs commissioner Meglena Kuneva recently proposed new rules to make cross-border internet shopping easier and safer.

Internet Fear is CommonA recent survey - conducted by the Offi ce of Fair Trading

in the UK - stated that over a third of Brits who use the in-ternet are too scared to shop online! Enterprise-ireland.com stated that of the Irish Internet users surveyed, 51% said they would not shop online. First let’s look at the major pitfalls and then guidelines to avoid being ‘click pocketed’.• Debit and credit card fraud: Misuse of your fi nancial details.• Identity theft – When personal information is stolen and

used to open credit card accounts, apply for loans etc.. all in the victim’s name.

• Faulty goods – Receiving and returning goods can be seen as a major hassle, but is really no diff erent to return-ing goods to a high street shop, especially when using a reputable business.

• Scams – Yes they are out there and I have been the victim of one or two in my time! One rule to follow is that if it seems too good to be true it normally is. One ‘scam’ that stands out for me was an off er from a ‘Garda Auction Site’ only one item per buyer. Items ranged from 50” fl at screen tvs to digital cameras. As silly as this may sound, it really did look above board. I am still waiting for my fl at screen tv! I (and many of my friends) had paid through PayPal though and we were all fully reimbursed.

Guidelines to Shopping Wisely• Protect your fi nancial info and identity. Using payment

methods such as PayPal or 3V Visa Vouchers (www.3v.ie) ensures that you are not giving sensitive fi nancial details away. PayPal in particular allows you to send payments quickly and securely online. Your item will be protected to its full value (including postage). PayPal also protects you, the buyer, if you are unfortunate to have been a victim of a “scam” and have paid through the offi cial PayPal site. You WILL be reimbursed.

• Choose shopping sites that are reputable, for example eBay or Amazon. Well established fi rms are more likely to make the eff orts needed to protect your information and sellers on eBay are reviewed and monitored carefully.

• Basic computer protection – Before logging on to the Internet make sure to install fi rewall software, anti-viral

programmes and anti-spyware as these ensure people can-not scan your PC once you are online.

As much as I love living in the wild west of Connemara it often really frustrates me how hard it can be to fi nd certain items and within my price range. Th erefore shopping online has become a necessity for me. Don’t get me wrong, I know how unsettling it can be to enter your fi nancial details on a website, but if you take certain precautions it can actually be as safe as shopping on your local high street.Paula Bann

eBay ShoppingI have been using eBay for nearly 10 years and although

I’ve had to deal with a few ‘questionable’ sellers, the good experiences defi nitely outweigh the bad, especially when it comes to fi nding something weird, wacky and original for that special person in your life.

Essentially eBay is an online auction and shopping website which sells a plethora of goods and services worldwide. Most people fail to realise that a vast majority of sellers on eBay are genuine retailers. Most sales take place through a set-time auction format, but a large number of listings con-tain a “Buy It Now” or “Best Off er” option.

Th e eBay homepage is very user friendly, simply type a keyword or phrase into the search bar and this will give you a list of items. Often you will fi nd it is better to bid closer to the end of auctions, this reducing the chance of getting pulled into a bidding war! Also check auctions fi nishing on Sunday evenings as many people bid on working days.

Once you have entered you maximum bid, eBay (through automatic bidding) will bid until the reserve price or your maximum amount is met. Your maximum bid is kept confi -dential until it is exceeded by another bidder and eBay will let you know if you’ve been outbid.

eBay Tips• Research, read the item description very carefully and make

sure you understand all details and pay particular attention to Postage & Packing – as P&P charges can be ridiculous! Do not make assumptions. If in doubt ask the seller.

• Look at similar completed eBay listings. Decide on the amount you are actually willing to spend and stick to it! Believe me, it is very easy for your competitive streak to raise its head as an auction is about to end.

• Review the seller’s feedback, this is a must!! Read the seller’s feedback score and what other buyers have said about doing business with them. Also check how long they have been a member of eBay group.

• Don’t bid on multiple matching items from diff erent sell-ers, because you may be the winning bidder in more than one auction. If you do win, pay though PayPal.Buying on eBay is easy and can be great fun! You can fi nd

almost anything for sale - from electronics to relics. So think of me next time you’re ordering your Guatemalan Trouble Doll!! (yes, they really are listed!) Happy Shopping! Paula Bann

Th e Connemara View would like to extend sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased.

Th is list is compiled from various sources and we apologise for any errors or omissions.


Death Notices

Letters to the Editor

Connemara Community Radio Weekly Schedule

Broadcasting 11 am to 9 pm each day on 87.8 FM & 106.1 FM

Weather Forecast and Community Notices at 3 pm, 4 pm and 8 pm.

Sponsored by Broderick Electric, Sweeney Oil and Gannon Sports.* Indicates Sponors

Monday: 11am-12 Noon: Magazine Programme with Heather Heanue and Colleen Currran. 12-4pm: Repeat of previous evenings broadcast. 4-5pm: Listen Here with Pete Ball. 5.05-6pm: Hooked on Music with John Duane. *Clifden

Chamber of Commerce. 6-7pm: Alternate Weeks - As Gaeilge with Caitriona Nic Ghiollaphadraig OR Heyday with Sinead Mannion & Bobbi O Regan. 7-8pm: Talk Sportwith Vivian Cotter. 8pm: Roundstone Report with Richard de Stacpoole and Anne Conneely. 8.15-9pm: Ann’s Mixed Bag with Ann Conneely.Tuesday: 11am-12 Noon: Magazine Programme with Cliona Sheehan. *Connemara View Newspaper. 12-4pm: Repeat of previous evenings broadcast. 4-5pm: Gateway Hour with Louisa Jack. 5.05-6pm: Jack’s Spot with Jack Tomlinson. 6- 7pm: Live with John Dunne. 7-8pm: Community Matters with Pat O’Toole. *Tullycross and Cashel Credit Unions. 8pm: Cashel Report with Bernard Lee. 8.30-9pm: Classical Half Hour with Pat O’Toole.Wednesday: 11am-12 Noon: Magazine Programme with Mary Roe. 12-4pm: Repeat of previous evenings broad-cast. 4-5pm: Gateway Hour with Mickey Mac. 5.05-6pm: Double Trouble with Mickey Mac. Inishbofin Report return-ing soon. 6- 7pm: My Kind of Music with Martin Con-roy. *ClifdenSupply Centre.7-8pm: Lift the Latch with Michael O’ Neill and Helen King. 8pm: Clifden Report with Breandan O’Scanaill. 8.15-9pm: Music with Pat Keaney.Thursday: 11am-12 Noon: Magazine Programme with Cathy Keane and Brendan O’Malley. 12-4pm: Repeat of previous evenings broadcast. 4-5pm: Gateway Hour with Kathleen O’Brien. 5.05-6pm: Fáilte with Mary Corbett Joyce. 6- 7pm: Take it Easy with Michael O’Toole. 7-8pm: The Great Outdoors with Breandan O’Scanaill. *Acton Construction.8 pm: Cleggan Claddaghduff Report with Mary Gordon O’Toole. 8.15-9pm: Breandan O’Scanaill.Friday: 11am-12 Noon: Magazine Programme with Samantha Heanue & Priscilla Diamond. 12-4pm: Repeat of previous evenings broadcast. 4-5pm: Gateway Hour with Tonya Ni Chuirínn. 5.05-6pm: The Friday Feeling with Margaret Sheehan. 6-7pm: Lyrical Allsorts with Linda O’Malley. 7-8pm: Injury Time with various presenters. *AIB

Clifden. 8pm: Ballyconneely Report with John O’ Malley. 8.15-9pm: American Country with Brendan Ridge. *Alcock &

Brown Hotel.

Saturday: 11am-12 Noon: Monkeying Around with Heather Kearney. 12-4pm: Repeat of previous evenings broadcast. 4-5pm: Gateway Hour with Tonya Ni Chuir-rín. 5.05-6pm: Pretty Good Day so Far! with Sean Halpenny. 6- 7pm: Blue Highways with Lol Hardiman. 7-9 pm: Music Spectacular Alternate Weeks - Shelter from the Storm with Dave O’ Halloran or Coast to Coast with Paul Phelan. Sunday: 10-11am: Sounds a Bit Irish with Eamonn McLoughlin. *Mulchrone Bros, Westport. .11am-12noon: Mass from Clifden. 12-4pm: Repeat of previous evenings broadcast. 4-5pm: Listen Here with Pete Ball. 5.05-6pm: Words & Music with Kathleen Faherty . 6- 7pm: Footappin’ Time with Tom Mongan. 7-8pm: Senior Side of the Street with Josephine De Courcey. *FORUM. 8pm: Ballinakill Report with Paddy Gan-non. Insihbofin Report with Tommy Burke. 8.15-9pm: De-cades of Hits with Michael Coyne.

The Connemara View now welcomes Acknowledgements & Remembrances.

Special offer June through October 2009: Price per word: €0.15 (normally €0.25). Photo: €5.

No Pony StudbookMadam,

At the AGM of the Connemara Pony Breeders Society, radical changes were made on several issues, including a proposal to discontinue the production of a written Studbook.

Th e memorandum of Association states clearly to inspect Connemara ponies off ered for registration, in compliance with the Society’s Rules for Registration and to publish a Stud Book containing particulars of eligible ponies.

Th e founder members that were responsible for the initial drafting of the Articles of Association of the Society clearly could not have had a computer in mind. Th erefore one can only assume that the inten-tion was to produce a printed Stud Book in which case the Council of today would be bound to follow those directions.

It was stated at the meeting that due to the rising cost of printing it is no longer viable for the society to publish a written version of the Stud Book.

Instead the delegates were told that the society pro-poses to have the information online “as everybody has a computer these days”.

Th e grassroots are getting thin on the ground as time goes by, many are now in their twilight years and do not deserve to be treated like second class citizens, least of all by the Mother Society put in place by men and women who worked so hard to establish the Stud Book and the Connemara Pony as a true native Irish Breed.

With the infl ux of foreign stallions plus Classifi ca-tion and Frozen Semen, breeders are more confused than ever as to what is happening. It is vital to docu-ment information in written form and to maintain the Stud Book as the founders intended it.

Th e Pony has put Connemara, especially Clifden on the map all over the world. Without the studbook the pony will wilt into the wilderness, buried beneath bureaucracy.

On a personal note, I appeal to the Society to consider when, and why, they were established; was it not, as I, like many others understand, to produce and maintain the written studbook.Ruth Rogers

Dear Editor,

I was both dismayed and saddened by Ruth Rogers’s recent letter concerning the decision of the Connemara Pony Breeders Society to discontinue printing a stud-book. Th e internet, we are told, is to take its place.

Th ere are many breeders who do not have or want an internet facility. Th ere is NO substitute for the written word. An American breeder remarked, when an earlier volume was out of print, and it was suggested she use the internet; ‘I cannot take a laptop to bed with me’. It is a fact that the studbook sits on many a bedside table. It has been my bible for the last fi fty years and I cannot imagine life without it.

I humbly suggest that the CPBS have an obligation to members and breeders, at home and abroad, to con-tinue the publication of a studbook. It has always been their most important responsibility and without it, I fear, the Society is in danger of failing in its duty.Yours Sincerely

Pat Lyne (Author of Shrouded in Mist and companion

volumes).Note: Th is letter was fi rst published in ‘Th e Irish Field’ in response to Ruth Rogers’ letter.

St Joseph’s Industrial School To Th e Editor,

Last month I wrote of the ironic preservation order which has been placed on the old St Joseph’s Industrial School in Clifden which now stands empty and ruined. Th is order arrived after the property had been initially off ered to our organisation to develop as a special needs unit for children and for social housing.

Now we see that there is a strong and expensive look-ing fence being erected around the property. As one prominent citizen of Clifden then remarked to me: “So it would seem an old building is worth more than the people themselves. Th e needs of the building are more important than the needs of the people!”

What a sad refl ection, but how true of the methods so often employed to ensure that nothing is done. Co Councillors please note! Yours etc, Anthony PrevitéConnemara Sheltered Housing Association Ltd, Elm Tree Centre, Clifden

Omey Island Tragedy Fund Update & Acknowledgement

Following the setting up of the Omey Island Tragedy Fund Committee, it was agreed to carry out door-to-door ticket sales throughout the Connemara area for the Benefi t Night set for July 3rd at 8:30pm in the Clifden Station House Hotel. Assistance was re-quested by way of local radio and press, as well as word of mouth to the various parishes, and the response was overwhelming to say the least.

Th e Committee would like to sincerely thank all the people who participated in the door-to-door sales and introduced our members to their local communities who have given so generously to this fund. We would also like to say a huge thank you to all those who have purchased tickets and given donations.

Th e Benefi t Night function will begin at 8:30pm sharp. Th e music on the night will consist of many performances including local musicians and musicians from Inis Bofi n. Due to the considerable number of prize contributions we will also be holding an auction on the night. We have received a wide variety of items including artwork (paintings, prints and sculpture) – by Joe Boske, Caroline Canning, John Coll, Margaret Irwin, Cathal O’Malley and some other local artists. Th anks also to all of the local quarries and suppliers for their kind donations of several loads of sand and gravel

and hardware. Going on the generosity shown so far, the night is sure to be a tremendous success.

Finally, we would like to thank the wider community who have taken tickets and sold them the length and breadth of the country. We have received donations from north, south, east and west of Ireland, as well as from across the water in the U.K. Th e support is very much appreciated by all.Laurence Conneely

Monica Casey (née Canavan), Streamstown, Clifden

Margaret Gearaghty, Carna

Sarah Nee, Roundstone

Chris O’Toole, Streamstown, Clifden

JULY runes

JULY Horoscopes

“Blossoming Does Occur”

JULY Tarot


news@ connemaraview.com

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20) If you are on the top of your game or in the slump of a lifetime, remember that it takes both the highs and lows to make life work.

Taurus (Apr 21-May 20) It’s time for you to splurge and get that little item or thing that you have had your eye on for some time now, you deserve it.

Gemini (May 21-Jun 21) Start advancing towards your desired objective. Now is the time to move and take action to get what you want.

Cancer ( Jun 22-Jul 22) Happy Birthday! Th is will be a very good month for you Cancer, lucky things will just happen for you and all around you.

Leo ( Jul 23-Aug 23) It’s time to trust a little more this month, take down some of the barriers you use to protect yourself and be open to what others have to off er.

Virgo (Aug 24-Sep 22) A timely message from a ginger pal sets you on a new course that will prove to be advantageous for you.

Libra (Sep 23-Oct 23) When other people want what you have, sometimes you do need to put up a fi ght to keep it. Th e choice is yours as always.

Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22) Know that this month you can be calm, assured and relaxed. Th ere will be nothing to worry about or that you cannot handle.

Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21) It is your time. Th is month sees you complete any goals, jobs, plans, etc. So get out there and get it all done.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 20) Th is is a month of big changes for you Capricorn. Be ready and as prepared as you can be, don’t get blind-sided.

Aquarius ( Jan 21-Feb 19) Th is month celebrate all the good things that have been happening for you lately. Even if they are small, they deserve to be enjoyed.

Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20) After a long and exhausting work schedule you can fi nally take a bit of a break, so rest up as the work never really ends.

Th e King of Pentacles re-versed in the past tells you that you did not trust your instincts about a recent decision and now have some doubts about it. With the 2 of Swords in the present you are stuck between two diffi cult choices and are not sure what to do. Go back to that gut feeling and let it guide you. In the future the Ace of Cups lets you know that all will be well and good as long as you make the right choice and follow the correct path for you.

Th e blank rune is your action and you are being told to trust in everything and your own destiny. Remove all doubts about the future and simply wait. Th e challenge you face with the Warrior rune is to not take any action, but examine your own motives carefully. You will fi nd the answers within yourself. Growth as the Overview lets you know that after the time of inaction will come a period of growth and movement forward can be achieved.

On Saturday July 4th, the Earth is at aph-elio, its furthest distance from the Sun, about 3% further away from the Sun than we are at perihelion in early January, but the longer hours of sunlight and the higher altitude of the Sun more than make up for this. Moon: Full Moon is on Tuesday July 7th,

when the Moon is in Sagittarius. At Full, the Moon is on the opposite side of the sky to the Sun; so it rises in the south-east at sunset, slides just above the southern horizon during the short summer night, and sets in the south-west at sunrise the following morning. During the following week, as it wanes gibbous, it continues to rise at about the same time each evening, but it sets much later each morning.

New Moon is on Wednesday July 22nd. Th e new crescent Moon probably won’t be visible in the north-west after sunset until at least Sunday 26th. It sets a little later each successive evening. Full Moon occurs again on Th ursday August 6th.

Lunar Occultations: As the Moon orbits around the Earth each month, it passes between us and the distant stars. Oc-casionally, it moves directly in front of a naked-eye star, and occults (hides) it. Th is happens much less often than one might expect. But in the early hours of Saturday July 18th, the Moon passes in front of-not one star, but a large part of the Pleiades or “Seven Sisters” star-cluster.

As soon as the Moon rises high enough to be visible, soon after midnight BST, a pair of binoculars will show the star-cluster immediately to the left of the narrow crescent. Around 2:30am (the exact time depends on your precise location), 4th-magnitude Merope will disappear behind the bright crescent. Th e disappearance may be hard to see, but Merope will re-appear magically from behind the dark upper limb of the Moon about half an hour later. Th e brightest of the Sisters, Alcyone, will just graze the top edge of the Moon, but Atlas and nearby Pleione will be occulted soon after 3:30am, reappearing about 4:15am.

Mercury is at superior conjunction (almost directly behind the Sun) on July 14th. We are very unlikely to see this elusive little planet, this month.

Venus is rising two or three hours be-fore the Sun, and by dawn it shines a hand’s breadth above the eastern horizon. Although it is low in the twilight sky, the “Morning Star” is so bright that it can be picked up easily in clear conditions. On the morning of Sunday July 19th, the real waning Moon will appear close above Venus and slightly to the left; the two objects will be fi ve degrees apart, and may just fi t into the same fi eld of view in a pair of binoculars.

Mars: At the start of July, Mars appears very close to Venus in the eastern sky at dawn; it’s a little higher and further right, just 4 degrees away. As the month goes by, the orientation of the two planets stays

much the same, but the gap opens up; by the end of July, Mars is 15 degrees to the upper right of Venus. But the Red Planet is far further away than Venus, and it looks much fainter-just like a dim yellow-ish dot. On the morning of Saturday July 18th, the Moon will appear directly above Mars, about 7 degrees away.

Jupiter is rising in the south-east before midnight, and is well up in the southern sky at dawn. Relative to the stars, the giant planet is moving very slowly westwards in Capricornus, much lower down than the three bright stars of the “Summer Triangle”. Jupiter should still outshine any of the real stars. In the telescope, Jupiter shows a disc growing to 48 arc-seconds in diameter, but at such a low altitude it may not show much detail, except perhaps for a faint banding. In binoculars, some of its four major moons may be seen as tiny points of light, in a near-straight line to either side of the planet. Often, only two or three may be visible-either because one is hiding behind the planet, or occasion-ally because one moon is hiding behind another moon, or in another moon’s shadow.

Early on the morning of Friday July 10th, our own waning Moon will be the same height as Jupiter, but about 10 de-grees to the right; the following morning, the Moon will be 4 degrees to the upper left of the planet.

Saturn is in the W sky at dusk. At the start of July, it doesn’t set until after mid-night, but by the end of the month it dis-appears at 10:30pm. Relative to the stars, it is moving slowly SE, in the constella-tion of Leo, well to the left of the bright star Regulus and a little higher up. Saturn appears a little brighter than Regulus, and it shines with a steady, untwinkling light, slightly creamier in colour than the blue-white star. In the telescope, Saturn’s rings form a very narrow oval, 38 arc-seconds wide but less than 2 arc-seconds high. Th e disc of the planet itself is about 17 arc-seconds across, and may show some faint banding. Many of Saturn’s moons may also show up; the largest and brightest one is Titan. Titan will be immediately north of Saturn around July 2nd and 18th, about 3 arc-minutes west of the planet around July 6th and 22nd, immediately south of the planet around July 10th and 26th, and 3 arc-minutes to the east around July 14th and 30th.

On the evening of Monday July 27th, if you manage to fi nd our own crescent Moon very low in the western sky, Saturn will appear about 7 degrees above it.

Meteors: Th ere are various minor meteor-showers which are active in July, mainly with radiants in the Capricornus-Aquar-ius area. Towards the end of the month we may also start to see the fi rst of the Perseids, which peak in August.

John Claró


Connemara CorncrakesBirdWatch Ireland are renewing their

appeal for reports from anyone hearing the very loud, nocturnal call of Ireland’s only endangered species of animal or bird, the Corncrake.

So far this year, at the halfway point of the annual Corncrake count, there is a minimum of 12 Corncrakes in Galway, with nine so far counted in Connemara, includ-ing at least fi ve on Inishturbot (although as many as seven have been reported), two

on the mainland at Cleggan and near Tully and one on Omey Island. Of two initially reported on Inishbofi n, only one has continued to be heard at Westquarter. A report of one heard on Inishshark is thought to have been the remaining Bofi n Corncrake on a day-trip! Th ree Corn-crakes have been confi rmed so far in the Shannon Callows.

Nationally, three Corncrakes have been confi rmed on Valentia Island, Co Kerry, six in Sligo, 30 in Mayo and 50 in Donegal. Th e next few weeks are the last chance to fi nd more Corncrakes this

year-most of them stop calling in early July. BirdWatch Ireland is renewing its appeal for reports from anyone hearing one. Th e local number to report hearing a Corncrake is 095 44941, or online at www.birdwatchgal-way.ie. Photo courtesy of Birdwatch Ireland.


Too wet for trees?I recently had a conversation with a couple

who had spent a lot of money on planting trees and shrubs and having an area of their garden drained. Th ey were very disappointed with the results. Out of all the trees they planted only one has survived. Th e area has gone back to being wet again and they are now growing a fi ne crop of rushes.

I have great sympathy for anyone in that situation and believe me, there are many people in the same boat. It is diffi cult to give them much encouragement as they very often lose interest after such a costly exercise.

Before you start to garden two things are important, check your soil type and the conditions of the garden. Th is should be done before planting anything, or certainly anything special or expensive. By this I mean learn the good and bad points about your garden. Firstly, consider the soil type. Is it acidic or neutral, heavy or light, stony or sandy? Th ere will probably be diff erent conditions in the various parts of the garden. Th ese should be identifi ed and marked on a plan of the garden. A simple and inexpensive soil sample kit can be purchased in many garden shops and perhaps from chemists. Th is will give you a reading of the ph balance and you can plan for that. Of course, it is possible to alter the soil to a certain extent, but this is often costly and of limited value.

Secondly, it is important to be aware of the aspects of the garden. Which way is the sun shining throughout the day? Is there much trouble with wind, frost or dry conditions? Is there heavy shade or none? Will the children play football in that area? Is that where the

cars will be parked, or will the cattle or sheep from next door be able to stretch in and eat your newly planted trees?

Th ese may seem obvious but the number of people who get it wrong would surprise you. Th ere’s no point in planting trees or shrubs which require full sun and a free draining sandy soil if your garden is dark and shady and on boggy heavy clay. Th ey might survive, but you shouldn’t aim for mere survival, your aim should be for thriving plants.

Getting back to the couple in question, they planted trees which were not suitable for the site. It is diffi cult to fi nd plants which do well in waterlogged soil, but alder trees (see photo) are always a good choice. Th ey grow fairly fast and although not evergreen have

a dense growth pattern which will shield you from nosy neighbours. Th e other thing I would suggest is to plant trees and shrubs on a raised platform, something like a lazy bed, which helps keep the roots above water level. In the case of the couple, it would seem obvious that as their land sloped down to the wet area, they could put shelter belts up a little

from the really wet areas. Th en, with the view of the road blocked, they could begin to plant bog plants. Th ese would settle in quickly, give colour and provide a small bit of shelter to that area.

Making use of what you haveTh at brings me back to something I have

written about before, and that is making use of what you have in the garden. Some people spend fortunes to have rocks and walls removed while others spend fortunes putting these features in. If you have what seems like a problem area, try to look at it from a diff er-ent angle. A rock face or a pile of rock can be used to display a huge range of plants and add form to an otherwise featureless garden. Th e

Victorians were great at exposing rocks and creating rockeries, some of which were rather bizarre. Old walls can be repaired or left a bit untidy; these are perfect as backdrops to climbing plants and can add drama and height to any garden, particularly fl at ones.

A friend asked me about a dead tree that they were planning to move from their gar-den. Th is was going to prove a bit awkward, as taking it from its position would probably work out fairly expensive. I suggested that as long as it was not dangerous, they should consider planting climbing roses, clematis or sweet peas against and around the tree

and its branches. By allowing it to become a support for other plants they could give it a second life.

If you have a very wet area, think about creating a pond, lake or bog garden. Remem-ber that exposed water can be a child hazard, so if you have young children or grandchil-dren, it can be a risk. Th ere are ways around this, like fencing in the area. Of course, there need be little or no standing water for making a bog garden if your conditions are correct. Th ere are hundreds of plants which can be used in this type of garden and some can be very exotic looking, so let your imagination go free. Most garden centres will have plenty of plants which are suitable, from actual water plants to marginal ones, which grow around water and even damp loving plants.

GunneraA number of people have again asked me

about Gunnera which I have mentioned on many occasions. Th e Galway County Biodi-versity Project has come out with a very use-ful leafl et which talks about this plant and suggests ways of getting rid of it. Th is is one of a number of leafl ets which look at invasive species in County Galway. A copy of these brochures and advice on the do’s and don’ts can be got from Elaine O’ Riordan, Applied Ecology Unit, Centre for Environmental Sciences, NUI, Galway, (091) 493863 or by e-mail [email protected].

If the hot weather comes back to us, please remember to water all plants in containers and newly planted trees and shrubs espe-cially. No harm to give them a top dressing or mulch so that the soil will retain moisture longer. If you have a large number of pots, you could stand them on wet newspaper or old carpet, keep this wet and the water will soak into the pots, or at least the air around the pots will be a little cooler.

Happy gardening! Breandan O Scanaill

Make Your Garden Even GreenerWhile many of us are aware and informed

on the benefi ts of composting, it seems to be one of those habits that we often begin with gusto then lose interest in as it is not a process that gives quick results.

Even if the eventual compost is just given away, it is still better than contributing to large amounts of waste comprising of both bio and non degradable matter into our already rubbish overloaded world, and paying for the privilege.

Composting your suitable household waste is simple, good for the environment we all live in and signifi cantly reduces the amount of rubbish you need to get rid of, thereby saving money. It all makes sense - so start composting now!

Where and how?Th ere are many composting bins on the

market, but they are really just containers. While bins are neater and easier to manage, a heap surrounded by concrete blocks, rocks or wood can just be covered with polythene or cardboard. It should be located in a sunny or semi shaded location, directly on the ground and away from water courses.

Th e optimal conditions for producing good compost: Drainage. Good compost bins allow liq-

uids to drain easily. Th e materials in your compost pile should be as moist as a damp, wrung out sponge.

Air fl ow. Most compost bins are designed to maximise air fl ow and circulation. Oxygen keeps away the anaerobic microbes that can create bad smells and is fuel for the aerobic microbes that break down matter into fi nished compost. Get air into the

compost by turning it through with a fork.Insulation. Temperature is key to the break-

down of compost which is self insulating.If you pile materials on top of compost, the middle of the stack will be the warmest. Position it so that the wind doesn’t blow on it and so that it sits in sunlight.

Good mix of various ingredients. If you have just one thing, like grass clippings alone, or leaves alone, it takes a long time to break down. But if you have several materials mixed together, they break down much more quickly.

Organic material falls into two categories: Green or ‘Nitrogen Rich’ organic material

is wet and often green, like grass clippings or fruit and vegetables. Brown or ‘Carbon Rich’ organic material is dry, woody material that is usually brown, such as fallen leaves, and tree-cuttings. A decent mixture of both types of components will yield the best compost. A guideline mix is 75% “brown” material and 25% “green” scraps by volume.

Do Compost:Green• Coff ee grounds • Tea leaves and tea bags • Fruit and vegetable waste (cooked or un-

cooked) - roots, cores, etc • Bread, pasta and rice • Cut and dead fl owers • Manure from any vegetarian pets e.g. rab-

bits, hamsters. (Activator) • Grass cuttings and green leaves (Activator) • Weeds (Avoid roots and seed heads) • Old plants (Not diseased-if in doubt, leave it out!)• Seaweed or garden-pond cleanings (Activator) Activators are the primary food of the organisms,

and help to establish the bin or speed up the process

Brown• Egg shells • Kitchen paper • Newspaper, papers and light cardboard,

e.g. cereal or crumpled shoe boxes (Newspa-pers, cardboard and paper can be added in small crumpled amounts but it is better to recycle them).

• Pet hairs and human hairs • Wood/peat/peat ashes (no coal ashes) • Tree prunings and woody material (chopped) • Hay and straw • Sawdust or wood shavings.

Do Not Compost:• Scraps from meat and fi sh-this will attract

pests and vermin• Grease and oil-takes a

long time to decom-pose and attracts pests

• Cat or dog litter and faeces, disposable nappies-pathogens (diseased cells) will not be killed by the temperatures

• Glossy magazines or papers-the plastic coat-ing will not decompose

• Barbecue or coal ash• Large woody material• Evergreen shrubs-too

acidic

Galway County Council’s Environ-ment Section off ers home composting bins for a one off price of €45 including deliv-

ery and also off er free advice on how to use them. Assistant Environmental Awareness Offi cer Mark Molloy can be contacted at 091-476485 or [email protected]. Further information can also be obtained from www.galway.ie . (Click Services, then Environment on the drop down menu on the left, then Waste Management & Recycling. Th ere is then another click-through for informa-tion and guidelines on composting, as well as many other environmental matters). Helpful information can also be obtained from the Composting Association of Ireland on www.cre.ie. Catherine Pryce

discomfort by removing high levels of histamine. It also has anti infl ammatory properties so it can be very useful for those suff ering with gout and other forms of arthritis. In days gone by, people would whip their joints with nettle plants in order to get the infl ammation down.

Self-heal or Heal-all is a delicate small purple fl owering herb which does exactly what its name suggests. It heals breaks, wounds, frac-tures, sprains and any other inju-ries. A compress would be made and applied to a wound in the past, which

would have been very handy when you consider how far away and how expensive a doctor may have been.

An herb which is particularly good for infl ammatory problems of the digestive and respiratory systems-in fact it will soothe any mucous mem-brane irritation is Marshmallow. Both the leaf and the root can be used and the fl owers and seeds are very tasty in a salad. If you stroke the velvety soft leaves and fl ower petals of this pretty pink fl ower, you can easily imagine how soothing it would be as a medicine.

Terri Conroy is the proprietor of An Bhean Feasa Health Shop

and the Clifden Holistic Centre on Lower Market St, Clifden.

All information in this article is for advice only. Always consult

your GP or medical practitioner with any health concern.


Herbs: Everywhere and for Everyone!

We are very blessed to be living here in Connemara, one of the most beautiful and unspoiled areas of the world. Not only do we have amazingly wonderful views, beaches, mountains, lakes and countryside, there is also a plethora of healing herbs right there at our feet.

Some people believe that the herbs growing at your door in any given time of the year are the very ones that you might need at that time. Whether that is the case or not, it is true that our fi elds and gardens off er us a veritable natural pharmacy.

Some easy to recognise herbs would be the common daisy, red clover, horsetail, coltsfoot, heal-all, dandelion, marshmal-low and stinging nettle. Often these herbs are discarded as weeds and pulled out of the garden because we have lost

the knowledge that our forbears had.

Just think of all the back breaking work we put in to pulling daisies from a lawn when, if we only knew it, the Daisy, or Bellis Perennis, is a great natural solution to back pain from over work!

Red Clover is an herb that can help both women

and children. For children with eczema or psoriasis, Red Clover cleanses the blood relieving the itching and other

distressing symptoms. It also makes an excel-lent expectorant during chesty coughs. For women, it can help reduce menopausal symptoms because it is full of isofl avones which can regulate hormones.

A simple tea made from fl ower heads would be one way to use it.

Horsetail is one of the oldest plants on the planet, literally millions of years old and is full of silica which makes it ideal for the lungs and the urinary system due to its capacity for re-building tissue. Silica is one of our body’s building blocks and is necessary for tissue repair to delicate areas such as the lungs, the pelvic fl oor, skin hair and nails.

Dandelion is very easily recognisable and can be used as a health supporting food-put young leaves into your salad-or the root can be used as a kidney tonic and natural diuretic. Unlike other diuret-ics which expel water from the body and upset the balance of tissue salts, Dandelion replaces potassium which is particularly important in maintaining the cell membrane and correct functioning.

People suff ering from hay fever at this time of year can often develop skin rashes and prickly heat, as do those who are sensitive to the sun. Nettle is a great blood cleanser and can therefore reduce the itchiness and

Slip, Slop, Slap…Confusion about sunscreen can often be the main cause

of sunburn. Sunscreens are designed to protect your skin by absorbing and/or refl ecting UVA and UVB rays and reduce the risk of skin damage. UVB rays aff ect the top layers of the skin and are responsible for burning while UVA rays aff ect the lower layers of the skin and are responsible for ageing.

Th e Irish Cancer Society advise people to use at least SPF “Sun Protection Factor” 15 or more and to cover up, as cloth-ing off ers the best protection. Sunscreen products sold in Ireland carry an SPF rating (2 to 60 – strength guide). SPF

rating measures how much longer it takes to burn skin with sunscreen, than it does without. Th ere is some controversy about high SPF numbers and how much more protection they provide, the diff erence in protection between SPF 15 and SPF 30 is 5%, but is just 0.5% between SPF 30 and 40.

Sunscreen shouldn’t be used to stay out in the sun longer, but should be applied liberally before moisturiser or make up, at least 20 minutes before going out. Th is allows the sunscreen to bind to the skin for maximum eff ectiveness. Reapply every two hours or more frequently if you have been swimming or perspiring.

SPF does not indicate protection against UVA radiation. Look for the letters UVA in a circular shape on the product to ensure the sunscreen complies with EU standards. Two thirds of Irish people have fair skin, so we are more at risk to UV radiation and its long-term eff ects.

Met Éireann includes a UV index by region in their daily forecast: 1-2 = Low Risk, 3-7 = Medium to High Risk, 8-9 = Very High Risk and 10- 11+ Extreme.

So remember Slip on a shirt, Slop on some Sunscreen and Slap on a Hat! Paula BannSource: www.cancer.ie / stickyfi n-gerstravel.com/www.gosunsmart.org/www.met.ie


If the sun doesn’t bother me, do I still need to wear sunglasses?

Fashion aside, sunglasses serve an impor-tant purpose: protecting eyes from the harm-ful rays produced by the sun. You’re probably well aware of the need to protect your skin from the sun, but it’s equally important to protect your eyes. Wearing sunglasses makes sense. Properly chosen sunglasses will protect your eyes against damage from UV rays, bright light, and blue light. Th e reason UV is so dangerous is because, unlike the suns infrared and visible rays which manifest themselves as heat and light, it is not easy to detect. Excessive exposure to UV light can cause permanent damage to the eyes’ surface or internal structures resulting in corneal opacity or cataract, skin cancer on the eyelids and macular degeneration. Th e highest risk groups, children and the elderly often wear little or no protective eyewear in the sun. Th ere are also other safety factors to consider. For example, if you are driving a vehicle in bright sunlight, it is safer to wear sun-glasses, because they reduce glare and improve contrast.

What are my options to prevent damage to my eyes?

You must wear sunglasses to prevent damage to your eyes. While some contact lenses provide UV protection, they don’t cover your whole eye, so you still need sunglasses. Look for sunglasses that protect you from 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB light. Th is includes those labelled as “UV 400,” which blocks all light rays with wavelengths up to 400 nanometres. (Th is covers all of UVA and UVB rays.) Also, you may want to consider wraparound sunglasses to prevent harmful UV rays from entering around the frame.

Do I still need those “UV Protective” sunglasses if my lenses are really dark?

Yes! Most people believe that the darkness of the lens is what protects their eyes. Th e degree of darkness has no eff ect on UV rays. For adequate protection, you need to buy sunglasses that indicate they block 100% of the sun’s UV rays.

What are the different kinds of lenses that are available?

Polarized lenses are made using a special optical fi lter which absorbs refl ected glare that bounces off fl at surfaces such as roads or water. Photochromic lenses adjust their level of darkness based on the amount of UV light they’re exposed to.

Do those sunglasses for specifi c sports

Over two articles, here and next month, I will be describing the uses of and applica-tions of ten of the most common health supplements that are widely available and regularly used by many people to treat and improve a number of conditions.

Vitamin C is not made in the body and must be obtained from fruit and vegetables. Th is is why we get scurvy when it is com-pletely absent from the diet. It is sensitive to heat, so eat fruits and vegetables raw, or cook lightly. Vitamin C bolsters the im-munity system. For bronchitis, the fl u, or the common cold, try large doses-5 to 10 grams a day. It supports the adrenal glands-consider taking it for persistent fatigue aggravated by stress. It helps to metabolize iron into a far more absorbable form. Take it when on iron supplementation for iron defi ciency anaemia. Typical dosage is 1 gram 3 times a day.

Chromium is low in refi ned food. Polish-ing rice and wheat removes the husk which contains most of the minerals, including chromium. When eating carbohydrates, blood levels of chromium goes up fi ve times. It helps metabolize carbohydrates to energy. Use it for irregularities of blood sugar, i.e. prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes (adult onset), Syndrome X, hypoglycaemia. It can also help with conditions that are associated with blood sugar irregularity Polycystic ovary syndrome, apple-shaped obesity, craving for sweets, ADD/ADHD. For superior absorption, make sure the supplementary chromium comes from living tissue (plants), not from inert mat-ter (chromed car bumpers!). Recommended dosage is 200-300 micrograms 3 times daily.

Glucosamine sulphate is popular for OA-osteoarthri-tis. It is a building block for joint regeneration. An anti-infl ammatory, it compares well with aspirin, but without the side eff ects. Glucosamine sulphate may work better for OA of the smaller joints (fi n-gers, wrists, toes). Th e dosage is 500 milligrams 3 times a day. OA of larger joints (hip, knee) might respond better to green lipped mussel extract. Chondroitin sulphate doesn’t help-don’t bother with it.

CoQ10 is critical for energy. Th e more active an organ is, the more CoQ10 it needs. Th is is why the heart, liver and kidneys are rich-est in CoQ10. All muscle tissue has CoQ10. It excels for heart defi ciency condi-tions: congestive heart failure, infarct (an area of tissue death due to a local lack of oxygen), heart surgery, and stroke. Kidney weakness may benefi t from CoQ10. Statins (drugs for high cholesterol

really make a difference?Yes. Sports eyewear in general tends to

be safer than regular sunglasses because the lenses and frames are made of special mate-rials that are unlikely to shatter if struck and can give you the benefi ts of both sunglasses and protective eyewear. Also, certain lens colours can enhance your vision for certain sports; brown, for example, is popular with golfers because it provides nice contrast on those very green golf courses.

Which lens colour is the best?Colour is a personal choice and doesn’t

aff ect how well the lenses protect your eyes from UV light. Grey and brown are popu-lar because they distort colours the least. Athletes may choose other tints for their colour-enhancing properties.

What sunglasses should be avoided?Sunglasses without UV protective lenses

are potentially dangerous and should be avoided. Th is is because the iris in

your eye reacts to visible light, causing the pupil to become

smaller in bright conditions. However, when light is

restricted, for example by tinted lenses, the

pupil opens wider to let in more

light. If the tinted lenses are not 100% UV protective your eye will, in fact, absorb more UV than if you had not worn sunglasses at all!

For your own protec-tion, how-ever, only ever wear ‘off the shelf ’ sunglasses that display the appropri-

ate CE mark and guarantee to absorb all UV light up to 400nm. Many fashion sunglasses with pink or blue tints off er little or no protection.

My children wear “Bob the Builder” glasses - they’ll do for them.

Wrong. Children are at particular risk because they’re in the sun much more than adults and their eyes are more sensitive as well. UV damage is cumulative over a person’s lifetime, which means you should begin protecting your child’s eyes as soon as possible. Most parents would not allow their children to go outside without shoes, or sunscreen, yet many seem unaware of the need to protect their children’s eyes.

What type of sunglasses suit me?It is important to fi nd a pair of sunglasses

that fi t properly and suit your face shape and skin tone. Ní Ráighne Opticians have a wide range of designer and prescription sunglasses to suit everyone and will advise on the best style to suit you. Each pair purchased are adjusted to provide an optimum fi t.Ailbhe Patten, Optometrist at Ní Ráighne Opticians, Bridge St, Clifden. 095-30995.

A Guide To The Most Common Health Supplements

– lovastatin, avastatin, etc) can compromise CoQ10 levels, and it may be important to take CoQ10 when on statins. Hypertension and energy problems may also be helped by CoQ10. Recommended dosage is 20-50 mg 3 times a day.

Calcium: Everyone believes that calcium prevents osteoporosis. Th is is overly sim-plistic! Bone needs lots of other nutrients-magnesium, vitamins D and K, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, and silica. Clinical trials show that a multi supplement is more eff ec-tive than calcium only, so use a multi. Keep in mind the big picture for osteoporosis-that it is a disease of the modern Western lifestyle. Factors to investigate include a poor diet (refi ned foods are low in minerals and vitamins), inactivity (activity stimulates bone), and too much time indoors (direct sunlight is needed to activate Vitamin D).

In the second part of this article next month I will deal with Probiotics, B vita-mins, Garlic, Omega 3 and Vitamin E.Nicolas Kats ND, Lic. Ac, uses acupuncture,

herbal medicine, exercise, spinal manipulation,

diet and supplements. He practices in Clifden

(095 30671 or 087 7714710) and Galway

(091 583260). Acupuncture is partly covered by

VHI, Quinn Healthcare.


[email protected]

Sunglasses: Fashion Accessory or Health Protector?

Roundstone Arts WeekSecond Weekend July 3rd-5thFriday July 3rd12pm to 2.30pm. Children and adult workshop-the

creation of a St Brigid’s Cross. Max 20 people with Brendan McGowan (Galway Museum) Roundstone Library. €5.

3pm to 5pm. Full Circle African Drumming work-shop with Patrick Naughton. Children of all ages. Community Hall, €5.

3pm to 5pm. Roundstone, Inspiration of artists for 100 years. Presented by John Dinan. Lower Com-munity Hall.

4pm. Music outdoors.9pm. The History of Curraghs from Donegal to Con-

nemara with Author Donal Mc Polin (Donegal), Donal Green (Carna), Patrick Davis (Innishnee). A talk on lighthouses with author Jackie O’Grady (Clifden). The Anglers Return, Toombeola.€10.

Saturday July 4th10.30am - 2.30pm. Archaeological, Cultural & Wild-

life Walk with John O’Halloran. Roundstone area. Approx. 4 hrs. Flagpoles. €20.

10am-12pm. Full Circle African Drumming Work-shop with Patrick Naughton. Children of all ages. Flagpoles (Weather perm. or Community Hall). €5.

12.30pm. Sand Castle Competition. ‘A Story of Your Creation’, BBQ, (weather permitt ing). Dogs Bay. €5.

3pm. A Talk with the Rev. Anthony M.A. Previté. “A guide to Connemara’s Early Christian Sites”. Lower Community Hall. Tea will be off ered. €5.

4pm. Music Outdoors. 5pm. Three - Legged Pub Race. Over 18yrs. Pairs to

be a man and a woman. O’Dowd’s wall. €10. 6.15 pm Tegolin’s Tales Theater presents two plays:

“Tom Connor’s Cat” and “Fionn McCumhaill & The Dark Pool” Suitable for children of all ages. www.tegolinstalestheatre.com. Lower Community Hall €5.

6.30 pm. “The Harp That Once” with Glynis Casson and Cormac de Barra. Web: www.glyniscasson.com. St Mary’s Protestant Church. €10 Booking: [email protected]. Tel: 086-821-5153.

10pm. Traditional Music with Ben Salmon and the “Roundstone Band” from England. Shamrock Bar.

Sunday July 5th12.30pm. Music outdoors aft er Mass. Outside Eldon’s

Hotel with “Some Like It Hot”.2.00pm. A Bog Walk with Carol Reynolds, and turf-

cutt ing demonstration. Roundstone Bog Cross Roads. €5.

2.30pm sharp. Clay Pigeon Shoot. The Joe Conneely Perpetual Challenge Cup. Single down the line, doubles down the line, spring & teal. Roundstone Pony Show Ground. €20.00 per gun, three rounds of fi ve.

Music in Roundstone’s Main Street with Micky Mar-tin.

4.30pm. The Arts Week Parade. Theme: ‘The Sea and the Environment’. Local children dressed in cos-tumes designed by Tina Jack, and friends. Depart-ing from the community hall.

5pm. Prize giving from the Workshops Week. Steps of Eldon’s Hotel aft er the parade.

10pm. Traditional Music.

‘Musician of the Future’ Shannon Biondi of Recess who recently received the

“Musician of the Future” award at the National Concert Hall in Dublin and who also graduated from the Royal Irish Academy of Music in music teaching and perfor-mance will give a lunchtime concert in Galway this sum-mer.

She will be performing Mendelssohn’s ‘Violin Con-certo in e minor’ at the Gal-way City Museum on Satur-day 25th of July 2009 at 1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at

the museum (phone 091 532460 or log on www.galway-citymuseum.ie).

Shannon is also running a two-week violin master-class, both in classical & traditional music which will take place in the VEC, Camp Street, Oughterard from the 6th of July to the 10th and/or from the 13th of July to the 17th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. All levels are welcome. For further information, call Shannon on 087 6294524.

Connemara Rocks!Connemara based artist Dolores Lyne will unveil a

major new exhibition as part of Galway Arts Festival, inspired by the drama of the far western landscape fea-turing iconic Connemara rocks, ranging from the lake-bound limestone formations in the Corrib to the glacial boulders scatt ered across the interior terrain. Works range from six feet in width, right down to the more intimate twelve inches. They evoke through a rich-toned palett e, savannah coloured boglands surrounded by rug-ged mountains, and small explosions of colour refl ecting off their rocky surfaces.

This major exhibition is the latest in a series of land-scape explorations by Dolores and the show will be opened by Irish Times and Sunday Independent car-toonist Tom Mathews, a long time Connemara visi-tor whose second home is in the west. Creator of the popular “Art Toon” in Saturday’s Irish Times, a familiar face in Galway, Clifden and Bofi n, witt y art collector Mathews prides himself in not having missed the Gal-way Arts Festival in twenty years.

The exhibition is in the White Room Gallery in the Liosban Retail Estate, Tuam Road, Galway, opening on Friday July 10th at 8.00pm, running until Saturday July 25th. (Easily accessible by car or the No 3 bus from O’Connell’s pub Eyre Square).

Ceol TheatreA big Thank You to everyone who supported “Hello

Dolly”. We had a wonderful time. The next show will be A Christmas Carol in December

with both adults and children.The next Musical Review Night will be an 80’s Night

on August 21st. If you would like to be a part of this show or any of

Ceol Theatre’s productions please contact John on 087 750 4697.

Heritage SocietyThe Clifden and Connemara Heritage Society held

a wonderful meeting at the Station House Hotel on Wednesday June 17th. There was a very large att endance and plenty of discussion on the plans for the coming few months. The Society are very much involved with the

2012 celebrations. This event will celebrate the found-ing of Clifden by John D’Arcy in 1812. They also hope to hold an exhibition of photographs as part of Heri-tage Week and will be holding a family history semi-nar in October. Anyone interested in taking part in this seminar can contact me at 095 21148.

The main speaker on the night was Anthony Previté (pictured above with Breandan O Scanaill) who gave a great illustrated talk on the Early Christian Sites of Connemara. Last year Anthony brought out a book on this subject and the talk was based mainly on this publication, but also looked at other items not covered in the book. There was then a lively questions and answers session aft er the talk.

The Clifden and Connemara Heritage Society will be meeting on a regular basis again aft er the summer, watch this space for details.Breandan O Scanaill

Galway Film Fleadh 2009The 21st Galway Film Fleadh was launched on June

23rd in Galway by Clifden’s Kate O’Toole, Chair-person of the Board. The Fleadh runs from July 7th -12th, showing over 200 fi lms in six days. This year’s prestigious line up of guests include rising Irish star Michael Fassbender of ‘Hunger’ fame and Anjelica Huston, who will be taking part in a public interview at the Town Hall Theatre on Sunday July 12th at 2pm. As part of the Anjelica Huston tribute, her father John Huston’s last fi lm, ‘The Dead’ (which Kate O’Toole also features in) will be screened. ‘The Dead’ is based on the James Joyce story of the same name and boasts an all Irish cast - including Anjelica, who went to school in Galway and still holds an Irish passport. Tickets for the event and for all screenings can be bought from the Town Hall box offi ce, online at www.tht.ie and by phone on 091 569777.

For further details of the programme go to www.galwayfi lmfl eadh.com.

Mol an Oige Summer ConcertThe Summer solstice Mol an Óige concert took place

on Sunday June 21st at the Church of Ireland Clifden, featuring performances of music, song and dance from almost 100 youths from all over Connemara. Lett er-frack NS group the Polka Dots and friends gave a great display, as did pupils of Scoil Mhuire Clifden. Sean Nos singer Clare Gibbons from Camus also went down a treat with the audience while Sean Nos dancing saw some great performances from the Hernon brothers Brendan and Proinsias from Carna, who were also joined by their cousin Labhras on the fi ddle, box and mellotron. The newly formed West Coast ceili band coached by Marie Walsh also impressed, and the end result of the great night’s entertainment provided by the youth of Connemara was the sum of approximately €1,100, which is to be donated to the Clifden Lifeboat.

P a g e 3 6 J u l y 2 0 0 9 C o n n e m a r a A r t s V i e w

2012 celebrations This event will celebrate the found

the museum (phone 091

C o n n e m a r a A r t s V i e w J u l y 2 0 0 9 P a g e 3 7

July DVD ReviewsGran Torino On screen

for the fi nal time, Clint Eastwood stars in and directs the magnifi cent Gran Torino. Clint’s swansong tells the tale of a curmudgeon-ly Korean War vet-eran who begrudgingly befriends his Hmong neighbours aft er their el-dest son tries to steal his prized possession: a 1972 Gran Torino.

Revolutionary Road Based on a novel by Rich-ard Yates and directed by Sam Mendes, Revolution-ary Road stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Win-slett as Frank and April Wheeler; a young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s, who struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children.

Marley & Me Marley is the yellow lab ad-opted by Grogan (Owen Wilson), a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and his wife. Their idea was to give them a taste of parent-hood, but the dog proved to be a hyperactive hand-ful. He wreaks havoc everywhere he goes, gets kicked out of obedience school and gets even worse when the chil-dren begin to arrive, yet becomes an indispensable part of the family.

The International centres around Interpol Agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) and Manhatt an Assistant District At-torney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watt s) who are determined to bring to justice one of the world’s most powerful banks.

Watchmen is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the ‘Doomsday Clock’ - which charts the USA’s tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at fi ve minutes to midnight.

When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and dis-credit all past and present superheroes.

Video reviews courtesy of Video Vault, Main St, Clifden. 095-22033

West Coast Céili BandA group of young trad musicians from all over

Connemara have been making great ground in recent months. Under the teaching of Marie Walsh, an Under 18 Céili Band and Under 18 Grúpai Cheoil was formed called the West Coast Céili Band. Both groups took part in the County Fleadh Cheoil in Ballinasloe in May and did extremely well. They are now through to the Connaught Fleadh which is taking place in Roscom-mon on the fi rst weekend of July.

This is their second year in action and the reaction

Restoring former gloriesAt various times in the past few years in Connemara,

passersby may have noticed statues of various holy fi gures being taken down and then re-appearing some time later having been ‘made-over’. This is largely due to the work of Michele Thierbach and Nicholas Von Kerckhoff , two German artists based in Tullokyne, outside Moycullen who are specifi cally skilled and experienced in liturgical art and restoration.

Michele has worked and studied the craft extensively

gilding, any requests will be considered upon enquiry.Recent restorations have been carried out at Leenane

church, Oughterard church and many other locations both public and private. At present, there are statues of St.Patrick, Our Lady of Lourdes and Bernadett e in the process of being restored at Michele’s studio in Tullokyne and she and Nicholas are currently in the process of re-storing some items from the sets of the famous fi lms ‘The Quiet Man’ and ‘The Field’. Nicholas is also well known for the restoration works he carried out in the chapel at the summit of Croagh Patrick.

On her travels through Connemara, Michele has noted that there are many stained glass windows and doors, paintings and fountains that have lost condition and looks forward to continuing the specialised work she is clearly passionate about. She also hopes that her interest in pursuing restoration work on church bells and church clocks is the next step to bringing those old traditions back to life in parishes across Connemara.

For more information and images of works by Michele Thierbach go to www.studio-michele.com or contact her at 091-556735, mobile, 087-2203257. For information on Nicholas Von Kerckhoff go to www.nicholas-antiques.com or call 091-556735.Photos: Restoration artist Michele Thierbach restoring a statue of St Therese of Lisieux from Tullycross church. Michele works on a statue of Jesus at Oughterard church.

ermined to bring to justice

internationally and having moved to Connemara is now undertaking many diff erent projects of various sizes and contexts, both private and liturgical commis-sions. She may be spott ed on the way to collect statues and works for restoration and improvement in Ire-land’s only dedicated restoration truck.

However, liturgical restorations are just one aspect of the work carried out by these artists; any aspect of res-toration on almost any item can be accommodated by either Michele or Nicholas, who work closely together. From statues of any size to furniture and architectural

to these young musicians coming out of Connemara has been excellent. They are wished all the best in the upcoming Connaught Fleadh and in their future per-formances and competitions.

The young musicians involved are as follows: Photo (l-r) Back Row: Plunkett O’Toole, Conall Fla-herty, Florence Pryce-Williams, James Coyne, Han-nah Mamalis,Emma McCann, Hazel Corbett , Teresa Gibbons, Rebecca Sweeney, Doireann Sheridan. Front Row: Seamus Flaherty, Ashling Canavan, Ronan Canavan, Ronan Flaherty, Cliodhna Hallissey, Sarah Delappe, Emma Keane, Emily O’Reilly, Jessica Ridge.

ildi a y e ue t ill be o ide ed u o e ui y

P a g e 3 8 J u l y 2 0 0 9 C o n n e m a r a A r t s V i e w

Ceol Theatre, by now well known for its highly entertaining and humourous interpretations of classic gems of musical theatre has delivered another hit in the form of ‘Hello Dolly’ which had 8 performances in the month of June at the Station House Theatre.

Olive McFadden shone as the irrepressible and incorrigible Dolly, while her counterpart Joe Coyne made a curmudgeonly but ultimately soft hearted Horace Vandergelder, unable to eventually resist her unique charms! Inspired performances from Claire Greene as Irene Malloy, Brid Griffi n as her sidekick Mini and the dashing double act of Fred Biddulph and John McDermott as a hapless pair of shop att endants enthralled audiences throughout the run, and the cast successfully captured the humour and romance of the story in inimitable Ceol Theatre style! A great deal of

laughs were raised by natural comics John McDer-mott as Barbnaby and Marie-Noëlle Biddulph, who put in an extremely funny turn as Gussy Granger, aide to Dolly’s scheming and plott ing. Oliver Griffi n and Carla Keeney also impressed as a pair of young loves struggling to be together, while Gerry Claff ey as dramatic restaurateur Rudolph Risenfavor presided over one of the play’s most entertaining scenes. The cast was completed by a fi nely costumed complement of extras which all added to the atmosphere and fun of the excellent production. Producer/Director John Amenhauser, Choreographer and prompter Maureen Corbett , Technical Director Mike O’Malley, Head of Back Stage Marta Stankiewicz and all involved in any way are due great credit for the hard work and time that went into creating another memorable Ceol The-atre play, of which they can be justifi ably proud. Catherine PrycePhotos this page and next page.

‘Hello Dolly’ a Hit

C o n n e m a r a A r t s V i e w J u l y 2 0 0 9 P a g e 3 9

Connemara Starlets Premiere ‘Damhsa’

Clifden town centre and the Station House Theatre were a hive of activity on the evening of Friday June 26th when ‘Damhsa’, a 21 minute short movie writt en and directed by Ceol The-atre’s Mike O’Malley was premiered to a fantastic reception. The short fi lm was the culmination of a project spanning several weeks in which the cast of no less than 18 young girls from all over Conne-

mara took part, and explored their skills in drama and acting.

The entire cast fi rst gathered at The Func Room, from where the young stars were transferred to the Theatre by a fl eet of vintage and prestige cars. Clifden Garda Eoin Hayes provided a special Gar-da escort for the cast, who reveled in the att ention and fanfare as they made their way to the special-ly provided red carpet awaiting them. On arrival to a huge crowd, the young cast members enjoyed champagne glasses of pink lemonade while the grown-ups were treated to the real thing, before

taking their seats in the packed to capacity Theatre for the show! A 15 minute presenta-tion of footage of the various monologues and vignett es that the participants fi lmed during the course was shown to great ap-plause before the main event. Mike spoke to each cast member individually and it would be fair to say that the overwhelming response that the girls expressed to the whole process was: ‘It was fun!!’

The two main characters of the fi lm, which incorporated sean-nos dancing with

a modern take on friendship, were played extremely well by Kate Griffi n as ‘Croí’ and Nada Uí Chuirrín as ‘Cynthia’, but all members of the cast must be praised for their mature and very impressive performances. The Ceol Theatre Class of 2009 were then presented with certifi cates acknowledging their participa-tion and achievement, and all involved certainly enjoyed a great expression of creative and enthusiastic young talent in the Con-nemara community; a credit to all involved!Photo: Ceol Theatre’s writer and director ‘Damhsa’ Mike O’Malley with the entire cast of the fi lm.


Documents

July 2009 Connemara View