Connemara View March 2008

In Like A Lion - Now Waiting for the LambSpring is offi cially here, but you would be

forgiven for not noticing it, with snow on the mountains in Derrylea and hailstones gathering everywhere (even shoes on the step weren’t safe!). Our photos were taken on March 3rd, a true

Connemara Monday, that is to say, it seemed like four seasons in one day. However, the daff odils are bravely battling the cold and the lambs are surely on their way.

Speaking of daff odils, don’t forget to pick one up this Friday March 7th in aid of the Irish Cancer Society’s Daff odil Day in various spots around Connemara. Help give hope and support to others this spring.Catherine PrycePhotos by Don Brown and Catherine Pryce.

P A G E 2 M a r c h 6 , 2 0 0 8 C O N N E M A R A V I E W N E W S P A P E R

REGIONAL NEWSNo Name Club

A registration night for the No Name Club will take place on Friday, March 7th at 8pm at Suzy’s Café (the college café at GMIT) in Letterfrack. Th e No Name Club is an organisation for teenagers aged 15-18 and membership is €10. Parents must also attend. For more information contact Sarah O’Malley on 086-328-3801.

Animal Rescue FundraiserA sale in aid of Renvyle Animal Rescue

will be held on Easter Sunday 23rd March in the Ellis Hall, Letterfrack from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Th ere will be home baking, arts and crafts, bric-a-brac, books, Dvds, toys, jewel-lery and much more. Please support this worthy cause. If you would like to donate any items for us to sell please contact (087) 0566302. Th ank you!

Flag DayTh e Clifden Mentally Handicapped Asso-

ciation holds the Annual Flag Day Collec-tion on Sunday, March 16th. Please support.

Bridgestone ShopsIn last month’s Bridgestone Guide we

neglected to mention a couple of local shops which were also singled out for praise by the Bridgestone team. While the guides compile their 100 best lists from hotels, guesthouses and restaurants, they also award and recog-nise shops and artisan producers all around the country for their high standards and values in creating and distributing fi ne foods.

One such shop is Th e Connemara Hamper on Market Street Clifden, which is by now a regular favourite for the Bridgestone team. Th ey describe it glowingly as “ a wonder-ful store-a real food-lover’s tonic” as anyone

who shops there will already know well. For anyone not familiar with the treats in store, why not pop in for a take-away salad or sandwich, a delicious Illy coff ee, or maybe a bottle of organic and great value wine.

On the other side of Clifden, Duane’s Fish Shop is also singled out for praise for it’s always excellent selection of fresh fi sh and seafood. Duane’s source much of their fi sh from Rossaveal, but throughout the summer receive fresh mackerel, pollock, crab and lob-ster from diff erent local boats. Th e Bridge-stone guide mentions their fresh summer crab as a speciality. Wild smoked salmon is also available as part of an excellent selec-tion. Sean and his staff are always helpful and willing to off er cooking or preparation advice, which makes buying their fi sh all the more worthwhile. So congratulations must surely go to these two excellent food businesses that work steadily and surely year in and year out to supply Clifden with the highest quality foods available on the market.

Connemara Tourism 19th AGM

Th e 19th AGM of Connemara Tourism took place at the Station House Hotel on Monday March 3rd at 7 p.m. Th e meeting consisted of reports from the chairperson Eileen McCann, of Ben View House with minutes of the 2006 AGM, followed by reports of fi nances by Treasurer Brendan O Scanaill and Sinead Flaherty of Kevin Barry Accountants, and reports of promotions from directors Aideen Byrne and Josephine De Courcey. As usual, the biggest expenses recorded were in the area of promotions. Membership is up from 60 to 95 members and it has been a very busy year for the

group with a new book and fantastic new website on stream, which were launched in a ceremony after the AGM. In 2007, directors of the company traveled to tourism trade shows to represent Connemara Tourism in Oslo, Hamburg, Brussels and Milan. Aideen Byrne emphasized the lack of information and representation at these fairs if Conne-mara Tourism had not been present. Failte Ireland was represented by Brian Quinn, Tourism Product and Market Develpoment Manager with Failte Ireland West. Aine Ades was the invited guest speaker and gave a very interesting presentation on the work she does as Manager of Southern Europe for Tourism Ireland after the particulars of the AGM had been dealt with. As a Clifden local Aine Ades (nee O Scanaill) is a great inspiration for everybody involved in the tourism industry and her presentation was very well received indeed. She also fi elded questions from the fl oor from interested members afterwards. Th e meeting concluded with a demonstration of the impressive new Connemara Tourism website, designed and created by Clifden’s Julian Matz. Th e website includes maps and details of all towns and villages throughout Connemara, driving directions from airports, accommodation searches, places to see, things to see and do and lists of ongoing events. It also allows the user to contact the accommodation it wishes to enquire about directly. A DVD of Conne-mara kindly sponsored by Windmill Lane Studios of Dublin features on the website and this was also screened to the audience. With the launch of the “Connemara for all Seasons” book and website and a great talk by Aine Ades, it was overall a successful AGM and indeed a good year for Conne-mara Tourism. For any further information or details contact the Connemara Tourism offi ce on (095) 22622 or check out the great new website yourself at www.Connemara.ie.Catherine Pryce.Photo (l-r): Tomas King, Aideen Byrne, Brian Quinn, Josephine De Courcey, Bre-andan O Scanaill, Eileen McCann, Julian Matz, Aine Ades, Fr. James Ronayne.

Brussels Holiday FairOver the past few years

Connemara Tourism has regularly attended the Brussels Holiday Fair, which is the big-gest holiday event in Belgium. We have always found it to be one of the most interesting fairs in terms of the reaction to Connemara.

Th is year I attended the fair (see photo) from the 7th to the 11th of February, and was once again delighted with the interest. Over 100,000 people visited the fair during

that period and obviously not all of them passed our Connemara Tourism stand, but the Ireland stand attracted a large number of people so our stand was kept busy at all times. Over 800 of our new “Connemara for all Seasons” book was given out, as well as over 200 website address cards. Also given out were around 200 Maps of Connemara in English and French and hundreds of the Walking Guide to Connemara.

Some of the most frequent questions were in relation to walking and cycling, much more emphasis will have to be given to these for next year, also a lot of interest on food and drink, smoked salmon and whiskey be-ing the favorites. Price was as always an issue as was the weather. When the price struc-tures, and the fact that prices almost always included breakfast was explained there was a better understanding. And the weather, well there is little we can do about that, and they usually said that there is plenty of rain in Belgium also.

As always, there were lots of people who called to talk about their holiday in Conne-mara, which I feel is very positive, as it encourages others who are standing around just listening. I almost employed one couple who visited here last year, their glowing descriptions were better than any ad for the area! I also met quite a few who have already booked and were just looking for further information. Th e hours of the fair were long. From 10 until 6 offi cially, but you needed to be at the stand by 9.30 as people from other stands called around at that stage. Th e French stand people were very interested, and a good few of them called at diff erent stages. Our fi rst day was particularly long as we had to be there by 8.30 to set up the stand, and attend a briefi ng session. Th at evening there was a special night for journal-ists, members of the trade and invited guests, and we had to stay on until 10 o clock. I hope that thanks to the hard work, time and eff ort put into this venture, many new visi-tors will discover and enjoy Connemara as a result of the Brussels Holiday Fair.Breandan O Scanaill

C O N N E M A R A V I E W N E W S P A P E R M a r c h 6 , 2 0 0 8 P A G E 3

Seal Release at Dogs Bay 9th MarchTwo rescued gray seals are being released at Dog’s Bay,

Roundstone, Connemara on Sunday 9th March between 1:30 and 2 p.m. Th e Irish Seal Sanctuary in conjunction with Clifden Animal Rescue Centre, Kilconly & Roundstone Foroige Youth groups and members of Roundstone com-munity will be releasing Maggie and Alexis back into the wild where they belong. (Recent photos below: Top -Maggie; Below - Alexis)

Margaret Barlow and her son, Nicholas Griffi n, rescued Maggie at Dog’s Bay on the 20th December 2007. She

weighed only 11 kg and was about a month old. She was taken to the sanc-tuary where she improved and now weighs a healthy 36 k.g.

Th e second seal to be re-leased, Alexis, was rescued by Richard de Stacpoole and Pious DeLappe at Dolan, Roundstone on

the 6th January 2008. He weighed 14 kg, was about month old and he had an infection on his ear. He was taken to the

sanctuary where he improved and now weighs 30 kg.

Th anks to the quick help of West Vet in Clifden in re-hydrat-ing and treating the seals on their rescue,

the seals were much more likely to have made this recovery. Th e Irish Seal Sanctuary was founded 22 years ago and is

currently based in Garristown, Co Dublin in a private back garden. Th e Irish Seal Sanctuary is Ireland’s only 24 hour, to-tally voluntary facility and it provides shelter, treatment and rehabilitation for rescued marine wildlife found in diffi culty around Ireland’s coast.

Th e Sanctuary to date has taken in over 60 seals this year,

compared to last season, which saw 81 rescues by the end of the season.

Following the release there will be tea, coff ee and sand-wiches served at the Round-stone Community Hall.

Th e Irish Seal Sanctuary is a registered charity and therefore does not receive any funding but is depen-dent on the kindness of do-nations to continue its work. For further information please contact: Wayne Grif-fi n, Galway ISS volunteer on 087 9441800 or Brendan Price, CEO of the Irish Seal Sanctuary on 01835 4370

Community Childcare Centre

Th e new community childcare centre building is now complete. Th e facility will cater for children from the ages of 3 months to 12 years providing full day care, pre-school and after-school services.

Th e 428m2 building consists of a reception/offi ce area with a waiting area for parents. Each age group will have its own section; babies, wobblers and toddler rooms, sleep

rooms, changing areas and an after school services room. To facilitate full day care provision there is a fully equipped kitchen with a large dining room. All main rooms open out onto a spacious outdoor play area, with a covered outdoor play area at the side.

In order to get the service operational, the crèche commit-tee is now applying to the Department of Health & Chil-dren for funding under a new scheme recently announced by the Government-Th e Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS). Under this new scheme, the level of grant aid to each facility will be based on the number of parents using the service and the level of the service. We have been advised by Galway City & County Childcare Committee that this procedure will take approximately 4 months.

All users of the service will be required to fi ll in a Parent Declaration Form. Th ese forms will be used by the Depart-ment to establish our level of grant aid. Th e forms are avail-able from the Connemara West Offi ce, Letterfrack (095-41047) and must be returned by Friday 14th March, 2008.


€100 million for tourism investmentFáilte Ireland, the national tourism

development authority, has launched a new €100m fund to help stimulate capital invest-ment by both the private and public sectors in Irish tourism. Th e funding provided under the National Development Plan will specifi cally target investment in both new and existing visitor attractions.

Speaking at the launch, Séamus Brennan T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, said: “Th e underlying objective of this pro-gram is to ensure that the off erings we pres-ent to our visitors and home holidaymakers are attractive, interesting and accessible and designed to meet the constantly changing expectations of our tourists. With this fund, we have the opportunity to both encourage the upgrading and development of existing tourism attractions and visitor activity facili-ties, and to bring on stream new products and experiences to meet the ever more demanding requirements of our visitors. I want to ensure that the available funds will be directed towards projects and areas which will bring the best results in terms of visitor interest, build on our strengths and yield the optimum economic returns and sustain-ability to the operators and to the regions in which they are located”.

Gillian Bowler, Chairman of Fáilte Ire-land, said: “Following six consecutive years of tourism growth, we must be mindful of the dangers of becoming complacent about the range and quality of what we have to off er our international and domestic visitors. As an industry, we have an ambitious target to increase tourist visits to 10 million by 2012, during which time competition between destinations will become more intense. Our potential visitors, bombarded with choice, will also become much more demanding and discerning. Our continued success will therefore depend on our ability to meet higher expectations in terms of variety, qual-ity, authenticity and value for money.”

She continued: “It is for this reason that we have allocated €100 million specifi cally to boost investment in the “things to do and see” category. Our focus is on providing high-quality activities and attractions for our visitors and integrating our existing off erings to ensure that tourists have a memorable holiday experience. Today’s funding is part of a broader envelope of €137m which we are making available over the coming six years to underpin the longer-term develop-ment of tourism services in Ireland.”

“Further funding, totaling €28m, will be allocated to supporting investment in outdoor and other active pursuits,” continued Mr. Quinn. “We have identifi ed key areas which are critical to the continued viability of some rural tourism areas. Th ese include water sports centres and boat rental, outdoor activity centres, ‘Learn to’ facilities, eques-trian/horse riding and angling facilities.”

Chairman of Fáilte Ireland West, Ray-mond J Rooney welcomed the Minister’s announcement. “Th e recently launched West Region Tourism Development Strat-egy sets out very ambitious growth targets for the region. Achieving these targets will be contingent on ensuring the range and quality of the tourism product in the West is of a world class nature. Th e announcement of this fund provides signifi cant supports to both the private and public sector for rein-vestment in existing visitor attractions, the

provision of a variety of new “soft adventure” products in the region, particularly in rural areas and a provision for the development of new iconic attractions. In order for the West region to maintain it’s position as a lead-ing tourism destination we need to exceed visitor expectations and deliver a memorable holiday experience. Th is funding scheme comes at a crucial time in terms of tourism product development & upgrading in the region and provides an excellent opportunity to both the private and public sectors,” said Mr. Rooney.

Public calls for proposals will, in general, be made through advertisements in national newspapers. Each call will specify the types of projects being sought and the closing dates for receipt of applications.

Application forms are available online at www.failteireland.ie. Regular updates regarding qualifying criteria and application processes will be posted online. For further information please contact Failte Ireland West-Fiona Monaghan-General Manager West Region- (091) 537 751

New GMIT ScholarshipsGalway-Mayo Institute of Technology

(GMIT) has launched a new scholar-ship scheme aimed at students attending post-primary schools in counties Galway and Mayo. Th is pilot scheme aims to boost participation in third-level education from under-represented communities and areas in the two counties.

Under this Access initiative, ten scholar-ships to the value of €5,000 will be provided to successful applicants, in increments, over the duration of the program of study. Interested students must be an EU citizen attending a post-primary school in Mayo and Galway and have applied for a GMIT program through the CAO this year (2008). Th ey must meet the criteria for entry, and their parents’ income must qualify for the third-level maintenance grant scheme for 2007.

GMIT Registrar Bernard O’Hara says: “Th ere are still many sections of society under-represented in the third-level student population and this initiative is designed to address that inequality. Th is initiative complements the range of special Access routes already off ered by GMIT.”

For further information contact GMIT Schools Liaison Offi cer, Dr Teresa Han-ley. Tel. 087-9162932 or email [email protected] before 1st March 2008.

European Architecture Th e European Architectural Association or

EASA is the central council for students of architecture in Europe. In November 2006, the Irish EASA delegation traveled to Mos-cow and successfully fended off bids from 4 other rival competitors to win the right to host the EASA assembly of 2008. Since then, meticulous preparation has gone into organizing this year’s Assembly, “Adaptation.” It will take place in and about the Conne-mara West Centre, Letterfrack from Tuesday 12th until Sunday the 24th of August 2008. Th is two week workshop will attract 400 of the most energetic young designers, architects and planners from across Europe. It is the fi rst time in the EASA’s 27 year history that the assembly will be held in Ireland.

Th ere will be over 30 design workshops dealing with the theme “Adaptation,” rang-ing from media, to physical interventions to detailed urban analysis. Every workshop will conclude in an end product which will go on exhibition, initially in Letterfrack and even-tually in a number of European locations.

Th e organizers also hope to involve the community in a series of extra-curricular activities such as a sports tournament, ceilí, cinema screenings, and lecture series aimed at involving the 40+ nationalities that will be attending the Assembly with the local popu-lation in North-West Connemara as much as possible. Th e participants will also be going on excursions throughout the North West Connemara Area during the Assembly.

From the viewpoint of the Architecture Students, the constant discussion between the public, designers, architects and town planners is seen as essential in improving the architectural quality of life. Th erefore as part of the design workshop there will be a series of debates and discussions. Th e organizers already have commitments from prominent Irish Architects (including O’Donnell Tu-omey, Glucksman Gallery, and Letterfrack Furniture College), public planners and politicians to engage in a productive debate with the public on role of “Adaptation,” in the Irish context. Th us, we may then be in a position to understand and eff ectively deal with the serious issues of urban sprawl and high commuting times associated with Ireland today.

As well as encouraging the local com-munity to take part in some of the planned events that comprise the 28th EASA, organizers of the event, would welcome any workshop proposals that anyone might be interested in submitting. Th e workshops can last up to 10 days and take anything from 5-20 architecture students. Th e organizers hope to attract workshop proposals that can revive local craft and tradition, whether it is construction, design or entertainment based. More information on submitting a workshop is available online at www.easa008.ie or one of the organizing committee-Conor O’Brien on [email protected] or mobile (085) 780 5855. Th e deadline for any workshop ideas is the 23rd March.

“Knowledge region”NUI Galway and GMIT have formed a

strategic alliance to develop Galway and sur-rounding areas into a recognized “Knowledge Region”.

Together they have secured funding of €824,000 under the Strategic Innovation Fund, which supports Higher Education reform. Th e funding will be used to stimulate economic development, provide a greater range of services to communities, business and industry, and enable people to avail of higher education in the region.

Professor Jim Browne, Registrar and Deputy-President of NUI Galway, welcomed the announcement saying; “Th e concept of a

‘Knowledge Region’ is an emerging phenom-enon involving the interaction of governmen-tal agencies, knowledge based enterprises and third-level institutions to combine eff orts and defi ne common agendas to the benefi t of the region. NUI Galway and GMIT, with their history of cooperation and interaction with industry, development agencies and social and cultural organizations in the Galway area, are well placed to act together as a catalyst for further development”.

Marion Coy, President of GMIT, said: “Th is strategic alliance is timely in view of the recent push to pour more investment into the eastern region, particularly as there is concern at the lack of focus, and a sense of urgency around the implementation of the National Spatial Strategy.

Together we will seek to identify services we can off er, look at the expansion of our academic programs and engage in the joint promotion of higher education in interna-tional markets which has potential in relation to the development of tourism. We will also seek to identify how we can promote the region as a centre for new business develop-ment and growth”.

“Developing a knowledge region is the only way to ensure that community life will continue to thrive. Th is approach harks back to the ‘Meitheal’ and the belief that we will all be stronger and more successful when we work together, share a vision and drive forward the good of the region.” added the GMIT President. Th e NUI Galway and GMIT collaborative project is one of a range of proposals approved for SIF funding. GMIT was also approved SIF funding worth over €4m for two further projects, both of which will be led by the Institute “Student-Led Learning” and “Curriculum Reform”, which is also a joint collaborative project with NUI Galway.

Th e Strategic Innovation Fund allocated a further €3 million to NUI Galway for the continuation of its academic reorganization and the development of graduate schools. NUI Galway expects to be a major benefi cia-ry of funds reserved under the SIF initiative for major IT systems development towards transforming the student experience in a cohesive and integrated manner.

Professor Browne added that the funding provided to NUI Galway in support of its new academic structures and graduate educa-tion was evidence of the progress being made by the University in both areas. For further information contact Regina Daly, Communi-cations Offi ce, GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway Tel. (091)-742826/(087)-9618355 or e-mail [email protected].

REGIONAL NEWS

ID Community AwardsTh e ID Films Scheme gives community

groups the opportunity to explore and pres-ent their identity within a documentary format. Groups are given training and under supervision as they shoot and edit a 15 min-ute documentary that asserts and proclaims the group’s raison d’etre. Th is year Conne-mara Community Radio applied to take part, fi lming over the winter in and around the radio station and Connemara. Th e documentary was launched recently in Th e Town Hall Th eatre. CCR hope to have their own screening later in the year, and another during Clifden Arts Week. Photos: Docu-mentary Editor Johan Molenaar, Connemara Radio’s Grainne O Malley and Dave O Hal-loran. Margaret Sheehan, Louisa Jack and Documentary Co-ordinator Pranjali Bhave.


St Patrick’s Day Parade

UPCOMING EVENTS IN CLIFDENsponsored by the Clifden Chamber of Commerce

Th e Clifden Chamber of Commerce is hosting the

St Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday 16th March at 12 noon.

Come along & join the fun as we celebrate our National Saint’s Day.

For info on the parade:Please contact Gerard King

on 086- 818-2715.

Celebrating one of the great lost railways of Ireland, the Clifden Chamber of Commerce, together with Galway County Council & the Clifden Station House Th eatre, hosts our inaugural Railway Heritage Weekend from the 18th-20th April, 2008.

Th e weekend will be launched by Minster Eamonn O’Cuiv on Fri, 18th April at 7pm in Clifden Station House followed by the reissue of Th e Connemara Railway by Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill.

A special late night railway comedy movie, Th e Titfi eld Th underbolt (1953), will be shown in the Station House Th eatre at 10pm.

Saturday will feature a day of lectures & documentaries in the Station House Th eatre. Lecturers will include Paul Duff y, Kathleen Villiers Tuthill, Michael Gibbons & Fergus Mulligan. Saturday evening will fi nish with a Commemorative Railway Dinner in the Clifden Station House. Sunday winds up the weekend with a fascinating walk along part of the original railway line, guided by local historian & archaeologist Michael Gibbons.

Places are limited for this weekend so early booking is essential. Th is can ONLY be done through Michele Hehir at 087-0520295 or email at [email protected] more information, go to www.clifden.ie.Railway photos courtesy of Paul Duff y

CLIFDEN

HERITAGE

RAILWAY

WEEKEND

18th-20th April, 2008

ClifdenAlcock & Brown Re-opening

Th e Alcock and Brown Hotel is to re-open under the new management of Eileen and Kenneth Davis of Clifden. Th e hotel, bar and restaurant will retain the original style and character of the old Alcock and is expected to open in mid March.

Clifden R.N.L.I.Th e offi cial naming ceremony of the new

D class inshore Lifeboat will take place at the Station House Hotel on Saturday the 8th of March at 2 p.m. Th e lifeboat has already been in service here for the past few months with great success. Th e new lifeboat, which cost in the region of €40,000, was fi nanced through an appeal to the corporate and business sector in the west and indeed all throughout Ireland. We are extremely grateful and indebted to all those who do-nated so generously to our appeal.

Th e new boat, which is called the “Grainne Uaile” is now on station and ready to con-tinue the great work done by her predeces-sor. We wish her and the crew who man her at any time safe passage and safe return to shore.

Th e annual RNLI dinner dance will take place in Th e Station House Hotel on Friday the 7th March. Tickets will be available from crewmembers.

Clifden Tidy TownsA Super-Sunday clean up will be taking

place on Sunday April 20th 2008.Clifden Town has for fi rst time in Towns history got a Tidy Towns Group that is fully registered with Galway County Council and also registered as a charity. Th is move allows the committee to apply for very generous Grants that up until now, have not been accessed.

Th e Tidy Towns focus for 2008 and beyond will be to concentrate on highly visible projects that will have an immedi-ate positive ‘fi rst impressions’ impact on visitors and travelers to Clifden. Already the Committee has made good in-roads on Beach Road, CourtHouse, garden at bottom of Hospital Road, Brodoig River, Old Jail walk, and Golden Mile signage. At the moment we are only at the planning stage with these but our goals to complete or get beyond talking phases are gaining momentum.

Our tentative steps to work in conjunction with the County Council and their staff are also going well, with meetings in the pipeline with the local Engineer and other offi cials. More bins and more visits from the large truck that cleans the verges are only some of the requests we need to see happening. Some good news is that a number of new bins have appeared over the last month but as always, more are badly needed. Warden Tommy O’ Sulllivan is working hard on more visits from the Truck with regard to verge cleaning. Th e hedge cutting needs to be urgently reviewed as work to date has left hedges in a deplor-able state due to only sides been shorn and no ‘topping’ of hedges, which are a necessity to give hedging a neat tidy fi nish.

Unlike other years, there will be a com-pletely new focus on a campaign to clean up litter from, in and around the town. To this end the Committee is in the process of organizing a ‘Super Sunday’ clean up. Th is

will be the only day that the Committee will be organizing a clean up on the town’s behalf as the Committee agree that more co-opera-tion with the Co.Co. would see better offi cial litter control. Th is is a new addition to the Beach Road clean up which is happening on Sunday April 20th 2008 and as always is a separate project. We will have a date chosen soon and you can see results of it on the board in Supervalu or in next month’s issue of the Connemara View. Th e Committee’s view is to create a fun fi lled afternoon with refreshments, bouncy castles and competi-tions with good prizes that will take place after the clean up. A venue to meet and from where groups will disperse to tackle the clean up has yet to be chosen, but the venue will have to be large enough to host fun and games afterwards and we will have that sorted by end of this week.On the Super Sunday clean up we are looking for volun-teers with chain-saws that would be willing to ‘top’ hedging along the town entrance and side roads as well as any other volunteers to help organize and monitor and steward our younger volunteers. We may also require volunteers to help with traffi c control etc .To this end the Committee will be posting a newsletter to as many households as possible and informing as many people as possible as to events unfolding.

If you have an interest on joining this very focused Tidy Towns Committee, you can e-mail our Secretary at [email protected] or keep up to date with notices in Supervalu or our monthly updates in the Connemara View. Secretary,Mary O’Donnell

Clifden Bridge ClubClifden Bridge Club held their Annual

Dinner and Presidents Prize day at the Sta-tion House Hotel Clifden on Sunday Febru-ary 24th. Th is was a very enjoyable day with a lot of competition for the many prizes. Th e successful winners were 1st Peter Smith and Eileen Joyce, Non Handicapped Winner: Joe McGrath and Joan Coyne, 2nd Francie Mannion and Bernie Ward, 3rd Eric Martin and Carmel Murray, 4th Catherine Pryce and Bernadette Conroy, 5th Noreen Casey and Anna Doyle, 6th Grainne Casey and Sister Marie Collins. 1st Session Winners:

Lucy Staunton and Ber Kirby. 2nd Session Winner: Val Doyle and Tommy Whelan.

Th e Bank of Ireland sponsors the next competition on the 25th March at the Sta-tion House Hotel.Photo: 1st Prize Winners: Peter Smith, the President Eric Martin and Eileen Joyce

D’Arcy Inn BurglaryGardai in Clifden and Galway are con-

tinuing their investigations into a break-in that took place at the D’Arcy Inn, Main St., Clifden in the early hours of Monday 25th February. Members of the technical bureau of the Gardai carried out a forensic examination of the scene on the Monday. A substantial amount of money, amounting to some thousands of euro is thought to have been stolen.


Clifden Sewerage Plant “It’s a Disgrace”

So says Senator Fidelma Healy Eames regarding the Clifden Sewerage Plant saga.

Speaking recently at a clinic held in Mannions, Clifden, Senator Healy Eames outlined that the ongoing process and its reappraisal indicated that the Clifden Sewerage Plant was not and had not been viewed as a priority.

Asked to elaborate, Senator Healy Eames indicated that with two ministers in the constituency sitting at the cabinet table, when the initial proposal was mooted, and with funding having already been allocated to the project since 2003, she believed that the project was not given priority by either Ministers O’Cuiv or Fahey.

With increased population, development and seasonal usage of apartments and holiday homes, the situation regarding the Clifden Sewerage Plant and the water situation in County Gal-way in general was “at catastrophic levels” she continued.

Th e implications of the further delays in the upgrading of this outdated and defunct Sewerage plant, as outlined by the offi cial contamination fi gures attributed to Clifden Bay, would indicate that an extremely serious health hazard has been building up and was just waiting to manifest itself.

Coincidentally, the Minister of State at the Department of

the Environment, Mr. Tony Killeen, met with a delegation from Clifden that included members of the Chamber of Com-merce to discuss the sewerage plant issue.

Th e minister outlined that he was not privy to all of the information at present. Th e delegation brought the minister up to date and stressed the urgency of the matter. Th e minister informed the delegation that he would investigate the matter and would get back to them.

In a further development, Senator Healy Eames has put a number of questions to the Water Services Department of Galway County Council.1. Th e local community in Clifden want regular up-dates from

GCC and they feel they are not being kept in the picture by yourselves. Please let me know how you can improve this.

2. I realise monies have been reduced from €20m to €8m for the Clifden scheme. Please confi rm what stage the scheme is currently at (Feb. 2008).

3. Has this money being allocated yet? 4. When will the works commence? 5. Is there anything specifi cally I can do to help eg. who in

DOE should I speak with? Please forward email and land-line. We will keep you informed of any further news and developments as it arrives.

In the meantime, local residents have had no alternative but to take their own safety precautions with regard to the use of Clifden Bay.

Th e Connemara Blacks Rugby Club has had to cancel its annual fundraising swim over the past two years because of concerns over participants’ health.

Furthermore, swimming activities being held in the bay have had to be prohibited in certain areas. Examples include bathing and swimming at Clifden Beach. Th ese and other essential components in the development of young inexperienced water enthusiasts and as a recreational facility for all users have had to be shelved or moved to a safer location because of the extreme-ly serious waters contamination levels. Th e County Council has erected a sign at the life boat jetty indicating that there is “No Bathing Allowed Until Further Notice”.

At the present moment in time a Supplementary Preliminary Report has been forwarded to the Dept. of the Environment by Galway County Council. Th e previous minister for the depart-ment Mr. Dick Roche, in May 2006 just prior to the General Election, advised that the costs were not proportionate to the needs. He suggested that a cost of €8 million approximately

was more appropriate. Perhaps he shouldn’t have opened his mouth until he had a quick dip in the bay!

Since then, according to County Council estimates, the same funding amount €21,865,000, has been allocated to the project which has a proposed start up date of 2009!

It should also be pointed out that this is approximately the same fi gure proposed in 2003 with a start up date of 2004.

One wonders what kind of health issue/catastrophe will have to befall us, or how serious does it have to become, before this “disgrace” is stopped?

Th e fact that this decades-long problem continues to be al-lowed to fl oat in the channels of bureaucracy means that the effl uent, which most defi nitely has already built up, will hit more than just the fan!John Durning

Update on Clifden Sewerage TreatmentFollowing recent enquiries a reliable source has now con-

fi rmed that signifi cant progress is being made in relation to the upgrade of the Clifden Sewerage Plant.

A County Council spokesperson outlined that the EPA direc-tives are being complied with and are on schedule. Furthermore, the capacity of a new temporary Package Plant is being moni-tored and is hoped to be installed as soon as possible. Th e source further outlined that trial holes are currently being dug and site preparation is ongoing.

Th e Package Plant is just an intermediate measure to be put in place while the amendments to the previous proposals for a permanent sewerage treatment plant are being considered and awaiting approval by the Department of the Environment. Th e plant will act as a temporary treatment centre and will have the eff ect of separating the effl uent and allowing treated water to fl ow into the catchment area. Th e remaining solids will then be collected and moved to an approved landfi ll site.

According to the County Council source there will be a signifi cant improvement in the contamination fi gures associated with the ongoing monitoring of the bay.

Th e spokesperson also suggested that it would be surprising if the updates to the Preliminary Report did not go through.

Galway County Council recently provided the Department of the Environment with a supplementary report to the original Preliminary Report, outlining the amendments to the plan tak-ing into consideration the revised budgetary conditions.

However, attempting to contact Galway County Council Water Services Department with regard to the said Supplemen-tary Report has proved as elusive as the quest for fi re! You know of its existence but you just can’t get the parties to provide the right spark to illuminate the issue.

Regardless of the number of times calls have been made (double fi gures) with messages and phone numbers left, there seems to be a constant problem with ringing at the wrong time! “Th ey” are either in a meeting, out sick, not at their desk or will ring back. All pretty acceptable, but to not ring back, which hasn’t happened to date, leaves an incredible amount to be desired! Not to mention the contempt with which any caller would rightfully feel they were being treated with, if they were dealt with in that manner!

All excuses, even school going ones such as “the wind was against me”, “the chain fell off my bike”, “the dog ate my home-work” all have a very similar ring to them! Th at of avoidance!

What is there to be afraid of and why are obstacles put in the way of giving a simple answer to a simple question? All that is required is an answer as to whether the report is in the public domain and can be viewed or not…and if not, when can it be viewed or could we, the citizen, be informed as to what the state of play is at present.

If one could just ask the question from the person who “knows most” about this issue then all could be revealed!

Still not having received a call back, one more attempt was made to fi nd out some information. After informing the Water Services Department that this was the sixteenth call in relation to this issue, some titbits of information were given. Apparently, neither the Preliminary Report nor its supplementary amend-ments are available to the public at this time. Th ey will however be available to view when the Department of the Environment has approved the proposals.

We wait with bated breath.In the meantime, my dear reader, I am unable to furnish you

with the knowledge contained within the covers of this docu-ment. But fear not….other avenues will be pursued and eventu-ally we will discover its contents.John Durning

Photo above: Untreated waste water fl owing into Clifden Bay.

Computers Without CoffeeTh e Two Dog Café is sad to announce that it is

closing its doors after a very successful and enjoyable 3 years serving Clifden and its visitors. Clifden’s original Internet Café has spawned a thriving new business: Two Dog Computer & Business Solutions, located in Th e Square, Clifden (next to Shamrock Dryclean-ers). Tracey and John would like to thank everyone for their support over the years, especially all of their customers – hasta la vista everyone!

Fashion Sale for CharityA huge sale of donated clothing, accessories,

jewelry and more will take place at Th e Hair Gal-lery on Th ursday March 20th from 7-10 p.m. All proceeds are in aid of women’s mental health services in Connemara. Clean out your closets and drop your fashion fi nery into the Hair Gallery or call (095) 21901. All clothes donated must be clean and in good condition For each item, you will be entered for prizes of dinner for two in Clifden restaurants, beauty and hair gift packs and much more.

Lidl Supermarket Opinion PollIn September 2007, Lidl Supermarket applied

for planning permission at a site opposite Clifden Supply Centre, next to the ESB offi ces at Galway Road, Clifden. On looking at the planning applica-tion on Galway Co. Co. web-site www.galway.ie, it can be noted that there were no local objections to the proposals. However, the application was withdrawn in mid February. A source close to the case has indicated that Lidl will re-submit another application in the next 6-8 weeks, and the issues that need to be negoti-ated with the county council involve building design and road traffi c concerns. So it appears that Lidl hope to resolve these issues with the council and subse-quently obtain planning permission.

As a result of these planning proposals, we at the Connemara View decided to conduct a quick poll of local businesses to see what the general attitude was to these stores. Since Lidl was the second applicant to withdraw, 21 businesses were asked the follow-ing question: “Are you as a business holder, in favour of Lidl discount supermarket opening a store at a site opposite Clifden Supply Centre, Galway Road, Clifden?”

Of the 21 businesses polled on Friday 22/02/08 an overwhelming 86% of those asked said they would be in favour of such a store opening. Reasons quoted ranged from better value in wines and electrical goods, to creation of employment in the area. Th ere was a general feeling that all new business was to be welcomed, and price competition would be benefi cial to the consumer.

Aldi, another German discount retailer, had applied for planning at a site on the opposite side of the road in Tullyvoheen. On inspection of the application on www.galway.ie, it can be seen that there was local objection to the proposal, as well as traffi c concerns from the County Council’s planning department. It is now understood that Aldi are also likely to re-apply for planning in coming weeks.

Clifden on Tubridy TonightViewers of Ryan Tubridy’s Saturday night show may

have noticed a strong Clifden infl uence on the show of Saturday 1st March last. One of his guests was Clifden’s Martina Stanley, who has become a house-hold name thanks to her portrayal of Dolores Molloy on RTE 1’s Fair City for many years now. Martina was on to talk about her upcoming controversial story-line, which sees her embarking on an aff air with a priest, the latest in a long line of dramatic episodes in her character’s life. She and her co-star described acting the scenes and gave away some hints of the dramas to unfold in the coming weeks. Martina can be seen in Fair City on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Th urs-days and Sundays at 8 p.m. on RTE 1.

Th e audience competition was also a Clifden af-fair on the show with every member of the audience winning an overnight stay in the Abbeyglen Hotel Clifden, where Ryan has been known to stay regularly himself. Th ere was also an island hopping prize for one audience member in conjunction with the Ab-beyglen. Say “cheers”!


New Clifden Fire Station Opens With Great FanfareTh e new Clifden Fire Station was of-

fi cially opened by Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government, Mr. Tony Killeen TD on Friday 15th February.

Th ere was a great turnout for the event and the new state-of-the-art fi re station is a great improvement in circumstances for the 12 retained fi refi ghters in Clifden under command of Station Offi cer Gerard King and Sub Station Offi cer Brendan Mullen. Clifden Fire Brigade attended 137 emer-gency call-outs in 2007. It is intended to deploy two class B appliances in the new station and a water carrier when approved by Th e Department of Environment, Heritage

and Local Government. Speaking at the opening Sean Kyne, Deputy Mayor of Co. Galway said “Fire fi ghting is a diffi cult job and the role of the retained service here in Clifden is to be acknowledged and the men thanked for their work.” Th e new station will also be used to further train and better equip fi refi ghters who encounter great risks on the job. Th e day’s celebrations were cut short however, as in the evening the Fire Brigade was called to two separate fi res on the Sky Road, where fi refi ghters contained and con-trolled unpredictable furze fi res through the night. Th e new Fire Station is without doubt a very valuable and much appreciated asset to have in Clifden. Photo by Don Brown


Clifden continuedActivities in St. Anne’s CNU

In preparation for St. Patrick’s’ Day we will be making decorations and badges for everyone so that residents, friends and staff can all wear them on the big day. We will be doing this in the afternoons of two Tuesdays; Tuesday 4th and 11th of March.

On Monday the 10th the residents will be talking about their old school days. Resi-dents and staff may recite some favourite poems, songs or rhymes to sing and/or recite.

As the weather grows warmer and (we hope) a bit more sunny we are going to take our bus for a drive on Wednesday the 12th of March to see all the daff odils and other spring fl owers in Connemara! Th e residents will be making fl ower arrangements for the St. Patrick’s weekend on Friday 14th of March; we start at 14.00 hours (2 pm).

In Holy Week we will be putting an em-phasis on Easter decorations. We will send our Easter cards to our loved ones and we will have an Easter quiz in the day room on Tuesday the 18th of March. On Wednesday the 26th of March the residents will be go-ing for a spin with the bus again. Th is time we will visit the Sky road, Kingstown and other places. On Friday morning the 28th of March the residents will do gentle exercises and, after a well-deserved rest, we’ll decorate St. Anne’s with bright spring fl ower arrange-ments made by the residents. As per usual, friends, relatives and others are welcome to participate in all these activities. Hope to see you in St. Anne’s. Marian Hanrahan, Director of Nursing

Chamber News Clifden Chamber of Commerce held a

meeting last week, covering our line up of events for 2008 and other town issues. Th e Chamber of Commerce is hosting the St Patrick’s Day Parade this year on Sun, 16th March at 12 noon. Anyone wishing to enter the parade, or volunteer their services on the Parade Committee, please contact Gerard King on (086) 8182715.

Th e Railway Heritage Weekend is already attracting a lot of interest and the Chamber of Commerce would like to stress that the format for this weekend is slightly diff erent to the Marconi Weekend. By booking, the Day Delegate on the Registration Form is at a rate of €30; this will include the Friday night launch with Eamonn O’Cuiv & Kathleen Villiers Tuthill and the com-plimentary showing of Th e Titfi eld Th underbolt in the Station House Th eatre. It also includes the full day of lectures on the Saturday with lunch, teas and coff ees. Th e Commemorative Railway Dinner on the Saturday night is €35 and the guided walk on Sunday, 20th April is €10.

As places are limited, we cannot guaran-tee entry to the lectures or the guided walk unless it is booked in advance. Bookings can only be made through Michele Hehir at 0870520295 or [email protected]

Th e Chamber are currently working on a series of events which will include Th e Connemara Marathon, Th e Alcock & Brown Weekend, a Jazz & Blues Festival in conjunction with Th e Clifden Station House & Th e Marconi Festival. We will continue to keep you updated as they are coming up. We have also joined the Failte Ireland GMIT Tourism Learning Network, which consists of a series of facilitated workshops building network opportunities with similar tourism businesses. For more information, see www.

tourismlearningnetworks.ie Th e Galway County Council has taken

following on from our meeting with the Galway County Manager Martina Maloney, a number of positive actions. Th ese include new street lights, new dustbins, the Coach Park gates being correctly refi tted, new ac-cess to the public car park and an agreement to hold regular 6-monthly meetings with the County Manager. Whilst a written agree-ment from the Galway County Council is in place to have water & sewerage issues addressed in 2009, the Chamber of Com-merce continue to press on these issues. For example, we met with the Junior Minister Tony Killeen, Frank Fahy & Councillor Josie Conneely at the recent opening of the Clifden Fire Station. We are awaiting the feedback from the Minister on this meeting.

A defi brillator is ready to be installed in a glass case outside Super Valu. Clifden Cham-ber Lotto Fund is substantially funding this defi brillator & our thanks to all involved in this. Anyone interested in training for use of the defi brillator, please contact Pat Casey, c/o Lowrys, Market Street, as soon as possible.

Our next meeting will be the Chamber of Commerce AGM that we hope to hold in late March at a date as yet to be confi rmed.

Library NewsLibrary Awareness Week takes place from

March 3rd – 9th. Th e Library will host several events during this period to promote Library Awareness. On Wednesday 5th March at 7pm Peggy Mannion will demon-strate the art of Crochet. Examples of her work and also that of her students will be on display all this week as part of the exhibition of locally made hand crafts. On Th ursday 6th March at 2pm Eileen O’Connor, a physical therapist and nutritional adviser will give a talk titled: “Health is Wealth”.

Everyone is welcome to come to the Library and view the great photographs and postcards of Clifden & Connemara that are on show all week. Th ere is no admission charge for any of the events.

Reader of the Month for January was D.J.McEvaddy, and for the month of Febru-ary was Chloe Joyce. Membership of the Library for Children is free, and remember-the joy of reading is a gift for life.

As part of the Railway Weekend cel-ebration planned by Clifden Chamber of Commerce from April 18th – 20th, Clifden library will host an exhibition of railway memorabilia. We ask anyone who has items such as photographs, postcards, train tickets or anything connected with the railway which might be lent to the library for inclu-sion in the exhibition to contact Paul at the Library Ph: 095-21092. Bernie Jeff ries

BallyconneelyMannin Bay Hotel

Mannin Bay Hotel will be re-opening under new management on Friday, March 7th with an open house from 5pm with refreshments. Th e restaurant will be starting to serve on Saturday, March 8th with a new menu by well known local chef Paddy Con-roy who has achieved a great reputation over the years at the Alcock and Brown Hotel. Louise Dean has joined as Manager of the hotel which is owned by Cllr. Josie Con-neely. Th e hotel boasts a newly built tennis court, private beach to the rear and seasonal children’s facilities.

CarnaClosure of Seahorse Business

In a sad loss to the area it has been

confi rmed that the company EachUisce Eireann Teo, or Seahorse Ireland has ceased functioning and production in Connemara. Scientists Kealan Doyle and Ken Maher had developed laboratory conditions for rearing seahorses and won the National Entrepre-neur of the Year award in 2004.Despite grant investment, the industry failed to take off as hoped and has been forced to close down. Some areas in West Connemara have unemployment rates of over 30% and are de-scribed as jobless black-spots. Th ere are only two other projects world-wide involving the seahorse business, so it is truly a shame that this pioneering and groundbreaking business has lost it’s momentum.

Cashel Cashel NS

Planning permission has been approved and we are waiting for the selection process of a contractor for the extension. Any con-tractors wishing to apply for the extension should contact Project Supervisor/Engineer P.J. Newell at 093-35461 a.s.a.p. if interested in applying for the contract.

Our two book clubs are going very well in the last two weeks. We are having great fun and learning lots from all the books we are reading. Having read nearly all the books in the girl’s shelf, two members of our girls club have read nearly all the 120 page books available to borrow from our library for the pupils.

Bonjour! Th is year we have started learn-ing French. We are learning basic vocabu-lary and how to say simple phrases such as “Bonjour!” “Je m’ appelle” “Comment tu t’ appelle?” and much more. We are looking forward to practicing our French on holidays and with visitors as it is always great to have another language.

Th e Confi rmation and Communion are coming up soon and everyone in 2nd, 5th and 6th are very excited ahead of their next big event in life. We are all so busy practic-ing the songs because 3rd and 4th are the Choir! Th e Confi rmation will be held in the Roundstone Church on the 8th of April and the Communion will be held in the Cashel Church on the 27th of April.

So what else is happening in the school? On the 27th of February, the school got their fi rst Interactive board! Th is board is capable of many things including plugging it into a computer and showing the class website(s). Th is board was funded by ICT grants and from fundraising by the Parents Association.

We participated in the Connemara Tag Rubgy blitz and boy was it rapid- games were really short in duration but with ap-proximately 16 teams participating it was no wonder. Unfortunately, we eventually lost but it was really enjoyable. Our teacher was very proud of our performance- and most importantly we really enjoyed the day!

Wednesday 5th of March is World Maths Day and we are participating.

Th is is a truly international event with students participating from all over the world. Remember that all of these games will be played in real-time-that is we will be playing live with students from all corners of the globe! Additionally, we will learn more about world time zones and will discover that at certain times during the day we are more likely to play students from particular countries.

Finally, for Seachtain na Gaeilge we have a special week of activities. Gaeilge agus neart spraoi- fi líocht, ceoil, damhsa ar an sean-nós le Brian Ó Cuinneagáin agus damhsa ceilí

atáimid ag foghlaim. Faraoir, nílid ag glacadh páirt san mór-shiúil i gClochán i mbliana. Ach an bhliain seo chugainn le cunamh Dé! Mar fhocail beidh beirt dár daltaí Shanea gus Daniel Ó Máille ag glacadh páirt i Scór na n-Óg. Go n-eirí an t-ádh leo! Cepta Stephens

Cleggan Claddaghduff Community Council News

Congratulations to our two FAS work-ers on their great cleanup of the beaches and roadsides. Th ey have collected 70 bags of rubbish in just a small section of the area. Th ank you to Tommy Sullivan, Area Community Warden for his assistance in providing rubbish bags and in organizing the collection of them. We would ask everyone to make an eff ort to keep your village clean and tidy. We live in a beautiful part of the country, let’s keep it that way.

Omey GraveyardTh ere is a serious rabbit problem in the

graveyard at Omey. Th e Community Council recently met with the new Galway County Council Area Engineer, T.J. Redmond and FAS Supervisor, Donal Nee and a commit-ment was given to erect a mesh fence around the graveyard walls in an eff ort to keep the rabbits out. Th is has been long awaited and we hope this will solve the problem.

Monster car boot saleA monster car boot sale will take place at

the Claddaghduff Hall Car Park at the rear of the hall on Saturday March 22nd from 12-3 p.m. Th ere will also be an indoor mar-ket with a fabulous selection of bargain buys including books, tools, garden shrubs, breads and cakes, toys and bric-a-brac. Come and have a look – you never know what you might fi nd! Th ere’s no time like the present to do a good spring cleaning in your house, garage or garden sheds-if you would like to donate any goods for the sale please con-tact Laurence Conneely at 44916 or Terry Minogue at 44002. Th e Hall is a great ame-nity and is there to be enjoyed by everybody. So come along and show your support on the day – all proceeds go towards the upkeep and maintenance of Claddaghduff Hall.

Gala Concert and Art AuctionOn Saturday May 31st there will be a Gala

Concert and Art Auction, featuring the Cois Cladaigh Chamber Choir, conducted by Brendan O Connor. All proceeds are in aid of Claddaghduff Hall and the artwork do-nated for auction by local and visiting artists includes work by Mary-Rose Cahill, Caro-line Canning, John Coll, Rosemary Hogan, Margaret Irwin, Frank Loughlin, Chris McGloine, Cathal O’Malley and students from Cathal’s evening classes. Further details and ticket information will follow.

New BusinessPaul Hewitt of Claddaghduff has recently

ventured into a new business. His new company, Clifden Driveability, off ers riv-ing training lessons with seven day a week door-to-door service. Paul can be contacted on 095-44846 or 087-766-1633. Photo: Paul with his new dual control car.


KylemoreDay Retreat

Kylemore Day Retreat will be Saturday 29th March- the Saturday after Easter, and the subject will be ‘Th e Easter Experience’. We will follow the same program as last year, which is as follows: 10.30 Morning Tea; 11.00 Welcome and introduction, followed by the talk 12.00 Free time for walking, prayer and lunch; 2.30 Afternoon tea and clos-ing talk; 3.30 Retreat ends. (Th ere are no costs involved but donations are accepted.)

Th e directions are: Park in the Car Park, check in at the Visitor Centre and then take the Shuttle Bus to the Garden Tea House. Sr. Genevieve

LeenaneLeenane Walking Festival

Leenane Development Association is pleased to announce that plans are in place for the fi rst Leenane Walking Festival from the 3rd to the 5th of May 2008. A unique combination of mountain and sea will feature as Leenane is situated on the edge of Killary Harbour and surrounded by mountains in all directions. Th is will be a festival with something for all levels of walkers. Th ere will be guided walks up Mweelrea Mountain (the highest in Connacht with a speedboat drop off at the start!), an exploration of Leenane Mountain led by Michael Gibbons the well know archaeologist, and hikes up the Devils Mother & Ben Gorm. Th ere will also be low level guided walks along the Famine Tracks, the Western Way and self guided short walks for the family. Qualifi ed and experienced guides aided by locals with vast knowledge and information on the area will lead all guided walks. Th ere are no problems with access to the mountains here!

Transport to and from starting and fi nishing points will also be provided.

In the evenings there will be a program of talks, music and craic or even a romantic cruise along the Killary! Families are especially welcome as Delphi and Killary Adventure Centres will be running days of all sorts of activities for chil-dren. Accommodation options range from Hotel to B&B’s & Hostels, so there’s something to suit all budgets. For more information, please contact Hazel Wade at (095)-42017 or (087) 2133838 email: [email protected]

For Bookings & Registration contact Mona Purcel email: [email protected]

LetterfrackLetterfrack School meets President at Áras

For more than ten years Letterfrack NS in NorthWest Connemara has been raising money for Concern. Th is an-nual fundraising happens around Christmas each year and takes the form of carol singing and a recycling toy fair where

the children bring in their old toys for sale as well as indi-vidual projects carried out by the children.

Before Christmas, a Concern volunteer called to Letter-frack to meet the children and thank them for their con-stant good work. She received a grand Connemara welcome complete with lots of music, song and sean nós and she was really pleased. She told HQ of her lovely visit to Letterfrack, and so an invite duly arrived at the school asking them to be part of Concern’s 40th birthday celebration and to come and meet President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin. Space was limited so Clare O’Toole, the principal, represent-ed the school. “We had a lovely time at the Áras, the Presi-dent and her husband Martin were gracious hosts and made everyone feel welcome. It was just a lovely way to thank our school and community for work well done” said Clare.Photo: Letterfrack Principal Clare O’Toole with daughter

Cliodhna visiting with President Mary McAleese and Mr. Martin McAleese.

Letterfrack Information Service 2008Clifden CIC now provides a regular free and confi dential information service in

Letterfrack. If you have any questions about Social Welfare, Housing, Consumer Af-fairs, Employment, Education or your rights and entitlements in general, contact us on 095-22000 or 087-1301100 or call in. Times are between 1:30pm and 4:30pm at the Portacabins at Connemara West on Monday the 10th & Monday the 31st March 2008. We are a part of a national network of more than 80 CICs, funded and sup-ported by the Citizens Information Board, the national agency responsible for the provision of information, advice and advocacy on social services. Our philosophy is that you have the right to know. We will help you fi nd out.

MaamWomen’s Group

Th e group enjoyed a social evening in Keane’s Bar on February 7th. Some members will attend International Women’s Day celebrations in Ellis Hall, Letterfrack, which have been organized by the Family Support Women’s Section of Forum. Future plans include Irish Set Dancing Classes, a visit to the Castlecourt Hotel in Westport in March to see the play “Th e Banshee of Crokey Hill”, and a weekend away for group members in April.

Heritage MeetingTh e Heritage Department of Galway County Council will

hold a meeting in Maam Community Centre on March 6th at 7.30pm. Th is meeting will discuss the Heritage Plan for 2008 and submissions for promoting heritage in Connemara are welcome.

Local Area ForumTh e Annual General Meeting of the Local Area Forum

(Connemara Th uaidh) will take place in the Community Centre on the 10th of March at 8pm. Terry Keenan, John Coyne and Carmel Geoghan represent Connemara Th uaidh on the Executive of Galway County Forum.

Los ChilesTh e Los Chiles Dance and Buff et will take place in the

Leenane Hotel on Friday, 28th of March at 9pm. Music is by “Th e Coasters”. Admission is €15, and all are welcome so please support a worthy cause.

Circle DancingTh ere will be a Circle Dancing workshop in Maam Com-

munity Centre on April 3rd at 8.30pm, all welcome.

Card GamesCard Games will continue every Tuesday night at 8.30pm

organized by Coiste Forbartha an Mhama.

RetirementBest Wishes to Sean Carney who has retired as caretaker

of Gairmscoil Fheichin Naofa, Cornamona. A party for Sean took place in Maire Luke’s pub in Tourmakeady. We wish him a very happy retirement.

Maam CrossCall for Mart to be re-opened

Following clinics held in Connemara recently Senator Fidelma Healy Eames (FG) learnt of the need for Maam Cross Mart to be re-opened. ‘I am making a call for Maam Cross Mart to be re-opened based on local market and social needs. Sheep farmers pointed out that they need a place to sell their livestock locally and that the nearest marts to them now are in either Ballinrobe or Headford. Farmers also noted the social value of Maam Cross Mart saying they miss the opportunity to meet and chat with other farmers. We shouldn’t underestimate the value of such an outlet to the health of the community” she said.

“Maam Cross Mart closed prior to Christmas and hasn’t re-opened since. Apparently, operating at a loss with rates being a major factor, it is undoubtedly diffi cult to keep a Mart going unless it is profi table. However, I believe there should be intervention here to save this Mart on the basis of community gain. Small marts such as Maam Cross provide an important service in rurally de-popu-lated areas and should be exempted from rates so as to make them viable. I am today making enquiries with the Dept. of Agriculture regarding available supports for Maam Cross Mart”, said Senator Fidelma Healy Eames.

P A G E 1 0 M a r c h 6 , 2 0 0 8 C O N N E M A R A V I E W N E W S P A P E R

SuperValu, ClifdenHR MANAGER

We are seeking to recruit a person who will ensure the implementation of progressive HR policies, have the passion and drive to build a dynamic people- focused culture and lead others in delivering Customer Service Excellence. Key Responsibilities include:Training & Development, Employee Relations, Recruitment, Rota Management and compliance with all HR policies and Employment Legislation.The successful candidate will possess:• Minimum 1-2 years experience in HR preferably in Retail• Excellent Communication skills• The ability to work on their own initiative• High levels of energy and enthusiasm

An attractive package is on offer commensurate with experience.

To apply, please forward career details to: Group Human Resources, Head Offi ce, Shop St. Westport

or Email: [email protected] date: Friday March 14th.

www.kavanaghgroup.ie

RecessTh e Little Gems Playgroup is based in the Old Na-

tional School in Recess and currently has 17 children in its care. Th e playschool runs Monday to Friday and is staff ed by 2 wonderful workers – Elizabeth & Karen. Th e children come from the Ballinafad, Recess, Bun na Croc and Cashel areas. Th e playschool is constantly fundrais-

ing in order to maintain its high standards. Th erefore the group is proud to announce a fundraising walk on Sunday 13th April. Th e route is the beautiful Bun na Croc road in the wonderfully scenic Inagh Valley. Fingers crossed for some clear skies! Information is available by contacting Elizabeth on 095-34724, Monday - Friday before 1pm.Photo: Back - Shane Finnerty, Luke Du-mont, Michael Finnerty, Seamus Conroy, Niall Davitt, Stephen McDonagh, Oisin O’Brien. Front - Niamh Conroy, Saoirse Bodkin, Sean McDonagh, Peter McDonagh.

RenvylePhoto below: Karen Walsh of Lettergesh was named Winner of the Mini-Connaught Irish Dancing Championship, “bun- grád” division, on January 19th last at Leisureland, Galway.Photo below right: An INTO retirement function took place on February 22nd in

the Station House hotel for Josephine Roche who retired from Scoil Eanna Roundstone in June ‘07. Josephine is pictured in centre with daughter Sorcha and son Eanna, friends and former colleagues Leo Hallissey, Kitty Ryan, Eamonn King, Nichola Spokes, Marian O’ Malley and Mandy Conboy.

C O N N E M A R A V I E W N E W S P A P E R M a r c h 6 , 2 0 0 8 P A G E 1 1

OughterardNew Barber Shop

Oughterard locals are sure to have noticed a new busi-ness in their midst these past couple of months- Turk’s Barber Shop of Camp St. Remzi Ozbiner has opened his own Barber Shop after many years spent working in the trade in the Galway area. Remzi has been a barber for more than 20 years. He worked in the popular Turkish holiday resort of Kusadasi before bringing his trade to Ireland and working in Max Smiles of Claregalway, and Fat Toni’s and Kozzy’s of Galway in recent years. Turk’s is a new high-class premises off ering competitive prices on everything from dry cuts to Turkish hot towel shaves. It is open from Monday to Saturday with later opening on Th ursdays and Fridays to suit all clients. So instead of a drive to Galway, why not pop into Turk’s for a quick, great service that is now available in the centre of Oughterard.

Being Philosophical

Th e fi rst meeting of the Oughterard Philosophical Society took place in Faherty’s bar on Saturday 23rd of February. Th e society is a non-academic gathering of ladies and gentlemen whose ambition is to elevate the level of conversation and debate in their locality to more cerebral heights than was the case heretofore.Photo: Brian Higgins, Ned Neary , Ned McDonagh , Liam McQuinn , Tom Mallon , Paddy Gibbons , Barbara Day , Rebecca Molloy and Alan McQuinn .

Oughterard Show Society Th e Annual General Meeting of the Society takes place

in the Connemara Gateway Hotel on Friday 14th March at 8.00 p.m. All who would like to be involved in any way with the organizing of this year’s show, to be held on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st August, will be very welcome.

We are also having a fundraising Table Quiz in Breathn-ach’s Pub at 9.30 p.m. on Friday 28th March.

Are you a Brain Box?Have you ever thought of yourself as a brain box? If so why

not try your hand at winning €1000 on “Who wants to be a Th ousandaire?” on Saturday March 8th.

Scoil An Chlochair and Scoil Chui-min Naofa in Oughterard are bring-ing the hugely popular show to the Connemara Gateway Hotel. Contes-tants are drawn from ticket sales and each contestant will play for €1000. Th e show is fully computerized with 50/50; ask the audience and a brilliant video linked phone a friend. We have a well known special guest lined up to give a demonstration on how the show works.

Th e funds will go towards the sports hall and equipment in the new school. Th e new school will see the amalgamation of both these schools. Th ere was a large attendance for the launch night which took place in

the Connemara Gateway Hotel on Friday last. Feb 8th. Amongst the gathering was Mary O’Halloran representing the Oughterard Credit Union, the main sponsors, and Louise Boland from Pallas Marketing (show Provid-ers). Th e fi rst ticket for the event was pur-chased by Adrian Lydon from RTE.

Tickets for “Who wants to be a Th ousan-daire?” are €10. Th ey are available from any member of the fundraising committee or at the door on the night. For further information contact Maria (086) 151-7289.

Photos below: Launch at the Connemara Gateway Hotel: Th e children from the two combining national schools in Oughterard with Adrian Lydon of RTE. (l-r) Eric Lee (5th class), Ross Gibbons (4th class), Kathryn Gibbons (2nd class) and Sarah O’Toole (1st class). Photos by Tom Broderick.

Rugby Black Tie DinnerOughterard Rugby Club’s 2nd annual black tie dinner

dance was held on February 16th at the Rosslake House Hotel, Roscahill. Among the attendees were (see photos): Photos: From top right: Th e Oughterard Rugby Club Com-mittee Members: Back (l-r) - Robert Joyce, Martin Irons, Seamus Lowry, Gary Long, Kieth Bines, Louisa Mol-loy, Morgan O’Connor, Mike Webb, Paul Fogerty, Aiden

O’Flynn, Gra-ham Casburn, Ger Roche,and Norman Deacy. Front - Tony Dixon, Eoin Bresnihan, Pat Higgins and Marty Faherty; Club Past President, Pat Higgins; Cur-rent President,

Eoin Bresnihan and Past President, Marty Faherty.Left: Nuala O’Connor, Operations Manager of the soon to be opened Connemara Lake Hotel and Justin Keogh of Keoghs Bar and Supermarket. Photos by Tom Broderick.


Oughterard continued

Maid of the ParadeTwelve beautiful young ladies competed for the title of “Maid of the Parade 2008”

in the community centre in Oughterard on Saturday March 1st. Th e local business community sponsored the participants and the community centre was transformed by the members of the Oughterard Festival Committee into a fabulous theatre of festive en-tertainment which would have done the Oscars or the Mardi Gras festival in Rio proud. Th e crowd was in a jubilant mood and cheered and applauded the contestants as they entered the hall on the arms of their handsome escorts. Th e title went at the end of the evening to Lisa O’Halloran from Roscahill who charmed the audience and adjudicators alike. She will also be the Oughterard entrant to the Galway Rose competition.

Th e contestants (l-r): Front - Katie O’Mahony, Caroline Jarman, Rebecca Flaherty, Marese DeLapp; Back - Chloe Th ornton , Lisa O’Halloran, Suil Collins, Emma Gordon, TaraTarozaite, Rebecca Molloy, Lavinia Gib-bons and Orla Faherty. Left: Th e Maid of the Parade Lisa O’Halloran.

Th e escorts(l-r): Sitting - M Murray, K O’Toole, R Barrett, M Ryan, A Kelly and N Kelly; Standing - M Kavanagh, O McKenna, M Ruane, K McGauley, S Gordon and A Mayhew. Photos by Tom Broderick

Paddy’s Day Parade Sun Mar 16th 1pmTh e parade takes place on Sunday 16-March thus

avoiding a clash with the Galway parade. Th e event is expected to improve on the success of the parades of previous years with an estimated forty fl oats taking part. Something special is expected from the Collinamuck entry (last years winning fl oat).

RosmucTimber Frame House Builder Leads Fight Against Climate Change

A Connemara house-building company is leading the fi ght against climate change and global warming, and proving once again that small-scale homegrown businesses can compete eff ectively in export markets. TTA Teoranta of Rosmuc is on-site this week in the historic city of York in northern Eng-land, assembling the fi rst of the eco-friendly Passive Houses it is supplying for a social housing project by the York Housing Asso-ciation. Passive Houses are a special timber-frame construction, which slash household

energy bills. Th is is achieved through loading the fl oors, walls and roof with extra insula-tion, and using solar panels and a mechanical recovery system for heat, hot water and fresh air. Th e house is so well sealed there are no draughts, and no extra heating is needed except on a very cold day.

“Kyoto has come to Connemara” says Vincent Joyce, founder and head of TTA Teoranta. We used to export people to England, now we’re selling high-tech houses there. And these houses are way ahead of our own government’s targets for energy effi ciency under Kyoto. From 1 July, all new dwellings seeking planning have to cut

energy costs by 40% and carbon emissions by 40%. Passive Houses

don’t use oil-fi red or wood-burning heating systems, only electricity to distribute the heat generated by the occupants in their everyday living. In a typical family home, the cost of electricity for the heat recovery system would be less than €30 per year. Th e com-pany is targeting its Passive Houses primar-ily at the one-off and self-build markets. It is going after customers who know they can do something about climate change, while also

saving money on their heating bills. Although the con-struction costs of a Passive House are a little higher than for a concrete or timber-frame house, the energy savings are so signifi cant that the payback is got years before

the mortgage fi nishes. TTA Teoranta was set up in Oughterard in 2005 and with as-sistance from Udaras na Gaeltachta, moved to Rosmuc in 2006. It has 14 staff . Vincent Joyce stresses that the York contract, the company’s fi rst in an export market, is proof that small fi rms operating in isolated areas can succeed in overseas markets. “Distance is no object when you’re competitive on qual-ity, price and speed of construction” he says. “We started making the wall and roof panels three weeks ago in Rosmuc. We’ll have them fully assembled on-site in York about two weeks from now”.

For further information contact Vincent Joyce, Managing Director, TTA Teoranta, Rosmuc (091) 574879 or (087) 2071253. Photo: Final Countdown: Vinnie Joyce of TTA Teoranta inRosmuc making last-min-ute checks on the company’s fi rst export order of Passive Houses which are being as-sembled on-site this week in York, England.


RoundstoneNew Arrival

Congratulations to Sean and Josephine Mitchell, Calla, Roundstone on the birth of their fi rst grandson Oisin and to their daughter Carol and son-in-law Eddie.

Roundstone MarinaYou may have read the article in the Connacht Tribune

regarding the potential Roundstone Marina, which could be a case of bad timing. Yes, we have applied again for an exten-sion of planning permission, yes, we are waiting for the mon-ies from the state; however our project profi le has now been handed over to Minister Eamon O’Cuivs department. Th e Roundstone Directors of the Marina project have already met with the minister, with more meetings to come, but for the moment, the outcome of that meeting with the Minister was a very positive one. We really do feel that at last with Eamon, there could be light at the end of the tunnel. I know I am not telling you much of its progress; that is because there is very little to tell you at this time. Suffi ce to say the guarantors and the investors have been kept up to date with this very frustrating project. Every time we cross a hurdle from the powers that be, we keep being knocked down. We long for the day that we can tell the Roundstone community that the Roundstone Marina will become a reality to bring another strength to a small village like ours for the future generations.

Roundstone and Connemara need a project like this to keep us alive, and we will continue to fi ght for it.

Bridgie MaddenJoe and Maureen Cadmus recently hosted a farewell party

for Bridgie Madden. Bridgie is leaving for Chicago, to be with her sister and her nieces and nephews on a permanent basis. Th ere was some mighty dancing and singing in Mary Kings Bar afterwards, with musicians Marcus Hernon, John Joe Ford, and Michael Conneely-a mighty night all together. Come to think of it, it would be nice to have a get together like that at least once a month, not just farewell ones. Bridget did ask me to send out a message to everybody, express-ing her thanks for the lovely get together last Wednesday, particularly to Maureen and Joe Cadmus for their great dinner. Th anks go to Maura who made some lovely desserts, Ann Conneely for her famous salads, Chris de Courcey for the music in Mary Kings, and Mary King herself for the sandwiches and the use of the bar. I quote Bridgie herself “ I really enjoyed the evening, to have this great get together, it was very much appreciated, and I will be back, God bless you all”. Some photos of the get-together are now up on the website. So on behalf of the Community and me of course, we wish Bridgie all the best in the world and hope she won’t go completely native on us!

Inishnee WaterA survey was recently carried out to sort out the problem

with the water in Inishnee. Th e problem was the lack of it and trying to fi nd out where the leak was. Various members of the Inishnee residents committee have been highlight-ing this dilemma over the last few weeks, and have held meetings with Evan Malloy of Galway Co.Co. I am now told the leak has been found. Apparently it was a huge leak, which has now been capped; it was found in between Kevin Forest’s house and Michael Keanes. It has to be said the GCC must be praised for their quick and effi cient response in locating the problem with good local back up from James Conneely and Sean O’Neill. So there you are residents of Inishnee, no need to send your washing away, let the water fl ow! It has now been realized that as a result of the capping of the leak, Galway Co. Co. now deem it necessary to upgrade the water system, which in theory will be upgraded in the year 2009. So well done Galway Co. Co. and thanks to Bridie and colleagues for solving and high lighting this unnecessary problem.

RDCIt’s been a busy time of late for various meetings

in Roundstone with Galway Co.Co. and Eamon O’Cuiv . Th e directors of the Roundstone Develop-ment Community Council also met last week to discuss the formation of a new committee and it was decided to hold the new committees fi rst meeting on Monday 7th April. We will then elect a chairman, Secretary etc. so this is all going in the right direction

for Roundstone, for the year 2008. Keep up the good work

Man of ArranIn conjunction with the Galway University, and folding

landscapes, John J.Flaherty’s classic documentary “Man of Arran” was shown. Afterwards, George Stoney’s documen-tary on “how the Myth was made” on the making of the fi lm was also most interesting. All the interviewees related stories of Robert J. Flaherty while the fi lm was being made. Th ere was a very good turn out of students from Galway and local people- 78 was the total of attendees and it is certainly very encouraging for future events.

CondolencesOur condolences to the immediate family of Mikey King

of Erlough who died in St Anne’s, Clifden, and was buried in Gurteen. Also our condolences goes out to the family of Pat Gianmaruti who died in the USA, he was in fact a brother-in-law of PJ Mc Inerney. May they rest in peace.

Beach Clean-upIn light of the release of the two seals at Dogs bay, and

bearing in mind the amount of people who will attend this release, I am asking for as many as possible to come down to Dogs Bay to help clean up the area on Sunday March 9th. Th ere are bags already bagged and ready to be moved to the Dogs Bay car park. Th ere are 56 bags already to be trans ported to the park , so on Saturday 8th March at 2pm we will need as many volunteers as possible for a clean sweep. Gloves and bags will be supplied, but manpower is needed; we also need a few trailers. I will make contact with Cathal Mullen for his quad bike and trailer to do the transport from the beach to the car park. I am counting on a lot of help please-not just the usual few, particularly as we come up to St Patrick’s week end and of course the Easter week it would be nice to have our beaches looking well.

Theft warning Unfortunately, the chef in O’Dowd’s left his door open

for a bit recently in one of the apartments at the back of O’Dowd’s. Someone came in and took two mobile phones, and nothing else, not even the camera that was on the table, so people beware of your homes and lock your doors, even if you go out just for a moment, you never know who is around the corner.

ChristeningCongratulations to Marion McDonald and Bartley Malloy

on the christening of their little daughter Bridget, second grand daughter for Frank and Margaret McDonald.

Mickey McDonaghWe were saddened to hear of the death of Mickey Mc-

Donagh, son of the late Tommy and Mary McDonagh. Mickey died on Sunday, March 2nd at about 11pm New York time. Paddy the Yank, his brother, had just returned to Roundstone from his home in Florida, when he received the sad news. Roundstone sends their deepest sympathies to the immediate family, Mickey’s wife, Linda and children, Th omas, Mickey, Brendan and Katie, and of course to his siblings, Paddy and Mamie. What can we say, may Mickey rest in peace. He will be laid to rest in New York on March 6th.Richard de Stacpoole

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 ommissions.

DEATH NOTICESMicheal (Micky) Brown, Faulkeera, Clifden

Bernie Joyce, Market St, Clifden

Mary Kelly (nee Faherty), Ower West, Rosahill & Rossroe, Cashel

Michael (Mikey Th omas) King, Ervallagh, Roundstone

Ellen Lydon, Derrylea, Clifden

Mickey McDonagh, Roundstone and New York

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P A G E 1 4 M a r c h 6 , 2 0 0 8 C o n n e m a r a S p o r t s V i e w

Renvyle Refl ect On What Might Have Been at Recent AGM

Renvyle GAA held their Annual Convention in the Marian Hall, Tullycross on February 9th. Th e meeting that was well attended reviewed a successful enough year.

Th e highlight of the year was the annexing of the West Board Junior A League. A terrifi c second half performance in Rosmuc against Oileáin Árainn propelled Renvyle into its fi rst County Final at adult level in ten years. However, the dream of earning promotion to the Intermediate ranks was dashed in heartbreaking fashion when Annaghdown prevailed in Spiddal by the narrowest of margins in a tremendously exciting and entertaining contest. Th is was a game that had been postponed on numerous occasions, so itwas hard for the management to keep the players motivated during a period when they didn’t even know when the game would be played. Despite the disappointment of losing, management and play-ers are eager to get back to playing again. Th e club appreciated the great support on the day in Spiddal.

Another highlight of the year was the appearance in the All-Ireland Minor Final of Tommy Walsh and Lorcan Con-neely. It was a proud day for Renvyle and to all who have worked to promote underage football. Th ey should be justifi -ably proud. Th e underage structure continues to grow and it takes a lot of patience and hard work.

In 2007 some of the above paid off when the Minors under the management of Des Wallace and Mikey Faherty proved too strong for An Cheathrú Rua in the West Board Minor B Shield Final. Th e U-21’s were extremely unlucky to lose out after extra time to eventual West Board Champions An Spidéal, and the U-13’s did the club proud by reaching the Semi-Final of their competition where they lost out to Monivea-Abbey.

At the time of writing the U-21’s are up and running again and are looking forward to a West Board Championship Semi-Final encounter with An Cheathrú Rua. An impressive 3-6 to 1-6 quarter fi nal victory over Oileáin Árainn consti-tuted the perfect response after the recent setback at Junior A level. A victory on Sunday the 9th will put Th ady’s troops on the verge of some early silverware on a campaign trail which will hopefully culminate in the holy grail of Intermediate status next year.

Th e valuable contribution to Renvyle GAA’s administra-tive aff airs in recent years of outgoing offi cers Mark Wallace, Gerry Salmon and Bernie Curley was acknowledged at the meeting. Th e club’s main income comes from the Lotto and the Executive would like to take this opportunity to thank all our loyal supporters in this regard. In conclusion we would like to congratulate Th ady Salmon on winning the Pa Greal-ish Award. Th is is a huge honor for the club and Th ady is a most deserving recipient. Gerry Burns P.R.O.Offi cers for 2008 – 2009: Chairperson: Stephen Salmon,

Vice Chairperson: Martha Flaherty, Secretary: Th ady Salmon, Assistant Secretary: David Regan, Treasurer: Jackie O’Farrell, Assistant Treasurer: Jason Walsh, Registrar: Conor Conneely, P.R.O.: Gerry Burns.

Managers for 2008-2009: Junior A: Th ady Salmon, Junior C: Jason Walsh, Under 21: Th ady Salmon, Under 18: Des Wallace, Under 16: Gerry Burns, Under 14: Tommy Walsh, Under 12: Stephen Salmon, Under 10: David Regan.

No Change at Pony EGMTh e proposal to change the number of Council Members

of the Connemara Pony Breeders Society (CPBS) from the current 24 to 13 was defeated 119-88.

Th e standing room only crowd in the Westwood Hotel Ballroom on Sunday, March 2nd witnessed a plethora of impassioned speeches on both sides of the issue. Tempers fl ared at times and discussions veered outside of the subject on the table, raising subjects of discontent among a number of Council and Ordinary Members.

A recurring theme was the rule which requires a majority of Council Members to be resident in Connemara when ap-proximately 80% of members live outside of Connemara.

CPBS March EventsTh e CPBS will again host its Annual Spring Weekend

on the last weekend of March. Th e ICCPS AGM will take place on Th ursday, March 27. Colts will take centre stage on Friday at the Showgrounds where 30 colts will be inspected. Due to popular demand a table quiz will be held on Friday

evening where all questions will have a pony aspect. To book a table please contact 095 21863. A showjumping demon-stration will feature on Saturday afternoon at the Show-grounds, Clifden. On Sunday, a driver’s clinic will take place

at 10am, this will be followed by a drive around Clifden. At noon breeders will gather at the Showgrounds to watch the Annual Stallion Parade. Up to 50 stallions will show off their paces. A Dressage exhibition will commence at 2pm.

An Capaillin LaunchTh e annual review of Connemara Pony activities will be

launched on Th ursday evening, March 27 at the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel. Th e wealth of articles include interviews with Mrs Brooks talking about her 50 years with Clifden’s pony kids at Errislannon; and Tommy O’Brien refl ecting about his enjoyment from breeding. Th ere are reports and photo-graphs from shows around Ireland plus contributions from International Societies. Th e book will be available for €15. Editor Ruth Rogers. Assistant Editor Ann Reade. Photo: An Capaillin Cover.

Pony Sales: Top Price €14,200Th e success of the second February sale of Connemara

Ponies in Clifden has guaranteed its place in the annual calendar of sales. Th ere were 256 ponies catalogued with en-tries from 19 counties and 3 entries from Holland. Th e sale commenced at 10am and the very fi rst lot through the sales ring, a 6-year old mare by Coosheen Th yme scanned in foal, fetched €9000. Several of the early lots achieved good prices including lot number four, another in-foal 6 year old mare, whose new owner from County Tipperary paid €10,000.

Th e highest price of the day was paid for Lot 56, an 8-year old mare by Carra Cashel, professionally broken and due to foal in 3 weeks time. Her vendor from Ballinrobe sold her to her new owner from Navan for €14,200. Lot 137, an in-foal 4-year old mare by Glencarrig Lexus, was sold by a local man for €10,800 and found a new home in Co Cork. Trade was strong for fi llies and mares with many achieving over €6000 on the day. Prices fetched include Lot 96, a 2-year old fi lly by Gloves Misty Owen €6200, Lot 163, a 3-year old fi lly by Robe Th under Dun €7800, Lot 54, a yearling fi lly by Janus €7400, Lot 198, a 4-year old mare by Earlson €8000, Lot 204, a 7-year old in-foal mare by Tulira Robuck €7800.

Buyers for geldings were looking for good quality ponies with plenty done. Th e younger pony, unbroken or with little done was not as sought after. Th e highest price paid for a ridden pony was for Lot 199, a 5-year old gelding by Tem-plebready Fear Bui, which had competed in Winter League and fetched €5500. Two more geldings, which traveled from Wicklow, both 5-year olds, each fetched €4000. A number of younger geldings with less experience fetched around €3000 a piece. 11 ponies were purchased by UK buyers. Padraic Heanue

C o n n e m a r a S p o r t s V i e w M a r c h 6 , 2 0 0 8 P A G E 1 5

Connemara RugbyOur fi rst game since the last issue was

against Nenagh. It was a game we were win-ning with one minute of normal time left, when a cruel bounce of the ball let Nenagh in for a try. Th is was a disappointing result because after a slow start we took control of the game and went 20-16 up after tries by Paddy O’Toole and Troy Nathan, but the late try denied us victory. Th e next game was away again, this time in Derry.

Derry started well and should have gone three up but missed an easy penalty. We responded with tries by Benny Bester and Ollie DeLapp and a penalty and two conver-sions by Troy Nathan, which left us with a 17-7 lead at half time. We got an early penalty in the second half. Derry scored a converted try midway through the second half but two minutes later some good pass-ing by the backs and forwards opened the way for John O’Brien to score. Derry got a late try to get within one score of us but we fi nished stronger and were unlucky not to get in for a bonus try.

Th e next game was at home to Banbridge, and after two days of heavy rain the pitch

was on the yielding side which suited the bigger visitors. A Troy Nathan penalty gave us an early lead before Banbridge got their fi rst of three pushover tries. Paddy O’Toole responded with a well worked try to put us one point up. Th e visitors got their second try on the half-hour mark to make it 8-12 at half time. Th eir third try came shortly after half time to bring it to 8-19. With things looking bad, the players lifted their game and for the rest of the game we had Ban-bridge on the back foot and Bernard Keaney touched down to make it 13-19. We kept up the pressure but failed to score any more, unfortunately missing out on a bonus point.

Last Saturday we were to play Naas at home but the referee deemed the pitch unplayable. After heavy rain on Friday but a good forecast for Saturday we didn’t expect any problem. Th e pitch committee had done their work early on Saturday morning and everything seemed ok, but heavy rain at 11am lodged on the pitch and one small area caused the problem. Both teams were eager to get on with the game but the referee has the fi nal say. Th e game is re-fi xed for the 15/16 March.

Th is Saturday we are at home to Ards and

we are keeping our fi ngers crossed that we get some decent weather.

Th e juniors are having a great run having beaten Gort at home and scoring four tries in the process. Th en it was away to Dunmore, and after a shaky start we settled down for another 4 try win with big John Davis put-ting in a man of the match display up front. Th ere are two more games left in the league; away to Creggs and at home to Carrick.

Th e U20’s have come through their round robin with an away win against Castlebar and a home win against NUIG. Last Sat-urday we were away to Sligo and we started slow and were 7 nil down after ten minutes. Tries by Eoin Bourke (2) and Jonathan Young and two conversions and a penalty by Tiernan O’Halloran gave us a 22-7 win which set up a home semi fi nal against Gal-wegians on St. Patrick’s weekend.

Th e U18’s won their cup game against Ballyhaunis under lights in Castlebar on Tuesday, March 4th. Th e score was 7-0 thanks to a Jonathan Bolger try.

Th e U16’s had a good win in their cup game away to Ballinasloe last Sunday. Like the U20’s they started slow and were 7 behind after 4 minutes. Connemara replied

with a penalty by Shane Sweeney and tries by Derek Heanue, Ian McDonagh and Th omas Roche and two more conversions by Shane gave us a 22-10 victory. Sunday 9th March it’s away again in the semi fi nal against Monivea. All support would be wel-come. Th e U14’s had a tough cup draw away to cup favourites Sligo. Th e bigger home side scored four tries to our one and although our lads gave it all the result was never in doubt.

On Sunday March 9th our U13 side are off to Buccaneers for their cup game. Never an easy place to win a game but we’re hop-ing the lads will play to their potential and we’ll see what happens. Th e U12 blitz was held last Saturday in Corinthians and on a cold wet day we won one game and lost two games by one score, so we failed to reach the knock out stages. Th e Sheridan Cup is the only competition left now for the u12’s and that will take place in the next few weeks. Th e Connacht blitz for the U11’s down will take place next month. Last Saturday the minis were in Castlebar and had a great day out. A big thanks to all the parents who travelled on the day to help out. Peter Keane

Inter Pub Darts Championship Semi Finals: Teach

Daingin 28 Griffi ns 15, Mollys 26 Darcy Inn 6

Shield QuarterFinals: Renvyle Inn 28 Tí Feistí 15, Keoghs 28 Anglers Rest 12, Veldons 28 Tí Mheaic 24

Shield Semi-Finals: Veldons 28 Tír na nÓg 8, Keoghs 28 Renvyle Inn 10

Fixtures: Shield Final 1st Leg: Keoghs V Veldons Friday 7th March

Shield Final 2nd: Leg Veldons V Ke-oghs Sunday 9th March

Championship Final: Teach Daingin V Mollys Sunday 16th March

Championship Final: Mollys V Teach Daingin Sunday 30th March.

C.L.G. Ghráinne Mhaoil is also hoping to run the following three competitions in April: Th e Peter Lydon Memorial Cup, West Galway Open Singles Championship and West Galway Open Doubles Championship. Details to follow in the next issue.

Berry/Canavan Memorial CupTh is competition which was last

played for as a six-a-side team cham-pionship in 2003 was revived this year by the Gráinne Mhaols GAA Darts Executive Committee in its new format as an Open Doubles competi-tion. Th ere was a large turn out in Moran’s Public House in Carna on February 8th last and after a superb night’s competition victory went to the pre-tournament favourites Harry O’Toole and Vincent Leggett. Th ey were simply a diff erent class in a high quality and hugely entertaining fi nale against Ballyconneely’s fi nest, Joachim McHugh and Eamon Mannion.

Gráinne Mhaols GAA extends a sincere word of gratitude to Peter Fitzpatrick of Morans for his hospital-ity, generosity of spirit and above all for having the necessary darts infra-structure in place prior to the com-mencement of the competition. Th e free sandwiches went down well after a long night of intense competition. Paul Gannon

Golf Connemara Golf Links

Ladies: 1st Pub League Round: Sunday Feb 3rd 18 Hole Stableford League: 1st Marie Bourke (33) Connemara 32pts, 2nd Carmel Murphy (21) Gort 30pts; 2nd Pub League Round Sunday 10th Feb 18 Hole Stableford: 1st Tricia Willder (25) Connemara 39pts. 2nd Deirdre Murphy (16) Connemara 35pts, 3rd Evelyn King (20) Connemara 34pts. Sunday 17th Feb 18 Hole Stableford. 3rd Pub League and Owls. 1st Pat Dooley (20) Galway 36pts, 2nd Bridie Conneely (22) Connemara 35pts (back9), 3rd Mary Rogan (20) Galway 35pts, 4th Deirdre Murphy (17) Connemara. Sunday 24th Feb Final of Pub League 18 Holes Sta-bleford: 1st Carmel Murphy (21) Gort 37pts, 2nd Josephine O’Neill (28) Connemara 34pts Back9, 3rd Deirdre Murphy (17) Connemara 34pts Sunday 2nd March 18 Holes Stableford Sponsored by Th e Ladies Commitee. 1st Josephine O’ Neill(28) Connemara 2nd Carmel Gaughan (24) Connemara 36pts.

Men: Sunday 10th Feb 18 Holes Single Sta-bleford. 1st: Chris Shanahan (12) 41Pts, 2nd: Rory Sweeney (6) 41Pts, 3rd: Pat Casey(16) 39Pts. Pub League Round 2. 1st: O’Dowd’s Bar-Roundstone, 474Pts 2nd: Keogh’s Bar-Ballyconneely, 470Pts, 3rd: Tom King’s Bar-Clifden, 453Pts, 4th: Mannion’s Bar-Clifden 442Pts 5th: Golf Links Bar 438Pts, 6th: Oliver’s Bar-Cleggan 410 Pts, 7th: Veldon’s Bar-Letterfrack, 398Pts. Sunday 17th Feb 18 Holes Single Stableford 1st: Tim Hickey (15) 43Pts, 2nd: Dickie Davis (15) 40Pts, 3rd: Joachim McHugh(11) 39Pts. Pub League Round 3: 1st: O’Dowds Bar-Roundstone 714Pts, 2nd: Keogh’s Bar-Ballyconneelly, 709Pts, 3rd: Tom King’s Bar-Clifden, 698Pts, 4th: Mannion’s Bar-Clifden, 679Pts, 5th: Golf Club Bar, 670Pts, 6th: Olivers Bar-Cleggan 643Pts, 7th: Veldon’s Bar-Letterfrack, 632Pts. Sunday 24th Feb 18 Holes Single Stableford 1st: Martin Courcey(17), 39Pts,2nd: Chris Shanahan(11),38Pts, 3rd: Pat Halloran(16), 38Pts. Pub League Final. 1st: Tom King’s Bar-Clifden, 280Pts, 2nd: O’Dowd’s Bar-Round-stone, 263Pts, 3rd: Mannion’s Bar-Clifden, 256Pts, 4th: Keogh’s Bar-Ballyconneely, 255Pts. Sunday 2nd March 18 Holes Single Stabl-eford 1st: Michael Wallace (19) 41Pts, 2nd: Stephen Heanue(27)41Pts,3rd:Kenneth Coyne (19) 39 pts

Oughterard Golf ClubSunday 9th Feb 15 Hole: 1st Cathal Jor-dan, (6), 36pts(21B9); 2nd Hugh Walsh, (8), 36pts(20B9); Gross Liam O Reilly (4), 30; 3rd Peter Naughton, (16), 35pts(21B9); Cat A (0-11) 1st Jones Ferriss, (7), 34pts. 2nd,Gerry Burke, (8), 33pts Cat B (12-16) 1st Roddy Wyer (12), 35pts(18B9). 2nd John Carr (12), 34pts(21b9) Cat C (17+) 1st Michael Welby, (22), 34pts(20B9, 15B9) 2nd Bernard Mer-rick,(18), 34pts(20B9, 13B9). Sunday 17th Feb 15 Hole: 1st John M Walsh, (18), 36pts(21B9, 15B6). 2nd Joe Donnelly, (14), 36pts(21B9, 14B6). Gross Mairtin O Cearra, (5), 30.3rd Donal Conlon, (16), 36pts(20B9); Cat A (0-11) 1st Pat McEvilly, (9), 35pts (22B9). 2nd Gay Ryan, (8), 35pts(21B9); Cat B (12-16) 1st David Walsh, (14), 35pts(21B9). 2nd Mairtin O Chaile, (14), 35pts(19B9); Cat C (17+) 1st Jack Clancy, (18), 32pts(21B9) 2nd Tom Durkin, (17) 32pts(18B9); Sunday 24th Feb 15 Hole: 1st Tom Hargrove, (11), 37pts, 2nd Tom Durkin, (17), 36pts (24B9, 17B6) Gross: Mau-rice Power, (7), 28; 3rd John Molloy, (17), 36pts (24B9, 15B6). Cat A (0-11) 1st Jim Byrne, (11), 35 -1= 34pts.2nd Eugene Th ornton, (11), 35-2 = 33pts (15B6). Cat B (12-16) 1st David Walsh (14), 36 -1 = 35pts(21B9). 2nd John G Walsh, (16), 35pts(20B9). Cat C (17+) 1st Ken Jenkins, (17), 35pts.2nd Pat McGann, (19), 34 -1 =33pts. Sunday 2nd March 15 Hole: 1st JJ Faherty, (12), 38pts, 2nd John Curran, ( 21), 37pts.Gross: Michael O Keane, (7), 28 Gross pts,3rd John Palmer,(13),39-3=36pts Cat A (0-11) 1st Billy O Boyle, (11), 35pts. 2nd Cyril Foye, (11), 34pts Cat B (12-16) 1st John G Walsh (16), 35pts(20B9) 2nd Sean Coyne, (16), 35pts(19B9) Cat C (17+) 1st John Morley, (17), 37-2=35pts.2nd Brian Mongan, (19), 34pts.

P A G E 1 6 M a r c h 6 , 2 0 0 8 C o n n e m a r a S p o r t s V i e w

Tag Rugby BlitzOn Th ursday morning 21st February at the Monastery

Field, the home of Connemara Rugby, close to 300 students from 16 Connemara national schools took part in a Mon-ster Tag Rugby Blitz. As the cars and buses arrived the buzz and excitement started to grow. All the students started to change and tog out while the teachers enjoyed their morn-ing tea, coff ee and scones in the kitchenette off the changing rooms. It was a dull but dry day for playing. Th ere were 4 pitches on the go at all times, and the quick fi re games began and ended on the sound of a horn. All matches were ably refereed by Lyndon Jones (R.D.O. Connacht Branch), Des Fogerty (Y.D.O. Connemara), Paul Gannon (Eagle’s Nest N.S.) and P.J. Lee (Scoil Mhuire Clifden).

Clifden 6A and Kingstown were the most impressive of the 8 qualifi ers for the quarterfi nals and either could have been expected to go all the way. However Clifden 4C with their “Celtic-esque” psych huddle before each game also

looked to be in there with a fi ghting chance. Th e run down of scores from the quarterfi nal stages is as follows:

Quarter Final 1: Aillebrack-1 (try) Kingstown-0Quarter Final 2: Ardmore-3 (tries) Ballyconneely 2Quarter Final 3: Clifden 4C-2 Claddaghduff A 1Quarter fi nal 4: Clifden 6A-2 Letterfrack CSemi Final 1: Aillebrack-0 Ardmore 2Semi Final 2: Clifden 4C-2 Clifden 6A-1After their usual team huddle before the game, Clifden

4C emerged triumphant but not without having a scare fi rst. Ardmore had a try disallowed and this gave possession to Clifden 4C from which they scored the winning try with a 3 tries to 2 winning margin. I would like to sincerely thank all the teachers and students from every school for their pa-tience and support for this year’s event, and a special thanks to the referees and everyone else who helped out also.Micheal Joyce

Tag Rugby Team Photos (From left top to bottom over two pages): Aillebrack N.S., Ard A, Ard B, Ardmore A, Ardmore B Ballyconneely N.S., Carna N.S., Cashel N.S., Cill Chi-

arain N.S.,Claddaghduff A, Claddaghduff B, Cleggan N.S., Clifden 4A, Clifden 4B, Clifden 5C, Kingstown N.S., Letterfrack B, Let-tergesh N.S., Tully N.S, Eagles Nest N.S., Letter-frack A.

Apologies to any team not featured in photographs, particularly Clifden 4C who were too busy winning to stop for photo calls! So well done to all who participated and the overall victors team Clifden 4C are as follows: Captain Liam Joyce, Liam Conneely, Conor Byrne, Henry O Toole, Enda Con-neely, Frank Conroy, Emmet Moran, Aaron Wallace and Paul Lee.

C o n n e m a r a S p o r t s V i e w M a r c h 6 , 2 0 0 8 P A G E 1 7

Oughterard AnglingFriday February 8th saw the opening of fi shing on Lough

Corrib. Th e Cathal Noone Memorial Cup was held in Ough-terard, Co. Galway. Great fi shing was had with reports of fi ne bags of trout in most boats. Th e winner was Bernard Butler of Roscahill, with a trout weighing 4.764 kg, caught with a roach. Second was Martin Molloy, Oughterard, with a trout weigh-ing 3.080kg, caught with a brikeen. Th ird was Martin Noone, Oughterard, with a trout weighing 2.790, caught with a roach. Kevin Prunty, Sec. Oughterard Angling Club / PRO Lough Cor-rib Angling Federation

Photo right (l-r): Brian Higgins (prop. Faherty’s Bar), Michael Davis (win-ner’s fi shing partner), Bernard But-ler (winner, Cathal Noone Memorial Cup) Mike Noone (father of Cathal Noone); Photo left: 3rd place Martin Mol-loy, Baur-isheen.

P a g e 1 8 M a r c h 6 , 2 0 0 8 C o n n e m a r a A r t s V i e w

Clifden Arts SocietyThe next concert at 8pm on March 10th will feature

two wonderful musicians, pianist Finghin Collins from Ireland and Czech cellist Christian Benda. This is a concert not to be missed.

Finghin Collins has a fl ourishing international career, and has performed with some of the most important orchestras around Europe and the USA, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romand, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Or-chestra and the Houston Symphony Orchestra. Finghin, won the Clara Haskil International Piano competition in 1999. One critic wrote of him “Finghin Collins makes the piano sound like a good wine - a delicate and crisp body interspersed with aromatic zesty accents. Collins’ style involves sound, sound, and sound…”

Conductor, cellist and composer Christian Benda is a descendant of the Czech Benda composers’ dynasty of the 18th century. He received his professional train-ing within his family, where the musical tradition was maintained without interruption through three cen-turies. He has performed throughout Europe, made numerous TV productions for worldwide television networks, and produced numerous CD’s including works by Bach, Haydn, and many others.

The Clifden Arts Society is delighted that we were one of the venues selected for this short tour, which will feature Brahms, E minor cello - piano sonata Op. 38, Debussy, D minor cello - piano sonata Nr. 1, and Franck, A major cello - piano sonata. The venue for this concert will be the Church of Ireland and the starting time is 8pm.

Tickets for the concert are available at the door and cost €12 or €10 conc. Bookings can be made on 095 21206.

Ceol TheatreJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat star-

ing Zelda Holloway, Mike O’Malley and a host of others will show April 4th, 5th, 6th 11th, 12th & 13th at the Clifden Town Hall. Show time is 8:00 pm and tickets are €10 for adults and €5 for under 12’s and O.A.P’s. We hope to see you all at the show.

Our next Musical Review Night will take place in EJ’s Pub on Friday 25th, April at 9:30 pm. It is €5 at the door and it will be a night of Country & Western. If you would like to be a part of this show or any other Ceol Theatre production please contact John @ 087 750 4697.

Connemara on CanvasConnemara Calling is the title of an exhibition of

new work by Galway based artist and theatre designer Dolores Lyne. The exhibition will run from March 15th-29th in Lower Salthill, beside PJ Flaherty’s bar.

An opening recep-tion will take place on Saturday March 15th from 6-8 p.m., where the exhibition will be offi cially opened by Dermot Healy.A combination of oils and mixed media work, the show celebrates the remarkable landscape of the West, capturing the colour and drama of Connemara’s unique mini-climate.

There is a grandeur

to Connemara. This is a landscape that thinks big: the challenge for Connemara artists is to fi nd a way of translating onto canvas what they see and feel. Dolores has created substantial work, though not the largest ever that she has made: that would be the 160 � Pigtown painting in the set that won an Irish Times Theatre Award. The paintings in Norman Villa have their own distinct character and atmosphere and the love of water is evident, whether in old, fl ooded bog cu� ings or dark choppy water between islands. The element of chance is celebrated. The paintings record one moment in time, lasting only seconds but saved for ever on canvas.

Dolores’s work is in several collections, including The Arts Council, Galway City and County Councils, the Irish Writers Museum, the Bank of Ireland and NUI, Galway. Kerry-born but Connemara resident, Dolores Lyne has indulged a long and passionate love-aff air with western landscapes that culminates now in a quite wonderful exhibition at Norman Villa.The exhibition is open to the public from Wednesdays to Saturdays from 12-6 from Saturday, March 15th to Saturday March 29th or by appointment.

Movies at the TheatreThe Station House Theatre in the Courtyard of the

Clifden Station House has some great New Release Movies coming soon.The Game Plan: An NFL quarterback living the bachelor

lifestyle discovers that he has an 8-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

27 Brides: A� er serving as a bridesmaid 27 times, a young woman (Katherine Heigl) wrestles with the idea of standing by her sister’s side as her sibling marries the man she’s secretly in love with.

The Eye: The remake of the Hong Kong fi lm “Jian Gui”, a woman who receives an eye transplant that allows her to see into the supernatural world.

Bucket List: Two terminally ill men escape from a can-cer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die. For more information go to www.stationhousethe-

atre.com or phone 095 30303.

5 Rhythms on NationwideAn RTE fi lm crew have fi lmed a segment on

Caitríona Nic Ghiollaphádraig from Recess and her 5 Rhythms Dance Movement which will be shown on RTE 1’s Nationwide programme in coming weeks. Many people have made the 5 Rhythms their spiritual practice as it brings them more deeply into the present and allows them to live their lives in a more whole-hearted way. For further info phone (095)-34664, email [email protected] or check out www.deorade.com.

Jackie Coyne CD LaunchJackie Coyne launched his CD “The last lakes of

Kylemore” on 8th Feb in Renvyle House Hotel to a crowd of around 300 people. Jackie is a well known fi sherman, currently Connacht river champion, and his original songs are all inspired by the beauty of the area and li� ered with fi shing stories. Jackie was joined in the making of the CD by a host of local talent and has produced a great selection of songs. CD’s are on sale in various locations throughout Connemara.

Short Story Contest Apologies for the absence due to space constraints of

our short story competition winner, which will appear in next month’s issue.

Literary News & ViewsThe month of March is a splendid time for book lov-

ers with lots of new titles coming on stream in every category. First and foremost, one of the most exciting developments in the book world in recent years has been the introduction of World Book Day, which fell on March 6th this year. This approach is primarily geared towards the younger reader, ranging from the avid youngster who devours books, right through to the reluctant reader who has yet to discover the delights and the power of reading. World Book Day works by the practice of schoolchildren throughout the country being issued with World Book Day Tokens which can be exchanged over a period of two weeks towards any one of 9 special World Book Day titles. The premise behind the entire concept is that it encourages children to read, and for some it will hopefully be another step towards appreciating the wonders and magic that books can off er. Reading a� er all, is a journey of discovery for both adults and children alike.

At the Irish Booksellers Conference held last weekend, which was a great opportunity to network, a few inter-esting statistics came to light. Over 200,000 new titles are being published each year and the 55+ age group are the best buyers. However, children from pre-school onwards are a very dominant portion of the market and increasingly so, given the forever improving and visually a� ractive pro-active books that are available. As booksellers, there is the constant shadow of digital books looming on the horizon, but market research in 2007 has shown that true book lovers will invariably gravitate towards physically choosing their books in a bookshop. The reasons given are that they enjoy visit-ing their bookshop, welcome the recommendations and advice proff ered by the bookseller and there is no substitute for the tactile experience of handling the book for real. Believe it or not, the vast majority of books be-ing downloaded are thrillers with a predominately male readership.March Book Choice

There’s a plethora of literary delights in the market place at the moment and one is spoilt for choice. In the Irish Literature scene, Eilis Ni Dhuibhne has produced a fi ne novel called “Fox, Swallow, Scarecrow” which delves into the background scene of publishers, edi-tors and the cut throat politics of the Irish literary scene in Dublin. As Ms. Ni Dhuibhne herself is an eminent author, and widely published, she is well qualifi ed to produce such a work. Very much tongue-in-cheek and humorous, she still weaves a captivating novel, which encompasses a love story and an earthy insight into contemporary Ireland.

In the Crime Thriller genre, Mark Gimenez has come on stream with his latest off ering “The Abduction” with a storyline, which grabs the reader from the fi rst few pages. It deals with the nightmare scenario of a young girl disappearing and the parallel story of the Vietnam War and its tragic consequences for the combatants. Not the usual predictable style of thriller and it will keep the avid reader guessing the outcome... which makes a change.

Cormac McCarthy is very much fl avor of the month with his remarkable novel “The Road” which I found absolutely stunning. It deals with the relationship between father and son in post-apocalyptical America, a haunting read which also brings the reader on this jour-ney through a wrecked grey dismal landscape strewn with ashes and despair. It is a story of survival; physical and mental. The jury is out on this one with some read-ers but it’s a case of read it and fi nd out for yourself.Happy Easter to all you readers and browsers.Máire O’Halloran

C o n n e m a r a A r t s V i e w M a r c h 6 , 2 0 0 8 P a g e 1 9

FOCUS: Artists at Work in/from ConnemaraClifden Couture - Alison Conneely

Creative Connemara has many aspects; artists, sculptors, metal and wood-workers and now native fashion designers as well. Alison Conneely of Faul, Clifden has been making her way in the world of design and style for some years now, working and training as a stylist and designer and culminating in the launch of her own clothing label Eme Vandal in 2006.A� er leaving Clifden Community School, Alison obtained an honours degree in Arts from NUI Maynooth and subsequently completed an MA Thesis in Design and Aesthetics. It

was through this course of study that Alison fi rst began to practically apply her innate sense and love of style and fashion, with a view to working in clothing design and tailoring.

A� er a stint at theatre school, she worked as a fashion editor and stylist with Homage magazine, and in 2003 she undertook another technical course of study by beginning a 3 year course in Design and Pa� ern dra� ing in Dublin.

Throughout those 3 years Alison performed extremely well in a number of competitions and contests for up and coming design-ers which include; Trinity Designer of the year(fi nalist 3 years consecutively 2003-2006), Nokia Designer of the Year, 2nd place(2005), and was also a fi nalist in the distinguished BMW Design Awards of 2006.

Alison is possessed of great energy and drive

and is not one to sit back and coast through a college course, or indeed life, at leisure .In true artistic fash-ion, she constantly develops, evolves and adds more strings to her bow. In 2004, she worked as a stylist and costume director for composer and performer Larry Beau’s music movie ‘Karma Blue’ directed by Oscar nominee Daniel O Hara, and has con-tinued to work with his gothic stage shows off Broadway, the Omnicircus in San Francisco and in Europe with the historic Spiegeltent. She also undertook a hat-making course in 2007 under Irish milliner Linda McKay in Co. Kilkenny, where she designed and then created her own headpieces for upcoming fashion shoots. Under the guidance of Roisin Gartland she has also trained extensively in hide tailoring for the past 3 years. All this and still managing to get

her own label off the ground at the same time makes her a very busy girl indeed, but she still has plenty of time to get home to Connemara regularly. In fact, a fashion shoot for magazine The Gloss recently took place at her grand-mother’s old house in Faul, a place both inspirational and dear to Alison. Eme Vandal is described as “a fai-rytale journey back to Victorian splendour, but with a modern Gothic twist” and is based on the notion of dressmaking as archi-

tecture. With talent and a keen sense of style evident in everything she produces Alison Conneely is certainly a star in the making in the Irish and international fashion world, and yet another great ambassador of Connemara on the creative scene. Catherine Pryce


Health Problems & Natural Medicine Learning about HerbsHerbs for Nerves & StressEchinacea & Carrageen

Th ere’s a nasty lung bug going around. I should know: I’m recovering from it. Someone talked about taking Echinacea prophylactically for this bug. Th at gave me an idea for this issue’s article. Here goes.

Everyone knows about Echinacea, how it prevents colds and all that. So simple? Not really. Echinacea is rather specifi c in function. It is an immunostimulant: that is, it stimulates the immune system. Th is is by virtue of its im-munopolysaccharides.

I chose to take lots of carrageen for my bug. How is car-rageen diff erent from Echinacea?

Carrageen has no immunopolysaccharide and is not an immunostimulant. It works in many ways.

It is a superb source of minerals. Minerals are essential for the body as a whole. Th ey are the foundation of all physical function. Available minerals get used up faster with illness. Depletion should be expected as the illness progresses. Car-rageen excels at supplying lots of minerals and preventing depletion.

Carrageen has a remarkable normalizing eff ect on the mu-cous layer of internal organs. It benefi ts the entire respiratory tract - the nasal cavity, sinuses, mouth, throat, bronchi, lungs. All of these are coated with protective mucosa. It helps to expectorate mucus from the lungs. When there is hoarseness, throat pain or dryness from severe coughing, carrageen is very soothing.

Used as a prophylactic, carrageen excels. Th e respiratory

tract is the fi rst line of defence against airborne pathogens. Carrageen strengthens the mucosa of the entire respiratory tract. Taken early, this is a highly eff ective way to prevent infection from airborne pathogens.

How is Echinacea diff erent from carrageen? Echinacea is not specifi c for the respiratory tract organs. It does not have the minerals. It is not the herb of choice for the weakened.

Carrageen is the more useful & versatile herb of the two, by far. Carrageen grows at low tide. Don’t pick it near fi lthy places like Clifden Bay, the Bundouglas dump on Ballynakill Bay, fi sh farms or harbors. Carrageen is sold at Duanes’ Fish shop, Supervalu and Veldon’s.

For this bug I did other stuff . I had a fever. Fever comes with loss of appetite. Th is means the body is busy dealing with the bug and cannot be troubled with digestion & ab-sorption of food. Do not eat solid food until there is a defi -nite appetite. Th is comes after the fever ends. Th e body will know when to eat solid foods. Respect this lack of appetite!

During the fever I ate vegetable broth & fruit. Being feverish I was cold, so the broth got lots of warming spices, ginger & chili.

On making carrageen, rinse out the salt. Boil, strain, and stir in honey, sliced lemon & ginger. Th is is very nice piping hot.

Nicolas Kats, ND, Lic. Ac, uses herbs, acupuncture, diet & supplements. Acupuncture is covered by VHI, Quinn Healthcare & VIVAS. His clinics are in Clifden (087-7714710) and Galway (091-583260).

ASK THE DOCTORIf you would lke a response to a health question from Dr. Kats,

email [email protected]. Absolute confi dentiality guaranteed.

We can all suff er from stress and tension at certain times during our lives. Perhaps a loved one is sick or work is not going well. Younger people have the stress of exams and being under pressure to “perform well” and to not let anyone down. Sometimes such stress is too hard to bear and help is needed.

Th e fi rst thing to consider is diet. Avoid white breads, sweet and sugary breakfast cereals and all processed or pack-aged foods because of the additives. Eat more wholefood such as fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds because then your blood sugar levels will be better balanced. Th is means that you will enjoy a more positive mood, greater energy levels and you will be more able to cope with the stress.At least one litre of water per day, some light exercise and sleep are also guaranteed to help you cope.

If you should still need a little extra help to get through, there are a number of herbs that can really make a diff erence. Avena Sativa is an ideal herb to consider for ongoing stress, nervous and mental exhaustion and anxiety. It is, therefore, ideal for students. It works in a similar way to Passifl ora by relaxing muscles and exerting a gentle, sedative action on the nervous system. Neither herb is addictive and there are no restrictions to long term use.

Valerian can help during stressful situations when both body and mind need to relax, particularly so if a student has been hunched over a desk revising for hours.

Confi dence Essence is also ideal for students because it sup-ports the emotions during stressful times, such as exams. It also boosts self esteem and helps teenagers get over shyness.

It is always a good idea to be prepared for stress and regularly taking a good Vitamin B complex can soften any unexpected blow. Please call in to An Bhean Feasa if you need any help.Terri Conroy

Body Bliss at the MewsOn a chilly February afternoon, I made my way to the

Abbeyglen Hotel for an appointment with Michelle Barry in her new business venture, Th e Mews Treatment Rooms, a serene oasis of calm and relaxation tucked away at the back of the hotel. Michelle has opened 3 luxury treatment rooms in which to relax and completely unwind, with treatments ranging from hot stone massage and aromatherapy facials, to deluxe Jessica manicures and pedicures. Michelle is carrying the excellent Yon Ka skincare range, a plant and aroma-therapy based skincare range that has achieved cult status in the world of skincare, with Kylie, Madonna, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez and the cast of Desperate Housewives mak-ing it their personal skincare choice. High praises indeed, so I looked forward to experiencing a full Yon Ka facial from Michelle who has trained especially in the procedure.

After making sure my mobile phone was off , Michelle brought me to the main treatment room, where I had a refreshing aromatic footbath before relaxing on the seriously comfortable heated massage table. I had never had a hot stone massage before, but after experiencing this one, I will certainly be having another one some time soon! Th e combi-nation of the heat from the stones and the massage tech-nique was pure bliss. It’s possible that the cold wet morning I had made me an ideal candidate for such a treatment, but I can imagine going for this massage for any number of reasons, from stress to back pain and tension. In my experi-ence the relaxation involved is psychological as well as physical-in fact it’s sometimes harder to unwind mentally. However, I completely lost track of time and slowly began to forget anything else I had to do that day as I just gave myself over to the whole experience. After the massage, I had Le Grand Classique Yon Ka facial- a cleansing, restoring and relaxing facial which consists of gentle cleansing and exfoliation, followed by a relaxing massage with balancing aromatic elixirs of lavender, rosemary and geranium.

Th e facial seemed to have many stages but counting them would have been far too stressful so I just laid back and enjoyed it. Th e whole process of the mas-sage and facial took just under 2 hours, but I had to

check my watch as I had completely lost track of time, which is the purpose of the treatment I’m sure, and is a guarantee that it really works. My skin felt refreshed and radiant, and my back and shoulders were relaxed and tension free. Other treatments available include the Jessica deluxe manicures and pedicures, which take place in a grand state of the art recliner chair that consists of a foot spa at the base, a back massaging leather chair, and large armrests and heated mittens for manicures. Anne Mannion is also performing re-fl exology treatments and Indian head massage at the Mews, and there is no better place to give it a go and see what it can do for you.

Th e Mews treatment rooms are open from Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. Early booking is essential as each treatment is allowed an average of 2 hours, so nothing is rushed or cut short. Stepping into this oasis of calm and relaxation is like stepping out of your ordinary day into a dream-like luxury experience, where everything is focused on your enjoyment and relaxation, and I can confi rm that it is an experience you will want to enjoy again and again. For further details on any of the treatments available con-tact Michelle at Th e Mews, Abbeyglen on (095) 21306.


What’s the deal with...Hand Washing?

Many of you will have noticed a new television, radio and print campaign by the HSE in recent weeks that focuses on the issue of hand hygiene in healthcare. Th e television ad depicts a range of healthcare workers stating questions that they are regularly and routinely asked while administering treatment. Th e viewer is encouraged to ask the healthcare professional the straightforward question, “Have you washed your hands?”

My initial reaction to these ads was disbelief at the fact that the general public is now expected to be responsible for the hand hygiene of random healthcare workers. To me, these ads seem to suggest that it may somehow be your own fault if you allow yourself to be treated by someone who may or may not have cleaned their hands beforehand. Th is most simple and crucial aspect of hospital hygiene is a massive contributing factor in the rampant spread of MRSA in our hospitals, but to expect the public to take responsibility for the hand hygiene of complete strangers as well as them-selves seems a bit of a tall order.

Regular visitors to hospital wards, particularly cancer wards and intensive care units will be well aware of the measures expected. Hand sanitizers are in place in most hos-pital wards and it is absolutely fair and reasonable to expect visitors and members of the public to use these or other hand-washing facilities when visiting the ill, whose resis-tance to infection is greatly reduced. However, to place the onus of responsibility onto the patient to ask each and every individual who they come into contact with whether or not their hands are clean seems unfair and seriously misplaced.

Is the exhausted patient recovering from two hip replace-ments while in traction for 6 weeks due to MRSA compli-cations expected to put the question to every doctor/nurse/orderly/cleaner that might enter their room?

Is the unaccompanied 16 year old getting stitched in casu-alty after a match injury expected to speak up to their elders with probing questions about clean hands?

Is the woman having a Caesarean delivery supposed to pop her head up and just give everyone a quick reminder that she would not like a contaminated womb afterwards?

What about the families up and down the country who have lost loved ones to MRSA that was contracted during supposedly routine procedures? Are they to be told they should have asked for clean hands before their treatment; then maybe things would have been diff erent?

Whatever happened to trusting those in hospitals to look after the sick to the best of their abilities, without having to force them into it and question their every move?

While the above examples may seem a little extreme, in my estimation this is exactly what the HSE is asking us to

do-to accept responsibility for what happens to us while we are in hospital care. While this in undoubtedly an area that needs to be highlighted, would the millions of Euro spent by the HSE on this media campaign not be better spent if aimed at improving the standards of hygiene among actual healthcare workers?

Even though MRSA has been a scourge in Ireland’s hospitals for many years now, there is no data on MRSA related deaths. Th ere is not even a guarantee that many now deceased people or their families ever even knew that they had the superbug.

As far back as 2005, in a series of unsuccessful attempts to deal with this problem the minister for health, Mary Harney, was introducing poster campaigns and guidelines for hospitals on hand hygiene. Lobby groups such as Patient Focus welcomed the guidelines, but group spokesperson Cathriona Molloy said that while they regarded the HSE guidelines as a positive move, they felt it was sad that post-ers had to be used to make doctors and nurses wash their hands.

Why do doctors and nurses have to be reminded that clean hands save lives-is that not glaringly obvious? Are they so overworked that they are too busy to stop and clean their hands scrupulously between each patient-or are they simply disillusioned with their jobs so much that they don’t even care? Are there any punitive measures in place for healthcare workers who are caught practicing bad hygiene? Th ese are the questions that are not being answered while the HSE pours funds into educating the already beleaguered patient instead of the healthcare worker. Patient Focus believe that general information on MRSA and visitor protocols to stop the spread of it and other hospital based infections should be clearly displayed on every patient’s locker. Th is presum-ably would be aimed at reminding both patient and worker of the importance of hand hygiene-a suggestion that the HSE has spurned in place of other approaches such as this latest campaign.

With regard to the latest public information campaign, Dr Kevin Kelleher, Assistant National Director for Health protection with the HSE said “While hospital hygiene is clearly important, evidence shows that hand hygiene is the single most eff ective defence against the spread of MRSA. Patients and healthcare staff are now much more aware and often more concerned about health care associated infec-tion, and we hope that the public education messages we are broadcasting will help to reassure everyone in the hospital that high standards are a priority.” For many years now Ire-land has undeniably been in the grip of a healthcare crisis. It is an extremely complicated, divisive and emotive mess on a great many levels, but while the HSE funds campaigns asking the individual to take responsibility for what happens to them while in hospital care, I for one am feeling far from reassured.Catherine Pryce

Sources: http:/archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2005/09/20, www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0113,www.emaxhealth.com, www.who.com

Most important times to wash your hands• After using the toilet• After changing a nappy• After tending to a sick person• When handling meat, fi sh or poultry• Before eating, handling or cooking food• After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing• After handling an animal or animal waste• After handling garbage• Before and after treating a cut or woundSource: Center for Disease Control www.cdc.gov/cleanhands/

How to wash your hands properly• Wet hands with clean running water (warm if available)

and apply soap.• Rub hands together to make lather and scrub all surfaces

including under fi ngernails.• Continue rubbing hands for 20 seconds.• Rinse hands well under running water.• Dry hands using paper towel, clean towel or air dryer. A

dirty towel is a haven for germs and bacteria.Source: Center for Disease Control www.cdc.gov/cleanhands/

What is MRSA?MRSA is a strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that

became resistant decades ago to the broad spectrum antibi-otics commonly used to treat it.

“Staph” bacteria are normally found on the skin or in the nose of about one third of the population.

If you have “staph” on your skin or in you nose you are said to be “colonized” but not infected with MRSA. Healthy people can be colonized with MRSA and have no ill eff ects, however, they can pass the germ on to others.

“Staph” bacteria are usually harmless unless they enter the body through a cut or wound. Th ey often only cause minor skin problems in healthy adults. But in older adults and people who are ill or have weakened immune systems, ordinary “staph” infections can cause serious illness which is MRSA.

MRSA is usually transmitted by direct skin to skin con-tact or contact with shared items or surfaces that have come into contact with someone else’s infection, (e.g. towels, used bandages).Source: www.discoveryhospital.com

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I hope that you made the most of the dry sunny weather of last month. Th at was an opportunity to catch up or get ahead as the case may be. I managed to clear away a load of Fuchsia which was drowning my light over the past year or so. Of course it will be back, but at least for this year I will have a view from this part of the garden. I also began clearing some of the paths and getting them in order.

I am back to the subject of instant gardening, as someone asked me about it recently. Th e question referred to a sunny bor-der in front of the house, which like most other fl ower beds look a bit sad at this time of the year.

I suggest that you dig out a lot of the plants which have fairly fi lled the space, these can be divided and a few replaced, the others can go to make another fl ower bed in a diff erent part of the garden. Th e soil needs to be worked fairly well as it gets tired and compacted over the years. Into this I would add a lot of compost, this replenishes the soil, but also breaks up the clay, making it easier to work with as well as giving it a nicer appearance.

Th e planting is easy, but requires a certain amount of cash being spent. I think that a colourful shrub a few feet high and a little bulky will make an impact. I like variegated shrubs of white, gold, green and grey, and some of my favourites are Osmanthus het-erophyllus ‘Aureomargintus’, and Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’ or ‘Silver Queen’. Th ese will give instant height, bulk and colour; as they are evergreen they will give all year round interest. A couple of other colours like purple will act as foils to the green and I would suggest Berberis thunbergii atro-pupurea. Also think of plants like Skimmia, which are evergreen but produce attractive fl owers at this time of the year and also red berries. Of course you could add a few Ca-mellias to the mix, you get glossy evergreen leaves and wonderful fl owers at this time, but they tend to be a bit more expensive than the others.

Next I would suggest a mixture of fairly low growing fl owers. Primula of every colour and type are available all over the place. Th ey are so bright and bring a feeling of spring straight away. Pansies are another great fl ower for now as they will bring a splash of colour for months. Another favourite is cyclamen, which have great colour and are high impact plants. To add a bit of height, Daff odils and Tulips are available in pots. Th ere is no need to remove them from the pots if the impact is only needed for a short time. Dig a hole, place the pot into it and cover it over again. When the fl owering is over just dig up the pot and store the bulbs for the autumn.

Th e most important thing to think of is the timing of this. Don’t buy your fl owers

when they are fully out, unless your visitors are arriving straight away. If there is a matter of days or a week, these may be fi nished be-fore they get to see them. Get plants which have a lot of buds, which will open during the time of your guests being with you.

I was thinking about all the diff erent trends in gardening over the years, the dif-ferent types of rockeries and herbaceous borders, the very formal layouts and the

more natural styles which are popular today. I asked a friend of mine who is a trendsetter or at least a dedicated follower of garden de-sign, what was the latest and he told me that it was crevice gardening. (See photo) Now this sounded fairly interesting and so I decided to fi nd out a bit more about it.

It is a variant of the rock garden, but the rocks are set closely together 2 to 3 inches apart, giving the appearance of a crevice, hence the name. Th e fl agstones are set on edge and buried at least 2 foot deep and backfi lled with sandy loam, you can see that a lot of stone would be needed for this. Of course the idea of burying the stone so deep is to allow for good drainage, an important aspect of all rock gardens. Th e crevice garden is best if it is at least 10 foot long, allowing you to make a feature of it, but it could be bigger. I am not sure where would be the best location, but it can be raised and maybe a bank or slope might be a good place, as long as it was not waterlogged.

Plants which are suitable for the rock gar-den would be perfect for the crevice garden, so try Alyssum, Dianthus, Saxifrage, Sedum and others. Th ere is plenty of information on the internet if you want to fi nd out more.

If anyone out there has tried this you might let me know.

Th e Daff odils are doing very well at pres-ent and need very little attention, I fi nd that they need to be staked sometimes and small branches which have multi stems, make ideal stakes as they prop up the fl owers without the need to tie them. Don’t forget to dead head them and look out for slug or snail damage, they often attack fl owers which are about to open and they destroy the look of the fl ower.

Whether it is global warming or not, the plant kingdom is gone a bit strange with

many plants fl owering out of season. I am having problems with my Camellias. Usually they fl ower at diff erent times, the fi rst in late December-early January and the last in April or May. But for the last few years, they have all been early and pretty much at the same time, now I have fi ve types fl owering with one or two more about to join them, I wonder what will be left for the next few months.

Th is month, as always, Th e Tree Council of Ireland celebrates tree week. It runs from the 2nd to the 8th and the theme is “Trees Water Life”. We should all make an eff ort to plant a tree every year, even if it is not during Tree Week. Th ere is a huge selection of trees which are suitable for our area. Th ey make such an impact on our gardens, adding a focal point, creating a diff erent level, and are a magnet for wildlife. I will go into trees in more detail next month, if you have any questions about them contact me, and I will try and answer your questions.

Th at is about all for this month, get the thinking caps on as from next month on there will be plenty of planning and planting to be done and being ahead of yourself is a great help.Happy gardening. Breandan O Scanaill

Spam & Eggs: Th e Full Irish?

Do you receive lots of junk email messages every morning from people you don’t know? It’s no surprise if you do. As more and more people use email, marketers are increasingly using email messages to pitch their products and services. Most consumers fi nd unsolicit-ed commercial email - also known as “Spam” - annoying and time consuming; some have lost money to bogus off ers that arrived in their email in-box. Businesses small and large are incurring signifi cant costs in having to wade through what can be hundreds of spam messages.

Spammers buy email addresses from a “list broker”, who compiles a list by “harvesting” addresses from the Internet. If you post on a newsgroup or forum, frequent chat rooms, on some online services, your email ad-dress may well appear on one of these lists. Spammers use special software that can send thousands or even millions of spam messages at the click of a mouse.

So what can one to do minimise this

disruption? Avoid displaying your email ad-dress in public. If you do like to subscribe to newsletters etc, then set up an email address to use for that specifi c purpose, separate from your usual business or personal email. Hotmail, Yahoo and other email accounts are free, so use them. You can also check the privacy policy when you subscribe to some-thing to see if you are allowing the company to sell your address. You may be able to opt out of this (“do you want to receive off ers from our partners?” etc.).

Email Spam Filters are also very useful, particularly for businesses, where they can pay for themselves in a matter of days. I have been evaluating some of the most popular products over the last 8 weeks, and have learned a great deal. I will list my Top Th ree. Some spam fi lters can be very complex and diffi cult to set up, they can use very sophisti-cated algorithms or rules to fi lter emails.

Spamilator is a free product based on Bay-sian algebra, bringing ‘artifi cial intelligence’ to bear against the spammers. It is, however, a bit complicated to set up, and takes a while to “train” so that it doesn’t block valid emails. I guess you get what you pay for.

CA Anti Spam is from Computer Associ-ates, one of the world’s largest IT consulting fi rms. It works well, and is less complicated to set up than other similar anti-spam fi lters. It is a little pricey for personal use, however.

My personal favourite, however, comes from a company whose anti-virus product I have been using and recommending for many years now: AVG. Th ey have released AVG Internet Security, an excellent package incorporating Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, and Anti-Spam, a real one-stop shop. Th eir products run on over 70 million comput-ers worldwide, and usually are rated top for functionality and price. AVG Anti-Spam is easy to set up and maintain, and uses both artifi cial intelligence and ‘Spam lists’ that target message subject and content. Regular updates help to keep up with new approaches from Spammers, and I found that after only a week or two the amount of spam making it to my Inbox had fallen by over 80%!

Th e price is also very accessible, and instal-lation only takes a few minutes. Confi gura-tion is also pretty simple, and if you are using a broadband connection the Filter checks constantly-updated spammer lists online.

So if you are getting Spammed, have a look at some of the above, or call us at Two Dog Computer & Business Solutions for free advice. Slán go foill!John Claró is an I.T. Consultant with over 20 years international experience, operating Two Dog Computers from new offi ces at Th e Square, Clifden. He can be reached on 095 22194.


FETAC Awards CeremonyTh e Further Education Centres in Letterfrack and Clifden held their annual Conferring of Awards on Friday

the 8th of February in the Station House Th eatre. FETAC, Further Education and Training Awards Council, is the accrediting body for all courses delivered in the two centres. Courses are also accredited from ECDL Ireland and Galway Civil Defence. Certifi cates were given in the following subject areas: Business Studies, Childcare, Com-puters, European Computer Driving Licence, Art & Design, Navigation Skills, Marine Engineering, Social Care, Reception Skills and First Aid. Present on the day to celebrate with students was Joe MacDonncha, Chief Execu-tive Offi cer of the County Galway VEC;Sean MacLochlainn, Adult Education Offi cer of the County Galway VEC; Diarmuid O’Ceidigh, FETAC; and Donol Conlon, Social Welfare.

Sixty-six students received certifi cates from FETAC Level 3 right up to FETAC Level 6. Congratulations to everyone on their wonderful achievement. Th is was the fi rst time a student received a Level 6 Certifi cate in Child-care, so well done to Carmel Higgins for her achievement. Also, two of the students received 2 FETAC Level 5 Certifi cates in Childcare and Business Studies, so congratulations to both Caroline Heanue and Martina Coyne for their achievement. If anyone would like more information on the courses on off er in either of the two centres, please do not hesitate in contacting Sorcha O’Toole, Co-ordinator, on 095-41302. From left - top to bottom: (l-r): Full-Time VTOS Course Participants: Standing - Joe MacDonncha,(VEC) Marie Mongan, Patricia Glynn, Rachel Foley, Una Ward, Anna Doyle, Stephanie Coyne, Jackie O’Farrell, Kneeling - Danielle Salmon, Maria Caff erkey, Anne Ingelbach. Part-time Childcare Students: Sean MacLochlainn (VEC), Aideen Joyce, Karen Folan, Anita Daly. Part-time Social Care Students: Diarmuid O’Ceidigh (FETAC), Maria McGloin He-anue, Lillian Little, Irene Julier, Dawn Mangan. Part-time Aquaculture Stu-dents: Diarmuid O’Ceidigh (FETAC), Joseph Faherty, Gerry Lyons, Matthew McHugh & David Ridge. Full-Time VTOS Receiving Full FETAC Level 5 Certifi cates: Joe MacDonncha, (VEC) Maura Nugent, Fiona Scullion, Teresa McCarthy, Mary O’Toole, Carmel Higgins, Caroline Heanue and Martina Coyne. Part-time Art & Design Students: Sean MacLochlainn (VEC), Ann Scullion, Eileen Noonan Connolly, Kathleen McHugh, Margaret Heaney and Barbara Burke. Part-time Reception and Computer Students: Donol Conlon (Social Welfare), Ursula Cisa, Eileen Conneely. Business Studies and Child-care: Martina Coyne received 2 FETAC Level 5 Certifi cates in Business Stud-ies and Childcare. Caroline Heanue received 2 FETAC Level 5 Certifi cates in Business Studies and Childcare. Carmel Higgins received the fi rst FETAC Level 6 Certifi cate in Childcare conferred from the centre. ECDL: Noel Mills a receiving his ECDL certifi cate from CEO, Joe MacDonncha with Kathriona McHugh (Tutor). Part-time ECDL Students: Donol Conlon (Social Welfare), Noel Mills, Josephine Coyne, Patricia Stanley & Noreen Conneely. Photos by Padraic Lyden

P R O P E R T I E S i n C O N N E M A R A


RoundstoneNew to the market: 2 town houses in the

heart of Roundstone village close to shops and pubs with spectacular views of the Har-bour, Roundstone Bay and the Twelve Bens Mountain Range.

Th e main house consists ground fl oor - sit-ting room/kitchen, fi rst fl oor - 3 beds. two baths, storage area. Second house (apart-ment) sitting room/kitchen, bathroom, dou-ble bedroom. Large private patio at rear. Th e famous beaches Dog’s Bay and Gurteen are just a fi ve minute drive and the Connemara Championship Golf Links approx fi fteen minutes drive. Off ers on €595,000. Matt O’Sullivan Auctioneers, Th e Square, Clifden. 095-21066 email: [email protected] www.mattosullivan.com

The Spires, ClifdenTh is well presented 4 bedroomed resi-

dence ideally located to Clifden town centre benefi ting from bright and spacious accom-

modation. Comprising kitchen dining area, reception room, two ensuites with separate bathroom. Th is well appointed house has garden to rear backing onto Clifden GAA pitch and Clifden National School. Price

Guide €270,000 O’Brien Auctioneers, Mar-ket Street, Clifden. 095 22386 [email protected]. www.obrien-auctioneers.com.

Dooneen, Clifden A secluded, quiet, exclusive and superior

stone clad property on a very large mature woodland site of circa 5 acres on Dooneen, Clifden. It has direct access to extensive shoreline of the Salt Lake where there is a timber deck in situ. Th e house is less than one mile from Clifden town centre and is ideally placed for all outdoor pursuits. Accommodation includes; Living/Dining-room, Sittingroom, Kitchen, Four Bedrooms (2 Ensuite), Bathroom, Utility & Garage. Oil fi red central heating, alarm and satel-lite TV. Present owners have put in place an American Barn with fi ve loose boxes,

sanded yard and three post and rail paddocks together with Menage. Off ers on €950,000. Connemara Properties, Bridge St. Clifden. 095-21473. email: [email protected].

Lettergesh, RenvyleWith spectacular sea views, this property

comprises of a detached two storey residence with uninterrupted views over Renvyle

Peninsula and towards Achill. Th e beauti-ful white sand beaches at Lettergesh and Glassillaun are a short distance away. Th e property has been well maintained and many of its original features have been retained. Th e residence is entered by a slate fl oor hallway. Th e ground fl oor accommodates a

living room with excellent sea views. Th ere’s a slated fl oor kitchen dining area with an open fi re. On the fi rst fl oor there are three bedrooms, two of which have stunning views. Th ere is also a fully fi tted bathroom on this fl oor. Lettergesh is convenient to both Tullycross and Tully villages. Asking Price: €385,000.Sherry FitzGerald Kava-nagh, Main Street, Clifden. 095 21888 Fax 095 30752 email:[email protected] www.sherryfi tz.ie.

Ballyconneely Two choice properties at Truska &

Emlagharan, Ballyconneely are for sale by public auction on Friday 2nd May 2008 at 3 pm in the Station House Hotel Clifden. Each of the two holdings will be off ered for sale in individual lots and as entire lots. Th e

properties are situated in a highly scenic and a much sought after area in Connemara. Th e area enjoys many fantastic beaches includ-ing Surf Beach which is on the commonage lands of the Truska property. Th ere is a four roomed cottage (see photo) and outbuildings on this holding. Th e lands at Emlagharan will be sold in various lots. Th ere is an old cottage ruin on one plot and this will be sold with a larger plot of land. Th ese lands over-look the Golf Course. Guide price for entire holding in excess of €1 million. Full maps and details are available from the sole selling agents DNG Martin O’Connor Tel 091-866-708 Solicitors with Carriage of Sale; Mannion Aird & Co Solicitors, Clifden.

CamusTh ree bedroomed bungalow with stun-

ning seaviews of Camus Bay. Th e bungalow has recently been reno-vated and comprises three bedrooms, sitting room, kitchen and shower room. It’s situated in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht. Th e prop-erty is within close proximity to a school and church, off ering superb tranquility only 40 minutes drive from Galway City. OFCH. Fabulous views at the rear of the property of Camus Bay. For sale freehold. Guide price €290,000. Michael O’Toole Auctioneers. Main St., Oughterard 091 557711 [email protected] www.michaelotoole.ie

Kilbrickan, RosmucA rare opportunity to purchase

two cottages situated on a site of approximately 0.6 acres set in a beautiful location in the heart of

Connemara. Th e properties are in good condition throughout and off er scope to extend or merge subject to relevant planning regulations. With views over Kilbrickan pier and onto the Connemara Mountains these cottages benefi t from breathtaking views from most rooms. For sale freehold. Off ers on €225,000. Spencer Auctioneers, Main St., Oughterard, 091 552999 email: info@ spencerauctioneers.com www.spencerauc-tioneers.com.

February Planning Apps08219 Breathnach, Mairead;Lettermullan,

01/02/08. Chun teach conaithe. garaiste agus coras searachais a thogail. (Gross fl oor aera 205sqm)

08235 Nic Dhonnacha, Lisa; Kilkieran; 04/02/08. Chun deich (10) tithe conaithe le coras eisilte, boithre agus oibreacha laithrean a thogail. (Gross fl oor area 1784.68sqm)

08225 Maoilchiarain, Dara; Mweenish Is-land; 04/02/08. Chun teach conaithe agus coras searachais a thogail. (Gross fl oor area 294sqm)

08277 Griffi n, Nora; Bunowen Beg; 07/02/08. To construct a dwelling house, sewage treatment system and domestic garage (Gross fl oor area 141.6 sqm)

08287 Letterfrack Country Shop Ltd; Let-terfrack; 07/02/08. For use of part of pre-viously approved supermarket/retail unit (approved under Planning Ref 04/3929 and 06/3085) as an off license.

08323 Feerick, Mary; Carraroe South; 11/02/08. To revise the site layout plan of previously granted Pl. Ref. No. 06/5393 to construct a house, garage and treatment system (Gross fl oor area 224.9 sqm)

08351 O’Tiomain, Vivian; Tully; 14/02/08. To construct a dwellinghouse, septic tank, percolation area and ancillary site works (Gross fl oor area 170 sqm)

08356 Kinneavy, Paraic & Heather; Carraroe South; 14/02/08. To demolish existing dwelling and construct a new dwelling including a new Bord na Mona effl uent treatment system (Gross fl oor area 181.1 sqm)

08371 O’Malley, D Gortrummagh; 14/02/08. For retention of house as constructed (Former Pl. Ref. No.98/309) (Gross fl oor area 345.36 sqm)

08378 Nawin, Wolfgang Lettergesh; 14/02/08. Planning is sought for replace-ment of existing septic tank with effl uent treatment plant on revised site location.

08399 O Se, E; Carraroe South; 15/02/08. Chun garaiste a thogail. (Gross fl oor area 44.2sqm)

Source: www.galway.ie.

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FINANCIAL PLANNING


Know Your Rights

Choppy seas for the non-compliant ahead?

When Ireland joined the EEC in the early 1970’s there was a signifi cant amount of horse trading as to what could be achieved for our local indigenous industries. Th ere is a commonly held view that whilst signifi cant concessions were exacted in the area of agriculture the trade off was that our fi shing industry was made the sacrifi cial lamb so to speak.

Despite having one of the largest off shore fi shing areas in the EU, we are nowhere near the top of the EU fi shing league when it comes to available quotas. In fact, there has been a recent announcement by the government to grant aid towards the decommissioning of some of Irelands white fi sh fl eet as Ireland is not allowed to catch enough fi sh under the quota system to keep all fi shermen in business.

So what does all this have to do with a fi nancial advice column you may ask? One part of the problem in the EU is the lack of available and consistent data with regard to fi sh catches between countries. Th e idea of dwindling fi sh stocks has meant that the regulatory framework in which all fi shermen now have to comply with is becoming increasingly burdensome and the recording and keeping of accurate fi sh numbers is becoming a signifi cant issue at EU level. So there are changes being demanded at EU level, which will in 2008 have an impact on the way local fi shermen operate around the coast in Connemara and it is one which has the potential to have a knock on eff ect when fi shermen have to deal with their tax aff airs.

Fishermen and tax returnsLast year we had the Salmon Hardship Scheme which

paid certain fi shermen to forgo their salmon driftnet licences. What proved somewhat problematic for certain fi shermen was that any payment over €10,000 needed to be accompanied by a tax clearance certifi cate. Th e requirement with this scheme is evidence of a greater trend amongst government departments and agencies that in future if you want to get money from the government then you are likely to need a tax clearance certifi cate.

Are all fi shermen obliged to register for tax? Th e short an-swer is yes. Section 951 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 states that all “chargeable persons” must fi le a tax return.

So who is a “chargeable person”? Anyone who is in receipt of income from a trade, profession or from investments is deemed a chargeable person. As Fishermen sell fi sh they are in receipt of an income from a trade and therefore are “Chargeable Persons”. Th ere is no “de minimus” in relation to income so any activity will trigger the obligation to register for income tax. A tax clearance certifi cate if required will only be issued to fi shermen who have registered their activity with the Revenue Commissioners and who have fi led and paid their taxes up to date.

What if I have only a very small income from fi shing?As we mentioned above there is no lower level underneath

which you do not have to register for tax. However once registered and once the fi sherman can show that the level of activity is so low that there is no tax liability then you can write to revenue and request an exemption from having to fi le future returns. If this exemption from fi ling is granted by revenue then fi shermen with small incomes can be absolved by revenue from fi ling future tax returns. Th is is the way the process works. It doesn’t work that a fi sherman can estimate his tax as nil and unilaterally decide he doesn’t have to fi le a tax return. Th e only people who can release a taxpayer from an obligation to fi le a tax return each year are the revenue commissioners.

How do I register for income tax?A taxpayer registers for Income tax by completing a form

TR1. Th is form is available on line at www.revenue.ie or it can be got from the revenue commissioners’ offi ce in Eyre Square, Galway. Th is registration process needs to be completed once only. Th ere are 40 specifi c questions on the registration form but most fi shermen are only concerned with questions 1-23. Once a fi sherman is registered, income tax returns will automatically issue for each year since busi-ness commenced (the date of business commencement is on the registration form) and these tax returns will need to be completed and the tax, if any, calculated and paid.

What do I pay tax on?Tax is calculated on the profi t from your fi shing activity

each year. Th e tax year is the same as the calendar year. So

your 2007 income tax bill will be based on your fi shing (and other) income in the year 2007. Taxable income is the profi t earned by fi shing. Th at is basically the money you get from selling the fi sh/lobster/crab etc. less the cost to you of run-ning the fi shing boat (diesel/insurance/net and boat repairs etc) and other business expenses. Once you have all your in-come and expenses details for the year you need to complete the income tax form (called Form 11). If you are comfortable with your aff airs and have a basic understanding of the tax system you can probably do a lot of this work yourself. Th e Revenue Commissioners can help in some case also to work out your tax for you. You should use a professional advisor however if your aff airs are less organised and you need some independent advice as to how best to proceed with getting your aff airs up to date.

Recent ChangesA lot of lobster fi shermen are aware of a new reporting

regime being put in place by the department to ensure the accurate recording of catches. Wholesalers are to be obliged to record when and how much shellfi sh they purchased and to also record the name and boat registration of who they purchased the fi sh from. Th is record will make it possible for authorities to trace who is selling fi sh and how much they are receiving for their catch. Although this informa-tion doesn’t automatically go to the revenue commissioners it would be prudent to assume that if required, they could access this information if necessary at a future date.

Fishing has changed a lot in terms of regulation and catch recording in recent years. Th e need for national governments to quantify exact fi sh catches is becoming more important. Th e area will be become more regulated in the coming years as stock conservation becomes a key government policy. One by-product of all this regulation is that it will be increasingly diffi cult for unregistered, non tax complaint fi shermen to operate without increasing the risk of being found out. It is a point which will need to be carefully considered by small fi shermen as they prepare to put to sea for another season in the coming weeks.

Declan Mannion can be contacted at Mannion Lochrin & Co, Chartered Accountants, Clifden, Co. Galway. Tel: 095 30030 Fax 095 30031. E-mail [email protected]

A: Easter Monday is a public holiday, so you are entitled to paid leave on that day unless your employer nominates one of the following alternatives: an extra day’s pay; an extra day of annual leave; or a paid day off within a month. Good Friday is not a public holiday. While some schools and busi-nesses close, you have no automatic entitlement to time off on that day.

Th ere are nine public holidays in Ireland each year: New Year’s Day (1 January), St Patrick’s Day (17 March), Easter Monday (24 March in 2008), First Monday in May, June and August, Last Monday in October, Christmas Day (25 December), St Stephen’s Day (26 December).

Public holiday entitlements apply to staff even if they are not usually scheduled to work on the day of the public holi-day. In this case the entitlement for part-time staff is pro-rata (one-fi fth of weekly pay or hours). Part-time staff must have worked more than 40 hours in the fi ve weeks before a holiday to be eligible for public holiday entitlements.

Further information is available from Clifden Citizens Information Centre, which provides a free and confi dential service to the public. We are in the VEC offi ces above the Statoil Garage, Galway Road Clifden, and can be contacted on 095 22000 & 087 1301100.

New Opening Hours! Th ursday 7pm-8pm & Friday 10:30am- 3:30pm. Letterfrack Information service: 1:30-4:30 pm Monday 10th & 31st March. Information is also available online at www.citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service, LoCall 1890 777 121.Please Note, we will be closed for Easter on Th ursday 20th and Friday 21st March 2008. Declan Weir

Q: Am I entitled to time off work for Easter?

Healthy Eating in ChildhoodTh e SuperValu Kids in Action programme has

been developed to address a wish amongst the SuperValu retailers to do more to support the primary schools in their communities. Th e pro-gramme is aimed at not only getting the primary school children more active through an in-store collector scheme for sports equipment, but is also set to encourage both children and their parents to look more closely at the food they are eating both at school and at home.

Th is week Supervalu Clifden delivered fruit to each student in the local primary schools, and the schools were off ered talks on Healthy Eating and Exercise from Catherine Norton, BSc Human Nutrition & Dietetics, MINDI, a dietician work-ing in Limerick. Th e students were very receptive to this information, and Catherine congratulated the schools on the Healthy Eating Policies that these schools have already established.

As food aff ects your child’s health, growth and be-haviour, a balanced diet can positively infl uence mental alertness, energy levels, sound sleep and overall health. Good nutrition is the regular supply of a wide variety of nutrients to meet the demands of the body through out life. In infancy and childhood this is particularly important as growth and development is so rapid. Th e essential building blocks for a healthy diet are: Protein, from meat, fi sh, chicken, milk and eggs. Carbohydrates, from cereals, breads pulses rice and grain. Essential Fats, such as Omega 3 and Omega 6 found in oily fi sh, seeds, avocados and a small amount of saturated fats. It is known that a child’s fat cells are laid down during the fi rst fi ve years of life, and any child who is overweight for their height at this age is likely to battle with a weight problem for the rest of their life. Fibre from fruit, veg-etables, wholegrain breads/cereals and vitamins, minerals, calcium and iron are also necessary for a balanced diet.


Photo left: Áine O’Neill and Adam Conroy were wed on the 15th December in St Joseph’s Church, Clifden. Th ey had a pit stop in the Station House Hotel and afterwards to the Westwood House Hotel, where a good night was had by all. Th ey honeymooned in South America for 5 weeks. “Now I can well and truly say we are back to nor-mal!!”, says Áine.

Photo right: Th e Kerry Carey: Grace May Carey, the 1st Carey born in Kerry, entered the world at 7lbs. 5oz. on January 10th. Photo: Grace with proud parents, Caroline and Peter.

CONSUMER WATCHDOG: Water & Petrol

Service Station Petrol DieselCosgraves, Castlebar 117.90 117.90Welbys, Oughterard 120.00 122.00Sweeneys, Moycullen 120.00 123.00Rogans, Renvyle 120.90 120.90Statoil, Clifden 120.90 123.90ESSO, Clifden 120.90 123.90Actons, Moyard 120.90 123.90Kylemore Service Station 121.90 123.90

Joyce's, Recess 124.90 124.90Ferrons, Roundstone 124.90 125.90Keoghs, Ballyconneely 125.90 126.90

Prices based on a phone survey on March 4th & 5th

Mg/ltr Calcium Magnesium Sodium Potassium Bicarbonate Chloride Sulphate NitrateKerry Spring 82 9.7 23.9 2.2 228 41 10.8 5RiverRock 40 30.5 24.7 2 254 24.3 32.5 2.8Galway Water 24 11 15 1.1 334 32 22 5Tipperary Water 37 23 25 17 282 13 10 0.5Willow Water 113 14.5 14 1.7 370 19.3 18.6 22.2Volvic 10 6 9 6 65 8 7 1Evian 78 24 5 1 357 4.5 10 3.8Vittel 91 19.9 7.3 258 3.7 105Ballygowan 114 16 15 3 400 28 15 9SuperValu 41.8 13.1 10.9 2 202 12 <10.0 <0.1

When buying bottled water you may want to be aware of the quality diff erences between brands on the shelves of our shops here in Connemara; what you are actually paying for and whether it is of worth to you, health-wise or cost-wise.• Only 3 Irish waters are classifi ed as natural mineral waters.

Th ey are Kerry Spring, Tipperary, and Glenpatrick. Th is is the highest and purest category as it has higher levels of minerals and trace elements than other waters.

• Ballygowan is Ireland’s best selling brand of bottled water, and is classifi ed as spring water. Th is means it is intended for consumption in its natural state, comes from an underground source, is protected from all risk of pollution and is bottled at source. Only very limited treatments are permitted.

• Volvic, imported French bottled water is Ireland’s 2nd best selling water and originates at a pure natural source in the French Alps. It is claimed that the mineral composition is improved by exposure to volcanic rock, rich in mineral and trace elements.

What do the minerals mean?Calcium builds and maintains bones and teeth, regulates

heart rhythm, regulates passage of nutrients into cell walls, assists in blood clotting, maintains nerve and muscle function, lowers blood pressure and reduces blood cholesterol level.

Magnesium helps metabolize carbohydrates and amino acids, promotes absorption of vitamins and minerals. It is necessary for proper functioning of all muscles, including the heart.

Potassium and sodium regulate water balance within the body. Potassium along with phosphorus sends oxygen to the brain. Protein and carbohydrate metabolism are dependent upon potassium. It also stimulates the kidneys to eliminate body waste and works with sodium to regulate the heartbeat.

Nitrate is a naturally occurring form of nitrogen found in groundwater. Quantities of up to 50mg per litre are

deemed acceptable for bottled water.

Sulphate is one of the major dissolved components of rain. High concentrations can have a laxative eff ect when combined with calcium and magnesium. Sulphate levels below 500mg per litre are deemed safe for consumption.

Bicarbonate is a major element in our bodies. It is necessary for digestion. In mineral water it helps buff er lactic acid generated during exercise. It also has a prevention eff ect on dental cavities.

Chlorides are salts resulting from the combination of the gas chlorine with a metal. Chlorine alone is highly toxic, but small amounts of chlorides are essential for normal cell functions in plant and animal life. Levels below 250mg per litre are deemed safe for consumption.

Still Water price comparisonsRegistered Natural Mineral Waters:Kerry Spring 2ltr: SuperValu Clifden-1.37, Ferron’s

Roundstone-1.79Tipperary Spring 2ltr: SuperValu Clifden-1.40, Sullivans

Clifden-1.49

Registered Spring Waters:Ballygowan 2ltr: SuperValu Clifden-1.40, Statoil Clifden-

1.70, Rogans Renvyle-1.59, Coyne’s Cleggan-1.85, Actons Moyard-1.70, Ferrons Roundstone-1.79,

Peacockes Maam Cross-2.20, Welby’s Oughterard-1.60.Galway Water 2ltr: SuperValu Clifden-1.25, Esso Clifden-

1.40, Statoil-1.70, Veldons Letterfrack-1.50, Coynes Cleggan-1.65, Sweeneys Claddaghduff -1.75, Keoghs Ballyconneely-1.69, Joyces Recess-1.55

Willow Water 1.5ltr: SuperValu Clifden-2.35, Veldons Letterfrack-2.75, Hollands Oughterard-2.39

All other waters:RiverRock 2ltr: SuperValu Clifden-1.45 (+1free), Statoil

Clifden-1.60, Veldons Letterfrack-1.75, Hollands Oughterard-1.59

Store Own Brand 2ltr: Esso/Spar Clifden-1.02, Actons Moyard-1.29, Hollands Oughterard-0.99

SuperValu Own Brand 2ltr: -0.74, NicePrice 2ltr-0.33. 5ltr Still Water: Supervalu Clifden-2.89, Esso Clifden-

2.89, Statoil Clifden-2.89, Sullivans Clifden-2.79, Veldons Letterfrack-1.99, Rogans Renvyle-2.85, Coyne’s Cleggan- 3.09, Actons Moyard-2.29, Sweeneys Claddaghduff -2.75, Keoghs Ballyconneely-2.99, Ferrons Roundstone-2.99, Joyces Recess-2.79, Hollands Oughterard-2.49, Welbys Oughterard-2.45.

Imports:Evian 1.5ltr: SuperValu Clifden-1.85, Sullivans Clifden-

1.59, Veldons Letterfrack-2.10, Coynes Cleggan-1.95, Hollands Oughterard-1.89.

Vittel 1.5ltr: SuperValu Clifden-1.15, Veldons Letterfrack-1.70, Peacockes Maam Cross-2.00Volvic 1.5ltr: SuperValu Clifden-1.39, Esso Clifden-1.59, Statoil Clifden-1.90, Sullivans Clifden-1.49, Veldons Letterfrack-0.99, Rogans Renvyle-1.69, Coynes Cleggan-1.75, Actons Moyard-1.58, Sweeneys Claddaghduff -1.75, Keoghs Ballyconneely-1.79, Peacockes Maam Cross-2.00.Catherine PryceNotes: Prices were surveyed between Feb 20th and March 1st 2008. Only brands on shelf at time of survey were included. Th e major brands of water are included in the mineral grid.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY11am – 12 Noon 11am – 12 Noon 11am – 12 Noon 11am – 12 Noon 11am – 12 Noon 11am – 12 Noon 10am – 12 Noon

MAGAZINEPROGRAMME

MAGAZINEPROGRAMME

MAGAZINEPROGRAMME

MAGAZINEPROGRAMME

MAGAZINEPROGRAMME Monkeying Around Sounds A Bit Irish

Heather Heanue & Dympna Heanue

Michael O'Malley*Connemara View

Mary Roe Cathy KeaneBrendan O'Malley

Samantha Heanue & Priscilla Diamond Heather Kearney

Eamonn McLoughlin 11am Clifden Mass live

*Mulcrone Bros4 - 5 pm 4 - 5 pm 4 - 5 pm 4 - 5 pm 4 - 5 pm 4 - 5 pm 4 - 5 pm

Pirates of the Airwaves Gateway Hour Gateway Hour Gateway Hour Gateway Hour Gateway Hour Pirates of the Airwaves

David Ciefielski Rory Tangrey Mickey Mac Kathleen O'Brien Tonya Ni Cuireen Tonya Ni Cuireen David Ciefielski5:05 - 6 pm 5:05 - 6 pm 5:05 - 6 pm 5:05 - 6 pm 5:05 - 6 pm 5:05 - 6 pm 5:05 - 6 pm

Hooked on Music Jack's Spot Inishbofin Live The Friday Feeling Lyrical AllsortsJohn Duane * Clifden Chamber of Commerce

Jack Tomlinson Paul Kehoe Margaret Sheehan Linda O'Malley

6 - 7pm 6 - 7pm 6 - 7pm 6 - 7pm 6 - 7pm 6 - 7pm 6 - 7pmAs Gaeilge Live with My Kind of Music Take It Easy It's the Weekend Full of Beans Footappin' Time

Caitriona Nic Ghiollaphadraig John Dunne & Guests Martin Conroy *Clifden

Supply CentreMichael O'Toole Liam Joyce Terri Conroy Tom Mongan

7 - 8pm 7 - 8pm 7 - 8pm 7 - 8pm 7 - 8pm 7 - 9pm 7 - 8pm

Talk Sport Community Matters Lift the Latch The Great Outdoors Injury Time Music Spectacular Senior Side of the Street

Vivian Cotter Pat Walsh*Tullycross and Cashel Credit Unions

Michael O'Neill & Helen King

Breandan O'Scanaill*Acton Construction

Brendan Ridge *AIB Clifden

Alternate Weeks Josephine DeCourcey *FORUM

8pm 8pm 8pm 8pm 8pm 8pm

Roundstone Report Cashel Report Clifden Report Cleggan/Claddaghduff BallyconneelyReport Ballinakill Report

Richard de Stacpoole Anne Conneely Bernard Lee Breandan O'Scanaill Mary Gordon O'Toole John O'Malley Dave O'Halloran Paddy Gannon

8:15 - 9pm 8:15 - 8:30pm 8:15 - 9pm 8:15 - 9pm 8:15 - 9pm Coast to Coast 8:10 - 9pmClassic Half Hour Music with Pat Classical Voice American Country Decades of Hits

Pat O'Toole Pat Keaney Breandan O'Scanaill Brendan Ridge Michael Coyne

CONNEMARA COMMUNITY RADIO 87.8 FM & 106.1 FMRepeat of previous evening: Noon-4 pm.Weather Forecast (*Broderick Electrics; Sweeney Oil) & Community Notices : 3pm/4pm/8pm (*Gannon Sports) *Sponsors

Pretty Good Day So Far Sean Halpenny

Mandy's Manic Monday Mandy Linton

Failte Mary Corbett Joyce *Aran Direct

Shelter from the Storm

Paul Phelan

Enter answers into draw of correct answers for a local voucher by March 27th

Winners: Bogman 35 Bridie Stephens, RoundstoneConnemara View 40 Kate Monahan, Claddaghduff

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The Connemara View Crossword No. 41

C A S T L E B A R P N FR A X T C O H E R E

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Answers to Bogman 35 & Connemara View 40

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Across9 Th e alternative in the HSE is to call the vet if it’s ailing. (5)10 Are they bad things that can destroy lives? (5)11 In the middle of despair, fi nd a place to revive you. (3)12 Get a touch of the vapours in Corfu, Mesopotamia or from

perfume sampler. (5)13 Odd? Often with fatal result if it involved 4 Down or 20 Down. (9)14 Crack-head with mad desire for the crack, presumably? (7)15 Conducted clandestine intelligence about Kremlin leader,

then added a little something to his drink? (6)17 Right to leave allies for such horrible creatures? (6)18 Th ere could be a buck for Mr Capone in being involved in

drugs or poker. (6)21 Coleridge was a poet I hazard, very partial to such a substance? (6)23 Inform one of the fact that father has come back to exert

some leverage. (7)27 Craving publicity in a manner of speaking. (9)29 Dog star? Yes. And planet, too, once upon a time. (5)30 Dart for Northern Ireland party leaders? (3)31 Being discovered in callback, I plant colourful explanation. (5)32 Having got involved, Noel and I will stay in bed in the morning. (3,2) Down 1 Could this be used as the old unit of measurement for the

crime of larceny? (5) 2 Strange to say, it might be used to wet one’s whistle! (3,7) 3 Syap? Acquire more than half a dozen. (4,4) 4 When the bird comes round, I produce the really hard stuff ! (6) 5 Sounds like amended word in suffi x edition? (5) 6 Des u all gone. (4,2) 7 Might they be suitable as an afterthought to a poison pen letter? (4) 8 Might need to go to Doctor Frank with a condition like this? (7)16 If no one talks about such a complex

quest I may take a peek into it. (5,5)19 Without warning, observe Mr Reyn-

olds of Hollywood play ‘Chaos’. (8)20 When getting half the popular drink

in, note that it is illegal. (7)22 Try to solve a problem common to

contact team sports and angling. (6)24 Loses head when Pissaro’s leader routs Incas. (6)25 Make a slip up about putting a pound

in it for the drugs? (5)26 Being hip, for example, take down

a quick note about Northern Ireland reversal going up in smoke, illegally. (5)

28 Practice physical education but also be silly enough to nobble the competi-tion? (4)

Across1. Tv Zapper (6,7)10. Enhance, make larger (7)11. Underwater missile (7)12. Entity (4)13. Burst melon for citrus fruit (5)15. Pig movie (4)17. Male person (3)19. Breathe out (6)21. Builder’s bonding (6)22. Propriety, decency (7)23. Bricklayer’s implement (6)25. Cops (6)27. Terminate (3)29 Edit food intake (4)30. Electronic communication (1,4)31. Young cow (4)34. Canadian cataract (7)35. Moving ice mass (7)36. Popular make of gee-gee (9,4)

Down2. Language (7)3. Baking device (4)4. Regard (6)5. Choice (6)6. Shore bird (4)7. Perform surgery on (7)8. Adult learner (6,7)9. Hollywood actor/director14. Pop Diva (7)16.Tree type (5)18. Fiend, devil (5)20. Slippery fi sh (3)21. Drinking vessel or trophy (3)24. Herb (7)26. Roman nationality (7)27. Preserve body (6)28. Earth shifting machine (6)32. Large farm building (4)33. Stinging member of the Vespi-

dae insect family (4)


St Patrick’s Day, as we all know is held on March 17th every year. However as Easter is falling so early this year there has been much debate on when to hold the parades and festivities, so as not to clash with Easter celebrations.

Th e biggest parade in Ireland takes place in Dublin, and the or-ganizers of the St Patrick’s Festival, running from the 13th to the 17th of March, have decided to hold the parade on it’s intended day, the 17th. Th e day has in recent years become a major tourist attraction and an opportunity to showcase

Ireland on an international stage. Since Paddy’s Day parades all over the world are often much bigger, the festival idea was brought about to emphasize the celebrations more in Ireland itself. Th e Galway parade also takes place on the 17th, so with Clifden’s parade taking place on Sunday 16th you could potentially enjoy the parades over two days, if your feet and liver are up to the task!

So what do we know about St Patrick himself, our patron saint so well celebrated in so many places all over the world this time of year? Most of us will have learned some of the lore surrounding him in school, but here’s a little refresher for anyone who might like to remind themselves what all the fuss is about.• St Patrick was born in Roman Britain. As a 16 year old

shepherd he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave where he remained for 6 years before escaping and returning to his family. He later returned to Ireland as a missionary, working in the north and west, and due to his success and loyal following, he was the patron saint of Ireland by the eighth century.

• March 17th is believed to be the date of his death, and is now his feast day, possibly due to the infl uence of Water-ford born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding in the early 17th century. For most of Christianity’s fi rst thousand years, canonization was done on the diocesan or regional level. Relatively soon after the death of people considered to be very holy people, the local Church affi rmed that they could be liturgically celebrated as saints. So although St. Patrick was never formally canonized by a pope, he is described as a saint in heaven in the list of saints.

• St Patrick reputedly fasted on the summit of Croagh Patrick for forty days in the 5th century and built a church there. It is now one of the biggest pilgrimage sites in the country, and is a spiritual and religious haven.

• Th e banishing of snakes from Ireland is another achieve-

ment attributed to St Patrick. While post glacial Ireland never actually had snakes it is presumed that snakes re-ferred to the serpent symbolism associated with paganism, and that his driving them out of the country is a metaphor for his bringing Christianity to Ireland and driving out other pagan beliefs.

• Th e shamrock clover is associated with St. Patrick as he is said to have used it to explain the three branches of the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. It is traditional to wear a bunch of shamrock on St Patrick’s Day and it is a registered international emblem of Ireland, as well as the harp.

• It is said that St Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick on March 17th, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a sil-ver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fi ts and as a preservative against “the evil eye”. A diff erent account claims that he died in Glastonbury, England, where the chapel of St Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey.

• Th e fi rst ever St. Patrick’s Day parade in America took place in 1737 in Boston and the city still boasts one of the world’s biggest parades and celebrations. Th e fi rst of-fi cial parade in New York took place in 1766. It was held by Irishmen in a military unit recruited to serve in the American colonies. Th e New York parade is now the big-gest in the world. Other huge parades take place all over the U.S.A, and in the U.K., Argentina, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Mexico, Russia and even South Korea. Wher-ever there are signifi cant numbers of Irish immigrants, the St Patrick’s Day holiday is usually observed and celebrated.

• While the colour green is inextricably linked with Paddy’s day, the original colour associated with the day was in fact blue. It wasn’t until the 19th century that green became Ireland’s national colour, and eventually the colour of St Patrick’s Day because of its association with the shamrock, springtime and the Emerald Isle. Nowadays, the wearing of green clothing is popular, and there has even been green beer, bagels, popcorn and more at America’s larger parades.

• While Paddy’s Day has become quite secularized, church leaders are keen to reclaim it as a church holiday, and disapprove of the practise of over-indulging in alcohol that is now so connected with the festival. A get-out clause however might be that March 17th was also the Roman festival of the Bacchanalia, a celebration of the deity Bac-chus, to whom wine was sacred. It’s a bit of a stretch, but I’m sure it could be quoted as an excuse for a day spent on the high stool!

Catherine Pryce

It’s Easter Already!As we have all noticed Easter is falling rather early this

year, so what better time to take a little refresher look at the biggest event in the Christian calendar? Easter is known as a

moveable feast, as it was decided by the Council of Ni-caea in 325 A.D. that Easter was to be celebrated on the fi rst Sunday occurring after the full moon on, or after the vernal equinox. Th ere is a further complica-tion however, as the “full moon” in the rule is the eccle-siastical full moon, which is defi ned as the 14th day of a tabular lunation, where day 1 corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon. Th is does not always occur

St. Patrick: More than a parade on the same date as the astronomical full moon. Th e eccle-siastical “vernal equinox” is always on March 21st; therefore, Easter must always be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22nd and April 25th. Confused yet? Th is Easter Sunday is on March 23rd so it’s basically almost as early as it is possible for Easter to be held.

While Easter has been secularized and commercialized, its traditions and symbols are very ancient indeed. Th e ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a festival for their goddess of off spring and spring-time Eastre. Th is festival of Eastre occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the resurrection of Christ, and as pagans converted to Christianity it eventually became a com-pletely Christian celebra-tion. Two of the symbols most commonly associated with Easter, the bunny and the egg, have their roots in pagan history.

Th e Easter Bunny origi-nates from the worship of Eastre by the Anglo-Saxons as the rabbit was her symbol on earth. Rabbits and hares were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of new life during the spring season. Th e bunny as a symbol of Easter seems to have begun in Germany, where it was fi rst mentioned in writings in the 1500’s.Edible bunnies made from pastry and sugar were made in Germany in the early 1800’s and Germans then introduced this tradition to America when settling there in the 1700’s.A visit from the Easter Bunny was almost as exciting for children as Santa Claus, and they would make nests from their caps and bon-nets for the bunny to leave coloured eggs as gifts to reward their good behaviour. Th e priceless Faberge eggs were in fact luxury decorated eggs, designed for kings of Europe and czars of Russia.

Th e exchange of eggs in spring-time is also an ancient tradition, as the egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures from the earliest times. Eggs are often coloured, decorated, hidden and hunted as part of Easter celebrations and of course we now have the ubiquitous chocolate Easter egg. In Christian symbolism, the egg also stands for new life, as when the eggs are cracked open they represent the empty tomb of Jesus. So even the least religious person takes part in the traditions of Easter in some ways, perhaps unwit-tingly, while others take part in the spiritual aspect and many masses of the Christian calendar’s biggest event.

Th e lily is a bright and fragrant popular Easter fl ower. It was associated with the Greek goddess Demeter and the Roman goddess Flora. Th e Easter lily was brought into the U.S.A. in 1882 from Bermuda, and it serves as a reminder of the purity of Christ.

In Ireland the Easter lily was adopted as a symbol of nationalism by Cumann na mBan in 1926 and is often worn in the form of a paper badge by republicans at Easter time in remembrance of those who died during the War of Indepen-dence.

Palm leaves were waved to welcome Jesus in Jerusalem on the fi rst Palm Sunday. Nowadays, Christians carry palm

branches in parades and making them into crosses and garlands to decorate churches.

Lamb, hot cross buns and pretzels are foodstuff s associated with Easter time. Lamb was sacrifi ced as an off ering to God long before the fi rst Passover. When Jesus died, he gave himself as an off ering to God for the sins of the world, and Christians then saw the lamb as a symbol of Jesus and used it for Easter celebration. Pretzels are a Lenten food and the twisted shape is thought to symbolize arms crossed in prayer. Hot cross buns have long been a traditional Good Friday breakfast, and have an icing cross on top to remind people of Christ.

So while Easter may have crept up on us quickly this year, let’s be mindful of its’ ancient traditions and meanings. Whether religious or not we can all take a moment to welcome the arrival of Spring and the cycle of new life in the year, from the new lambs and daff odils in the fi elds, to the ever hopeful wish for bet-ter weather! Happy Easter from all at the Connemara View!Catherine Pryce

c o n n e m a r a s ta r s

MARCH HOROSCOPESAries (Mar 21 - Apr 20) Th e world will be trying to tell you

something this month. Th ere will be guidance for your future, so pay attention.

Taurus (Apr 21 – May 20) Don’t forget what it was that you started out to get. You are going after the wrong thing right now, stop and make sure you know what to do next.

Gemini (May 21 – Jun 21) Th is is a month for you to get out there and be productive. Get involved with life and it will get involved with you.

Cancer ( Jun 22 – Jul 22) You will be rescued this month from all the things that have been tying you down all winter. Don’t forget to thank your rescuer.

Leo ( Jul 23 – Aug 23) Someone will tell some falsehoods about you to keep you from seeing what they are really doing. Ignore the talk and pay attention to what others do.

Virgo (Aug 24 – Sep 22) Th ings look bad right now but they are not as bad as they seem. Th e thing that has you the most wor-ried turns out to be nothing at all.

Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 23) You are going to be asked for a favour. You will want to strongly consider helping out or face that fact that you may not get help when you need it.

Scorpio (Oct 24 – Nov 22) You won this round hands down but the losers are just waiting to get even, so make sure you stay on guard.

Sagittarius (Nov 23 – Dec 21) You need to pay attention to your intuition this month. You are going to need it for something very specifi c and you won’t know it till it gets there.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 20) Work is not too fun these days and the boss is not pleased with you right now. Just lie low and try to do everything right.

Aquarius ( Jan 21 – Feb 19) Even though you have done so much with your life up until now, it is time to start something new. Th e world is on your side this month.

Pisces (Feb 20 – Mar 20) Happy Birthday! You will get so spoiled for your birthday this year that you will want it to last all month long, enjoy.

The Crystal Ball by John Amenhauser

Th e King of Cups reversed in the past is letting you know that you are coming out of a time of drowning or feeling like you should chuck it all in. Judgement in the present is telling you that you are at the point where major decisions in your life need to be made. Th ere is a surprise in store for you. Th e Emperor in the future position is letting you know that you can rise to the top as long as you are strong and believe in yourself.

PAST: King of Cups PRESENT: Judgement FUTURE: Th e Emperor

Th e Action is Protection reversed and it is saying that you must look after your health right now. Make sure that no one is taking advantage of you. Drawing Partnership or A Gift indicates that a joining or partnership is the challenge that you

face now. Remember all partnerships should be equal. Th e Over-view represents total trust. You must place total trust in yourself and those around you to see you through life at this time.

MARCH RUNES READING

ACTION Protection

(Algiz)

CHALLENGE Partnership

(Gebo)

OVERVIEW Unknowable

(Odin)

MARCH TAROT READING

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

“Self-Change is always in progress”

mysteries of the tides


Th is month I look at the Tides and how they work, with a quick astronomy update at the end.

Knowing about high and low tides takes on added signifi -cance when you live by the Sea ( or Na mara, in Irish). Th e tide is the rise and fall of water caused by the gravitational “pull” of the moon and the sun on our oceans. We mostly get two high tides and two low tides each day. As tides change from high to low to high again, water movement creates the world’s ocean currents. Flood Tides are when the water fl ows in (tide rises), and Ebb Tides are when the stuff fl ows out again (tide falls).

Ok so far? Ok, now a bit of a header. While the moon seems to rotate around the Earth every day, it’s the Earth’s own rotation that makes it look that way. So imagine us spin-ning, and the moon pulling the oceans towards itself so there is a bulge on that side. When that bulge is at its maximum, we have a High Tide on one side of the Earth. And since we are spinning, that (centrifugal) force produces a similar bulge of water on the opposite side of the Earth. So we have High Tide on two sides of the Earth and Low Tides in between. Whew!

Th e moon actually orbits the Earth in an oval (elliptical) pattern taking 27.3 days per orbit. Th e time for the moon to rotate around us so its back in the same place in the sky is just over a day – 24 hours and 50 minutes, actually. So that’s why the cycle of Tides starts 50 minutes later each day! As we rotate, the fl uid mound of water constantly moves around the Earth.

Finally, let’s look at Spring Tides and Neap Tides. Spring Tides are nothing to do with the season, for Spring think spring as in the Slinky toy. Th ey are actually when both the Sun and our moon are on the same side of us, so the gravita-tional “pull” is greater, hence a bigger bulge and higher High Tides and lower Low Tides. And of course, Neap Tides hap-pen when the Sun and moon are at right angles to each other so that the Sun pulls our oceans in the opposite direction to

the moon’s pull, canceling each other out to a certain eff ect so we get lower High tides and higher Low tides.

Because of the relative positions of the two bodies, we can see that Spring tides happen when the moon is Full or New, and Neaps are when we are at First or Th ird Quarter moons.

A quick astronomy update for March: Well, we made it through another Connemara winter! Th e Spring Equinox falls on Th ursday March 20th, the Sun cross-ing the celestial equator from S to N at 05:48. On this date, the Sun rises just after 6 am and sets just after 6 pm. After this, days are longer than nights, yippee! Summer Time begins on Sunday March 30th. Clocks should go one hour forward on the Saturday night. New Moon is on Friday March 7th. Full Moon is on Friday March 21st. Wednesday March 12th, the crescent Moon passes in front of the Pleiades or “Seven Sisters” star-cluster. Surprisingly, the Moon actually appears much smaller than the cluster, and it can only hide a few stars at a time. By the time our sky gets dark, it will have already passed the main body of the cluster, but with binoculars it may still be possible to see a few of the outlying stars apparently disappearing behind the Moon’s dark upper limb, a pretty cool eff ect.John Claró

Appreciation from SuperValuBetsy Mullen was presented with a bouquet of fl owers by

Mary D at a recent SuperValu Customer Panel Morning held at the Station House Hotel. “Granny Mullen, who was 91 years young in January, is one of our oldest customers. She comes into us a few times a week for her groceries and is a valued customer. She keeps our staff entertained with stories of years gone by... ,” says Manager Joe Lynch.

Michael Lee, SuperValu Checkout Operator, was given

a €250 cheque for excellent customer service. One customer said, “(Michael) always made me feel happy, particularly when I’m grumpy after a long day at work.” Another customer said, “Michael makes a routine visit a moment of friendship, even though serving the public is a thankless job. His friendly, outgoing actions always overcome that.”


TRADES & SERVICES DIRECTORYAPPLIANCES

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3 months - €135 (€45/ad)6 months - €255 (€42.50/ad)

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6 months - €153 (€25.50/ad)Annual contract (11 issues) - €264 (€24/ad)

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C L A S S I F I E D A D S

NEXT ISSUE: Thursday, April 3rd

Display Ad

Reservation Deadline: Friday, March 21st

Trades & Services

Reservation Deadline: Friday, March 21st

News Deadline:

Wednesday, March 26th

Classifi ed Ad Deadline: Friday, March 28th

Place your ad in the Trades & Services Directory in this new size which is half our business card

size (85mm x 25mm) for as little as €24 per issue ex vat. Phone 095-22888 for more information.

WINDOWSSAND & GRAVELTRADES & SERVICES DIRECTORY

Does 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 provides a free and confi dential service to the public. We are in the VEC offi ces above the Statoil Garage, Galway Road Clifden, and can be contacted on 095 22000 & 087 1301100. New Opening Hours! Th ursday 7pm-8pm & Friday 1030am- 330pm. Letterfrack Information service: 130-430 pm Monday 10th & 31st March. Information is also available online at www.citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service, LoCall 1890 777 121.

Two Dog Computer & Business Solutions have moved to new premises. You can fi nd us in Th e Square, Clifden (next to Shamrock Drycleaners). Specialising in services for home, offi ce and small business users. March special: Second-user PCs for only €99 inc. monitor. Contact John on 095 22194.

Connemara Bouncing Castles for hire for all occasions, supplied with rain covers, delivered, erected and collected. 095 21219.

Forget your stressful day and winter blues! Experience the calm and gentle healing energies of a Reiki/ Seichem treatment. Energy healing on all levels; physical, spiritual, emotional. Call Yvonne @ 086 365 3266 for appointments.

Holistic Dietician Dip., member of the IHCA of Ireland. I can help with weight loss, muscle gain, sports performance, sports nutrition, muscle gain, sports injuries, family and child nutrition, menstrual problems, acne, eczema and more. Phone Ann on 086 0800934.

JobsAlcock & Brown Hotel, Clifden: Under new management.

Now recruiting to build a winning team. If you want to be part of it, you can obtain an application form by calling in person to the hotel or phoning 087-634-7762. Vacancies for head chef, 2nd chef, breakfast chef, kitchen porter. Restaurant Supervisor. Full-time and part-time restaurant staff . bar, housekeeping and reception staff . Flexible part-time positions available in all departments.

PropertiesNew House to let at Racecourse Lawns, Clifden. 4 bedrooms,

2 ensuite. Fully furnished. Private parking. 087-634-7762.House for Rent, Clifden Town, 3 Bed, 1 En-suite, 2 bath,

excellent condition, fully furnished, own garden. 086-8198059/087-2323757.

For Rent: 2 & 3 bedroom apartments and rooms to let, 5 minutes walk from Clifden town centre, fully furnished. 095 44924 or 087 249 8097.

Rooms to rent in beautiful new town house. All mod cons. €60 per week. Contact 086-837-7120.

Tastefully decorated, one bedroom apartment to let. 5 minutes walk Clifden town centre. Washer/dryer and all

modern conveniences provided. Private location, apartment is not part of complex. Only Bills – rent and electricity. 087 055-9279.

Commercial Premises to let, Clifden Town Well appointed retail unit to let (840 sq. ft.). Prominent location. Includes offi ce, store room and toilet. Ideal for shop or offi ce use. Available immediately. Phone 086-8053760.

Restaurant for lease on the Square in Clifden. For more information contact 086-832-4388.

Disney holidays: Fabulous upmarket Villa to rent for family holidays in Orlando, Florida. Sleeps 12, own private pool, 20 mins from Disneyworld, Universal Studios, Wet and Wild and Downtown Orlando. High quality shopping outlets close by. Cost is E100 per night / E700 per week. Ph:087-9450788.

Algarve holidays: Beautiful new 5 star 2 bed /2 bath apartment with large balcony available for holiday rentals. Beside beach and golf club and 10 minutes from Albufeira, the resort has several pools and is regarded as the fi nest new resort in the Algarve. For enquiries on availability and prices, phone 087 9450788.

VehiclesFor Sale: Hyundai Coupe: ’97 (red). 1 lady owner, excellent

condition. low mileage. Leather interior like new. 095-21069 / 086-105-5627.

Fiat Seiceuto, red, 2000, 68K, new tyres, NCT 3/2010. €1500. 087-691-0234.

PetsAttention all pet owners!! Wide selection of dog/cat

accessories, premium pet foods, professional advice on nutrition, pet maintenance, radio fence pet containment systems, micro-chipping, cat boarding service, grooming and lots more at Western Veterinary clinic, Galway Road, Clifden. Tel 095 22209. Veterinary emergencies only, call 087-917-9248.

Have your pet dog or bitch neutered for only 20 euro! Ring Dogs Trust on 1890 946 336 to see if you are eligible.Animal Rescue: Good homes required for husky/collie puppies. (see photo) 3 months old. 087-249-9849 / 086-358-9415.

Home wanted for Rusty, (see photo) a 3 year old tan and black terrier. Rusty is a friendly lively lad, who has been neutered and vaccinated. He loves walks and playing fetch. For further information or to meet Rusty, Please contact Clifden Animal Rescue on 087-249-9849.

Classifi eds Ad Rates: Up to 20 words-€5.00 21-40 words -€10.0041-60 words - €15.00 additional words at 25 cents/

word. If you are giving it away - no charge. Post in with cheque or drop in the Paper Shop, Main Street, Clifden.

Prices include VAT.


Our breathtaking restaurant with panoramic views is headed by the well known local chef Paddy Conroy who in his own right has built himself a successful reputation

at Th e Alcock and Brown.Here’s a sampling from our new menu

Bar FoodCrab claws in garlic butter with homemade brown bread. €10.50

Local fresh fi sh & chips with salad and mushy peas with tartar sauce. €10.95 Starters

Seared scallops with Clonakilty black pudding and a madeira jus. €10.50Baked goats cheese served on a red onion marmalade and topped with

hazlenuts and a balsamic reduction. €8.95Main

Roast Silver Hill duckling served on a creamy celeriac mash with a spicy jus. €23.95

Rack of Connemara Lamb with an apricot and fresh herb stuffi ng and a red wine jus. €24.95

Pan seared fi llets of sea bass served on buttered fennel, baby potatoes and gremolata. €22.50

We will also be introducing a traditional Sunday Carvery Lunch

Stop in to our open house on the 7th of March from 5pm for free wine and snacks.

Th e restaurant opens on March 8th.

Th e Mannin Bay Hotel is reopening under new management off ering the ideal setting for a

luxurious break in a tranquil location by the sea.

Mannin Bay Hotel Ballyconneely, Co. Galway 095-23120

Please contact: 095 23120 or visit www.manninbayhotel.com for details, special off ers and bookings.

Bookings now being taken for Holy Communions, Christenings, Weddings,

Birthdays and Corporate Functions.

Th e hotel boasts a newly built tennis court, private beach to the rear and seasonal children’s facilities.

Easter Rates: 2DBB €209pps. Family Suite Sat/Sun (2 adults & 2 child under 12) 2DBB €469 all inclusive.

Documents

Connemara View March 2008