February 2010 Connemara View by Connemara View Publishing

Community Campaign Conquers

While the freezing conditions chilled one and all this past winter, Connemara’s stunning scenery was truly a sight to behold during the coldest winter on record for the last 20 years. Photo above: A spectacular reﬂection scene in the Inagh Valley captured by Stephanie Salmon of Renvyle on Christmas Eve. Below: A snow covered Clifden as seen from the Sky Road on New Year’s Day. By staﬀ

An extraordinarily positive decision was made last week that gives credence to the power of people coming together. Minister of Education Batt O’Keeffe announced that the building of a new Clifden Community School will advance to the planning stage after an extended period of doubt as to the project’s viability. The energy of those driving the campaign to raise the importance of the need in North West Connemara for a modern secondary school has been rewarded. “This is the best possible result” stated the Clifden Community School Principal, Dr. Liam Bolger. He explained that Stage 2B is the natural next step in the process which culminates in a planning application to Galway County Council. He is hopeful that this can be accomplished within the year in order to be in the Department of Education “Book of Estimates” for 2011 which puts the project officially in the budget. Monies will then be allocated and tenders sought. (See related article on page 4 for details of this process.) The CSI: Clifden organisation are to be congratulated for their perseverance and constructive communication style. The support from the community has been phenomenal and politicians on a local, regional and national level have been continually emphasizing that the new school is vital to Connemara. Deputy Frank Fahey T.D. was the first to formally announce the excellent news to the Connemara View on January 27th. Ellen McDonough

REGIONAL Fundraisers for Haiti A number of events to help raise funds for earthquake devastated Haiti are taking place in Connemara in February, some of which are detailed below.

Table Quizzes 4th & 5th Feb A Table Quiz and raﬄe will be held in Mannion’s Bar in Clifden on Thursday February 4th with all funds raised on the night going towards the Haiti Earthquake Appeal. The Shamrock Bar in Roundstone is holding a table quiz to raise funds for Haiti on Friday February 5th starting at 9:30pm. There will also be spot prizes and live music on the night and all are welcome to come and join in the fun.

Hearts for Haiti On Friday 12th February the Clifden Station House Hotel will play host to a major fundraising event in aid of Goal’s Haiti appeal. The evening will feature entertainment from a host of musicians both local and from further afield and we will also be treated to some surprise guests! As well as plenty of great music, the evening will feature an auction of antiques, prints, sculpture and wonderful paintings from some of the west’s finest visual artists. All of the contributors are offering their talents for free and the artists are donating their works with exceptionally low reserve prices. Who knows –maybe you can pick up something special for your sweetheart and know that your gift will also help those who are most in need at this time. Everyone is welcome to come and preview the paintings

and other lots anytime on Thursday 11th at the hotel and to join in the bidding on the Friday –no experience necessary. Many businesses in town are donating prizes for a big raffle and there will be spot prizes and treats too! Doors open at 8.30 and the evening is expected to kick off at 9pm sharp. Entrance €3 on the door. All proceeds including entrance fee and reserve prices on artworks go to Goal’s Haiti appeal. Come join in the craic and make it a night to remember and help to broaden our definition of love this Valentine’s weekend.

Youthreach Open Day

The annual Youthreach ‘Open Day’ was held on Thursday 10th December, celebrating over 20 years of Youthreach both nationally and in the North West Connemara region. In attendance, representing County Galway (V.E.C.) was Eithne Nic Dhonnchadha, the Adult Education Organiser (A.E.O.); Dr Dermot Stokes, the National Youthreach Coordinator, representing the Department of Education and Science; Father Gerry Burns, Parish Priest of Ballinakill Parish, members of local community organisations, parents, family and friends of the Youthreach participants. Over 200 people attended the 20 year celebration, which included an exhibition of students work, and the presentation of certificates. Full FETAC Level 5 Awards were received by Kirsty McCoy in ‘Business Studies’, Tracy Walsh in ‘Hairdressing’ and Kevin Ward in ‘Furniture Design’, Kevin is now student of Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), Letterfrack, studying ‘Furniture Design’. Paul Duffy, David Spillane, Fiona Purcell and Nigel Kane were awarded distinction levels in their Leaving Certificate Applied results. Kevin Ward and Joseph Scullion were presented with full ECDL certificates. Thomas Keaney; Michael Davitt, Lisa Davis, Jessica Kearney, Peter Wallace, Martina Folan, Lauren Keaney, Bernadette Fanning, Scott Vallely, Sylvia O’Connor,

Brigid Keane, Aishling Lydon, Shannon Joyce, Noreen Needham, Gary Delappe, Martin Keane, Sarah O’Malley, Patrick Faherty, Kirsty McCoy, Emma Walsh, Mary Cullanan, Colin Connolly and Della Davis all received certificates in Equal Skills and Information Technology. FETAC component Certificates, in a variety of vocational skills, were awarded to Joshua Lyden, Gary Delappe, Nigel Kane, Scott Vallely, Michelle O’Toole, Conor O’Malley, Lydia Fitzpatrick, Laurel Abery, Agnes Ridge, Aishline Cunningham, Ciara Hade, Emma Walsh, Shane McCarthy, Scott Delappe, Paul Duffy, David Spillane, Sinead Canavan, Sylvia O’Connor, Patrick Faherty, Gary McDonagh, Daniel O’Flaherty, Joseph Scullion, Fiona Purcell, Shane McDonagh, Michael King, Martin Keane and Peter Wallace. Throughout the presentation guests were entertained with Christmas carols sung by the Youthreach choir, and a display of Seán nos and traditional Irish dancing by students, Laurence Nee of Goulane and Sylvia O’Connor of Tully. The evening was concluded with a spread of Christmas treats and goodies, prepared by the students under the supervision of home economic tutors, Brid Egan and Suzanne Mullen. Youthreach is an education and training programme for early school leavers and those without or who have minimum qualification, between the ages of 15-20 years. Youthreach is an integral part of the national programme of second-chance education in Ireland and is a central part of the Government’s contribution to the achievement of a lifelong learning society. For further education contact Theresa McLoughlin, Course Coordinator at 095-41893 Theresa@youthreachletterfrack.com or check out the Youthreach website, www.youthreachletterfrack.com. Photo: A group of Youthreach participants on their Open Day in December. Photo & Report courtesy of Theresa McLoughlin

FETAC Awards for Students Pictured are a group of students of Clifden Community School who recently received their FETAC Level 4 in Computer Applications and Information Technology as well as a FETAC Level 3 in Horticulture. (L-r): Dr Liam Bolger (Principal), Lorcan Folan, Connor Nee, Shane Kerrigan, Derek Heanue, Ame Molokwe, Christopher O’Toole, Shane O’Brien, Patrick Wallace, Jason Heanue, Adrian Joyce and Nicola Lacey (Teacher). Photo courtesy of Nicola Lacey Page 2

Febr uar y 2010

Connemara View Newspaper

Musical Contribution to RNLI The proceeds raised from the launch of the CD ‘Musical Memories from Cleggan’ which was launched in Joyce’s Bar in Cleggan in December were presented to the local fundraising Branch of the RNLI on Monday January 11th.

interests and ideas for activities, educational courses and recreational programmes, from which an annual programme is developed. This spring sees the start of a Parenting Programme in partnership with Galway City and County Childcare Committee. Congratulations to all who took part. Photo & report courtesy of Cathy Keane, FORUM Connemara.

Youth Musical

The children of Cleggan and Claddaghduﬀ will stage their musical performance of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen at Claddaghduﬀ Hall on Friday February 19th at 7pm sharp. All funds raised will go towards the Haiti Earthquake Appeal and the orphaned children of Sri Lanka.

Hill Walking Guide Course

Pictured (l-r): Josie Joyce, CD Co-ordinator John O’ Malley, singer Phil Bartley-Boote, singer Jacqueline Hannon, musician Gabriel McNamara, Ann Marie Bennett of the RNLI Fundraising Branch and Aidan O’Halloran of Bank of Ireland Clifden. For more on ‘Musical Memories from Cleggan’ see page 23.

Creative Displays from Dun Gibbons A coﬀee morning which brought together a mix of culture, craft skills and creativity was held on Monday January 25th in Station House Hotel in Clifden. At this delightful event a display of works created by the residents of Dun Gibbons, sewing, craft, jewellery and art courses was on show, demonstrating a rich mix of cultures and talent which was very much appreciated by those who attended. The coordinator of the morning and tutor of the sewing/ craft programme Patricia Kirwan-Doyle, together with Cllr. Eileen Mannion presented certiﬁcates of attendance and a knitting kit (which including wool donated by Tivoli Wools) to participants on the programmes. A sewing machine was also gifted to the centre for use by residents and this was received by Maeve Geraghty of the HSE from the Activities Management Committee. The event was attended by members of local women’s groups, tutors and friends, as well as representatives from organisations represented on the Activities Committee for the centre (the HSE, Galway Refugee Support Group, Dun Gibbons management, FORUM Connemara, Galway County Council, and VEC). This group liaise with residents in the centre about their

Connemara View Newspaper

A professional hill walking guide course will be delivered by the Co. Galway VEC in the Connemara region beginning in February. The course was developed by Fáilte Ireland and The Marine Institute and is being delivered by the VEC in conjunction with Connemara Tourism and FORUM Connemara Ltd. It will be delivered on a part time basis, lasting approximately four months. The FETAC accredited course will earn the participant a Fáilte Ireland Guide Badge and the qualiﬁcation of Professional Marine and Countryside Guide with Hill Walking Specialisation. The course content will include: Mountain Skills, Basic Languages, Local, National Heritage and Culture, Geology, Flora and Fauna, Rescue and Emergency Care and First Aid, Health and Safety, Group Guiding Skills, Marketing and Tourism and Customer Care. Graduates may have the opportunity of a follow on mountain leader course. This course will provide you with all the essential skills to be a professional independent guide with outdoor knowledge speciﬁc to the Connemara area and beyond. It is necessary for all candidates to attend an interview. For more information contact the VEC Centre in Letterfrack on 095-41302.

home in Clifden with her family receiving round the clock care. A number of events have already taken place including a Beneﬁt Night at Joyce’s Bar in Cleggan, a bag packing day at Super Valu in Clifden and a Table Quiz at Mannion’s Bar, all of which were very generously supported. The Alissa Walsh Fund account is currently open at AIB Clifden and donations may be made at the following details; Alissa Walsh Fund, AC No. 07470035, Sort Code 93-73-98. All support is greatly appreciated and will help Alissa and her family at this diﬃcult time.

Special Needs Support Group

A monthly support group meeting for the parents of Special Needs Children is to start in Clifden on Thursday February 11th in the meeting room at the town hall in Clifden at 11am. If you would like further information, please contact Margaret Sheehan at the FORUM oﬃce in Clifden on 095-21741.

Baby Alissa Walsh Fund

A fundraising campaign has been underway in west Connemara in the past month in aid of Alissa Walsh, daughter of Nicola Conneely and Gareth Walsh of Clifden and sister to Kalen. Alissa was born prematurely and has suﬀered many health complications in her short life including epilepsy and cardiac arrests, spending most of her time between hospital in Galway and Dublin. Alissa is now at

Febr uar y 2010

Page 3

REGIONAL Lecture on Osteoporosis A talk entitled ‘Osteoporosis-Everything you need to know’ will take place at the Abbeyglen Hotel in Clifden on Saturday February 20th from 11:45am to 1:15pm. The speaker will be Michele O’Brien, the National Health Promotion Oﬃcer for the Irish Osteoporosis Society. Topics covered in the lecture will include common misconceptions about the bone disease, prevention and treatment, secondary eﬀects and signs and symptoms. A lunch special will be available for €10 afterwards in the restaurant. This lecture is free and open to the public. However, places are limited, so book early. Tel: 1890252-751 or email: info@irishosteoporosis.ie. Related article page 20.

Connemara Beekeepers A public meeting will take place in The Boat Inn, Oughterard, with a view to forming a Connemara Beekeepers’ Association. The meeting will take place on Sunday 21st of February at 2.30pm. Further information is available at www.connemarabeekeepers.ie. Everyone is welcome to attend, whether to express interest or get involved in the association in any shape or form.

Looking for Old Photographs The Clifden 2012 committee are busy preparing to celebrate the 200th birthday of Clifden. To this end, we would like to build up a digital archive of material relating to Clifden. We are looking for old photographs and documents which relate to the town and its immediate surroundings. These can be fairly new, from a good many years ago, or ancient. They can feature, people, events, or just scenery. We are organising a day in conjunction with Marie Mannion, Heritage Oﬃcer of Galway County Council and Brendan Smith of the Digital Enterprise Research Institute of NUIG, on Sunday 21st February. This day will take place at the Station House Hotel and begins at 12 noon. We will scan the photographs or documents and give the originals back to the owners. It would be useful if you had a written description of the photograph, the people shown, the location, the year or whatever information you have. Even if you have no information we would be happy to see these photographs. It is our intention with the owner’s permission to put these photographs up on the web, and ask people if they

have further information. This might be the chance for you to ﬁnd out who is in that old photograph you keep on the dresser or that old scrap book. We would be delighted to discuss any aspect of this digital archive project on the day, or you can contact me Breandan O’Scanaill on 095-21148, or by e-mail at breandanoscanaill@eircom.net.

Galway MS Fundraiser Trek The Galway Branch of Multiple Sclerosis are organizing a Hilltribe Trek in Northern Thailand from 21st October to November 1st.Anyone wishing to take part in this fundraiser for the Galway Branch of MS should contact Pat McCann on 087 917 2322 or e-mail mccann9112@gmail.com, or Martina O’ Connor, Fundraising co-ordinator on 085 202 0333 or e-mail martioconor@gmail.com. Anyone who would like to go needs to contact one of the above to get a registration form and deposit by the 26th of February. The requirements to take part in this trek are be relatively healthy, ﬁt and a pair of good walking boots and some rain gear. All funds raised will support your local branch and help make a diﬀerence to the lives of people with MS. The Galway Branch covers Galway City Connemara, and South and some of East Galway and has approx. 280 in members in Galway City and county. As part of the fundraising for the Galway Branch Hilltribe Trek in Northern Thailand, there is a walk taking place in Westport on the weekend of March 12th. For further information on the Westport walk please contact Tom Huban on 085 714 7134. Pat McCann, Chairman of MS Galway Branch.

New Agri Environment Scheme Under Ireland’s revised Rural Development Programme, a new agri Environment Scheme has been approved by the EU Rural Development Management Committee. The new agri-environment scheme will benefit up to 10,000 participants and will provide a maximum payment of €5,000. It is focused on the priority areas of biodiversity, climate change and water management. It offers a menu of measures addressing these priorities and farmers may choose measures which complement the environmental profile of their farms. While discussions with the European Commission on the new agrienvironment scheme are ongoing, Minister Smith said ‘the Minister for Finance has agreed to provide for the launch of the new scheme at a rate of up to €5,000 for approximately 10,000 participants, which corresponds with the numbers leaving REPS in 2010.’ Payments to existing REPS participants will also be maintained for 2010.

Post Sorting Centralised On January 15th, the sorting of post in both Letterfrack and Renvyle Post Offices ceased, as a result of the decision by An Post to centralise the sorting of mail for the two routes that cover the parish of Ballinakill in Moyard Post office. Letterfrack and Renvyle will continue to provide all the usual and normal services to the public and the delivery of post has not been significantly affected since the change.

Clifden & Connemara Heritage Society The AGM of the Clifden & Connemara Heritage Society will take place at the Station House Hotel in Clifden on Wednesday February 10th at 8pm. Breandan O’Scanaill will also give a talk on the night entitled ‘An Original Clifden House’.

Connemara Wins at Heritage Awards The Galway County Heritage Awards ceremony took place in the Claregalway Hotel on Wednesday 2nd December. The Awards Programme was very well attended by elected representatives, community groups, schools and individuals from all parts of the county. Marie Coyne from Inishbofin was named as the winner in the Connemara Electoral area for her fine publication entitled ‘St Colman’s Cemetery, Inishbofin Island’. Also nominated in Connemara were: Cilian Roden, Conamara Environmental Education & Cultural Centre, Pat Lynne, Station House Museum, Clifden, Cnoc Suain, Bóthar Maigh Cuilinn, An Spidéal, Coiste Oidhreachta Leitir Mealláin agus Gharumna (second place in Connemara category), Cumann Staire, Maigh Cuilinn, Sara Kyne, Moycullen, John Bhaba Jeaic Ó’Confhaola, Oughterard Culture & Heritage Group, c/o Railway Lodge, Oughterard, Padraic Reaney, Moycullen and St. Annin’s National School, Killannin, and Anthony Previte, whose book ‘A Guide to Connemara’s Early Christian Sites’ took second place in the Best Publication category.

Big Bounce Bungee Challenge For most people the thought of Valentine’s Day conjures up feelings of love, joy and happiness but for the nine people who have accepted the Big Bounce challenge, the 14th of February will bring nerves, anxiety and outright fear! The challengers are, Edel Flaherty, Evan Coyne, Evelyn McLoughlin, Grace Austen, Jason Ridge, Jody Pollington, Michael Davis, Owen Hayes and Shane Austen, and their challenge is a 100 foot bungee jump in aid of the local RNLI Branch. The Big Bounce will take place at Killary Adventure Centre in Leenane. The Adventure Centre is home to Ireland’s only ﬁxed bungee jump. It also oﬀers a vast array of activities from water sports to hill climbing and the centre have very kindly allowed The Big Bounce jumpers to bungee jump for free. This means that every cent raised in sponsorship goes directly to the Clifden RNLI. Each of the bungee jumpers are collecting sponsorship individually and any donation whether big or small is welcome. Sponsorship cards will also be in local shops and businesses so please give generously.

Page 4

The Big Bounce will be launched in Guy’s Bar on Main St, Clifden on the night of Friday February 5th, with nine of the ten who are going to take the bungee challenge present. ‘The Acoustic Three’ will be performing followed by a disco by DJ Mike O’Malley and all are welcome to come and join in the fun in the run up to this exciting event. Everyone is encouraged to come along to the Killary Adventure Centre on February 14th also to see the ten brave jumpers take the plunge for the local RNLI.

Febr uar y 2010

Good News for CSI There is going 2B a news school- we still need 2B continuing with the campaign! CSI: Clifden are very pleased to learn that the new school project is now to proceed to Stage 2B of the development stage. In the last eight months two significant milestones, (the first being advanced in the rating band to 2.1) have been achieved, and this latest development clearly sets in sight the “light at the end of the tunnel”. For over fifteen years the School Board and staff, parents and the general public, councillors and politicians have lobbied for the new school building to be built, and without their input we would not be as advanced as where we are today. Many thanks go to everyone who have volunteered their time and support for this campaign in the past. CSI: Clifden understand that the Stage 2B detailed design stage includes three distinct tasks, (1) obtaining all relevant statutory permissions, (2) the preparation of a fully detailed design, and (3) the preparation of a Bill of Quantities and an accurate pre-tender cost estimate. Once complete, Stage 3 involves the tender stage followed by Stage 4, construction. This current stage, Stage 2B, is extremely important and how smoothly it is achieved will determine how long it takes to complete. We feel that the campaign for the new school should still be foremost in the community’s needs. CSI Clifden is committed in this campaign right through to stage 4. However this continuing campaign cannot be a success without the ongoing support of the whole community of Connemara, as has been demonstrated in the past. Your support is greatly appreciated in any way by attending the public meetings, lobbying our politicians and councillors with the objective of the need for a new “fit for purpose” school – as soon as possible! The next public meeting takes place on Monday 22nd at 7pm sharp in the Community School. It is expected to have political representation and an update at where the school is at Stage 2B on the night. All are welcome and please remember that your individual support makes all the difference. In other news, the CSI:Clifden Christmas Card was specially delivered to Minister O’Keeffe’s desk in time for Christmas. This magnificent production was due to the mammoth effort by a great number of people, their presence and resources. Many thanks to Kevin Keogh and all the swimmers who took to the freezing water on Christmas Day and whose efforts raised €2,100.00 for CSI: Clifden and thank you to everyone who support by sponsoring the swim. Thank you also to all who designed and painted the CSI Window Display on Market Street and also for the use of the premises. See www.csiclifden.com for all the latest news. If you want to be included in any text alerts please text your name to 087 1254208. Please include your email address to be included in our mailing list. Brendan Madden

Connemara View Newspaper

Clifden

Community Council News The Clifden and District Community Council have been informed by the Clifden Playground Committee that work is to begin on the new all weather pitch adjacent to the existing playground at the Ball Alley in February. The Multiple Use Games Area will be located at the site where the old tennis court is currently situated. The Community Council is pleased to have been able to assist the Clifden Playground Committee with the development of this new facility.

Alissa Walsh Fundraisers The Clifden Community Council and volunteers carried out a fundraising bag packing day in Super Valu and a Table Quiz at Mannion’s Bar in January to contribute to the Alissa Walsh fundraising eﬀort. Both events were very generously supported by the community and all donations received are greatly appreciated. The Alissa Walsh Fund is currently open at AIB Clifden, AC No. 07470035, Sort Code 93-73-98.

ments have been lobbying and seeking the assistance of local representatives and the Galway Co. Co. to rectify the situation, as there is currently no maintenance of street lighting or sewage management taking place, and the resulting issues are posing a serious threat to the safety and living conditions of the developments. Progress has been painstakingly slow as the issue of who will take responsibility for the services and maintenance of the developments continues to remain unresolved.

Thomas Whelan FF Cumann AGM The AGM of the Thomas Whelan Cumannn took place at JC’s Bar in Clifden on Sunday January 17th, with a large attendance present, including Minister for Community Rural and Gaeltacht Aﬀairs Éamon Ó Cuív, Deputy Frank Fahey, Cllr. Sean O Tuairisg, Seán King, Chairman of the West Connemara Comhairle Ceantair and former Councillor Josie Conneely. There was a strong interest in positions

who were the winners of the competition and well done to everyone who took part, the cards were beautiful and decorated the library window over the Christmas holidays. Thank you to everyone who made donations to the Library and supported our book sales which enable us to continue to run and fund all the children’s activities in the Library.

Reading List The winter reading list proved very popular so look out for the spring list in the library from February. Open Hours: Mon & Wed: 2.30-6pm & 6.30-8.30pm; Tues Thurs & Sat: 10.30-1pm & 2.30-6pm; Fri: 10.30-1pm, 2.30-6pm & 6.30-8.30pm. Bernie Jeﬀries

St Patrick’s Day Parade The Community Council is to assist the Connemara Chamber in the organisation of this year’s St Patrick’s Day Parade. Details of starting time etc will be ﬁnalised soon and local schools and groups will be informed of the details shortly. Volunteers to help out on the day of the parade are very much needed and are asked to contact any member of the community council or chamber if interested in lending a hand to ensure the day runs well.

Book of Solidarity The book of solidarity for those aﬀected by institutional abuse is still open for signatures at the Clúid Housing Association, at Joseph’s Court in Clifden. There was very strong local interest in signing the book so it will be forwarded to the SOIAI (Survivors of Institutional Abuse in Ireland) at Easter of this year, later than originally planned. Seán Heanue

Tidy Towns Update An extremely well attended meeting of the Clifden Tidy Towns Group took place in the Station House Hotel on Thursday 14th January 2010.The group discussed progress on a set number of projects we would like to get under way this year. Probably the biggest project will be the Urban Renewal Plan for the Galway Road approach into the town centre. Alan and Sandra Shattock produced the initial first stage of photographing and drawing maps to scale of the road at the meeting, to make us all aware of the size and work that will be undertaken. Chairperson Sheila Griffin went through the latest stage of the ‘Memory Tree Project’ which will also be our project for the towns 2012 celebrations. Bernie Ward produced plans and ideas for the groups ‘Paddy’s Day’ entry and will be well busy with same over the next few weeks. Monica Joyce, Mary O’Donnell, Eileen Egan, Linda and Dave Horsman, Joshua Sundae, Sheila Tapley and Sheila Griffin were all thanked for the great work they did on the new ‘chipped garden’ addition down at the car-park behind the Tourist office. P.K. Joyce and Alan Shattock are to oversee the Brodoig River project, if possible in conjunction with Clifden Trout Anglers. Photos were produced to show the area of the river to be done and when finished, this will enhance that part of the town to a huge degree. As always, if you would like to be part of the group, please contact Secretary at cregghouse1@ eircom.net or as always, keep an eye on our notice board in Supervalu. P.K. Joyce PRO Clifden Tidy Towns Group

Clifden Housing Development Problems There has been little or no progress on issues with the maintenance and upkeep of infrastructural services at the Racecourse Lawns and Racecourse Hills housing developments in Clifden, despite instances of raw sewage leaking above ground in recent months. Residents of the develop-

Connemara View Newspaper

on the night with Liam Bartley-Allen replacing outgoing chairman Michael Gibbons and Mary Corbett Joyce replacing PK Joyce as Secretary. Leo Whelan was elected Vice Chair and Christy Canning was named as Treasurer and Honorary President. The other positions filled were: Asst Treasurer: Damien Birmingham, P.R.O. Carmel Lyden, Youth Officer: Josh Lyden, Membership Officer: Nigel Murray. Speaking after the meeting, Mary Corbett Joyce welcomed the great interest in the AGM and the unprecedented attendance figure and expressed her hope that the Cumann would go from strength to strength in the future. C3: Pictured at the recent Thomas Whelan Cumann were: Back (l-r): Josh Lyden, Cllr. Séamus Walsh, Cllr. Seán O’ Tuarisg, Damien Birmingham, Nigel Murray, Josie Conneely, Leo Whelan, Seán King. Front (l-r): Liam Bartley-Allen, Minister Eamon O Cuiv T.D., Mary Corbett Joyce,Christy Canning and Deputy Frank Fahey T.D. Photo courtesy of Mary Corbett Joyce

Clifden Regional Water Supply Scheme Cllr. Eileen Mannion has received conﬁrmation from Galway Co. Co. that the design review report for the Clifden Regional Water Supply Scheme is currently with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DoEHLG). Recent queries by the DoEHLG on the design review report have been answered and approval of this report is awaited. The scope of the Environmental Impact Study has been agreed with the Department and an estimate of the cost of the EIS has been submitted to them for approval. On receipt of same Galway County Council will proceed to prepare the EIS for submission to the DoEHLG.

Clifden Library News Books Issued In 2009 Clifden Library issued a total of 18,960 books. The breakdown is as follows: Adult Fiction 8,483; Adult Non-Fiction 2,979; Juvenile books 6,848; Audio Books & Language Tapes 650.We are delighted to see so many children using the Library as we are dedicated to helping our young people achieve their full potential. Reading is such an important part of a child’s development and their educational journey. Clifden Library is determined to bring the best possible service to our borrowers whatever the diﬃculties as during the recent serious icy conditions and power cuts the library remained open.

Reader Awards Photos: Top- January 2010: Reader of the Month: Whitney Rufai, Clifden. Bottom - Clifden Library Reader of the Year 2009: Shane Slevin, Beaghcauneen, Clifden.Well done to Shane, a substantial book token is on the way.

Christmas Card Competition Congratulations to Anthony Curran and Tadhg Gibbons

Febr uar y 2010

Page 5

Bonus Ball

Camus

Community Centre Grant

Cashel

Fianna Fail Cumann AGM The AGM of the Cashel Fianna Fail Cumann took place recently where a good discussion on topics of local con-

Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Aﬀairs, has sanctioned a grant of €15,998 for Coiste Pobail na Foirnéise to carry out refurbishment work on Camas Community Centre. This will involve health and safety works. A grant of €13,332 is being sanctioned under the Gaeltacht Improvements Scheme and a grant of €2,666 is being sanctioned under the CLÁR programme. Announcing the grant, Minister Ó Cuív said that he understands that great work is carried out in the community centre and that the summer colleges also beneﬁt from the facility.

Cleggan/Claddaghduﬀ

Musical Youth Performance

cern was held by all present. Pictured (l-r): Josie Conneely, Packie Lydon, Josie Keaney, JJ Nee, Seamus Walsh, Cllr. Sean O Tuairisg. Front (l-r): Kathleen Nee, Sharon Nee, Minister Eamon Ó Cuív, Margaret Keaney. Photo courtesy of Bernard Lee

Cashel NS News Hi all! We hope you had a good Christmas, minus the snow, ice, ﬂooding and lack of grit. Here is the news for Cashel! Roma Joyce

Aquarium Last year, Cashel School got a stock of fabulous fish and shellfish from the Galway Atlantaquaria for our aquarium as part of Science Week. One of The National Aquarium’s workers came out and gave us some fish and told us about them. These fish included; a mullet, a blenny, a hermit crab (R.I.P. as he unfortunately died few months later!) a starfish, a prawn and 2 anemones. Lisa from the National Aquarium came to the school in January and gave us some more fish, as well as teaching us some more about fish, which included dissecting a squid. Lisa gave us another starfish, three sticklebacks and a new dahlia anemone. We take care of the school aquarium ourselves and enjoy feeding them their squid, cleaning the salt off the glass and removing last week’s food. We’d just like to say, thank you National Aquarium!

Operation Green Flag No 3 Our school will be renewing our application for our Green Flag, hoping that we will get our 3rd. This year, the action plan is to conserve water, as it is our theme. This includes a “Turn the taps oﬀ ” campaign, compiling projects on water and water conservation and making sure our school is free of litter. Graham, from the Green Flag Association An Taisce, comes to our school once a month to see how we are trying to save water. He gives us a lot of information on how the world is coping with saving water and how much water it takes to make certain things.

Credit Union Quiz Our school will be entering 2 teams into The Credit Union Table Quiz this year. Our school has been entering for a number of years. We really enjoyed it-we came third place and it was great to host the quiz in our new hall that we are so proud of!

Catholic School Week This week from St. Bridget’s Day onwards is Catholic School Week which commenced with our parents/parents association joining us in a workshop making St. Bridget’s crosses- it was really cool- all learning together! Giorraíonn beirt bothar! Tuesday was dedicated to our school’s patron saint St. Teresa and Wednesday was Grandparents Day followed by a special Mass with Fr. Breen. So we were busy learning about local saints etc.

I.T. Our I.T. facilities have just been upgraded to a state of the art suite of desktops and laptops which we use in classthese will prove very useful in our communications especially with our Comenius partners in Denmark, Belgium, Hungary and the Czech Republic. So until the next issueSlán go foil! À bientôt!

Page 6

‘The Snow Queen’, a sparkling, spine tingling musical by Hans Christian Andersen, will be performed by Cleggan-Claddaghduff National School children on Friday February 19th in Claddaghduff Hall at 7pm sharp. All proceeds raised from the event will go to the Haiti Earthquake appeal and orphan children in Sri Lanka. Donations at any time will be warmly received and can be handed in or sent to either: Mrs Marie Bourke: Scoil Naisiúnta Mhuire Gan Smál, Claddaghduff-095- 44334, Mrs Mary Aspell: Scoil Naisiúnta Naoimh Uile, Cleggan-095-44808 or Mrs Breda O’Toole, Emlough, Cleggan-095-44671. Thank you for your support which is always greatly appreciated and we hope to see you at what promises to be a very special event.

The winner of the 3rd quarterly draw for the Bonus Ball Bonus prize of €150 was Miss Ella Coohill, Sky Road, Clifden. Congratulations to Baby Ella!

Monster Bingo - Sunday, February 7th The ﬁrst Monster Bingo of the New Year will take place at the hall on Sunday February 7th! There will be €1,700 in prize money – hope to see you there! Bingo takes place at Claddaghduﬀ Hall, every Sunday evening at 8:30pm with great prizes and good craic and all are welcome.

Good luck to Emma! Congratulations to Emma O’Sullivan who, together with John O’Halloran from Inishbofin, has won a place in the final of the All Ireland Talent Show (RTE 1 on Sundays). Emma teaches at Claddaghduff Hall on Thursdays and all of the students from Cleggan and Claddaghduff wish her the best of luck! Watch out for Emma and John in the final and give them your support by voting for them! Dorothy Conneely

Inishboﬁn

Heritage Award Comes to Bofin Marie Coyne is the author of a ﬁne publication entitled ‘St. Colman’s Cemetery, Inishboﬁn Island’ which recently won a prestigious award at the Galway County Heritage Awards as the winner of the Connemara Electoral Area. The publication includes information about drownings, churches, saints and traditions. Marie has gathered together a collection of photographs of islanders buried in St. Colman’s. She has recorded many details of those that have been buried in

Events at Claddaghduff Hall Mondays: Senior Soccer. 8-9:30pm Tuesdays; Childrens Drama workshops with Ros Coyne. 3:30-5pm. Junior Soccer with Ken DeLappe 7-8pm. Badminton Club 8-11pm Wednesdays: Badminton Club 8-11pm Thursdays: Credit Union. 4-4:40pm. Childrens sean nos Dancing with Emma O’Sullivan 4:30-5:50pm. Badminton Club 8-11pm Sundays: Kids Badminton 11am-noon. Bring & Buy Books 12-2pm. Badminton Club. Senior 12-3pm. Bingo 8:30pm.

Book Sales Request There is a great demand at the regular book sales at the hall for any cowboy or western themed books, so if anyone has some that they would be willing to donate, they may be dropped to the hall any time during opening hours and would be very much appreciated! Terry Minogue

Cleggan Centre Piano Examinations “Teaching is a gift. Learning is another gift. When these two qualities meet the result can be a rich and rewarding experience”. ( John O’Connor, Director of Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin). On December 6th last, Local Centre Piano Examinations took place in the home of Breda O’Toole, Emlough, Cleggan. The syllabus for the 29 candidates, Elementary to Grade 4, included three pieces of increasing diﬃculty, a wide selection of scales, sight-reading, theory and a variety of aural and observation tests together with sight-singing and memory tests to do with rhythm and melody. A distinguished examiner, Ms. Gemma O’Herlihy, appointed by the Academy, travelled from Dublin for the examinations which began at 10:00am and ended at 4:30pm. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all on their outstanding success. 7 candidates were awarded Distinction (90% and over). 21 candidates Honours (80% and over), and one candidate received a Merit Certiﬁcate (76% and over). Well done to each and every one. Keep up the good work!

Claddaghduff Christmas Fair Santa Claus had a wonderful visit in Claddaghduﬀ Hall on December 13th. He was entertained by the local children with their displays of Sean-nós dancing and singing. All the boys and girls got to have a visit with Santa in his grotto and received a lovely gift and photograph. There was a beautiful array of festive baking as well as Christmas goods and Christmas trees on sale. The winners of the Christmas Hampers were: Mary Pryce, Clifden and Edwina Murray, Fountainhill. All proceeds from the Christmas Fair go towards the Claddaghduﬀ Hall rebuilding costs. Once again, thank you to all who contributed to this annual event. A special word of thanks to all who helped with the preparation of Santa’s Grotto – it was spectacular.

Febr uar y 2010

the graveyard which would have been otherwise lost. In the future, if anyone wants to look up their heritage this book will help in many ways through the list of burials in the cemetery, information about the island through stories, photographs and poems. It also includes an archaeological report on the cemetery and a write up on Cromwell’s Barracks. She has also established a small museum on the pier showcasing the island’s heritage. Marie has worked very hard on researching and documenting the heritage of Inishbofin over the years. Congratulations to Marie on winning this award. We all know the huge effort she put in to gathering all the photographs and information required. Marie started compiling a genealogy file when she worked with others on a FÁS project on the book ‘Through Time and Tide’ in 1990. The culmination of her efforts on both these publications has helped so many people trace their ancestors here on the island and are an invaluable record for future generations. Inishbofin Development Company. Photo: Marie Coyne, Mayor of Galway Tom McHugh and Paul Ridge of Galway Co. Council.

Kylemore

Kylemore Abbey and Garden Together with the opening of the walks to the Victorian Walled Garden, our two female donkeys were some of the novelties for the Summer season at Kylemore Abbey & Garden. For the winter period and for the ﬁrst time, we are leaving the garden open with the shuttle bus service running for those who wish to use it. This has been generating some new opportunities for the low season, like the unusually large groups which came to visit us on Monday 28th and Wednesday 30th December. On Monday 28th, despite the very bad state of the roads from Galway, several buses with University Marching Bands from Massachusetts and Delaware came to visit Kylemore. They ﬁrst visited the Connemara Marble Centre in Moycullen and then spent a couple of hours at Kylemore, before making the journey to Clifden. We wish you all a Happy New Year! Isabelle Pitorre

Connemara View Newspaper

Leitir Mór Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., Minister for Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Aﬀairs has approved funding of €7,500 for Scoil Mhuire in Leitir Moir under the CLÁR Primary School Outdoor Play Facilities Enhancement Scheme. The CLÁR Primary School Outdoor Play Facilities Enhancement Scheme is aimed at improving outdoor play facilities in small rural primary schools in CLÁR areas. The type of projects being funded are for the grassing/tarmacadam of play areas, the supply of goal posts, nets, basketball hoops, etc. and other recreational facilities for these outdoor play areas. The CLÁR Programme is funding 75% of the cost in each case, to a maximum of €7,500, with the balance provided from local sources.

Letterfrack

Taréis na Féile Bríde Taréis na Féile Bríde takes place in Letterfrack once again this year on Feb. 5th, 6th and 7th. It’s a lovely time to take a space to listen to music and take part in a workshop, so a good crowd is expected in the Quaker village. The annual festival kicks off at 9.30pm in Molly’s Bar on Friday the 5th with the wonderful John O’Halloran from Inishbofin and Sean-nós dancer Emma O’Sullivan, both of whom were recently seen on RTE’s Ireland’s Got Talent where they won their show and they will be joined by the great Waterford banjo player Gerry Whelan. Saturday morning at 11am will see the start of the music workshops which will feature tutors Yvonne Kane – fiddle; Marie Walsh – box and general instruments; Tommy Keane - whistle/flute and general instruments. The workshops take place in Letterfrack NS and are open to all ages, both adults and students. The workshops finish at 3.30pm and then everybody gets together for a session in the Bards Den. There will be over 40 ‘young’ players making mighty music - pure magic! Later on Saturday 6th at 8.30pm the Galway Gospel Choir will perform in Letterfrack Church. Admission is free but there will be a collection for Concern. The evening will finish with a Cajun session in the Bards Den with the great Jimmy Fitz on guitar, Paul Gunning on various boxes and John Martin on fiddle. This trio are all members of the Mamean Cajun Band and are a most exciting trio who make wonderful music together. On Sunday afternoon at 4pm in the Ellis Hall, the celebrated Cunningham family will run a Sean-nós workshop for all ages and all abilities. In Molly’s Bar at 5pm Johnny Connolly, Marcus Hernon and family will kick off the final session, which will be another great event and will also give the Sean-nós dancers from the workshop a chance to display their style. For further information call 095-43443/41034/085-115-4629 or go to www.ceecc.org or e-mail lfrack@eircom.net.

Citizens Information Service The Letterfrack Citizen’s Information service will be available at Connemara West (Portacabin 4) on Tuesday 9th and Tuesday 23rd of February 2010 from 1:30-4:30pm. If you have any questions about Social Welfare, pensions, housing, consumer aﬀairs, employment, education or any of your rights or

entitlements call us on 087-130-1100 or just drop in. A wide range of application forms and booklets are also available. For more information call 095-22000 or 087-130-1100/ Email:clifden@citinfo.ie or go to www. citizensinformation.ie

Maam Cross

Sheep Shearing Championships The Connacht Sheep Shearing Championships will take place in Maam Cross Mart on Sunday 23rd of May and will feature top shearers from the four provinces competing for the Inter Provincial Team Title. Companies wishing to exhibit their products for a nominal fee at the event should contact Paddy Rock on 087-243 9760.

Oughterard

Young voices of Killannin The members of the Killannin Junior Choir along with their conductor Alma Joyce gave a wonderful performance at the Children’s Mass on Christmas Eve in Killannin Church. (See photo). Photo courtesy of Kay Diviney

Tourism Website Re-vamped For the past 9 years, www.oughterardtourism.com has been informing tourists about the village of Oughterard and surrounding area. Now with a fully re-furbished look, new features and loads of new information about Oughterard, the site has been re-launched. We have welcomed onto the site the Oughterard Business Association to also provide local business listings and contact information. The site is now also accessible by typing: www.oughterardbusiness.com. You may click their logo on our homepage or simply click “Businesses” in the top menu of any page. Some of the other new features include: an extensive heritage section and link to archive courtesy of the Oughterard Culture & Heritage Group, news & events, fresh design & new photos, interactive Google Maps, more outdoor activities, more attractions, regular contributions by local walking and angling groups and as always lots of great accommodation. The site also has a new emphasis on outdoor activities. For example, there is new information on walking and two great downloadable guides for scenic walks, courtesy of the Oughterard Culture & Heritage Group. The cycling section has video and descriptions of Derroura Mountain Bike Trail and a downloadable map courtesy of Coillte. Stay informed with us! With our News & Events listings, the site will inform the tourist and local alike about items of interest. Subscribe to our free on-line newsletter to get regular updates and tell family and friends abroad to do the same. Please see www.oughterardtourism.com/ www.oughterardbusiness.com for how to advertise your accommodation or attraction on the site as well as how to join the Oughterard Business Association- enjoy a listing on the site included in membership. Theresa Tierney

Connemara View Newspaper

Febr uar y 2010

Page 7

Clann Resource Centre News Once again Clann has some interesting activities and programmes running during the Spring. Computer courses for beginners and those needing more of a challenge are being run twice weekly mornings and evenings. Groups are small and much individual attention is given to participants. Clann is hoping to run a Community Development Course in February. This is a great opportunity for you to explore how to help improve your local community and to gain an understanding of the importance of volunteering in community work. We are also calling all actors and actresses to Clann’s new Drama Group. Clann’s Yarn Club is going from strength to strength and a fun time is being had by all with lots of yarns. Mondays at 2:30 pm in Clann. Clann is also running another Children’s First Course/ Keeping Safe for any of you working with children and young people. The Rainbows programme is starting again this term and is a peer support programme for children who have suﬀered loss/bereavement. It runs for 8 weeks. If you are interested in the Rainbows programme contact Anne on 091-557-633. The new programme will start in February. On Wednesdays the parent and toddler group meet at 10am and all are welcome. Clann’s Nearly New Shop is open daily Monday to Friday and located on the Main Street in Oughterard. There are many bargains to be had! If you have unwanted gifts or nearly new items please drop these in to the shop and if you ever want to volunteer a few hours please let us know. Conﬁdential counselling is available at Clann by appointment. Citizens Information Outreach is on every 2nd and 4th Monday and MABS on every 1st and 3rd Monday. Al Anon meets on Wednesdays in Clann at 8:30pm. For young people the Youth Café is open on Fridays and Saturdays evenings and Club4U meets weekly. A new Girls Group is starting on Wednesdays for 1st and 2nd years. Sproai (circus group), BeatClub (band) and Firepoint dance troupe are ongoing for young people. For more information and to avail of any of the above services, contact Anne on 091-557-633.

St Paul’s Reunion The St Paul’s secondary school class of 1999 held a 10 year reunion in the Boat Inn, Oughterard on Monday December 28th. From a class of 54 people in 1999, 32 made it to the reunion and are pictured above. Back (l-r): Rita Walsh, Rory McGauley, Rory Clancy, Kathryn Ryan, Aoife Carter, Odhran Reidy, Gary Kinnevey, Aiden Kelly, Conor Joyce, Dereck Kinnevey, Kevin Joyce, Jean Osborne, Aine O’Malley, Laura Nash and Aishling McGauley. Seated (l-r): John Byrne, Aoife Connell, Michelle McGauley, Emma Blehein, Margeret McGauley, Edel Quigley, Mairead Walsh, Aoife O’Connor, Billy Melia, Lorraine Lee and Erin O’Toole. Front (l-r): Colin Ryan, Ciaran Conneely, Eugene Boyce, Niall Murray, Debbie O’Halloran, Allison Watson, Jenny Little, Carol O’Connor and Dan Bourke. Photos by Tom Broderick

Business Association AGM

into operation on the 29th April, 2010.

The AGM of the Oughterard business association took place at the Boat Inn, Oughterard on Monday evening February 1st. A new committee and panel of oﬃcers were elected. (L-r): Martin Tierney, Martin O’Connor, Maria O’Neill, Henry Keogh, Jackie Lyons, Justin Keogh , David Ennis, Keith Geoghegan and Janet Schley. Photo by Tom Broderick

Renvyle

Remedial Water Scheme Works

Recess

Galway County Council has informed Cllr. Thomas Welby that they have received notification from the Department of the Environment that funding has been allocated to carry out remedial works on the Buffy public water scheme which serves the Oughterard environs. The works are required to the Scheme due to the recording of a high aluminium content in the supply, which was identified in a report in May 2008. The level of funding allocated from the Department of Environment is in excess of €75k and Galway County Council will contribute in excess of €25k. Galway County Council was notified of this allocation in early December 2009. The allocation was part of total funding from the Department of € 1.189m for five public schemes in the Connemara area, namely Oughterard, An Spideal (€75k), Inis Oir (€279k), Inis Mor (€362k) and Leenane (€397k). Cllr. Welby has welcomed the allocations and the Council has stated that they hope to commence these works early in 2010 as the Tendering Process has already been completed.

Cllr. Eileen Mannion has welcomed the Special Speed Limits Bye-Laws 2010 which were adopted at January’s Galway County Council meeting. Cllr. Mannion said that the introduction of a reduced speed limit on the GalwayClifden road at Recess is especially welcome as local people have been campaigning for years to have the speed limit reduced on this road. The introduction of the new reduced 60 km speed limit on this stretch of road will make it safer for people using the Post Oﬃce and shops in Recess as many people park in the car park across the road and have to cross the N59 to get to the Post Oﬃce. These newly adopted bye-laws are due to come

Speed Limit Change

Lettergesh NS ‘Test the Teachers’ Lettergesh NS were TV stars for a day recently when a number of students and their two teachers appeared on RTE’s ‘Test The Teachers’ on December 30th. ‘Test The Teachers’ is a game show where pupils turn the tables to put their teachers to the test. Sixth class students from national schools across the country devise questions, tasks and challenges to ‘Test The Teachers’ from a rival school. Teachers Mandy and Jackie were challenged by pupils of Summerhill NS Athlone in a number of rounds while the students of Lettergesh NS tested the teachers from Athlone and impressed by sean nos dancing, singing and playing music, and talking about their interests and their teachers. Well done to all involved for a great day to remember for Lettergesh NS. Photo: Back (l-r): Ava Kane, Cathal Glynn, Darragh Faherty, Luke Walsh, Grace Laﬀey, Andrea Coyne, Karen Walsh, Niall King and Sam Walsh. Front (l-r): Daniel Kane, Jack Laﬀey, Andrea Faherty, Mandy Conboy and Jackie Salmon (teachers), Aoife Gibbons, Aidan Mortimer and Mícheál Faherty. Photo courtesy of Mandy Conboy

Oughterard NS Support Rwanda Frank Reidy, co-ordinator of Trust and Care Rwanda, was presented with a cheque for €1000 in January, raised by the pupils of Oughterard National School in aid of a primary school which is run by a co-op project in the Mayanga primary school area of Rwanda in Africa. Photos by Tom Broderick

Page 8

Febr uar y 2010

Connemara View Newspaper

Roscahill

Celebration at Brigit’s Garden Brigit’s Garden celebrated the re-opening of the popular and beautiful Celtic gardens in Roscahill on Sunday 31st January with a family day of Brigit traditions, music and story-telling. Adults and children alike wove their own Brigit’s crosses to bring home while enjoying lively tunes from the young musicians of Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Mhaigh Cuilinn. Story-teller Kate Moran gave a lively telling of some of the traditional stories of Brigit, and the day culminated with a procession to the Imbolc or Spring garden for traditional song and ritual associated with Brigit’s Cloak or Brat Bhríde. Brigit’s Garden is a not-for-proﬁt educational charity and all proceeds go to support the project. For further information phone 091 550905 or see www.brigitsgarden.ie.

Roundstone Water

As you all know, the water pumps still have to be turned off from 10pm to 8am and will remain so for quite some time. I am reliably told the water level by the morning is not rising. This could be due to the fact that when people hear the weather forecast with the possible threat of frost, taps are still being run through the night, or perhaps there is a leak within your supply. The only way to find out is during the day check your pressure, if it is weak, go on a walk about for a suspected leak. Johnny goes to the reservoir in the evening and morning to check on the levels and to turn the pumps off but the bottom line water is being wasted. Being by the Gulf Stream it’s rare to have a major freeze in February on a coast line, and even if it does freeze, just wait for the thaw.

Award for O’Dowd’s

Congratulations to Nicholas, Roy and family from O’Dowd’s Seafood Restaurant who are delighted to have been included in the B.I.M Seafood circle for 2010 for the 4th year in a row. There are only 3 restaurants in Connemara to receive such an award in 2010. The BIM (Bord Iascaigh Mhara) Seafood Circle recognises and awards hospitality and retail businesses that consistently deliver the highest standards of seafood and service to their customers.

Windsurfers

There is also some good news regarding the windsurfing competition which was held in Roundstone for a good few years. Danny Mulryan from Galway is hoping to bring back the National Windsurfing Championship final day event to Roundstone this October Bank Holiday. Danny met with members of RDC and the beach committee on Sunday 23rd January to outline his proposal. There was an open and frank discussion about problems that existed in the past. However all sides were agreeable that the event should go ahead. Danny is hoping that the event will bring up to 150 windsurfing competitors to Gurteen beach along with their families and supporters of the sport. The event will be held over three days from Saturday 30th Oct to Nov 1st.

Roundstone Bingo Talking about fun and something new, word has got round that we would like to bring bingo to the village. People have been asking me when will this happen, all I can say at this stage, is that I am just waiting for a reply from the superintendent to my letter for permission and sort out the paper work to bring it to fruition. So mean while I go

Tuesday nights to Ballyconneely to play the game and learn something about the rules etc, it’s enjoyable, and do I dare say it is fun!

Jive and Rock & Roll Classes A reminder for all those that have enrolled in the Jive Classes which commenced last Wednesday night in the local community hall with Christina Lowry. Round two is this coming Wednesday 8.30pm; we are about thirty all together, plenty of room for more, it is good exercise and good fun.

Condolences

A sad week for Roundstone with the death of Robin Price who died on Wednesday last at his home in Murrish, Westport. Although Robin and his wife Theresa left Roundstone some years ago to be nearer their family who live in Westport and Castlebar, he still kept in constant touch with his friends in Roundstone. While he lived here he was part of so many diﬀerent organisations, Tidy Towns, Arts Week, and Garden Club and was one of the founder members in the twinning with Noyelles sour Lens in France and Roundstone. Robin was a retired school teacher and one of his most endearing traits was his love for wild life, his cattle and of course his rare breed of ducks. Our condolences and prayers to the immediate families. May you rest in peace Robin. Geraldine Keoghane from Erlough and Cork also passed away this week after suffering from Motor Neurone Disease. Ger, as she was better known as by her friends was a wonderful lady who loved life to the full, her life was her family and grand children and we are glad that she lived to see her newest grandchild born nine weeks before her death. She loved her house in Erlough on the beach and was our watchdog as to when the sea was warm enough for our ﬁrst swim. Many times she would bring down ice cream to the children on the beach and the cup of tea was always available if you felt like dropping in. Erlough will never be the same without you and we will miss you lots Ger. May you rest in peace.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Padraic and Sheena Connolly on the birth of their 7 lb 2oz baby girl and to the proud grandparents Martin and Kate of Dooeither, Carna and Bridie and Martin Conneely of Erlough.

Murder Mystery Night

Again as it’s the year of fun, we had our first Murder Mystery Dinner with a cast of 12 budding local actors up at Errisbeg House. I have to say it was a lot of fun, also a learning curve, with great costumes totally in keeping with the 40’s era. Therefore certainly we will have another Murder Mystery Dinner once a month, keeping some of the original cast, and to invite new local invitee’s! These mysteries are actually quite complicated to unravel so the more we do of them the more we can become proficient in our interaction. The long term plan is to have weekends of Murder Mystery’s some time during the year, so watch out guys, invitations will be going out again for the Champagne Murder Mystery in the month of February. My compliments to all who took part in the mystery and the spirit that it represented! Photo: The Roundstone Murder Mystery Group! Back (l-r): Ciaran Delappe, Richard de Stacpoole, Nicky Griffin, Sam Reynolds, Geraldine Coyne, Bronagh, Chris McDonagh. Front (l-r): Cormac Lowry, Mary McDonagh, Meg Gordon, Helen O’Halloran, and Ann Conneely. Richard de Stacpoole

Connemara View Newspaper

Febr uar y 2010

Page 9

West Coast United Celebrate 25 years The Maol Reidh Hotel was full to capacity as West Coast Utd held its recent dinner dance to celebrate 25 years in football. It was a spectacular success and will probably be remembered as one of the great nights in Connemara sporting history. There was a great gathering of players and officials dating back to the foundation of the club. Indeed, it’s difficult to imagine how the game has changed since Terence Mullen, Brendan Mullen, Johnny Kane and a few others called a meeting in Letterfrack to form the club in 1984. The West Coast Utd first cup winning team of 1994 was chosen for a special award and it was great that most of them were

able to attend on the night. We were delighted to welcome back to Tullycross Galway’s top football journalist Mike Rafferty (Connacht Tribune, Daily Star and Galway Bay F.M). Mike tracked the progress of the club down the years and took great interest in watching players move from underage up through the ranks. He is certain the club will continue to grow given the quality of the people involved. Our special guest for the night was C.E.O of the Football Association of Ireland John Delaney. It’s a tribute to the man that he drove for six hours through snow, ice and frost to be present. He felt it was his duty to personally acknowledge the club who pioneered football in Connemara and the work they have done over 25 years to promote soccer and the FAI in the area. Although most of his media attention surrounds the international team, all present were impressed with his deep knowledge and interest in grassroots football. John Delaney’s speech and his ability to mingle and connect with ordinary football fans help portray the FAI as an organisation moving in the right direction. We wish him The 1994 Cup Winning Team Then & Now every success in the future. To Then: The 1994 West Coast Utd Cup winning team: Back (l-r): Gerry Salmon, Finhelp celebrate the occasion, Mr. ian Sheridan, Joachim Lydon, Daniel Flaherty, Danny Flaherty, Dermot Foley, Rory Delaney presented the club with McEllen, Jim O’ Neill and Andy Mortimer. Front (l-r): Johnny Kane, Paul Gannon, 25 tickets to bring the underage Kevin O’ Neill, Gerry Gannon, Shane O’ Neill, Johnny Coyne and Brendan Kane. players to the first game in the Now: Back: (l-r): Joachim Lydon, Johnny Coyne, Brendan Kane, Finian Sheridan, Gerry new Aviva stadium when Ireland Gannon, Paul Gannon, Danny Flaherty. Front: Current chairman Terence Mullen, hosts Argentina in August. Mike Rafferty of the Connacht Tribune, Club President Daniel Flaherty, FAI Chief The last formal part of the Executive John Delaney and Gerry Salmon. night was the announcement

Page 10

Febr uar y 2010

of ‘The Dream Team’. This was the team chosen as West Coast’s finest players from the first 25 years. It generated huge interest over the Christmas and was eagerly awaited. The president of West Coast Utd, Daniel Flaherty, announced the following team: Jim O’ Neill, Danny Coyne, Joachim Lydon, Finian Sheridan, Brendan Kane, Brendan O’ Malley, Kevin O’ Neill, Gerry Salmon, Mick Hurley, Paul Gannon and John Burke. Subs: Adrian Mitchell and Kenny Wallace. Each player was presented with specially commissioned trophy by John Delaney and congratulations to everyone. The excellent Brennan sisters provided the live music and D. J Ros Sammon kept the dance floor busy till the early hours. We hope everyone enjoyed the night and hopefully we’ll be around in 2034 to celebrate 50 years! Joachim Lydon Photos above from top: Pictured in the back row are 6 members of the ‘Dream Team’, West Coast Utd’s most successful side in the 25 years the club has been in existence. Back (l-r): Joachim Lydon, Brendan Kane, Brendan O’ Malley, Finian Sheridan, Paul Gannon and John Burke. Front (l-r): Current chairman Terence Mullen, Mike Rafferty of the Connacht Tribune, Club President Daniel Flaherty, FAI Chief Executive John Delaney and Gerry Salmon. First Jersey: Pictured at the presentation of the first jersey of West Coast Utd in the mid 80’s were (l-r): Terence Mullen, James Somerville, formerly of The Bards Den, Daniel Flaherty and Brendan Mullen. Photos next page West Coast Utd’s Joachim Lydon presents guest of honour John Delaney, Chief Executive of the FAI, with a specially commissioned bodhrán at the West Coast Utd 25th year celebrations in the Maol Réidh Hotel in Tullycross. John Delaney presents Noel Varley with a special recognition for his achievements with the Connacht Schools Boys team in 2009. Current first team players Cathal O’ Neill and Eoin Gannon taking part in a summer camp some years ago. Photos and report courtesy of Joachim Lydon

Connemara SportsView

RUG BY Connemara Rugby January was a busy month with three games in the last three weeks. The home game against Barnhall fell victim to the cold weather and will now be played on Saturday 8th Feb. Our first game of the New Year was away to Suttonians and while we were well beaten in the end we performed well and were unlucky not to come away with a bonus point. Our next game was away to Portadown. This was a game we felt we might get something out of as they were just ahead of us in the league. We had David Newman joining Mark Foyle in the centre and that had a big influence on the result. The home side ran everything from the start but our tackling was ferocious and after fifteen minutes we put them under pressure. After several attacks we finally got over the line with David Newman getting the touchdown. Portadown got a penalty four minutes later and the score line stayed at 3-5 at half time. The home side started the second half well and had us defending our line for five minutes. A good turn over by Martin Coyne got us into their half followed by a quick ball out to David McDonagh who was unlucky not to score. We kept up the pressure and eventually Mark Foyle forced his way over for

West Coast 25th continued

our second try. We enjoyed a good spell and were just held up a number of times. But the pressure paid off when a home scrum was put under pressure, and as they tried to clear their kick it was blocked down and Martin O’Malley was first to pounce for our third try. We got greedy now and went looking for a bonus try. We thought we got it at the last play but the linesman deemed Mark Foyle’s pass forward, despite the best advice he got from the large group of travelling supporters. An 18-3 win was a good day’s work and well done to all the lads on a mighty fine performance. What can you say about the rugby folk in Portadown, it is one of the finest clubs you can visit? Again, everyone was made very welcome and there were a few sore heads in the morning. A big thank you to David and Helen Jameson and all in Portadown Rugby Club. Last Saturday we were at home to Banbridge, another Ulster club that travel to Connemara in big numbers. They are having one of their best seasons in the AIL. They came looking for a bonus point win and were happy to get away with a six point win in the end. The packs were well matched but we were unlucky to lose Martin Coyne to an ankle injury early in the game. Although they got two early kickable penalties they went for the corner but our pack defended well and cleared the line. The third penalty they got they kicked and made it 3 nil after 16 min. We came straight back and Paddy O’Toole was held just short of the line. We kept up the pressure and Peter O’Toole scored in the 32nd minute. Sean Joyce converted. The visitors came back and after several drives at the line they got over just before half time; the conversion made it 7-10. In the second half they attacked from the off, but our tackling was good and all they got in the end was a penalty to make it 7-13. We had one chance with a long range penalty that went just wide. This was the best side to visit the Monastery Field this season and the bonus point we got could be very important at the end of the season.We wish a speedy recovery to Bernard Keaney, Kevin Barry and Martin Coyne who went off injured in that game.

Juniors The Juniors had a game against table toppers Loughrea on Sunday and the visitors won 13-3. This was a very tight game and

it was only in the last minute that they got their second try. There are two more games left in the league away to Carrick on Shannon and away to West Oﬀaly Lions. The U15’s came up against a strong Galwegians side and the city side came out on top 30-18.

Lotto Win We had a winner of our lotto jackpot two weeks ago. Margaret, Lorna and Martin O’Malley from Mannin (poor Tracy!) selected the correct numbers and won €15,000. Well done and we all enjoyed the presentation. (See photo below). In Griﬃn’s, before the Banbridge game club President Aidan O’ Halloran made a presentation to Bridget Keogh (see photo right) for her many years of service to the club as secretary and running the lotto. Bridget is taking a break from club duties at the moment. Peter Keane Photo above: Connemara’s Kevin Barry passes out to Emmet Ferron as Connemara pressure Banbridge at Monastery Field on Saturday January 30th. Photo right: Shane Lydon and Aidan O’ Halloran presented Kevin Keogh with the Peter Lydon trophy after the Captains defeated the Presidents on St Stephen’s Day at the annual friendly ﬁxture.

Clifden Juniors Capture Development Cup The Clifden Community School Junior team earned a much deserved piece of silverware on Tuesday February 2nd, holding off Rice College of Westport to take home the Junior Development Cup after a hard fought encounter at the Galway Sportsground. The eventual scoreline of 13-7 not only earned them the much coveted cup but also qualifies them for the quarter final of the Junior Schools Cup and is a terrific boost for the whole team and their head coach Jimmy O’ Toole.

Connemara SportsView

Febr uar y 2010

Page 11

BADMINTON 13 years after Letterfrack – Clifden Badminton Club captured the 1997 County Division 3 League Title the shuttles are flying back and forth once more in Ellis Hall. The foundation meeting of Ellis Badminton Club was held last March and the following officers were elected on the night: Chairperson Brendan Ridge, Secretary Colleen Curran, Treasurer Barbara Joyce and Registrar Rosaleen Busteed. The following August, a few of the club’s members flexed their competitive muscles for the very first time in the Chris O’Toole Memorial Mixed Doubles Cup which was hosted by the Claddaghduff club. Links were quickly established between the two neighbouring clubs culminating in a number of friendly matches in early September. These encounters were probably the catalyst for both Letterfrack and Claddaghduff taking the competitive plunge into Division 6 of the County Leagues subsequently. County Development Officer and Level 3 Coach Tommy Hehir (who plys his trade at Division 1 level) visited both clubs prior to the commencement of competition and his coaching tips and practical advice was warmly welcomed and gratefully accepted by his captive audience. On January 21st last year’s County finalists Oughterard became the first team to play an official league match in Ellis Hall in over fifteen years. The Corribsiders emerged victorious on a 5-1 scoreline that night, but the return bout in Oughterard 3 days later between the same 2 sides proved to be a real thriller with honours, even after a series of incredibly close matches. The final scoreline, a 3-3 draw confirmed Oughterard’s 7 point advantage at the top of the Division 6 West leaderboard. Letterfrack are currently 2nd, 3 points ahead of Na Forbacha who have a game in hand. Letterfrack’s three remaining matches are all at home and they will be hoping to accumulate enough points to qualify for a County semi final against the winners of Division 6 East. Last year’s County semi finalists Loughrea will most likely provide the opposition for whoever finishes 2nd in the west and the general expectation is that this year’s County final will be a repeat of the 2009 semi final encounter between Loughrea and Oughterard. Both of these clubs have to move up to Division 5 level next season having completed 2 years in the league’s introductory division. Letterfrack’s competitive action has not been restricted to league. A number of the club’s team members have also engaged the championship process, namely the County Division 5 Mens and Ladies Doubles Championships at GLTC, the Connacht Grade C Singles, Mixed and Mens and Ladies Doubles Championships at Castlebar, and more recently the County Division 6 Mens and Ladies Doubles Championships at GLTC. At the time of writing, 4 of the squad’s mixed doubles partnerships are training hard for the eagerly anticipated County Division 6 Mixed Doubles Championships next Wednesday (February 3rd) at GLTC. The County Division 6 Singles Championships for both men and women will be run off in March, also at GLTC. The invaluable experience gained from participation in these various championships will hopefully stand Letterfrack’s players in good stead next April if they manage to progress to a County League semi final at GLTC against eastern opposition. As in all sporting disciplines, coaching is a

Page 12

crucial component of the whole process and in this regard Ellis Badminton Club would like to extend a special word of gratitude to the Galway County Badminton Board for organising a Coaching Night for Division 6 players at GLTC last December. A number of our players travelled in and benefited hugely from the whole experience. It is expected that there will be a second follow on night (also in GLTC) next month. Oughterard Coach and Division Two player Martin Gibbons will also be travelling out to West Connemara in the near future to conduct training sessions with both Claddaghduff and Letterfrack clubs. These sessions will be open to all club members, be they competitive or recreational. Martin will also be organising a Foundation Level Coaching Course in Oughterard Community Centre before Easter. This course will be given by Tommy Hehir and members of the host club will be joined by representatives from both Letterfrack and Claddaghduff. Hopefully, many, if not all of the participants will subsequently undertake the Level One course at a later date. The adult badminton renaissance in West Connemara continues to gain momentum in the parishes of Ballinakill and Omey, with both clubs boasting a large and ever increasing contingent of recreational players. Ellis Badminton club would like to take this opportunity to thank Connemara West for affording them the use of the Ellis Hall. Club nights for both recreational and competitive players are Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. The club’s Division 6 squad train on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Club membership costs €30 (€19 of this is used to register the new member with Badminton Ireland in Dublin). €5 is collected each night to cover the cost of hall rental and new members (be they competitive or recreational) are welcome at any time. Hopefully, the badminton revival will spread like a prairie fire and extend to all other areas of West Connemara where parish halls lie ready and waiting. It’s a relatively inexpensive sporting and social outlet in these difficult recessionary times.

EQUESTRIAN

DARTS

Connemara’s Shine at Olympia On the last day of London’s Olympia Horse Show, five Connemara ponies went forward for the Final of the NPS/ Baileys Mountain & Moorland Supreme Championship, out of the 6 who qualified. Scottsway Hesitation, owned and ridden by Jenna Jordan, who had qualified at the British Breed Show was absent due to slight unsoundness. They were: Mrs J Bloor’s Knockanroe Champ (Granahan Champ x Penure Lass) (43/40=83) Lady Vestey and Henrietta Knight’s Lecarrow King (Village Boy x Lecarrow) (42/39=81) S Dowdeswell’s John’s Cuckoo (Innellen Kestrel x Heather Cuckoo) (37/42=79) Kerry Wainright’s Skellorn Harrison (Goosemoor Duncan x Tyan Takara) (38/40=78) Henry O’Toole’s Cashelbay Joe (Village King x Mountain Ash) (37/36=73) The Connemara Breed winner, displaying a neat and polished show, was gelding Knockanroe Champ receiving a total of 83 points and placed 7th overall in the competition. An entourage of supporters came from as far as the United States to watch Lecarrow King, ridden beautifully by producer Samantha Roberts. Bred by Evelyn Nee, King travelled from Padraig Hynes’ yard in Recess, Co Galway, to Henrietta Knight’s in Oxfordshire late last year to take up his ridden career in the UK. It is believed that he will be continuing his stud work next year. Emma O’Toole of Clifden (photo below) qualified Cashelbay Joe at the NPS Area show in Northern Ireland this year. Joe qualified last year with Amy Smith on

(Top) Tommy Coyne presents the Oliver Coyne Memorial Cup to John Boisclair who defeated Alan Flaherty in the ﬁnal in Glynsk House in January. Tommy Coyne presents the Oliver Coyne Memorial Shield to Justin Murray who defeated Eoin Gannon in the ﬁnal.

Inter Pub League Champions Congratulations to the Teach Daingean A darts team who were recently awarded the title of 2010 Connemara Inter-Pub Division 1 League Champions. Photo below: Back (l-r): John Boisclair, Anthony Coyne, Máirtin Griﬃn. Front (l-r): Mike Connolly, Larry Keady (Captain) Tommy Flaherty. Not Pictured: Ciarán Griﬃn, Tom McDonagh. Photos courtesy of Paul Gannon

Cumann Badmantan Chonamara Thiar The West Connemara Junior Badminton club was established on October 11th 2009. At the foundation meeting in Claddaghduﬀ Hall the following oﬃcers were elected: Chairperson Kenneth DeLappe, Secretary Anita Daly, Treasurer Paul Gannon and Registrar Collette Gannon. The aim of the club is to encourage and foster the game of badminton in west Connemara and provide playing opportunities for all levels of play. A number of the club’s adult personnel will be completing the Foundation Level Coaching Course later on this month. Club membership is open to anyone from the age of 7 to 17 who wishes to play. The membership rate is €20 (€13 is used to register the new member with Badminton Ireland in Dublin). Adults may also become members at a cost of €10. Potential new members are allowed to attend for a maximum of two sessions before they must decide on joining the club. Should they decide to join the membership fee is due prior to the commencement of their third session. There is a €5 charge per child to cover the cost of gym rental. Cumann Badmantan Chonamara Thiar meets every Saturday from 11-2 pm at the West Connemara Sports and Leisure Centre in Clifden. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dave Shaughnessy for all his help and co-operation with the above. Paul Gannon

board. Henry O’Toole bought Joe shortly after last year’s Olympia returning him to Ireland for his daughter Emma. Emma and Joe produced a conﬁdent and precise show which showed Joe’s ability to produce super elevation. Kerry Wainright’s home bred Skellorn Harrison, which goes back to the Marble line, ridden by Stuart Mason, sparkled nicely throughout their clean performance but failed to garner the ride judge, Rachel Bown’s, attention. John’s Cuckoo, recently gelded, achieved slightly higher conformation but lower ride mark than Harrison, just beating him in

Febr uar y 2010

the line-up by 1 mark. Congratulations to all those who qualiﬁed and competed. Report and photos courtesy of Pam Clingan, FTC Photography.www.fredthecat.co.uk

New Oughterard Riding Club The members of the newly formed St Pat’s Horse Riding Club pictured below on their Christmas night out in Oughterard during the festive period. Photo courtesy of Noelle MacNamara

Connemara SportsView

Judo

Connemara Golf 02/12/09 Open Stableford,1st: James Heaslip (11)40pts,2nd: Pat King (20)38pts(b9), 3rd: John Murphy(12)38pts(b9),CSS: 37pts. 06/12/09 18 Holes Stableford, Hamper No 4,Mens: 1st: Aidan Griffin (13)34pts,2nd: David Griffin (18) 33pts. 13/12/09 18 Holes Stableford,Sponsor: Ladies Committee. Ladies:1st: Maeve O’Connor(23) 36pts,2nd: Julie Donnellan(16) 33pts(b9),3rd: Deirdre Murphy(16)17pts gross,4th: Olive Breen(20) 33pts.CSS: 33pts,Men: 18 Holes V Par,1st: Michael Gaughan(21) 4up,2nd: Iarri Griffith(10) 3up,3rd: James De Courcey(19) 3up. 23/12/09 Open Singles Stableford,Mens: 1st: Mark Kelly(20)41pts, 24/01/10 Stableford,1st: Tim Hickey(17) 38pts(b9),2nd: Michael Dolly(13) 38pts, 3rd: Ernest Herzog(23) 37pts(b6),CSS: 36pts. Sat 23rd Jan,Open Stableford,1st: Tony O’Donnell(21)42pts,2nd: Padraic Conroy(17)40pts(b9),Gross: Joe Lyons(0) 37pts, 3rd: Micky Lee(17)40pts,CSS: 37pts. 20/01/10 Open Stableford,1st: Simon Heaslip(14)41pts,2nd: Dermot Begley(13)39pts(b9),3rd: Jimmy Sheehan(16)39pts(b9),CSS: 37pts 27/12/09 18 Holes Stableford,Ladies:1st: Marie Bourke(27) 36pts, CSS: 36pts,Mens: 1st: Geoff Tucker (25) 43pts,2nd: Frank Kineen(14) 38pts(b3), 3rd: Dave Beecher(15) 38pts(b9),CSS: 38pts. 30/12/09 Open Stableford, Mens: 1st: Bill Faller (14)38pts,2nd: Gareth Anthony(6) 33pts,CSS: 34pts. 03/01/10 18 Holes Stableford, Ladies: 1st: Marie Bourke(27) 43pts, 2nd: Deirdre Murphy(16) 37pts,3rd: Pauline Dolly(18) 36pts,Mens: 1st: Kenneth Coyne(19) 42pts,2nd: Pat O’Neill(20) 41pts,3rd: Sean Birmingham(18) 40pts. 10/01/10 Singles,1st: John Cashin (19) 43pts,2nd: JR King(17) 41pts. 16/01/10 Open Singles 1st: Ian McLynn(6)39pts, 2nd: Norman Monahon (13)39pts. Gross: Joe Lyons (0)32pts ,3rd: Sean Acton(7) 38pts. 27/01/10 Open Stableford, 1st: Jimmy Hayden (18) 42pts, 2nd: Norman Monahon(12)38pts,3rd: JJ Higgins (20)37pts,CSS: 36pts. 30/10/10 Open Stableford, 1st: Gary Thompson (20)44pts, 2nd: Val Groarke (13) 43pts, Gross: Damien Coyne(1)40pts,3rd: Kevin Lally(9)41pts,CSS:37pts. 31/01/10 Scramble-1st: David Griffin (18) /Ger O’Donnell (6) / Aidan Griffin(13)59,2nd: Jack Cosgrove(12)/

Connemara SportsView

Josh McGloin of Connemara Judo Club recently achieved a title in competitive Judo. At the All Ireland Judo Federation Championship in Galway on Sunday January 30th, he was named as winner of the under 18 75kg category. For more information on the Connemara Judo Club call 087 053 3267.

Adventure Challenge A new one day event, the Connemara Adventure Challenge, will take place in Connemara on the 8th of May 2010. It will take place out of the K2 adventure centre situated outside Leenane. The event is a shorter version of Gaelforce West, the large adventure race that takes place in August. The Connemara Adventure Challenge encompasses three disciplines; running (walking and jogging also allowed!!), cycling and kayaking. The event is approx 26km in length and the route takes in sections of the western way, the foothills of the Maaumturks and the Killary Fjord. Mona Purcell the event director says “the event is achievable by everyone with a little bit of training”. The event will see 1,000 competitors at the start line. “These 1,000 competitors and their supporters will be staying in the local area for the weekend and will provide a boost to the local economy” states Jamie Young. For those who are new to adventure challenges and are a little apprehensive to sign up, Killary Adventure Co. are running a training weekend for complete beginners on the 12th of February. For more information on the event visit www.gaelforceevents.com.

Aware Charity Cycle The third annual Aware Connemara Cycle will take place in Connemara on Saturday April 24th and people are invited to participate in the fun charity event to raise much needed funds for the charity Aware, which gives support to people aﬀected by depression, in the west of Ireland. The looped cycle event raised funds of over €11,000 last year, all of which was donated to Aware for projects in the west of Ireland. This year’s event, which is gaining in popularity, attracting over Tim Hickey(16)/Vivian Cotter(18)61,3rd: Eddie Flaherty(18)/John Cashin(19)/Paddy Flaherty(7)61,4th: Pat O’Rourke(11)/Dave Beecher(15)/Willie McDonagh(15)62.

Ballyconneely NS Scramble The Parents Association and staﬀ of Scoil Bhríde, Ballyconneely wish to thank all who organised, supported and played in the fundraising scramble in aid of the school which was held in Connemara Golf Club on Sunday January 17th. It was a very successful day out and thanks are also due to the golf club committee for giving us the course. Results: 1st Tim Hickey (17, Bro. Vivien Cotter (18) Jack Cosgrove (12) 57 1/6

GAA Grainne Mhaols Underage Progress the Highlight Of Mná An Iarthair’s Year K2 was the venue for the 2009 Gráinne Mhaols AGM which was held on January 16th last. At adult level the club had a relatively successful season. Gráinne Mhaols annexed the West Galway Senior League and County Sevens Shield titles. The adult players also reached the Connacht Intermediate Sevens Shield final in Breaffy and the All Ireland Intermediate Sevens Shield semifinal in Dublin. However, the County Intermediate Championship once again proved to be the Achilles heel of this particular bunch of players. Comprehensive victories over Clonbur, Milltown and Annaghdown in the round robin phase of the above paled into insignificance on a cold wet day in Rosmuc when Murphy’s Law prevailed in a hugely disappointing semi-final defeat to their great North Connemara rivals from Dúiche Seoighe. Clonbur subsequently defeated Glenamaddy to attain Senior Championship status, and if Gráinne Mhaols are ever to emulate this outstanding achievement, then the present intermediate panel will have to display much greater levels of commitment and physical fitness going forward. Re U11/U12, James O’Neill and Moira Burghoffer informed all present that their squad had a great season, reaching the West U11 B and the county Under 12 D League finals, respectively. They added that the depth of talent among the players allied to the tremendous level of parental involvement and support really augurs well for the future of the club. Under 13/14 Manager Melissa 100 cyclists last year, will start from Maam Cross at 11am. Cyclists of all abilities are invited to participate in this very worthwhile charitable event and there are 30 mile and 50 mile looped cycles to choose from. For further information on the Aware Connemara Cycle event, and for sponsorship cards, contact Caroline Moran, telephone 086-1712947 or email cycleaware@gmail.com. pts. 2nd Seamus Grayan (20) Neil Taylor (12) Jeremy Willder (20) 59 1/3 pts. 3rd Martin Carr (6) Cahir Conneely (6) Michael O’Conghaile (9) 60 1/2 pts, 4th Liam Reilly (4) Walter Butler (16) Rory Sweeney (1) 61 1/2 pts. The all ladies team prize went to Bridie Conneely (23) Tricia Willder (25) and Bernie Ward (30). Photo: Players and Supporters of Scramble in aid of Scoil Bhride, Ballyconneely.

Oughterard Golf The Oughterard Golf Club’s 2010 Captain David Walsh, President, Rita Jordon and Vice Captain and Peggy Blehein. Photo below by Tom Broderick

Febr uar y 2010

Wallace complimented her squad on their footballing endeavours throughout 2009. The highlight of the year was West U13 League final against Leitir Moír. Numbers in this age group were somewhat depleted with many of the players a bit small in stature. Nevertheless, it was a really enjoyable positive experience for both herself and Lucy Lydon, and Melissa concluded her report by acknowledging the dedication and the commitment of the four players who were selected for the Galway Under 14 Development Squad. Whether any of these make the final cut remains to be seen. At Under 16 level Finian Sheridan’s charges were very unlucky not to reach their championship final after putting in a tremendous semi final performance against a hotly fancied Moycullen outfit that went on subsequently to win the final. Treasurer Lorraine Heffernan presented all present with a comprehensive and accurate set of accounts. She thanked all the Darts players and Monthly Draw members for their ongoing support of Ladies Football in West Connemara. The 2010 Monthly Draw will be recommencing on the last Monday in March and new members are most welcome. The election of officers followed: Chairperson James O’Neill, Vice Chairperson John Francis Flaherty, Secretary Paul Gannon, Registrar Colleen Curran, Treasurer Lorraine Heffernan, Public Relations Officer Moira Burghoffer, Oifigeach na Gaeilge Bríd Nic Dhonnacha, Child Welfare Officer Mary Young, Youth Development Officers Emily Gibbons and Alison Coneys. The election of management teams/managers followed: Under 9 Collette Gannon, Moira Burghoffer, Colleen Curran, and Paul Gannon. Under 11/Under 12 Paul Gannon and James O’Neill. Under 13/Under 14 Moira Burghoffer and Paul Gannon. Under 15/Under 16 Finian Sheridan, Under 17/ Under 18 Mary Young, John Francis Flaherty and Paul Gannon. Intermediate/Senior Mary Young, John Francis Flaherty and Paul Gannon. The following people were elected to represent the club as delegates at County Board Meetings in Loughgeorge: Lorraine Heffernan, Bríd Nic Dhonnacha, James O’Neill, John Francis Flaherty and Paul Gannon. A special word of thanks and appreciation was extended to outgoing Intermediate captain Bríd Nic Dhonnacha in recognition of her outstanding dedication, commitment, inspirational performances and leadership on the field of play over the previous three years. Bríd’s teammates Lisa Coohill and Mairead Coyne were congratulated on their provincial inter county success with Galway Seniors and Juniors, respectively. Mairead Coyne was further congratulated on her graduation to the ranks of the Galway Senior Panel and all present wished her every success in her maiden voyage at the highest level. Outgoing Chairperson Melissa Wallace and Registrar Colleen Curran were complimented on their outstanding administrative contribution to club affairs throughout 2009. In conclusion, CLG Ghráinne Mhaoil would like to extend a sincere word of thanks and appreciation to a number of people: Ann Gorham for her help and cooperation re darts trophies, Jimmy Gibbons who has kindly offered to wash and dry all the various sets of club jerseys free of charge in 2010, and Gerry Gannon of Gannon Sport who kindly sponsored a set of jerseys for the Intermediate team in 2009. Ní Neart Go Cur Le Chéile. Paul Gannon

Page 13

Promotion for Carna Cashel Pictured are the Carna- Cashel Junior B team who defeated St. Michaels in the Junior B West Board ﬁnal in Spiddal on a scoreline of 1-10 to 2-4.The team is now promoted to Junior A for the 2010 season. A good weekend for the club was completed when the Intermediate team defeated Kilconly in the West Board League ﬁnal by 2-16 to 1-9. Photo courtesy of Bernard Lee

First hurling match at Letterfrack pitch The first ever hurling match in North West Connemara took place on the brand new pitch in Letterfrack on a wet and windy November 11th. Connemara, not usually associated with hurling has been making its mark in recent times with a very promising GMIT Letterfrack hurling team. This college won their first national title in Jan 2008 with the Ulster Bank Senior League Division Three victory and later that year suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the Championship final to Napier University at CIT. Athlone Institute of Technology provided the opposition to GMIT Letterfrack in the Ulster Bank Division Two Hurling League. This was also GMIT Letterfrack’s first ever home game-a big change for the side that have had to travel to all of their games including home fixtures for the past nine years. Unfortunately on the day conditions hampered a free flowing game and neither team could play to their full potential with the weather playing a major role in proceedings. Both teams entered the match on the back of differing forms, Athlone having won well with 10 points to spare in their previous outing, Letterfrack having lost on a

score line of 3-16 to 1-16 in theirs. Unfortunately for the Galway side the eventual draw of 1-6 to 9 points was not enough to progress and instead it was Athlone IT who advanced to the league quarter final against Queens University. Sean Garvey, manager of GMIT Letterfrack said “It was a good match in difficult conditions. The lads have a never say die attitude and that paid off in the end. It’s disappointing to find ourselves out of the league after a draw match, but we know we have plenty of room for improvement and

Oughterard Boxing Tournament

we’re looking forward to the championship after Christmas.” Sean went on to say “The team has come a long way in the last 6 or 7 years contesting 4 national ﬁnals. In the early years we had to go to a local beach to train and in more recent years the college installed a small sand pitch with ﬂood lights and this helped. However the new grass pitch is a massive development for sport in GMIT Letterfrack and the local community in general. Well done to all involved!”

Letterfrack Hurling Team 2009 Back (l-r): John Roche, Kieran Gill, Patrick Naughton, Eoin Egan, Micheal Murphy, Keith Killalea, Jason Killkenny (Captain), Micheál Casey, Kevin Richardson, Fiachra Coyne, Gerard O’Loughlin, Darragh Butler, Seán Garvey (Manager). Front (l-r): Tomas Higgins, Ciaran Buckley, Cormac Ó Droighneain, Joe Keane, David O’ Callaghan, Gerard Murphy, Sean Lynch, Adrian Brennan, David Crehan, James Coen, Niall Quinn. Photo courtesy of Karen Riordan

St Pats (Won). Bout 7: Junior 66kg. Gavin Butler, Oughterard (Won) V Eddie McDonagh, St Pats. Bout 8: Boy 1 36kg. Kieran Molloy, Oughterard (Won) V Martin Corcoran, Olympic. Bout 9: Boy 3 50kg Gareth Small, Oughterard V John Donavan, Olympic (Won). Bout 10: Colm Molloy, Oughterard (Won) V Aaron McDonagh, Connemara. Bout 12: Youth 1 57kg Alan Halloran, Oughterard (Won) V Bernie Corcoran, Ballinasloe. Bout 13: Exhibition-Youth 1 85kg Stephen Molloy, Oughterard V Jamie Adams, Oughterard. Bout 14: Junior 60kg Aaron Casey, Oughterard V Willie Barrett, Oympic (Won). Kieran Molloy was named as Home Boxer of the Tournament and winner of the Johnny O’ Connor Cup. The Away boxer of the tournament was Willie Barrett of the Olympic Club. Photo: Gareth Small of the Oughterard Boxing Club lands one on John Donavan, winner of the Boys 39kg bout

of the Olympic Boxing Club at the Oughterard Boxing Tournament on Saturday December 12th. Results courtesy of Stephen Molloy and photo by Tom Broderick.

Diamond Charity Challenge 2009

Diamond Hill Climb Times

It was a cold Sunday morning on November 29th when 20 contestants gathered at Letterfrack Church at 11:30am. The challenge was to climb Diamond Hill and then cycle to Keogh’s in Ballyconneely. At 12 the whistle sounded and we started running. Brendan Scullion and Pat O’ Neill were quickest up and down the diamond in an incredible 39 minutes. Ann Conneely was the quickest woman in 43 minutes. The overall winner was Brendan Scullion followed closely by Pat O’ Neill, and Ann Conneely won the women’s race. Congratulations to Kevin Conneely whose sheer determination helped him across the line. The challenge raised a total of €1600 and the winner got to donate the money to a cause of their choice which Brendan Scullion donated to the baby Enda Walker Fund. For more on the Diamond Charity Challenge see Page 24. Sean Nee

1. Brendan Scullion 39 mins, 2. Pat O’ Neill 39 mins, 3. Alan Keogh 42 mins, 4. Anne O’ Neill Conneely 43 mins, 5. Sean Nee 44 mins, 6. Bernard Keaney 44 mins,7. Seamus Nee 46 mins,8. John O’ Malley 47 mins,9. Jarlath O’ Neill 55 mins,10. Danny Scullion 56 mins,11. Colin Connolly 56 mins, 12 Brendan Keogh 1hr 04 mins, 13. Kevin Conneely 1hr 06 mins,14. Bernadette o’ Malley 1hr 08 mins, 15. Yana 1hr 24mins, 16. Catherine McEvoy 1hr 42mins,17. Angela Burke 1hr 45mins. Total Times. 1. Brendan Scullion 1hr 25 mins, 2. Pat O’ Neill 1hr 26 mins, 3. Sean Nee 1hr 32 mins, 4. Alan Keogh 1hr 34mins, 5. Anne O’ NeillConneely 1hr 34 mins, 6. John O’ Malley 1hr 35 mins, 7. Bernard Keaney 1hr 39 mins, 8. Danny

Scullion 1hr 46 mins, 9. Seamus Nee 1hr 47 mins, 10. Colin Connolly 1hr 57 mins, 11. Kevin Conneely 2hr 24mins,12 Bernadette O’ Malley 2hr 35 mins.

The Oughterard Boxing Club Tournament of 2009 took place in the Oughterard Community Centre on December 12th where a number of local and visiting boxers took part in a mixture of 13 competitive and exhibition bouts. The MC for the event was Mr. Seamus Walsh and Dr. Peter Harte was on hand as Medical Oﬃcer. The results were as follows: Bout 1: Exhibition-33kg. Tony Jackson, Oughterard V Sean Conroy, Connemara. Bout 2: Exhibition-33kg Matthew Tierney, Oughterard V Tom Stokes, Ballinasloe. Bout 3: Boy 1 48kg. Ethan Walsh, Oughterard V Oisin O Mahony Olympic (Won). Bout 4: Boy 2 48kg. Micheal Carter, Oughterard (Won) V Cathal Griﬃn, Connemara. Bout 5: Boy 2 50kg. Liam Butler, Oughterard V Bernie Corcoran, Ballinasloe (Won). Bout 6: Boy 3 54kg. Jake Morgan Oughterard V Michael McCarthy,

Page 14

Febr uar y 2010

Connemara SportsView

Art & Antiques

Catering

Prendergast Antiques. Lower Market St., Clifden. For that unique gift or special piece for your home why not peruse our extensive collection of antique furniture, silver, ceramics, collectibles, antique and reproduction glassware, prints, mirrors. Best prices, 32 county delivery, worldwide shipping, trade welcome. www.clifden.biz. Phone 087-629-6195 anytime. Clifden Antiques & Irish Art. Station House Courtyard. 095-22230. 087-664-9845. clifdenantiques@eircom. net. Make your home beautiful by investing in wonderful Antiques & Art. It’s a great time to buy as prices have decreased considerably. Come in – you may be pleasantly surprised, it’s a chance to invest your money wisely.

A la Carty Catering: For all your home catering needs contact Joe and Olive Carty. 095-22842. 087-260-5961. alacartycatering@gmail.com. Award Winning Chef John Walsh is now oﬀering catering services and cookery courses. Look for the Pangur Ban stall at the Clifden & Moycullen weekly markets for gourmet breads & more. 095-41243. pban@indigo.ie www.pangurban.com.

Automotive

D&N Auto Store. Suppliers of: Oils, parts, batteries, accessories, body kits, alloys, number plates. Now stocking tractor parts. Open 6 days 9am-6pm. Unit 4, Clifden Business Park. 095-30615. 087-274-4165. Omey Tyres. Connemara’s 1st complete mobile tyre ﬁtting centre. Our Recession Beater For You: Wholesale Prices on New Tyres. The best prices - Every day – Guaranteed. 24 Hour - 7 Days. Call Out Service throughout Connemara. Call Daniel Ryan on 095-44979 or 086-831-3462.

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

Child Care

Connemara West Community Creche cater for children from 3 months to 12 years providing full day care, preschool and after-school services. If you are interested in booking a place please call Miriam at 095-41908.

Computers & IT

Books & Periodicals

King’s Paper Shop. Main St, Clifden. 095-21119. Lotto. Newspapers & magazines. Clifden Bookshop. Main St., Clifden. Oﬀering a comprehensive range of titles with particular emphasis on local Connemara history, Irish literature, guide books, maps, memoirs and book tokens. Extensive range of books currently selling at parity. Best sellers/thrillers/biographies. Also stockists of artist’s materials, cards and stationery. Provides ordering and mail order service. theclifdenbookshop@eircom.net. 095-22020. Open Mon – Sat 10-5:30.

Cafés, Pubs & Restaurants

Zetland House Hotel, Cashel. 095-31111. info@zetland. com. Special Valentines Menu. €35.00p.p including a complimentary glass of Champagne. Details on page 31. Abbeyglen Castle Hotel. Sky Road, Clifden. Celebrating our 40th year. Cheers! Open for dinner 7 nights a week. Early booking is advisable. Tuesday night is Irish Night. Entertainment nightly. 095-21201. info@abbeyglen.ie. www.abbeyglen.ie. Clifden Station House Bar Winter Warmers Roast Sunday Lunch with all the trimmings €11. Kids’ Portion €5.50. Friday Night Supper Club: Hot Dish & Glass of Wine €12. Live Music with Barry Ryan 7-9pm. Steak & Pint €15. Coffee & Homemade Cake €5. Please ask your wait staff about daily specials or check the Specials Board. 095-21699. info@clifdenstationhouse.com. Griffins Bar. Main St, Clifden. 095-21370. NEW Lunch Menu Served Daily Mon-Thu 12-4pm / Fri 12-5pm. Takeaway now available. Watch Sports in High Definition on our Big Screen l 4 TV Screens. Oliver’s Seafood Bar and Restaurant, Cleggan. Fresh seafood. Bar food served daily until 9pm. Trad Session on Saturday nights with local musicians. 095-44640. O’Dowd’s Bar & Seafood Restaurant. Roundstone Harbour. Open daily from 10.30am. Fresh seafood daily. 095-35809. Valentines Special: 3 Course Menu with glass of Champagne €30pp from 11th to 15th Feb.Reservations advisable. Restaurant Open Noon-3pm, 6-9.30pm. Breakfast served 10.30am-Noon / Bar Food Noon-9pm. Kylemore Pass Hotel and Restaurant, Kylemore. Ideal for small weddings. Tranquillity Room suitable for civil weddings & therapy-use. Restaurant for a special meal. Sailors Bar for affordable meals. Celebrate birthdays, anniversaries etc. Take friends for a drink in our unique bar. 095-41141. email: passinn@indigo.ie www.kylemorepass-hotel-connemara.com.

Connemara View Newspaper

Driver Training John Lyden – Clifden School of Motoring. Road Safety Authority and UK approved driving instructor. Lessons given in Toyota Yaris Diesel or an automatic car. For details and appointments ring 095-21170.

Dry Cleaners

Shamrock Dry Cleaners. The Square, Clifden. 095-21348.

Entertainment Education & Courses Yellow Door Productions and Expressive Arts School. Station House Courtyard. Elaine Enright. 085-1544664. All Courses begin the week of February 8th. Hip Hop; Adult dance classes ; Adult Yoga Classes; Junior Stage Door; Intermediate Stage Door, Ballet and Creative Dance, Piano and Cello Lessons. Details on page 23. Shooting Lessons: From the complete novice to the most experienced gun with Shane Bisgood. Coaching for over 30 years in Ireland & the Americas. Call 086-2795118 or email: shanebisgood@eircom.net. ‘Parliamo italiano!’ Italian language classes for beginners. Informal, friendly atmosphere. Evenings. Clifden. 087-758-1923. The Confidence of Self. Think with confidence, speak with confidence, act with confidence. Be confident. Be yourself. One evening per week over 5 weeks. Coming to Clifden in February. For details call Brendan on 087-138-1974 (after 6:30pm) or e-mail nuamacdana@gmail.com.

Febr uar y 2010

Keogh’s Ballyconneely. 095-23522. Friday 5th February. Come dancing to John Hogan. 9x9 Card Drive: Thursday February 4th. Every Friday (except Feb 5th) thereafter. €1620 in prizes. All money paid out. Station House Theatre, Clifden. Check out our fantastic line-up of cinema and live acts. www.stationhousetheatre. com. info@stationhousetheatre.com 095-30303. Video rental and purchase. Music. Video games. Video Vault. Main St, Clifden. 095-22033 The Ultimate Girls Night In!! An Ann Summers party is the great girls night in for you and your friends. Parties are full of games, fun and laughter and it will be one night you will not forget. To book your party or order a catalogue please contact Paula on 087-758-9710.

Advertise all year for as little as 21 cents per day. Call 095-22888 or go to www.connemaraview.com Page 15

Farming

Food & Wine

An extensive range of animal feeds including the Red Mills and Gain brands now on sale at Clifden Fruit & Veg. Main Street, Clifden. 086-836-5864. Diamonds. Renvyle. 095-43486. For all your farm needs: Hay, Equi Haylage, straw, shavings, all animal feeds, fencing, drainage, steel, gates, stakes, concrete products, cement, coal, briquettes, pellets, Eco Logs, sand, gravel. For coal & briquettes - Nobody beats our prices. Call today for a quote. Free delivery.

Jagur Organic. Get your organic Fruit and Vegetables from your local Organic Grower. Our produce is available in the Countryshop Letterfrack and the Connemera Hamper Clifden. Plant Sale at the Clifden Market on Friday February 5th. 095-44855. Geraghty‘s Supermarket. Carna. 095-32239. Clifden Fruit & Veg. Main St., Clifden. 086-836-5864. Full selection of fruit and vegetable at great prices. Now selling an extensive range of animal feeds. Connemara Hamper. Lower Market St., Clifden. Large selection of Irish and European farmhouse cheeses. Organic wines, fruit and vegetables. Freshly baked breads and baguettes. Gourmet lunches and Llly coﬀee to go. Open all year. Winter hours; Thurs-Sat 10-5. 095-21054. Des Moran Family Butchers. Des Moran Family Butchers. Main Street, Clifden. 095-21232. Home of the national award winning sausages, white pudding and black pudding. Catering to all of your meat and poultry needs. Malone Meats. Lower Market St., Clifden. Stop in for quality and service from your local butcher. Clip out this ad to receive 10% oﬀ your purchase. 095-21868. SuperValu Clifden. The Square, Clifden. 095-21182. Opening hours: Monday-Thursday/Saturday 8am-9pm. Fri 8am-10pm. Sunday & Bank Holidays 8:30am-7pm. An Bhean Feasa Health Store. Market St. 095-30671. Organic wholefoods, nutritional supplements, herbs, natural remedies, organic face and body care.

Fashion Hehirs. Market St., 095-21282. mhehir@eircom.net. Hehir’s 50% oﬀ clearance sale continues on Women’s Fashions. Boots, rainwear, knitwear, jeans. La Femme Bleue. The Square, Clifden. 086-129-5548. jtmchantal@hotmail.com. La Femme Bleue is closed for the month of February. WE will reopen in March with a new colourful, unique design. Come in and check it out. Ohh! By Gum. Station House Courtyard. 095-21334. 086-025-9568. ohhbygum@gmail.com. In the Water Tower of the Station House Courtyard, discover an eclectic mix of fashion, vintage & organic, accessories and arts & crafts.

Financial

Recession Busting Review: Why not avail of our Free financial review to see if we can save you money on all your insurances. Then you will know for sure, you are getting the best deal. Call Hennelly Finance on 091-586-500 or call Helena on 086-809-5607. Hennelly Financial Services Ltd. T/A Hennelly Finance is regulated by the Financial Regulator. Bookkeeping & Accounts service for self employed and small businesses. Very experienced financial administrator is available for all your bookkeeping requirements. VAT/PAYE/ PRSI returns, payroll, monthly accounts etc. Contact: Marian Herriott 087-647-8303. mherriott4@gmail.com. Cashel-Connemara Credit Union. Clifden Office at Unit 3, Tom Barry House 095-21101. Cashel Office 095-31128. Therese Thornton, Solicitor, Clifden, Co. Galway. Professional, comprehensive legal service at reasonable rates. Call 087-262-5385 or email ThereseThornton@gmail.com for advice or a quote with no obligation.

Flowers

Connemara Florist. Main St., Clifden. Monday -Saturday 10am-5:30pm - 095-21565 connemaraflorist@gmail. com - www.connemaraflorist.net. Fresh flowers for all occasions: birthdays, anniversaries, births, funerals and weddings. Great gift ideas - whatever your budget! Delivery throughout Connemara. We cater for all budgets!

Home Furnishings

Homeware Plus & Shamrock Dry Cleaners. The Square, Clifden. Everything at discount prices! Household products and toiletries. Oﬃce Supplies. Cards & gifts. Tools. 095-21348.

supplied with rain covers, delivered, erected and collected. 095-21219. Diamonds. Renvyle. 095-43486. Coal, briquettes, pellets, Eco Logs, sand, gravel. For coal & briquettes - Nobody beats our prices. Call today for a quote. Free delivery.

Marine

Office Supplies Office Chat. We have closed our Clifden shop but you can still order direct from us for great value on office supplies, digital cameras and printers. Next day delivery. Quarryhouse,Rosscahill West, Mob.086-2848603. 091-550014.email:ian@officechat.ie. Visit our website at www.officechat.ie. Homeware Plus The Square, Clifden. Now in – a great selection of Office Supplies. Everything at discount prices! 095-21348.

Oil

The Oil Company. Galway Rd, Clifden. 095-22636. A new local business with familiar faces. For all your home heating, diesel, lube oil and tank requirements. Sweeney Oil. Clifden. Order your home heating oil today!For a competitive quote call us on 095-21777. Order online at sweeneyoil.com.

Pets, Animals, Ponies & Poultry

Information Services & Media 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, confidential advice and support call D.V.R. 091-866-740. Connemara AA and Al-Anon meetings: Al-Anon: Mondays, Elm Tree Centre (Day room), 8-9pm. AA: Tuesdays, Old School, Recess, 8.30 pm. Wednesdays, Clifden Day Centre, (behind the hospital) 8.30pm. Thursdays, Clifden Day Centre, 8.30pm. Fridays, Ellis Hall, Letterfrack, 9pm. Saturdays and Sundays, Clifden Day Centre 12 noon. Clifden Citizens Information Centre. Free and confidential service to the public. Galway Rd, Clifden. 095-22000 and 087-130-1100. Thurs 7pm-8pm. Friday 10:30am3:30pm. Connemara Community Radio. Letterfrack. 095-41616. Connemara View Newspaper. Clifden. 095-22888. AWARE Depression Support Group meetings take place at the FORUM Office (upstairs), Ellis Hall, Letterfrack on the 1st Thursday of every month at 8pm. Contact Margaret 095-21741 afternoons except Tuesday for more details.

P/B Pedigree JRTs For Sale.Tan/White, beautifully marked, short-legged. 4 Females left. Option IKC reg. or non-reg. POA. Enquiries to 086 316 7743. Connolly’s Boarding Cattery near Rossaveal. Open all year for long or short stays. Designed for safety and comfort of cats following FAB guidelines. All cats must be vaccinated and males neutered. Tel. Maureen on 086-398-8179 or 091-572-000 or visit www.purr.ie.

Items for Sale or Rent

For Sale: 06 Opel Zaﬁra 1.6. Club 7 seats. 32,000 miles. €12,600. 087-222-7853. Connemara Bouncing Castles for hire for all occasions,

Page 16

Febr uar y 2010

Connemara View Newspaper

The Clifden Boat Club Bar and Restaurant is available for lease.We invite you to come aboard with us and spend your summer on the shores of Clifden Bay.This idyllic setting has huge business potential for the lunch and evening meal trade.Equipped with fully ﬁtted kitchen, large dining area and beer garden. Sailing school during the summer holidays guarantees a steady afternoon trade and with the arrival of the long awaited new jetty, this season hopes to see a lot more boating activity in the bay. An extremely reasonable rent makes this a wonderful business opportunity. Please call 087-241-8569 for more details.

Signs Traditional Irish sign writing by ‘Studio Nicholas Connemara’. Moycullen-Tullokyne. 091-556735. 087-220-3898.

Taxi Service

Pets, Animals, Ponies & Poultry Found: Friendly, adult black and white neutered male cat. Someone’s pet. Wanted: Good home for a handsome grey and white 7mts, male cat. Neutered; vacc, house-trained, lovable and great craic! Ph Babs on 086-354-2451.

TV/Satellite/Broadband Free to to air satellite service from Harrington Electrical Connemara. Full standard installation with box and dish €160. Hundreds of free to air channels. Call Paul on 087-144-1118. Wireless broadband. Aerial and satellite installation and repair. Peter Keane, Clifden. 095-21827. 087-668-7468.

Photography Services

Wedding videos, camcorder moments, video gold. VHS to DVD transfer now available. Photos restored, rescued & reprinted. Have your photos digitally scanned, burned to cd, ready for print. Video Vault. Main St, Clifden. Call 095-22033.

Upholstery

Upholstery Service. Loose cover. Curtains. Blinds. Materials and swatchbooks available. Custom projects. Call Maurice or Agnes. 095-44902. 085-723-1774. 087-762-4983.

Websites

Website Design: Creative, professional and aﬀordable websites by Cuán Mara Design, Letterfrack, Co. Galway. For pricing and to view portfolio visit www.cuanmaradesign. com. For a competitive quote phone Caroline Herriott on 086-079-1918 or email caroline@cuanmaradesign.com. Two Dog Computer & Business Solutions. We moved!. Stop into our new shop on Bridge St., Clifden. 095-22194. 086-404-3125. Website design and development. Call John Claro for a free consulatation.

Wedding Services

Vintage and modern cars available for weddings, social or corperate travel and airport transfers. Our rare and unique cars are fully PSV licensed and insured. Special midweek rates. Visit our website or call us on 091-506-896 or 087-990-2294. www.getawaylimos.com.

Properties - BER Building energy rating (BER)call today for a quotation,also a solar panel and heat recovery ventilation installer.SEI registered.contact Aodan on 087-066-0755 or email at aodanmacdonncha@gmail.com. Selling your house or renting long-term? Then you must have a Building Energy Rating. Contact Oliver Coyne today! 095-35813. 086-238-4195. olivercoyne@gmail. com. Listed on the SEI Register of BER assessors.

Quads Properties / Lease Opportunities For Rent:Two and three bedroom apartments. Clifden Town Centre. Storage / workshed. Market Hill. 087 299 8354 Conveniently located 3 bedroom house available for rent. Modern and comfortable, this property is located in just a stroll from Clifden town centre. Careful tenants only. No pets. Available furnished or unfurnished. Car space provided. Ph/ Text: 087 2322451 Rooms to rent in town centre. New house, all mod cons. Ph 086-837-7120. 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.

Connemara View Newspaper

Galway Quads. Quads, buggies, repairs, servicing, accessories. Boley, East Barna. Contact Keith Trill on 087-988-6514 or email keith@galwayquads.com. www. galwayquads.com.

Restorations

Church-Castle and Monument. Architectural and ecclesiastical restoration and conservation. Our Service: statues repair and repainting. Marble altar works. Stained glass windows. Outdoor statues. Towerbells and clocks. Fountains. Crypts. Church furniture. Stations of the Cross. Vestments. Chalices and monstrances. Grotto statues. Also sandblasting and metal engineering works.etc. Nationwide Service. Purchasing-Statue showroom. Michele Thierbach G.R.A.D. www.studio-michele.com. www. nicholas-antiques.com. 091-556735.

Febr uar y 2010

Next Issue: Thursday, March 4th Ad Space Reservation Deadline February 19 News Deadline February 24 Directory Classified Deadline February 26

095-22888

www.connemaraview.com Page 17

Sand, Gravel & Stone

Trade Supplies & Services Alternative Energy Airflow Renewable Energy Solutions, Ballybrit, Galway. 091-764-761.www.airflowireland.ie. Daikin air to water heat pumps. Ground source geothermal heat pumps. IVT heat recovery ventilation. Solar panels. System design & project support. Domestic & commercial. SEI approved. Cut your oil bill by two-thirds with solar powered water heating. Call Michael Carey for a free no obligation quote. Testimonials from satisfied customers available. SEI grants available. Carey Solar Powered Systems. Sky Rd. Clifden. 086-603-9299. www.careysolar.com.

Appliance Repair & Maintenance

Robert King Service Repair: Appliance Repair Approved agent for Whirlpool, Bosch, Siemens, Neﬀ, Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda. Oil burner service/repair. Have your oil burner full serviced/repaired to maximise its eﬃciency. Electric showers. Storage heating. Immersion elements. Covering all of Connemara. Fully insured. 095-22979. 087-697-7505. robmking@eircom.net. Now servicing gas appliances.

Building Supplies

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

Chimney Cleaning

John F. Hynes Chimney Cleaning. In business for over 30 years. Fast, clean, reasonable rates. Phone 091-555-317 or 087-231-5401.

Gates

Connacht Gates Moycullen. Manufacturer of wrought iron gates domestic and commercial. Side gate, railings, balconies, stainless steel handrails, glass balustrades, customised stairs, ﬁre escapes. Registered contractor. 091-868-803. 087-261-6947. Email: conncoatfab@eircom.net.

Memorials/Headstones Headstones. Surrounds, cleaning, inscriptions. Mongan’s Stonecraft. Memorials-ﬁreplaces-ﬂagstone-signage. Derryinver, Letterfrack. 095-43473. 086-199-1988. 087-130 -7752.

Cut Stone by the bag or hand picked at rock bottom prices. Any quantity. Flag stones for paving. Unusual shaped stones for your garden. Good quality topsoil by the truck load or 1 ton bags. Delivered promptly. Our prices won’t be beaten. Corbett stone. Natural Connemara building Stone. 095-21744. 086-247-5619. www.corbettstone.com. Washed and graded sand and gravel. Decorative stone chippings in a variety of colours for pathways, driveways and patios. Choice gardener’s bark mulch. Just need a bag or 2 of sand, gravel, decorative chippings or bark mulch? We also sell in bulk. Free delivery throughout Connemara. Mongan’s Stonecraft. Derryinver, Letterfrack. 095-43473. 087-130-7752. 086-199-1988. The Original Bagged Sand Supplier. Soft & sharp sand, washed gravel & decorative chippings. Stonetech, Clifden. Call Seamus on 087-668-7437.

Security Systems

Painting

Auro Natural Paints...let your house breathe again! Auro products contain no environmentally harmful additives like petroleum based solvents. For more information about our extensive interior and exterior high grade paints and care products, call Matrix Custom Interiors on 091-39-57-07 or 086-366-5768. Painting and Decorating: Interior and exterior, timber ﬂoors sanded and varnished. Neat and tidy job guaranteed. Also oﬀering garden and lawn maintenance service. Competitive rates. References available. Contact Johnny Coyne, Renvyle, 086-857-0302.

Plant Hire

Tarmacadam

Noel Connolly Plant Hire. Site work & land drainage. Top quality graded topsoil. Large volume of material available at €70 per load. Prices on extensions and renovations. Keenest prices around. C2 Reg. 095-23781. 086-247-6610.

Gutters

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

Windows

Insulation

Plastering & Tiling Tiler specialising in all types of ﬂoors & walls; Ceramic, mosaic, marble, terracotta, porcelain, slate, paving. Call for FREE quote & advice. Commercial & residential. Competitive rates, professional throughout. Paul Davis. Tel: 095-23803 Mob: 085-110-3035.

How Will Your Future Customers Find You? Advertising in the Connemara View Will Point Them in Your Direction. Directory Package Less than 21 cents per day

Business Card Package + WEBPAGE

Directory Package + WEBPAGE

• Business Card Size Ad (85mm wide x 50mm deep) in the Connemara View Newspaper for a year. • Free annual 40 word listing in the online Connemara Directory • Webpage pops up from your online listing: Up to 10 photos & 250 words. Total Yearly price: €720+vat (€60+vat per month)

• 40 word listing in the Connemara View Newspaper for a year • Free annual 40 word listing in the online Connemara Directory Total Yearly price: €75+vat (€6.25+vat per month)

Less than 69 cents per day Landscaping Neighbourhood Gardening. Lawns mowed. Tidy beds and borders. Hoeing and weeding. Hedge planting and clipping. Lawns raked and seeded. Tree holes dug. Light pruning duties. Church and priest’s residences. Garden labour assist. Kerbing around lawn. Sleepers laid. Base for garden sheds. Compost areas created. Raised bed built. Fence posts replaced. Broken paving ﬁxed. Stone pointing. Servicing all of Connemara. Contact Peter 087-147-3308.

Page 18

• 40 word listing in the Connemara View Newspaper for a year • Free annual 40 word listing in the online Connemara Directory • Webpage pops up from your online listing: Up to 10 photos & 250 words. Total Yearly price: €250+vat (€20.83+vat per month)

Business Card Package Less than €1.50 per day

• Business Card Size Ad (85mm wide x 50mm deep) in the Connemara View Newspaper for a year. • Free annual 40 word listing in the online Connemara Directory • Free pop-up of your business card ad from your online directory listing. Total Yearly price: €545+vat (€45.42+vat per month)

Febr uar y 2010

Less than €1.98 per day

Plus...

• If you need a larger newspaper ad in any issue you will receive a 20% discount off open rates. • The online Connemara Directory will be promoted year round in the Connemara View Newspaper, radio ads on Connemara Community Radio and posters. • Online links to your website.

For more information on Advertising go to www. connemaraview.com or phone 095-22888. Connemara View Newspaper

Photo Corner

Top Row (l-r): Graduation Success: Edel Savage, Goulane, Clifden recently received her diploma for Qualiﬁed Financial Advisor pictured here with her mother Teresa Savage. Thomas Conroy of Tullyvoheen, Clifden enjoying Christmas in Moycullen Nursing Home in December with his sister Helen. Congratulations to Leo Whelan who celebrated his 70th birthday in January surrounded by family and friends. He is pictured here with his sons Bernard and Daniel and daughter Carol Sheridan. Above from top: The Galway Hooker association enjoyed a Christmas Dinner Dance at the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel in Clifden on Friday December 11th. (L-r): Galway Hooker Association members Cian de Buitléir, Treasurer, Seán Mac Donnacha, Secretary and Máirtín Bairéad, P.R. O. Chairman of the Galway Hooker Association Micheál Ó Fatharta, Jean Barrett and Dónal Greene. Nigel Murray of Clifden completed the Dublin City Marathon in October. Nigel kindly donated all the funds raised from the sponsorship of his run to CSI Clifden and is shown here with his medal beside a CSI banner. Photo courtesy of Brendan Madden Above right: Congratulations to Joe McDonagh of Omey Island who recently celebrated his 93rd birthday on January 14th. Joe has four sons Patrick, John, Fechin and Steven (America) and one daughter Mary (England), 20 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren all of whom join with the community in wishing him a very happy birthday! Photo by Danielle Wallace Left from top: Mollie Treytel was wished a very happy ﬁrst birthday in January from her Mom Ilse, Nanny and kids.

Connemara View Newspaper

Febr uar y 2010

New Arrivals Congratulations to Stephen and Teresa Bartley on the birth of their daughter Rebecca on January 31st pictured here with her big brother Ben. Photo courtesy of Veronica O’ Malley Congratulations to Ruvé and Neal McDonough in Los Angeles on the birth of their daughter London Jane on January 11th, a baby sister to Morgan and Catherine.

Page 19

REGIONAL Know Your Rights I will be 65 in 2010 and plan to retire from work. What do I need to know about pensions and other benefits in retirement? There are various types of pension available. If you made enough PRSI contributions during your working life and you retire at 65, you are entitled to the State Pension (Transition). At 66, you are entitled to the State Pension (Contributory). If you have not made enough PRSI contributions, you can apply for a State Pension (Non-Contributory), which is means-tested. You should apply for State pensions at least three months in advance. You may have contributed to an occupational pension scheme during your working life, or you may have a personal pension arrangement. You need to deal directly with the pension provider to find out exactly what benefits your pension gives you. If you move from employment to retirement in the course of the year, you should get a PAYE Balancing Statement (P21) from your local tax office at year’s end. This will trigger a refund of any overpayment of tax you might have made. All your income remains taxable (your State pension plus any occupational pension). However the tax exemption limits are much higher for people aged 65 or over and there are some extra tax credits. Èveryone over 66 is exempt from PRSI and everyone over 70 is exempt from the health levy. At 66 you are also eligible for a Free Travel Pass and may be eligible for the Household Benefits package which includes the free TV licence, electricity/gas allowance and telephone allowance. Income limits for medical cards are much higher for people over 70. Medical card holders do not pay the income levy so many people over 70 are exempt from the levy. The Citizens Information Board publishes Entitlements for over sixties which covers all your rights, entitlements and the services available as you approach retirement age. You can request a copy from your local Citizens Information Centre. Further information is available from Clifden Citizens Information Service which provides a free and confidential service to the public.Tel: 095 22000 or 087 1301100 / Email: clifden@citinfo.ie Address: c/o VEC, Statoil Apts, Galway Road, Clifden. OPEN: Thursday 7pm – 8pm, Friday 10.30am – 3.30pm.

Connemara View Newspaper 7,500 copies distributed monthly throughout Connemara 095-22888 087-290-9351 news@connemaraview.com www.connemaraview.com Editor-in-Chief/Publisher: Ellen McDonough News Editor: Catherine Pryce Distribution Mgr: John Dunne Graphic Design/Layout: Marie-Noelle Biddulph Contributors: Jill Acheson, John Amenhauser, Tom Broderick, John Claró, Pam Clingan, Mandy Conboy, Bríd Connell, Velta Conneely, Dorothy Conneely, Terri Conroy, Mary Corbett Joyce, Maria Corcoran, Richard de Stacpoole, Kay Diviney, Seán Finnerty, Paul Gannon, Sandy Glynn, Heather Greer, Leo Hallissey, Lol Hardiman, Seán Heanue, Linda & Vincent Jagobin, Bernie Jeﬀ ries, PK Joyce, Roma Joyce, Cathy Keane, Peter Keane, Nicola Lacey, Bernard Lee, Lillian Little, Joachim Lydon, Brendan Madden, Declan Mannion, Karen Mannion, Pat McCann, Theresa McLoughlin, Noelle McNamara, Terry Minogue, Stephen Molloy, Seán Nee, Ronan Newman, Michelle O’ Brien, Kevin O’Connor, Aidan O’ Halloran Jim O’ Malley, John O’ Malley, Veronica O’ Malley, Elaine O’ Riordan, John O’Neill, Breandan O’Scanaill, Maurice O’Scanaill, Emma O’Sullivan, Breda O’ Toole, Jody Pollington, Isabelle Pitorre, Karen Riordan, Paddy Rock, Stephanie Salmon Margaret Sheehan, Cepta Stephens, Theresa Tierney, Danielle Wallace Declan Weir.

Plus many local schools, groups & organisations. Photography by staﬀ unless credited otherwise.

Page 20

Rude Health at An Bhean Fheasa The Irish Association of Health Stores (IAHS) is launching its ﬁrst ever Rude Health Week to encourage ongoing good health habits around the country all year long. An Bhean Fheasa on Market St, Clifden has lined up an exciting series of events as part of Rude Health Week from February 15th-20th to inform and address a wide ranging variety of health treatments and therapies. Call in any time during the week for free advice, information and booklets as well as the chance to win a fantastic gift set from the new Weleda Pomegranate Skin Care range. See details in ad on page 26.

Engineering Education at Kylemore As part of Engineers Week, Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens are hosting an event aimed at school children between the ages of 7-13 years old and will focus on the theme of re-newable and sustainable energy. At Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Gardens there are some very interesting examples of historical engineering achievements. Discover how Kylemore Abbey generated (and still generates!) its own green electricity from a hydroelectric generator in the 1890’s. Find out how bananas, ﬁgs

Osteoporosis-‘the silent killer’ Osteoporosis is the leading bone disease in the world yet approximately just 15% of people affected are diagnosed. There are common misconceptions that it only affects old women and that it is not preventable and treatable. However, 1 in 5 men and 1 in 2 women over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis, and it can affect all age groups including children. It is preventable in a lot of cases and is treatable in the majority of people. Unfortunately people are not usually diagnosed until they have multiple fractures. • 20% of people aged 60+ who fracture a hip will pass away within 6-12 months due to second complications of a fracture. • 50% of people aged 60+ who fracture a hip will be unable to dress, bath or walk across a room unaided. • Only 30% of people aged 60+ who fracture a hip regain their independence. • 90% of hip fractures in senior citizens are due to osteoporosis. Secondary effects occur when a person is not mobile due to a fracture; they can develop a blood clot, pneumonia or infection. A male and female osteoporosis questionnaire can be viewed online at www.irishosteoporosis.ie along with comprehensive information about all aspects of the disease. The links are: The questionnaire is very valuable for checking to see if you, a family member or any of your staff are at risk. It lists the majority of high, moderate and low risk factors, as most people do not realize they are at risk. We recommend that people fill out the questionnaire, and if they check off one item they should consider getting a DXA scan, as in my world, osteoporosis is known as “the silent killer” because there are usually no signs and symptoms prior to a fracture. A person can have severe osteoporosis, not have had a fracture and then all of a sudden they start to break multiple bones. With severe undiagnosed osteoporosis a person can fracture from a cough or sneeze. The earlier a person gets diagnosed the better the results. The only signs and symptoms that a person may already have osteoporosis are: • A broken bone resulting from a trip or fall from the standing position or less as an adult should not be considered normal- even if the fall is on cement. The person should be

Febr uar y 2010

and grapes were grown in the walled garden from the 1870’s in large glass houses using an ingenious heating system. The students will have the opportunity to enter a national competition to win a trip for 4 people to the European Space Agency in the Netherlands! The event will run between 8th -13th February. It will be open for school tours from the 8th-12th February and there will be a fun Family Day Out on Saturday 13th February. It promises to be a fun, interactive and informative event. To register your interest or to book places at the event, please contact Bríd Connell at Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens, telephone: 095 41465, email: brid@ kylemoretourism.ie.

Lotto Jackpot Win Congratulations to Vivian DeLappe of Clifden who won the Clifden Lotto Jackpot of €15,000 in December. Vivian was presented with his cheque at the annual Christmas Lotto at the Station House Hotel on December 21st. He is pictured here with (l-r): Pat Casey, PK Joyce, Siobhan King, Joe Lynch and Dave Beecher.

checked for osteoporosis. • Loss of height-if a person has lost more than 2cm in height they should be checked for osteoporosis. • Head protruding forward- If a person’s head is not directly on top of their body but has started to protrude forward or a hump has developed on their upper back they should be checked for osteoporosis. Information about all aspects of osteoporosis and the questionnaire for both men and women to check whether they are at risk are available online at www.irishosteoporosis.ie. A talk entitled ‘Osteoporosis-Everything you need to know’ will take place at the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel in Clifden on Saturday February 20th from 11:45am-1:15pm. See details on page 4. Michele O’ Brien, National Health Promotion Oﬃcer for the Irish Osteoporosis Society.

Connemara View Newspaper

Keane’s Bar Moneenmore, Maam One of the most distinctive buildings in the north Connemara area is Keane’s Bar in Maam. The road from Maam Cross to Maam leads directly to its door, as it frames the view down the last long straight stretch of road and across the bridge. It is described as a detached five bay, two storey house with recessed side bays and flanked by first floor verandas. It was built by Alexander Nimmo in the early 1820’s. It was originally known as Corrib Lodge. Alexander Nimmo was born in Scotland and he began his career as an engineer there, gaining experience at surveying, and the building of bridges and harbours. He worked for some time with the great engineer Thomas Telford. After his move to Ireland he applied for and received many commissions. Some of these were for private clients, but his commissions came mostly from the government. He did much work throughout Ireland, but he is best remembered for his work in the West of Ireland, and especially here in Connemara. Over a relatively short period of time he was involved in various surveys, and in building piers, bridges and roads. Although Corrib Lodge was built as a private house, Nimmo also used it as an office, and to this end, stores and workshops were also built there. It was probably used as living quarters by his supervisors when they were working on the northern section of Connemara. There are stories that suggest that his brother John might also have lived there. After Nimmo’s death the house became an inn. It was ideally located on the main road from Leenane to Cong, and also to Maam Cross and Galway. But equally important was its location at the head of the Corrib, an ideal base for fishing and shooting. There was a boat service between Maam and Galway, and regular boat excursions between the two points. There were many fine estates around the area where the gentry could gather for the sporting pastimes, but it was always useful to have a welcoming inn at the end of a day’s shooting or fishing. Other customers who would have welcomed the comforts of Corrib Lodge were the mining engineers, who worked the various mines in the valley. As you travel the road between Maam and

Business Notes Connemara Faces in Finance Hennelly Finance was set up in the year 2000 by Helena Hennelly and is based in Galway City. Helena (nee Faherty) who is originally from Oughterard and has worked all her

Cornamona, take time to look out for the ruins of these mines. The most impressive is only a few kilometres beyond the bridge, and stands high on the hillside on the left hand side of the road. These mines had their own quays from which the crushed ore-bearing rock was transported to Galway. You can imagine the mine workers after a long hard day retiring to the inn for a drink. The notorious Lord Leitrim, who was the local landlord for a time, instructed the inn keeper to refuse all visitors if he was staying. There is one story about the Lord Lieutenant visiting the area, and Leitrim instructed his tenants to occupy the inn so that his lordship would have to leave the area. I wonder what Lord Leitrim had against the Lord Lieutenant? Nowadays the bar is popular with the fishermen who gather for the annual Mayfly fishing, but also with walkers. The wonderful Western Way walk almost passes the door, and after doing a strenuous section of the walk it is a great place for a break. One more link with Nimmo is the carved stone which can be found on the wall to the left of the building. This large

10 years in business this April, Hennelly Finance relies heavily on the personal touch and as an independent Insurance Brokerage, strives to provide service of the very highest quality. For more information on any of the many financial services provided, talk to Helena, Ruth or Edel on 091 586500 / 086 8095607 or info@hennellyfinance.ie / www. hennellyfinance.ie

West Coast Insulation

life in finance is ACII qualified, being a Chartered Insurer with the Chartered Insurance Institute. Hennelly Finance is a family run business, and Helena’s daughter Ruth also works for the firm. Ruth has a Masters in Business Studies and I.T. and is due to become a Qualified Financial Advisor in 2010. Clifden’s Edel Savage also works for the firm completing the Connemara connection. Edel, who recently qualified as a Financial Advisor, brings many years experience in the industry to the business, as she has worked both in Ireland and in the UK for a number of years. Celebrating

Connemara View Newspaper

West Coast Insulation, run by father and son team John and Patrick Folan from Moyard is a recently formed new business specialising in cavity wall and attic insulation. West Coast Insulation are registered with SEI and the NSAI and are the only company oﬀering a grant approved service in the Connemara area at present. Grants are currently available for houses built before 2006 and West Coast Insulation oﬀers a free quotation and grant information on request. Using EcoBead Platinum and a bonding agent, a home can be fully insulated, reducing heating bills and condensation, improving the BER and reducing the carbon footprint. It is also easily installed causing minimal mess or disturbance to the home. John and Patrick are currently supplying all parts of Connemara, Galway and the surrounding areas. For more information call John or Patrick on 087-142-1414 or e-mail westcoastinsulations@gmail.com.

Office Chat changes model The oﬃce equipment and stationery business, Oﬃce Chat,

Febr uar y 2010

stone was part of the original bridge built by Alexander Nimmo, but the bridge is long since gone. There may even have been a couple of others on the site, but parts of his original piers remain. To see these you need to take the track at the lake side of the road. Those piers, the carved stone and the building itself bear witness to a great engineer, and it wouldn’t be too much to say, a great friend to Connemara. Breandan O’ Scanaill Photos: Above - Keane’s Bar Today; Below - An etching and photo from days gone by that are hanging in the pub.

run by Ian Fogarty is no longer operating from its former premises at Galway Road, Clifden but is continuing to provide a full and comprehensive oﬃce supplies delivery service all over Connemara via website and phone ordering. The full range of supplies and equipment are still available as before and next day delivery can be arranged upon placing an order. For any enquiries or for more information, go to www.ofﬁcechat.ie or call Ian on 086-284-8603 or 091-550-014.

Changes at Duane’s Fish Duane’s Fish Shop on Main St Clifden has closed temporarily as proprietors Sean and Helen are retiring from the shop business. The shop will re-open shortly and will be remaining in the management of the Duane family when their son takes over the running of the premises.

Clifden Oil Businesses Double Since early December there have been two Clifden based oil businesses supplying the Connemara area, both based at the Galway Road. Sweeney Oil became part of the Tedcastles Group last August and since December the Clifden based staﬀ has been headed up by PK Joyce of Clifden and Stephen Rima of Kylemore. Meanwhile, former employees of Sweeney Oil Malachy Nee, Keith Heanue, Noel King, Tara Mullen and Bridget Ann Mannion have joined Terry Sweeney’s The Oil Company operating from the same Galway Road Complex.

Page 21

Connemara Duo in Semi Final!

Renvyle’s Emma O’ Sullivan and John O’ Halloran of Inishbofin are on their way to the live semi finals of RTE’s All Ireland Talent Show which will take place on February 28th, after winning their live heat show

in i January J in i great style. l The Th talented l d duo d are representing the West, with mentor Daithi O Shea introducing their act as ‘smoking hot’ and the crowd clearly agreed with an outstanding public vote of support for the popular Connemara pair. Emma is well known all over Connemara for teaching the dance in many schools and areas and she and John will no doubt have tremendous support from all who know them in this part of the world and further afield! The live semi final will be aired on RTE One on Sunday February 28th at 6:30pm so make sure to tune in and vote to make sure that Emma and John show once again that when it comes to talent, the West really is the best! Photo: Emma O’ Sullivan with one of her biggest fans Dustin the turkey at the All Ireland Talent Show in RTE in January!

Dancers in The Pirate Queen

Some of Connemara’s leading Sean Nós dancers will take part in the world amateur premiere of The Pirate Queen in Ballinrobe. The troupe will consist of Aisling, Irene and Michael Cunningham, Gearóid and Patrick Devaney, Liam Scanlon and Emma O’Sullivan. Ballinrobe Musical Society expects to attract a total audience of 5,000 people to the show, which runs from Thursday, February 11th to Saturday, February 20th. “This is the first time this group will dance together, and I know it will add so much to or show’ said Ballinrobe Musical Society chairman Pat McGovern. Tickets for the musical go on sale on February 1st, from Sean Costello, Abbey Street, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo, 094 95 41405.

Monday Movies at Letterfrack

Rupert Friend, Felicity Jones, Frances Tomelty, Anita Pallenberg, Harriet Walter. Based on the novel by French author Colette, this movie stars Michelle Pfeiﬀer as an aging courtesan who takes the son of a friend under her wing (in more ways than one). Feb 15: Sugar. Dir: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, USA 2008,114 minutes, Language: English, Spanish. Sugar is the nickname of a talented young Dominican baseball player who seems destined for success as a professional player in the US. This often very funny film is about how the wonderfully natural character of Sugar adapts to professional pressures and life in the US. Feb 22: Rumba. Dir: Dominique Abel & Fiona Gordon, France, Belgium 2008, 77 minutes, Language: French. A charmingly offbeat Franco-Belgian comedy about a married couple, both teachers, who share a passion for Latin dance. If you need a good laugh, don’t miss this one! Mar 1: Let the Right One in. Dir: Tomas Alfredson, Sweden 2008, 114 minutes, Language: Swedish. The undead are alive and well and up to no good in Scandinavia, as this stunning film rings the changes on the classic Dracula format.

Crochet Classes

Evening classes in crochet are currently taking place at the Elm Tree Centre in Clifden on Friday nights at 8pm, taught by Peggy Mannion. Beginners are always welcome to join at any stage. For more information contact Peggy at 086 882 6120.

Clifden Comhaltas

The Clifden Comhaltas monthly sessions are now becoming firm favourites on the social calendar thanks to the wealth of talent and craic and ceol on oﬀer. January’s session at Lowry’s Bar was a great success and the February session will take place at Griﬃn’s Bar on Friday February 26th. There will be a youth session starting at 8:30pm followed by an adult session until late that night. All musicians, singers and dancers are welcome to attend and join in on the night.

Ceol Theatre

Pictured in Ceol Theatre’s performance of ‘Scrooge A Christmas Carol’ were (l-r): Janni Coyne, Laura Wallace, John Amenhauser as Bob Cratchitt, Katherine Mannion as Tiny Tim, Gerrit Nuckton as Ebeneezer Scrooge and Gerry Claﬀey. Scrooge was a great success despite the terrible weather over the Christmas period. Well done to all involved for the staging and performance of this Christmas classic. The next Musical Review show will take place on March 19th with an ABBA theme. Auditions for “The Pirates of Penzance” will take place at the start of March with the shows being staged in June. If you would like to be a part of this

The Letterfrack Film Society is planning to cheer up your Monday nights this spring with a varied selection of movies from around the world. There is something for everyone, with comedy, drama and even teenage vampires in the mix. Head down to the audio-visual centre of the Connemara National Park in Letterfrack every Monday evening between February 8th and March 15th at 8.30pm and prepare to be entertained with this great selection of films: Mon Feb 8th- Chéri. Dir: Stephen Frears, UK 2008, 100 minutes. Starring: Michelle Pfeiﬀer, Kathy Bates,

Page 22

February 2010

show or any of Ceol Theatre’s productions please contact John at 087 750 4697.

Arts Society welcomes Austrians

On Monday February 15th at the Station House Theatre at 8pm, Clifden Arts Society presents ‘Netnakisum’, the Austrian Classical String Combo, to promote the launch of their new album ‘Nutville’. The Vienna based quartet was formed in 2004 with Magdalena, Deelinda, Marie-Therese and Johanna. A Netnakisum concert will have audiences spellbound by their stunning musicianship and charisma on stage. The girls have made wonderful original arrangements of Mozart polkas and Strauss waltzes as well as Tangos and traditional Austrian harmonic yodeling! With humorous introductions and banter, the concert is ideal for introducing new audiences to classical music. Tickets are €10 and are available at the Station House Theatre on Monday Feb. 15th with show at 8pm.

Adult Trad Learners Session

Given the strong interest in traditional music in the area, a new weekly learners session for adults is being started up in Clifden. The new learners session will take place on Tuesdays from 7.00 to 9.00pm and all adult learner musicians will be made very welcome. Learning by ear will be encouraged, although sheet music will be available, as will tune books and CDs of trad tunes played at slow enough speeds for learners to find useful. Details are still to be finalised, but the first session is planned for Tuesday 9th February and the venue is likely to be The Bens Music Shop-watch out for posters, or more information from Heather or Mary at 095-44845.

Marconi Film on Show

The Royal Hibernian Academy, one of Dublin city’s most distinguished galleries, currently plays host to a group show of distinction; Video Killed the Radio Star. The exhibition has been curated by the Galway based artist collective and gallery, 126, and the 14 artworks are each, a uniquely creative response to the title. It is a diverse and wholly stimulating show and for Connemara View readers there is one piece that stands out from the crowd. ‘Broadcast’ is a short film by the artists Tim Acheson and Jennifer Cunningham, who have close ties with Clifden and its Connemara surrounds. The focus of the six minute short film is that of the historic first trans-Atlantic wireless broadcast by Marconi in 1907. Filmed on location at the Marconi station at Derrygimla on the edge of Roundstone Bog, as well as from the summit of Errisbeg, the imagery is quite breathtaking. Continued on next page

Connemara ArtsView

The visuals of the now abandoned site are quite haunting and are made all the more atmospheric by the accompaniment of the original wireless broadcast amidst scratchy gramophone recordings that resound over the work itself. The RHA show is well worth a visit if you happen to be in the capital to catch a glimpse of Broadcast and to relish in its visual depiction of the Connemara landscape. Video Killed the Radio Star continues until February 27th at the RHA in Ely Place just oﬀ St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2. Jill Acheson

Cantairí Chonamara

Although the attendance was slightly disappointing, over €1,000 was raised for Haiti Relief when local choir, Cantairí Chonamara combined with Galway Choral Association (GCA) to give a splendid concert in St Joseph’s Church, Clifden, on Sunday 31st Jan. The concert marked the end of an era for Cantairí Chonamara, as long time Director of Music, Aodán McGlynn, has retired after 8 years of sterling service. During his directorship the choir has increased its membership and repertoire, and tribute was paid to McGlynn’s contribution to music in the west of Ireland, by his fellow Director of Music, Norman Duﬀy. No replacement Director of Music has yet been chosen and Cantairí are requesting anyone interested to get in touch with any choir members.

CD Launch for RNLI A big crowd turned out for the launch of the C.D. ‘Musical Memories from Cleggan’ in Joyce’s Bar on the night of Friday December 18th. The C.D. was launched by the Cunninghams, those

Connemara ArtsView

well known dancing celebrities from Cashel in Connemara. The proceeds from this venture will go to the R.N.L.I. The C.D. is comprised of a variety of musical talent, with performers from Louisburgh to Slyne Head and even includes a group from Caltra (Ballinasloe). It has 20 tracks with a diverse range of music, which includes ballads, folk, country, traditional and even a jazz track of sorts. It also includes original tracks, one of which is a new song especially written for this production, ‘Cleggan’s Rugged Shore’ which was penned by Penny O’Malley from Ballyconneely. Cleggan is synonymous with the sea and fishing and it also has a long history of sea tragedy, starting with the Cleggan disaster of 1927 which claimed the lives of 16 men, and right up to the disaster of autumn 2009 which saw the loss of two local men. Hopefully this song will touch those that are left behind, especially the families that are trying to deal with the loss of loved ones whose bodies were never found. When doing a radio show on Connemara Radio a few months ago two of the guests were Jacqueline Hannon and Martina Gavin and they both sang live in the studio. A listener phoned in and said ‘wouldn’t it be lovely if the girls could be recorded’ and the girls agreed that they would like to give it a go. Then it was on to Cleggan and the singer/dancers in Joyce’s Bar. ‘Bunny’ Joyce, a man who has entertained in the past in the dance halls all over Galway and beyond (when he led three diﬀerent bands) and still entertains in his own bar weekly, gave valuable assistance; his music features on numerous tracks and he also delivers three songs. The traditional accordion playing of Eugene Barry is also included. Eugene and the afore-mentioned Bunny Joyce were never recorded previously. The C.D.is of a high recording standard and the sleeve gives a great view of Cleggan harbour. A special word of thanks to Richard Dunkley and Eithne Hannigan for the production and also to all the performers who paid the vast majority of the production costs themselves, and to our sponsors Brian Courcey and Noel Noonan. John O’Malley ‘Musical Memories from Cleggan’ is on sale now in local outlets including

Joyce’s Bar in Cleggan and ‘The Bens’ Music Shop, Bridge St, Clifden. Photos: At the launch of ‘Musical Memories from Cleggan’ were: back (l-r): Mary MacNamara, Eugene Barry, Chris De Courcey, Brian Courcey, Martina Gavin, Geraldine Reilly, Celia McDon-

February 2010

ald, Jacqueline Hannon, Ann Walsh, Siobhan Casey, John O’Malley, Evelyn Nee, Joachim McHugh, David Slevin, Agnes Nee and Gabriel MacNamara. Front: Phil Bartley-Boote, Michael, Lorraine, Brian and Irene Cunningham and Bunny Joyce.

Page 23

Diamond Charity Challenge 2009

Baby Enda Walker The baby Enda Walker fundraising committee would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of you who contributed most generously with your time, your donations and your expressions of concern for Enda’s wellbeing. Once again the people of the community rallied round and in a short period of time had organised a number of events from non uniform days at achool to bag packing, golf, a Beneﬁt Night and auction, all of which were very successful. A message from Enda’s family follows below. Thank You Myself, Johnny and Callum would like to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts for what you have all done for Enda. As you know, Enda has LCH (Langerhans Cell Histosis). We were devastated when Enda was diagnosed with LCH as we were told he had cirrhosis. He has multicell LCH which involves his liver, lungs, bone marrow and skin. Enda started his ﬁrst chemo on March 3rd 2009, the day after his 2nd birthday. He has been a very sick little boy, getting temperatures of 40˚+ and he also got septicaemia. He has spent all of the year going between Watford and Great Ormond Street hospitals and has been here in Great Ormond Street since September. Enda has been amazing in coping with all his treatment, as are all the children at Great Ormond Street. They are so brave and they are such sick children. Enda has not walked since last April-something we take for granted, to see our child run and walk. Coming to great Ormond Street has been a big eye opener for us. Enda has had very intense chemo-15 sessions in 5 days, and four of those so far. He is responding, thank God. He is very stubborn and I think it gets him through all of this. He knows everyone from the top doctor to the cleaner, and they know him. Enda is a very special little boy and we love him so much. It breaks our hearts to see him like this, and we cannot wait to see him run around once again. Thank you all for the mass cards, medals, prayers, holy water etc that people have sent to him. They are starting to work. Please God Enda will be coming home to Ireland soon to thank you all himself. Love, Martina, Johnny, Callum and of course, Enda Walker.

Ability West Ability West Clifden Branch wish to acknowledge and thank Derek Joyce most sincerely for his recent generous donation and also to the Wings Golﬁng Society for their generous cheque. The continued support is very much appreciated. We wish good health and a happy 2010 to all. Mary Jo Heanue

I would like to thank everyone who helped on the day of the Diamond Charity Challenge 2009, especially John McDermott, Jimmy Hayden, Marty Early, Mary Davis, Noel Sweeney and all of the ‘Pigfest’ committee. Thanks to all our sponsors-John Malone for the delicious meat for the barbecue, Mannion’s Bicycles for the bikes and Richard de Stacpoole for the use of the tent. Special thanks go to Brendan and Bernie Keogh who gave much help and support and also were very helpful with the ‘Pigfest’ in the summertime. Brendan also did a great job competing in the Diamond Charity challenge. The Challenge raised €1600. Brendan Scullion very generously donated the money to the baby Enda Walker fund. We were invited to Oliver’s in Cleggan on the 5th of December for the presentation of the cheque to the Walker family. Thanks to Jack Walsh and Kenneth DeLappe who volunteered to be stewards on the Diamond Challenge and graciously invited us out to Cleggan. We really appreciated how very welcome they and all the Cleggan/Claddaghduﬀ community made us feel in Oliver’s. They made sure we had a night to remember. I personally and all the Ballyconneely community would just like to say thoughts are with baby Enda and the Walker family. To ﬁnish up I would like to thank my wife Jennifer, my sister in law Ellen and my sister Bernie for all the help and support with fundraising during the year. Sincerely, Seán Nee and the Pigfest Committee

Friends of Fatima Raﬄe The Friends of Fatima Christmas Raﬄe results were as follows: 1st. Prize, Flatscreen Television, Bernie Mawe (King), Errislannan, 2nd, Power Washer-Sean Murphy, Aillebrack, 3rd, Supervalu Vouchers-Ann Conneely, Cavan, 4th, Digital Steamer Enda Fahy, Dublin, 5th, Dinner for 2, Noreen Murphy, Aillebrack, 6th Dinner for 2 - Delia Joyce, Goulane, 7th, Dinner for 2, Patsy O’Donoghue, Sky Road, 8th, Bottle of Brandy, Paddy O’Malley, Dunloughan, 9th, Bottle of Baileys, Mike Armitage, Calla, 10thBox of Chocolates, Colin Reilly, Cleggan. Many thanks and a very happy 2010 to all. Friends of Fatima, Clifden District Hospital

Missing Cat Found There was a happy ending for a missing cat which was reunited with its owners at Christmas time having been missing from its home for 32 days. Eileen and Leo Halliday would like to thank all in the community for their great efforts in helping to find ‘Sabu’ their Burmese cat, by putting up notices and keeping an eye out for him. A special thanks goes to the Corbett family who first spotted him in the vicinity of their home, and later on Christmas night let him in after he appeared at the window looking for food. Although very thin, he has now fully recovered and is glad to be home!

Acknowledgements & Remembrances Price per word: €0.25. Photo: €5.

Death Notices

Send in your news, views & photos to news@connemaraview.com or phone 095-22888 Page 24

Nellie Conboy, Letterfrack Myra Conneely, Oughterard Christy Corcoran, Letterfrack Margaret Courcey, Moyard James ( Jimmy) Faherty, Letterfrack Sheila Gibney (née Johnston), Oughterard Peter Heanue, Derryinver John Joyce, Clonbur John Keane, Tuam & Roundstone Michael Keane, Leenane Joe King, London & Errislannan Owen King, Lettergesh East, Renvyle Edward (Ted) Laundon, Cornamona Kate McKeown (née Coyne), Sligo, Cleggan & Monivea Margaret McNamara, Clifden Colman Mannion, Ros Muc Bob Minton, Clonbur Elizabeth Teresa O’ Connor, USA & Tullycross The Connemara View would like to extend sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased. This list is compiled from various sources and we apologise for any errors or omissions.

Febr uar y 2010

Connemara Community Radio Weekly Schedule Broadcasting 11 am to 9 pm each day on 87.8 FM & 106.1 FM Weather Forecast & Community Notices at 3pm, 4pm and 8pm. Sponsored by Broderick Electric, Sweeney Oil, Gannon Sports and The Oil Company.

12-4pm: Repeat of previous evenings broadcast. * Indicates Sponors

Monday: 11am-12 Noon: Magazine Programme

with Heather Heanue and Colleen Curran. 4-5pm: Listen Here with Pete Ball. 5.05-6pm: Hooked on Music with John Duane. *Clifden Chamber of Commerce. 6-7pm: Alternate Weeks - As Gaeilge with Caitriona Nic Ghiollaphadraig OR Heyday with Bobbi O Regan. 7-8pm: Talk Sport with Vivian Cotter. *Galway CoCo. 8pm: Roundstone Report with Richard de Stacpoole and Anne Conneely. 8.15-9pm: Ann’s Mixed Bag with Ann Conneely. Tuesday: 11am-12 Noon: Magazine Programme with Cliona Sheehan. *Connemara View Newspaper. 4-5pm: Reelin’ in the Years with Louisa Jack. 5.05-6pm: Jack’s Spot with Jack Tomlinson. 6- 7pm: Live with John Dunne. 7-8pm: Community Matters with Pat Walshe. *Tullycross and Cashel Credit Unions. 8pm: Cashel Report with Bernard Lee. 8.30-9pm: Classical Half Hour with Pat O’Toole. Wednesday: 11am-12 Noon: Magazine Programme with Mary Roe. 4-6pm: Gateway Hour with Mickey Mac. *SuperValu Clifden 6- 7pm: My Kind of Music with Martin Conroy. *ClifdenSupply Centre.78pm: Lift the Latch with Michael O’ Neill and Helen King. 8pm: Clifden Report with Breandan O’Scanaill. 8.15-9pm: Music with Pat Keaney. Thursday: 11am-12 Noon: FORUM Programme with Cathy Keane and Brendan O’Malley. 4-5pm: Gateway Hour with Kathleen O’Brien. 5.05-6pm: Fáilte with Mary Corbett Joyce. 6- 7pm: Take it Easy with Michael O’Toole. 7-8pm: The Great Outdoors with Breandan O’Scanaill. *Acton Construction.8 pm: Cleggan Claddaghduff Report with Mary Gordon O’Toole. 8.15-9pm: Specialist Music with Breandan O’Scanaill. Friday: 11am-12 Noon: Friday Fix with Samantha Heanue & Priscilla Diamond. 4-5pm: Gateway Hour with Tonya Ni Chuirínn. 5.05-6pm: The Friday Feeling with Margaret Sheehan. 6-7pm: Lyrical Allsorts with Linda O’Malley. 7-8pm: Injury Time with Dave O’Halloran. *AIB Clifden. 8pm: Ballyconneely Report with John O’ Malley. 8.15-9pm: American Country with Brendan Ridge. Saturday: 11am-12 Noon: Monkeying Around with Heather Kearney. 4-5pm: Gateway Hour with Tommy Roe and Keefa Mullan. 5.05-6pm: Pretty Good Day so Far! with Sean Halpenny. 6- 7pm: Blue Highways with Lol Hardiman. 7-9 pm: Music Spectacular Alternate Weeks - Shelter from the Storm with Dave O’ Halloran or Coast to Coast with Paul Phelan. Sunday: 10-11am: Sounds a Bit Irish with Eamonn McLoughlin.11am-12noon: Mass from Clifden. Listen Here with Pete Ball. 5.05-6pm: Words & Music with Kathleen Faherty . 6- 7pm: Footappin’ Time with Tom Mongan. 7-8pm: Senior Side of the Street with Josephine De Courcey. *FORUM. 8pm: Ballinakill Report with Paddy Gannon. 8.15-9pm: Decades of Hits with Michael Coyne.

Connemara View Newspaper

February Bogman 57 1

ACROSS

1 Teach cool variations in bars. How sweet! (9) 9 Union leader is in the press, poor chap! (6) 10 Mix oil, not fat, for buoyancy. (9) 11 Run with skin condition, clutching a letter? (6) 12 Crooked ice vendor is not open for inspection. (7,2) 13 Not quite a trunk call though it’s away from headquarters. (6) 17 The animal to lie about the dog star? (3) 19 Dismiss from service for having had his hand in the till? (7) 20 What it costs to put an English flower around the writers? (7) 21 Get cut grass from farm owner? (3) 23 Could it be shoved back up in front of the outhouse? (6) 27 Standoffish nature of an old friend on the board? (9) 28 Is Mr Hackman, the famous actor about? About to become Graham, the famous writer. (6) 29 Think of a good name for redecorated Tralee pub? (9) 30 Are these factors to be taken into account in any business? (6) 31 Plan to acquire a dirty picture? (9)

9 10 11 12 13 14

20 21

DOWN

2 MT? Sounds right. (6) 3 Nick permit and end up being for the chop! (6) 4 What rubbish! Produced by a pig, indeed! (6) 5 Steamy situation for royal leader surrounded by subjects? (7) 6 How average a comparative chart is when considering a group of consecutive sentences. (9) 7 Wild pigs ran in, wrecking the joint. (9) 8 It costs nothing to turn sharply and move effortlessly onward. (9) 14 A fabricated Gestapo account framing innocent person for crime. (9) 15 Sees coils distributed on three sides, with two of them the same? (9) 16 Breathe in with difficulty when you sleep in the cold. (9) 17 Member involved in ban on drinks supplier? (3) 18 So it sounds as if one might join, in the material sense. (3) 22 Provides nothing at repast, except, possibly, at breakfast? (7) 24 Not a Grade A pest on her chest? (6) 25 One person in Westminster with IRA involvement, trying to disrupt process? (6) 26 Is Elton’s arrangement taken to be wrong? (6)

29 30 31

Enter crossword answers into a draw of correct answers for a voucher for Homeware Plus in Clifden by February 24th.

Connemara Crossword 63 1

9 10 11 12

Connemara Crossword 63

23 24

32 33 34 35

E M M 15 A N 19 U E 25 L 12

C A K E

D A I P U L O L M A I T I 29 N C E W R Y E A A 51 R I S O R A N E L

U N S E D L E U S S T L Y H 35 D Y 42 A P 49 F B 54 S E 58 E E 61 A

D T R E U A N G K 20 A R R E D O S 30 31 C C A M A S R P R O A L R O S I 55 C O N A G M P I E N L I G

P A R S I M O N Y

M Y O K 32

S S K 38 I N 47 P T 52 U E 57 B R E A H T

F E A 14 S 16 N E O U R V E Y A 33 U P 36 I 39 C E L E A A N C E R A

S T I V W A L E I G L U 18 O F F E T 23 24 C H A I N C 27 V I G I G C N H A L T E 43 44 S M C E O N H N O R K O E N D Y B E N 60 F R A U D S S T

S M M E S A H A G 17 A S T I R O 21 22 S N O W N R 26 X M A S L T 34 T R I M E O 40 41 O W N S 45 D A 48 E A R T H C R I 53 I N A L L D N A U T T E R O I I U L E N T S S Y 13

A D I A T H R E R C A I M B R R I N D G O E

I M L A G C E S

R A I N C O A T

H D U L

R A U N T I S S A M G E A R G E E A R S B I E L

B L O I C K J B A W D B I T S C U I A T

E C C O H A R I M

Across 1. Dog with spots (9) 9. This crew shouldn’t be going to S.A. (6) 10. Snails eaten by frogs (8) 11. Doesn’t become a place in Belgium (6) 12. Rut (6) 14. City in Nevada on the Nore (4) 15. Cram, squeeze (5) 16. Baby (6) 18 and 26 French handball champion (7, 5) 21. Fiendish, vile (7) 24. Keep (6) 26. See 18 across D D B 30. Bistro (4) E L E R Y 31. Aphrodite’s C M S boyfriend (6) E M E N T N R A 32. British school T T A I N qualification (1, 5) R D 33. Deceiving (8) I T A T E 34. Thick skinned R R

N D I A S E S C A P E C C L P R O O T E D E R E T E N D A N T

Deadlock in Pothole Photos! Last year’s Connemara View competition to find Connemara’s worst offending potholes was a huge success, with a fantastic amount of creative and downright disastrous pothole photos finding their way to us over the months! In the end it was too close to call for the editorial team, so we chose two winners to each receive a €50 voucher for Homewares Plus: Christopher Lawson for his demonstration of the depth of a pothole on the Green Road near Cleggan, and Heather Greer and Mary Lovett for their ‘romantic’ heart shaped offering from Emlough in Cleggan. Well done to you all and a massive thank you to all who submitted such great photos for our popular competition highlighting the sorry state of some of our roads.

Connemara View Newspaper

ungulates (6) 35. First man on the moon (9) Down 2. Preposterous (6) 3. Field (6) 4. Dragged (6) 5. Related to change (7) 6. Where 26 across should spend the New Year (6) 7. Method of bowling (8) 8. Grave marker (9) 11. Pungent veg (5) 13. Change course sharply (4) 17. Right at sea (9) 19. Courageous, heroic (8) 20. Learn of the kidneys (5) 22. Difficult (4) 23. Strong cheese (7) 25. Fridge compartment (6) 27. Planes fly to Italian city (6) 28. Over there (6) 29. Apply for the dole (4, 2)

Winner of Bumper Christmas Bogman 56: Katie George, Roundstone. Winner Connemara Crossword 62: Margaret Kelly, Oughterard.

New Photo Competition! Kavanagh’s Super Valu of Clifden and the Connemara View are delighted to announce a new monthly photography contest, featuring a great prize for a diﬀerent theme each month. The winning photograph chosen by the judging panel each month will be displayed in SuperValu Clifden and on www.connemaraview.com, and will receive a €50 Super Valu shopping voucher. The theme for the month of February is ‘Love’ and the theme may be interpreted in any way you like, from people to pets, or nature and scenery-the only limit is your imagination! E-mail photos with your name and contact details to news@connemaraview.com, post to Connemara View, Clifden, Co. Galway or drop entries to the Photo Contest Box at Kavanagh’s Super Valu Clifden.

Febr uar y 2010

What Do You Know? Quiz 16

No winner of Quiz 15, prize money is now €30.

February Quiz

Geography: How many emirates compose the United Arab Emirates? History: Jamaica achieved Independence on August 6, 1962. What “official” motto did the country adopt? Sport: When was the International Rugby Board formed? Math: 7 microseconds equals how many nanoseconds? Food: What fruit was once known as the Chinese Plum? General Knowledge: What small insect doesn’t sleep? Politics: Which 20th century head of state survived the most assassination attempts? Music: What was the first pop video? Art: What was Pablo Picasso’s first word? Entertainment: What is Barbie’s full name? Literature: On which of Shakespeare’s plays was the musical `Kiss Me Kate` based? Irish Interest: Cedric Gibbons of Dublin is the designer of what famous statuette?

December Quiz Answers

Entertainment: What 71-year-old actor celebrated his Oscar win by doing a set of One-handed push-ups on stage? Jack Palance. http://www.trivia90s.com/15_mvie.htm Food & Drink: What was the first frozen food available in Britain? Asparagus. http://www.quizu.co.uk/quiztpl1.html General Knowledge: The author of the first known full-length novel, written in the 11th century, was from where? Japan. http://historymedren.about.com/library/ quiz/general/blgkquiz2.htm?lastQuestio n=5&answers=0&submit=Next+Question +%3E%3E&ccount=0 History: Who was the first person to print the New Testament in English? William Tyndale http://www.funtrivia.com/ submitquiz cfm?quiz=225170 Literature:In what year did the famous French novel Madame Bovary first appear in book form? 1857. http:// classiclit.about.com/library/bl-quiz/ realism/madamebovary/bl-start.htm?las tQuestion=2&answers=3&submit=Next+ Question+%3E%3E&ccount=2 Local Interest:In what year did a two metre high tsunami caused by an earthquake in Lisbon hit the coast of Galway city? 1755 http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_Galway Music: Which group was once known as Frantic Elevators? Simply Red. http:// www.absurdtrivia.com/quiz/001529 previous-group-names/play/ Nature:What metal is extracted from sea water? Magnesium. http://www.quizu. co.uk/quiztpl1.html Politics: Which Irish Supreme Court Judge resigned in 1999 as a result of the ‘Sheedy Affair’? Hugh O Flaherty . http:// www.irishtrivia.com/politics.htm Science: The venom of which sea-dwelling creature is the most deadly in the animal kingdom? Box jellyfish . http://www. triviabug.com/quiz-questions/science.php Sports: In darts, what is the lowest possible score to constitute a ‘High Ton’? 151. A ‘High Ton’ is any score over 150 points.. http://www.funtrivia.com/submitquiz. cfm?quiz=58172 Geography: How much of the earth’s fresh water is locked up in the great ice cap, glaciers and ice shelves of Antarctica? nine tenths. http://www.funtrivia.com/ submitquiz.cfm?passthrough=qid:4442

Page 25

Do you want a great hairstyle , color , or Highlights ? Don’t toss a coin and gamble on Heads or Tails. For advanced, classic or contemporary hairdressing Hedz it is. Leave your Heads in the hands of the experts. Hedz it is. Station House, Clifden. 095-22202. Tue-Sat 9-6. Late night Fri. Yoga Classes Tuesdays in the Func Room, JC’s, Clifden €100 for 10 weeks. 6.15pm Gentle Yoga (suitable for beginners) 8pm Continuation Class. Prenatal Yoga Classes Wednesday evenings 7-8pm Moyard €100 for 8 weeks. For more information or to book your place phone Aoife Lydon 086-842-1400. Reiki / Seichem. Experience the calm & healing energies of this beautiful treatment, which is drug free & non-invasive. These powerful energies can heal one on the mental, emotional, spiritual & physical levels. Qualiﬁed Reiki / Seichem Master & Practitioner, Call Yvonne for appointment. 086-365-3266. Why pay more than you have to for your health insurance? No penalties if you switch. All served waiting periods are recognised by Hibernian Aviva Health. Call Hennelly Finance on 091 586500 or call Helena on 086 8095607. Hennelly Financial Services Ltd. T/A Hennelly Finance is regulated by the Financial Regulator. Counselling and psychotherapy. Úna McKeever M.I.H.I.P.,

Page 26

M.I.A.C.P. is a fully accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist who offers private and confidential counselling. For an appointment call 087-250-5015. unamckeever21@gmail.com. Do you suffer from anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, digestive disorders, depression, headaches, lack of energy, ME, MS, muscle tension, stress? I f so, contact Lucy Lydon (BEHA Dip) on 087-757-9237. True Awakening Plexus Bio-Energy Therapy. The 5 Rhythms® Movement Meditation Practice of Gabrielle Roth is a movement meditation practicesimple, profound, joyful and transforming. The practice helps to free our bodies, still our minds, reduce our stress levels and alleviate depression. Caitríona Nic Ghiollaphadraig. 095-34664. info@deorade.com www. deorade.com. The Treatment Rooms at Abbeyglen Castle. Hot stone massage, facials, indian head massage, reflexology, Zen spa pedicure/manicure, waxing, California tanning. Non residents welcome, 095-21306. Ní Ráighne Opticians. Bridge St., Clifden. 095-30995. Eye exams - €35. Medical cards and PRSI welcome.

Febr uar y 2010

Connemara View Newspaper

February Horoscopes Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20) The world is looking up and good things will be coming your way soon. Make sure you chose the right path to follow. Taurus (Apr 21-May 20) Sometimes it’s better to not take a leap of faith. This is one of those times. Think about all the possibilities before you act this month. Gemini (May 21-Jun 21) Make sure you don’t get caught doing whatever it is that you are doing. It needs to stay a secret for a while longer. Cancer ( Jun 22-Jul 22) This is a fantastic month for romance, keep your heart open to all things concerning love. Leo ( Jul 23-Aug 23) Get out there and take control of your career. You know what you want, so take steps to obtain it. Virgo (Aug 24-Sep 22) There will be a wedding or big celebration this month. Make sure that you have loads of fun and be responsible while doing it. Libra (Sep 23-Oct 23) Trust is something that will prove diﬃcult for you, but it is something that you need to do this month. Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22) Go on a shopping spree, spoil yourself, indulge in all the things that you want for yourself. This is a month about you. Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21) Take charge in the relationship or get on the horse and go ﬁnd one. You need to be the one controlling this situation. Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 20) Stop dithering and make up your mind already! You know what will happen either way so just pick one and go for it. Aquarius ( Jan 21-Feb 19) Happy birthday! Only good things can and will happen for you this month. Believe in yourself and the world will believe in you. Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20) Happy birthday! Enjoy the month and all that it brings, you are the king or queen of your world right now.

Tarot In the past you were unsure of what to do and did not trust in your own instincts. Now you are afraid that you have made a big mistake and are desperately trying to ﬁnd a way out of it. You will be on your guard as a direct result of everything that has been going on, so be ready for the attack when it comes.

Past: Temperance Present: 6 of Swords Future: 7 of Wands

runes

With Isa as the action you are being told that you can and should do nothing right now. You are eﬀectively blind. The challenge comes from not allowing yourself to swallowed up in or by a relationship. It takes two separate people to make a partnership. With Algiz as the Overview you are being warned to watch your health, this means mental well being also. Learn from what is happening.

Action Standstill (Isa)

Challenge Partnership (Gebo)

Overview Protection (Algiz)

“ You Never Lose When You Learn”

February DVD Releases Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs A hilarious, slapstick-ﬁlled rollercoaster animation, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs is a bizarre journey through the world of Swallow Falls, where bonkers inventor Flint turns the weather edible! Cloudy is stuﬀed with fast-paced action, strange food-scapes and some crazy gags.

500 Days of Summer A romantic comedy in the spirit of recent hits ‘Juno’ and ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, 500 Days Of Sum-

mer is a tale of boy meets girl, boy falls in love, but girl doesn’t. Starring Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, this is a heart-warmer, tearjerker and laugh-out-loud comedy all in one.

Broken Embraces Screened to considerable acclaim at Cannes, Broken Embraces solidiﬁes the director Pedro Alomodovar’s working relationship with Penélope Cruz, who gives a complex, moving performance.

The Soloist The Soloist is an emotionally soaring drama about the redemptive power of music. Journalist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.)

Connemara View Newspaper

Full Moon was on Saturday 30th January, when it was rising at sunset. During the ﬁrst week of February, the Moon rises much later every evening, but it continues to set in the middle of the morning. New Moon is on Sunday February 14th. We could start to see the new crescent Moon in the south-western sky after sunset, from Monday 15th onwards. After this, the Moon stays up later every evening. Full Moon is on Sunday 28th. At this phase, the Moon is on the opposite side of the sky to the Sun; so it rises in the east at sunset, shines all through the night, and sets in the west at sunrise the following morning. Then, as it wanes to gibbous again, it rises later every evening, but continues to set just after sunrise. Mercury. At the start of February, Mercury is rising about an hour before the Sun, but it will be very hard to ﬁnd this elusive little planet in the dawn sky. By the end of the month, it is disappearing behind the Sun. Venus was behind the Sun last month, and it is now starting to emerge into the evening sky. By the end of February, try looking to the west immediately after sunset; Venus is so intensely bright, it may show up even when the sky is still quite light. We will get better views of the “Evening Star” later in the year. Mars was at its closest to Earth last month, and it’s still very well placed for viewing. The “Red Planet” is already visible in the east at dusk, and it’s high in the southern sky in the late evening. Relative to the stars, Mars is moving quickly westwards in Cancer. But it’s brighter than any of the other stars in that part of the sky. The only object to rival Mars is the bright star Sirius, but that is much lower down, and

it twinkles diﬀerent colours; Mars shines with a steady orange light. On the evening of Thursday February 25th, the waxing gibbous Moon will be about 6 degrees to the lower right of Mars. Jupiter. The giant planet Jupiter is hidden behind the Sun this month. Saturn is rising in the middle of the evening, and it crosses the southern sky in the early hours of the morning. Relative to the stars, it’s moving very slowly north-westwards in Virgo, above and to the right of Spica, and well to the right of Arcturus. Saturn is intermediate in brightness between these two stars (Spica and Arcturus), but it shines with a steadier light than a star. Many of Saturn’s moons can also be seen in the telescope. The largest and brightest is Titan, which will be close to the north of the planet around February 3rd and 19th, 3 arc-minutes east of the planet around the 7th and 23rd, close to the south of it around the 11th and 27th, and 3 arc-minutes west of it around the 15th. When our own waning gibbous Moon rises late in the evening of Monday February 1st, Saturn will be about 15 degrees to its lower left. The following evening, the Moon will be about 8 degrees to the lower right of Saturn. Meteors. On any clear night, we may see the occasional meteor or “shooting-star”, as tiny specks of interplanetary débris burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. At certain times of the year, the Earth travels through a cloud of this dust, and we get a meteor-shower. However, there are no signiﬁcant meteor-showers in February, and it is generally a quiet time for sporadic meteors too. John Claró.

Galway Astronomy Festival The Galway Astronomy Festival 2010 is being being held in the Westwood House Hotel, Galway from February 12th to 13th with an impressive lineup of talks, stands and exhibitions available. A list of speakers iincluding Philip Walsh: “The Drake Equation” ; Professor Paul Mohr: “Cassini, Meridiani, nodding Ecliptic”. Dr Aaron Golden NUI Galway: “Has Earth Contaminated the Solar System? – the Case for Life on Mars”; Dr Vitaly Neustroev NUI Galway: “Amateur Astronomers and Cataclysmic Variables”; Alastair Mc Kinstry NUI Galway: “Extra Solar Planets: Climates

and Atmospheres” ; Dr Neal Trappe NUI Maynooth: “ALMA: Exploring the Cold Universe and Cosmic Origins; Dr Deirdre Coﬀey “Investigating Protostellar Jets with the Hubble Space Telescope after Service Mission 4”; Brian Harvey “The Asian Space Race” ; Professor Alan Smith, Director University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory “Space Science – the next 20 years”; and Terry Moseley: “Adventures with Heavenly Bodies” For more information go to www. galwayastronomyclub.ie or contact Festival Co-ordinator Ronan Newman at galwayastronomyclub@gmail.com

discovers Nathaniel Anthony Ayers ( Jamie Foxx), a former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets of L.A. and endeavors to help the homeless man ﬁnd his way back.

Next Issue: Thursday, March 4th

The Taking of Pelham 123 Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) is a New York City subway dispatcher whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by the hijacking of a subway train. Ryder ( John Travolta) is the criminal mastermind in Tony Scott’s re-make of the 1978 classic thriller. Reviews courtesy of Video Vault, Main St., Clifden. 095-22033

Febr uar y 2010

Ad Space Reservation Deadline: February 19 News Deadline: February 24 Directory Classified Deadline: February 26

095-22888

www.connemaraview.com Page 27

Frost Damage Happy new year to everyone. Well the cold weather of the past few months will have caused trouble in the garden- we won’t know the full extent for some time as it will only be when something fails to grow again that you will remember the frost. Plants which have a lot of moisture in them will literally have frozen to death. I had a great display of Nasturtium right up to Christmas, and now I have a frozen display. I know that the cold usually kills them but this is different, the stems are frozen stiff. They are a very sorry sight. Geranium is another plant which suffers a lot in cold weather, but I have one which seems to have survived very well so far.

What I am most looking forward to seeing or maybe not seeing is Gunnera. This invasive weed is not fond of the cold so it will be interesting to see what effect the cold spell has on it. Knowing that particular plant I wouldn’t be surprised if it will come back better than ever. I look forward in anticipation. The cold might also have got rid of a number of bugs and pests, but again like the Gunnera, they are full of surprises; still it is bound to have reduced the number of slugs and snails. It has been almost impossible to do much work, over the past few months. At times the ground was like concrete, but anywhere the sun shone, the earth warmed up a little and it was very satisfactory to be able to do something. I planted trees and created a new bed for shrubs. I also worked on a number of flower beds. It was always recommended that gardens should be dug and left for the frost; this is the first year that this has been possible and I hope that it will help as I managed to dig a fair bit. If and when the thaw comes, be sure that you check plants for damage. Any branches which have been affected should be cut off to avoid the spread of disease. Also check for damage to terracotta containers. Most will be frost proof, but it is unlikely that they expect that much frost. If they are cracked, they are a danger to you or other people, as they can split if you try and move them. If they are broken remove them and keep the broken pieces as crocks for the bottoms of other containers. The soil from containers is often spent, but I usually throw it onto the compost heap, it will add bulk and due to the fertility of the compost, the spent soil will regain its vitality. You know that I am a great fan of compost; well recently I was working on a new flower bed and was able to add in bags of leaf mould from the black bags which I had put away over the last few years. It was amazing to see how the compost helped break up the fairly heavy clay. After working it in I was able to use a trowel for all my planting. The bluebells and daffodils have started to peep above ground but the cold conditions have arrested development somewhat. Snow drops are still growing, but haven’t started to flower yet. The Ivy League A couple of people were asking me about ivy recently

Page 28

and what were the best types to plant against an old shed. But they also asked about the worry that some people have about it damaging trees. So I have decided to give you my thoughts on the subject. Ivy is correctly known as Hedera and is a group of plants with 15 species. All are climbing or ground covering or both. They are evergreen although there can be different colours on the leaves. They can be very invasive, and in some countries they are on the invasive species list. Most have the habit of having two types of growth habit and leaf type. The young and climbing or scrambling stems are long and supple, with the typical shaped leaf, while the older or often higher branches are woody and tough with smoother leaves. This type of growth also contains the insignificant flowers and distinctive fruits. These fruits are a boon to wildlife as they are produced throughout the winter but are harmful to man. They are very useful for flower arranging at this time of the year, and it is great to be able to access the long trailing pieces and the berried parts. It also lasts a long time indoors. There is a big debate about the damage or lack of caused to trees. At present the consensus is that there is little or no damage. The ivy competes for nutrients and water but this is not of major concern as the roots of the ivy tend to be very widespread and get their energy from a wider area. What can be a problem is that if you get a large and heavy growth on top of a tree, it can make it more susceptible to wind damage. Although it is very beneficial for wildlife, providing food from its berries and also the number of bugs which shelter in its dense crown or beneath its branches, it can cause serious shade problems, and its invasive ground hugging shoots can swamp native vegetation. There are a large number of people throughout the world, who are trying to rid the forests of ivy. They call themselves, the ‘non Ivy League’. This is a pun on the Ivy League Colleges in the USA. These important colleges were mostly founded before the American Revolution and have gained much prestige for themselves. They possibly get their name from the popular notion of old buildings covered in Ivy. Also from the fact that four of them came together early to work out the rules for college football and the Roman numerals for 4 is IV.

I am on the side of the ivy I must admit, but have started to clear it away from certain areas and from some trees. There is no doubt that it is a pest, as even a tiny part of the plant left in the ground will sprout again. Getting back to what are the best ivies to plant-I would go for one of the variegated ones Hedera helix ‘Buttercup’ or ‘Goldheart’. These have a lovely golden yellow colour and brighten up any corner. For interest there are two slightly unusual plants, ‘Bird’s Foot’ or ‘Parsley Crested’. As you can guess from the names one has leaves shaped like a bird’s foot and the other has crinkly leaves, a little like parsley. Another useful ivy is Hedera helix ‘Atropurpurea’ which has a purple/red colour on the leaves. All of these are evergreen so there is always colour. None of them are difficult to grow, and are easy to contain. Trim them at any time of the year other than a very cold time. They will cling to the wall and cover most surfaces fairly quickly. I know there is much debate the effect of ivy on buildings, but if the building is sound, good mortar/cement, there is no problem; in fact the ivy protects the mortar from weathering. But on old buildings, there can be major problems as the roots can get behind old plaster and break it away from the wall. Planting Seeds It is now time to think about planting seeds for the summer. There will be plenty of varieties to try, both ornamental and edible. Select your favourites and give them a go. Do follow the instructions on the packets, as almost every seed has something different in its needs and wants. It is a good idea to swap seeds with others as often there are hundreds of seed in a packet and if you can exchange some it makes more sense. The Connemara Garden Club hold regular seed exchanges at their monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of every month at the Station House Hotel at 8pm and new members are always welcome. Happy Gardening. Breandan O Scanaill

Freezing Challenge to our Feathered Friends

others were thoughtful enough to help feed our feathered friends this winter, please keep it up. The opportunity to observe the variety and colour of visitors to your garden or windowsill will be a reward in itself. Catherine Pryce

The severe weather conditions this winter have made survival very difficult for large numbers of native species of wild birds. The colder the weather, the more birds need to consume high energy foods in order to keep warm. The importance of feeding birds has been crucial this year during the prolonged freezing spell and it would appear that large numbers of people have taken to leaving out food such as peanuts and birdseed, as local supplies were visibly depleted in Connemara shops in the past few weeks. I have come across many dead birds and carcasses while out walking over the past few weeks. On one of the colder days I came across four different carcasses almost all of which had been eaten by other animals, including a blackbird and a thrush. Another story was told to me recently by someone who had witnessed cats in Clifden town centre easily picking out birds from a number of weakened thrushes, whose energy to escape was seriously hampered by hunger and exhaustion. I also saw a dead magpie, one of the most accomplished survivors among birds, literally frozen on its perch in a tree during the cold freezing weather. It may sound unlikely, but we humans were not the only ones that were unprepared for such harsh conditions this year. A crucial aspect of feeding birds is to continue doing so, and regularly. Once birds begin to visit a food source they will become accustomed to it being there and may become dependent on it. It is also important to keep feeding up until well into the Spring (or even better, year round) as newly hatched chicks will place extra demand for food on birds who are already struggling to find enough. So, if you like many

Febr uar y 2010

A Scandinavian visitor, the redwing, was spotted around Connemara once again this year. The redwing is a member of the thrush family which ﬂies non-stop from Norway and Sweden to Ireland and the UK. Many end the winter in Spain and Portugal while many remain here before returning to Scandinavia in March. Photo courtesy of Sandy Glynn, Ardbear.

Connemara View Newspaper

Gardening Green

A new year has blown in with a cold wind, ice and snow in some places. What will it bring in the way of agriculture, horticulture etc? Really no one knows! When I hear how much of the Irish commercial crops of potatoes and other vegetables have been destroyed by the rain, snow and ice it breaks my heart. On the other hand I am very pleased to see people digging over parts of their well kept lawns and allowing space for 2 or 3 rows of potatoes, onions, carrots and cabbage. It reminds me of the time when I first came to Ireland and many folks grew their own veggies about 30 years ago. But of course your garden is unique! So after all this, be honest! How did you as a first time grower get on with it last season? Did the vegetables and fruit really taste better than the ones in the supermarkets? Could you afford the time to weed, water and harvest your crop? Or was it a disastermaybe your chemical free approach left you with little to eat after the bugs were in your greens? Or the rain in August blighted and rotted part of your potato crop? Don’t lose heart! This article should give you a new incentive to continue or to start anew. Remember, the first two years, every possible bug known to our area (leatherjackets, wireworms, caterpillars, slugs, snails, etc will have a go at your scrumptious greens. Once you continue adding natural fertilizer (horse,

chicken, cow, rabbit manure or well compos- native birds like blackbirds, thrushes, robins, ted greens and kitchen waste) and rotating starlings, rooks and crows. A quarter of the your crops (grow a different veg in a 3 or 4 diet of frogs and toads are snails and slugs. bed system every year), most of these creepy By creating a small garden pond you will crawlies go somewhere else. encourage these to breed and Except for the slimy creawith more and more frogs tures- there is no easy way we have less and less slimy to deter them. See if you can fellows. get hold of a little seaweed In some parts of the for your potato beds, the country hedgehogs reside and slugs don’t like salty stuff snails and slugs are their natuat all. ral diet. I have not seen any Otherwise use beer, milk around here and introducing or grapefruit juice traps, these lovely creatures near the copper bands for pot plants, sea would not be such a good upturned orange or grapeidea. There are many ground fruit halves to catch them. breeding birds whose eggs Don’t forget to collect these would be in danger of being in the morning. Either give stolen and eaten by hedgethem to the chickens if you hogs, eggs being a delicacy keep some, or dispose of for them.There are also some them in a ‘humane’ way by friends of the creepy crawlcrushing them or putting ies who like nothing better them in a bucket or salt than munching slugs, like water or hot water. Whatthe glow worm, the common ever you do don’t throw ground beetle and centipedes. An organic carrot, grown with them over the wall to the In recent years biological love by Jagur Organic! neighbours place; they will slug control seems to be very find their way back home successful. Nematodes such as because slug trails contain their own scent. Nemaslug you can buy by mail or almost in Encourage and attract slug and snail pred- every garden centre. ators. Again if you keep chickens or ducks This is of course not a method we can use give them a little free range in your garden on a large scale of growing veggies. So we in the winter. They will find their hiding just pick them off in the evening and in the places and the egss. Otherwise, attract wild morning and encourage our wild friends to

A Guide to Giant Rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria)

Invasive species are non-native plants or animals that can spread out of control when introduced to a new country where they do not have predators or other natural controls. These introduced pests can cause severe environmental and economic damage when they crowd out native plants or animals, introduce disease or damage infrastructure. Some species that are causing problems in Ireland include the plants Rhododendron and Japanese Knotweed and animals such as mink, grey squirrel and the zebra mussel. The plant Gunnera tinctoria is commonly referred to as ‘giant rhubarb’ though it is not related to the edible rhubarb which it resembles. The plant is easily recognised by its giant

Connemara View Newspaper

green leaves and spiny reddish stalks which can grow over 2 metres tall and form dense thickets. During the late summer it has distinctive conical shaped spiky flowers which bear thousands of red seeds. Gunnera is now considered to be an invasive species in parts of the west of Ireland. Native to South America, it was brought to Ireland in the early twentieth century as an ornamental plant for large country estates. Gunnera prefers damp soils and thrives on disturbed ground, for example quarries and roadsides. The climate in Connemara is perfect for the growth of ‘giant rhubarb’ with plenty of rain and moderate temperatures. Gunnera does not tolerate very cold conditions so it will be interesting to see if the recent severe cold snap will have an effect on the population size next summer. Gunnera can reproduce by seeds dispersed by birds or other animals, or in water or soil. It can also propagate by growth from the rhizome or roots of the plant and a small fragment of root can grow a whole new plant. The most common methods of spread in Connemara are thought to be the importation of seeds or plant fragments in soil or machinery during construction or road works, or through dumping of garden waste from infested sites. When Gunnera infests a region, it harms the local ecology by over-shadowing native plants. Its dense stands alter the appearance of the landscape and it can lead to erosion on cliffs and river banks. It can also block drains increasing the risk of flooding, and in winter, unsightly rotting stumps dot the areas it grows in. It can also be a pest in gardens and farmland. However, Gunnera is of no harm to human health. It is not poisonous; in fact, the stems are eaten raw with salt and chilli in Southern Chile. Sheep and goats also graze on it with no known adverse effects. Parts of Connemara are heavily infested with Gunnera, especially around Recess, Clifden and Letterfrack, causing problems for many landowners. The local

Febr uar y 2010

give us a hand or a beak or a mouth. This works reasonably well. We attract so many birds to live and breed around our farm now that at times we have to net some of out crops while young, otherwise the birds would scratch them all out again in search for some grubs. Last year we had a good crop of lettuce all the way until the end of December. Kale, garlic, onions and herbs did well too. Sadly some of our potatoes were rotten, not from blight but from the August rain. Instead we harvested enough of our usual root crops at the end of November (oca, ulluco, mashua, Jerusalem artichokes and yakon) Maybe you have already tasted some of these purchased in the shop. We are trying out new recipes all the time and are more than happy to let you know how to cook them. Already this year, garlic and onions are peeping out of the soil and the bases of some beds are lined with seaweed for the coming growing season. We would really like to know how you got on last year with your garden. If you want any tips please ask, we are very much obliged to help you along with making a success with growing your own and loving it. Please call Linda or Vincent at Jagur Organic. If we have time we would even come and visit your garden and give you some tips. Please call Linda or Vincent at Jagur Organic on 095- 44855. Happy Gardening. Linda and Vincent Jagobin

community in Leenane have been active in implementing a Gunnera Management Plan for the last two years, and so far the results are encouraging. Galway County Council has also undertaken treatment of the severe infestation at Guy’s Quarry in Kylemore. A research project is currently being undertaken by Maria Corcoran, a final year Environmental Science student at NUI Galway to establish the extent of the infestation of the alien species Gunnera tinctoria in County Galway. Maria is mapping Gunnera sightings in Connemara so if you have seen this distinctive plant or find it growing on your land please contact her at galwaygiantrhubarb@gmail.com. The recommended treatment for Gunnera infestation is to spray in the late summer with a glyphosate based herbicide such as Round Up. Follow up treatment may be needed in following years for any regrowth or new seedlings. To prevent its spread, remove the flower head in early summer before it sets seed and avoid moving soil or plant waste infested matter from areas. Advice leaflets and more information are available from the “People and Nature” project manager, Elaine O’Riordan: Applied Ecology Unit, Centre for Environmental Science, NUI, Galway at 091-493-863 or elaine.oriordan@nuigalway.ie. Article & photos courtesy of Maria Corcoran and Elaine O’ Riordan of NUI Galway.

Page 29

Cheers to 40 Years!

Hotel in the 1960’s. The Hughes family interest began in 1969 and the castle extension was completed in the mid 1980’s, creating the familiar landmark building as it stands today. The evolution of the Abbeyglen has been an integral element of the development of the Clifden area and the hotel’s profile has served to put Clifden and Connemara on the national and international stage many times down through the years. The inimitable hospitality of Paul, Brian and all the hotel staff is truly unique and valued by many, as demonstrated by the great affection in which the hotel is held by its many visiting and local patrons alike. Abbeyglen Castle Hotel opens for its 40th year on Friday February 5th with a special offer of dinner for €35pp lasting for the month of February to mark the birthday celebrations. The exhibition of photographs will also be on display at the hotel throughout the month and is well worth a visit. Photos: Left - The proprietors and staff of Abbeyglen Castle Hotel preparing for the hotel’s 40th birthday celebrations. (L-r): Paul Hughes, Velta Conneely, Mary Davis, Martina Molloy, Brian Hughes, Serena de Stacpoole and Cllr. Eileen Mannion. Right - The hotel as it is today. Above - The original building of Glenowen Orphanage which closed in the 1950’s.

Celebration of a Century

ents James and Kate O’ Malley who were both employed by the railway and lived at the Railway Cottage in Recess. She had three brothers; Patrick (Paddy), Martin (Charles) and Séamus, and a sister Mary (Claire) who are now deceased. Her sisters Eileen and Nancy who both also live in Fulham joined her for the celebration as well as her sister Mena Ryan who travelled from Clifden with nieces and nephews Jim and Sean O’ Malley, Imelda de Courcey, Margaret Conneely, Maureen King and Deirdre Kelly. Delia worked as a young woman in Bartley’s house in Ballinafad and subsequently for the Burgess’s at Ballynahinch Castle and Screebe Lodge, before going to England at the age of 16 to work at Bartley’s household in London. After some years working in London, she then moved to Liverpool where she married Richard Whittington-Egan, a Liverpudlian of Irish background, and they both returned to London to live and work before the war years. Delia worked as a post woman during the war, and her nephew Jim O’ Malley of Clifden recalls her telling many stories about the blitz and the air raids that were such a part of daily life in London then. ‘While out on her round one day, the sirens went oﬀ, signalling an attack. She made her way to the bunkers like everyone else and as soon as the sirens stopped, she immediately returned and completed her round as planned’. Delia is described by her family in Clifden as having always been extremely sociable and fun-loving with a great personality, and she greatly enjoyed a game of cards as well a smoke and drink in her day. Her lifelong pride however are the years she dedicated to working with the mentally handicapped in her local commu-

The world renowned Abbeyglen Castle Hotel and its proprietors Paul and Brian Hughes are marking the milestone achievement of 40 years in business this year and are looking forward as ever to continuing to provide all their guests with a truly memorable experience at one of Connemara’s best known venues. A fascinating display of photographs of people and events down through the years is currently on display in the hotel’s drawing room, illustrating an impressive roll call of famous faces that have visited the hotel since 1969. From movie stars and musicians to politicians and public personalities, famous past guests include Gabriel Byrne and Ellen Barkin, Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, Ronnie Drew and The Dubliners, Mary Robinson, Bertie Ahern, Jean William and Amanda Kennedy Smith, Billy Connolly, Marina Ogilvy, Kathryn Thomas, Johnny Logan, Ryan Tubridy and his family…and many many more. The original building was built in 1832 by founder of Clifden, John D’Arcy and was leased to the then parish priest as Glenowen House before being bought by the Irish Church Mission Society for use as a protestant orphanage. This operated until 1955 and it later became a mixed orphanage. After its closure in the 1950’s, it became derelict until it was purchased and run as the Glenowen House

A Connemara native celebrated the momentous occasion of her 100th birthday in great style on December 5th last, surrounded by family and friends in Fulham in London. Delia Whittington-Egan was born Delia O’ Malley to her par-

Page 30

Febr uar y 2010

nity in Fulham, which she was dedicated to for over 30 years. She also has a great fondness and love for her homeland in Recess and visited friends and family in Connemara and Clifden regularly up until almost 90 years of age. Delia still lives in her own home in Fulham and is helped by a team of carers on a daily basis but is determined to stay in her own house. Indeed, she continued to bake her own scones and cakes until very recently also and is in touch with her family in Clifden on an almost daily basis by telephone, so it seems she has no intentions of slowing down yet! Great sources of pride for Delia at present are the oﬃcial congratulations she received on reaching the age of 100. A letter from President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtarán and a letter from H.M. Queen Elizabeth have delighted her, and now take pride of place in her home. Delia also greatly enjoyed her birthday party surrounded by her nieces and nephews from Connemara and many other neighbours and friends who happily joined her in marking the achievement of reaching such a great age. Catherine Pryce Photo: Delia with nieces Margaret Conneely (left) & Imelda deCourcey

Connemara View Newspaper

Be My Valentine! Love and Laughter While Valentine’s Day is associated with flowery declarations of love and meaningful poetry, the saccharine sweet tone of many love messages can be too sickly for some to swallow. So bearing in mind that the romance and hype of ‘the feast of lovers’ is lost on some, here are some of the funniest quotes we’ve come across to bring a smile to the face of even the most cynical anti- Valentines! ‘I haven’t spoken to my girlfriend in years. I didn’t want to interrupt her’-Unknown. ‘I’m so miserable without you; it’s almost as if you’re here’Unknown. ‘Valentine’s Day is when a lot of married men are reminded what a poor shot Cupid really is’-Unknown ‘Sales Ad at a Store: ‘You are my one and only’ Valentine cards, now on sale: 4 for $5’. ‘No man is truly married until he understands every word his wife is not saying’- Unknown ‘If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?’- Unknown ‘A man is already halfway in love with any woman who listens to him.’- Brendan Francis ‘I love being married. It’s great to find that one special person who you want to annoy for the rest of your life’Rita Rudner ‘I am” is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that “I do” is the longest sentence?’ George Carlin ‘If variety is the spice of life, marriage is the big can of leftover Spam.’- Johnny Carson ‘My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met.’Rodney Dangerfield ‘I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.’- Henny Youngman ‘Getting married is very much like going to a restaurant with friends. You order what you want, then when you see what the other fellow has, you wish you had ordered that.’ - Anonymous ‘A man is incomplete until he is married. After that, he is finished.’- Zsa Zsa Gabor ‘Marriage is a three ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering’- Anonymous Attributed and anonymous quotes from various internet sources.

What Women Want Any man could be forgiven for thinking that all women want on Valentine’s Day is to be taken out for dinner, or some nice ﬂowers and a box of chocolates. On the second most marketed and commercially lucrative holiday in the year (the other being Christmas), many women crave more than just the bog standard gifts, and most ladies would prefer a sincere gesture of love or appreciation any day over a box of chocolates and a bouquet that will be withered within a week. Of course pretty gifts are always welcome but they should be the side dish, rather than the main course! So listen up men, it’s not rocket science but will make Valentine’s Day a day to remember for all the right reasons! • Make her feel important. As in, THE most important person in your life. More than kids, work, other family members, football teams and anyone else. You can do this by... • Listening! As in really listening, not grunting yes or no while texting or looking at the TV. Yes, most women realise that they usually talk too much for most men to stay interested. Why not surprise them by taking an interest in something they are saying that you normally wouldn’t. At the very least it might lead to a laugh! • Appreciate her. Thank her for the things she does for you all the time and for putting up with your bad times and

Connemara View Newspaper

bad moods as well as good. • Be affectionate. Even if you are not usually physically affectionate or ‘touchy-feely’ towards each other, try and make a special effort-a spontaneous hug or kiss really does brighten anyone’s day-in fact it’s the unexpected ones that generally do. Make her feel beautiful. Even if her appearance has changed or if she’s not looking her best that particular day, remind her that you think she is beautiful and is your chosen one. Just pay her a compliment-a genuine and sincere one. • Don’t make her plan your Valentine’s Day outing if you are going on one. Take any hassle out of it for her, and any element of surprise will usually be well received.

What Men Want Now this is where we could have a number of jokes, along the lines of ‘a quiet life and a cold beer’ etc, but many men would also like to be loved and appreciated on Valentine’s Day. Most men want: • A companion who is fun and interesting. Do things together when it is appropriate, but allow each other space. • Not to be nagged! Even if they have done something wrong that day, or not done something the way you wanted- just say nothing for once! • Remember the saying ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’? Unless he is cooking something for you, make him his favourite dinner, complete with favourite dessert. • Passion. Is there a man alive who would not enjoy a passionate exchange with a significant other on Valentine’s Day? Didn’t think so. Remember that romance is the order of the day and indulge! Don’t just presume that a gift that costs money will be most appreciated. When cash flow is tight, be clever. Pay a bill early, or as a surprise, get them something they really need or want but won’t buy for themselves. But always remember that a real gesture of love costs nothing-a home cooked dinner or break from the daily routine is fail safe. It’s not about the financial value, it’s about the sentiment. Remember that and a Happy Valentine’s Day is practically guaranteed!

children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. • According to the condom company Durex, condom sales are highest around Valentine’s Day, 20 percent to 30 percent higher than usual. • The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every year on Valentine’s Day. • In Japan, women are expected to give chocolate and other gifts to men on Valentine’s Day. This tradition was started as a marketing campaign by Japanese chocolate companies. Men are not off the hook however as they are expected to return the favour on March 14th, commonly known as White Day. • Men spend almost twice as much on Valentine’s Day as women do. • Gifts that people actually want-teeth whitening, ipod iphone, weekend away, psychic consultations • Valentine’s Day is the second largest card-exchanging holiday in the world next to Christmas with approximately one billion sent worldwide every year. • Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, on Valentine’s Day in 1876. • About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets. • Esther Howland, the woman who produced the first commercial American valentines in the 1840s, sold a then mindboggling $5,000 in cards during her first year of business.

Weird and Wonderful Valentine’s Trivia • Eight million Americans have admitted to sending themselves Valentine’s Day gifts-they may feel lonely but at least they will get something nice! • British lovers should steer clear of Paris as a Valentine destination -- one in three picked the French capital as the city most likely to cause them to argue on a romantic break. • Teachers will receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed by

Febr uar y 2010

Page 31