The CRAIC in Galway Edition 15 by Div Media

Galway Health & Fitness 2014

is coming out at the end of January, if you want your business featured e-mail: alan@galway.com

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Cover Delta Security. Your Partner in Excellence By Div Media Models: Laura Fox, Delta Security Staff and The CRAIC in Galway Staff

From Friday January 10th 2014 To Thursday January 23rd 2014

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Edition 15

Welcome to TheCRAIC

PHOTOGRAPHY DESIGN PR PROMOTIONS

TheCRAICaddicts Creator & Director Darius IVAN info@divmedia.ie

Editor Avril HORAN

avrilhoran@divmedia.ie

Photography & Design Darius IVAN Layout Designer Miguel MAZA miguelmaza@divmedia.ie

Stylist Sunny JUDDY sunnyjuddy@divmedia.ie

Contributors Dara KELLY Cara LYONS Rebecca CASSERLY Distribution Gearóid O MACHAIN Guaranteed publication of your events photos with our media packages! If you want to secure your place in one of the 5,000 copies of this creative and colourful Craic Magazine, distributed across the city and county every second Friday, please contact: Email info@divmedia.ie or Call us (087) 635 29 33

Alright New Year, what’s going on? Instead of leaping into 2014 with new found enthusiasm, we have been struggling with flu’s and flooding, and are in some sort of coma following the bumper Christmas season. This is not a good start. Everything seems to be in slow motion. However, between these pages, we have a host of inspiration to get you back on track, with ideas for new courses, Monday night comedy to cheer you up, and a Pokémon festival to have you, well, scratching your head with wonder. Only Galway can bring you everything from a celebration of Japanese anime to a feast of classical composers with Music for Galway’s Midwinter treat. January is like a mish mash of the weird and wonderful. We are transitioning out of the old and into the new, and if you are having any difficulty at all, have a read of Dara Kelly’s fitness article. The key is to take it one step at a time. I started on a green smoothie detox and had my head in a jar of biscuits by midnight. So I draw great comfort from her words of wisdom. As always, we have your daily events diary, fashion, fun, features and night life photography. Sure there was so much going on since we last met. Were you spotted out and about? Did you want to be? We hope you enjoy our little but large magazine as we drag you out of the festivities and into a brand spanking New Year. Happy Reading Sure it’s all a bit of craic,

Love The Craic Squad.

Featured in TheCRAIC 15 New Year, New Me NewYear NewMe

Fashion Trends 2014

page16

Search and Rescue

page 28

Park Life

The Quiet Man Roars

page 08

page 04

page 22

Show me the Funny!

page 13

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Friday 10th Jan 2014 • 9am: If you are looking to kick start your business for 2014 then head to the Clayton Hotel for a Growth Club workshop. Facilitated by business coach, Derek O’Dwyer, you will learn successful action plans and strategies. • 7:30pm: Catch Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood as the Renmore pantomime continue their run at the Town Hall Theatre. A must each year, as two classic fairy tales combine into one great show. • 8:30pm: The Galway West Convention for Alcoholics Anonymous takes place at the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill. An open meeting will take place in the Lettermore room until 10pm for members of the public who are interested in AA. The rest of the weekend will involve closed meetings. • 9pm: It’s Funky Friday’s at Kelly’s Bar and Live Venue. A DJ will spin the decks for a groovy night on the tiles and it’s free. • 9pm: Lindi Ortega will entertain at the Roisin Dubh. The Nashville based country singer brings her signature red lips and red boots to Galway for a night of classic country songs of loneliness, unrequited love, crumbling relationships and primal desire.

• 10pm: Remembering Lizzy will take to the stage at Monroe’s Live to mark the 28th anniversary of the untimely death of Phil Lynott. Enjoy the music of Thin Lizzy with this Galway based band as they bring the music back to life.

International Recognition for The Quiet Man ■Petition launched to secure future of Connemara Cottage By Avril HORAN irector John Ford’s masterpiece, The Quiet Man, filmed on location in Connemara and Cong in 1951 has been oﬃcially recognised as a cinematic treasure. It has been added to the National Film Registry in the USA by the Library of Congress - a collection of films identified as culturally, aesthetically or historically important. And now, The Quiet Man, is among its ranks. Star of the film, Maureen O’Hara, has said she is overjoyed the film has been inducted into the registry. “I am overjoyed that the Library of Congress has inducted The Quiet Man into its National Film Registry. It was the thrill of our lives for John Ford, John Wayne, myself, and everyone to make it. The Quiet Man is my favorite of all the pictures I made. I love it so much because it was the first great movie about Ireland, made her look wonderful, and shared her customs and traditions with the rest of the world. Yet I believe it has become a classic and endured for over sixty years because it’s a simple and

timeless story about people in love. Thank you for preserving this cinematic treasure for all future generations. May its message of love endure throughout the ages,” she said. Meanwhile, over 2,300 people have signed an online petition to Galway County Council, requesting that the famous landmark, The Quiet Man Cottage, at Tiernakill, Maam, become a protected structure. The cottage, called White O’Morn in the film, is privately owned and has fallen into ruin. It’s restoration is a passion for Belfast man, Patrick McCormick, who has set up the petition at change.org. “This location’s real-life history, combined with its international recognition and association with ‘The Quiet Man’ movie, creates a very special marriage of history, culture and art – which fulfills the Council’s specific criteria in a totally unique way. Many thousands of people from all around the world are already crying out to see this cottage restored to it’s former beauty (and are willing to help in any way they can).”

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Saturday 11th Jan 2014 • 10am: Today is the last day to catch the visual arts exhibition Neither Here Nor There at the Galway Arts Centre on Dominick Street, highlighting the work of 10 contemporary Irish artists who have migrated to the city of Berlin over the past 20 years. • 10:30am: The International Oﬃce at NUIG has organised a morning walking tour of the city to help international students to familiarise themselves with the wonderful place that is Galway. Depart from Áras na Mac Léinn for this historic and cultural tour. • 11am: Loughwell Farm Park, Moycullen, re-opens today after the Christmas break for lots of fun on the farm!

• 3:40pm: For rugby fans, Connacht play host to the Zebre at The Sportsground in the Heineken Cup. • 7:30pm: Catch Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood as the Renmore pantomime continue their run at the Town Hall Theatre.

• 9pm: Head to Monroe’s Live on Dominick Street for one of Galway’s hottest cover bands, Oddity. Guaranteed to have you on the dance floor as they take to the main stage at midnight. • 11:30pm: DJ’s Lisa Brady and Frank will have you hopping at the Stock Exchange on Shop Street for the ultimate party night.

Galway’sAnchorman ■Galway is the Star of the Show in the US By Avril HORAN

weather,” James told The Craic in Galway. “Many viewers in the South felt a connection to their heritage through the reports. Live trad music from Jacqueline McCarthy at the Pier Head bar in Kinvara was very well received as was the humour and discussion of Irish whiskey at the Stock Exchange bar. Anchor Dreanne Newton of WDEF News 12 said it was a worthwhile and fun experience for all involved. “The live shots were the first of their kind in the history of either Tennessee or Irish broadcasting and hopefully will pave a way forward for Galway to receive regular TV news coverage in the highlighting of its many attractions and events,” he said.

he weather was “woeful” but Galway still shone to its US audience as live Christmas broadcasts took place for the first time to the American South. Galway’s very own anchorman, James P Mahon from Gort, combined work and home, when he came back for the festive season, as our city was beamed across the four corners of Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia for CBS aﬃliate station, WDEF 12. “The reports were very well received in the US despite the woeful

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• 12pm: The Dream Weddings Exhibition takes place at Leisureland, Salthill, for all of the brides and grooms to be. With 80 exhibitors and fashion shows to help you make your big day decisions.

The CRAIC in MONROE’S Live PhotosBy Darius IVAN

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Sunday 12th Jan 2014 • 10:30am: The International Oﬃce at NUIG has organised a second morning walking tour of the city to help international students to familiarise themselves with the wonderful place that is Galway. Depart from Áras na Mac Léinn for this historic and cultural tour. • 10:40am: The Galway Walking Club will be heading to Cong with leader Pat Moran.

• 12pm: The Galway Bay Jazz Band bring their swingin’ tunes to Busker Brownes on Cross Street for a lively Sunday brunch. • 12pm: The bustling Galway market is open at Church Lane beside St Nicholas for the best of local crafts and fare. • 1pm: The Galway Kiddies Market takes place at the Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit. A donation of €5 from each stall is given to a local school fundraising on the day. • 12pm: The Dream Weddings Exhibition continues at Leisureland, Salthill, for all of the brides and grooms to be. • 12pm: Catch Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood as the Renmore pantomime continue their run at the Town Hall Theatre. Will the Sherriﬀ of Nottingham succeed with his evil plan? Show time again at 4:30pm. • 8pm: Enjoy some Sunday gypsy jazz with I Saw Stars at Kelly’s Bar and Live Venue. • 10:30pm: Jim McKee and band will bring his deep love of Irish folk and trad to the backstage bar at Monroe’s Live. Showtime is midnight.

All Signs Point to Coole ■A walk in the park! By Avril HORAN

of your mind and stay there until you actually go. For Bruce, the rugged woodlands are “just beautiful”. “You can spend a lot of time there,” he said, “it’s a great place to demonstrate the natural beauty of Ireland and I always recommend it to people.” Well how can you say no to that? It is often said you should be a tourist in your own city and county. There are so many things we miss and take for granted, believing that ‘one day’ we will go. With my curiosity sparked, I finally took the plunge and headed out to the nature reserve located outside Gort. With six km of nature trails already laid out for you, it’s a fantastic way to take in the countryside and escape from the city rush and tumble after the Christmas season.

ack in the day (a few months ago) I interviewed Bruce Henry of ‘Murder on the Menu’ fame and asked him about his favourite Galway place. His response was ‘Coole Park’. Not long after, at a Fit 4 Life training session, our master of running, Bernie Kelly, also mentioned Coole Park as a place to wile away a glorious Sunday afternoon. And it was her attempt to keep us interested in walking over the weekend. I perceived this to be ‘a sign’. Yes, when two people mention a specific place in the county that is well worth a visit, it manages to stick at the back

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• 11am: Oughterard AFC will take on Corofin Utd at the New Village facilities.

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Monday 13th Jan 2014 • 10am: The fabulous Three Towers Eco House and Organic Kitchen at Kylebrack West in Loughrea will hold a unique workshop to help you to dust oﬀ that sewing machine. • 7pm: If learning a new instrument is on your resolution list, then you can head to Scoil Mhuire Oranmore for the start of Guitar Made Easy classes. • 7pm: Beginners creative writing classes begin this evening at the Galway Technical Institute with Over the Edge’s Kevin Higgins. • 10pm: Don’t miss the swingin’ tunes of the Black Magic Big Band as they play their hearts out at Busker Brownes on Cross Street. KH_SMTF!4_Advert.pdf

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What better way to walk oﬀ the turkey than to spend some quality time rambling amidst the trees and parkland, with woods, river, turlough, bare limestone and twinkling lake. I enjoy structured walks where the trails are already set out for you. At Coole Park, you can choose between ‘the family trail’ - an easy 1.75 km walk, taking you past the deer pen, the site of the house and into the walled garden. And there is also the 4.5km ‘seven woods trail’ connecting the diﬀerent woods made famous

there is a small visitor centre on site where you can listen to the tales of old through the eyes of ‘Me and Nu’, granddaughters of Lady Gregory. The trail has the darkness of a woodland path, with giant trees looming overhead. Through the clearing, we came to the edges of Coole lake, where we simply sat, and took in our surroundings. There is the lightness of the walled garden, the history of the majestic autograph tree and you can spend forever just watching the deer in their pen as they playfully go about their daily tasks. Entrance to the park is free and it is well worth a visit. I hope to persuade my friends to join me where we may find the ‘wild swans at Coole’.

in the words of WB Yeats. In practice, however, I still managed to get a bit lost, so am not sure which trail I was actually on. But there is a joy in losing your way and simply finding the hidden treasures of the park. A highlight is the autograph tree, which is testament to the history of the area. Etched in the bark of the old beech are the names of Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, John Millington Synge and Sean O’ Casey among many others. Coole Park was the hub of the 20th Century Irish literary revival and the home of Lady Augusta Gregory, dramatist, folklorist and co-founder of the Abbey Theatre. You can just imagine the parties. The house no longer stands, but

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The CRAIC in ThePhotosBy KING’S HEAD Darius IVAN

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Tuesday 14th Jan 2014 • 7pm: Intermediate creative writing classes take place with Susan Millar DuMars. This 8 week course takes place at the Galway Technical Institute and advance booking is essential. • 7pm: New kickboxing courses commence this evening with the Galway Black Dragon Kickboxing club at the Riverside Industrial Estate, Tuam Road. • 7pm: A Sewing Made Easy Course takes place at the Galway Technical Institute where you can start from scratch and come out with an apron and cushion cover by your own hand. • 7pm: An inspiring course takes place in Furbo, Connemara with an art psychotherapy group. It’s an opportunity to grab some space and time in the week, just for you.

G Bar has the X Factor €1,000 up for grabs By Avril HORAN

On Friday, January 10th, the G-bar will search for the x factor, as up and coming Galway talent sing it out for the coveted €1,000 prize and a chance to scoop studio recording time. The hugely successful competition returns after the Christmas break, as entrants perform in front of special guest judge and performer, Kiki St Clair and former winner, Al Pinion. “We have all styles of song,” says the G-bar’s Marcus Wynne, “from country to pop, Celtic to rock. We began auditions in November and it has been a

great success. We have some fantastic talent and it promises to be a really great night. It is so enjoyable, even just to watch, and a chance to discover new talent.” The competition is open to “anyone who thinks they have a voice” and are “able to make it on Friday’s” to the G-bar. Singers will sing one song for the heats and more as the final approaches. Along with the €1,000 prize fund, studio sessions are also up for grabs for runners up and winners. Entrants will have a sound check beforehand to ensure they are at ease with the stage. The competition kicks oﬀ at 8pm. If you think you have the x factor for the G-bar, you can enter by emailing: gbarxfactor@hotmail. com or text: 0852286338

Show Me The Funny! By Avril HORAN

Search is on for new comedy talent at The King’s Head It’s back! In association with Bulmers, the hugely popular ‘Show Me The Funny’ returns to the Kings Head for the 4th consecutive year, in the search for Ireland’s freshest, newest, brightest comedy talent. Starting on Monday, Jan 13th, host and MC, Gerry Mallon, will introduce the first of 8 comedy hopefuls in the

first of 6 consecutive Monday night heats, with the top 2 on the night making it through to the grand final on Monday, Feb 24th. The overall winner will win a slot at the prestigious comedy tent at the Electric Picnic Festival 2014,whilst there will also be prizes for the runner’s up, including a slot at the Forbidden Fruit Festival 2014 in Dublin. “The standard of these rookie comedians is frighteningly good and some of them would put so called professional acts to shame,” says host Gerry Mallon. “With 8 diﬀerent acts at each heat, and a special guest at each heat and final, it’s a sure fire way to beat the January blues”. Special guest on the night is the hilarious and slightly de-

GALWAY’S LATE NIGHT VENUE

mented Fred Cooke, who will be familiar to TV audiences from his work on the ‘Republic of Telly’ on RTE2. Tickets are available on the door and include a free pint of Bulmers and the good news is they only cost a recession busting 5 euro. Doors 7.30pm and the show starts at 8.30pm

18/19 Upper DOMINICK ST, GALWAY WWW.THE4ACES.IE PH: 091-589 199

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Agony Aunt Candy&Cara

Wednesday15thJan 2014 • 6pm: A free workshop organised by the Small Firms Association takes place at the Radisson Blu hotel. Eoin Ó Súilleabháin, social media and digital marketing manager of Bord Gáis Energy presents ‘Twitter for Small Business’ and will speak to attendees on how to use Twitter. • 8pm: The Ronan Collins Showband Show will have you jumping in the aisles at the Town Hall Theatre. Reeling In The Showband Years has been a complete sell out right around the country for the past 4 years and returns once again to The Town Hall Theatre for one night only. • 8:30pm: Beyond Therapy takes place at the Town Hall Studio, a fast paced comedy set in ‘80’s America and presented by the Orion’s Belt Theatre. A bizarre dinner date as a result of a personal ad brings Prudence and Bruce together. Will they find love amidst the madness? • 10pm: The Converse All Stars bring their unique dirty mash up of soul, funk and blues to the Roisin Dubh.

• 11:30pm: Acclaimed House DJ, Riva Starr, is coming to Carbon nightclub, known as one of the best producers on the planet! Described by Fatboy Slim as “crazy, sexy, cool” Riva Starr moves from genre to genre and has headlined and opened at events in Canada, USA, Berlin, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Ibiza.

By Cara LYONS

Straight talking from the trailor trash mouth of Southern Belle, Candy, and the more refined Cara from Connemara.

Dear Candy,

I know this is probably the oddest thing you have ever heard but I feel like I was meant to be a rat. I feel like I was accidently born a human or else that I was a rat in another life and some part of me still knows it. I scurry about the place at night and hide behind furniture to eat. I chew on paper and other objects in the house, including electrical wires, and I have received some

Candy:

Why the hell do weirdos always reach out to me? I’m not surprised your boyfriend thinks you’re odd! I bet he’s thinkin’ ‘how the hell am I supposed to

Cara:

I think what you need to do is go and visit a psychologist. They will help you figure out your feelings and reassure you that there

nasty shocks from doing it but I just can’t resist. I’ve started seeing this guy and I even nibble on his jumpers when I snuggle up to him. I think he thought it was cute the first time, but now I think he’s starting to think I’m a bit odd. I get urges to have 14 of his babies at the same time and I wish so much that I could fit behind the skirting boards in the house and nest there. I

sometimes attach a fake plastic tail to myself and run around in a field out the countryside chewing on things. I have considered getting surgery done to get a permanent tail, and move away somewhere into the wild, but I want my new boyfriend to do it with me. I don’t want to be alone because I’m a bit diﬀerent. No one knows my secret except you. Please help.

get away from this crazy women who keeps chewin’ up my stuﬀ?’ He should put you in his car and drive way out into the middle of nowhere, miles from civilisation and throw you out

and drive away very fast. If you tell him you’re a rat women, he should write to the company that makes those traps and buy a human size one just for you.

are other people out there that have problems like yours. A lot of people have felt like they lived another life and maybe your boy-

friend will understand and stand by you while you get help, but for his sake you need to be honest about yourself with him.

For more of Candy’s crazy antics catch her and her alter ego from Connemara, Cara Lyons on youtube at Cara’s Good Karma TV. Send us an email with your questions: candy.questions@gmail.com

CRAICing Nights Out at GBAR

The CRAIC in ThePhotosBy FRONT DOOR Sunny JUDDY

Thursday 16th Jan 2014 • 6pm: CIPD will hold an event ‘The challenges for HR professionals to earn their place at the top table’ at the Clayton Hotel. Non-members are welcome to attend to hear from CIPD Chief Executive, Peter Cheese.

• 8pm: Head to the Galway Greyhound Stadium for a night with a difference. Relax in the grandstand restaurant or simply enjoy the fine surroundings as you place your bets. Great for social clubs and outings. • 8pm: Coyote Factor 6 kicks off again at The Stock Exchange on Shop Street. First prize this year is €5,000 plus a premium recording package; the first runner up will win €2,000, and the second runner up €1,000, with a prize of €2,000 for the audience favourite. • 9pm: The fantastic Four Men and A Bass will play at the Townhouse. Not to be missed this group can cover any classic from The Auld Triangle to swingin’ tunes and popular hits. Mixing rock n’ roll, soul, country, bluegrass and blues in their own unique way. • 9pm: Saul Conrad from Massachusetts will bring his unique sound to the Roisin Dubh (upstairs) as he continues on a European Tour. This singer songwriter has the Josh Ritter effect yet his folk stylings are on the far fringes of the genre. He shows off his guitar and piano skills with a voice similar to that of Neil Young. • 9:30pm: Enjoy a great toetapping trad session at the Western Hotel on Prospect Hill.

■My new year’s resolution this year is not to make any new year’s resolutions at all. Not one. I do not want to be fitter, thinner, bolder, better. ■Years of resolutions have left me wanting and I am stubbornly avoiding the entire subject. Case closed. By Avril HORAN

dous grey drizzly miserable weather, pounding the Salthill prom, to shake oﬀ the cobwebs of the year past. And I have a lot of shaking to do. Perhaps we need to shed layers and layers, in order to move on and progress, and that process starts on January 1 whether we like it or not. There is something exciting about discovering a new sense of self - a new talent, such as photography or pole dancing, whatever floats your boat as we set sail into a new year. We start the year full of joyful intentions and seasonal goodwill. By April, it’s a case of ‘woman overboard’ as the resolve has weakened considerably. By the end of the year, it has crumbled and sank without a trace. Maybe the time for change has passed and I am simply perfect as I am. Accepting ourselves, as we are, is one of the biggest challenges. I am the Bridget Jones of my own destiny – full of self love and self loathing in equal measure. Part of me can’t wait to see what opportunities are out there this January. There will be lots of inspiration and intriguing new adventures on the horizon (or so said that fortune

nd yet, I am sitting here eating grapes in a bid to con my body that they are, in fact, chocolate. I am lamenting the sedentary lifestyle I adopted over the Christmas period and am desperately trying to suck in my belly to con the top button of my jeans. I have discovered a clever trick by looking in the mirror with my profile raised skywards - I can con myself out of a potential double chin scandal. I will not step on the scales. Not until I am indeed fitter, thinner, bolder and better. Our bodies, I have decided, are on resolutions auto pilot. The switch clicks to ‘on’, as soon as the clock strikes 12, and suddenly the world shifts. As if by magic, I am dusting down the gym gear and squeezing myself into two pairs of leggings in order to hit the weights. Vegetables are the new steak, fish is the new chips, and pizzas are confined to the past. I am out in all sorts of horren-

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• 8pm: Popular comedian, Neil Delamare brings his Smartbomb tour to the Town Hall Theatre, with a rollicking show mixing Ireland’s recession, email viruses and eye patches.

NewYear NewMe

Cartoon by Sean Connolly Bracken

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Friday 17th Jan 2014 • A conference on The Obesity Problem takes place today at the Aula Maxima, NUIG. • 5pm: Akumakon 2014 takes place this year at NUIG. This is the largest 3-day anime, manga and Japanese cultural event in the west, with video and card game tournaments, trade hall and wonderful performances. The local charity this year is Jigsaw.

teller I went to recently). However, I would like a nice, peaceful, uneventful, calm and settled 2014, without any drama or unplanned shenanigans. I want life to be like a pint of Guinness – familiar, comforting and wholesome with a light, bright topping and a strong, solid centre. I want to be grounded with just the right

measure of fun and entertainment. Will it happen? Will is heck. Life is, as Forrest Gump describes, like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna’ get. And so we end up back at the beginning and I am going to have the remains of that selection box for breakfast. New Year, old me, what harm?!

• 6pm: It’s the launch of Music for Galway’s fantastic Midwinter Festival, with a feast of classical music linking the old and the new and an outstanding international cast of musicians. Takes place at the Town Hall Theatre. • 7:30pm: Country singer Derek Ryan will entertain the crowds at the Galway Bay Hotel Salthill.

• 9pm: Catch 65daysofstatic at the Roisin Dubh - bringing dance beats and soaring guitar noise to the forefront of their sound.

• 10:30pm: Green Floyd will take to the stage at Monroe’s Live. This Irish multi instrumental 8 piece perform songs from classic Floyd albums complete with lasers, smoke machine and orb projection. Show time is midnight.

Icarus. By: Piotr Bartłomiej Bieniasz

• 8pm: Enjoy an evening of Brahms, Fauré, Richard Strauss and Debussy at the opening night of the Music for Galway Midwinter Festival at the Town Hall Theatre.

CRAICing Editor gets Engaged!

The CRAIC in ELECTRIC Garden PhotosBy Darius IVAN

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Saturday 18th Jan 2014 • 10am: What else would you be doing but enjoying a Pokemon Championship at NUIG. Players will compete using their own card decks to claim the title! • 10am: A painting workshop takes place at the Gaiety Antique and Vintage Store on St Francis Street, where you can learn how to transform your furniture from drab to fab. Bring one small piece of old furniture and transform it into shabby chic.

• 7:30pm: Take Me Out with a diﬀerence takes place at the Clayton Hotel in aid of the Galway Autism Partnership. With music by the fantastic Oddity, followed by a disco and featuring Miss Galway. A great night out for a good cause. • 7:30pm: Celtic/Country singer John McNicholl will entertain at the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill. • 8pm: Music for Galway’s Midwinter Festival continues as Rückert poems are set to music by late-Romantic composer Mahler, and the Brahms-influenced Vaughan Williams’ Piano Quintet contrasts with Schoenberg’s pioneering melodrama Pierrot Lunaire. A classical treat with international stars.

• 10:30pm: It’s the Who Knows at Monroe’s Live – a fantastic band guaranteed to have you on your feet dancing all night long. Show time is midnight.

Your Secret Fashion Fixes By Rebecca CASSERLY

flowing you find yourself looking a little shinier than you anticipated. Whip out these handy blotting papers which absorb excess facial oils without disturbing your make-up. A great way to freshen up at the party. 4. Manicure on the Go €3.99 You have had your nails manicured in advance only to suﬀer from a soul-destroying last minute nail breakage! The Manicure on the Go set is another handbag friendly party essential. Nobody will notice you file your nails back to salon standards. 5. Miss Oops Rescue Sponge €12 The last minute fashion fix before you head out the door, use the Miss Oops Rescue sponge to remove any deodorant marks or make-up powder from your party outfit. The perfect accompaniment to the LBD (little black dress).

I’ve discovered a real find - Secret Fashion Fixes have handbag friendly fashion and beauty emergency kits! 1. Panda Pen €27 This portable beauty fix is a handbag essential. How many of us have the left the house with the gorgeous smokey-eyed look and then, a few hours into the oﬃce party, your eyes start to resemble panda eyes rather than perfect eyes. The Panda Pen can be used to quickly fix those make-up smudges. 2. Blouse Button €12 The blouse button comes in a variety of diﬀerent colours and styles to suit your outfit and can be worn to minimise cleavage in your party dress. The clever functional design ensures nobody will notice your little fashion trick! 3. Face Care Blotting Papers €7.99 You know the scenario, your make-up is perfect and yet as the night wears on and the drinks are

All items are ideally handbag sized and portable and available online from www. secretfashionfixes.ie The

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• 12pm: The Galway Dance Project presents ‘Dancing Between the Bones’ dance workshop at the Galway Rowing Club. This workshop will explore elements of bone and joint anatomy and their application to making dance in the moment.

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Two worlds collided when members of the Craic in Galway team met with the Delta Security crew at The Bentley in Eyre Square. While we cover events, the Delta Security team, based in Oranmore, Co Galway, are there too, making sure everything runs smoothly. They have qualified medical staff on hand “ready to deliver your baby if you go into labour in the middle of the dance floor!”says Managing Director, Seán Cahill. Delta Security can help you to get back on your feet, even if your heel has broken on a night out! Delta Security demonstrated this at The Bentley when Miss Galway, Laura Fox, had a heel mishap! “I was so glad they were there to rescue me, it was the most fun I have had on a photo shoot,”she said. Their experience guarantees security - and they do so much more than door supervision and event security services. The team at Delta also provide static security officers, mobile patrols, key holding, alarm response, event security services, cleaning services, car park management, CCTV, alarm systems, retail security

Sunday 19th Jan 2014 • 10am: The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading card world championships take place at Áras na Mac Léinn, NUIG. • 11am: An 8-week children’s art class begins today, with professional artist Vicky Smith, at the Knocknacarra Community Centre. Learn to paint Vincent Van Gogh sunflowers. • 12pm: The Galway Bay Jazz Band play live at Busker Brownes for some swingin’ Sunday tunes. • 2:30pm: Runners will hit the road as part of a New Year 8k in Tuam • 3:30pm: The works featured in the closing concert of Music for Galway’s Midwinter Festival at the Town Hall Theatre were all written between 1912 and 1913. Debussy’s short and beautiful Syrinx for solo flute opens the Sunday afternoon concert. Alban Berg’s Five Pieces for clarinet and piano will precede the diﬀering sound worlds of Russian composers Rachmaninov and Stravinsky, whose piano duo version of The Rite of Spring is sure to bring the festival to a climatic end. • 7:30pm: Michael English and his band will entertain at the Galway Bay Hotel Salthill as part of the Music to Your Ears weekend. • 8pm: The fantastic I Saw Stars will bring their unique style of gypsy jazz to Kelly’s Bar for an evening of great live entertainment. • 8pm: The Galway Film Society presents Le Weekend with Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan at the Town Hall Theatre. • 11pm: The smoothest covers band around, Fortune Cookie, will take to the stage at Monroe’s Live. Showtime is Midnight.

Search and Rescue - My Dad and Me – Part II

■ JP Kelly was one of Ireland’s first search and rescue helicopter pilots and it is 50 years since the first Alouette helicopters were bought by the Irish Air Corps for use in search and rescue missions. He was one of the first who pioneered the transport of spinal injuries by helicopter. Here, his daughter, Dara Kelly, from Knocknacarra, speaks to him about his experiences, from reading signposts by air to the first navigation instruments. By Dara KELLY

a long time to get from Baldonnel to Donegal, flying into 60 knot headwind, by which time the vessel was very close to the rocks. There were12 people on board. I realised I wouldn’t have enough time to get them off one by one in the usual way. We had to land at Fanad and refuel by hand from a 45 gallon drum. At that time, radio communications were very primitive. I had no communications with the ship that was in trouble but I knew the lighthouse would. I went up to lighthouse and got the keeper to make radio contact with the ship. There was a sister ship standing half a mile from the stricken ship that tried to connect a tow line – but rough seas broke the line several times. My plan was to pick up the tow line and take it to the stricken vessel. After 45 minutes of extremely difficult flying, manoeuvring very close to the ship, we managed to transfer the tow line and the stricken ship was pulled off rocks literally minutes before would have broken up. It was an unprecedented rescue and I don’t know how I got that idea. When you’re under pressure you think of solutions.

How did Search and Rescue begin? A boat sank off the west coast in 1959 and there was no rescue capability in Ireland. Another boat sank off Wexford in 1960 and was rescued by the RAF. After that, it was decided the Irish State should purchase helicopters and set up a rescue service. The Alouette 3 was selected and I was one of 4 people chosen to fly them. We flew the first two Alouettes back to Baldonnel from France on 29 November 1963, 50 years ago, and thus the Irish Search and Rescue Service was born. The first rescue took place off the west coast. The first air ambulance service was also launched, flying seriously ill patients from all over the country to specialist hospitals in Dublin or Belfast, e.g. spinal injuries. We pioneered the transport of spinal injuries by helicopter.

What was your most dramatic rescue mission? It was oﬀ Fanad Head in Donegal - a cargo ship from Scotland being blown onto the rocks by huge winds - after losing its engine. The seas were too mountainous for the local rnli lifeboat. I was on standby and it took

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Monday 20th Jan 2014

What was the highlight of your Air Corps career?

• 11am: Dance, dance, wherever you may be; for the seasoned contemporary dancer, Katherine O’Malley will be teaching classes at an advanced and professional level at the Galway Rowing Club, Woodquay.

We did many mountain rescues in Donegal, Kerry and Wicklow. There’s usually a cliff, turbulent winds and it’s extremely difficult to control a helicopter, with the rotor blades often only inches from the cliff edge. You had to lower a crew man on a winch cable, with a stretcher or rescue strop to put around the injured survivor. They were the most difficult and dangerous type of rescues. But some of the scariest moments I had were when instructing other pilots in the technique of rescue because you have to sit there and let them do it!

• 6:30pm: The Galway Dance Project presents an introduction to contemporary dance this evening and every Monday until March 6th, with talks, dance classes and performances. A talk will take place this evening at The View, Aras Na MacLeinn, NUIG. • 7pm: ‘Mind Our Men’- an evening organised by the Redemptorist Community, Esker, Athenry and facilitated by Pieta House takes place this evening. It looks at caring for men, especially in rural communities, in view of the number of suicides that have been occurring in farming communities over these past few years. • 7:30pm: The Galway Astronomy Club presents a public workshop ‘Apps and Software for Astronomy’ by Ronan Newman. For more see www.galwayastronomyclub.ie.

was doing a rescue mission oﬀ Kerry in extremely bad weather following a railway line. All was well until I came to a tunnel. I did a quick handbrake turn and retraced my steps and took a circuitous route around the coastline at sea level to get to the rescue location.

How did the Dauphin’s capabilities change Search and Rescue? It became 24/7 operations. It also opened up a whole new chapter - operating with the Navy because it was specially built to be able to land on a ship. The LE Eithne was purpose built for this - it had a flight deck and a hangar. So it had 2 roles - fishery protection and SAR. It was a quantum leap in Air Corps capability.

What major changes did you see during your time in the Air Corps? The advent of the Dauphin helicopter, which had twin engines, an auto pilot and instruments which allowed it to fly at night and navigate over the sea. I flew the first Dauphin into Ireland in 1986. There was no navigation equipment in the Alouette, our only method of navigation was using a compass or maps. Very often, we would have to hover low to the ground and read the signposts! I

Were you sorry to retire when you did in 1988? No, I had a very full and rewarding career. After 27 years I felt it was time for a change. I think it’s a great career for a young person if, like me, they follow their dream into military aviation. To get a cadetship and be paid to do the thing you most want to do is fantastic!

• 7:30pm: It’s round 2 of ‘Show Me the Funny’ at the King’s Head where the search is on for Ireland’s newest and brightest comedian with MC Gerry Mallon and special guest. • 9pm: Folk duo Fergal and Pa will provide the entertainment at The Quays.

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• 10pm: Busker Brownes oozes with class and culture as the fantastic 18 piece Black Magic Big Band take you back to an era when jazz roamed.

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• - A Cluas information session comes to Galway today, for one time only, to help young children and students suﬀering from dyspraxia or DCD. They also work to help kids struggling with dyslexia, attention and concentration disorders. For more information on bookings see: www.cluas.ie • 9pm: The Quays’ live entertainment never ceases to impress, with Fred & James, commonly known as the inimitable duo, performing all the country and folk classics but with an unforgettable style.

Kids, Teens and Adults

The Birth of Modern Music

■ Music for Galway celebrates 10th Midwinter Festival By Avril HORAN

music’, giving the festival its name, Debussy’s sensuous and fluid Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (arranged for chamber ensemble by Benno Sachs). Saturday (19011912) then sees Rückert poems set to music by late-Romantic composer Mahler and the Brahms-influenced Vaughan Williams’ Piano Quintet contrasting with Schoenberg’s pioneering melodrama Pierrot Lunaire. The works featured in the closing concert were all written between 1912 and 1913. Debussy’s short and beautiful Syrinx for solo flute opens the Sunday afternoon concert. Alban Berg’s Five Pieces for clarinet and piano will precede the diﬀering sound worlds of Russian composers Rachmaninov and Stravinsky, whose piano duo version of The Rite of Spring is sure to bring the festival to a climatic end. The full programme can be seen on www.musicforgalway.ie and tickets can be booked from the Town Hall Theatre on 091 569777 or on-line www.tht.ie

Music for Galway marks its 10th Midwinter Festival with a bold and exciting programme, The Birth of Modern Music, put together by its new artistic director, Irish pianist Finghin Collins. Come to the Town Hall Theatre from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th of January and immerse yourself in fin-de-siècle decadence in the salons and concert halls of Paris and Berlin. Re-live the ground-breaking new sound worlds of Debussy, Schoenberg and Stravinsky, alongside contemporary ‘old-style’ masterworks by Brahms, Fauré and Vaughan Williams. 17 outstanding Irish and international musicians converge on Galway to perform original chamber works and arrangements that changed the course of composition forever. Friday (1893) opens with one of Brahms’ wonderful late clarinet sonatas, while the evening will finish with a piece that has been said to signal ‘the birth of modern

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• 10:15am: One of Galway’s oldest venues, the beloved Leisureland, invites you along to enjoy Music in the Classroom. From parade ground to Latin dance studio, Gearoid Grant conducts the RTE Concert Orchestra in a variety-filled display music, from Schubert’s March Militaire to Benjamin’s Jamaican Rumba. This fun and immersive showcase of music urges the crowd to get up and interact, dance and sing along. Excellent for all ages.

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• Avail of free advice from nutritionist, Fiona Flaherty, to help you to keep your New Year’s resolutions. The free consultations take place today at Walsh’s Pharmacy, Spiddal. • 7pm: A mindfulness course begins this evening at the Pillo hotel. This 8-week course is facilitated by Finola Ó Siochrú and will teach you to pay attention in the present moment, enhancing enjoyment of life and the ability to deal with life’s diﬃculties. • 7pm: The Galway Business Partnership, who support people in business, will hold a meeting including a one hour talk at the Menlo Park hotel. • 8pm: A six week programme ‘Parenting Teens’ starts this evening facilitated by the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, Arus de Brun, Newtownsmith.

• 9pm: Enjoy some live jazz with some wine and nibbles at Le Petit Rouge on Dominick Street.

StreetStyle!!!

By Rebecca CASSERLY

Street Styler:

Lily Joyce, Connemara

Occupation:

Fashion Blogger & Student

Blog:

latestlil.blogspot.ie “This is a typical shopping outfit for me; warm and comfortable with a bit of a statement. As much as I love the dusty pink trend that’s going around lately I’m also really into bright colours that stand out and this pink fluﬀy jumper from River Island is the perfect addition to my winter wardrobe. These jeans from Topshop are the most comfortable one’s I’ve ever owned, extra style points for the rips too! And the boots from Schuh are my absolute favourite pair at the moment, I never thought I’d ever wear white boots but look at me now!” If you would like to be featured in the Craic in Galway street style section get in touch: becboopfashionistaworld@ gmail.com

Trend Alert: Capes One of our favourite trends this season here at the CRAIC, is capes! Sometimes it is all too easy to hide under an anorak or raincoat, so why not style it up with one of this season’s staple pieces? There are so many different kinds of capes in various shapes, textures and sizes. You are sure to find one you will love and what better way to

by Rebecca Casserly

wrap up in the stormy weather! The celebs have been rocking capes both on and oﬀ the red carpet in recent months. The great part about this style is the high-street is filled with aﬀordable and stylish versions and if you venture into some of Galway’s vintage stores you might find a unique style cape.

• 10pm: Put on those Blue Suede Shoes as the Screamin’ Bluecats will have you rockin’ n’ rollin’ at Garvey’s Eyre Square. A great band for a brilliant Wednesday night out. A craicin’ favourite. Stephanie is wearing a faux-fur collar cape in Galway city.

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Friday 23rd Jan 2014 • 6:30pm: An Over the Edge literary open reading takes place this evening at the Galway City Library with featured readers Breege Bogusia Wardein, Breda Wall Ryan, and Mary O’Donnell, who will also launch issue three of Skylight 47 - a collection of poetry. • 7pm: An information evening for mature students takes place at the Aula Maxima at NUIG. • 8pm: For some Thursday night theatre, catch The Two Loves of Gabriel Foley, a side splitting comedy brought to you by the Acorn Players at the Town Hall Theatre. • 9pm: Galway’s home of original music, Roisin Dubh brings you one of Ireland’s most undeniably original bands; Fight Like Apes. In what could only be described as electro-punkalternative-rock fusion. FLA’s idiosyncratic and quirky style is brought to you by the Roisin’s personal setting. Along with support from the Minutes, an explosively direct live act, this is one night you wouldn’t want to miss. • 9pm: Catch the fantastic Four Men and a Bass live at the Townhouse bar.

• 10pm: It’s College Party Night at Monroe’s Live. Enjoy the best of latin and pop vibes for a great night – free if you are a student.

CRAICING HEALTH!!! By Dara KELLY

dara.n.kelly@gmail.com

Craicin’ good start! | Tús Nua! New Year, New You – yes, except it’s so easy to break those resolutions. Why do we keep making them and how do we stick to them? It’s good to have a goal, something to work towards. When we feel we are making progress, we feel in control and proud of our eﬀorts, thus motivated to keep going. We all want to change something and it’s usually health related after the Christmas excesses: quit smoking, lose weight, get fitter, eat clean, etc. So how do we stick to our resolutions? Make the changes gradually. Replace our old, unwanted habits with new, healthful habits, one at a time. So in week one, we make one change: delay the first cigarette by one hour. Walk outside for ten minutes. Replace a sugary/junk food

snack with a piece of fruit. Go to the gym once. In week two we add on: delay the cigarette by two hours, walk for 20 minutes, replace two “bad” foods with healthier options. Go to the gym twice. Little by little, we work our way up to our desired goal. This way there is no guilt and no sense of failure, rather an ever-increasing sense of achievement. Happiness!

Bliain Nua, Tusa Nua – ach amháin go bhfuil sé chomh éasca na rúin sin a bhriseadh! Cén fáth go ndéanaimid iad chuile bhliain agus cén chaoi le cloigh leo? Is maith an rud é sprioc a bheith againn. Nuair a mheasaimid go bhfuil dul chun cinn á dhéanamh againn, mothaímid bródúil asainn féin, go bhfuil smacht againn orainn féin. Sin an spreagadh le coinneáil orainn. Bíonn rud éigin le hathrú ag chuile dhuine: rud a bhaineann leis an tsláinte tar éis na Nollag: éirí as na toitíní, meáchan a chailleadh, a bheith níos aclaí, bia níos folláine a ithe, srl. Conas cloí le rúin na hAthbhliana? Na

hathruithe a dhéanamh de réir a chéile. An chéad tseachtain, déanamid athrú beag amháin: an chéad toitín a chaitheamh uair an chloig níos déanaí sa lá. Siúl taobh amuigh ar feadh 10 nóiméad. Tothaí a ithe in áit bia beagmhaitheasa le haghaidh sneaic amháin. Dul chuig an gym uair amháin. Sa dara seachtain, cuirimid leis sin: fanacht dhá uair an chloig breise roimh an chéad toitín, siúl ar feadh 20 nóiméad sa lá, bia folláin a ithe in áit dhá sneaic, dul chuig an gym faoi dhó, srl. De réir a chéile, bainimid an sprioc amach. Ní mhothaímid ciontach ach bródúil asainn féin. Sonas!

ARÍS! Affirmative Rituals, Irresistible Success

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