Mature Living Conancht

PROMOTING A HEALTHY & POSITIVE LIFESTYLE June 2014

Breakaway to County Clare

Feel young and live life to the fullest

5 Myths about exercise and aging

Meadow floral arrangements with Leonie Cornelius

A Family Break for 2 Adults & 2 Children 2 Nights B&B at Lough Allen Hotel

www.matureliving.ie

June 2014

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W

E can say that summer is finally here and many of our readers will be interested in the GAA championship. One person synonymous with our Gaelic games is the enigmatic (now retired) commentator, Micheál O’Muircheartaigh. Also, when it comes to a candidate who is the perfect example of positive ageing it must surely be the exuberant Kerry native, who at 83 is still as active as ever in so many facets of Irish life.

Michael is actively involved in the Third Age Organisation which works to see that older people in communities are protected and is also involved in the Men’s Sheds initiative.

He is also a great ambassador for the Irish language. His down-to-earth advice on exercise, health and well-being is worth reading and we will, undoubtedly hear much more from him through various channels as the summer GAA season progresses.

As the controversy over water charges continues unabated we steer clear of the central debate but offer some timely advice to readers/householders on some ways to conserve water in the home. It is worth reading and could save you money in the long-term.

In each of our issues we deal with some aspect of health and fitness and this month we focus on appropriate exercise plans to get fit as you age and we deal in particular with the whole-body benefits of exercise for the over-50s. On a similar theme we give advice on how to feel young and live life to the fullest. We also explain what .aromatherapy is about and how it can be effective both as a preventative measure and the maintenance of good general health.

Sometimes people think the secret to positive ageing lies in remaining young looking for as long as possible. This, however, is not always the case and in our section on Fashion for Women Over 60 we focus on fashion tips which make women look terrific without necessarily trying to look younger.

In a special feature Kate Gilmartin recalls some of the background to the hunger strikes over thirty years, to be portrayed in dramatic fashion in Ballina Arts Centre. We also include a special section which features all the beauty and attractions of County Clare.

There are, of course, many other articles, features and competitions in the June issue. If you are unable to pick up a copy of Mature Living at your newsagent contact us at info@matureliving.ie or by telephone at 071-91-54538 to take out a subscription. By doing so you won’t have to travel or search at newsagents or other outlets to obtain your monthly copy.

News Nursing home contract of care is a key document Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh The novelty of sports broadcasting Fashion for women over 60 Dental Care with Blue Apple How to feel young and live life to the fullest Competition Mens Fashion with EJ’s Gardening with Leonie Cornelius Angelscopes The Bands of our Showband era A taste of China - Recipes Motoring Alternative Therapies Exercise plans to get fit as you age Breakaway: Hotels Guide Focus on Clare Travel Feature Pedigree dogs 'as healthy as mongrels', say vets Services Directory Dating

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Seamus Casey - Editor Editorial: Seamus Casey seamus@matureliving.ie Design: Stephen Finney steve@matureliving.ie Advertising Sales: Lisa Gilmartin lisa@matureliving.ie

Published by: IBS Publications Limited Riverview House, Barrett Street, Ballina, Co. Mayo and Office 3, Unit 7, NW Business Park, Collooney, Co. Sligo.

Tel/Fax: 071-9154538 / 096-77743 Web: www.matureliving.ie • Email: info@matureliving.ie

The information in Mature Living is carefully researched and believed to be accurate, but the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions. Statements or opinions expressed herein are not necessary those of the editor or publisher. Advertisements within the publication are not endorsed by the publisher. Neither are any claims made within the advertisements. Before consuming any products mentioned in the publication readers are advised to consult with their general practitioner or equivalent professional for opinion or advice.

News

Care and Mobility Show Launched

by Minister Kathleen Lynch

Tess Hogan - Caring for carers, Minster Kathleen Lynch, Jean Daly, Vicki Casserly-Naughton and Darragh McDonald

I

reland's first ever Care and Mobility Show which will take place in the RDS on 13th and 14th June was launched today by Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older people, Kathleen Lynch, show ambassador and Irish Paralympic gold medallist swimmer Darragh McDonald, Antrim Rose Jean Daly and Vicki Casserly Naughton, carer.

The show, which will be a major highlight of this year's National Carers Week (June 9th to 15th) is aimed at the almost 600,000 people in Ireland today with a disability, 240,000 of whom have difficulty with basic physical activities. The 400,000 plus carers, 350,000 of which are unpaid will also be catered for in terms of products and services to aid them in their role of caring for their loved

ones.

Over 100 exhibitors from Ireland and the UK showcase their products and services while a number of healthcare seminars will also be held on topics Acquired Brain Injury, Alzheimer’s, Cerebral Palsy, Dementia, Huntington’s, Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Parkinson’s, Arthritis and stroke rehabilitation. A further key attraction will be professional one day CPD training courses for occupational therapists and physiotherapists delivered by internationally renowned physical therapist Sharon Pratt.

Speaking of the event, Adam Lingard organiser and director of MedCare Events said, "We are delighted to bring the Care and Mobility Show to the RDS. The show is

all about promoting independent living and showing people that there are aids out there to help them live very full lives. We are looking forward to welcoming over 8,000 people to the RDS over the weekend while also raising money for our chosen charity Caring for the Carers."

Also speaking at the launch, Minister Kathleen Lynch said, "The Care and Mobility Show is about proving that living with disability does not and should not mean living a less fulfilled life. Disability does not have a target age group and the show will exhibit the broad range of products, services and facilities that are available to both young and old. Too often we associate needing help with a weakness when in fact it is through getting help that people can actually become more independent."

Darragh McDonald, Irish Paralympic Gold medallist also speaking at the launch said, "I am delighted to be working as ambassador to the Care and Mobility Show. Too often when people think of disability they think of barriers and negative words like can't, but this show will prove that living with a disability does not mean you can't live a very full life. It will prove that in many cases there are ways around things and that help is available in terms of advice and products and services. I am proof that you can definitely fulfil your dreams and go on to achieve what many may think is impossible. Life should be lived to the full and the Care and Mobility Show will show people how this can be done." Tickets for the show are available at careandmobility.ie for €5 with €1 from the sale of each ticket going to Caring for Carers, a charitable organisation that supports over 160,000 family carers throughout Ireland.

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News

Remembering the Hunger Strikers

By Catherine Gilmartin

J

une 3rd will be the 30th anniversary of the death of hunger striker and Ballina native Michael Gaughan.

Catherine Gilmartin spoke recently to Tony Devlin, who wrote and produced 1981, a theatrical production which describes the true story of the H Block hunger strikes of that year.

On Thursday, 29th May, Ballina Arts Centre will host 1981, a theatre production which commemorates this important episode of Irish history. The one-man show, written and performed

by Belfast-based theatre artist Tony Devlin, uses music, song, visuals and performance to take the viewer on an extraordinary journey, of how ten very ordinary men shook the world from their prison cells.

27th October 1980, Irish republican prisoners in the Maze Prison, on the outskirts of Lisburn in Co. Down, began a hunger strike in protest at the British Government’s refusal to recognise them as Political Prisoners. The strikes brought widespread international attention to the Troubles, as well as a wave of sympathy for the plight of the young men at the heart of it.

The hunger strikes of 1981 were the last of a succession of such protests which began in the early 1970s. The 3rd June 2014 will be the 30th anniversary of the death of hunger striker, Ballina native Michael Gaughan. Gaughan, the eldest of six children, was born in Ballina in 1949. Gaughan grew up at Healy Terrace and was educated at St Muredach's College, Ballina. In December 1971, he was sentenced to seven years imprisonment at Wormwood Scrubs, where he spent two years before being transferred to the top

security Albany Prison on the Isle of Wight. Whilst there, Gaughan requested political status, this was refused; and he was put in solitary confinement. On 31st March 1974, Gaughan was eventually moved to Parkhurst Prison, where four of the Belfast Ten were on hunger strike for political status. Gaughan, along with current Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly, Paul Holme, Hugh Feeney and fellow Mayo man, Frank Stagg, went on hunger strike to support the fight of Dolours Price and Marion Price to obtain political status and to be transferred to a jail in Ireland. The prisoner’s demands were as follows: • The right to Special Category Status/political status • The right to wear their own clothes • A guarantee that they would not be returned to solitary confinement • The right to educational facilities and not engage in penal labour • The setting of a reasonable date for a transfer to an Irish prison Michael Gaughan’s last message before he died, aged 24, was one of pride in his country and hope that there would be no bitterness on his behalf, but a determination to achieve the new Ireland for which he gladly died. His death is referenced in the song Take me Home to Mayo (also known as The Ballad of Michael Gaughan), composed

by Seamus Robinson and performed and recorded by many Irish musicians including Christy Moore and the Wolfe Tones, to name but a few.

Frank Stagg (Proinsias), another Mayo man born in Hollymount near Claremorris, died on hunger strike which lasted 62 days on 12th February, 1976, aged 33 years.

Tony Devlin says: “I hope that the play humanises these men. I hope that it shows them for what they were, young people like ourselves, full of dreams, hopes and ambitions for the future. The future of their country and their own young families, full of humour, life and a desire for civil rights and equality for all Irelands children”.

Devlin went on to say that he had been

touched by the phenomenal reception the play had received over the last year.

He said: “All of the families have seen the show and thanked me for bringing the memory of their loved ones to the stage, to show them to the world in a light that the world has never seen them before. We have taken the play all across Ireland from Belfast to Derry, from Dublin to Kerry, Cork to Limerick.

In 2014, we have taken it to packed houses in Glasgow and even London where we received the longest standing ovation of all which surprised and delighted us in equal amount. Next week we are off to New York City with the piece for a week and it will be interesting to see how it translates across the Atlantic before bringing it to Mayo for Michael Gaughan’s anniversary weekend. We recognise all of the hunger strikers over the years in the play and not just the ten who died in 1981, and so we feel that it is important to bring the piece to these areas. It raises my performance and warms my heart when audiences join in with the songs in the show and laugh loudly as the piece is as much of a comedy as it is a tragedy”.

The events of the 1981 Hunger Strikes were portrayed in Steve McQueen’s successful feature film Hunger in 2008, which centred on Michael Fassbender’s memorable performance as a hunger striker.

There is an annual lecture and commemoration in honour of Gaughan, Frank Stagg and Sean McNeela at the Republican plot in Ballina by Sinn Féin which includes a march from the Jean Joseph Amable Humbert monument in Ballina to Leigue Cemetery. The Republican Sinn Féin Cumann in Mayo is named the 'McNeela-Gaughan-Stagg Cumann'.

1981 will be at Ballina Arts Centre on Thursday 29th May, starting at 8pm. The play will be followed by a Question & Answer session, chaired by Brendan (Bik) McFarlane who was OC in the H Blocks at the time of the Hunger Strike.

Tickets: €12 / €10. Information: /booking: 096 73593.

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News

Assisted suicide puts pressure on terminally ill, bishop claims

T

HE new Bishop- elect of Elphin has said he is opposed to assisted suicide because of the pressure it puts on the terminally ill.

Fr Kevin Doran said in his recent visit to Sligo that when he is installed as Bishop of Elphin in July, he will be "strongly advocating that the church and church agencies be unambiguous in their witness to the dignity of human life at all stages".

The Dublin priest resigned from the Mater

Hospital's board last October when the hospital said it would comply with the terms of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act. He was quoted as saying that: "Somebody might feel that because it (assisted suicide) is a legal possibility, that then it would be the decent thing to do, to save their relatives' difficulty."

"The church is not against death, the church is against the taking of life.

The decision rests with God

FR Kevin Doran

By Patricia Conboy

who is the giver of life and he alone can decide when it

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is our time. It is about being seen to stand firm with those who are most vulnerable." Fr Doran was speaking at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Sligo, following Pope Francis's announcement that he had been selected to succeed Bishop Christopher Jones.

Fr Doran is a former university chaplain who ran the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 2012 for Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.

Asked about the role of women in the church, he said that as leader of Elphin diocese he would have "no qualms whatsoever" about looking at possible key roles women could play.

"In the last job I had with the International Eucharistic Congress, six out of eight of my management team were women. They did a fantastic job."

Top 10 Items found in Irish shopping baskets

Irish brands have squeezed out global giants and rate amongst our favourite items...

IRISH food brands squeezed out global giants such as Coca Cola in the list of products most popular with Irish consumers.

Avonmore, Brennans and Denny are the brands most purchased by shoppers in Ireland, a report by

Kantar Worldpanel has shown.

And continuing the breakfast theme, Galtee also makes it into the top 10 of brands chosen by Irish consumers. In fact, six out of the top 10 items on the list are Irish brands, with Jacobs and Batchelors also

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Nursing home contract of care is a key document

making an appearance.

While Jacobs ceased making biscuits in Ireland a few years ago, it is still defined as Irish because of its long history here, said Kantar commercial director David Berry.

Jacobs is owned by Valeo Foods, which has its headquarters in Dublin, but its biscuits are made in Britain and Europe.

Surprisingly, Coca Cola only makes it to number 12 – but it's the undisputed bestselling soft drink worldwide, the new Kantar global rankings show.

Soup and stock maker Knorr was the most popular international brand here, followed by yoghurt giant Muller, Heinz and biscuit maker McVitie's. The Brand Footprint ranking is based on how many households buy a brand and how often over a 52-week period.

Avonmore was well ahead of the competition, with a massive 81pc of Irish households buying it once a fortnight on average.

Though the majority of older people continue to live in their own homes to the end of their lives, approximately 5 % of the older population will find themselves moving into a nursing home for their final years. In terms of meeting the costs of nursing home fees, people may apply to the HSE for financial assistance under the Nursing Home Support Scheme. Information about this Scheme, also known as the ‘Fair Deal’, is readily available from the HSE. However, there have been media reports recently about the imposition of additional, new fees on nursing home residents. These reports highlight the significance of the contract of care agreed between a resident and a nursing home. Older people moving into a nursing home need to be cautious in examining a proposed contract of care.

Under existing regulations, a nursing home must agree a contract of care with each resident. This contract must include details of services to be provided by the nursing home and fees to be charged.

Residents should not be charged fees which are not set out in their contract of care. A nursing home resident who is availing of the Nursing Home Support Scheme should not be charged any additional fee over and above their contribution as assessed by the HSE, except where he/she has chosen to obtain additional services which are not regarded as ‘Long Term Residential Care Services’(LTRCS).

The definition of Long Term Residential Care Services is a matter of controversy. However, the definition of LTRCS used by the National Treatment Purchase Fund(NTPF) is critical for the purposes of analysing a resident’s contract of care in a nursing home. In setting maximum prices to be charged by nursing homes under the Nursing Home Support Scheme, the NTPF uses a Deed of Agreement which specifies what is included in, and excluded from, Long Term Residential Care Services.

The following are included in LTRCS: Bed and board; nursing and personal care appropriate to the level of care needs of the person; bedding; laundry service; and basic aids and appliances necessary to assist a person with activities of daily living. The following are excluded from LTRCS : Daily delivery of newspapers; social programmes; all therapies; incontinence wear; chiropody; dry cleaning; opthalmic and dental services; transport (including Care Assistant costs); specialised wheelchairs; and hairdressing and other similar services.

The exclusion of therapies (e.g. physiotherapy, occupational therapy), incontinence wear, chiropody and social programmes from the definition of LTRCS is widely criticised. The reality is that the excluded services are an integral part of the care required by many nursing home residents to maintain wellbeing and quality of life. However, unpalatable though they may be, older people and their families need to be aware of the parameters within which the NTPF and nursing homes negotiate the cost of care under the Nursing Home Support Scheme since these parameters bear on individual contracts of care.

In planning the move to a nursing home, people should make explicit enquiries about access to therapies, chiropody, social programmes and incontinence wear, about access to supports via the HSE, and about any fees charged for these and other services. Nursing home residents should not find themselves facing claims for additional new fees that fall outside the terms of their contract of care.

Twitter : @PatriciaConboy1 ; https://www.facebook.com/AgePolicyAnalysis

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Feature by Gerry Walsh

Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh

The novelty of sports broadcasting I T’S Summertime again . . . and for all GAA enthusiasts this means just one thing ... championship time. In this context there could be no one better to grace the cover of Mature Living than the iconic (now retired) radio commentator, Micheál O’Muircheartaigh.

The tall, genial Kerryman has become a legend in GAA circles, and everything Gaelic for that matter, over his long career as a broadcaster which began back in 1949 when he provided an All-irish commentary on the Railway Cup final on St. Patrick’s Day. Sixty-four years on he retains the same enthusiasm for the sport, still attends many matches and presents an analysis on Mondays for Raidió na Gaeltachta.

Michael lives near Kilcock in Co. Meath with his wife, Helena. They have eight children - Eamon, Niamh, Aonghus, Cormac, Neasa, Nuala, Eadaoin and Doireann – ranging in age from 40s to mid-30s.

Currently, four live and work abroad and four at home, though none of them work in broadcasting.

Coincidentally, Micheál, born in Dún Sion, just outside Dingle in August 1930 (christened Michael Moriarty) was himself the fourth child in a family of eight. His home, like so many in Ireland at this time, didn’t have a radio and his earliest memory of listening to a radio commentary was at a neighbour’s house in 1939 when he was fascinated by the voice of Micheál O’Hehir in particular.

However, he hadn’t envisaged a future as a commentator at that time. In 1945 Micheál was sent to Coláiste Iosagáin, a boarding school in the Cork Gaeltacht, as

a preparation for a career as a teacher. In September 1948 he began the final year of his teacher training in St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra. His introduction to broadcasting occurred at this time. As he said himself, it was something that just happened. Radio Eireann was seeking commentators to cover matches through Irish and in March 1949 Micheál, along with ten other students from the college, and several other colleges, did a test commentary. For all of them at the time, it was an adventure, with free admission to Croke Park a major bonus.

Micheal had never seen a hurling game before in his life but he knew the adjudicators were not able to see the game.

He was the candidate selected and provided his first (all-Irish) commentary in 1949. After graduating from St. Patrick’s College he completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree at UCD and taught economics, accountancy and Irish in both primary and secondary schools throughout Dublin. In the mid‘fifties RTE began to expand its coverage in both Irish and English. In his earlier career he commentated on minor matches in the Irish language, but he also substituted for the legendary Micheál O’Hehir when he was unable to commentate.

He entered full-time journalism in 1980 and eventually when Micheál O’Hehir was forced to retire in the mid-‘80s he took over as RTE’s premier radio commentator.

Undoubtedly, Micheál’s uniqueness lies in his own inimitable style of commentary and his accent is unmistakably that of a native Irish speaker.

The unmistakable enthusiasm he brought to matches marked him as a true lover of the GAA and its games. His unusual turn of phrase has made him a

Micheal & Razldazl Rioga, his other passion in life

Page 10 Mature Living June 2014

Micheal O’Muircheartaigh along with Sam

much-loved broadcaster and a character often imitated. His comments in the heat of the moment during broadcasts have become legendary and our readers will forgive us if we include a few here: “Sean Og O’hAilpin . . . his father’s from Fermanagh, his mother’s from Fiji, neither one of them a hurling stronghold” “Teddy McCarthy to John McCarthy, no relation, John McCarthy back to Teddy McCarthy, still no relation”

people are undertakers” “I saw a few Sligo people at Mass in Gardiner Street this morning and the omens seem to be good for them, the priest was wearing their colours! 40 years out on the Hogan Stand side, Ciaran Whelan goes on a rampage, it’s a goal. So much for religion” “There’s a streaker now on the pitch. I’d say he’s a Kilkenny fan because he looks happy with the situation”.

“Pat Fox has it on his hurl and is motoring well now . . . but here comes Joe Rabbitte hot on his tail . . . I’ve seen it all now, a Rabbitte chasing a Fox around Croke Park!”

On October 30th, 2010, Michael made his final broadcast as commentator on RTE radio. It was the 2nd International Rules Test at Croke Park which he covered alongside RTE’s pundit and former Meath footballer, Bernard Flynn.

“Anthony Lynch, the Cork corner-back, would be the last person to let you down – his

GOOD HEALTH At 83 Micheal is grateful for his good health. “I don’t worry

A youthful looking Micheal back in 1982

about things. A lot of people worry about things and they don’t materialise’’. He walks a fair bit, cycles and plays golf but nothing ritualistic. When he has business matters to attend to in Merrion Square, Dublin, he parks at Croke Park and walks the distance.

He is a non-drinker which has helped him because in his business he would be offered lots of free drink.

He strongly believes in porridge and brown bread and notes that most hotels now have porridge as a standard as so many people are requesting it. He is chairman of Kerry Sports Partnership, the county council response to the Sports Council’s initiative to encourage people who are not regular sports participants, to get out in the air. People are moving out of gyms and the attitude to sports participation is changing for the better.

Micheal enjoying the craic with some well known faces

On the spiritual side, Micheal is a Roman Catholic and continually refers to traditional Gaelic proverbs in his conversation – “Cabhair De ar an mBothar”, “Goure De na an doras” (there’s an opening to everywhere). Hope should be fostered and preached – “Go mbeirimid beo ag an am seo aris”. This week he will be meeting an old colleague, Dr. Mick Loftus (a former One-onOne interviewee) at the top of Corran Tuathail in Kerry, accompanied by All-Ireland medal winners from each of the 32 counties, in aid of the Alan Kerins Projects.

ENJOYABLE Micheal has enjoyed his broadcasting career immensely.

“The novelty never wears off” he said. “I knew all the major players as people for more than 40 years”. He noted there were just a few of the Mayo team of ’51 now remaining – Padraig Carney, Fr. Peter Quinn and Paddy Prendergast (who lives in Tralee).

When asked about major sporting moments he immediately responding by saying that the opening up of Croke Park to other sports was of major significance. While the GAA had always been community oriented the extending of arms to the wider sporting community, particularly those with no home venues, revealed a real community spirit. It has been appreciated by people of all persuasions and proven to be worthwhile economically as well.

While he recalls so many special moments he takes particular pleasure in seeing a county take a major accolade for the first time or after a long gap. A good example was Clare in 1995. The last one had been in 1914. All they had won in the interim was one Munster championship. If Mayo were to achieve success in 2014 there would be very few left from the last win, but it would be a major boost for both Mayo and

the GAA. After a failure one year there is a feeling that the next chance is always not too far away.

In his commentaries Michael always seemed to have amazing background knowledge of so many players. He said this is easy when you have the interest. You’ll pick up copies of all the local papers and find out all the information. It was better at one time when local newspapers were published at weekends; since they moved to mid-week it made things a bit more difficult.

He has a particular interest in the development of Gaelic football in the North of Ireland and noted the number of new counties that had achieved

Micheal at an award ceromony at Sligo IT

glory in recent decades – Down, Derry, Tyrone and Armagh. He loved to meet and talk with them – players and people of all persuasions. He visited an RUC barracks in Down at one time when Down was preparing for the All-Ireland and was pleasantly surprised to learn they knew as much about the match as anyone else. This cemented for him the value of the GAA – local involvement, community, gathering with the other side.

He concluded his view on all of this by quoting another wellknown Irish saying: “Na tabhar do bhreidh ar an gcead sceal go mbeiridh an taobh eile ort” . . . which encourages us not to be rash or judgemental until we learn the other side of a story.

As further proof of how far we had progressed only this week he had met two members of the loyalist community in Croke Park awaiting the arrival of president Liam O’Neill who had been invited to speak at a Loyalist lunch in Belfast.

Commenting on the GAA’s three-year deal with Sky Sports he feels that RTE should have rights to all the championship matches.

Through 2RN and Radio Eireann they were first to broadcast the games and were instrumental in making them such so successful. Under the current arrangement some people at home won’t be able to see certain games. He is in favour of granting a free licence

to clubs to show the games when those at home can’t get them.

However, he believes that competition is good and he is in favour of the GAA winning a wide audience for the games abroad. Gaelic games are now being played everywhere. He was in Kuala Lumper recently where there are 700 Gaelic players . . . from everywhere.

Games are being played and promoted in Shanghai and Hong Kong in the People’s Republic of China.

OTHER INTERESTS Even in retirement, in addition to his interest in attending GAA matches, Michael is involved in a plethora of organisations. He works with Hospice and the Special Olympics. He is part of the Third Age Organisation which works to make sure that older people in communities are not neglected; he is part of the Men’s Sheds initiative. He is also Chairman of Colaiste Ide in Kerry. Micheal is involved with the Irish language movement and is very excited about its progress. He noted there were nine fluent Irish speakers on the Dublin minor hurling team last year. Included were Kieran Kilkenny and Liam Rush.

It is now much easier to get an Irish interviewee when talking to teams after matches.

Speaking about Ireland in general he couldn’t resist the sporting analogy. Kerry had won four-in-a-row (while aiming for

five) and there was a gap of 11 years to the next success. Irish hit an unrealistic boom, followed by a bust and it was now on the upwards slope again.

These cycles will occur and we should learn from them. He concluded the subject with another timely remark: “Ni neart go cur le cheile” (We don’t know our strength until we pull together).

PREDICTIONS: Micheal feels Dublin has an outstanding chance of achieving back-to-back All-Irelands but in saying so he feels every other team will be putting in a greater effort to beat them. It will be a fascinating championship, but the surprise team could be Monaghan, who were successful in Ulster last year. The hurling championship will be more difficult to predict. Clare had come through last year having lost the Munster championship. While Kilkenny will be hard to beat he would love to see Dublin winning it. There is nobody alive from their last win in 1938 when there was only one Dublin man on the team. It is now a home-grown team with many good Irish speakers.

Whatever teams compete in the final showdowns we can be sure than the great Micheál will be there living every moment and following every kick and puck, just like he did during his days in the broadcasting box.

Page 11 Mature Living June 2014

Religious Retreats KYLEMORE ABBEY

The Benedictine nuns of Kylemore Abbey are committed to a life of prayer, praise, work and hospitality at the heart of this beautiful place. Visitors are welcome to join the nuns at the Divine Office or at Mass. Pilgrims groups are welcome to use the nuns' Church for their group Masses.

Limited accommodation is available for individual retreatants or small groups.

Tel: 095 52011/41025 E: info@kylemoreabbey.ie W: www.kylemoreabbey.com

Visit Knock Shrine today

'THE story of Knock began in August 1879, when fifteen people from Knock village witnessed an Apparition at the gable wall of the Parish Church. Giving their testimonies, the witnesses describe a heavenly vision, consisting of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, a lamb and cross surrounded by angels. The Knock Apparition was a silent one and each of us can find its meaning for ourselves.

Many Miraculous cures have been reported in Knock since the time of the Apparition and many people still come today in search of healing, reconciliation and peace. St. John Paul II visited Knock

in 1979 to celebrate the centenary of the Apparition. Today, Knock Shrine in set in beautiful landscaped garden where there are daily scheduled ceremonies, including masses and confessions.

The staff at Knock Shrine would be delighted to assist pilgrimage organisers and promoters in a arranging and planning their pilgrimages. New groups are always welcome and will be given full assistance in putting their plans together.

Contact the Shrine Office for further information: Tel: (094) 93 88100 or Email: info@knock-shrine.ie'

Religious Retreats

b e r b Abbe u t n i l l y Ba Tel: 094-9030934 www.ballintubberabbey.ie • info@ballintubberabbey.ie

Star of the Sea DIOCESE OF ELPHIN

RETREAT & CONFERENCE CENTRE

JUNE 24th-30th Sr. Moya Hegarty OSU. Truly God is in this Place, and I did not know it! Gen. 28:17 Meeting God through prayer and reflection on the Word of God, “alive and active”(Heb. 4:12) in our lives in our world

Among the medieval religious foundations whose ruins dot the Irish Countryside, the Abbey is unique. Founded in 1216 by Cathal Crovderg O’Connor King of Connaught.

• This remarkable Abbey is the only church in Ireland where, for almost 800 years, Mass has been offered without a break.

• Experience for yourself the story of “the Abbey that refused to die.” Our video and guides will take you through the stories of Cromwellian burnings, suppression and the notorious priest hunter, Seán na Sagart.

Celtic Furrow: Every age and interest group are catered for in the Celtic Furrow- that traces the origins of our festivals, our customs, our piseogs and our beliefs.

The Celtic Furrow through models and paintings, garden and labyrinths, farmyards, subterrans and live exhibits, will fascinate you.

JULY 1st-7th Fr. Tom Sinnott MHM Rest with the Word of God in a quiet place. The retreat facilitates a gentle journey into the riches of the Word of God. There will be lots of time for personal reflection to ponder and treasure, the wonder of the Word “made flesh” in our own lives. Through liturgy and ritual the retreat will invite us to an encounter of the heart with the One who loves us “ with a perfect love”.

11th-17th Christ The Self Emptying of God Fr. Des O’Donnell. OMI AUGUST 4th-10th Six Day Directed Retreat Sr. Perpetua Henry RSM & Fr. Enda O’Callaghan SJ Or Option Of Private Retreat HOLIDAYS: Welcome to anyone seeking a quiet restful break by the sea.

August 12th-19th, 20th-27th, 28th-5th SUGGESTED OFFERINGS: Weekend events: €180 6 Day Retreat: €450 3 Day Retreats: €230 6 Day Directed: €460 • Holidays: Full board per week: €430 Difficulty in paying should not prevent one from attending a retreat.

Concessions will be made in cases of difficulty.

Tochar Phádraig: Walk a few kilometres of Tochar Phádraig - the path from Ballintubber Abbey to Croagh Patrick where Pilgrims have walked in the footsteps of St Patrick this past 1500 years.

Ballintubber Abbey stands one mile off the main Castlebar - Galway road, seven miles from Castlebar, nine miles from Ballinrobe and thirty nine miles from Galway City

Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo • Tel/Fax: 071-9176722 staroftheseacentre@gmail.com • www.staroftheseacentre.ie

Feature with Sonya Hamill of Blue Apple Dental - Irish Dentistry’s Dental Practice of the Year 2013

Step-by-step, Overcoming Dental Phobia & Embarrassment that first time, ask them about coming in on an earlier occasion for a look around, just so you are familiar with where you are going, and so you can get a better sense of whether it’s the right place for you. Some modern dental practices don’t feel like dental practices at all, and you may feel more comfortable in a non-clinical environment like this.

Could this be you?

“I’ve avoided going to the dentist for years. I’m shaking just speaking to you.”

Or this “I’m so embarrassed by my teeth I cover my mouth when I smile or speak to people.”

Or this “I know my teeth are in a bad way but I am petrified of having something done about them; just the thought of sitting in the chair makes me feel awful.”

Is it time to rid yourself of the fear and embarrassment, and gain back your dental comfort and confidence?

Anxiety about dentistry and your teeth can have a detrimental impact on your everyday life. If they have never experienced it, family and friends can find it very difficult to imagine how it can affect you each day: the discomfort, the embarrassment, the stress of knowing things are gradually getting worse but not really knowing what’s going on.

If you are ready to take the bull by the horns, just work through the following steps.

Step 1: Find a dental practice you feel will work for you. If you know of someone who gets on well with their dentist, in particular if they were ever anxious, ask them. If possible, look for a practice with expertise in treating people who are anxious. If they offer anxiety relieving treatments, such as sedation, this is a positive sign. When going by recommendation, ask for the specific dentist’s name, rather than just the practice, so you know you’ll be seeing the same person.

Step 4: Establish the facts. That first visit with the dentist can be a big step, but you need to understand that there is nothing you are going to show the dentist they have not seen before – regularly. It’s their job to help people with their teeth; and you are unique and special, but not unusual. The first visit should usually be just about finding out more and getting to know each other. The upside?

1. Today you will really know what is happening in your mouth, rather than what you fear might be going on. 2. You will have a set of steps for making things better, and so you have the tools in your hands for banishing your dental demons; you are in control. 3. Today you conquered a metaphorical mountain!

Step 5: The treatment – stepby-step carry it through.

Hopefully you have found a dentist who understands the anxiety surrounding this experience for you. If so, they will bear this in mind in the planning of your treatment – breaking it into stages you are comfortable with. You have options for minimising the anxiety, including the use of anxiety relieving medications which will put you into a

temporary state of deep relaxation. Make sure this is all planned in a way you are happy with from the beginning, so you have a clear plan to work through. By starting with simple treatments your confidence will grow quickly.

Getting on top of your dental health will have many benefits, including some you haven’t even thought of. Poor dental health can impact on your overall body health, playing a role in other illnesses, so the positives of becoming dentally fit will be multifactorial. Many patients we see in this situation find that overcoming their dental anxiety leads to greater confidence in other parts of their life too. And there is of course no doubting the feel good factor in having a confident, healthy smile.

Step 2: Make the call. Just take a deep breath and do it.

Tell them how you feel, and, if they sound like they understand you, make the appointment. If they don’t, no harm done, make another call – this is about you, not them, and you will find the right people. Don’t let anything put you off.

Step 3: Get into the dental practice. If the situation of being in the dental practice is a trigger for you, rather than just the dentistry, and you feel it’s going to be very challenging

‘Blueapple Dental & Implant Team’ is an award-winning dental practice in the village of Belcoo in Co. Fermanagh, run by husband and wife team, James and Sonya Hamill.

Blueapple carries out all forms of dentistry under one roof, and focuses on helping people overcome their dental challenges, to re-establish their dental health, comfort and beauty. They believe that there is no-one they can’t help regain their dental confidence.

‘Blueapple Dental & Implant Team’ has won multiple awards, including ‘Best New Practice’, ‘Best Young Dentist in the UK & Ireland’, and most recently ‘Best Patient Care in Ireland 2012’.

www.blueappledental.com

Blueapple welcomes new patients.

Just call 048 66386111 to make an appointment for your consultation.

‘Such encouragement and support I have never experienced before and empowered me to complete the procedure without sedation….My trust in Blueapple across all aspects of my dental experience is always upheld each time I visit the practice. I cannot emphasise enough the transformation that has occurred in my life in terms of panic and anxiety. ‘ An anxious patient, Sligo.

Fashion

Fashion for Women Over 60

How to look fabulous without trying to look younger

O

ne of the biggest myths about women over 60 is that we are no longer interested in looking stylish.

There is a big misconception in our culture that women over 60 are invisible, frumpy, and uninterested in sensuality and beauty – that we’re all matronly and sexless and no longer part of the world of fashion, art and creative life force.

And yet, so many of the most fashionable people are women over 60! Women over 60 are often more fashionable than they used to be when they were younger, because they have better self-confidence and a stronger sense of self – we know how to dress for who they are.

Margaret Manning of www.sixtyandme.com has a few pointers for ladies when it comes to dressing When it comes to fashion for women over 60 here are a few things to consider: Embrace Your Age There is a popular TV show called “What Not To Wear” which is hosted by fashion experts who each episode do a makeover of a person who is making horrible choices about their personal style and wardrobe. One of the interesting truths from this show, which occurs often in the participants, especially women, is that many women try to dress “younger” than they actually are – but this is a mistake. When people try to dress in styles that would be more appropriate for someone much younger, they paradoxically make themselves look much older. If you are wearing short skirts or high heels or gaudy fashions that might work on a woman half your age, chances are you are making yourself look “older” (in a bad way) than you actually are. If you “dress age appropriately,” it often has the effect of making you look younger – because people are not distracted by ageinappropriate clothing, and instead can appreciate what great shape you’re in, or how healthy your skin is, or what a stylish haircut you have.

Tina Turner

Go For Classic Looks One of the advantages of being women over 60 is that “we’ve seen it all” – we’ve been through every kind of fashion fad and short-lived trend imaginable during our lives. Now that we’re in our 60s (and beyond), we have the simple elegance and

freedom that comes from being able to choose the classic styles that truly endure and work for us at any age.

Don’t feel like you have to succumb to the latest fashion trend. If something looks silly to you, feel free to say so.

There are many ways to convey style and health and status other than clothes – and sometimes you will exude more confidence and class if your clothing choices are more conservative and “classic.”

Dress the Part There’s an old saying in the career world, “dress for the job you want.”

This means that in the workplace, it helps to dress in a way that commands respect and conveys credibility, so that you will be a natural choice for promotion. But choosing classic styles doesn’t mean you only have to dress conservatively. As far as fashion for women over 60, there is a related idea: dress for the role in life that you want to have. Do you consider yourself an adventurous spirit? Do you love to travel? Choose accessories or complementary pieces from other cultures in countries you’ve visited. If you love outdoor sports and activities, find a way for your wardrobe to reflect these interests – it doesn’t mean your fashion choices have to be “all sports, all the time,” but it’s possible to dress “sporty” while still being stylish.

Look to Icons of Style One of the great things about being women over 60 today is that we have more fashion role models than ever before. Women over 60 are still too often marginalized and made invisible by the media and by our culture, but there are some prominent women over 60 who are fashion icons. For example, Lauren Bacall (age 88) starred in movies as a younger woman alongside Humphrey Bogart, and she looks beautiful and fashionable, even at an age that most people think is identified only as a time of decline. Tina Turner is a style icon for a generation, and she still looks healthy and beautiful and fashionable at age 73 (in fact, Tina Turner recently got remarried – to a 57-year-old man). We are often embarking on new careers (either in retirement or semiretirement), we are caring for family members, we are creating new concepts of what it means to be “older adults.”

Part of this reinvention relates to fashion.

After all, fashion is a process of constant reinvention – finding ideas that work, recombining them in new ways, updating a classic style with modern touches.

Perhaps soon the fashion industry will start to cater more to women over 60 – after all, fashion is not just for 22-yearold models on fashion show runways. And women over 60 tend to have more disposable income than young people.

Does this sound like a business opportunity to anyone?

Lauren Bacall

Page 15 Mature Living June 2014

Health

How to feel young and live life to the fullest S

taying healthy and feeling your best is important at any age and that doesn’t change just because you have a few more grey hairs. As we grow older, we experience an increasing number of major life changes, including career changes and retirement, children leaving home, the loss of loved ones, and physical changes. How we handle and

grow from these changes is the key to staying healthy. These tips can help you maintain your physical and emotional health and live life to the fullest, whatever your age.

Finding and following your formula for staying healthy over 50 Coping with change is difficult, no matter how old you are. The particular challenge

for adults over 50 is the sheer number of changes and transitions that start to occur— including children moving away, the loss of parents, friends, and other loved ones, changes to or the end of your career, declining health, and even loss of independence. It’s natural to feel those losses. But if that sense of loss is balanced with positive ingredients, you have a

Myths About Healthy Aging MYTH: Aging means declining health and/or disability.

Fact: There are some diseases that become more common as we age. However, getting older does not automatically mean poor health or that you will be confined to a walker or wheelchair. Plenty of older adults enjoy vigorous health, often better than many younger people. Preventive measures like healthy eating, exercising, and managing stress can help reduce the risk of chronic disease or injuries later in life.

MYTH: Memory loss is an inevitable part of aging.

Fact: As you age, you may eventually notice you don’t remember things as easily as in the past, or memories may start to take a little longer to retrieve. However, significant memory loss is not an inevitable result of aging. Brain training and new learning can occur at any age and there are many things you can do to keep your memory sharp. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll reap the benefits.

MYTH: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Fact: One of the more damaging myths of aging is that after a certain age, you just won’t be able to try anything new or contribute things anymore. The opposite is true. Middle aged and older adults are just as capable of learning new things and thriving in new environments, plus they have the wisdom that comes with life experience.

If you believe in and have confidence in yourself, you are setting up a positive environment for change no matter what your age.

Tips for coping with change As you age beyond 50, there will be periods of both joy and stress. It’s important to build your resilience and find healthy ways to cope with challenges. This ability will help you make the most of the good times and keep your perspective when times are tough. Focus on the things you’re grateful for. The longer you live, the more you lose. But as you lose people and things, life becomes even more precious. When you stop taking things for granted, you appreciate and enjoy what you have even more. Acknowledge and express your feelings. You may have a hard time showing emotions, perhaps feeling that such a display is inappropriate and weak. But burying your feelings can lead to anger, resentment, and depression. Don’t deny what you’re going through. Find healthy ways to process your feelings, perhaps by talking with a close friend or writing in a journal.

Accept the things you can’t change. Many things in life are beyond our control.

Page 16 Mature Living June 2014

Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems. Face your limitations with dignity and a healthy dose of humor.

Look for the silver lining. As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.

Take daily action to deal with life’s challenges. When a challenge seems too big to handle, sweeping it under the carpet often appears the easiest option. But ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away; it allows both the problem and your anxiety to build. Instead, take things one small step at a time. Even a small step can go a long way to boosting your confidence and reminding you that you are not powerless.

formula for staying healthy as you age.

Healthy aging means continually reinventing yourself as you pass through landmark ages such as 60, 70, 80 and beyond. It means finding new things you enjoy, learning to adapt to change, staying physically and socially active, and feeling connected to your community and loved ones.

Unfortunately, for many, aging brings anxiety and fear instead.

How will I take care of myself late in life? What if I lose my spouse? What is going to happen to my mind? However, many of these fears stem from myths about aging that are exaggerated by the media or simply untrue. The truth is that you are stronger and more resilient than you may think.

Staying healthy over 50: Tips for finding meaning and joy

A key ingredient in the recipe for healthy aging over 50 is the continuing ability to find meaning and joy in life. As you age, your life will change and you will gradually lose things that previously occupied your time and gave your life purpose. For example, your job may change, you may eventually retire from your career, your children may leave home, or other friends and family may move far away. But this is not a time to stop moving forward. Later life can be a time of exciting new adventures if you let it.

Staying healthy over 50 means finding activities that you enjoy Everyone has different ways of experiencing meaning and joy, and the activities you enjoy may change over time. If your career slows down or you retire, or if your children leave home, you may find you have more time to enjoy activities outside of work and immediate family. Either way, taking time to nourish your spirit is

never wasted.

If you’re not sure where to get started, try some of the following suggestions: Pick up a long-neglected hobby or try a new hobby Play with your grandkids, nieces, nephews, or a favourite pet Learn something new (an instrument, a foreign language, a new game) Get involved in your community (volunteer or attend a local event) Take a class or join a club Travel somewhere new or go on a weekend trip to a place you’ve never visited Spend time in nature (take a scenic hike, go fishing or camping, enjoy a ski trip) Enjoy the arts (visit a museum, go to a concert or a play) Write your memoirs or a play about your life experiences The possibilities are endless. The important thing is to find activities that are both meaningful and enjoyable for you.

Health

Staying healthy through humor, laughter, and play

Laughter is strong medicine for both the body and the mind. It helps you stay balanced, energetic, joyful, and healthy at any age. A sense of humor helps you get through tough times, look outside yourself, laugh at the absurdities of life, and transcend difficulties.

Staying healthy over 50: Tips for staying connected One of the greatest challenges of aging is how your support network changes.

Staying connected isn’t always easy as you grow older—even for those who have always had an active social life. Career changes, retirement, illness, death, and moves out of the local area can take away close friends and family members. And the older you get, the more people you inevitably lose. In later life, getting around may become difficult for either you or members of your social network.

It’s important to find ways to reach out and connect to others, regardless of whether or not you live with a spouse or partner. Having an array of people you can turn to for company and support as you age is a buffer against loneliness, depression, disability, hardship, and loss.

The good news is that there are lots of ways to be with other people. It doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you get out of the house (if possible) and socialize: Connect regularly with friends and family.

Spend time with people you enjoy and who make you feel upbeat. It may be a neighbour who you like to exercise with, a

lunch date with an old friend, or shopping with your children. Even if you are not close by, call or email frequently to keep relationships fresh.

Make an effort to make new friends. As you lose people in your circle, it is vital to make new connections so your circle doesn’t dwindle. Make it a point to befriend people who are younger than you. Younger friends can reenergize you and help you see life from a fresh perspective.

Spend time with at least one person every day. Whatever your living or work situation, you shouldn’t be alone day after day. Phone or email contact is not a replacement for spending time with other people. Regular face-to-face contact helps you ward off depression and stay positive.

Volunteer. Giving back to the community is a wonderful way to strengthen social bonds and meet others, and the meaning and purpose you find in helping others will enrich and expand your life. Volunteering is a natural way to meet others interested in similar activities or who share similar values. Even if your monbility becomes limited, you can get involved by volunteering on the phone.

Find support groups in times of change. If you or a loved one is coping with a serious illness or recent loss, it can be very helpful to participate in a support group with others undergoing the same challenges.

Have You Got A Hospital Appointment In Galway?

Why not take the hassle out of it and stay with us at “The Archers Hotel”

EJ Menswear €2500 College Fee Giveaway

Photos by Michael Mc Gurrin

By Rodney Munn of EJ’s

A

s the saying goes "time waits for no man" and as you go through life their are certain things that seem to have a way of reminding you that you are getting older,like recently I came to realise due to a pop up on my computer that the rubix cube is celebrating its 40th birthday. There was a sudden realization that I was 13 yrs of age when this phenomenan hit the world scene and had people perplexed for days ,months,and some perhaps never solved the complex cube.

So as the ensuing years have passed you may have had children and as in my case you might even have grandchildren and with that come certain rewards and responsibilities,one of those is the education for your children which we can as parents provide in the natural setting of home,and then primary school and then high school and later if they choose a college course that continues their education,but of course all this and especially the latter comes at a cost.So on the back of last years college giveaway EJ Menswear has announced that the mega giveaway is back for 2014.At a recent press conference held in EJs the owner Eamonn Cunningham announced the

good news,"we had a huge response to the giveaway last year, and the final competition attracted a big interest from all over the North west,its a great start to college life for any young person and it could be you.

The student fee giveaway which is worth €2,500 covers all colleges in Ireland and abroad,basically you choose the college and EJs will finance the rest.Parents who are in tough financial straits can look to paying some of their bills in the comfortable knowledge that their child is receiving the best possible 3rd level education courtesy of EJ menswear.So if your contemplating buying a suit for any particular event you can fill in the form supplied and nominate your son, grandson, daughter,granddaughter, niece, nephew, any relative that is about to embark on a college course or on a second year. This a thoughtful gift in these difficult years. So come in and select a suit from our extensive range which caters for all ages and sizes,we have from a 34 to 54 and all in between,and we have short, regular,and long fittings. We have a popular selection of colours and a complimentary range of shirts and ties to match,and added to this is a new range of bow-ties which are increasingly becoming more popular, in check ,plain ,polka dot, and paisley patterns. We look forward to your company and don't forget to fill in that form it really SHOULDNT BE MISSED!!

• Excellent Rates • Family Run • Safe & Secure parking, with a prompt taxi service • Friendly staff to assist you with all your needs • Only 6 mins from Galway Clinic and 12 mins from Galway Hospital

• Home cooked food served from 7am - 9pm

For more details contact us on 091-739-000 Claregalway Village, Claregalway, Co. Galway www.thearcheshotel.ie Page 17 Mature Living June 2014

A Family Break for 2 Adults & 2 Children

2 Nights Bed & Breakfast

Drumshanbo • Co Leitrim • www.loughallenhotel.com • Tel: 071-964-0100 To be in with a chance to win this fantastic prize, simply answer the question and send your answer, along with your name, address, email address and telephone number into us at the address below...

Question: Which town is The Lough Allen Hotel and Spa just a short walk from?

Send your entries into us at Lough Allen Hotel Compeition Mature Living Magazine, Office 3, Unit 7, Northwest Business Park, Collooney, Co. Sligo Terms and Conditions Apply, Closing Date for entries is June 20th 2014

L

ough Allen Hotel in County Leitrim in the Northwest of Ireland is truly somewhere special! Situated on the shores of Lough Allen, only 14 km from the bustling town of Carrick on Shannon, it is just a short walk to the town of Drumshanbo. This Luxury hotel of international allure combines with the stunning Leitrim countryside to offer the ideal destination; be it for the romantic short-break where spa treatments, leisure centre and a sumptuous candlelight dinner are all components that make for an unforgettable short break. Or is it a family re-union that would like to include organised activities during the day rounded off with a lavish family meal in the evening.The hotel is fast becoming the wedding venue of choice in the North West.

Gardening

How to pick good sunglasses M

ost people are aware that fair skin can be more vulnerable to skin cancer.

However, did you know that light coloured eyes are more vulnerable to UV-related eye

disease?

The Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO) is appealing to people to ‘shop smart’ when purchasing sunglasses by only opting for

Offer applies to selected designer frames only

Tobergal Lane, Sligo • Tel: 071-9142860 www.rachelmurrayeyecare.ie

those with the CE Mark (European safety standard) guarantee.

At the ICO annual conference in Limerick this week, it was highlighted that ‘just as fair skin can be more vulnerable to skin cancers, studies have shown that those of us with lighter coloured eyes are more susceptible to ultra violet (UV) damage from the sun and can be at greater risk of developing eye diseases such as cataract in later life as a result’.

Dr Patricia Quinlan believes that while many people are aware of the dangers of sun when it comes to their skin, ‘we have a way to go yet in educating people on the risks of UV damage to our eye health’.

‘You wouldn’t buy a sun cream that didn’t have a sun factor in it so why buy sunglasses that haven’t got the essential UV protection that the CE Mark guarantees. While people with eyes of any colour can develop UV related eye diseases, light eyes and sun exposure are associated with an increased risk of eye damage’, she said.

It is also important to take care of children’s eyes. You wouldn't send children to the beach without sunscreen, so don't send

them without sunglasses either.

Children's developing eyes let in more UV rays than adults; and since children tend to spend a majority of their time outdoors, sunglasses with the most impactresistant lenses are a must for all kids. It is also important to look for the CE mark when purchasing children’s sunglasses. Without the UV factor protection the CE mark guarantees, there is no eye health benefit to children wearing the lenses.

It is a great idea to get children used to wearing sunglasses from an early age, as this is one of the easiest and the most important things children and adults can do to protect their eye health in the long term.

Rachel Murray Eyecare offers the following tips to help protect the eyes: • Choose sunglasses with the CE mark that block 100% of UV rays.

Do not assume that because the lenses are dark, they offer more protection.

• Choose close-fitting wraparound sunglasses as these protect eyes from all angles • Wear sunglasses throughout the year even if it is cloudy, but especially during the summer.

• Wear a wide-brim hat with your sunglasses for extra protection • Some medications can cause increased sensitivity to sunlight, so take extra precautions if necessary • Remember that the sun’s rays can be reflected off water, sand or the pavement • If glare is a problem try polarized lenses as they work exceptionally well to filter out reflected glare from shiny surfaces like water, pavement and dashboards. They also improve contrast and visibility while reducing squint and eyestrain.

Remember, eyesight is one of the most precious gifts we have, so look after it.

EVERYONE is at risk from UVrelated eye damage and UV damage today leads to eye problems tomorrow.

Rachel Murray Eyecare has a large range of sunglasses suitable for both prescription and non-prescription wearers, contact Rachel Murray Eyecare on 071-9142860 or www.rachelmurrayeyecare.ie to make an appointment, or simply call in.

Discover the Mount Falcon Estate, Ballina

Golden Years at Mount Falcon Estate €199 pp 3 nights Bed & Breakfast with 1 Bistro Dinner €25 Spa Credit (valid towards any 1 Hour Message or Facial) Complimentary use of the Estate Golf Driving Range Complimentary use of our leisure centre with 17m heated pool 100 acres of Estate woodlands, walks & river Moy Connaughts Best Restaurant 2013 (RAI) Transfers to local Bus & Train Station on request 10% discount at Foxford Wollen Mills Mayo on our Door Step

MOUNT FALCON, FOXFORD ROAD, BALLINA, CO. MAYO TEL: 096-74472 • FAX: 096-74473 EMAIL: EVENTS@MOUNTFALCON.COM • WEB: WWW.MOUNTFALCON.COM

T

he fascinating history of one of Irelands finest surviving Anglo Irish grand houses awaits visitors to Mount Falcon Estate outside Ballina in County Mayo. After exploring 100 acres of mature forest and walkways, discover the archaeological remains of a 4,500 year old court tomb. A quick stroll around our 3 acre lake with resident ducks and then a few lengths in the 17 m indoor heated swimming pool, relax in our sauna, Jacuzzi and steam room and build up an appetite for traditional afternoon tea; served in opulent lounges in front of roaring open fires. Mount Falcon……something for everyone.

Words and Photos: Leonie Cornellius

Sweet Meadow

Unique Meadow inspired floral arrangements right on our doorstep

H

ere in the North West we are surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscape around.

Our stunning seaside landscapes, lush fields and incredible wild meadows are spectacularly beautiful, particularly at this time of the year when the mad, changeable weather is ideal for the sprouting of all types of meadow plants. My friend and I went for a picnic in one of these meadows the other day and the beautiful plants we found inspired me to create some meadow arrangements in some old bottles.

GET THE LOOK Chosen Plants The great thing about these arrangements are that anything goes. From trees such as the water loving Salix varieties that grow wild in Ireland to the fluffy wild carrot, the pretty forget me-nots that dot the ground amongst the grasses

to the lovely Saxifraga with their tiny pink dotted centres (my friend Kate’s favourite), it really is the more natural the better.

Initially on the walk we were feeling a little dissapointed, not much out there at this time of the year and all that. But what you actually do find once you look a little more closely is incredible. The joy of collecting for small glass bottles such as the ones I have here is that the smallest branch or grass head becomes a composition. Look at the catkins on the Willow tree cuts in the picture.

Do we ever really notice these on the tree? The grass plumes, just part of a meadow, are featured in a group to stand out in their own right, colours and textures subtly highlighted.

When collecting do watch out for plants that are poisonous like Hemlock or Foxgloves!

Page 20 Mature Living April 2014

Glass Bottles These glass bottles are a collection of small delicate items that were found while digging in the garden.

Little treasures that as a collection become a really visual and pretty arrangement.

I love that every bottle has a history of some sort...who owned them? What was in that tiny bottle that is only 3cm tall, and how long ago?

It’s the story that fascinates me. You can get them at almost every jumble sale or charity shop....or digging in your garden.... definitely worth collecting if you love plants like me.

PLANTS Salix I love the catkins on willow at this time of the year.

They are fluffly little downey flowering spikes of different shades of green, lime green and pale yellow.

So subtle in an arrangement.

Aquilegia Aqulegia, or Columbine is a flower that is very pretty and can be found growing wild in many places in Ireland. It often grows by the side of the road where it has seeded itself. The variety of colours is amazing.

Wild Carrot Wild and sea Carrots are lovely plants with umbellifer shaped flower heads. The perfectly shaped fluffy heads of these fascinate me. This and the fact that they grow absolutely everywhere and yet we never really see them.

Leonie Cornelius is an award winning garden designer who runs her own business-BLUME design house.

You can catch her as the TV Mentor for the new Supergarden Show on RTE. Contact: www.blume.ie

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Angelscope for June

with Fiona Faery

F

iona Faery is an Irish Psychic Medium who unites people regularly with their loved ones in spirit & also offers psychic guidance with her Faery oracle card readings. She is a regular on Irish radio & has monthly columns in various publications. Fiona is known for her optimistic no-nonsense approach to life. She teaches workshops on mediumship and helps 'baby' mediums build their confidence & step into their power. Her spiritual poetry has found a home on her Facebook page; Fiona Faery where she posts a daily poem. Her poetry is aimed to motivate & empower, as Fiona believes in helping people connect with their soul purpose. She reads internationally through her website www.fionafaery.ie

Aries

Taur!s

Gemini

Cancer

Angel of Healing : As the song says let it go.

A situation around you has been brought up for healing. You are beginning to move on from an unhealthy situation or mindset.

This card urges you to be gentle with yourself. Take time to be in nature this month. Get out for a walk by the forest or by the sea.

Allow yourself to simply be. Things are looking up for you, but first you need to see you deserve the very best and move onwards and upwards.

Lucky Day: 15th May Lucky colour: green

Angel of answered prayers: The angels have heard your prayers, sometimes this is answered by them giving us ideas or information, synchronicities or lucky 'coincidences' will start to enter your life at this time.

Notice everything you feel here.

Expect any helpful offers that come to you at this time. As angels can sometimes be strangers in disguise.

Lucky Day: 10th May Lucky colour: pink

Angel of self acceptance : You've been way to tough on yourself as of late. This card is a reminder of how beautiful you are and to stop being so self judgemental. You also may feel blocked in some way, but in truth, your self doubt is the biggest block of all. This card urges you to believe in yourself, for only when you truly believe in yourself, can you finally get out of your own way and allow the universe to help you.

Lucky Day: 21st May Lucky colour: Blue

Angel of body care : You may have been guilty in over indulging as of late or you could be pushing your body over its natural limits. We are not robots. Healthy diet and exercise help our bodies function and preform at its optimum capacity. Stress can have a very negative impact on your physical health. This card urges you to add re greens into your diet and incorporate light exercise into your routine. A gentle stroll by the sea can completely change your frame of mind! You only have the one body, treasure it!

Lucky Day: 17th May Lucky colour: White

Leo

Virgo

Libra

Scor"io

Angel of emerging : It is safe for you to be in your power. This is a beautiful card for self confidence. Your finally getting to a point in your life where your trusting your gut and acting on it! This is a great time for manifesting. Keep visualising your dreams and follow any gut hunches or intuition to help you achieve it.

Whatever you can dream you can do, begin it. Action has magic power and energy in it!

Lucky Day: 29th May Lucky colour: yellow

Sagi#arious

Angel of Devine timing This is also the card of patience! Don't try to rush or force any doors that appear closed to you. Step back and look for an alternative situation, for as one door closes another will surely open.

Sometimes we spend so long looking at the closed doors we do not see the alternative staring us in the face!

Lucky Day: 16th May Lucky colour: indigo

Angel of spiritual growth Life lessons have been flowing as of late, Virgo.

You may feel weary from battling inner demons or outside aggressors. The lesson here is self respect. Do you honour your own personal truth? Do you need to define your person boundaries? Are you allowing someone to take advantage? It may be trying for you to say no and stand up for your own believes. That time is now!

Lucky Day: 11th May Lucky colour: silver

Capricor$

Archangel Michael The mighty archangel Michael has entered your cards today. This beautiful angel of courage, empowerment and clarity. Know that what ever changes you make you will be protected and save. This card is also an indication of you cutting cords or ties from a toxic situation or person.

Be true to yourself.

Lucky Day: 30th May Lucky colour: blue

Angel of playfulness Play is a very important part of our lives. Life can become so very serious and end up feeling as if your caught in a loop of endless drudgery. This card urges you to seek out a friend that makes you laugh, a funny movie or a song that uplifts you upon heRing the opening chorus! It's time you started being serious about having fun! Laughter is a tonic for the soul. So what are you waiting for!

Lucky Day:12th May Lucky colour: purple

Aquarius

Angel of nature This angel urges you to get out and about!

Time spent walking in nature, gardening or simply sitting out in the beautiful May air will do wonders for your soul! This angel urges you to ground yourself as you may have been feeling 'spaced out' or disconnected.

Times spent in the elements will soon have you back on track again. If you don't have the time, make the time!

Lucky Day: 20th may Lucky colour: lavender

Angel of new beginnings It's time to wipe the slate clean as a new opportunity or beginning enters your life.

This can also mean a new friendship or relationship come your way. Your ready to let the past go and take these tentative first steps into your own truth and power. Endings are really new beginnings in disguise. It's time to let the sadness go and step up into the joy of all that is new!

Lucky Day: 19th May Lucky colour: red

Pisces

Angel of romance : The angels have heard your appeal for romance and they acknowledge your hearts yearning for love.

For those who are single, it means there is a new romance coming your way. Be aware of any guidance, ideas that come your way in the following few weeks and act on them! For those of you in relationships, make time for romance, it can be so easily overlooked in the hustle and bustle of every day living.

Organise a date night or simply a night in with cuddles!

Lucky Day: 26th May Lucky colour: black

Fiona Faery gives private 1-to-1 sittings at The Sligo Park Hotel on the last weekend of every month. She is also available for private consultations or One Question readings on her website www.fionafaery.ie You can contact Fiona to Book a Private Reading @ 0863736143

Memories

T

The Bands of our Showband Era

here were hundreds of them. Irish bands of every size, description and musical genre travelling the roads and borheens of Ireland. They travelled the length and breadth of the country from the 1950's through the mid 1980's. Although "officially" the term showband was coined in the late fifties and was used to describe

Article and Photos courtesy of Gerry Gallagher www.irish-showbands.com

bands that played a wide variety of music and usually included a "show" during the night, the term was gradually applied to all the bands that played in the 1960's. As the Irish music scene splintered in the late sixties into pop, country bands, the term was dropped but we still find it the best overall description of the bands of the

"ballroom" era. In the early days, they travelled in whatever they could find...bread vans, hearses, and even cars (roof racks and all). In later years, many (if not most) of them travelled in converted Ford Transit vans (like the one pictured right) that were normally used for delivery services. After a couple of windows were

popped into the centre panels, a row or two of old airplane seats were installed and the band was ready to travel "in style."

Although style was a matter of opinion...if you're stuck in the back of a van on a cold and rainy winter's night, it may seem like "a long way to Tipperary," but it's even further to Castletownbere, Co. Cork!

Hoedowners Story (1962-1973) A

lthough Earl Gill got his start in the 50's playing with other bands around Dublin, the Hoedowners started life as the resident band in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. In fact, as were many bands of the day, they were actually more of an orchestra. During the winter the band played in the hotel ballroom, but during the summer they hit the road. In a 1969 Spotlight article Oliver Barry said that Earl was originally a piano player, but had an accident that severely injured some of his fingers and he turned his talents to the trumpet. However, his early training made him one of Ireland's most

talented arrangers in the country.

Around the same time in the early sixties, Sean Dunphy was a carpenter by trade and sang part time with a group called the Keymen. He went to England after serving in the Irish Army where he continued to work by day as a carpenter and by night sang in the Hibernian Ballroom in Fulham.

When he heard Earl Gill was looking for a vocalist, he sent a tape and was signed immediately.

The original "road band" included Mel Dean (guitar), Steve Pickering (guitar), Gerry Ryan (bass), Vinnie Keane (drums), Earl Gill (trumpet), Claude Phibbs (sax),

Frank Mangan (trombone), Sean Dunphy and Amy Hayden (vocals). At the time, the band was known as the Earl Gill Band. In the mid sixties, RTE (then known as Telefis Eireann =TE) started a television show called the Hoedown and Earl and the band were hired to provide backing for the singers. They took on the name The Hoedowners for the show and it stuck.

Around the same time, they teamed up with manager Oliver Barry, and set their sights on conquering the ballroom circuit.

At that time the band was known as Earl Gill and his Hoedowners.

The band's next big break came in early

It will be impossible to list all the bands that played the dance halls, ballrooms, marquees, parochial halls, community centres, hotels, and town halls across Ireland but each month we are planning to feature a band from the west with the help of Gerry Gallagher and www.irishshowbands.com . Apart from a few who

enjoy near mythical status (such as the Royal Showband and a handful of others), most bands came together, played for a few years and then either reinvented themselves, changed their name, or just disappeared, their members either returning to civilian life, or scattering to two or three new bands.

1966, after changing to their new name, they released Wonderful World of My Dreams and it went to number five in the Irish Charts, starting a string of hit records which would become legendary as there were very few weeks in the mid to late 60's that there wasn't a Hoedowners record somewhere in the charts. In the 1960's and early seventies, the Hoedowners were one of the most successful Irish recording artists with 14 singles hitting the Irish charts between 1966 and 1973. In 1967, Sean was selected to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest. This was Ireland's third attempt -

Sean Dunphy and the Hoedowners in 1966 Left to right- Claude Phipps (sax), Frank Mangan (trombone), Amy Hayden (vocals), Sean Dunphy (vocals), Unknown (guitar), Vinnie Keane (drums), Pat Keohane (bass) and Earl Gill (trumpet).

Page 24 Mature Living June 2014

Butch Moore and Dickie Rock had preceded Sean. The song was If I Could Choose. Sean came in second behind England's entry, Sandie Shaw's Puppet on A String. In Ireland, the record reached number two in the Irish Charts and provided the band's fourth hit single. The same year the band released "Sunset" one of very few instrumental songs to be released during the showband era.

In early 1968, Sean was hospitalized in Birmingham with tonsillitis and missed several dates in March. In mid-1968, Sean and the Hoedowners became the first artists to release a single on the new Dolphin Records, started by their then manager, Oliver Barry and Jim Hand, manager of the Capitol. Sean and the boys also released the first album on the new label, Ireland's Own Sean Dunphy. In December, 1968, the band underwent a shuffle when several new members joined including guitarist/vocalist Dave Carlisle from Newtownards.

In early 1969, Sean and the boys had their first number one hit with The Lonely Woods of Upton. In July, the band followed this up with the song, When The Fields Were White

With Daisies which was arranged by Noel Kelehan and provided them with yet another number one hit and they became one of the few Irish artists ever to have a single in the top twenty for 12 months straight. A chart survey published in Spotlight in January, 1970 showed that Sean

All editorial and photographs are kindly supplied by Gerry Gallagher from www.irish-shownbands.com Over the years Gerry has built up what can only be describe as the definitive guide to the showband era.

I would like to thank Gerry for allowing us to reproduce the articles and photos in Mature Living. If you would like to know more about your favourite band or who was number one in a particular year visit www.irish-showbands.com

For such a small country, it is difficult to comprehend the sheer number of bands that the country produced. Almost as hard to imagine, is the number of dance halls that once dotted the countryside, many out in the "middle of nowhere." Pick up next months issue for another blast from the blast from the showband era...

Dunphy was far and away the top recording artist in Ireland based on the number of weeks and position in the charts for all of 1969, ahead of Joe Dolan and in third place, The Beatles. The only other Irish acts in the top ten of the survey were the Real McCoy and Dixies.

In 1971, the band went the "gimmick" route when they released Poor Poor Farmer as Darby O'Gill (Tim Pat), who was actually Earl Gill. The single got to Number 3 in the Irish Charts and the band got plenty of press. The trend would continue in 1972, when the band donned costumes as circus performers and changed their name to the Ho-Down Circus. Joining the band around this time (late 1972) was fiddler, Tony Kirby and former Gentry drummer, Shay Murphy. Each member of the band dressed as a different character from a typical circus lineup.

However, the writing was on the wall for the Hoedowners.

An article in Spotlight dated December 20th, 1973 described Sean as the former lead singer with the Hoedowners, so we are assuming the band split up in mid to late 1973. He went off to do a residency in Canada (which seems to have been all the rage at the time), but was due back in Ireland in early 1974 for cabaret dates around the country. Also, around this time Earl Gill took over the management of Hugo Duncan and the Tallmen.

Our thanks to Mel Dean, former member of the band for help compiling this story.

Top singles - 1968

1. Brendan O'Brien & Dixies - Little Arrows (Pye) 2. Johnny McEvoy - Nora (target) 3. Dickie Rock & Miami - Simon Says (Pye) 4. Sean Dunphy & Hoedowners - Two Loves (Dolphin) 5. Emmet Spiceland - Mary From Dungloe (Inset) 6. Pat McGeegan - Chance of A Lifetime (Emerald) 7. Brendan O'Brien & Dixies - Katie's Kisses (Pye) 8. Pattersons - I Don't Want To Be A Memory (CBS) 9. Irish Rovers - The Unicorn (MCA) 10. Sweeney's Men - Waxie's Dargle (Pye) 11. Emmet Spiceland - Baidin Fheidhlimi (Gael-linn) 12. Sean Dunphy & Howdowners - Christmas Polka 13. Patricia Cahill - One and One Are Two (Rex) 14. Freshmen - Papa Oom Oom Mow (target) 15. Granny's Intentions - Never An Everyday Thing (Deram) 16. Sands - Yummy Yummy Yummy (Tribune) 17. Sands - Dance Dance Dance (Tribune) 18. Johnstons - I Never Will Marry (Pye) 19. Joe Dolan & Drifters - Love of the Common People 20. Real McCoy - I Get So Excited (Target) 21. Brendan Bowyer & Royal Showband - Lady Will-power/ Woman Woman (King) 22. Dickie Rock & Miami - Christmas Time and You (Pye) 23. Sands - Help Me Rhonda (Tribune) 24. Memories - Oh No (Rex) 25. Dubliners - Dirty Old Town (Major Minor) 26. Emmet Spiceland - Bunclody (Page One) 27. Fairways - Flippiddy Flop (Release) 28. Larry Cunningham & Mighty Avons - The Emigrant 29. Kathleen & Deirdre - The Bridal Path (Pye) 30. Johnstons - Both Sides Now (Transatlantic) 31. Brendan O'Brien & Dixies - In Person (Pye) 32. Brendan Bowyer & Royal Showband - Same Old Song 33. Dreams - I Will See You There (Dolphin) 34. Dolly McMahon - Sweet Rathcoole (Major Minor) 35. Dubliners - Never Wed An Old Man (Major Minor) 36. Freshmen - Go Granny Go (Target) 37. Pat Lynch & Airchords - Piccolo Man (Pye) Page 25 Mature Living June 2014

Memories

T

The Bands of our Showband Era

here were hundreds of them. Irish bands of every size, description and musical genre travelling the roads and borheens of Ireland. They travelled the length and breadth of the country from the 1950's through the mid 1980's. Although "officially" the term showband was coined in the late fifties and was used to describe

Article and Photos courtesy of Gerry Gallagher www.irish-showbands.com

bands that played a wide variety of music and usually included a "show" during the night, the term was gradually applied to all the bands that played in the 1960's. As the Irish music scene splintered in the late sixties into pop, country bands, the term was dropped but we still find it the best overall description of the bands of the

"ballroom" era. In the early days, they travelled in whatever they could find...bread vans, hearses, and even cars (roof racks and all). In later years, many (if not most) of them travelled in converted Ford Transit vans (like the one pictured right) that were normally used for delivery services. After a couple of windows were

popped into the centre panels, a row or two of old airplane seats were installed and the band was ready to travel "in style."

Although style was a matter of opinion...if you're stuck in the back of a van on a cold and rainy winter's night, it may seem like "a long way to Tipperary," but it's even further to Castletownbere, Co. Cork!

Hoedowners Story (1962-1973) A

lthough Earl Gill got his start in the 50's playing with other bands around Dublin, the Hoedowners started life as the resident band in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. In fact, as were many bands of the day, they were actually more of an orchestra. During the winter the band played in the hotel ballroom, but during the summer they hit the road. In a 1969 Spotlight article Oliver Barry said that Earl was originally a piano player, but had an accident that severely injured some of his fingers and he turned his talents to the trumpet. However, his early training made him one of Ireland's most

talented arrangers in the country.

Around the same time in the early sixties, Sean Dunphy was a carpenter by trade and sang part time with a group called the Keymen. He went to England after serving in the Irish Army where he continued to work by day as a carpenter and by night sang in the Hibernian Ballroom in Fulham.

When he heard Earl Gill was looking for a vocalist, he sent a tape and was signed immediately.

The original "road band" included Mel Dean (guitar), Steve Pickering (guitar), Gerry Ryan (bass), Vinnie Keane (drums), Earl Gill (trumpet), Claude Phibbs (sax),

Frank Mangan (trombone), Sean Dunphy and Amy Hayden (vocals). At the time, the band was known as the Earl Gill Band. In the mid sixties, RTE (then known as Telefis Eireann =TE) started a television show called the Hoedown and Earl and the band were hired to provide backing for the singers. They took on the name The Hoedowners for the show and it stuck.

Around the same time, they teamed up with manager Oliver Barry, and set their sights on conquering the ballroom circuit.

At that time the band was known as Earl Gill and his Hoedowners.

The band's next big break came in early

It will be impossible to list all the bands that played the dance halls, ballrooms, marquees, parochial halls, community centres, hotels, and town halls across Ireland but each month we are planning to feature a band from the west with the help of Gerry Gallagher and www.irishshowbands.com . Apart from a few who

enjoy near mythical status (such as the Royal Showband and a handful of others), most bands came together, played for a few years and then either reinvented themselves, changed their name, or just disappeared, their members either returning to civilian life, or scattering to two or three new bands.

1966, after changing to their new name, they released Wonderful World of My Dreams and it went to number five in the Irish Charts, starting a string of hit records which would become legendary as there were very few weeks in the mid to late 60's that there wasn't a Hoedowners record somewhere in the charts. In the 1960's and early seventies, the Hoedowners were one of the most successful Irish recording artists with 14 singles hitting the Irish charts between 1966 and 1973. In 1967, Sean was selected to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest. This was Ireland's third attempt -

Sean Dunphy and the Hoedowners in 1966 Left to right- Claude Phipps (sax), Frank Mangan (trombone), Amy Hayden (vocals), Sean Dunphy (vocals), Unknown (guitar), Vinnie Keane (drums), Pat Keohane (bass) and Earl Gill (trumpet).

Page 24 Mature Living June 2014

Butch Moore and Dickie Rock had preceded Sean. The song was If I Could Choose. Sean came in second behind England's entry, Sandie Shaw's Puppet on A String. In Ireland, the record reached number two in the Irish Charts and provided the band's fourth hit single. The same year the band released "Sunset" one of very few instrumental songs to be released during the showband era.

In early 1968, Sean was hospitalized in Birmingham with tonsillitis and missed several dates in March. In mid-1968, Sean and the Hoedowners became the first artists to release a single on the new Dolphin Records, started by their then manager, Oliver Barry and Jim Hand, manager of the Capitol. Sean and the boys also released the first album on the new label, Ireland's Own Sean Dunphy. In December, 1968, the band underwent a shuffle when several new members joined including guitarist/vocalist Dave Carlisle from Newtownards.

In early 1969, Sean and the boys had their first number one hit with The Lonely Woods of Upton. In July, the band followed this up with the song, When The Fields Were White

With Daisies which was arranged by Noel Kelehan and provided them with yet another number one hit and they became one of the few Irish artists ever to have a single in the top twenty for 12 months straight. A chart survey published in Spotlight in January, 1970 showed that Sean

All editorial and photographs are kindly supplied by Gerry Gallagher from www.irish-shownbands.com Over the years Gerry has built up what can only be describe as the definitive guide to the showband era.

I would like to thank Gerry for allowing us to reproduce the articles and photos in Mature Living. If you would like to know more about your favourite band or who was number one in a particular year visit www.irish-showbands.com

For such a small country, it is difficult to comprehend the sheer number of bands that the country produced. Almost as hard to imagine, is the number of dance halls that once dotted the countryside, many out in the "middle of nowhere." Pick up next months issue for another blast from the blast from the showband era...

Dunphy was far and away the top recording artist in Ireland based on the number of weeks and position in the charts for all of 1969, ahead of Joe Dolan and in third place, The Beatles. The only other Irish acts in the top ten of the survey were the Real McCoy and Dixies.

In 1971, the band went the "gimmick" route when they released Poor Poor Farmer as Darby O'Gill (Tim Pat), who was actually Earl Gill. The single got to Number 3 in the Irish Charts and the band got plenty of press. The trend would continue in 1972, when the band donned costumes as circus performers and changed their name to the Ho-Down Circus. Joining the band around this time (late 1972) was fiddler, Tony Kirby and former Gentry drummer, Shay Murphy. Each member of the band dressed as a different character from a typical circus lineup.

However, the writing was on the wall for the Hoedowners.

An article in Spotlight dated December 20th, 1973 described Sean as the former lead singer with the Hoedowners, so we are assuming the band split up in mid to late 1973. He went off to do a residency in Canada (which seems to have been all the rage at the time), but was due back in Ireland in early 1974 for cabaret dates around the country. Also, around this time Earl Gill took over the management of Hugo Duncan and the Tallmen.

Our thanks to Mel Dean, former member of the band for help compiling this story.

Top singles - 1968

1. Brendan O'Brien & Dixies - Little Arrows (Pye) 2. Johnny McEvoy - Nora (target) 3. Dickie Rock & Miami - Simon Says (Pye) 4. Sean Dunphy & Hoedowners - Two Loves (Dolphin) 5. Emmet Spiceland - Mary From Dungloe (Inset) 6. Pat McGeegan - Chance of A Lifetime (Emerald) 7. Brendan O'Brien & Dixies - Katie's Kisses (Pye) 8. Pattersons - I Don't Want To Be A Memory (CBS) 9. Irish Rovers - The Unicorn (MCA) 10. Sweeney's Men - Waxie's Dargle (Pye) 11. Emmet Spiceland - Baidin Fheidhlimi (Gael-linn) 12. Sean Dunphy & Howdowners - Christmas Polka 13. Patricia Cahill - One and One Are Two (Rex) 14. Freshmen - Papa Oom Oom Mow (target) 15. Granny's Intentions - Never An Everyday Thing (Deram) 16. Sands - Yummy Yummy Yummy (Tribune) 17. Sands - Dance Dance Dance (Tribune) 18. Johnstons - I Never Will Marry (Pye) 19. Joe Dolan & Drifters - Love of the Common People 20. Real McCoy - I Get So Excited (Target) 21. Brendan Bowyer & Royal Showband - Lady Will-power/ Woman Woman (King) 22. Dickie Rock & Miami - Christmas Time and You (Pye) 23. Sands - Help Me Rhonda (Tribune) 24. Memories - Oh No (Rex) 25. Dubliners - Dirty Old Town (Major Minor) 26. Emmet Spiceland - Bunclody (Page One) 27. Fairways - Flippiddy Flop (Release) 28. Larry Cunningham & Mighty Avons - The Emigrant 29. Kathleen & Deirdre - The Bridal Path (Pye) 30. Johnstons - Both Sides Now (Transatlantic) 31. Brendan O'Brien & Dixies - In Person (Pye) 32. Brendan Bowyer & Royal Showband - Same Old Song 33. Dreams - I Will See You There (Dolphin) 34. Dolly McMahon - Sweet Rathcoole (Major Minor) 35. Dubliners - Never Wed An Old Man (Major Minor) 36. Freshmen - Go Granny Go (Target) 37. Pat Lynch & Airchords - Piccolo Man (Pye) Page 25 Mature Living June 2014

Cooking

A Taste of

China Serves 3 to 4

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Ingredients: 1 pound fresh noodles (Shanghai thin noodles are good) 1/2 pound chicken breast, cut into strips 4 ounces shrimp, shelled and cleaned 1/2 bok choy, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 cup carrot, cut on the diagonal 1/2 cup broccoli or cauliflower, trimmed, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces 1 onion, shredded 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 2 tablespoons hot bean sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons cooking oil for stirfrying

Sauce: 1/2 cup stock 1 teaspoon light soy sauce 1 tablespoon chili oil 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon sesame oil 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Marinade: 1 teaspoon wine 1 teaspoon light soy sauce

Preparation: Mix together marinade ingredients.

Marinate chicken for at least twenty minutes.

While marinating chicken, mix together sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Also while marinating chicken, parboil noodles in a pot of boiling water for three minutes. Loosen up noodles with chopsticks as they are boiling. Drain.

Heat wok. When heated, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add garlic and chicken and stir-fry. When the chicken is nearly done, push the

Grilled beef short ribs with a spicy marinade: a recipe by the winner of the 1980 Nevada State Chili Contest.

Serves 4 to 6 Ingredients: 1 cup soy sauce 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed 1 cup water 2/3 cup dry sherry 2 teaspoons pure ground hot red chile, or to taste 2 teaspoons five-spice powder 3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger 2 teaspoons minced garlic 4 to 6 pounds beef short ribs Preparation: To Prepare the Sauce: In a small saucepan combine all the ingredients through the garlic. Cook over medium heat to dissolve the

Page 26 Mature Living June 2014

chicken up to the side of the wok and add the shrimp in the middle of the wok. Stir-fry. When the shrimp are done, mix the chicken and shrimp and remove from the wok to a platter. Reheat the wok and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add onions, bok choy, carrot and broccoli and stir-fry until tender and crisp. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt over the vegetables and mix it in. Remove the vegetables to a platter. Clean out the wok with a paper towel. Heat wok again and add 3 tablespoons oil. Place noodles in the wok, using chopsticks to break them up. Add 2 tablespoons hot bean sauce and 1 tablespoon light soy sauce. Stir-fry until the noodles are heated through. Add cooked chicken, shrimp and all the vegetables.

Restir sauce mixture and add.

When it comes to a boil, test and adjust the seasoning if desired, then remove and serve.

sugar, but do not boil. Remove the marinade from the heat and let it cool. Set it aside until you are ready to marinate the ribs.

To Barbecue the Ribs: Two hours before your barbecue, spread the ribs out in a roasting pan, large enough to hold them in a single layer. You may need to divide the meat between two pans. Pour the sauce over the ribs, making sure all the meat is well covered. Turn and rub the ribs with sauce several times during the marinating period. It is not necessary to refrigerate the ribs.

When the fire is ready, position the rack 3 inches above the heat source.

Remove the ribs from the marinade and reserve the marinade in a bowl or pitcher, including any excess scraped off the ribs.

Place the ribs on the grill and sear for 10 minutes each side.

Spoon on the reserved marinade a

little at a time after each turn. Cook for 5 minutes, then turn and baste the second side.

Continue turning and basting every 5 minutes until the ribs are done, 30 to 40 minutes. The meat should be slightly pink on the inside and crusty brown on the outside.

Serving Suggestions: Accompany the ribs with rice molds (below). A fresh fruit salad tops off this perfect barbecue. To Make Rice Molds: Make rice molds by simply pressing cooked rice into 1/3-cup-size buttered ramekins, then steaming them in an inch of water for about 10 minutes before unmolding and serving. You could also add some of the marinade to the unmolded cooked rice plus 2 tablespoons each of chopped Bermuda onion and slivered toasted almonds.

Garnish each portion of rice with minced parsley after you unmold it.

Travel Motoring

Nissan’s Self-Cleaning Car

World Car of the Year

A

W

ashing a car can be a chore - and a costly one at that. In response, Nissan has begun tests on innovative paint technology that repels mud, rain and everyday dirt, meaning drivers may never have to clean their car again.

The specially engineered, super-hydrophobic and oleophobic paint, which repels water and oils, has been applied to the all-new Nissan Note to create the world's first selfcleaning car.

To assess the real-world effectiveness of the superhydrophobic as a potential aftermarket application, engineers at Nissan Technical Centre Europe will be testing the self-cleaning Note over the coming months in a variety of conditions.

Nissan is the first car maker to apply the technology, called Ultra-Ever Dry®, on automotive bodywork.

By creating a protective layer of air between the paint and

environment, it effectively stops standing water and road spray from creating dirty marks on the car's surface.

It's not the first time selfcleaning technology has been used on the Note.

The car already features a 'wash and blow dry' function on its rear view camera.

This uses water and compressed air to automatically keep the lens free of dirt and ensure the Note's safety sensors work in all conditions.

t a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show and Bridgestone Corporation, the Audi A3 was declared the 2014 World Car of the Year.

The Audi A3 was chosen from an initial entry list of 24 vehicles from all over the world, then a shortlist of 12, then three finalists: the BMW 4 Series, the Mazda 3 and the Audi A3.

To be eligible for the overall World Car award, the candidates must become available for sale on at least two continents during the period beginning January 1, 2013 and ending May 31, 2014.

Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, said: "The Audi A6 was the first ever winner of this award and we are delighted that the Audi A3 has repeated that achievement by being voted

2014 World Car of the Year.

"The Audi A3 showcases Audi's technical competence in all aspects of carmaking, not least in the areas of lightweight technology, drivetrain, mobile infotainment and driver assistance systems.

"This major award win is an achievement that the whole company can celebrate."

In 2013, the Audi Group delivered around 1,575,500 cars to customers.

In 2013, the company achieved revenue of €49.9bn and an operating profit of €5.03bn. The Audi Group is globally present in more than 100 markets and produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Gyor (Hungary), Brussels (Belgium), Bratislava (Slovakia), Martorell (Spain), Kaluga (Russia), Aurangabad (India), Changchun (China) and Jakarta (Indonesia).

Why the VW Van is an Icon that Shaped the Baby Boomer Generation

By Betty Sinclair Women and men over 60 have lived through six amazing decades. Throughout our lives, with a curious and adventurous nature, we have challenged the status quo and celebrated our independence and freedom. Many of us have had to build enormous emotional reserves to manage and survive difficult times. As I have seen time and time again in my social circle, we are resourceful, resilient and tough minded, but also questioning, sensitive and often insecure. If you try to find a common denominator, you might identify a quality that can be best described as bohemian. For our 30-year old sons and daughters, it might be hard to see us as eclectic, bold and adventurous, but, trust me, we are! To understand our adventurous, bohemian nature, it is useful to reflect on the icons that shaped our generation. One icon in particular embodies our passion and verve — the VW Bus !

Like the VW Bus, we are Enjoying Retirement but Still Full of Life Like many men and women in their 60s, the VW Bus is enjoying “retirement.” Despite, or perhaps because of, this fact, the VW Bus

brings back vivid memories of how our lives were shaped in the 1960s. Understanding why the VW Bus is so significant sheds light on the story of the men and women of the Boomer Generation. It underscores their values of independence and freedom. It also represents my generation’s insatiable desire to live life fully and with passion. We want everything to be controllable, substantive, individual, colorful and fun. It represents possibility in its most physical form — the lure of the “open road” and the potential for self-discovery. It offers the possibility to take your home with you. It provides the ability to find and demonstrate who you are through the vehicle you drive.

To Boomers and VW Buses, Life is One Big Road Trip The rear engine Volkswagen bus dates back 63 years to 1950, when the company pioneered the “minivan” category. You can even thank the VW Bus for the iPhone and iPad you have in your pocket.

Legend has it, in 1975, Steve Jobs sold the one he owned to raise the $1,300 he and Steve Woziak needed to set up Apple Computer’s first production line.

The friendly VW Bus has been featured in countless cameo

appearances in films and TV shows and is the stuff of legend, fantasy, sexuality, drugs, drink and rock and roll. The VW van is so deeply embedded in popular culture, that it will likely live on forever in the imagination of the Boomer generation.

It’s the Journey that Counts, and we have the Memories to Prove it! The VW Bus is magical; it has a charm that no other vehicle has ever achieved. Every memory of the VW Bus is also unique. Perhaps you remember

being a child, scrunched in the back with your brother and sister, bouncing along on a pot hole riddled road. Or, you may remember your life as a hippie, riding in a paisley painted van, crammed with friends and hitch hikers on a cross country mecca to see a showband that was in a nearby town.

When you see a picture of a VW Bus, you can’t help but want to share your story and your experiences. You want to recall the colour and year of your vehicle, its name, where you

went, where you stopped and what happened next.

The VW Bus is a story and smile generating machine!

Millions of women and men younger than 60 crave the gypsy lifestyle. Unfortunately, most have other priorities and only a few have realized that life is short and the road waits for no one. If you are one of the lucky few young people who still find the time to hit the road, keep your eyes peeled for a lime-green VW Bus — it may just be your grandmother.

Alternative Therapies

Aromatherapy Explained Psychic medium and spiritual healer

To make an appointment or for a brief informal discussion with myself directly. You can reach me on 087-8093783 or email cathysscript@gmail.com or visit my website www.cathysscript.com

7th SON FAITH HEALER AIDAN WRYNNE Mohill, Co Leitrim

www.faithhealer.ie is now attending

BALLINA, CASTLEBAR & CLAREMORRIS EVERY TUESDAY

ROSCOMMON TOWN & BALLAGHADERREEN / SLIGO & BUNDORAN Aidan is also available at his home every Monday and Thursday at Mohill, Co Leitrim Clinic times & venues available at www.faithhealer.ie or contact Aidan at 087 2423405 for an appointment ALL CONSULTATIONS ARE IN PRIVATE

Aidan is happy to discuss in confidence any queries you may have Telephone 071 9631263 / 087 2423405 / Email: aidanwrynne@eircom.net

Are you Suffering from Geopathic Stress?

Have you or your family any of the following.

Unresolved or recurring illness, Tired on waking, Arthritis, Allergies, Fatigue, Insomnia, Poor memory, Irritation or Frequent arguments, Headaches, Depression, Cancer, MS, ME, these are common problems associated with Geopathic Stress. theirishhealer.

Robert Ennis • Tel: 086 8079723 • robertennis@mail.com

www.geopathicstressireland.net

Page 28 Mature Living June 2014

A

romatherapy is one of the fastest growing therapies and has become increasingly popular with all age groups. Not only is it an excellent preventative therapy, but it can also assist with the maintenance of good health and improvement of many health problems.

Aromatherapy is beneficial for many physical conditions, but has been found particularly useful in the treatment of stress, emotional and related problems. It relaxes the body and mind, creating a sense of wellbeing.

Many people think that Aromatherapy involves just having a massage with scented oils. This is partly true, but the therapy is far more interesting and complex than this.

Aromatherapy involves the controlled use of plant extracts called essential oils.

Essential oils are composed of naturally occurring, aromatic, volatile molecules, which have medicinal and therapeutic properties.

Essential oils are blended and diluted into base products and used in various ways, including massage, baths, inhalations, compresses, lotions, creams, gels etc.

Despite their name, essential oils are not oily, but exhibit the properties of oil.

So how can Aromatherapy benefit you?

Professional Aromatherapy massage treatments improve functioning of all of the body systems, including the circulation and removal of toxins. This can be beneficial for high blood pressure, arthritis and general muscular aches and pains. The treatments are deeply relaxing, alleviate stress, improve sleep and create a positive attitude. This can be helpful for emotional problems and for pain management.

Professional treatments can be extremely beneficial for most problems and assist with long term health maintenance plans.

You can safely use Aromatherapy at home as long as you follow a few guidelines.

Firstly, always purchase good quality (possibly organic) essential oils and use as directed by the manufacturer. Always dilute the essential oils in appropriate base products, vegetable carrier oils or water before using and do not exceed the

recommended dosages.

It is advisable to seek professional advice before using essential oils if you are currently being treated for any medical problem or if you are pregnant. You should never take or use essential oils internally or put into the eyes. If you are unsure about using essential oils, you should contact an aromatherapist. Do not treat any undiagnosed problem; always consult your medical practitioner if you are unsure.

Minor ailments such as muscular pains, headaches, colds, arthritic joints etc, can be treated at home. You can also use essential oils to create and enhance moods.

Warm baths are an excellent way to treat stress related conditions, insomnia, muscular aches and pains, etc. Select and blend 2 or 3 essential oils into a little full fat milk. Pour under running water. The fat in the milk helps disperse the oil molecules. Alternatively, blend the essential oils into some fragrance / colour free bath base. Some suggested oils for aches and pains are lavender, roman chamomile, rosemary and black pepper.

For stress, try rose otto, geranium or sandalwood. Peppermint and benzoin make a wonderful blend for hot, tired feet. For cold conditions try ginger and black pepper. For the emotions, insomnia, anxiety, etc and to create specific moods try inhalations. Essential oils can be added to a bowl of hot water or to an oil vaporiser. The molecules evaporate and are inhaled. Alternatively, place a few drops on a tissue or cotton wool ball and tape to a pillow at bedtime. This ensures that the fragrance can be thrown out with the cotton wool if you tire of the smell.

Research has shown that smell has a direct effect on the limbic system, or the emotional part of the brain and can affect mood, memory and behaviour. It can also bring about changes in the physiology of the body. For example, inhaling lavender stimulates the body to produce endorphins, which are the natural painkillers.

Suggested essential oils for mood enhancement are: rosemary, orange, lemon and grapefruit to uplift and stimulate.

Therapies Lavender, roman chamomile and mandarin are good for stress and insomnia and sandalwood, benzoin and frankincense are calming and relaxing.

Essential oils are excellent for the skin and beauty care. Because their molecular structure is so small, unlike most beauty products, they are able to penetrate the pores and dermal layer of the skin. Create your own products by adding them to fragrance free, natural base products.

Essential oils of rose otto and frankincense are excellent wrinkle preventatives and improvers. Add to evening primrose carrier oil for a perfect mature skin blend.

Clinics now available in Swinford & Sligo

THE HEART CHAKRA

T

his energy point is located in the chest area and it is a beautiful emerald green colour. The very centre of this energy point is pink. The green represents healing and the pink represents love. The heart chakra relates to love and your relationships, all your relationships including your relationship with yourself. It is also the area where we hold on to or let go of issues regarding forgiveness. Things that can help the heart chakra is forgiveness of others, doing nurturing things for ourselves or anything loving for ourselves. Being gentle with ourselves really helps our heart chakra.

Wearing green or going for a walk in a 'green' forrest also helps this energy point.

Wearing pink is also good. When our heart chakra is blocked we don't feel as loved as we can be. Physically we can feel it in the heart, the chest , the lungs (our breathing) the breast area and the upper back. A lovely bath can be very good for the heart chakra.

Some of the crystals that particularly help to clear and balance the heart chakra are rose quartz (a beautiful pink gemstone) or Malachite (a deep green crystal) . Wear one or both of these crystals around your neck or even under your pillow. Holding rose quartz in your hand can also feel very nice and help promote a feeling of calm. Marleen Duffy, Reiki Master & Teacher, www.angelandgiftworld.com Angel & Gift World: Welcome to ANGEL & GIFT WORLD, located in the heart of Sligo. We have a whole new look and a whole lot of new and exciting magical gifts in store including one of the largest ranges of gemstones and crystals in the north west!

Yes we sell angels and holistic gifts but we

also have a wide range of other gifts too including Genesis Range, Willow tree figurines, gifts for weddings, christenings, communion, confirmation, memorial, special occasions and much more. We have also just re introduced Sligo Crystal, where you can get beautiful Irish Crystal and also inscribed for anniversaries, retirements or any corporate/sport events. We have an amazing, easy to use online shop and we do a range of personalised gifts for that someone special including special gifts for grandchildren. We are actually very popular with the younger generation who love to come in to experience the magic of the shop and to get their fairies, dragons and colorful gemstones. Why not drop in and see for your self or check us out online www.angelandgiftworld.com. D ownstairs in ANGEL & GIFT WORLD we have our magical shop and upstairs we have a beautiful room with a sky scape of angels painted on the roof where we run many events and workshops, details can be seen on our website ww.angelandgiftworld.com. Upstairs we also have a special treatment room where we have an array of Treatments available including Swedish Massage, Reflexology, Hot Stone Massage, Hopi Ear candling and more. You can also find details of these treatments on our website or simply call us on 071 9143440 to book. ANGEL & GIFT WORLD is not just a shop its an experience, why not come experience it for yourself. We even have a new area where you can come sit and have a cuppa! Every Friday we now do FRIDAY DELIGHTS where on a friday, every friday there will be some sort of delight it could be a deal or it could simply be something delicious!

ANGEL & GIFT WORLD, 2 Hyde Bridge sligo, Tel: 071 9143440

7th SON FAITH HEALER MICHAEL O’CONNOR

www.handsonfaithhealing.com ALL CONSULTATIONS ARE IN PRIVATE

Michael regularly travels all over Ireland and Northern Ireland helping to heal people from all sorts of ailments. From eczema and asthma to stress and back pain; he has seen it all.

Clinic times & venues available at www.handsonfaithhealing.com or contact Michael on 087 2301359 for an appointment

ALTERNATIVE HEALTHCARE THERAPY • Plexus Bio energy therapy • Kinesiology • Hidden mind corrective sounds therapy • Relaxation techniques For more information contact Vincent Murtagh @ 0868677757 Bioenergywest@gmail.com • www.hiddenmind.ie

I can help you find your true self, your gifts, your skills and your talents, so that you make a real difference in your business and/or personal life .... helping you to free yourself from any 'negative baggage' and empowering you to achieve this both easily and effortlessly. Imagine discovering the key that unlocks your full potential. - Carol Passemard

www.breakthroughretreat.com E: carol.passemard@gmail.com

T: 087-1413026

Stéfan de Guylian As seen on Irish and International TV

Travel on a Mystical Journey...

International Clairvoyant, Medium & Psychic Tarotologist Native American Energies Platform Work Shamanism

Available for House Parties & Corporate Events

Contact Stefan: 087-6108105 • stefandeguylian@gmail.com Learn to understand and accept your self

Henry Schwab Healing

Henry helps you to be calm, relaxed and in control. A calm and relaxed person is a more balanced person, balanced on all levels, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

The more relaxed you are the better you feel, the better you feel the more you allow your self to relax and find the silence within.

To learn to understand and accept your self is one of the first steps to improve your well being and heal your self.

As Energy Healer Henry combines Reiki and Seichem and his experience in chacra and aura healing, as certified EFT Master Practitioner he offers fast and reliable relief of emotional and mental stress and as clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist Henry offers a variety of ways to support , guide and heal.

Learn to understand and accept your self. To know your self is all there is to know.

www.henryschwabhealing.com

Evikeens, Boyle, County Roscommon • Tel: 071 96 62114 Page 29 Mature Living June 2014

Fitness

Exercise Plans to get fit as you age A

s you grow older, an active lifestyle is more important than ever. Regular exercise can help boost energy, maintain your independence, and manage symptoms of illness or pain.

Exercise can even reverse some of the symptoms of aging. And not only is exercise good for your body, it’s also good for your mind, mood, and memory.

Whether you are generally

healthy or are managing an illness, there are plenty of ways to get more active, improve confidence, and boost your fitness.

Exercise is the key to healthy aging Starting or maintaining a regular exercise routine can be a challenge as you get older. You may feel discouraged by illness,

ongoing health problems, or concerns about injuries or falls.

Or, if you've never exercised before, you may not know where to begin. Or perhaps you think you're too old or frail, or that exercise is boring or simply not for you.

While these may seem like good reasons to slow down and take it easy as you age, they're actually even better reasons to

5 Myths about Exercise and Aging Myth 1: There’s no point to exercising. I’m going to get old anyway.

Fact: Exercise and strength training helps you look and feel younger and stay active longer. Regular physical activity lowers your risk for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Myth 2: Older people shouldn’t exercise.

They should save their strength and rest.

Fact: Research shows that a sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy for adults over 50.

Inactivity often causes older adults to lose the ability to do things on their own and can lead to more hospitalizations, doctor visits, and use of medicines for illnesses.

Fact: You’re never too old to exercise! If you’ve never exercised before, or it’s been a while, start with light walking and other gentle activities.

Myth 4: It’s too late. I’m already too old to start exercising.

Tips for getting started safely Committing to a routine of physical activity is one of the healthiest decisions you can make. Before you get moving, though, consider how best to be safe.

Get medical clearance from your doctor before starting an exercise program, especially if you have a preexisting condition. Ask if there are any activities you should avoid.

little by little. Try spacing workouts in tenminute increments twice a day. Or try just one class each week. Prevent crash-andburn fatigue by warming up, cooling down, and keeping water handy.

Consider health concerns. Keep in mind how your ongoing health problems affect your workouts. For example, diabetics may need to adjust the timing of medication and meal plans when setting an exercise schedule. Above all, if something feels wrong, such as sharp pain or unusual shortness of breath, simply stop. You may need to scale back or try another activity.

Stay motivated by focusing on short-term goals, such as improving your mood and energy levels and reducing stress, rather than goals such as weight loss, which can take longer to achieve.

Page 30 Mature Living June 2014

can benefit from exercise.

Reaping the rewards of exercise doesn’t require strenuous workouts or trips to the gym. It’s about adding more movement and activity to your life, even in small ways. Whether you are generally healthy or are managing an illness—even if you’re housebound—there are many easy ways to get your body moving and improve your health.

The whole-body benefits of exercise for adults over 50

Myth 5: I’m disabled. I can’t exercise sitting down.

Fact: Chair-bound people face special challenges but can lift light weights, stretch, and do chair aerobics to increase range of motion, improve muscle tone, and promote cardiovascular health.

Myth 3: Exercise puts me at risk of falling down.

Fact: Regular exercise, by building strength and stamina, prevents loss of bone mass and improves balance, actually reducing your risk of falling.

Start slow. If you haven’t been active in a while, it can be harmful to go “all out.”

Instead, build up your exercise program

get moving. Exercise can energize your mood, relieve stress, help you manage symptoms of illness and pain, and improve your overall sense of well-being. In fact, exercise is the key to staying strong, energetic, and healthy as you get older. And it can even be fun, too.

No matter your age or your current physical condition, you

Commit to an exercise schedule for at least 3 or 4 weeks so that it becomes habit, and force yourself to stick with it.

Recognize problems. Exercise should never hurt or make you feel lousy. Stop exercising immediately and call your doctor if you feel dizzy or short of breath, develop chest pain or pressure, break out in a cold sweat, or experience pain. Also stop if a joint is red, swollen, or tender to touch.

As you age, regular exercise is more important than ever to your body and mind.

Physical health benefits of exercise and fitness over 50 Exercise helps older adults maintain or lose weight. As metabolism naturally slows with age, maintaining a healthy weight is a challenge. Exercise helps increase metabolism and builds muscle mass, helping to burn more calories.

When your body reaches a healthy weight, your overall wellness will improve.

Exercise reduces the impact of illness and chronic disease. Among the many benefits of exercise for adults over 50 include improved immune function, better heart health and blood pressure, better bone density, and better digestive functioning. People who exercise also have a lowered risk of several chronic conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, and colon cancer.

Exercise enhances mobility, flexibility, and balance in adults over 50. Exercise improves your strength, flexibility and posture,

which in turn will help with balance, coordination, and reducing the risk of falls. Strength training also helps alleviate the symptoms of chronic conditions such as arthritis.

Mental health benefits of exercise and fitness over 50 Exercise improves your sleep. Poor sleep is not an inevitable consequence of aging and quality sleep is important for your overall health. Exercise often improves sleep, helping you fall asleep more quickly and sleep more deeply.

Exercise boosts mood and selfconfidence. Endorphins produced by exercise can actually help you feel better and reduce feelings of sadness or depression. Being active and feeling strong naturally helps you feel more self-confident and sure of yourself.

Exercise is good for the brain.

Exercise benefits regular brain functions and can help keep the brain active, which can prevent memory loss, cognitive decline, and dementia. Exercise may even help slow the progression of brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Thanking you for yo u r s u p p o r t CLLR MICHAEL CLARKE

I Would like to thank all my family, friends, canvassers and people who voted for me Tel: 087 7708691 michaelclarkesales@eircom.net

Knoaccknacullen Dromore West, Co Sligo

CLLR GERRY GINTY

INDEPENDENT

A big thank you to all my family, friends, canvassers & all the people who voted for me

Killala Rd. Ballina Phone: (096) 22614 / 70480 087-7659235 Email: gginty@gmail.com

CLLR JIM MCGARRY A big thank you to all my family, friends, canvassers and all the people who voted Cllr Jim McGarry Twin Oaks, Oakfield Road Sligo 071/9157347 – 11am to 4pm Mob: 086-6007575 www.labour.ie/jimmcgarry Email: mcgarryjim@eircom.net

THANKING YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT FROM

CLLR JOE QUEENAN Thanking all who canvassed throughout the campaign and all who voted for me Lacknaslevia, Enniscrone, Co. Sligo • Tel: 096-36449 Mob: 087-6214422 • Email: queenanjoseph@eircom.net

I WISH TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED WITH THE CAMPAIGN AND EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR ME.

Cllr Hubert Keaney Sligo North Sligo area

THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO CANVASSED THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR ME

Cllr THOMAS COLLERY

Tel: 087-6893610 hubertkeaney@hotmail.com

Dromore, Ballintogher, Co. Sligo Tel: 086-0514763 Email: thomascolleary@hotmail.com

"there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in"

Stability, Jobs, Growth

A strong voice For your Community

Breakaways

Active Breaks at The Villa Rose Boutique Hotel and V-Spa

T

he Villa Rose Hotel is a 4 Star, family owned, boutique spa hotel located in the town centre of Ballybofey, Co Donegal.

Situated between Letterkenny & Donegal Town it is an ideal base from which to experience all that Donegal and the North West of Ireland have to offer.

The hotel comprises 57 beautifully appointed bedrooms, contemporary in design with the emphasis on absolute comfort acting as a home away from home. All bedrooms are ensuite and include safe, tea/coffee making facilities, complimentary bottled water, plasma screen tv & complimentary wi-fi.

Avail of free parking and complimentary newspapers each morning. Facilities include Fara’s Restaurant & Wine Bar for a delicious meal in modern and elegant surroundings, The Forge Bar with live light entertainment, The ‘Wee’ Bar serving lunch, bar food & specialty coffees overlooking Ballybofey’s bustling main street & The V Spa for pampering & relaxation.

The Villa Rose offer a wide range of holidays for the 50+ market including Ballroom & Sequence Dancing and 50+ Active Breaks including a range of

50+ Active Breaks April 13th – 16th . April 27th – 30th 2B&B+2 Dinners €119pp 3B&B+3 Dinners €159pp 4B&B+4Dinners €199pp Includes Tea & Scones on arrival with Activities & Entertainment all week Dancing for Pleasure Breaks May 5th – 8th . May 11th-14th. June 8th – 11th Inclusive €239pp 4 Nights B&B+4Dinners, Tuition & Dancing to Live Bands Nightly Anytime Golden Years Break Sunday – Thursday 3B&B+2Dinner €139pp No single Supplement on any of the above subject to availability

4 Star, Family Owned, Town Centre hotel

Reservations: 074-9132266 reservations@villarose.net • www.villarose.ie

optional entertainment & activities to partake in during your stay. Whether you are looking for a relaxing break away or for an exciting trip with the possibility of meeting like minded friends then the Villa Rose is the destination for you. Contact Leona McGee – dedicated 50+ Events Marketing Coordinator at the Villa Rose for full details

Active Retirement breaks in the beautiful costal town of Donegal

T

he Abbey Hotel is located on the main square of the beautiful coastal town of Donegal. The small harbour town lies at the heart of Co. Donegal making it the ideal place to explorer the north west.

The superior 3-star Hotel is right next to Donegal Castle, Donegal Bay Waterbus, Craft village, Donegal railway and heritage centre, and a short distance from Salthill gardens, 2 blue flag beaches and some of Donegal’s top walking and hiking trails.

Comfortable bedrooms each feature a flat-screen TV, telephone and individual private bathroom.

Most rooms also overlook Donegal Bay and the River Eske.

The award winning Market House restaurant has a menu of excellent international cuisine.

Guests can dine in a room full of character, and drink from the wide selection of wines.

The Eas Dun Bar, with its unique 2-tier interior design, offers regular live entertainment and music almost every night of the year.

Guests have complimentary use of the leisure centre facilities next door, including a pool, spa bath, steam room and gym.

The hotel offers free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, free parking. No single room

supplement Sunday to Thursday. For weekend rates contact reception.

Other entertainment packages available Country Music Weekend April 25th-27th. Top venue in the North West Live in Concert Paul Kelly, Derek Ryan, John Mc Nicholl, Gerry Guthrie, Johnny Brady Dancing for Pleasure May 4th7th .Daily tuition and nightly dancing Wild Atlantic Way Walking Week June 8th-12th For prices and information of facilities and attractions visit www.abbeyhoteldonegal.ie

Active Retirement Breaks 2014 May 2014

2 Nights B&B & 2 Dinners - €119 3 Nights B&B & 3 Dinners - €159 4 Nights B&B & 4 Dinners - €199

We are happy to assist in the planning of your trip and can plan an itinerary to suit your needs showcasing all that our wonderful area has to offer.

Prices are Midweek Sunday to Thursday Subject to availability / Selected Dates

Abbey Hotel, Donegal Town, Co. Donegal • Tel: 074-9721014 Email: oisin@abbeyhoteldonegal.com

www.abbeyhoteldonegal.com

...With so much to choose from, what better way to spend a day or so than at the beautiful Royal Marine Hotel…

A

short drive along the South East coast will bring you to Dun Laoghaire, where overlooking the bay you will find the Royal Marine Hotel. Steeped in history, and a favorite with the locals, this landmark hotel is an impressive sight on the Dun Laoghaire skyline. A hotel has stood here since 1828. Many celebrities, and even royalty have passed through its doors over the decades. In 2004 this magnificent old building closed for restoration, a painstaking labour of love by the present owners.

Situated in an elevated site on 4 acres overlooking Dublin Bay, the hotel has stunning views that on a clear day stretch as far away as Howth; and yet is still only a short journey from down-town Dublin. The original hotel has been extensively but sympathetically renovated with precise attention to detail.

And it is just this same attention to detail, we extend to you as our guest – whether overnight or simply joining us for a drink in our bar or dining in our restaurant.

The large bay windows and high ceilings of the Bay Lounge highlight the grandeur and historic feel that is central to the hotel style. Lavishly furnished it is a comfortable and ideal venue to meet friends and family for coffee, lunch or perhaps to enjoy the age-old tradition of afternoon tea whilst overlooking the gardens, with spectacular views of the harbour. Our resident pianist completes the ambience every Saturday afternoon.

Or perhaps dine in relaxed style in our Dún Bistro where the delights of the Restaurant are matched only by the professional friendly service and stunning views over the harbour. Serving an Early Bird Menu, Table d’hote

and a la Carte Menus.

Try out lively Hardy’s Bar for a local drink (named after the famous actors and world famous partners Laurel & Hardy who stayed in the original Royal Marine Hotel). Food served every day until 10pm. Live music every Saturday night.

The Pier Health Club offers state-of-the-art cardio and resistance equipment, free weight area and a luxury 18 metre swimming pool. We are proud to offer our members a spacious, relaxed and welcoming environment in which to exercise. Or simply retreat into the hushed tranquillity of the sansanaSpa (the only Failté Ireland ‘comprehensive’ spa in Dublin) and choose pampering delights from our extensive treatment menu.

With so much to choose from, what better way to spend a day or so than at the beautifully restored Royal Marine Hotel…

Breakaways

Put Spring in your Step with Randles & Dromhall Hotels, Killarney award winning Kayne’s Bistro. All our guests enjoy complimentary access to our Leisure Club and for pure indulgence a visit to our Zen Day Spa is an absolute must. This location provides for superb mountain views and easy access to all the main tourist attractions. We are happy to arrange transfers, day trips or activities such as golf, jaunting car rides or boat trips. We also offer Wheelchair and Interconnecting Rooms as well as being pet friendly. We are happy to tailor make special package for longer stays or quote for groups wishing to travel together.

3 nights Dinner/Bed & Breakfast

May/June & September - €199pps July & August - €219pps Free parking, Wi-Fi and daily newspaper We look forward to welcoming you to stay with us

C

elebrating 50 years in business at the Dromhall Hotel this year the Randles Family hope we will have the opportunity to welcome you to stay. Choose from the 4* Dromhall Hotel or enjoy the atmosphere which a Manor House can offer with a stay at the Randles Hotel. Within easy walking distance of the Town Centre, with private on-site parking these hotels offer 1st class facilities complimented by the genuine welcome of family run hotels. Enjoy a variety of restaurants and bars including the

Visit the stunning Leitrim countryside be rounded off with a lavish evening meal It is an ideal wedding venue or conference centre.

The central location of the hotel in Leitrim facilitates tours and visits to the surrounding unspoiled countryside. The location facilitates visits to the many nearby lakes that comprise the Leitrim countryside and shopping in nearby Sligo or Enniskillen A visit to Lough Allen hotel & Spa in Drumshanbo is a must and there are packages to suit any budget.

Drumshanbo • Co Leitrim www.loughallenhotel.com

Mid Week 2 Nights B&B Offer 2 Nights B&B for 2 people Only €99 Available Sun-Thur Only...€49.50pps

O

Please mention Mature Living Leinster when booking

ne of the best places to base a home holiday or a week-end break is, undoubtedly, the Lough Allen Hotel in County Leitrim. Situated on the shores of Lough Allen, only 14 km from the bustling town of Carrick on Shannon, it is only a short walk to the town of Drumshanbo.

The hotel has offerings to compare with the top hotels in Ireland and also has the stunning Leitrim countryside. Spa treatments, leisure centre and a sumptuous candlelight dinner are all part of what’s on offer for an unforgettable break. A family re-union can

To Book Call 071-9640100 or email reservations@loughallenhotel.com

Why choose a Hotel when you can have the Luxury of a Resort

P

4 nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast

€199 pp

5th Night B&B FREE

Offer Available Selected Dates Only – Call for Details

INCLUDES: Full complimentary daily and nightly entertainment program Transfers local Bus & Train Station Use of the leisure centre facilities

Escape to Breaffy House Resort to Relax, Unwind and Revive To Book: Call us now on 094 90 22033 or email to reservations@breaffyhouseresort.ie Bookings on line www.breaffyhouseresort.com Page 42 Mature Living February 2014

lanning a relaxing break away, the ideal location is Breaffy House Resort which is located in the heart of Co. Mayo. Set on 90 acres of gardens and rolling woodland. The House dates back to 1890, retaining some of its original Country House atmosphere whilst offering all of the luxury of a modern day hotel. The Resort is renowned for its warm welcoming staff with an excellent range of facilities. The Resort includes Spa, Leisure Centre with 20 metre pool, Sauna and Jacuzzi. The Resort offers deluxe rooms which include a range of suites, superior, standard rooms with all the facilities that your guests would require – direct dial telephone, multichannel colour T.V., radio, hairdryer, trouser press and tea/coffee making facilities.

This year we have put together an amazing offer of 4 nights Dinner B&B and 5th night B&B FREE when you book our Golden Breaks package. This offer includes 3 course dinner each night in the Mulberry Restaurant and breakfast each morning, along with 5th Night Bed & Breakfast free. Transfers can be

arranged from local bus and train stations based on minimum numbers. Complimentary on site parking should you wish to drive. We have chosen a selection of arrival dates each month which means we can provide in-house activities such as wine tasting, table tennis, bowling, grow your own garden and pottery painting. This is the ideal location to explore Mayo.

The Hotel is just 20 mins away from the scenic town of Westport. All guests have complimentary use of the swimming pool, sauna, seam room, Jacuzzi, and gym. You may also take part in one of our many classes, which include Aqua Aerobics, Over 55’s workout and the increasing popular Zumba. If you fancy some pampering, enjoy some time out in Breaffy Spa. Which offers a range of facial, body and massage treatments to leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Enjoy a hearty breakfast at leisure between 7:30am –10:30am each morning and Dinner each between 6:30pm – 8:45pm. The Mulberry Bar serves food for 12-9pm each day for snacks, light bites and main courses.

Focus on B&B Accommodation in Lahinch Co. Clare

B • Old style atmosphere • Private car park • Coffee/tea-making facilities • Walking distance to town, beach and golf courses • 10 mins from the Cliffs of Moher • Excellent surfing nearby, dry rooms for wet suits • Beauty & hair dressing service, massages • Private BBQ area with seaview • Private horse riding tracks • Spriritual weekends • Many guest rooms offer gorgeous sea views

Tel: 065-7081249 • Text 085-8122266 www.coachhouse.clareireland.net

B&B Accommoda!on & Cookery School Spanish Point, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare A warm welcome awaits you at this charming Victorian family home Berrylodge, Rita Meade offering superb accommoda!on, excellent food and cookery tui!on.

Berry Lodge is situated in an idyllic loca!on between the fishing village of Quilty and the beau!ful beach of Spanish Point on the West Coast of Co Clare and is an ideal base for a touring or ac!vity holiday or a relaxing break. B&B available From only €38 pps

Tel: 065-7087022 • info@berrylodge.com

www.berrylodge.com

Comfortable Bed & Breakfast Acommoda!on in Doonbeg, Ireland The recently renovated house has 5 newly refurbished guestrooms providing comfortable accommoda!on for single travellers as well as for families.

Discount in the restaurant at The Igoe Inn which is just across the road which also has a cozy pub. less than 10 mins. from Doonbeg Golf links

Tel: 065 9055 039• 086 836 5604 www.brookside.westclare.net Page 34 Mature Living June 2014

low away the cobwebs with a relaxing summer break in Clare. Look forward to the holidays and seize the opportunity for the perfect break in this beautiful county. From traditional culture festivals to food markets, hiking and cycling the beautiful Shannon region, Clare offers the perfect escape. For the foodies, don't miss the array of wonderful things on offer from local artisan producers.

With the Cliffs of Moher - a 214m testament to Mother Nature’s creativity and the Burren - an otherworldly limestone landscape - at your fingertips, this is a county where beauty and history meet.

With excellent accommodation and dining you will be well fortified to enjoy the the activities and amenities of the region. Golf, pitch and putt, fishing, horseriding, watersports, and hill-walking are all readily available for the active tourist. For the those with a more sedentary holiday in mind, there is strolling through the many parks and lakesides, sightseeing of Clare's renowned spectacles, and touring our unique countryside.

Clare offers the best in music and is known as the traditional music capital of Ireland, with year round music festivals and trad sessions throughout the county.

Ennis Ennis is the capital of Co. Clare - a picturesque and historic market town.

Ennis takes its name from "Inis" which is the Irish name for island. The town dates back to the 11th Century and was formed between two streams on the river Fergus when the O'Briens, Kings of Thomond, invited the Franciscans to establish a settlement within their domain in 1240.

The Burren The Burren, situated in north-west Clare, covers over 300 square kilometres and is of extreme importance to geologists, botanists and archaeologists from Ireland and beyond. As the largest karstic limestone area in Western Europe, the Burren is an anomaly in the Irish landscape and continues to fascinate geologists who come to study its limestone patterns, underground rivers and grykes (cracks). To the botanist, the Burren is home to rare alpine plants, delicate wonders that grow in the thin soil and crevices - gentians, mountain avens and maidenhair ferns amongst others. The survival of both alpine and Mediterranean plants in this unusual habitat continues to arouse debate and to delight the careful walker.

Those interested in the ancient history of Ireland will find a wealth of material in the Burren - megalithic tombs, Celtic

crosses, a ruined Cistercian Abbey and more than sixty wedge tombs.

Aillwee Caves In the heart of the Burren, lies one of the oldest caves in Ireland. This cave was formed by the glacial melt waters of an early ice age.

The erosive power of the waters carved out an subterrainian river deep underneath Aillwee mountain.

This river has subsided since the last ice age, leaving behind one of Ireland's most stunning cave.

South Clare Bunratty Castle was built in 1425 by the MacNamaras and then passed to the O'Briens who were Earls of Thomond. The Castle is furnished with mainly 15th and 16th century furnishings. Medieval Banquets are held in the Castle year round (reservations necessary).

Bunratty Folk Park, located in the grounds of Bunratty Castle is Ireland's premier attraction. Bunratty Folk Park recreates rural and urban life in 19th century Ireland. It is a living reconstruction of the homes and environment of Ireland of over a century ago.

It features over 30 buildings including watermill, church, village street with pub and post office, magical walled garden, playground and various farm animals including pigs, sheep, deer native Irish wolfhound and much more.

Meet and chat with the Bean an Ti and various street characters. Enjoy the tastes, sights sounds and scents as you stroll from house to house or around the charming village. Further details from www.shannonheritage.com East Clare The east of the county is heavily influenced by the River Shannon and beautiful Lough Derg, picturesque villages of Mountshannon and Killaloe. Lough Derg on the River Shannon is one of Ireland's finest lakes and is renowned for its superb game and course fishing.

Nearby amenities include golfing, horse riding, boating, watersports, the famous East Clare Way (www.clarewalks.com ) and a range of ancient monastic sites West Clare The West of the County is dominated by the Atlantic, with the Cliffs of Moher one of Ireland's top visitor attractions and the seaside resorts of Kilkee, Lahinch, and Spanish Point. West Clare is particularly renowned as a centre for Irish culture particularly music and dance - and hosts several music festivals each year.

Co. Clare Dates To Remember

The Burren Rocks The Burren & Cliffs of Moher celebrate their ancient and recent past, with events for all the family including cycles to the geological sites, a family fun day with craft and food fair, and an antique rock show.

Date: 05 June 2014 To 09 June 2014 Doolin Folk Festival Doolin Folk Festival will take place over 3 days this June in a marquee on the lawn of Hotel Doolin. The festival will attract some of the biggest names in the Irish music scene to play over the weekend.

Date: 13 June 2014 To 15 June 2014 Spancilhill Fair Spancilhill Fair takes place annually on June 23rd. Free fun and entertainment for all the family.

Date: 23 June 2014 Féile Brian Ború An annual festival in Killaloe celebrating Ireland's greatest High King in his native place. Come along and enjoy a packed programme of events to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the death of Brian Boru. There is something to suit all tastes and ages.

Date: 03 July 2014 To 06 July 2014 Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy - Willie Clancy Summer School A week-long programme of tuition in Milltown Malbay in Irish traditional music, song and dance. The classes and workshops are complemented by lectures, seminars, recitals, concerts and informal sessions.

Date: 05 July 2014 To 13 July 2014 The Carmel T. Madigan's Loophead Summer Hedge School The school provides daily and weekly based programmes covering topics of local coastal and shoreline habitat, flora, fauna, art, philosophy and creative writing in a relaxed, quirky environment.

Date: 14 July 2014 To 17 August 2014 Lughnasa Festival at Craggaunowen Celebrate Lughnasa with an array of costumed re-enactors from the Bronze Age to Medieval times in Quin. Activities

include combat demonstrations, Brehon law trials and much more!

Date: 03 August 2014 To 04 August 2014 Feakle International Traditional Music Festival Traditional music festival offering a vibrant programme of events, including concerts with internationally renowned acts; music workshops; poetry readings; singing and music sessions.

Date: 06 August 2014 To 11 August 2014

Guided & Self Guided Bike Tours Hire our amazing Kalkhoff electric bikes and enjoy the fresh air and the scenery without the sweat! Spend your day enjoying the scenery while the bike helps you on the hills.

Kilmurry Harvest Festival & All Ireland Vintage Rally A week-long fun packed event with attractions for all the family, centred around a rural community, with an AllIreland Vintage Rally.

Date: 10 August 2014 To 16 August 2014 Dan Furey Weekend of Set-Dancing A great weekend of Irish traditional music and dancing on the banks of the river Shannon at Labasheeda. Fun for all the family with the best of traditional Irish bands playing all weekend.

Date: 22 August 2014 To 24 August 2014 Doolin Craft Beer Festival This craft beer festival is back for the third year running with the same winning ingredients - great beers from craft brewers all around Ireland, some of Clare's best musicians, and food from local artisan producers.

Date: 22 August 2014 To 24 August 2014 Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival 2014 A month long festival of music, dancing and craic. Come along and meet other people at one of Ireland's oldest festivals with Willie Daly, Ireland's only matchmaker.

Date: 29 August 2014 To 05 October 2014 Crotty Galvin Traditional Music Festival Weekend Irish music and dance festival celebrating three great Moyasta musicians: Nell Galvin, PJ Crotty and Peadar Crotty. Most events over the weekend are free. All are welcome.

Date: 05 September 2014 To 07 September 2014

Fantastic sea-view from all the front rooms and a splendid view of Mount Elva from the rear rooms Signposted walking & cycling tracks from the house; organised walking tours and a Short walking distance to Pub, Restaurant, Post Office, Village Shop & Beach Wide variety of activities locally Exceptional restaurants each with their own unique styles and views

Tel: 087-6623973 / 087-2344126

fainneoir@clareireland.net • www.fainneoir.clareireland.net

• Small Group Tours • Electric Bike Hire • Electric Bike Sales Delivery for 2 or more bikes within 10 miles to e.g. Lahinch, Ennistymon, Ballyvaughan

Kilfenora , The Burren, Co. Clare Tel: 087-6277000 • www.e-whizz.com

Village Crafts Shop, Fisherstreet, Doolin, Co. Clare

The Village Crafts Shop is located in the village of Doolin.

We carry a wide variety of crafts and souvenirs, ranging from handknit and loomed woollen sweaters, tweed shawls, capes, vests, hats to paintings and photographs, jewellery and many lovely souvenirs.

We can also offer pottery, jam, candles and more.

The Village Crafts Shop stays open seven days a week all summer and on weekends during for the rest of the year.

• Woollens • Tweeds • Crafts • Souvenirs Tel: 065-707 4633 • Email: info@doolincraftshop.com Proprietors: Gus and Maeve Fitzgerald Page 35 Mature Living June 2014

The Potters Hand For the best coffee, Tea, snacks and lots more...

Why not relax in a friendly atmosphere and enjoy your time at the Potters Hand.

The Potters Hand has Freshly Ground Irish Coffee.

Home Made Cakes, Soups, Sandwiches. Arts and Crafts for sale and Irish Speaking Class's on a Wed evening.

Pottery Lessons available by appointment.

Open for Breakfast, Lunch, Coffee and Drinks • Great for groups or parties • Good for children • Takeaway • Delivery • Catering • Table service • Outdoor seating No 3. Vandeleur Street, Kilrush, Co. Clare Phone: 086-8804946 • Email: info@thepottershand.ie www.thepottershand.ie

Focus on

Doolin Cliff Walk

CATERING FOR ALL AGE GROUPS www.doolincliffwalk.com

Doolin Cliff Walk will commence outside O’Connor’s Pub in Fisherstreet in Doolin – each morning at 10am. Please phone Pat at (086) 8229913 to book as numbers are limited.

Our traditional cottages have been carefully restored under architectural supervision.

Though bringing them up to modern standards, tradition has been kept to as close as possible. Relax in old-world charm but with modern comfort! All houses are located in the beautiful area of West Clare.

Gregory & Patricia Rynne Doonogan, Mullagh, Co. Clare Tel 065 -7087 171 • Mobile 087 -7833 820 Visit our website www.restoredholidaycottages.com

GLENDARA ART ORIGINAL PAINTINGS & LIMITED EDITION PRINTS Gendree, Feakle, Co. Clare • Tel: 061-924125 / 087-2204635 www.glendaraart.com Tim Moloney from Tulla, Co. Clare, Ireland has been painting since 1985. Born in 1955 to a farming family he still lives in the home place in Glandree with his wife Ann and three children. Tim is a self taught artist and while influenced by other artists such as Paul Henry and Maurice Mc Gonigle, he has cultivated his own individual style. His landscape and seascape paintings and prints, at very affordable prices, possess an acute sense of the beauty of the Irish landscape. His character paintings recall times past in his native Co. Clare, depicting scenes such as fair days or turf cutting-past times and ways of life that have in recent years practically disappeared. Following numberous exhibitions at home and abroad, culminating in a sell out show in St. Louis, Tim decided to produce quality prints of his work. These are tastefully matted and personally signed by the artist himself.

"If you are searching for spirituality there is nothing more awesome than a glimpse of nature and if I was painting for a thousand years, I would have but a cameo of that beauty".

By Tim Moloney

Discounts available on art work for group tours - please phone ahead to avoid disappointment Tea / Coffee and Scones on arrival for all group tours

Co. Clare Luxury Style with Country Charm airy. The rooms are furnished comfortably with period chest of drawers and dressing tables throughout. There are lovely views of Clifden Hill and Lake Inchiquin as well as the woodland and garden.

R

ecently the Clare Design and Conservation Awards Scheme highly commended Inchiquin House for being "An excellent example of conservation in all senses both by sensitive attention to maintaining and refurbishing period features and decor, and by careful use of family possessions to showcase the social history of the house."

Rooms Both inside and outside, the house exudes atmosphere and an old country charm.Relaxing in the drawing room surrounded by antiques and old paintings, and sipping your evening whiskey or liqueurs at the warm glow of a turf-lit fireplace, is an experience you would wish would never end.

Grounds The house is reached by a long avenue which provides splendid views over Lake Inchiquin.

When built around 1800, the house was purposely located in a slight hollow to protect it from the prevailing westerly wind while, at the same time, providing an attractive view of Clifden Hill. The house is on a working farm, and cattle occasionally graze in the fields adjoining the avenue. There is also a small storage building in the garden that was recently converted into a children’s playhouse.

In the woodland behind the house, the Burren’s karst limestone reveals itself, formed by millennia of erosion.

Inchiquin House is an elegant Georgian period home in County Clare, romantically tucked away in the west of Ireland not far from the Atlantic.

It is the perfect base from which to explore the unique Burren landscape, historic sites and the county’s many leisure activities.

Both inside and outside, the house exudes a warm luxury atmosphere combined with an old country charm Family reunions, retirement parties, 60th, 70th and 80th birthday celebrations can all be catered for by our chef in the formal dining room.

Killaloe River Cruises

Bedrooms The bedrooms are large, bright and

Inchiquin House, Corofin, Co.Clare Tel: 086-8231675

info@inchiquinhouse.com • www.inchiquinhouse.com

Killaloe River Cruises provide tours of the River Shannon and Lough Derg. A commentary is provided on all interesting sites as you cruise by Ideal for groups from 10 to 50 people, Our boats are easily accessible with car and coach parking a few steps away. After your leisurely cruise, why not stroll around picturesque Killaloe and visit St. Flannan’s Cathedral, Brian Boru’s Heritage Centre or browse through the many shops and boutiques.

We are available all year round call James on 086 814 0559 or see www.killaloerivercruises.com

Page 37 Mature Living June 2014

Feature

N

ow that we are all going to have a water meter we are going to be a lot more careful of the water we use. But did you know that you can dramatically reduce your consumption of this precious resource without much impact on your quality of life at home.

How to reduce Water Consumption in your home

but for me a far greater saver is the Interflush kit, which attaches to your old siphon toilet and allows you to control the amount of water it uses as you

To begin with, the average adult uses 150 litres of "drinking quality" water per day. Scary.

But what can you do, without a major overhaul of your home?

Toilets are a massive waste.

With every flush most toilets use 9 litres of drinking water.

Some of us might have tried the old water hippo or brick and, yes, you can save a litre of two,

Page 38 Mature Living June 2014

hold down the handle. Simple to fit and the payback is a few months.

But toilets aren't that sexy, are they? So how about showers? Of

course, I could go on about how we should all be sharing them and how steamy it can all get but, let's be realistic, it's not really a viable long-term watersaving solution.

The simplest way to reduce water in a shower is to use a shower timer. There are plenty to choose from and they don't really need to be anything more complicated than a waterproof egg-timer. When the average shower uses 10 litres of water per minute and lasts for seven minutes, cutting this down to four minutes is pretty easy and will save 30 glorious litres of the wet stuff.

You could go one step further, and fit a low-flow aerating shower which simply screw on to your old shower hose. For around €40, this will cut water use from 10 litres down to around five or six, depending on which model you go for, and your water pressure.

And remember, you pay for hot water three times: once to buy it, once to heat it and once to get rid of it.

So every litre saved in the shower saves the cost of heating it too. With no noticeable re-

duction of water use, it's a simple winner.

But if you're a bath person and don't like the idea of sharing water with your partner or family (sitting around in other people's gunky soap and dirt is considerably less sexy than sharing a shower, even if you do love them) you could fit a water-diverting valve to the outside bit of your waste pipe.

This will allow you to divert water from the bath to a hosepipe, to be used in the garden for watering plants. Simple but ingenious grey-water recycling.

A relatively small amount of water is actually used in cooking and drinking, but washing up can be pretty bad.

A simple solution is to use a washing-up bowl – or you could go one step further and fit a foot-pedal-operated tap like the one from IZI flow.

Quite simply, it means you don't need to turn the taps on and off to rinse, and as soon as you step away from the sink the tap goes off. Brilliant.

All these products are easy to fit and use, and can help cut water use to 100 litres of water per person per day – a reduction of over 30% (saving you extra in hot water costs as well).

Perhaps it's time to for you to start thinking long-term too, and put that DIY to good use.

You even have an excuse to share that once-in-a-blue-moon shower.

Feature

20 Ways to Conserve Water at Home

Start Your Own Business... ...and join many other 'Grandtrepreneurs'

W

hether you’re ready to cut back on your showers or replace your lawn with water-wise plants, there are lots of big and small ways that you can conserve water around the home. Don’t worry if you can’t do everything on this list. Just pick a few things to start with, and do more as you can. Even a few small changes can add up to hundreds of gallons in water savings each year! Here are 20 water-saving tips to get you going…

D

espite what we may have thought when we were younger, life doesn't have to wind down just because we've hit the big 6-0.

Fulfil your ambition and start your dream business - it's not as unusual as you might think! It's never been a greater time to be over 60 - we're fitter and healthier than ever before, and are indulging in new activities and hobbies in our spare time, as well as travelling often.

And now research has proven that Ireland is a budding hotspot for entrepreneurial over 60s, with many people having started a business since they hit the milestone birthday.

1. Shower Bucket.

Instead of letting the water pour down the drain, stick a bucket under the faucet while you wait for your shower water to heat up. You can use the water for flushing the toilet or watering your plants.

2. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.

Water comes out of the average faucet at 2.5 gallons per minute. Don’t let all that water go down the drain while you brush! Turn off the faucet after you wet your brush, and leave it off until it’s time to rinse.

3. Turn off the tap while washing your hands.

Do you need the water to run while you’re scrubbing your hands? Save a few gallons of water and turn the faucet off after you wet your hands until you need to rinse.

4. If it’s yellow, let it mellow.

This tip might not be for everyone, but the toilet is one of the most water-intensive fixtures in the house. Do you need to flush every time?

5. Fix your leaks.

Whether you go DIY or hire a plumber, fixing leaky faucets can mean big water savings.

6. Re-use your pasta cooking liquid.

Instead of dumping that water down the drain, try draining your pasta water into a large pot. Once it cools, you can use it to water your plants. Just make sure you wait, because if you dump that boiling water on

Water Saving Foot Operated Tap your plants, you might harm them.

7. Head to the car wash.

If you feel compelled to wash your car, take it to a car wash that recycles the water, rather than washing at home .

8. Cut your showers short.

Older shower heads can use as much as 5 gallons of water per minute. Speed things up in the shower for some serious water savings.

9. Choose efficient fixtures.

Aerating your faucets, investing in a low-flow toilet, choosing efficient shower heads, and opting for a Water Sense rated dishwasher and washing machine can add up to big water savings.

10. Shrink your lawn.

Even better: lose the lawn completely. Instead, opt for a xeriscaped landscape that incorporates water wise ground cover, succulents, and other plants that thrive in drought conditions.

11. Don’t run the dishwasher or washing machine until they’re full.

Those half-loads add up to gallons and gallons of wasted water.

12. Keep an eye on your bill to spot leaks.

If your water bill spikes suddenly, there’s a good chance that a leak is the culprit.

Call in a plumber to check your lines to save water and cash!

13. Install a rain barrel.

Rainwater harvesting is a great way to keep your plants hydrated without turning on the hose or sprinkler.

14. Flush with less.

Older toilets use a lot of water. You can reduce your usage by sinking a half gallon jug of water in the toilet tank.

Do NOT use a brick, because it will break down and the sediment can damage your tank.

15. Water in the early morning.

You’ll need less water, since cooler morning temperatures mean losing less water to evaporation.

It’s not a great idea to water in the evenings, since this can promote mold growth.

16. Hand-washing a lot of dishes?

Fill up your sink with water, instead of letting it run the whole time that you’re scrubbing.

17. Use less electricity.

Power plants use thousands of gallons of water to cool.

Do your part to conserve power, and you’re indirectly saving water, too!

18. Wash Fido outdoors.

That way, you’re watering your yard while you’re cleaning your pup. Just make sure that the soap you’re using isn’t harmful to your plants!

19. Skip the shower from time to time.

Do you really need to shower multiple times a day or even daily? Skipping even one shower a week adds up to big water savings.

20. Re-use grey water.

Check to make sure that this is legal where you live, but in some areas you can do things like re-route the runoff from your clothes washer and use that water for things like flushing the toilet.

In all shapes and sizes It seems that over 60s in all situations and from all walks of life are finding the benefits of 'starting up' instead of 'winding down' as they approach the official retirement age.

1 in 5 are taking advantage of greater financial stability to pursue their dream business. 1 in 4 want to pursue a business of their own for personal reward and mental stimulation. 1 in 5 are starting up to ensure an income stream to support them in later life. Over 1 in 4 are spurred on by the improved confidence and greater knowledge they've acquired in later life.

Over 60s Start-Up Ideas So, what businesses are some of these over 60s entrepreneurs choosing to start? Well, it's a long and varied list, but here are some examples from recent research: Bed & breakfast Bakery business Book dealing Dog walking and home boarding Animal portraiture Antique and collectables shop Fine wine dealing Holiday travel business Driving a school mini bus Consultancy

Petcare

Pedigree dogs 'as healthy as mongrels', say vets New study suggests pedigree dogs are as healthy as crossbreeds, despite their reputation for being prone to a range of disorders

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edigree dogs are as healthy as mongrel crossbreeds, new research suggests.

The study found that purebreds are no more likely than crossbreeds to suffer the most common disorders, such as heart murmurs, problems with their joints and teeth and gum diseases. Experts say the findings go some way to overturning recent thinking which held that pedigree pets are inherently unhealthy because of the way they are bred selectively.

However, critics of pedigree breeding argue that the findings still show that some purebreds are prone to certain inherited conditions.

The study by experts from the Royal Veterinary College involved an analysis of the medical records of almost 150,000 dogs treated at around 100 vet practices in the Midlands and the south east over the last five years. The research, funded by the RSPCA, found that while there can be a broad range in prevalence of certain disorders between pedigree breeds, when compared as a group to crossbreeds, there is no significant difference.

Of the 20 conditions seen most frequently by vets, only three were significantly more prevalent among pedigrees: ear infections, obesity and skin growths. In all others, there was no major difference, although in some, such as degenerative joint disease – often said to be a problem for pedigrees – there was actually a slight tendency for greater problems in crossbreeds.

Dr Dan O’Neill, who led the study, said: “The central question of the research was to ask if the health of pure-bred dogs was worse than crossbreed dogs. The belief when we started this was

that it would be.

“However, the outcome is there is not strong or convincing evidence of a difference between purebreds and crossbreeds in their health. This work does not show an overwhelming difference between the health of purebreed and crossbreed dogs.”

Of Britain’s estimated nine million pet dogs, around three quarters are thought to be purebreds.

The crossbreeds analysed included both mongrel, mixed breeds, and so-called designer dogs like labradoodles, and cockerpoos, which have been bred selectively from more than one breed.

These animals have become increasingly fashionable in recent years, in part due to health fears linked to pedigrees. However, vets have recently started to express concerns over the prevalence of certain conditions found in these types of breeds.

The latest research, published in the journal Plos One, evaluated a total of 84 health conditions and in 13 instances, pedigrees did show significantly higher prevalence. There were no cases where crossbreeds suffered in greater proportions. Dr O’Neill, who was a practising vet for 20 years, said: “My hypotheses was that crossbreeds would have a lower prevalence of common disorders than purebreds. But the overwhelming evidence for that has not been proved. “There are some differences, but they are not overwhelming at a purebreed level. There are huge variations within breeds and we should be looking at individual breeds and specific disorders in them. “It is wrong to focus on pedigree breeds themselves. There is this image of crossbreeds as

wonderful paragons of health. In fact, they are just crosses of purebreds, with combinations of the prevalances you find in their parent. “It is not that they are healthier overall and it is wrong to stigmatise purebreds. There isn’t an overall healthier breed, or an overall unhealthier breed – just variations.

“Rather than demonise purebreds as unhealthy, we should focus on where there is room to improve.”

He said the data amassed in the study could be of use to vets, allowing them to tailor their treatments of specific breeds to help tackle problems. Lack of genetic diversity in pedigrees has been blamed for a range of problems in purebreds. Each of the 50 most popular breeds in the UK has at least one predisposition to disease and almost 400 inherited diseases have been identified. The issue has been the focus of public attention since the 2008 BBC documentary, Pedigree Dogs Exposed, which showed many animals suffering from conditions and criticised the Kennel Club (KC), which oversees breed registrations in the UK. The programme led to some sponsors withdrawing from Crufts, the KC’s main show, while the BBC stopped covering the event.

Caroline Kisko, the KC secretary, welcomed the latest research. “The view of the researchers, which we would heartily endorse is that crossbreeds are not healthier than purebreds. “Over time, we would expect purebreds to go ahead of crossbreeds, because of the amount of research going on into their pedigrees, helping you to get away from health problems.” Health concerns remain, however, and a separate

Dont take your furry friend to any kennel when you're away, Leave them with us at Petele Kennels - and leave their care to us!

Petele Boarding Kennels

Tel: 071-9196756 Email: petelekennels@gmail.com Our mission is to provide reliable and quality in-home care for your pet when you're on holiday or at work. We’re not only pet lovers, but we're pet owners, too. Your pet will be treated as if it were our own.

We are fully certified and completely invested in your pets happiness.

Luxury Cattery now open Flughany, Doocastle, Co.Mayo - Just 15 minutes from Knock Airport, off the Charlestown to Ballymote Road.

Check out our website www.petelekennels.com Page 40 Mature Living June 2014

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1 April - 7 November inc.

study using the same data showed that purebreds, on average, die a year earlier than crossbreeds, just before they are 12.

Jemima Harrison, who produced the original documentary, said: “That this study showed only a small crossbreed advantage overall doesn’t mean breeders of

etele Kennels are focused on providing high-quality service and customer satisfaction - we will do everything we can to meet your expectations. We are located just 15 minutes from Knock Airport just off the Charlestown to Ballymote Road.

All dogs must be vaccinated; proof will be needed on admission to our kennels.

Although our charges include full board, you are welcome to bring your own food if your pet has special dietary needs.

All medication can be administered by ourselves.

Bring along your pets toys or blankets to help them settle down quicker.

With a variety of offerings to choose from, we're sure you'll be happy working with us..

Our Kennel is based on the belief that our customers' needs are of the utmost importance. We are committed to meeting those needs. As a result, we offer a first class service.

Park and Board service is available for those customers using Knock Airport, park

pedigree dogs are off the hook.

There is still an unacceptably high level of defect, deformity and disease in individual breeds the direct result of a Kennel Club culture that rewards inbreeding and selection for often ridiculous show-ring aesthetics. It remains a largely preventible scandal that pedigree dog breeders have barely begun to address.”

your car in our safe parking compound, and we will take you to the airport, saving you money on expensive parking fees, Our prices are as follows: Small dogs - 10 Euro per day Large dogs - 12 Euro per day Discounts will be given for 2 dogs or more.

To take advantage of our park and ride service add 3 Euro per day, still saving you a significant saving on parking fees.

Daily dog care is also available for those busy people who are away from home for a long period of time.

We would welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver you the best service in the industry.

Luxury Cattery now open! Location: Flughany, Doocastle, Co.Mayo Hours of opening are 8am to 4pm 7 days a week: Unless prior arrangements are made All departing pets must be collected by 1pm Call 071-91-96756 or Visit www.petelekennels.com

Petcare

Purrfections boarding cattery Hollybarn Dog & Puppy Training

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urrfections boarding cattery is situated in the beautiful town of Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim. It is ideally positioned near Cavan, Longford, Sligo and Roscommon.

Purrfections cattery is a purpose built cattery designed by FAB (Feline Advisory Board) standards.

It is run and managed by Donna Flynn, a veterinary nurse and her husband Declan and mum Linda.

The cattery is positioned securely beside the family home and is situated on 2 acres of gardens. We aim to provide a stress free environment for your cat so the cattery is kept small and no dogs are allowed. You can be reassured your pet will receive lots of human care, fuss and our full attention during their stay.

Donna is a registered veterinary nurse with over 20 year’s experience. She has worked continuously with small animals, only ever taking time out to have her two children.

She has traveled many countries working as a nurse and her love of cats often has her attending

lectures on cat behaviour and well being.

The cattery has six individual chalets. All the chalets have covered adjoining exercise runs which lead onto a safety corridor. Five of the chalets can accommodate up to two cats from the same household while our family unit can accommodate up to four cats from the same household. Each chalet has their own heated pad, fluffy bedding, viewing shelves and cat door.

Between each chalet is a floor to ceiling sneeze proof Perspex barrier. The

lower side of the Perspex is opaque again to reduce stress on strange cats viewing each other. Each cat will have their own litter tray, food bowls and toys.

We aim to keep the cats in their same feeding regime as home so we will always ask what food your pet is used to and how often they are fed. We can supply cat food but we find most owners prefer to bring their own.

All cats must be up to date on their vaccinations for flu and enteritis and all male cats over the age of six months must be neutered. If you are unsure of your vaccination status, your local vet will be able to advise you.

Purrfections offers a home from home holiday for your cat while you are away. Safety is paramount for us, all doors lead to a safety corridor and all doors can be locked from inside and out. To book your cat in you will be asked to fill in a booking form which can be obtained from our website www.purrfectionscattery.c om or we can post one out. We encourage you to come and view our cattery and this can be arranged with us.

087 782 3957 • www.hollybarndogtraining.com

Purr‐fections

Cattery

Modern, family run, purpose built cattery opened in October 2013 Ideally positioned near Cavan, Longford, Sligo and Roscommon. We are a purpose built cattery run by a qualified veterinary nurse and her family. We are the cat lovers for the cat lovers and we pledge to offer your cat the home from home experience. We ensure your cat is fed and treated as he or she is at home.

Contact Donna or Declan Duffy on 086‐1525366 Carrigallen Co Leitrim • www.purrfectionscattery.com

Sip a cat'achino at New York's first cat cafe

New Yorkers now have the chance to sip a cat'achino as they cosy up with feline friends at the city's first cat cafe North America's first ever cat cafe has popped up in New York's Lower East Side for the purrrfect place for a coffee, conversation and cats.

Those that love cats and a good cuppa can curl up on a sofa with resident cats while staff serve up a range of coffees, including cat'achinos decorated with

• Toilet Training / Lead Work • Sit / Lie / Stay / Barking • Running Away / Recall • Jumping on People & Furniture • Chasing Everything • Chewing / Digging / Play Biting • Separation Anxiety • Noise Phobia / Socialisation • Aggressive Behaviour • In House Boarding / Kennels • One to One / Residential

frothy milk kitty faces.

However, cat lovers in the city only have a short window for feline fun with the pop up cafe open for just four days.

Niky Roberts from Purina pet food, the company behind the pop up, said: "It's really about getting people in this space, grab a coffee, be among cats,

learn a little bit about cat health and what you can do to see visible differences in your cat.

And then you can walk out of here more knowledgeable about that." And if visitors fall for a furry friend they have made at the cafe, at least 15 of the cats are available for adoption.

Ireland’tse F a vo u r i s h o p et P e n i l n O Free Nationwide Delivery Big Brands - Small Prices!

Page 41 Mature Living June 2014

Services Directory

MARTIN DOWD GARDEN SERVICES

• Patio Slabs • Landscaping • Steel and Timber Garden Sheds • Garden Fencing • General Garden Maintenance

Call Martin on 086-0316833

K&C MULVANEY Ltd.

Dead & Worn out Animals Collection Service Daily Collection in all Areas Telephone: MULVANEYS at: Tel: 049-4338331 or 086-8551932 086-3827008

G ARE YOU GOIN? ON HOLIDAY

FREE CONSULTATION IN YOUR HOME OR OUR SHOWROOMS. Harmony Hill, Sligo Tel: 071-91-45810 Tolan Street, Ballina Tel: 096-24763 www.tegre.ie

East Brothers GARDEN MACHINERY

RIED ARE YOU WOR E OR OM ABOUT YOUR H URITY? C PROPERTY’S SE ION

wedding ned for the If you have a and are concer ORRY, nd te at to t W even home, DON”T safety of your protect your property. to I am available ials Available. eant, Credent rg Se da ar G Retired a problem Travelling not included so • Pet care al 1-9641535 7-7741073 / 07 08 at e lli O ct Conta

Tel/Fax: 071-9662710 • Mobile: 086-2427554

Tractors 2/4WD in any condition for resale-export & breaking Wanted Massey Ferguson's; MF165-168-175-178-185-188565-575-590-675-690-699-265-275-290.

Fords-Fiats-John Deere-Zetor-Belarus-Universal Ect. All tractors considered in any condition, non runners also. Wanted all Plant Machinery; Hitachi-Komatsu-Jcb/ JS-Kobelco-Sumitomo-Cat-Mitsubishi Ect. Engines /gearboxs ,also wanted in any condition.

Tel: 087-680-6540 e: buyplant10@gmail.com

Shane McDonagh Tree Surgery and Agri Contractor

• Tree Pruning / Reduction • Tree Removal & Hedge Maintenance • Stump Grinding and Log Splitting Fully Insured

Tel: 087-2116836

Matt McGowan

Tel: 071-91 46858 Mobile: 087-206 9031

Also: Leylandii trees topped and trimmed, Gutter Cleaning, Power Washing & Removal of all Green Waste (Grass, Hedging, Trees etc)

BOYLE, CO. ROSCOMMON

ALL TYPES OF TRACTORS & TRACK MACHINES

P R O T E CT OLLIE’S HOME , funeral or another

Maintenance, Landscaping, Hedge Trimming, Decorating

• Petrol Chainsaws for Property Maintenance • Chainsaws for Agriculture and Horticulture • Electric / Cordless Chainsaws

WANTED

Specs. for Planning Permission for trees & landscaping Roof Cleaning, Supplier of Trees and Hedges, Decorative Pea Gravel, also supplied Hedges and Trees

WHEELIE BIN SERVICE SKIP HIRE (All Sizes)

096-32500 www.loftusrecycling.com

Services Directory

McGowan's O R O H M T A B MAKEOVERS FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Emmet St, Ballina, Co. Mayo Tel: 096-70669 Anytime

Email: info@ballinafuneralhome.ie Website: www.ballinafuneralhome.ie

Plumbing, Tiling, Electrical and Special Needs Work Carried Out Also Bath resurfacing Call Liam Beirne 087-7783633 We offer you a unique and friendly approach to campervan hire, with us you get to join a community of camper nuts and share your adventure with all your friends.

With Facebug you get to hire a chilled out VW T4 camper with all the usual comforts plus Wifi to check your email, catch up on work or connect to your social networks and a streaming webcam to share your journey with your friends.

WESTERN WINDOWS & GLASS

Aluminimum, PVC-U Windows, Doors & Conservatories

Call us on 085­850­5555 Email: info@facebugcampers.com www.facebugcampers.com

All Services Provided Authorised representative of Horizon Funeral Planning Talk to us today for help and advice in your Pre-Need arangements

GS CONTRACTS

GORDON SHERLOCK

Specialists in tarmac & asphalt driveways Telephone: 071-91-30070 • Mob: 087-2969872

Suitable for most bungalows

Add Extra Room to your home!

We like to keep it simple so campers cost.... €110.00 per day or €700.00 per week which includes insurance

Phone: 071-9162140 Market House, Market Yard, Sligo www.sligofuneralhome.ie info@sligofuneralhome.ie

• A cost-effective way to add an extra room to your house.

• Doors can be positioned on any of the three sides of the conservatory for maximum choice and flexibiliy.

• Two or four opening windows to ensure good air circulation and effective temperature control • Lead-free A1 rated windows

Abbey Business Park, Ardnaree, Ballina, Co. Mayo Tel: 096-25514 / 096-75521 / 086-8171442 tahennigan@eircom.net

www.sligotarmac.com

Specialising in laying tarmacadam, asphalt and stone mastick asphalt.

From small household driveways to tennis courts, large industrial areas, farm roads, estates, car parks and more

• 25 years of experience in the Tarmacadam business • Free Advice and quotations • Fully insured

We are confident that our workmanship wil impress anyone, we can count on our past customers to verify our professionalism and attention to the finest detail.

Family Run Camper Van Hire Discover the magic that is the West of Ireland

Be it a short 3 day stay by the shores Of Achill Island or a two week exploration of swimming with dolphins in Kerry to climbing Irelands Holiest Mountain, Croagh Patrick. From Donegal to Dingle, Connemara to Cork or Galway to Giants Causeway, Ireland West Motorhomes allows you have the holiday you crave and deserve.

Our easy to drive, self contained Motorhomes are available from 4-7 berths, so whatever size your party, our motorhomes will provide you with exceptional comfort and value for money.

T: 094-9060300 • M: 087-6385757 E: info@iwmotorhomes.ie

www.iwmotorhomes.ie

Covering the Connacht area Sit Happenz will travel outside of Connacht www.sithappenz.wix.com/sithappez Expert representatives based all over Ireland operating from our Cork & Dublin offices.

Client assessment and joint surveys with occupational therapists.

• ACCESS LIFTS • STAIR LIFTS • BATHING SOLUTIONS • MOVING & HANDLING Acorn Business Campus, Mahon Ind. Park, Blackrock, Cork

Tel: 021-4614221 Mob: 086 - 8343533

Visit us online @ www.abbeymobility.com

In home dog training service. Teaching puppies & old dogs new tricks.

Sit Happenz is a professional in home dog training provided by Cer!fied Animal Behavior Consultant Ashlee Dolan, CABC. Call or e-mail today: Ashlee Dolan

Phone: 085 194 6653

sithappenz@thedoghousemail.com

Services Directory

PADRAIG BURKE Funeral Directors Rosebank, Attyrory, Carrick-On-Shannon, Co. Leitrim

www.westlok.ie

WE ARE THERE FOR YOU TO PROVIDE EXCELLENCE IN FUNERAL CARE WHEN YOU AND YOUR FAMILY NEED IT MOST.

westlokireland@gmail.com

HOW SECURE IS YOUR HOME? THE NORTHWEST’S LEADING BURGLARY PREVENTION EXPERTS

• BURGLARY PREVENTION • SAFES • SAFE ROOMS • LOCK UPGRADES • LIGHTING • OIL TANK SECURITY • FREE HOME SECURITY INSPECTION

All Services Provided

FREE

Authorised Representative of Horizon Funeral Planning

TEL: 096-72652 BOB: 087-9852827 • GERRY: 086-8581961

email: padraigburkefuneraldirectors@gmail.com

BOOK NOW TO ARRANGE YOUR , NO OBLIGATION, HOME SECURITY INSPECTION

Tel: 087-9385571 / 071-9621343

Sell Your Clutter!

Take the Hassle out of selling your unwanted furniture bric-a-brac, White goods or just about anything

Doni Feeney Painting & Decorating

www.ap-motors.eu

Unit 2, Ardnaree, Ballina, Co. Mayo

No constant phone calls or strangers calling to your home just call us at

YE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP

where we will sell them for you on a commission basis (we only charge 18%)

Call us on 086 0203631 for details or call into our shop In Ballaghaderreen (Opposite The Post Office )

• • • • • •

Servicing 5% Discoun Panel Beating t Tracking • Parts Light Setting NCT Preperation Valeting • Recovery

GET A FREE QUOTE CALL 086 2461115

with th is Advert

Ariel Dym 086-376-1953 • 086-8978395

From single rooms to complete house or commercial refurbishments we have it covered so if you require Professional and Efficient pain"ng and decora"ng come to Doni Feeney Pain"ng and Decora"ng today!

Keane’s Garage TEL: 086-0563130 TX Upholstery Services, based in Carrick on Shannon, and Donegal ‘covers’ anything.

Domes!c, Industrial and commercial – you name it, we will cover it Our service include: • Suites of furniture • Repairs • Replacement of foam in cushions • Boost sea!ng • Headboards • Beanbags • Boats Don’t delay; call 0749736719, for Sligo Donegal area’s…and 071-9622700, mobile 086-8361070 for Carrick on Shannon

MERCEDES SERVICE • Full dealer service facilities • Full Mechanical Repairs • Star Diagnostic Service

Get the same service as your main dealer at a fraction of the price!

Quality, Affordable Homecare In Your Community Providing dedicated homecare across the West, Northwest and Midlands since 1996

• Home Help • Light Housekeeping • Care of the Elderly • Overnight Care • Meal Prepara"on• Personal Care • Companionship • Respite Care Why se#le for a franchise when you can choose a local, proven homecare service?

Choose RHS Home Services - World Class, Quality Homecare in Your Community For Your Free No Obliga"on Consulta"on Call Us Now:

Urlaur, Killkelly, Co, Mayo Tel: 094-9649006 - www.keanesgarage.com

Roscommon: 09066-25988 Galway: 091 388785 Mayo: 09493 82156 www.rhshomeservices.ie

Services Directory

HEADSTONES PADRAIG RUANE M. Carney, Frenchpark Headstones manufactured to your specifica!on Headstones cleaned and names added

Heating & Plumbing

• Oil & Solid Fuel Central Heating • Domestic Solar Systems • Hot Water Heating • Ground Source Heat Pumps • Air to Water Heat Pumps • Installation of Wood Pellet stoves

ALL KINDS OF STONEWORK AVAILABLE

Contact Michael on 086-8090641 094-9870409

Tel: 071 9130497 Mob: 087 2654493

WARNING!!!

GIBLIN STONE

Upto 80% of Heat Generated by an Open Fire and almost 20% of Heat from your Central Hea!ng System escapes up an open Chimney!

Prevent this wastage!

TERRYS STOVES SLIGO Buying a Stove???

Talk to Terry first • Free Survey Available • Solid Fuel Stoves • Gas Fires

PHONE: 087-2066910 / 071-9197925

www.terrysstoves.com terrysstoves@gmail.com

ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTRE "Our mission is to provide a dedicated centre of excellence delivering a quality client centred approach with compassion and dignity while respecting the values and beliefs of all our clients" Who can come to the Centre?

Anyone who is concerned about their own or someone else's alcohol, gambling or substance use. A doctor's referral is not necessary.

What does treatment envolve?

We offer a 4 week programme. Addiction is a life threatening condition which can be effectively treated through timely intervention. We know that although recovery is a difficult and complex process - change is achievable with the help of highly trained professional staff and with feedback from other recovering addicts, and those concerned about recovery.

Gulladoo Centre, Cornafest, Co. Leitrim

Tel: 049-4339605 Mob: 086-8638842 Email: info@gulladoocentre.com

...everlasting

Choosing a memorial for a loved one is a very personal thing.

Quality • Experience • Service

GRANITE COUNTERS & FIREPLACES IN MARBLE, GRANITE ALSO AVAILABLE, CALL US TODAY FOR DETAILS

Church Street, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo Phone: James 087 9061833 • Brian 086 1957788

www.giblinstone.com

CHIMNEY REPAIRS IRELAND

• 20 year guarantee • 25 years experience • Relining and rebuilding • Smoke and soot problems solved • Free estimates • Free assistance with insurance claims

Tel : Office 1800 283067 / 087-7997671

www.chimneyrepairs.ie

SLIGO OIL SERVICES 085-1459-300

Did you know that your boiler could be costing you extra money?

Did you know that even having 3mm deposit of soot on the inside of your boiler will increase oil (ref: OFTEC) costs by over 8% Sligo Oil Services Professional OFTEC Boiler Service Can Save You Money We will optomise your Boiler for Maximum efficiency with reduced fuel costs, Carry out a full Carbon Monoxide audit to ensure Family Safety is a priority.

A New Oil Nozzle fitted and we supply you with a Full detailed printout (from the latest Anton Flue Gas Analysis equipment)

SEAMUS GALLAGHER MEMORIAL CARDS We provide a service which we hope can be of benefit to you when choosing a Memorial card, Bookmark, Wallet Card which reflects the life of a loved one. At a time when it is so difficult to choose a card, prayer, photograph etc, we will call with you personally, if you so wish, to advise & help you make the right decision.

We can be contacted at any time by calling 0872448642

SEAMUS GALLAGHER HEADSTONES Large selection of headstones Cleaning & restoration Inscriptions & Chippings Tel: 0872448642

G. Kilpatrick

Windows & Conservatories • uPVC Windows & Doors • PVC Fascia & Guttering • Free Quotation No Obligation • Quality and Reliability Guaranteed

INSTALLERS OF BIRDIE COMB NO MORE NESTS IN YOUR ROOF

T: 074-9142557 M: 087-6779595 WE REPAIR: HINGES, DOOR LOCKS, LETTERBOXES, PVC GUTTERING

Feature Article Services Directory

PADRAIC CRYAN STONE WORK

CAMPERVAN CONVERTERS

Profesionaly converted campervans done with all light weight ply wood and full insula!on and top of the range appliances.

Can be converted to any style or any van.

Based in Roscommon, Padraic Cryan Stone & Blockwork Services is an Irish company with over 16 years experience in the Irish Construc!on Industry that prides itself on exceeding customer expecta!ons and delivering all work on budget and within the agreed !meframe.

We provide General Building work from Restora!ons to New Builds, and Stoneworks and are happy to meet you at your convenience and provide you with a quota!on.

Call Padraic on (086) 2867950 today for a FREE no hassle quota!on

Aistear Furniture

Makers of Bespoke Furniture & Quality Kitchens Mullagh, Killsallagh, Westport, Co. Mayo Tel: 098-23886 • Mobile: 087-6708306

info@aistearfurniture.com • www.aistearfurniture.com

• Water Analysis • Water Filtration • Water Softening • Well Drilling • Pump Supplied and Fitted • Rain Water Collection & Purification • Sewage Treatment Systems IN THE BUSINESS FOR OVER 25 YEARS

Email: waterteck@eircom.net Website: www.waterteck.com Phone: 086-8072249 071-9658976

Addic!on Treatment Centre

Foxford, Co. Mayo

Call in confidence: 094"9256888 Email: hopehouse#eircom.net www.hopehouse.ie

Rehabilitation Cent!e specialising in the t!eat"ent of alcohol, dr#gs, gambling and other dependencies.

Hope House... “where recover$ begins”

MICHAEL KEAVNEY Tarcmacadam & Tarspraying Specialists

ALL TYPES OF PLANT HIRE

QUALITY GRAVEL STONE

ALL AT VERY COMPETITIVE PRICES! Furniture recovering and restoration including covering of chairs, 3 piece suites, headboards, car seats and boat seats.

Hotel and Bar seating, Office furniture and other Contract / Commercial furniture.

Repair of sails, tents and other outdoor gear for sports and leisure.

We provide a service of Colour consultancy and Interior advice.

We retail upholstery fabrics and essentials.

Collection and delivery can be arranged at a small fee, depending on distance.

Boradruma, Snugboro, Castlebar • Tel: 094 9023532 / 086 8350608 Open Monday - Friday: 9am - 5pm Visit us online at www.boradrumaupholstery.ie

Pavior Machine Hire Tipper Lorry Hire 8 and 6 Wheel

Turlough, Castlebar, Co. Mayo 094-902-3853 / 086-250-3230

Pay €500 Less for Cavity & Attic Insulation Pay up to €3850 less for External Insulation Just pay for the cost of the insulation job less the SEAI grant amount! www.superiorinsulations.ie

Superior Insulations, Charlestown, Co. Mayo

Lo Call: 1890 253 221

Services Directory

Aluminium & PVC Repairs To windows, doors and patio doors

Expert patio door repairs!

• Rollers • Tracks • Hinges • Door Realignment • Locks • Multilocking systems etc

Suitable for: • People with limited mobility • People who have had hip surgery • People with back aches

Over 20 years experience servicing Irish windows and doors. Fully insured GLASS PARTS ETC REPLACED

For details of your local stockist Phone Noel: 087-9896948

Brendan Gormley: 071-9183860 / 087-2562669

AQUA WINDOW CLEANING Pure Filtered Water No Ladders Used Windows, Doors Front & Back All Frames from €20 Gutters, Downpipes, Fascias, Windows & Doors from €60 Also: Power Washing, Moss Removal and Fungus Removal

Call John: 087-6124715

WEST OF IRELAND WINDOWS & DOORS SERVICING

Repairs to all makes of Windows & Doors, Fogged Units, Hinges & Handles Replaced.

Tel: 087-3542249

DATING CLASSIFIEDS IRISH LADY 50’S would like to hear from artist single, any age, anywhere, for firendship and companionship.

Replies with a box number 1040 at the usual address.

SINGLE SINCERE LADY Late 40’s - Interested in meeting a kind and loving male for friendship / relationship. No seperated or divorced.

Replies to Box number 1044 at the usual address.

SLIGO LADY 50 BUT LOOKS 10 YEARS YOUNGER Would like to meet nice, respectable, loving, genuine, honest man for fun and dancing and see what happens.

Replies with a box number 1023 at the usual address.

SHY SLIGO LADY lakes cinema, concerts and DVDS, Music etc. Would like to hear from a Gent 60+ with similar interests for a friendship maybe

FREE DATING* CLASSIFIED

leading to a relationship Replies with a box number 998 at the usual address.

SLIGO LADY SEEKING MALE Late 50’s, likes music, dancing, walking and travel. N/S, S/D, profrssional l;ady, loving, caring, and honest. Interested in friendship maybe leading to a relationship. Replies with a blank stamped envelope to Box number 1012 at the usual address.

"Our Glass Balustrades will stop the Cold Atlantic Breeze ensuring that only Your Wine Remains Chilled.

Glass & Metal are Pre-sprayed with 6k Protective Coating which means very low Maintenance for you!

Glass is 8mm toughened Safety Glass Prices from €200/linear meter Call us today for a

FREE

quotation

"pride in our work"

Far Finisklin Road, Co. Sligo

Tel: 071-91 61924 Email: sales@sligoglass.com

www.sligoglass.com

We also Provide an emergency glass repair service

GENTLEMAN WIDOWER 54 yrs. Landscape gardener W.L.T.M. female professional, not married. In the northwest for friendship and craic. 6ft 1', blue eyes, hair salt & pepper. Looking for lady 40 -47yrs. Longtime relationship. Replies with a blank stamped envelope to Box number 975 at the usual address.

To Reply to Any Box number, simply place your letter in a Blank, Stamped Envelope and then send this into us at: Dating Section, Mature Living Magazine, Office 3, Unit 7, NW Business Park, Collooney, Co.Sligo.

YOUNG AT HEART LADY in mid - 60’s. w.l.t.m. genuine gentleman foor friendship. well travelled, enjoys dancing, gent of similar age. Replies with a blank stamped envelope to Box number 965 at the usual address.

WRITE YOUR ADVERT HERE:

THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE FOR OFFICE USE ONLY AND WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. These details MUST be completed for all adverts

All applicants are individually matched by me - Call Jane on 087-3345116 Email hello@firstclassdating.ie

NAME: ADDRESS:

(MAX 30 WORDS) - *Phone numbers will not be included in these adverts.

Post the completed form to Mature Living Magazine, NW Business Park, Collooney, Co. Sligo

TELEPHONE NUMBER:

STRICTLY PRIVATE ADVERTISERS ONLY - BUSINESSES CAN CALL 071-9154538 AND SPEAK TO ONE OF OUR FRIENDLY SALES REPRESENTATIVES ABOUT OUR EXCELLENT RATES.

Irish owned & operated.

Page 47 Mature Living June 2014