A stunning view of the famous Burj Al Arab in Dubai It’s an understandable reality that many of us want to enjoy a little slice of comfort and luxury when we travel, but there are certainly some hotels that deliver this better than others, and which exude effortless elegance and sophistication at every turn. The… Read more »

GALWAY ADVERTISER   THIS Sunday the annual Autumn Garden Fair takes place again in Claregalway Castle, where some of of Ireland’s best nurseries and rare plant specialists will display a great selection of shrubs, trees and more.  Acclaimed plantswoman and creator of one of Ireland’s great gardens, June Blake will be the keynote speaker at… Read more »

Home is a moving target by thereluctantemigrant Us expats have many little tricks we us to get us through being away from the motherland and family. We discuss a four year plan but as the years pass, the four year plan starts every September, until you realise you’ve been nearly ten years abroad, you’re kids know more… Read more »

WHEN a school gets a new principal there is always much speculation as to what sort of a contribution they will make in a community. Such was the case back in 2006 when Michael Lydon arrived to replace Mattie Murphy as principal of Lackagh National School, but few realised that the contribution of the new… Read more »

More 3 of 209 September Gardening article Even though the colours of masonry materials are generally  permanent wood colours are not. Cedar for example may be highly coloured when new but will weather to softer, quite different hues after a year or so, changing your colour scheme  as it weathers. Keep in mind that paints and stains are available… Read more »

Do Words Really Matter? August 24, 2018 I received this beautiful email from a lady yesterday and it made me realise that in sharing my story, it is having an impact on other people’s lives in a positive way.  “I heard you speaking on Dublin City FM with Danielle a couple of weeks ago and… Read more »

    Ivan Yates August 25 2018 2:30 AM     Make no mistake, the arrival of Pope Francis today and his whirlwind visitation will be an outstanding success. Historic. Inspirational. It’s certain, because of the nature of the man himself and the scale of the event. Sometimes you meet a religious person in whom… Read more »

Healing from Stage 4 Cancer MAIREADMCWELLNESS Limbo Limbo. Here again. It’s different this time, calmer. The water isn’t as choppy. Last time I was here, I was on a row boat, far out at sea without oars. It was cloudy, dark and cold. I couldn’t see land and the boat rocked so hard I had to… Read more »

Halfway through our stay back home and the results of being around extended family are evident. The kids go to mass with Granny, tend the garden with Grandad, go with aunty Claire to the Pet Farm with Uncle Sean to the match and so on, over the course of the summer their circle triples in… Read more »

Help me make it through the week BY DECLAN VARLEY Galway Advertiser, Thu, Aug 02, 2018 1 I’m here so I am, like. I’ve landed. Free as a bird. As free as that Clare fella Colm Galvin swapin’ up all that Galway has to throw at me …coming here thirty year or more, so I am,… Read more »

Water Water Everywhere by thereluctantemigrant There’s certain comfort in always knowing that no matter what happens with the Irish weather it will a., not suit everyone but b., and rather amazingly, not suit anyone! For a country that has made talking about the weather an accepted topic for conversation nationwide, it is amazing that this glorious… Read more »

  What colour are you? Are you an autumn or spring type? Do you react in different ways to different colours? Plant colours do have an effect on my overall well-being as I am  quite sure that they have on many of your moods. I am quite  uncomfortable with red and orange flowering plants around me but… Read more »