Nuacht Chláir April 2004

Comhdhail Na Múinteoirí le Gaeltacha Connaught Championships 2004

The Connaught Championships in Irish Dancing took place in the T.F. Royal Theatre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo on the weekend of Friday 19th, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st of March.

With Ms. Gabrielle Lynam, Ms. Louise McKinney, Ms. Maura Martin and Mr. Ursula Purcell adjudicating. Our own parish was very well represented at the Championships, as always, by the McCreanor School of Dancing, who are based here in Claregalway and taught by Maeve McCormack. Classes run on Wednesday evenings from 3-5 p.m. in Claregalway School, Thursday evening from 6.30 – 8 p.m. in the S.M.A. Hall and Friday evenings from 6.30- 8p.m in Turloughmore Community Centre.

Aoife Noone and Laura McHugh won the Two-Hand Reel under 13, while in the over 16 section of the competition first place went to Lorraine Burke and Fiona Dillon. In the Three-Hand Reel over 16, first place went to Aoife Dempsey. Bernadette Ryan and Lorraine Burke who with the addition of Fiona Dillon also claimed the first place in the Four-Hand Dance over 16. The Six-Hand Dance over 16 was won by Ruth Murphy, Caroline Burke, Bernadette Ryan, Elaine Audley, Lorna Dillon and Fiona Dillon.

In the Figure Championships the McCreanor School’s entry into the invented dance Championship “The Celtic Knot at Glencar” danced by Aoife McHugh, Dearbhla Fee, Sinead Kirrane, Rose Griffin, Laura Mangan, Caroline Burke, Elaine Audley, Fiona Dillon, Lorna Dillon, Ruth Murphy, Aoife Dempsey and Lorraine Burke claimed third place. In the Freestyle Championship their entry “Rince agus Rock” an innovative mix of rock and traditional, dancing and music danced by Nicole Collins, Emer McManus, Laura McHugh, Trisha Teahan, Andrea Flannery, Andrea Mangan, Aoife McHugh, Dearbhla Fee, Sinead Kirrane, Laura Mangan, Rose Griffin, Caroline Burke, Elaine Audley, Fiona Dillon, Lorna Dillon and Ruth Murphy was awarded fourth place. But it was the Ceili Dance Championship over 13 that held the biggest surprise – the McCreanor School claimed both first and second prizes. The “Trip to the Cottage” danced by Lorna Dillon, Ruth Murphy, Elaine Audley, Fiona Dillon, Caroline Burke, Aoife Dempsey, Bernadette Ryan and Lorraine Burke was first place and “The Three Tunes” danced by Rose Griffin, Dearbhla Fee, Andrea Mangan, Andrea Flannery, Sinead Kirrane, Aoife McHugh, Laura Mangan and Aoife Dempsey came in second out of an enormous competition of twelve teams of eight!

Saturday and Sunday were just as much of a success for the McCreanor School when the Feis turned to Solo competing. With both Trisha Teahan and Caroline Burke taking home first place in their respective Hornpipes. In the Senior Ladies Connaught Championship first place was awarded to Fiona McHugh of the Moffat School, second place to Yvonne Crowe of the Noughton School, third place to Bernadette Ryan of the McCreanor School and fourth place to Aoife Dempsey of the McCreanor School.

The parish should be very proud of each of these dancers and we all wish them the best of luck for the future.

Eczema

The term eczema covers a wide range of skin problems. Some common features of eczema include; itch, redness, dryness and wetness.

In eczema, the main problems occur in the upper layer, the epidermis. It becomes vulnerable to external factors such as soap, chemicals in washing up liquid and washing powders. They can cause irritation and inflammation of the skin. The skin has a role in protecting the body; its response to external factors has an important function. Normally the skin does not react to harmless influences such as pollen, house dust mite or washing powder. However people with eczema tend to have immune responses to these allergens. The immune system tries to destroy allergens by releasing its own substances, such as histamine, into the skin. This works to rid the body of the allergen, but the skin is made fragile inflamed and sore and other problems may develop such as infection.

Types of treatment for eczema include topical use of; emollients (moisturisers) available as creams, ointments, lotions and oils. Steroids of different potency can be mixed and used in conjunction with emollients. Tacrolimus ( Protopic) a cream working to reduce the immune response of the skin. Antiseptic, antibiotic, antihistamine and antifungal creams may also be used to treat eczema. Oral treatments include antibiotics, antihistamines, and immunosuppressants e.g. steroids, usually only used in difficult to control eczema. Other treatments used include ultraviolet light, dietary supplements, occlusion with bandaging and special clothing e.g. cotton gloves, tubular bandage covered with emollient. The above treatments help to relieve itch, reduce dryness, reduce redness and provide a barrier against other materials such as water and solvents.

The principles of treatment are the same for all types of eczema, avoid things that make your eczema worse e.g. solvents such as soap. Use moisturiser to help soothe, clean and protect the skin. Avoid rubbing and scratching, you should treat any infection quickly should it develop. Steroid creams or ointments may prove helpful if required.

John Duffy, M.P.S.I.

Special News

Congratulations to Geraldine and Thomas Fox, Lisarulla, on the birth of their baby son Andrew Jody Thomas, on the 16th February 2004. A very moving cermony took place at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday when Andrew was baptised by Fr. Noel in Claregalway Church at the 8 p.m. service. BabyAndrew slept throughout it all oblivious to the importance of his role!

Wedding congratulations to Padraic Glynn, Lydican, who wed Margaret O’Donoghue of Drenagh, Co. Cork on Saturday 27th March last. Wishing you both lots of happiness for the future.

Happy first wedding anniversary on the 11th April to Lisa and Justin Frost in Australia.

Wedding congratulations to David Noone, Cregboy who wed Edel Quinn, Carrowkilleen, Kinvara on the 11th April. Wishing you both lots of happiness for the future.

Claregalway Agricultural Show

Claregalway Agricultural Show committee would like to thank all those who helped to make our race night held in the Summerfield Bar on February 28th a huge success.

Thanks to our sponsors ,without whose financial support this event would not be possible.

Thanks to everyone who purcased horses and all those who helped in any way.

The auction race was a great attraction with horses sold for very good prices. Congratulations to Kathleen Boyle whose horse won this race.

Special thanks to Julie and Tom McKenna for providing the venue and to John Kenny for his super commentary throughout the night.

Indian Head Massage

Benefits:

• Muscles are relaxed which results in increasing blood flow and the supply of nutrients.
• Promotes relaxation and reduces stress.
• Eyestrain, headaches and migraines and relieved.
• Revitalises circulation to the roots of the hair which helps promote hair growth and delays signs of greying.
• Stimulates lymphatic drainage and reducing puffiness in the face.

For further information, please contact Evelyn Kitt: (091) 798485 or 087 6783733.

The Ark – State of the Art, 108 Place Childcare Facility

Opening Parkmore East, May 31st 2004

The Ark Early Years Care & Education Centres, held an Open Information Day last Wednesday, to announce the opening of their 1st childcare facility, in Galway Business & Technology Park, Parkmore East, Galway, on Monday 31st May 2004 and launched: Childcare Choices @ The Ark.

The Ark would like to thank all the people who attended the Information Day last Wednesday 31st March, those who helped organise and support the event, all of the Galway Core Tem who were enthusiastic, energetic and a huge help.

Congratulations to Ruth Flaherty on winning the Easter Egg in the raffle; The Ark extends a special thank-you to the children who took place in the colouring competition.

Founded in 2001, The Ark Early Years Care & Education Centres is an Irish Company providing childcare and early years education at key strategic sites located across the Country. This first unit, which successfully tendered under the IDA’s Childcare Initiative first round is opening on the 17th May for 2 weeks staff induction and training with the actual childcare services commencing on 31st May and the second unit opening in Jan 2005 in Cork.

The centres have a full curriculum designed around an ethos of learning through play which is adopted from birth; Titled: Explore Discover Grow (a summary is available on the website). The Ark has researched childcare across Europe and the US and has incorporated Best Practice from across the world into all of the services they provide.

The Arks nurseries are unique as each building has been designed to be totally child centred. The purpose built, architecturally designed centres will cater for 108 children aged 3 months to 8 years & through their design will encourage learning through play. A unique feature of the Ark will be their baby units which will provide 18 baby places. Twinkle lights are located in the sleep area ceilings, mirrors on the ceilings & at low levels all aimed at providing a stimulating environment from a child’s view.

Managing Director of the Ark, Veronica Stephens says;

” It is an honour to have won both tenders as part of the IDAs Childcare Initiative to provide a Childcare services in both Galway & Cork; I am especially delighted to have won the tender for Galway as I have been living in Galway for the past 5 years and it has now become my home!

The Ark aim to provide flexible, affordable childcare which offers the very best environment for fun & learning will be of huge benefit to parents. Increasingly, families are faced with the need for both parents to go out to work, this leaves them with a real dilemma as far as childcare is concerned.

The Ark will give parents the comfort of knowing that their children are not only in a safe environment, but are maximising their learning and development opportunities as they grow.”

The company’s vision “to ensure that the children gain from their experience within the Ark” is the driving force behind the venture. “I want to ensure that the company’s investment is reflected in the quality of care & environment we provide, Galway nursery will set the standards that we will take to our other sites within Ireland.”

For one price The Ark will provide:

• All meals from breakfast through dinner, prepared on site by an experience Cook ~ special dietary requirements catered for
• Milk formulas, nappies, dance classes, language tutors, health-checks & even a hairdresser
• The Ark also offers a full Out of School Club facility with dedicated facilities within the nursery grounds. Providing drop off & pick up services with additional holiday play schemes available subject to demand.

For further information log on to www.theark.ie or contact:

Veronica Stephens 091-589985 or email [email protected]

Gardener’s World

Covering with climbers
This is a wonderful month to establish both flowering & foliage climbers.

Soil preparation is critical for strong growth and long term root establishment.

Gardening with climbers has become very popular in our modern concrete jungle over the past number of years.

Climbers offer a softer option and in general are maintaince free. Now is the ideal time to start planting new climbers for fast establishment before summer.

Some of the Best
The choice of available plants suitable as climbers is added to every year with new and improved varieties but many of the older varieties are still very useful.

One of my own favourites is Clematis pearl de zure a beautiful easy to grow free flowering climber ideal for covering large sheltered walls. The bright blue flowers form in early June and flower through to late summer. The foliage is deep green and luscious

A super wall plant for a sunny sheltered location. The side branches are tied in throughout the summer and there is little need for pruning. Clematis pearl de zure is also ideal for planting through existing climbers like ivies, conifers, or hedges.

Evergreen Ivies
For good foliage colour consider planting the evergreen ivies including gold heart, sulphur heart or canariensis which are self clinging with all year round foliage colour and ideal for mixed planting with free flowering summer clematis.

Look for the bright foliage variety called gold child which has wonderful butter yellow foliage with a green splash – excellent on a wall for year round colour.

Ivies offer you year round colour ideal for any wall and perfect to support other intertwining flowering climbers like clematis and honey suckles to scramble through the ivy offering additional colour & interest.

Boston Ivy
Parthenocissus vetchii has beautiful large green foliage, fast growing stems cover large areas quickly. The foliage turns deep scarlet and reds throughout autumn.

Boston ivy is suitable for large wall areas or tree stumps where quick growth and cover is important.

A wonderful large leaved fast growing climber at home on a large or small wall. Superb colour in summer and autumn.

Winter Colour
Pyracantha or firethorn is a very popular wall shrub. Strong growth with evergreen foliage covered in may with white flowers and super bunches of berries from mid September.

Pyracantha is hardy and very easy to grow tolerating all soil types and berrying as young plants.

Look for the French varieties, which are prolific croppers of very large berries on young plants.

Horkys tip: plant summer flowering clematis at the base of your establish Pyracantha to give lots of summer colour the clematis can be cut back hard in October to reveal the bunches of red berries.

Clematis
The most popular of all the flowering climbers and rightly so. Clematis produces an abundance of flower colour in spring; summer and autumn depending on the variety you plant.

Customers often find clematis difficult to establish.

Remember clematis need good soil preparation and the addition of composted organic matter is essential. Summer flowering varieties should be planted eight inches deeper than the existing root ball.

If you continue to experience difficulty growing clematis try the easier spring flowering clematis Montana Rubens or the mid summer clematis viticella varieties.

Clematis requires regular feeding throughout the summer and water during dry periods.

They can be planted through existing larger shrubs or hedges for added colour.

Look for excellent varieties like gipsy queen, hagley hybrid and dr rupple.

Over all a wonderful fast growing free flowering climber rewarding you with lots of spring and summer colour.

Can be grown in containers on patios etc.

Sweet scent
Summer flowering honey suckles are always a good choice. The beautiful sweet scent is carried from July to late September.

Honeysuckle grows and establishes very quickly and is ideal for all soil types.

Horkys tip: plant summer flowering climbing roses now including the beautiful scented patio climbers which are ideal for all sized gardens and perform well even in their first year with repeat flowers and super sweet scent. Patio climbers are ideal for growing out of containers.

Roses to plant now
Roses can be planted now for super colour in early summer.

We profile some of the best varieties…

Trumpeter
Rich red flowers produced in abundance until early winter, excellent disease resistance and repeat flowering ability.

A mc gready rose bred in Ireland by the famous rose grower in 1978.

Trumpeter is a low growing bush rose with dark green foliage with a lovely red colour to the younger growth. The flower buds form in June in abundance up to fifteen per stem and open gradually

the flowers are deep blood red and stand out from a long distance creating a real splash of colour from late June onwards.

The foliage is glossy and keeps many of the rose diseases at bay.

Plant trumpeter in groups to create a uniform stunning display, space your plants two feet apart.

Dead head the flowers throughout the summer to encourage the production of new flowering wood.

Horkys tip: prepare the soil for all roses with Westland composted farmyard manure , as roses are hungry feeders and appreciate well prepared soil.

Sweet dream
Excellent Rich orange flowers right throughout the summer – excellent in containers or flower borders – Wonderful show of colour all summer.

A popular patio rose with a super show of colour throughout the summer.

Sweet dream has a deep apricot colour starting in June and flowering to late autumn. The bush is very compact with nice dark green foliage.

Ideal for patio containers mixed with summer bedding or for bedding out in rose borders and as a dot plant through mixed shrub borders.

Sweet dream is trouble free and settles in even to the smallest flower border.

Space the plants eighteen inches apart and plant in groups and add nursery stock compost to the planting hole.

Horkys tip: Feed your roses with top rose once a month, and remember to dead head throughout the summer. For added colour consider the patio Peter pan and sunhit for a splash of vibrant colours.

Ruby Wedding
Ruby Wedding is one of the outstanding red hybrid tea roses you could grow.

A very neat hybrid tea rose ideal for the front of a mixed rose border or used on mass in a larger bed.

The flowers are a rich crimson colour which are unfading as they mature.

The flowers are produced in profusion and perfectly shaped.

Disease resistance is excellent on the dark green foliage. A very good choice for the smaller garden where quality and shape is important.

The free flowering bushes are well clothed with healthy foliage which is coppery red when young.

Horkys tip: Apply Roseclear spray now and repeat every two weeks to give your roses protection from greenfly and disease.

Plantex will prevent weed growth
To create excellent weed control cover the soil with plantex material and place a layer of bark mulch over this material.

Plantex can be used on shrub borders, rose beds, rockeries and fruit borders for superb weed control with out the use of chemicals.

Remember Horkans garden Centre in Galway, Sligo & Castlebar are open seven days (Sun 12 to 6).

This Week’s Jobs in the Garden
Start planting up our summer flowering bedding plugs – choose from petunias, geraniums, busie lizzies, lobelias and begonias. Simply pot them up place on a bright warm window sill and grow on until April at which point you can plant out of doors when all risk of frost has passed.

Continue to plant vegetable plants every two weeks for succession cropping throughout the summer plant lettuce, broccoli, sprouts, parsley, cabbage, and onions. All are now available in strong plant form.

Plant summer flowering roses now for colour from June onwards. Feed existing roses with top rose and spray with rose clear every two weeks.

Plant coronet dwarf apple trees for apples this season, strawberries and rhubarb can also be planted.

Feed all trees, flowering shrubs and hedges now with super grow tree and shrub fertiliser for a stronger start to the season.

Join Peter & I this Saturday and every Saturday morning on mid west radio for ask about gardening.

Update from local Councillor, Jim Cuddy

1. I am pleased to say that I have provided notice of motion money for the provision of additional lighting at Montiagh and Waterview and a light at Cloonbiggen.
2. The public lighting at Carnmore Cross has now been switched on and I have been informed by the Council that they intend to have the long awaited traffic lights in operation by the end of April. This will greatly improve the safety at the crossroads.
3. The meeting with Seamus Brennan the Minister for Transport has not taken place yet in relation to the Claregalway Traffic Problems. I am still waiting for a date for that meeting. In the meantime the council are looking at a short term solution for traffic coming from the Oranmore direction trying to get on to the N17 at the Church.
4. I have raised the danger of traffic travelling at 60 MPH at the junction of the N17 with the Road leading to Corrandulla at Loughgorge. The NRA have not come back to me yet with their solution to the problem at this dangerous junction.
5. Following repeated representations by me to the council in relation to the poor condition of the road from Caraun to Cregmore I am now pleased to say that the council have provided 125,000 euro for immediate work to be carried out .
6. The council executive engineer has been contacted by me in relation to the dangerous situation that exists outside the Claregalway National School. He will be in touch with me in the near future with a view to meeting the Parents Association to discuss the matter.
7. I am looking forward to the upcoming County Council Elections on June 11th. and would appreciate your vote so that I can provide a local voice. – Cabhair liom chun cabhair leat.

I am always available to deal with your problems.

Jim can be contacted at 091 798136 or 087 6360242

Claregalway Hotel

Wedding Discounts
Book your date soon to avail of this fantastic offer where you can avail of the following:

• Free Champagne Reception for Wedding Guests
• 3 months membership at Escape Leisure Club
• Overnight for Bride & Groom in our Presidential Suite

Escape Health & Leisure Club
Membership is filling fast at the club. Secure your place before March with a deposit of €200 and save €80 per person. (balance to be paid on opening)

Email for a brochure [email protected] or Call 738220

Claregalway Celtic Team
The Claregalway Hotel is proud to be associated with the Claregalway Celtic Team and wish them all the best in the season ahead.

Love is in the Air! €10,000 Wedding Give-Away
Congratulations to Damien Carr, Kilcolgan the winner of the Caregalway Hotel & Galway Bay FM Christmas Cracker Giveaway. Damien won a wedding to the value of €10,000 at the Claregalway Hotel with Wedding Flowers by Flower Power Claregalway, Car Hire from Farrell’s Wedding Cars Athenry & Make Up from Calista Beauty in Claregalway.

Update from local Councillor, Jarlath McDonagh

Unfortunately Claregalway Traffic Gridlock will continue says Chairman of the Oranmore Electoral Area

It is now recognised that Claregalway village is one of the worst traffic gridlocks in the Country, with motorists experiencing huge delays in the growing village on a daily basis especially at peak traffic times morning and evening.

In recent times there has been much speculation and indeed many calls have been made for a bypass of the village on the N17. Responding to representations from many Claregalway residents and motorists using the N17 with regard to the current position of a bypass of Claregalway the Chairman of the Oranmore Electoral Area Councillor Jarlath McDonagh has sought the current official position with regard to the bypass of Claregalway by placing a special notion of motion before a recent meeting of Galway County Council asking the Council to clearly outline to him if and when they see a bypass for the highly congested and traffic grid locked village of Claregalway being put into place and to outline to him what is the Councils plan with regard to this urgently needed bypass and when and if at all they see it coming on stream.

The Council replied to Cllr. McDonagh stating that no approval for a bypass scheme for Claregalway has been made to date by the National Roads Authority. The N ational Roads Authorities proposals for a new N17 should be in place by the year 2010.

Responding to the Galway Co. Councils Official reply Cllr. McDonagh stated that he is extremely disappointed and it is now obvious that motorists will have to suffer on and it looks like it will be years down the line before any bypass, if at all, will be put in place in Claregalway.

This, he said, is a most unsatisfactory situation and he is calling upon Galway Co. Council to make another special plea to the N.R.A. to speed up the process and to point out to them that traffic is going to get worse in the village of Claregalway with the coming on stream of the two new hotels and the many new houses which are being put in place at the the much sought after location.

Finally, the Chairman of the Oranmore Electoral Area says it is incumbent on Galway Co. Council and the National Roads Authority to act with regard to alleviating traffic problems in the growing village of Claregalway.

Study Skills

Time Management = Self-management

“You can’t save time, you can only spend it wisely”

The starting point is to identify your critical success factors – the things that might be holding you back, the areas that could make a big difference to your performance in June, if you could fix them now. Try to answer the following questions honestly as an indicator of your current standing. Are any of these problem areas for you? Is there room for improvement?

• Do you have a routine established for study during the week?
• Do you get some solid revision done at the weekends?
• Do you have a definite time for starting study each day?
• Do you have difficulty starting into tasks?
• Do you get your written work handed in on time?
• Do you find your plans regularly knocked off-schedule?
• Do you find yourself panicking prior to tests?

Weekday Schedule
Establishing a realistic routine, early in the school year, will make a huge difference to the effectiveness of your work. Like most jobs, study is mainly a matter of habit. Once settled in a routine, life becomes much simpler and study becomes more productive. Making out your own schedule, based on your particular circumstances, will act as a helpful structure for your work.

1. While quality is ultimately more important than quantity, in your Leaving Cert year you should be aiming to do four hours productive study each day. This includes homework, revision, and any study sessions in school.
2. Create a study timetable – construct a weekly schedule for yourself. Start by including your class times, travel, sports and other commitments. Then add designated study periods for the afternoons/evenings and for the weekend. It is better to start with realistic targets that you can fulfil rather than being over-ambitious at first.
3. Have a definite time for starting study each evening. Pick a time that you can stick to. It will reinforce your discipline and condition your system to make the most of the session.

Weekend Schedule
Getting some productive study done at weekends will make all the difference to your exam prospects! Here, you can get effective revision done, can spend more time on reviewing topics covered during the week in class, can prepare for tests or oral exams, can devote time to an essay or important assignment that needs to be done well.

The weekend is also the time when you might feel least like studying, when the level of distraction is higher, when you want to take a break from school pressures and relax. The potential for friction at home can increase at weekends. How can you cope with these competing factors?

The answer lies in balance and organisation. It is not possible to do everything (get some rest, play sport, work in a part-time job, go out on two or three nights, spend time with your friends, get the necessary study done) so something has to give and a balance must be arrived at. Settle on a routine that can work for you. Nominate certain blocks of time that you will devote to study at weekends (e.g. Sunday afternoon) and let these periods become firmly associated with productive study in your mind.

You should be aiming to do up to 8 hours good study over the weekend period (i.e. from Friday evening to Sunday evening). Try getting some homework done on Friday afternoon/evening before 7pm (thus ‘breaking the back’ of the job before the weekend really starts), keep Saturday free for rest and recreation, and use Sunday (when there are less distractions) as the day to get some solid revision done.

“Doing It Now”
“Putting things off” is probably the biggest time-waster of all! Procrastination means letting the low-priority tasks get in the way of high-priority ones. Students of physics may liken it to the concept of inertia – a mass at rest tends to stay at rest. Here are some steps to spending time more productively. But remember, don’t just read them, do them!

Start thinking positive thoughts
Incorporate self-motivating statements into your speech and thoughts: “There’s no time like the present”, “The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can go out.”

Plan ahead by working backwards
By using revision checklists in your various subjects, you should know what quantity of material has to be covered over the coming months. Start from the final date (end of May) and divide your revision up week by week, allowing some flexibility for unforeseen delays. Surprise yourself by being ready in time!

Learn to say NO once your priorities are set
Stick to your weekly schedule as closely as possible – it will become a help to your efforts and a shield against temptation. You’ll still be able to socialise, rest and play, but it will be on your terms, not someone else’s.

Reward yourself
Self-reinforcement has a powerful effect on developing a “do it now” attitude. Take satisfaction in the completion of tasks and give yourself a “treat” with the time saved by taking a break. You’ll have a greater sense of freedom and accomplishment because you’re in control, and you’ll enjoy your “free time” more!

Taken from www.skoool.ie – log on for Study Tips, Revision Checklists and Study Notes

Interior Design – Hints & Tips

Big Ideas for Small Budgets
You don’t have to be a millionaire to create a stylish home, often you only need a little know-how and a touch of flair. You may be able to do some of the items yourself or if not, know someone who can. When decorating a room one tends to focus on the large areas such as walls, floor, curtains etc. and to forget the all-important details. It’s the details that add to the décor of a room.

Lighting can change the mood of a room from clean and clear during the day to ambient and smoothing at night. Instead of going for one central pendant in the ceiling, place a number of small lights around the room. Dimmers are a good investment to make, when fitting lights, they modify the level of light and help to control the room’s atmosphere. They can also be fitted to table and floor lamps. You can control natural light too, by mirrors to reflect daylight and increase its effect or use blinds to filter it.

Where would you be without central heating? But the radiators that come with it, add nothing to the décor of a room. They were designed to be functional rather than beautiful. You can get better-designed ones but they can be expensive. One way to blend a radiator into the décor of a room is to disguise it with a radiator cover. They are available in a choice of designs with paint, wood veneer, or undercoat finishes. You can get them in kit form or made to measure, or, if you’re handy, you could make your own. Kits are less expensive and are easy to fit. The cover is usually faced with a removable decorative grille, made from hardwood trellis, brass lattice, cut-out screen patterns or rattan cane, and adds to the décor of the room in its own right. Choose the finish or paint it yourself to match the colour of the walls of furnishing, so that it merges into the background or stands out as an attractive feature in the room. The cover can also act as a telephone table, display shelf or window seat. The cover, as well as looking good, will also divert warm air into the room and protect wallcoverings and paintings above from direct heat.

You don’t have to spend a small fortune to revamp or install a kitchen, if you use a bit of imagination. Before you rip out your old kitchen, have a good look at it and ask yourself some questions, such as – do you lack worktop space and storage, yet cannot justify a completely new kitchen? It is possible to improve the look and efficiency of a kitchen for only a fraction of the cost of installing a new one. Depending on your needs a revamp can be anything from a lick of paint to more drastic action, e.g. laying a new floor or extending cupboards. If the kitchen is workable but dull or budget is limited, a few simple changes can make all the difference e.g. freshen up the walls with a coat of paint or add new tiles to the splashboard and wall between floor and wall units. To keep costs down, use plain tiles with more expensive decorative one as a border or pattern. Add bright touches by colour matching accessories, such as storage jars, spice racks etc. Unit doorknobs and handles are cheap and easy to replace for a fresh look. If you are installing a new kitchen, it doesn’t have to be a dull one, you can adapt a ready-made one to your own design and make it unique. For example, mix the units, or by highlighting or outlining the shaping of panelled doors with stain or paint to add dept and colour to the doors. There are more handles in the kitchen than in any other room, so good choice of handle can make a great looking kitchen.

Of all the flooring options, wooden floorboards offer the greatest scope for decoration and for being inventive. You can have decorative finishes from painting and staining to stencilling and stamping. I’m not suggesting that you paint your good oak or maple floor, but rather ones that are not attractive enough to be left plain. The treatments can be purely for visual interest or on the practical side, the cost of decorating floorboards is much cheaper than covering them with carpet, vinyl or tiles. You can afford to go for exciting design and colour schemes, as it is easy to update next time you are decorating. Look for ideas from books or textiles. You could try a lattice pattern with squares and triangles, or stencil and stamp designs can be used to create all-over patterns, or form a border for a room.

Revamp tired window treatments with roman blinds. You will need less fabric, so you can afford to use a more expensive one. They can be hung, in most any type of room, by themselves or you can team them with existing curtains. They can be made in fabrics with all sort of patterns, but stripes and plain work particularly well. You could bind the edges all the way around in a contrasting colour or decorate the hem.

Colour co-ordinated scatter cushions are one of the best ways to liven up a room and you can decorate them with all sorts of trimmings. You can use the trims as a colour link and they will also change the look of the cushions. Add definition to cushions by edging them with contrasting piping or add a touch of splendour by stitching tassels to the corners of a square cushion. Plain cushions can be transformed into attractive customised soft furnishing with coloured contrasting buttons.

Fireplaces form a natural focal point of many living rooms, dining rooms and even some bedrooms. You can change the whole look of a room by replacing the fire surround, replacing outdated tiles or fitting a decorative marble insert. Pretty up a hearth with combination of different coloured tiles – you can afford to splash out as you will only need a few of them. Give character to nondescript fireplace by painting it or using paint effects or create image of a fireplace where none exists. As well as adding colour, you can change the tone of a fireplace e.g. transform a formal fireplace into an informal one or create a humorous one in a child’s bedroom. Dress up an empty fireplace to make a feature of it, when the fire is not in use. Give a large jug or ceramic pot pride-of-place in the space. A vase of fresh cut flowers in the fireplace gives the room a country-style feeling or use a foliage plant that doesn’t need much light. Also don’t forget the mantlepiece, which can be used to display a variety of ornaments, photographs or cards, but don’t over do it, as you will loose the overall effect.

Bring dull dining room and side chairs out of the dark ages with instant upholstery update. Covering a drop-in pad is a simple task and it makes a difference to worm or tired looking chairs. The drop-in seat pad can be eased in or out without too much difficulty. You don’t need much fabric, so you can go wild with colour and texture. Select a strong, hardwearing, medium to heavyweight fabric for the new covers. Use a damask for a formal setting and modern checks and stripes for a more casual feeling. Save luxurious fabrics for side or bedroom chairs. If your chair seats aren’t worn, but you’d like a change or for a special occasion, you can make temporary slip-over covers, held in place with a drawstring on the underside.

Break the unwritten rule “woodwork is white” by painting door frames, skirting boards, and banisters black. The look may not suit everybody, but the effect is dramatic and you will find everything looks much stronger and cleaner. Don’t be nervous about matching colours as black goes with as many shades as white does.

So you don’t need to wait to win the lotto to start that decorating job, you only need a bit of imagination and some planing.

Mary D. Kelly
Decorating Options
(091) 798224.

Fianna Fail Carnmore Cumann

Press Release 18/03/2004

We whole-heartedly welcome the County Councils decision to retain 50% of funds collected in an electoral area to be spent in that area.

This is the correct action to take as why should money collected in the electoral area be spent elsewhere?

The local area’s money should not be spent elsewhere. It should be used to benefit the local area.

The local area is growing rapidly, many houses are being built and businesses are coming to the area and this is a most welcome development as the local economy increases but we need to be able to cater for this development.

Tristan Netaway,
Public Relations Officer and Youth Officer.

Compántas Lir

After pulpit health warning, Compántas Lír return for run in Town Hall Theatre

THIS time last year Fr. Mullin announced that watching Compántas Lir could be bad for the heart such was the hilarity in their comedy shows and now they’re back with a run in Galway’s Town Hall Theatre with the award winning Play On.

The popular group fresh from their exploits in the All-Ireland circuit are set to fill the Town Hall Theatre on Friday April 16, Saturday April 17 and Sunday April 19.

Last year, over 150 people were turned away because it was sold out a week in advance, so if you want to be entertained while supporting your local drama group in the luxurious setting of the Town Hall, book your tickets at (091) 569777 straightaway.

The pulpit health warning about the laughter came from Fr Noel Mullin last year when he warned local audiences that they were in danger of getting a heart attack through laughter at the Compántas Lír show.

And this show is no less funny. Directed by Mike Hession, it has earned plaudits all over the country for its technical difficulty. The show tells the story of a play within a play in which a local drama group struggle to put on an Edwardian murder mystery penned by a local playwright.

However rehearsals do not go to plan as the budding playwright constantly turns up to add new scenes and more chaos to the proceedings. This gives audiences a real glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes of a play. Or thought of all that can go wrong with a production. In this play within a play, Murphy’s Law reigns.

It is filled with creative divas, abrasive personalities, missed cues and technical blunders who combine to show the magic and mayhem that can go on in local theatre.

The actors generally work together but when their nerves get the better of them, sparks fly and minds go blank with hilarious consequences.

The play has already won many awards for the group on the All-Ireland circuit with an overall win in Clargegalway Festival, where they also a Best Actor Award for Declan Varley and Best Actress award for Fidelma O’Rourke. Director Mike Hession won best Director in Claregalway and Cavan drama festivals and Dermot Hession won Best Supporting Actor in Scariff. The set crew also won many accolades along the way.

The cast includes Mike Hession, Declan Varley, Fidelma O’Rourke, John Heneghan, Brid Conneely, Bernadette Prendergast, Mairead Duffy, Dermot Hession, Mick O’Dwyer, Patsy Cahalan and Liz Hession.

The shows starts at 8pm each night on April 16, 17 and 18.

Tickets for the Town Hall Theatre are now on sale at E14 and E12 and can be booked at (091) 569777. Every year the Compántas Lír run at the Town Hall Theatre has been a sell out success and many people were left disappointed because they did not book early, so get on the phone now. Remember, if you bring a large group, you can get group discount.

And this show is no less funny. Directed by Mike Hession, it has earned plaudits all over the country for its technical difficulty. The show tells the story of a play within a play in which a local drama group struggle to put on an Edwardian murder mystery penned by a local playwright.

However rehearsals do not go to plan as the budding playwright constantly turns up to add new scenes and more chaos to the proceedings. This gives audiences a real glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes of a play. Or thought of all that can go wrong with a production. In this play within a play, Murphy’s Law reigns.

It is filled with creative divas, abrasive personalities, missed cues and technical blunders who combine to show the magic and mayhem that can go on in local theatre.

The actors generally work together but when their nerves get the better of them, sparks fly and minds go blank with hilarious consequences.

The play has already won many awards for the group on the All-Ireland circuit with an overall win in Clargegalway Festival, where they also a Best Actor Award for Declan Varley and Best Actress award for Fidelma O’Rourke. Director Mike Hession won best Director in Claregalway and Cavan drama festivals and Dermot Hession won Best Supporting Actor in Scariff. The set crew also won many accolades along the way.

The cast includes Mike Hession, Declan Varley, Fidelma O’Rourke, John Heneghan, Brid Conneely, Bernadette Prendergast, Mairead Duffy, Dermot Hession, Mick O’Dwyer, Patsy Cahalan and Liz Hession.

The shows starts at 8pm each night on April 16, 17 and 18.

Tickets for the Town Hall Theatre are now on sale at E14 and E12 and can be booked at (091) 569777. Every year the Compántas Lír run at the Town Hall Theatre has been a sell out success and many people were left disappointed because they did not book early, so get on the phone now. Remember, if you bring a large group, you can get group discount.

Carnmore Camogie Club

Chairman Ger Crowe 087-6390010

Treasurer Mary Thornton 087-2242318

Secretary Pat Fox 087-2517486

Team Managers
U10 Maura Murphy 087-9381093 and Dorothy Kenny
U12 Mary Thornton 097-2242318 and Joe Coen and Phelim Manning.
U14 Anthony Molloy (Team Manager) 091-798930 (Declan Walsh and Roddy Grealish Team Trainers)
U16 Anthony Molloy and Sean Davoren

Junior Team Managers Anthony Molloy 091-798930 and Sean Davoren

Once again training has resumed in the Carnmore pitch. If anybody is unsure of training dates and times please contact the relevant team managers listed above.

Matches are already underway with the season off to a good start with the U-14’s beating near neighbors Castlegar on a scoreline of 4 goals – points to 1 goal, in the first round of the championship.

More information will follow in next months Nuacht Chláir.

Ger Crowe, P.R.O. for Carnmore Camogie Club (087-6390010)

Editorial

Hello and welcome to our April issue of Nuacht Chlair. So far we are blessed with good weather and it’s great to see the gardens coming to life again and seeing all the beautiful colours that Spring bring. Our local garden centre Horkans in Lydican, Oranmore certainly live up to their reputation by providing quality, colour and class. A visit to their centre is a must for all gardening enthusiasts – they have a fantastic range of plants, trees, ornaments, etc. Read Paraic’s article which is very informative and helpful.

The article on A.D.H.D. is extremely interesting and the upcoming conference should be of help to all concerned.

Hope you enjoy our monthly free newsletter and as always your views and comments are welcome. In the meantime, get the spades out and start digging!!

Until Next Time,
Josette

A.D.H.D.

The National Council for ADD Support Groups (INCADDAS) would like to invite you to attend a Conference and In-Service Day to be held on Friday 23rd April at the National University of Ireland in Galway (NUIG).

AD/HD is a medical condition of Brain dysfunction involving excessive difficulties with impulsiveness, hyperactivity and/or inattentiveness. It frequently predisposes a person to psychiatric and social difficulties.

The consequences of childhood onset AD/HD in adult life are slowly becoming apparent in medicine. AD/HD has become accepted in the US as one of the most important childhood disorders with possible life-long impact on psychosocial development. Interventions have emerged that are supported by well-controlled research trials. Yet, in Europe AD/HD is not generally accepted as a diagnostic term, and the prognosis of the condition is widely debated. However, there is growing concern in psychiatry, forensic services, drug addiction and rehabiltation units, within the criminal justice and social welfare system that AD/HD may indeed be one of the most important predictors of adult psychological ill-health, and that the condition may be grossly under diagnosed and under trated. (Prof. Christopher Gillbery MD. Ph. D. Oslo 2003).

This conference will draw on Best practice from America Europe by speakers with practical experience in the field.

To inform and encourage factual awareness of the rality of AD/HD, Conduct Disorder, Substance abuse and related conditions and their management.

To inform those working in Health, Education, Social Services and disciplines relevant to the youth Justice system.

Speaker Profiles
Dr. Paul Treacy was born in Ireland. He was a native of Co. Fermanagh and has lived and worked in the USA for twenty five years.

He is a graduate of Queens University Belfast. He is both a Clinical and Educational Psychologist. He has been interested and clinically involved in AD/HD since obtaining his doctorate in New Hampshire in 1982-1984.

Prof. Paul Cooper commenced his career in Teaching, specialising in Emotional and Behavioural difficulties. He has worked in Birmingham and Oxford Universities. He is author of several books on this subject.

Dr. Olav Espegren M.D.DTM&H (Longon), LMCHK. is a Psychiatrist who works in Norway. He is a graduate from the Medical Schol at the university of Oslo and the London School of Tropical Medicine. He studied Chinese Studies at the University of Hong-Kong 1975-77. In Hong-Kong he worked in General Medical Practice and was involved in teh rehabilitation of heroin addicts and the treatment of drug addicts.