Northwest Express - July 21st 2011

21 July 2011 Issue 19 - Volume 12

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Landmark business victim of the recession

HIS week people in Sligo and Ballina were reminded once again of the seemingly relentwww.tramoreholidayhomes.com Tramore, Co. Waterford less impact of the economic downturn with the announcement of the closure of the landmark business, Keohane’s Bookshop.

In a short statement “pinned” to the door proprietors Michael and Rosaleen Keohane advised their many loyal cusCELEBRATING 20 tomers they were closing due to the YEARS IN BUSINESS economic recession and thanked everyone for their support over the years.

These years span over 60 in number and the Sligo shop, originally opened

by John Keohane in 1947, “literally” became an institution over the years and a haven for book-lovers of all tastes. A second shop was opened in Ballina in 1966, fronted by his son, Barcastle Retail Park, Michael.

Castlebar. T: 094-9026100 Most of us will recall how Michael www.symphonykitchens.ie would go to extreme efforts to secure a particular title and his general knowlNATIONWIDE edge of publishing and local literary GARDEN SHEDS material proved an invaluable resource in Sligo and Ballina. & GARAGES Keohane’s Bookshop in Sligo often Cloverhill, Roscommon provided readers with an opportunity Tel: 086 8093368 / 090 6634001 to meet some literary giants at book launches or promotions. This writer recalls meeting Joseph O’Conner there during one of his promotions in the 1990s. Similarly, the bookstore was often the first port of call for visitors to the town and an introduction to Yeats and the Yeats Society.

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Keohanes’ familiar shop fronts in Castle Street, Sligo and also Tone Street, Ballina

Sale. The owner says the store will close in a few weeks, leaving the substantial market in the town to Easons. It is part of a strategic decision to close a number of their shops throughout the region.

It is, indeed, sad to see another business become a victim of the recession However, closures like this may be part of a global phenomenon. While a drop in disposable incomes may be a factor in the reduction in demand for printed

material, the impact of the internet and the facility to research and download information has transformed the publishing industry. Undoubtedly, this has impacted on the traditional bookstore and Keohane’s business may have, unfortunately, become a victim of change.

In reality, writers have to contend with a whole new approach to getting published and the publishing world itself is in disorder. As more and more

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people are inclined to download books Amazon or CreateSpace may be the way to go and publishers can glean a greater profit than they could through mainstream publishers.

Time will tell if the demand for printed books can withstand the onslaught of competition from other media. However, we can say with certainty that the region will be a poorer place without Keohane’s Bookshop.

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Donegal abuser returned to school after previous conviction

The Central Criminal Court

DONEGAL school caretaker Michael Ferry, this week sentenced to 18 years for the rape and sexual assault of four boys, was not identified after a 2002 sexual assault conviction as his victim did not wish to upset Ferry's ill mother. Ferry, aged 55, went on to abuse four more boys at the same school, where he retained his job after the 2002 conviction.

The abuse took place on an almost weekly basis, for as long as four years in some cases.

He groomed his victims by supplying them with alcohol, cigarettes and money. He would also make them watch pornography with him, with one boy reporting to gardaí that the man had shown him child pornography.

The judge Mr. Paul Carney said “Despite the fact that he pleaded guilty to sexual assault in 2002 he remained working in the school to continue to engage in the stalking and grooming with which we are concerned with today. This must have been known to the local gardaí and presumably

the school authorities. He imposed an 18year sentence with the final four suspended. He ordered Ferry be registered as a sex offender and that he never have contact with his victims again.

Ferry of Bunbeg, Gweedore, Co Donegal, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 38 sample charges which included 17 oral and anal rapes, 18 sex assaults, one indecent assault and two charges of production of child pornography on dates between July 1, 1990 and September 31, 2005.

For his previous conviction he was registered as a sex offender and received a sixmonth suspended sentence but was not identified in the local papers at the time and he returned to work in the same school where he went on to abuse the boys four years later. Each of the men, now aged between 24 and 30 years old, stated in victim impact statements before the court that they had turned to alcohol, drug and solvent abuse to escape from the reality of their situation.

Healthcare professionals warn young woman not to neglect sexual health

A prominent women’s centre in Dublin is warning young women around Ireland not to neglect their sexual health, as it’s revealed that 15 percent of women under the age of twenty have chlamydia. The Well Woman centre has published its annual report for

2010, and Well Woman’s Chief Executive Alison Begas said there is a worry that for some people sexual health services are being considered a ‘luxury’.

There has been a decline in the numbers attending the centre and their GPs for STI screening, emergency contraception and fertility screening for the first time in ten years. In 2007 almost 3,000 people presented for STI screening while in 2010 that number was 1,600.

Begas said that the number of young people who have chlamydia is a real cause for concern, and said that she would “hate to think” that people are afraid to present for testing because of cost. She’s calling for a nationwide screening programme for chlamydia for under-25s, similar to the one

provided for cervical cancer screening.

Begas said that the short-term saving made by not presenting for STI screening can lead to very serious long-term consequences and Begas believes that a combination of financial strain and emigration has led to the drop in people presenting for services.

She said: “Increasingly one of the first questions people ask is ‘how much is it going to cost?’ If there needs to be a followup test they ask how much is that going to cost? It’s a real concern for a lot of people.”

The one service which has not seen a drop in numbers is the cervical cancer screening programme, which is provided free of charge to women aged between 25 and 60.

Students launch High Court bid against cut to grants THE High Court has granted the national union of third-level students leave to challenge a reform of student grants, which will see around 25,000 students from the Northwest and the rest of Ireland face cuts of over 60 per cent in their grants this year.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has been granted a judicial review of changes in the Student Grant Scheme proposed in last year’s Budget, which reformed the rules governing how far a student must live from college in order to receive a higher rate of payment.

The last Budget reformed rules governing how far away from college a student must live to receive a higher rate of payment, replacing the 15-mile threshold with a new one of 45 kilometres –

with the previous government claiming that improvements to public transport made it more feasible to commute to college from long distances. USI claims, however, that this is not the case – and that 25,000 current students affected by the move are facing unmanageable cuts of over 60 per cent in their grants as a result.

The USI President said: “The biggest victims of this cut are students from the most financially disadvantaged backgrounds, who are trying to get a fresh start at education. It’s another example of disjointed policies, as the government tries to promote up skilling while the Minister for Education effectively stops students from going back to college.”

It is understood that around 7,000 of

the students affected by the change are mature students over the age of 23.

USI is taking a number of test cases as part of its legal action, including one example where a student has effectively been forced out of college entirely. The cut in her grant means she can no longer afford to live in Galway, where she studies, but public transport from her native Clare means she cannot make it to college until after 11am each morning.

Redmond said that while students understood the country’s financial problems, and were willing to share the pain of general spending cuts; with grants cut by ten per cent across the board over the last two years – but that a cut of 60 per cent was “unprecedented, savage and unfair”.

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regionalnews Council plans ahead for cold winter

SLIGO County Council is preparing for the possibility of further harsh winters with a plan to build a “salt barn” which will be used to store salt for use on the county’s roads in winter.

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Awards Ceremony to celebrate the contribution of deaf people

THE contribution of deaf and hard of hearing people to Irish society is to be recognised for the first time with a new awards initiative.The ‘Hidden Hearing Heroes Awards’ are looking for nominations for anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing and who has made a major contribution to their family, workplace, community or society as a whole.

The awards have been created by hearing healthcare provider, Hidden Hearing, and the Irish Deaf Society (IDS). There are eight categories of awards and people can be nominated by members of the public or they can nominate themselves.

Commenting on the awards, IDS chairperson, Kevin Mulqueen, said the society was ‘delighted' to be celebrating the achievements of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. "These awards will create awareness about the deaf and hard of hearing community and I am delighted to be able to celebrate their success and triumphs," he said.

The categories include The Social Contribution Award, The Workplace Award, The Youth Award, which will recognise the special achievements of someone aged between six and 18 and The Grandparent Award along with four others.

Nominations can be submitted online at www.hiddenhearing.ie or by requesting a nomination form at awards@hiddenhearing.ie. Video nominations with Irish sign language can also be submitted.

These will be transcribed by the IDS. The closing date for nominations is Friday, August 12. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Dublin at the end of August.

two severe winters when the council had to use greater quantities of salt than ever before and had difficulties getting supplies, it was felt that a new covered salt storage area needs to be provided. During the past couple of winters the council used a store

at Ballydrand Union Quarry near Ballisodare to store salt and as depots for loading salting lorries.

The salt barn is to be built at Union Quarry and will have a floor area of 260 square metres, allowing greater quantities of salt to be stored at the depot.

A council spokesperson said: “The new salt barn will allow us to keep bigger quantities of salt for when they are needed. As it was we had a problem keeping salt under cover there.”

The development at Union Quarry will also involve providing a new access road from the R284 road together with an onsite vehicle turning area.There is also to be a loading ramp built to facilitate loading of salt into the salt spreading lorries.

Plans and particulars of the proposed development are available for inspection or purchase during office hours at the offices of Sligo County Council, Road Maintenance Section, High Market House, Old Market Street, Sligo until Wednesday, August 17.

Anybody who wants to make a submission in relation to it will be able to do so up until Wednesday, August 31.

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St. Patricks GAA take part in Celebrity Bainisteoir

Tommy Fleming with Amanda Brunker, who will also take part in the show

IRISH folk icon Tommy Fleming from Aclare hopes to inspire St. Patricks GAA team, from Skreen/Dromard, as he takes part in the new series of RTE’s Celebrity Bainisteoir. Mr. Fleming, who admits he doesn’t know much about GAA, hopes he can lead the South Sligo team to victory nonetheless.

The club, who were Gaelic football heavyweights in the 60s and 70s under the tutelage of Mickey Kearns, are delighted to be managed by a fellow Sligonian as part of the popular series.

Mr. Fleming said: “I am not in this for publicity; I am in it to try and win it for the St. Pats lads.”

He said of his recent first meeting with the team: “it was a bit scary, but I have good mentors and there is a fabulous community spirit among the St. Pats lads.”

Mr. Fleming’s first opening test will be a tough one as he and his team face the ever formidable presence of Amanda Brunker who will manage the Aughrim GAA Club from Co.Wicklow, in their first match.

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An Taoiseach praises work of Lions Clubs

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An Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny, pictured with the Bishop of Killala, Most Rev. John Fleming, Ms. Michelle Mulhern TD and members of Ballina Lions Club last week. The Ballina Club, in conjunction with Lions Clubs in Mayo and Sligo, initiated the collection of unwanted spectacles at churches and pharmacies throughout the two counties.

Many thousands of spectacles were collected and will be sent to the Missionary Optical Society for use in their clinics in Kenya and India. Mr. Kenny commended the Lions for their efforts and great thanks is also due to everybody who helped to ensure the success of this very worthwhile project.

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Northwest residents hope NAMA Ghost Estates funding will benefit them

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RESIDENTS of ghost estates in the Northwest are hopeful that they will benefit from NAMA’s recent announcement that they will provide 3m to finance urgent remedial work in a number of these estates, although they have not identified which individual estates with which it is linked.

A spokesperson for the National Management Agency has said he hopes the work could begin by September and added that the funding was being provided while longer term solutions to the issue of ghost estates were being developed.

He said that the Agency was working closely with the Ministries for Housing and the Environment on the issue of Ghost Estates and the fund would be used to finance work required to address problems in estates linked to NAMA loans.

A recent survey of Ghost Estates by the Department of Environment and Local Government identified that of 221 Category Four, worst case, Ghost Estates, only 28 were linked to NAMA loans.The remainder were linked to loans provided by banks which are not participating in NAMA. The NAMA statement said: 'Whatever about longer term solutions for the Ghost Estates issue, there is an urgent need to address particular problems in a number of these Estates in the short term such as half completed construction works, incomplete sewerage and road works or open earth works.

'Our focus in the short term will be on financing work to address these problems while we develop longer term solutions for the problem.'

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IT Sligo win gold at Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals

Pictured celebrating the win are team members from left - right Matthew Padden, Calum Cawley, Aíne Conaghan and James McNamara.

A team of students from IT Sligo have won the first prize in the lead category of the Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals.

The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition, honoring student innovations that address global problems such as improving road and fire safety, eradicating poverty, and creating a more sustainable environment.

The ninth Microsoft Imagine Cup 2011 competition winners were announced last week at the Microsoft Imagine Cup World

Festival and Awards Ceremony at the Lincoln Center in New York.The event was the culmination of a six-day celebration of technology, hard work and ingenuity. Narrowed from more than 350,000 global registrants, more than 400 students from 70 countries traveled to New York to compete at the Finals. The festivities included remarks from philanthropist, activist and actor Eva Longoria, CEO of the Startup America Partnership Scott Case, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Team Hermes from IT Sligo took home top honors in the Software Design competition – the lead category in the competition. The team designed a device that plugs into a car and monitors dangerous driving behavior and road conditions, providing instant feedback to both the driver and the car owner. With its victory, the team won $25,000 (U.S.) Team HERMES is an interdisciplinary venture from IT Sligo bringing innovative ideas from the School of Engineering and the School of Business and Humanities. The team comprises Aíne Conaghan, Fáilte Ireland Scholarship postgraduate research student from Ballybofey, Donegal, James McNamara, a student in the Department of Information Systems from Ballyfarnon, Co Roscommon), Calum Cawley, a mechatronic student from Castlebaldwin, Co Sligo, and Matthew Padden from Ballina, Co Mayo, who is also a student in the Department of Information Systems. Their team mentor is Padraig Harte, a lecturer in the Department of Information Systems.

“We have a problem in Ireland; that problem is deaths on our roads,” said Team Hermes member James McNamara.“Thanks to Microsoft and the Imagine Cup, we’ve been able to come together to solve this problem and save lives.”

President of IT Sligo, Professor Terri Scott, said; “This is a remarkable achievement by Team Hermes. They are true ambassadors for IT Sligo, and for Ireland. An innovative idea, hard work and self-belief have earned them a well-deserved place on the world stage and we look forward to welcoming them back to IT Sligo.”

Study shows that painkillers can ease symptoms of dementia RESEARCH suggests simple painkillers, such as paracetamol, may substantially reduce some of the most distressing symptoms of dementia. A study, published on the BMJ (British Medical Journal) website, shows the results of a clinical trial which took place across 18 nursing homes in western Norway from October 2009 to June 2010. More than 350 nursing home patients taking painkillers became less agitated and less aggressive. The report says that 35 million people suffer from dementia worldwide, and that number is expected to increase to 115 million by 2050. Agitation, it says, is “one of the most challenging symptoms” of the illness and antipsychotic drugs are most often used to treat it – even though it can lead to strokes.

The authors say their findings may help to reduce reliance on anti-psychotic

treatments. Half of the patients were given painkillers with every meal, while the rest continued with their usual treatments.

After eight weeks, there was a 17% reduction in symptoms of agitation in the group being given pain relief, which was a greater improvement than would have been expected from anti-psychotic medication.

The study states that 'effective management of pain can play an important part in the treatment of agitation and could reduce the number of unnecessary prescriptions for psychotropic drugs in this population'.

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Bright Start for Mary in Presidential Campaign

Presidential candidate Mary Davis pictured with financial guru Eddie Hobbs and a group of local supporters at Ballina’s Manor Hotel, last week as she made a successful start to her campaign.

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Mary Davis kicked off her campaign in style in sun-soaked Ballina on Wednesday last. The salmon festival’s heritage day festivities provided the ideal backdrop for the Mayo native as she made use of the opportunity to press the flesh on a day when thousands packed the streets in sweltering conditions.

After a brief meeting with some support-

ers at the Ballina Manor Hotel the Kiltimaghborn candidate attended the special Arts Centre fund-raising lunch at the Ice House, before going walk-about in the main streets and calling into stores and shopping centres.

Her pleasant, easy-going manner and her willingness to engage in conversation worked well on a day people preferred to relax and enjoy some respite from the harsh realities

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of the economic climate.

Though currently down the field in the ratings for the Aras, Mary Davis has exhibited courage and success throughout her life as a social entrepreneur and may be in a more prominent position before polling day. As a non-political candidate and somebody who believes the presidency should be a symbol for change in society, she has recently received the backing of four county councils (Mayo, Limerick, Monaghan and Louth) to secure the nomination.

Mary is aware these are troubled times for Ireland, and people are facing enormous difficulties in their daily lives. Many she has spoken to have told her of their fear for their job, the difficulty of making ends meet or finding the money for the next mortgage payment. For this reason, she believes that the next President should be someone who is used to getting things done, rolling up their sleeves and making change happen. “These are the qualities that I would like to put before the people in the autumn, qualities that I have built up over a lifetime of work with communities across Ireland.”

She began her career as a special needs teacher in Ballymun. Most recently she has been managing director of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia working across 58 countries, having spent her entire working life driving change for people with disabilities at community, national and international levels. In this role she has worked with Governments and business and engaged with world leaders.

She has negotiated with the EU for a better future for people with disabilities.

Mary Davis believes there is a real role for

Clann na nGael Fundraiser Cycle from Croke Park to Athlone takes place on Saturday August 6, 2011. All proceeds from this cycle will go to The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.

At present there are 300 people diagnosed, living with the disease and registered with the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA). Sadly, one person dies every five days from this devastating disease. MND is a progressive neurological condition that attacks the upper and lower motor neurones. It is a condition that leaves people unable to do the everyday things that the rest of us take for granted.

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CANVASSING THE YOUNG VOTER: Mary Davis pictured with Danielle Walsh during her visit to Ballina on Heritage Day last week.

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our next President to be a symbol – and a driving force – for change and renewal, both at home and abroad – to be centrally involved in fixing our country, and in repairing the standing of Ireland internationally. He or she will have to expound the principles of fairness and promote stronger communities.

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MND strikes people across all ages and there is currently no known cure. The IMNDA provides specialized services for people affected by this debilitating disease such as equipment on loan, financial assistance towards home help, counselling services, advice and home visits by our MND Nurse Specialists. The association also funds research.

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The bee’s knees?

Chinese contestants cover themselves in insects for ‘bee bearding’ competition

C

hinese farmer Wang Dalin will certainly 'bee' happy after winning this incredible competition.The 42-year-old beekeeper was competing in a daring 'bee bearding' contest in Shaoyang, Hunan Province of China, against 20-year-old farmer Lv Kongjiang.

Daredevil: Beekeeper Wang Dalin, 42, stands with bees covering his body on a weighing scale during a 'bee-bearding' competition. The pair competed by standing on a scale wearing only a pair of shorts. They then used queen bees to attract other bees onto their bodies.

Fearless: Wang Dalin shortly before the bees completely covered his body.

Mr Dalin was crowned the winner after attracting 26.86kg of bees onto his body in 60 minutes, according to local newspaper reports.

Mr Kongjiang managed to attract a slightly lower 22.9 kg.

Support: Crowds watch as bees cover Wang Dalin

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lly e K l e a h c a

by R

“What a horrible day” “Haven’t seen the sun in weeks” such quotes have “It would force anyone to emigrate” weeks as Irish few last the become commonplace in bright, warm dwellers anxiously wait for the desiredciated with the asso s ture pera mornings and rising tem season of summer. n to just accept But I really think we will have to begi ing as part of our even tery blus or day ery the odd show advantages unique summer. Anyways, there are endless hine {which admitsuns ious glor the ide outs to summer ic island of late}! tedly seems to have deserted our idyllof freedom, the Summer, personally symbolises a time s and a time of flexopportunity to experience new idea ibility and relaxing. eques on the patio Indeed, we all envisage summer barb h and impulsive as the sun sets, endless trips to the beac are to rely we if but s back picnics with the sun on our such pleasury enjo to ns ditio con c eori met on so heavily the chance to apable excursions will we ever really getdaily. us s ond surr that ty beau preciate the in the morning All too often as we rush to the bus r uniform as you you on ng pulli k wor into e schoolbag on back or scrambl how fortunate we are. go there is simply no time to realise to the summer holidays from the 1st ard forw Children enthusiastically look , stuffy classroom the weeks without day back in September. In a cramped so, so appealing. For many kids once are ns spelling tests or maths equatio for not going to the beach as often as the holidays begin there is no excuse innocently right. you feel like it. And perhaps they are ing a tan on RossesPoint or Strandhill Although there is no likelihood of gettstill dive in for a quick swim, build on an overcast 17°C day children canh willies may be necessary instead of their beloved sandcastles and althougyed, without the need for sunscreen! flip-flops a great day can still be enjo our precipitation rich weather as an Have we, as Irish people, began to use excuse for our lack of proactivity?? he hadn’t been able to get his lawns cut I recently overheard a man insisting persistent rain. If we had endured such for the past three weeks due to the the lawns would be the least of our rain as the man recalled surely cutting dry, scorching days from dawn to dusk worries. We may not typically enjoy dry hours. but rarely a day goes by without a few summer for many families. MediterHolidays are a huge component of the as a result of their {almost!} guaranranean climates are favoured mainly or three weeks have elapsed most two the teed sunshine.Yet by the time y delighted to return to the neutral holidays makers are relieved and mannces. While Spain, France and Italy may erie exp blend of sun and rain Ireland ably nice for a while they like so boast amazing weather that is unbelievot match Ireland’s beautiful scenery cann ld many other regions in the wor and natural beauty. s set to As the recession continues 2011 looky in Ireman for ” ions ycat “sta of be a summer ldn’t really land. Admittedly such a holiday wou I like so use beca ly simp it is but appeal to me th-takmany others take for granted our brea hamrain the ine imag ad inste ing country and ed, rugg the in mering down on a tiny cottage . isolated Donegal for our While we may have to rely on tonics to be lot a have we D, min daily dose of Vita While grateful for in terms of our weather. sumd gate elon y enjo may many countries extreme mers without a second glance such stating deva have also can weather patterns monconsequences. Although winters andall too are they f brie be may soon seasons wipe often dominated by raging floods that that akes hqu eart t ulen turb s, out entire crop unexbring entire cities to their knees and to wipe er pow the have that pected tsunamis out a nation. ther Summer is not entirely reliant on weaAs my and should be enjoyed to the utmost.es Grandad reliably says as the rain lash down or the frost settles “It’s a beautiful day….Isn’t it only the weather that’s bad!!”

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Tracys Florist

Survey shows sharp drop in disposable income

Mayo Teleflorist

Email: tracysfloristwestport@gmail.com

Telephone: 09842758 Mobile: 0876472461

NEARLY half of all Irish people are late paying at least one bill every month, according to a survey undertaken by the Irish League of Credit Unions.

The survey also found 2% of those asked were left with approximately 70 per month after essential bills were paid.

The survey, entitled ‘What’s Left’, was taken for the organisation's second disposable income tracker index of 2011.

The report tracks how much disposable income Irish people have, what they are spending their money on and what financial hardships they face. According to the survey of those with less than 5% of their income left after essential bills are paid, 45% said they no

longer see a future for themselves or their families in Ireland. 82% of the same group say they do not think they will be able to cope with any further changes to social welfare rates or income tax.

The tracker was taken after the ECB's interest rate rise in April but before the further rate increase made this month.

Those surveyed were asked how a further interest rate rise would affect them, with 21% saying it would have a serious impact on their ability to bills.

The survey found that mortgages and rent were considered the most essential bills, followed by utilities and groceries, while those most likely to be deferred were TV licences, bin charges and phone bills.

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From September 1975, very different times in TV land than today. When many parts of the country had just one channel this was a typical week’s viewing pleasure.

The earliest TV came on air was on Sunday at 12 for Mass and it must have been some Mass as it was scheduled for two and a half hours.

The country would have been well tucked away before midnight with the Late News generally well over by midnight. Interestingly the 6.01 news slot was An Nuacht with the News as Bearla at 6.40.

Some choice shows too in “An evening with Nana Mouskouri” and I’m sure I sat through “Brightly Ornamented Slovak Easter Eggs” on more than one occasion.

The Organisation for the Unemployed calls for better information THE Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed (INOU) has called on the Government to address a lack of adequate information on training and education options for unemployed young people. The INOU was responding to a warning by Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton that social welfare was becoming a 'lifestyle choice' for many leaving school. Ms Burton said that those who refuse to take up job or training opportunities would see their payments cut by up to 44 a week. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Minister Burton said there was an abuse of the system at a rate of between 1% and 3%.

Also on the same programme, Brid O'Brien of the INOU said the problem was a lack of choice and that the Minister should NEED EXTRA be focusing on a system of job creation.

TV POINTS? While the INOU welcomed the recent news of a National Internship Scheme, they PLEASE ASK said that 5,000 places are not enough. In US June 2011 the register stood at 446,800 FOR A with a monthly increase of 2,900.

QUOTE They said that the government have a number of initiatives that if communicated properly and managed well could offer unemployed people real hope. For example, Springboard.ie offers those on the live register an opportunity to re-educate and retrain themselves in sectors where there is potential employment growth.

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A trip back in time. This listing is for Rte back in September 1975, the countries one and only channel at the time.

RED DOOR BOOKSHOP NOW OPEN

22 High Street, Sligo Buy your Primary and Secondary Books early this year to avoid the September rush, while at the same time droping in your unwanted books and uniforms for re-sale.

We also stock a large selection of Third Level Books and School Uniforms Open Daily 9.30am to 5.30pm For Further information phone

086-1080903

Sligo Stages Rally 2011

Photos by James Burke - www.jamesburke.biz Tel: 087-2730789

Andrea, Edel and Philomena Burke with Tom and Eimer Kierns

Local Driver John Mc Gettrick’s Fan Club Roland Scanlon, Amy Lavin, Garett Scanlon, Rachel Lavin, Breeanna McMorrow and Margaret Curley

Start Ramp on Rockwood Parade

Mayor Rosaleen O’Grady, Gerry Moore (Sligo Chamber of Commerce / Sligo Park Hotel and Joe Corcoran (President of Motorsport Ireland)

Gerry Moore (Sligo Park Hotel) with Overall Winners of the Sligo Stages Rally 2011 Robert Barrable (Driver)Damien Connelly (Co Driver), Paul Kiely (COC Sligo Stages Rally) and Monica Tighe (Quinn Body Repairs)

Chris Corcoran with Donegal Men Adrian Cannon and Derek Heena 1st in Class 2 and Joe Corcoran

Mayor Rosaleen O’Grady waves off Robert Barrable and Damien Connelly and gets the Sligo Stages Rally under way at the Start Ramp on Rockwood Parade

Chris Corcoran, Jarlath Barry and Paul Gallagher 2nd in Class 3 and Joe Corcoran

David Leonard and Daragh Mullen 18th Overall, 1st in Class 11 and the Pair also picked up the Dunlop Drive of the Day. Presenting the Prize are Cyril Donnellan (Deputy COC), and Paul Kiely (COC Sligo Stages Rally)

Ballina Heritage Day breaks new attendance record

Some of stewards helping at 2011 Ballina Salmon Festival Heritage Day with Chair & Vice chair in middle

Asleep on the hay, John White and Padraic McManus

This year’s Ballina Salmon Festival Heritage Day on Wednesday 13 July, broke all rprevious attendance records with over 60,000 flocking to the town on the banks of the River Moy. Ballina, which is Ireland’s Salmon Capital attracted visitors to the festival from all over the world. As well as visitors and traders from each of Ireland’s 32 counties, the festival took on an international feel with tourists arriving from the UK, New York and Australia. The glorious sunshine which greeted visitors certainly matched the claim that the festival is now firmly established as one of the world’s hottest cultural destinations.

Tony Hennigan, who was over from Manchester promoting the Manchester Irish Festival (www.manchesteririshfestival.co.uk) and the Levenshulme Village Festival (www.levenshulmefestival.co.uk), said “we

Kay O’Hara and Aine OHara

shared a stall with local Lacken Student Artist, Aine O’Hara, who hand paints glassware. She uses the profits from the event to help fund her degree which she is studying in Dublin. It was a fantastic day, the town was packed out from as soon as it opened until the early hours. I was amazed at the number of visitors from outside of Ireland who came to the event. I came over to help develop links between Mayo and Manchester, with Knock Airport just being a quick 40 minute plane ride away, it is no wonder the festival seemed to attract everyone I knew from Manchester! It is great to see the town benefiting from such a festival, especially in these hard times that the country is facing.”

With over 250 craft stalls demonstrating everything from the traditional art of hay twisting, hurdle making, cream making,

C Rogers, street performer

Crowd scene at Heritage Day 2011

thatching, woodturning, Hay thrashing and live forge work and tinsmith demonstrations. The event certainly was one of Ireland’s biggest celebrations for the National Year of the Craft. Mid West Radio – the West of Ireland’s Premier Radio station was broadcasting live from the celebration all day long and a host of VIP’s and local celebrities kept the crowd entertained all day long.

Chairperson Benny Walkin said “It has been our biggest Heritage Day yet, I stopped counting after 60,000. It certainly had the wow factor, it was great to see local families getting dressed up in their heritage outfits.

Thanks must go to all our volunteers, without them the event could not happen, they were out on the street before dawn and were still working at dusk.”

Local Ballina TD, Dara Calleary, who popped along to show his support com-

mented “It is amazing week: when everybody in Ballina sticks their chest out and shows a great deal of pride in their town. It just shows what can be done when everybody pulls together. I think the links which are being developed between Manchester and Mayo are a great idea. My own brother lives in Manchester, there are a lot of people with Mayo connections in the city, so a link can only be a good thing for both towns.”

The annual ten-day festival which was kick started by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny on Friday 8 July, ran through to Sunday 17 July.

There was a Krazy Kart Race on Friday, a Massive Mardi Rag and Fireworks Display over the River Moy on Saturday and a Teddy Bears Picnic on the final day.

For more information click onto www.ballinasalmonfestival.ie

Krazy Cart Race Winners Val Flaherty Motors, Ballina

Best wishes to North Sligo Agricultural Show from all at

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n Saturday the 30th of July 2011 the 65th annual North Sligo Agricultural Show will be held in Grange. The North Sligo Agricultural Show has a long tradition within the local community. The first North Sligo Agricultural Show actually took place on Wednesday, September 12, 1945. However, due to the ‘foot and mouth’ crisis a few years ago, the annual show had to be cancelled. During 1945 Grange village was very much isolated and had no running water or electricity.

There were very few cars or tractors.

Nevertheless, the first show attracted 1,150 entries.

There were up to 100 classes for fruit, vegetables, flowers, agricultural produce, woodwork, homecrafts, knitting, needlework, crochet, poultry and eggs, cattle, horses, sheep and donkeys. Since then the show has grown from strength to strength, which has been possible through local community support and participation of volunteers. Many agricultural shows have run into difficulties in recent years, with some disappearing altogether, but the North Sligo event is continuing to be run very successfully.

Best Wishes to North Sligo Agricultural Show 2011 from

Marian Harkin MEP “If I can be of assistance on any issue, please call my office to make an appointment for a time that suits” Constituency Office:28 Emmet Place, Union Street, Sligo.

Tel: 071-9145888/9145890.

Fax: 071-9141973 Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm Email: marian@marianharkin.com Website:marianharkin.ie Member of Alliance, Liberals &Democrats in the EP

CLLR HUBERT KEANEY Drum Road, Rathcormack Phone: 0719141090 Mobile: 0876892610 Email: hubertkeaney@hotmail.com

Sincrere best wishes to the participants and organisers of the North Sligo Agricultural Show.

Best Wishes to North Sligo Agricultural Show 2011 from

The committee are hoping that the weather, Declan Nerney and the new competions can continue to bring a big crowd this year.

The show gets under way at 11am with the cattle judging, followed at 11:30am by the confined sheep classes and the open sheep classes at 12pm.This year there are several horse and pony classes commencing at 12pm and donkey showing at 2pm. The afternoon programme gets underway at 12:30pm down by the Sports Complex. There will be the usual classes in agricultural produce such as vegetables, flowers, baking, photography, crafts, etc. in addition to poultry exhibitions.There will also be a number of family fun side attractions such as the dog show, pets corner, bonny baby show, fancy dress, face painting, best dressed lady, little Miss and Mr Grange, novelty sports events, a bouncy castle and vintage car and machinery display. Guess the weight of the lamb competition will return again this year with the chance to win the lamb if you guess its correct weight and start your own sheep flock!

Best Wishes to North Sligo Agricultural Show 2011 from

Best Wishes to North Sligo Agricultural Show 2011 from

Brian F. McDero

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The North West Poultry Club is joining forces with The North Sligo Agricultural Show this year to host a Poultry show and Bring & Buy sale.There will be over 20 poultry classes including classes for geese and turkeys and there will be lots more prizes on the day for exhibitors of all ages.

The show is also holding The North West open N.P. heifer suitable for Suckling, with a prize fun of 1000 for this class and the winner will receive the John Burke memorial Perpetual Cup. Two other major classes are The Western Forestry Co-op open lamb championship for the best single low land ewe lambs and the best single mountain ewe lambs with a prize money of 150 - Call for these two Best wishes to North Sligo Agricultural Show from all at

Summer Madness

classes.

Lurcher showing and racing are new attractions at this years show. Gene Gallagher is working in partnership with the show committee to organise these classes along with Working Terrier classes. The highlight of the Working Terriers competition is the Champion of Champion All Ireland Qualifier whose final will be held at Strabane Show.

Come along and enjoy the welcoming atmosphere of the North Sligo community and you also may be in with a chance to win some fabulous prizes by entering in classes on the day. If you require further information please contact 087 6429084 or log onto www.northsligoagrishow.ie

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Shuttle astronauts repair computer

THE pilots on Nasa's last space shuttle flight have fixed another one of their main computers after it failed and set off an alarm that shattered their sleep.

Nasa declared all five of Atlantis' primary computers to be working, pending evaluation of the latest shutdown.

Computer failures like this are extremely rare in orbit, said lead flight director Kwatsi Alibaruho.

The two problems appear to be quite different, he noted. The first was caused by a bad switch throw, the second possibly by cosmic radiation.

"The fact that we did have two computer failures on a same flight on a spacecraft that's otherwise performing beautifully, that's not at all lost on me," Mr Alibaruho told reporters.

"I do have a saying that you're not paranoid if they really are after you, so I am cautiously optimistic that we'll have a healthy data-processing system" for Atlantis' undocking and return to Earth next week, he added. "But we will be watching closely."

Atlantis' commander, Christopher Ferguson, said the alarm sounded an hour or so after the four astronauts had gone to bed, during the deepest part of their sleep. The astronauts rushed to the flight deck and switched to a back-up computer. Within a half-hour they were back in bed. The first computer failure occurred just before Sunday's docking by Atlantis to the International Space Station. New software loads took care of both problems, at least for now. The five computers are critical for a space shuttle's return to Earth - so crucial that multiple shutdowns, in certain circumstances, could prompt an early return home. Atlantis is due to make the last landing of the 30-year space shuttle era next Thursday.

President Barack Obama made note of the historic journey in a call from the White House to space. He thanked everyone at Nasa and the "thousands who have poured their hearts and souls into America's shuttle programme over the last three decades".

Warning of rise in cyber-terrorism Al Qaida has explicitly called for "cyber-jihad" and there have been a series of attempts by terrorists to "invade" Facebook, the Government's new counter-terrorism strategy has warned.

Terrorists are increasingly using online technology to plan and disguise attacks and there will be more cyber-terrorism in the future, it said. "Though it has proved resilient in the past, al Qaida as a centralised command and control organisation may not survive the fall of bin Laden and the rise of democracy in the Arab and Muslim majority world.

science news & technology

Suicide websites plea to Google A

N MP has called for Google to investigate suicide websites after two people died in an internet pact.

Earlier this month an inquest at Chelmsford heard how Stephen Lumb, 35, from Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, and Joanne Lee, 34,

from Great Notley, near Braintree, Essex, took their own lives.

The pair, who were found dead near Braintree, had met in person just hours before their deaths after meeting online.

They had made contact after Miss Lee posted comments on a suicide forum asking for somebody to join her in taking her life.

Brooks Newmark, Conservative MP for Braintree, has written to Larry Page, chief executive of Google Inc, and Matt Brittin, chief executive of Google UK, asking them to review

their policy on hosting suicide groups.

He said: "I have spoken to ministers and others about this issue over the past year and I do appreciate the difficulties of monitoring the internet, and the importance of freedom of expression.

"Nonetheless, I remain concerned that groups such as the one that Joanne Lee used to find a partner and a method for her suicide remain active today. I am aware that there are sites such as these hosted by the Google Groups domain, and I believe that this should be of significant concern to Google.

"I hope that Larry Page and Matt Brittin will now take the necessary steps to ensure that groups such as these are taken down, so that no other families have to suffer like Joanne Lee's family."

The Samaritans has also expressed concerns about the growing threat posed by suicide websites and forums. It has taken steps to ensure that its website has priority when people put certain keywords into search engines.

Doctors warned of social media risk DOCTORS have been warned not to make friends with their patients on social networking sites.

The British Medical Association issued advice urging medics and students not to blur the boundaries with people they are treating or have treated in the past, for example by accepting a Facebook friendship request.

It warned that doctors and medical students who use sites such as Facebook and Twitter carelessly could be "risking their privacy, damaging their professionalism and risking the doctor-patient relationship".

The guidance says: "Given the greater accessibility of personal information, entering into informal relationships with patients on sites like Facebook can increase the likelihood of inappropriate boundary transgressions, particularly where previously there existed only a professional relationship between a doctor and patient.

"Difficult ethical issues can arise if, for example, doctors become party to information about their

patients that is not disclosed as part of a clinical consultation.

"The BMA recommends that doctors and medical students who receive friend requests from current or former patients should politely refuse and explain to the patient the reasons why it would be inappropriate for them to accept the request."

Key points made in the advice include taking steps to keep personal information private, while being aware that this is not always possible on the internet.

The rules remind doctors that it is "inappropriate to post informal, personal or derogatory comments about patients or colleagues on

public internet forums".

Chairman of the BMA's Medical Ethics Committee Dr Tony Calland said: "Social media presents doctors and medical students with opportunities, as well as challenges. The BMA guidance is important as it provides doctors with

the tools to prevent potential social media pitfalls.

"Medical professionals should be wary of who could access their personal material online, how widely it could be shared and how it could be perceived by their patients and colleagues."

Get your advert here Telephone: 071-9154538, today!

'Here's me and my drip': Robbie Williams posts a photo from his sickbed where he's recovering from severe food poisoning

w rldnews

British Open champ Darren Clarke credits beauty queen fiance for helping him find his form after loss of wife to breast cancer

Robbie has been laid up with a bout of food poisoning

ROBBIE Williams has been forced to apologise to fans after a serious bout of food poisoning meant he had to cancel an appearance in Denmark.

The Take That star posted a picture from his sickbed where he is on a drip after losing a large amount of fluid.

Robbie and the rest of the manband had been due to play the second of two dates at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, but pulled out after the poisoning episode Posting the photo, the 37-year-old said: 'Hey folks. Thank you for your messages and love. I'm not completely out of the woods yet According to reports, his illness was caused by eating grilled Danish black lobster with lobster salad and saffron aioli.

A source told The Sun newspaper: 'It hasn't been pretty. It's all down to a dodgy lobster he ate at a hotel.

'Jason and Mark wanted to go ahead and do it without him, so as not to let down the fans. But there was something to do with the insurance that stopped them.'

Meanwhile, it's been claimed that cracks are starting to appear between the group's members with Robbie alleged to be the cause.

A source has claimed that band members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen are upset after Robbie's 'foul-mouthed rants'.

Dailystar.co.uk quoted the source as saying: 'Major cracks are starting to appear with the lads. They aren't spending much time with each other backstage and it seems Robbie is causing most of the friction.

'There was talk of extending the tour and recording more material but that's now been scrapped.

'The other four are sick of Robbie stealing all the headlines with his bad behaviour rather than people talking about the group's performance.

'It's once again turned into The Robbie Williams Show and the other lads feel like Robbie's just using the tour to relaunch his solo career.

'And Gary has also struggled to balance his X Factor commitments which has caused a few dramas too.'

Do You Have any news or views for us? email: info@theexpress.ie

Darren kisses fiancee Alison on the 18th green after taking the British Open.

When he suffered the tragic loss of his beloved wife, Heather, from breast cancer in 2006, Darren Clarke would have been forgiven for thinking he might never know true happiness again.

In the days following his loss, the Northern Irishman battled with grief and his golfing career took a nosedive; any chance of a title steadily receded. But last Sunday, as he cele-

brated his Open victory with loving fiancée Alison Campbell by his side, it was clear that Darren has got his life firmly back on track.

In a moving speech as he collected the trophy, Clarke fought back tears, crediting Ms Campbell for her support during the dark days following his wife's death.

'It’s been a long and bumpy road, I have had some good things happen to me and some bad things, but I’ve had so much support from an awful lot of people,' he said. In the emotional win, the Northern Irishman outclassed top Americans Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson at Royal St George’s to win his first major at the age of 42. His return to form following the tragic death of Heather, 39, has been slow, but as he lifted the Claret cup with tears in his eyes, he thanked his fiancée, Alison Campbell, a former Miss Northern Ireland, for supporting him through these troubled times.

I’d like to thank my mum and dad, my whole family, and Alison, my fiancée, for all their never-ending support.' The man from Dungannon, County Tyrone, says meeting Alison helped him to find his feet and get back to his roots. Clarke told the Telegraph: 'Meeting Alison has put my life back on track. I’ve moved back home to Portrush from London and it’s a lot easier to play better whenever family life is much more stable. Darren met beauty queen Al-

ison back in 2009 when the pair was set up on a blind date by fellow golfer Graeme McDowell.

Darren was unaware that Alison, then running a successful model agency in Northern Island, had once known such success in the modelling world herself.'I had no idea who Alison was whatsoever, absolutely no clue, he says.

'I lived in London, so I had no idea.,' he said.

Fortunately, the two hit it off immediately: 'We met, we talked before we went out and had dinner — we got on like the proverbial house on fire,' he said. Soon after meeting Ms Campbell, Darren moved with his children back to his native Northern Ireland, fuelling speculation that the move meant his relationship with Ms Campbell was becoming more serious.

Then in December last year, Darren proposed to Alison, presenting her with an engagement ring just before Christmas.

Ms Campbell said yesterday of her role in Darren's success: 'I don’t know what I’ve done, but we’re both very happy and looking forward to a great life together.'

Clarke also dedicated the win to the two sons from his marriage to late wife Heather, Tyrone and Conor, and remembered Heather, saying he was sure she was there to witness his victory.

'Some of you may know there’s someone up there watching as well.

'I know she'd be very proud of me,' he said.

Flipping amazing... the moment a humpback whale 'thanks' rescuers who saved it from dying tangled in fishing nets

The huge whale shows its splendour jumps out of the water

A humpback whale which was freed from almost certain death by three men off the coast of California repaid the favour to its rescuers with a breathtaking display of breaches and dives.

The amazing hour-long performance was caught on camera moments after the creature was cut free from fishing nets.

When the boat came across the whale it was trapped with its tail and flippers hopelessly en-

tangled in the nets.

The whale watchers first thought the humpback was already dead as it was floating on top of the water.

But then it let out a loud breath through its blow hole.

Michael Fishbach decided the best thing to do was to get into the water and snorkel alongside the stricken whale. He said: 'As I swam alongside the animal our eyes met. 'There were no words we could share but I wanted to let the whale know that we were there to help. 'It took some effort to stay focused as it given the great emotion of the moment. 'The sight of this large and beautiful creature trapped and so close to death was almost overwhelming. 'I must admit I was a bit scared because I knew the whale was frightened and fatigued but could still kill me with one panicked movement.' He said the whale's tail was so entangled that it was weighed down by about 15ft.

Michael got back on the boat and tried to cut the net off the whale with a small knife.

The trio managed to free one of the fins but the whale sensed freedom and swam away, pulling the boat with it. But eventually it surfaced again and more net was cut away.

After about an hour of working the whale was totally free.

They pulled the remaining fish net onto the boat and watched the whale give a dramatic show of freedom. For the next hour they watched the whale breach around 40 times and then dive down waving its tail above the water.

Michael said: 'We all believed it was a least a show of pure joy, if not thanks.

'We were all proud and thrilled that we saved this fantastic young life. 'It was an incredible experience that none of us will ever forget.'

On the video a small girl can be heard saying: 'I know what she is doing. She is showing us that she is free.

Her mother replies to her: 'I think she is showing us a thank you dance.'

Michael spends two months every winter photographing whales in the Sea of Cortez.

He is the co-founder of the Great Whale Conservancy (GWC) Blue Whale Protection Program, set up to protect whales along the California coast from ship-strike caused injuries and death.

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naturalhealth

By Megan Fennell

The information provided to you on this page is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice and it is important that you do not make medical decisions without first consulting your doctor or other healthcare professional.

Are You More Buzzed Than You Think?

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aura Allahverdi thought nothing of getting into the driver’s seat one evening in October 2004 after having two vodka cranberries. "I didn’t feel intoxicated at all," says the 29-year-old life coach, who waited two hours after drinking before leaving the bar. Heading home in Suffolk County, New York, she was surprised when a police officer

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pulled her over. When he requested that she take a Breathalyzer test, Allahverdi complied—and learned that she’d registered a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of a little over 0.08, the legal limit nationwide. "He handcuffed me and put me in his car," she says. "I couldn’t believe it." Just two drinks cost her a night in jail and an automatic license-suspension.

When one drink is really two...or five One standard drink equals about 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor—but there may be way more in your glass. Here’s why: Different beers and wines contain different measures of alcohol by volume (ABV).

The ABV for beer is generally about 5%, but it can range from 3.5 for an Amstel Light to 6.8 for a Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. Specialty brews can pack a greater punch: Samuel Adams Triple Bock has an 18% ABV. A bottle of wine can range from as little as 9% ABV to as much as 15 (most fall between 12 and 14). Check labels or ask your server to find out your drink’s ABV.

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A pint doesn’t always equal a pint Drinking at a British or Irish pub? You might get served an imperial pint, which holds about 19 ounces. An American pint holds 16.

A glass of wine might really be more Wine glasses today can hold as many as 28 ounces—meaning you could get up to five servings of vino at once if you’re filling that goblet to the rim.

Mixed drinks are a mixed bag. Order-

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ing a gin and tonic? There’s no way to tell if the bartender had a heavy hand with the gin.And drinks with multiple types of booze may contain three or more servings of alcohol.

BYOB (Bring Your Own Breathalyzer) An increasing number of bars and restaurants are keeping Breathalyzers on hand, offering customers a chance to gauge their sobriety before getting behind the wheel.

But you can also buy your own at online retailers like amazon.com.

"It’s a great idea to curtail drinking and driving," says Tony Corroto, a standardized fieldsobriety testing and drug-recognition expert instructor for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These inexpensive gadgets might not be as sensitive as the professional models used by law-enforcement officials, Corroto says, but the good news is that in most instances, an imperfect Breathalyzer will potentially overestimate your BAC—meaning you’re more likely to play it safe by calling a cab.

But isn't booze good for me?

Yes, drinking does have documented health benefits. Moderate consumption of any type of alcohol can increase your HDL, or good, cholesterol by about 12%, a 2001 science advisory by the American Heart Association suggests. Furthermore, men and women who drink moderately have a 30% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a meta-analysis published in Diabetes Care.And that’s just scratching the surface of research on this topic.

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To Avoid MiddleAge Weight Gain, Drop the Chips and Hot Dogs

By Megan Fennell Everyone knows the basic prescription for staving off excess weight gain in middle age: Eat less and exercise more. But a new study of long-term weight patterns among more than 120,000 adults suggests that some foods and behaviors— such as potato chips andTV

watching—have a disproportionate impact on our waistlines.

The men and women in the study, who ranged in age from about 33 to 60 and were of normal weight when the researchers began following them, gained an average of 3.4 pounds every four years—just shy of the

1 pound per year that people typically amass as they age.

Those with a taste for certain unhealthy foods packed on pounds faster, however. Eating one serving of potato chips per day was associated with an extra 1.7 pounds every four years, while a daily serving of french

fries was associated with an extra 3.4 pounds. And each daily serving of soda, processed meat, and red meat was associated with about 1 extra pound.

On the other hand, some foods appeared to fight weight gain. For each daily serving of yogurt they ate, the study participants gained about 0.8 fewer pounds than expected, and for each daily serving of fruit and nuts, they gained about half a pound less over each four-year period.

The findings illustrate how easy it can be to let weight creep up on us over time if we don’t pay close attention to our diet, but the good news is that “it also works in the opposite direction,” says Elizabeth Fassberg, MPH, a registered dietitian in New York City.

“If someone is trying to lose weight, they don’t need to necessarily go on some drastic weight-loss program and change everything in their lives—which is almost impossible to maintain for long periods of time,” says Fassberg, who did not take part in the new study. “All the person needs to do is make small changes and over time the weight will come off.”

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ENNISCRONE BLACK PIG FESTIVAL

Enniscrone, Co, Sligo, on Monday 8th August 2011 at 7pm Sponsored by Joe Queenan Properties in conjunction with NorthWest Express & The Diamond Coast Hotel

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his year we are running the first annual Enniscrone Black Pig Festival 10k Fun Run as part of the Festival proceedings. The Black Pig Festival runs from Thursday 4th until Monday 8th August. The Fun Run starts at 7pm, in Enniscrone, and brings the participants along a scenic 10K route around the Enniscrone area and finishes at the well-known Diamond Coast Hotel.

Race organisers are reminding entrants that there will be road closures in place on the Monday.

The 10k Fun Run event starts at 7pm sharp and costs just €10 to enter. All entrants are asked to have registered before 6pm.

Entrants can raise money for a charity of their choice.

Closing Date for entry is 25th July at 5pm.

Full Name: Gender:

Date of Birth:

Email Address: Mobile Number: Other Contact Number: Address: Section: (please tick box) Professional

Joggers

Walkers

Can we pass your details to North West Express, who will be taking photographs during the run?

Yes No I hereby understand that I am entering the Enniscrone Black Pig 10k Fun Run at my own risk and I am responsible for any accident suffered or injury sustained by myself from any cause whatsoever or for any property lost, mislaid or stolen on the course or at the changing areas. Furthermore, I hereby grant full permission to any of the foregoing to use photographs, films or recordings of the event for any legitimate purpose.I understand that this waiver includes any claims, whether caused by negligence, the action or inaction of any person, or otherwise. Once entry is confirmed by e-mail we can not refund or exchange numbers.

I accept the Terms & Conditions: * I have enclosed the €10 entry fee. Yes

No

There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in both the male and female sections and also for the best dressed fancy dress entrant on the evening.

A great night’s entertainment will be on offer for all after the event, in the grounds of the Diamond Coast Hotel. There will be a BBQ for all participants and supporters which has been kindly sponsored by the The Diamond Coast Hotel who will also be providing music for the night. Check out next weeks edition for more details and the route!

To register please fill and cut out the application form and return to Enniscrone Black Pig Festival 10k Fun Run, FAO: Aisling Ruane, Enniscrone, Co.Sligo along with the €10 registration fee prior to 25 July.

Signed

No application forms will be processed unless entry fee is enclosed

Any queries? Please contact Aisling on 087-6169423 ? or email enniscroneeventscommittee@hotmail.com

Feel Comfy while getting fit Brasilsul Suplex Tank Top This is a perfect tank for fitness and running, comfortable, stylish and tight. Made of supplex that is soft, light, comfortable , breathability and quick drying are the advantages of this fabric. It does not crease and it also improves user’s peformance 30.00

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here are many different types of women's workout clothing designed to be worn while exercising. It is typically a good idea to wear designated fitness clothing while working out, because it can have many benefits such as increased breathability, and the ability to wick sweat away from the skin. Some of the different types of women's workout clothing include fitness pants, shorts, tops, undergarments, and accessories.

Women's workout clothing designed for use while running is very popular.These may include running leggings and form-fitting tops that offer extra warmth yet wick sweat away to keep the wearer dry; often, runners will wear leggings and tight tops underneath looser clothing to feel more comfortable when running. Sports bras or tank tops with built-in bras are common pieces of women's workout clothing as well; tank tops with built-in bras may be worn for many different types of exercise, not just jogging.

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There are many different designs of yoga and Pilates workout clothing to suit every taste, in pants, cropped pants, t-shirts, tank tops, and long sleeved shirts. Many practitioners of yoga and Pilates prefer to dress in layers, because it may be cool in the studio at the beginning of the workout, and much warmer at the end.

Women's workout clothing also exists without a specific exercise in mind. This type of clothing is generally found in department stores or fitness stores, and may be worn for activities such as aerobics or kickboxing classes at the gym, or for working out on various pieces of gym equipment, when it is important to be comfortable. In addition to workout clothing, workout accessories can make exercising more fun and beneficial as well.

Brasilsul suplex sleeveless top with pocket on the back Brasilsul suplex sleeveless top is perfect for running and fitness and a great example of performance sportswear with a fashionable cut and a practical function with a small pocket on the back to hold accessories.

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Michael Clarke Super Savings to be made

Continued Success and best wishes to the Boniconlon Show from all at

Mayo Sligo CO-OP Mart

SALES EVERY TUESDAY Bulls - Heifers - Weanlings Cows - Sheep

62nd ANNUAL AGRICULTURAL SHOW & GYMKHANA

Pre Booking: 096-22555 Best wishes to the 62nd Bonniconlon Agricultural Show from everyone at

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Best of Luck to Bonniconlon Show from all at McGrath Coaches

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Glenamoy, Ballina, Co. Mayo Continued Success and best wishes to the Boniconlon Show from all at

Crash Repair, Spraying, Chassis Alignment, Mechanical Work, Respraying, Bodykits, Sales and Service. All Insurance companies catered for

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he much anticipated 62nd Bonniconlon Show & Gymkhana, with a total prize fund of 65,000, will this year take place on Bank Holiday Monday, August 1st, 2011.

The picturesque Bonniconlon village is located under the Ox Mountains on the Mayo/Sligo border. The show itself takes place on an impressive 200 acre site, with each acre utilised to the maximum.

From humble beginnings in 1949 the show has grown substantially over the years and is currently one of the top shows and gymkhanas in the country with entertainment for young and old.

On the day there will be six live bands - Irish Knights, Michael S. Togher, Jimmy Buckley, Na Citogi, Gerry Guthrie and Pat’s Country Roadshow. The Garda

Brass Band are also appearing as special guests from 1.30 to 3.00; they will have two novelty horses to keep the crowd entertained.

One of the many highlights of the day is the Bonniconlon Sheaf Tossing Competition; it has gained national significance and draws people from all corners of Ireland as it is one of the most specialized in Ireland with 1,200 in prizemoney.

Other highlights and family attractions are: The Rose of Bonniconlon Final at 5pm, Pure Fresh-sponsored Children's Party and Disco at 1.45, Sheep Dog Trials, Heritage & Vintage Section, Most Appropriately Dressed Lady,Wind Back the Clock, the Stunt Bike Show and Texas Ollie.

Postal Entries to Show Secretary, Bridie Judge, 096-45987, at Carracrum, Bonniconlon, by Friday, 29th July,2011 Office Open in Bonniconlon Showgrounds on Friday 22nd/Saturday 23rd July, 11am to 4pm and Monday onwards: 10.30am - 7pm.

Late Opening on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday.

No entries accepted or changed on Show Day. Entries will not be accepted unless accompanied by the proper fees.

For Trade stands must be booked with Show Chairperson: John O'Hara.

087-2942949

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Continued Success and best wishes to the Boniconlon Show from

Playing at the Bonniconlon Show Accounting and Bookkeeping for Farmers, sole traders and small businesses. Specialising in Farm Accounts and Finance. Also Computers and Software Suppliers

Contact Seamus on 09622666 Mobile: 0868181030 Email: wfs@iol.ie

Music for all occassions Pubs  Parties  Weddings

Best wishes to one of the best shows in Ireland!

Phone: 0863334124

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Best Wishes to Bonniconlon Show from

PRESENTS THE

62nd ANNUAL AGRICULTURAL SHOW & GYMKHANA

Breaffy, Ballina, Co. Mayo Tel: 096-22780 / 087-2761425 Email: ed@lundyhaulage.com

The ocial opening of the Bonniconlon Show 2011 will take place at 12.00 noon by An Taoseach Enda Kenny T.D.

Bank Holiday Monday, Augst 1st, 2011 Members of I.S.A. & S.J.A.I.

12 Hours of Recession Busting Enterainment!

Lots of ee parking - Free buses om parks to show Proud Winners of 2010 Meitheal Award - Rehab Award Winning Show 2006 Admission at gate 10.00 - National School Children Free Show Oce Opening in Bonniconlon Showgounds Fri 22nd July om 12.00 noon The Gymkhana itself has a prize fund of 6000 and has 2 arenas, one for horses and one for ponies.

A measure of how Bonniconlon Show has grown can be gleaned from the fact it is now credited with having 7 All Ireland Championships Competitions – more than any other similar show in Ireland.

Even if you are not at the show you can soak up the atmosphere. Midwest Radio will broadcast live from the show on the day. And the activity doesn’t end in the field.....Nathan Carter and his band play afterwards in the Grove Hall for the Bonniconlon Show Dance.

A special word of gratitude must go to the exhibitors, competitors, stew-

ards, committee and landowners who each year make the event bigger and better than ever. This day would not be possible without the generosity of the sponsors who come from near and far and the committee wish to sincerely thank all of them who have contributed to make the Bonniconlon Show the successful event it now is.

Ardnaree, Ballina, Co. Mayo Tel: 096-79694 LARGEST SELECTION OF NEW & QUALITY USED MOTORBIKES IN THE WEST Brand New 125cc Bike only 1,995 Service and Repairs To All Makes and Models HONDA - YAMAHA - SUZUKI - KAWASAKI - BMW Bike Bizz welcomes all visitors and part

Best wishes to Bonniconlon show from

KEVIN SWEENEY A.I. Technician

Culleens, Co. Sligo - Tel: 086-8583550 Best wishes to Bonniconlon show from

Specialist in Erecting Slatted Tanks Track Machines & Rock Breaker Tractor and Dump Trailer Hire Ploughing & Slurry Spreading

Corrimbla, Ballina.

Tel: 096-45229 087-2370559 Good Luck to all involved with the Bonniconlon Show

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Best Wishes to Bonniconlon Show from

Best Wishes to Bonniconlon Show from

Champion Jeffries KO’s Corbett

blast past from the

Looking back at the 1900s

Violent Boxer Uprising Rocks China

MAY 31. As the Boxer rebellion engulfed the southern provinces, British and Belgian residents poured into Peking to escape massacre.

Yesterday rebels waving the heads of murdered missionaries occupied the nearby city of Tientsin.

Although the Imperial Government has banned Boxer activity it is ignored. Indeed, there are reports of imperial troops joining the rebels. The Boxers, who call themselves the "Fists of Righteous Harmony", are members of what started as a patriotic society devoted to martial arts; fiercely secretive, they have become inspired by a hatred of "foreign devils", especially missionaries.

Foreign diplomats in China have described the attitude of the Government as highly unsatisfactory, and are attempting to pressure it to restore order. For the Western Powers to intervene would need hundreds of thousands of troops.

A detachment, consisting of 340 British, American, Russian, Italian and Japanese Marines, arrived in Peking this evening. That they had been hastily scraped together was demonstrated by the fact that the Americans wore winter uniforms and the Russians had come without their cannon.

In the US, religious groups have been exerting heavy pressure upon the McKinley administration to order military intervention. The State Department in Washington said that the US would act with other nations if the Chinese government failed to suppress Boxer outrages.

MAY 11. Jim Jeffries of the United States, who won the world heavyweight boxing title last June by defeating the British-born champion Bob Fitzsimmons, retained his title in New York today. After a punishing 23 rounds he knocked out the former holder James J. Corbett with a right to the jaw.

New age limit for British Boy Miners MAY 22. The House of Lords gave a second reading today to a Bill restricting the right of mine-owners to employ young boys underground.

Restrictions on the use of children in mines, most commonly in coal mines, began in the first half of the 19th century with the philanthropic campaigning of Lord Shaftesbury, known as the "Miner's Friend". In 1842, he pushed through Parliament a Bill outlawins the employment below ground of women and girls of any age. The Bill, which became the Mines Act, also banned the employment underground of boys younger than 10.

Legislation later in the century raised the age threshold for boys slightly. The new Bill raises the minimum age again - from 12 to 13.

Despite this gradual tightening of the law on child labour, Britain's 3000 mines now produce more coal than ever: some 170 million tons a year, of which 70 million are exported

Court Zeppelin takes to the skies

Oscar Wilde dies disgraced in Paris NOV 30. The death is reported in Paris of the writer, Oscar Wilde, who had been living there since his release from prison under the name of Sebastian Melmoth. Wilde's career crashed in ruins when he was convicted of homosexual offences in 1895 and sentenced to two years penal servitude, which he described in "The Ballad of Reading Gaol", published under the pseudonym C.33, his prison number. His stage successes, such as "The Importance of Being Earnest", have remained unperformed since his disgrace. He died in poverty, dependent on the charity of his friends, and had become a Roman Catholic.

JULY 1. Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin's airship today flew for the first time near Friedrichshafen.

A small crowd of observers looked on as the huge airship, built in a floating hangar on Lake Constance, was wheeled out and its engines started up.

It moved forwards, backwards and sideways,

then rose to a height of about 12 feet before being returned to its hangar an hour and a half later. Count Zeppelin said he was well satisfied with the result.

The Count made his first balloon ascent while serving with the Union Army during the American Civil War and has been working on airships

since 1891. His machine is constructed from a wire-braced aluminium hull covered with a cotton cloth.

It contains 16 gas cells each filled with hydrogen.

Two 16-horse-power engines give it a potential speed of 14 mph.

Word Puzzle!

Did you know?

Here is a game that you can play to test your skill. This game will present you with a matrix filled with letters. The objective is to form words by concatenating adjacent letters. Letters that are to the left, right, on top, bottom, or on a diagonal to each other are all acceptable.

SAMPLE PUZZLE Here are some words that can be found in this sample matrix: any chant panel path trench Here are some words that are not valid in this puzzle: chance - uses the 'c' twice chaps - 's' is not adjacent

PUZZLE TIME

How a horse kicked off the movie industry It was always agreed that a galloping horse kept at least one hoof on the ground. But in 1872, Californian governor and railroad tycoon Leland Stanford, who was a race horse owner, took a bet for $25,000 (the equivalent of $500,000 today) that all four hooves sometimes leave the ground. He hired English photographer Eadweard Muybridge to capture the movement of horses to prove his point.

But Standford to wait 5 years for the results. Muybridge, an eccentric persona, was hiding in South America after being blamed for the death of his wife’s lover. On his return to the US in 1877, Muybridge set up 12 cameras at the Sacramento racetrack to photograph a galloping horse. He stuck the images on a rotating disc and shone a light through them. Not only did it prove that a galloping horse sometimes has all fours off the ground, but the photographic technique became the basis for the movie camera.

WIN! 25

You blink 15000 times a day

ACROSS 1. Son, two bend over to see Kildare resting place of Wolfe Tone, and a Republican shrine. (10 ) 5. In favour of eastern end of secluded Westmeath village with interesting antiquities of St. Fechin. (4) 7. Real dock unity. (anag.) The least hilly of the thirty two, noted for famousracecourses . (6,7) 10. I rig no turbulence, for a start. (6) 11. Sound vision of where the building is. (4) 12. Can it become a grotesque pose? (5) 15.Vegetable seen in crop each year. (3) 18. Prompt use of ecu, especially by potter? (3) 19. Hark, Pip, oxen. (anag.) Scene of the 1932 Eucharistic Congress attended by over a million people. (7,4) 20. Tear late notice ? (3) 21. "The fascination of what's difficult has dried the --- out of my veins." Yeats. (3) 22. By being included with the donkey, one sees the bottomless pit. (5) 25. "And pluck till time and times are done the silver apples of the ----, the golden apples of the sun." Yeats. (4) 26. To go back sounds like having to sow again. (6) 29. I.e. low noon reel. (anag.) Irish warrior who held Dublin under siege in 1646. (4,3,6) 31. Welsh emblem returns to Mayo resort with a 2 mile beach at the foot of the Minaun Cliffs. (4) 32. I enable all to come to picturesque Longford village where Cornwallis massacred prisoners in 1798. (10)

DOWN

1. Pub trot, Ron. (anag.) Donegal herring fishing centre.

(10) 2. Hug one loosely, that's sufficient. (6) 3. Oh, two sounds enough for this gas. (6) 4. Cash on this for payment up front in Ballina illustration. (4) 5. Loud Christian date is latest craze. (3) 6. "Don't ---- ignore him!" Oscar Wilde's advice to Lord Alfred about his father. (4) 8. A holy woman, whichever way you look at it. (3) 9. A teetotaler gets the sack for assaults. (7) 11. Fight for small fragment. (5) 12. Ma's sister familiarly seen in Minaun typically. (5) 13. Sex at odds in the Lone Star state. (5) 14. Let Mom peer out at Tipperary town where the Gardai train. (10)

16. Disorderly pop rave, but sanction it. (7) 17. Or about man from Italy. (5) 23. "There is, on the whole, nothing on earth intended for innocent people so horrible as a -----."

G.B. Shaw. (6) 24. Clay's confused about fifty seeing six headed monster on the Straits of Messina. (6) 26. Regret foreign street back in the European Union, right? (3) 27. Southern capital founded by St. Finbarr in the 6th century. (4) 28. Cat takes second class to the burial site. (4) 30. There's nothing to see in Dublin illusion. (3)

LAST ISSUE’S

ANSWERS

To be in with a chance of winning, fill out the crossword and your your name, telephone number and address and post to Puzzle Time Competition, Northwest Express, Unit 3, Riverview House, Barret Street, Ballina, Co. Mayo. - Good Luck!!

Name: Address: Telephone number: 1.aero 2.are 3.arete 4.art 5.ear 6.egret 7.eng

8.era 9.ere 10.erg 11.ern 12.erne 13.err 14.eterne

15.gee 16.gen 17.genre 18.genro 19.genu 20.gnu 21.gree

22.green 23.greet 24.greeter 25.hoar 26.hoe 27.hoer 28.hora

29.horn 30.jee 31.jeer 32.jeerer 33.jejune 34.jet 35.jete

36.jeu 37.jun 38.nee 39.neg 40.oar 41.ora 42.ore

43.orra 44.ort 45.ree 46.reg 47.regreet 48.regret 49.rerun

50.ret 51.rete 52.retear 53.retro 54.rho 55.roar 56.roarer

57.roe 58.rue 59.ruer 60.run 61.rune 62.rung 63.tea

This space could be yours!

Telephone: 071-9154538, today!

The muscle that lets your eye blink is the fastest muscle in your body. It allows you to blink 5 times a second. On average, you blink 15 000 times a day. That’s about 10 times per minute, or more than five million times a year. Women blink more than men.

Jean-Dominique Bauby, a French journalist suffering from “locked-in” syndrome, wrote the book “The Driving Bell and the Butterfly” by blinking his left eyelid – the only part of his body that could move.

Animals blink too, of course. Some bird species, usually flightless birds, have only a lower eyelid, whereas pigeons use upper and lower lids to blink. Fish and insects do not have eyelids – their eyes are protected by a hardened lens.

To care for your eyes, eat carrots. They really do make you see better.Vitamin A is known to prevent “night blindness,” and carrots are loaded with Vitamin A. Deficiency of Vitamin A actually is a significant world problem, comparable to that of protein deficiency and second only to caloric deficiency.

Carrots also contain fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and betacarotene, which may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Carrots have zero fat content. One carrot provides more than 200% of recommended daily intake of Vitamin A. Carrots were first cultivated in 500 BC in the Mediterranean regions. The first carrots were purple, white, and yellow. They were introduced in Europe in the 1600s. Orange carrots – the ones we know today – were first grown in Japan in the 17th century, and later made popular by the Dutch.

Mel Blanc, who played the voice of Bugs Bunny, was allergic to carrots.

Who invented the light bulb?

Who invented the light bulb? No, it wasn’t Thomas Edison. Light bulbs – in particular Starr’s electric lamp – were in use 50 years before Edison applied for the patent in 1879. In addition, British inventor Joseph Swan was awarded a light bulb patent the previous year. Edison went on to make big buck from the light bulb but Swan sued Edison for infringement and won. As part of the settlement, Edison was forced to take Swan in as a partner but later bought him out in the company that was to become General Electric. In 1883, the US Patent Office ruled that Edison’s patent on the light bulb might have been based on that of William Sawyer and were invalid. It is not that Edison stole the idea: there are many examples of different people thinking up the same concept at more-or-less the same time.

Can openers invented 48 years after cans Cans were opened with a hammer and chisel before the advent of can openers. The tin cannister, or can, was invented in 1810 by a Londoner, Peter Durand. The year before, French confectioner, Nicolas Appert, had introduced the method of canning food (as it became known) by sealing the food tightly inside a glass bottle or jar and then heating it. He could not explain why the food stayed fresh but his bright idea won him the 12,000francs prize that Napoleon offered in 1795 for preserving food.

Durand supplied the Royal Navy with canned heat-preserved food while Appert would help Napoleon’s army march on its stomach.

Tin canning was not widely adopted until 1846, when a method was invented to increase can production from 6 in an hour to 60. Still, there were no can openers yet and the products labels would read: “cut around on the top near to outer edge with a chisel and hammer.”

The can opener was invented in 1858 by American Ezra Warnet.

There also is a claim that Englishman Robert Yeates invented the can opener in 1855. But the can opener did not become popular until, ten years later, it was given away for free with canned beef. (Canned petfood was introduced by James Spratt in 1865.)

64.tear 65.tearer 66.tee 67.teen 68.tern 69.terne 70.terra

71.terrae 72.terreen 73.tree 74.treen 75.urn

Who? Where?

0909

Tel: 086 4062404

1210

Beezneez Theatre Company presents ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner’ Beezneez Theatre Company has earned a huge reputation for production of summer comedy and have done it again with this summer's production of Don't Dress for Dinner which will be performed at the Hawkswell Theatre, Sligo, from Thursday August 11 to Saturday August 13.

Beezneez artistic director, John McDwyer describes it as ‘probably the best written farce I have ever worked on' and when you consider past productions have included Run for Your Wife, Out of Order and Move over, Mrs. Markhamthis sounds like a production not to be missed.

Don't Dress for Dinner ran for seven years in London's West End and has since become one of the most produced

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An evening with Finbar Furey for one night only

Catered for You

OUTDOOR CATERING

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An evening with Finbarr Furey takes place in the Ballina Arts Centre on July 28, and is a must see event for Irish Traditional Music fans or anyone who wants to experience something different.

Since the early 1970s, Finbar Furey has been one All Events Catered For    of Irish traditional music’s leading exponents.As the Weddings, Communions,  lead singer of the Fureys, Finbar will forever be reConfirmations, Private Parties etc membered for his rendition of the classics: ‘When John Mobile:  Barrett    087-9827298 You Were Sweet Sixteen’, ‘Green Fields of France’ and‘The Lonesome Boatman’.  Email:  jjbarrett50ie@yahoo.ie   www.cateredforyou.net The Fureys became one of the first Irish folk     to play on Top of the Pops. Since 1993, Fin groups   MARQUEES CARNIVAL    bar has been performing asa solo artist, present contact Niall  on 086-1595093  ing his definitive one-man show to audiences  worldwide.     Singer and multi-instrumentalist – Finbar is adept on guitar, banjo, whistles and uilleann pipes –  he has toured extensively, bringing his rare talents to a world-wide stage and treating audiences to  evenings of pure Irish magic, great music, good hu mour, and the charm and sparkling wit associated  with one of Ireland's great raconteurs. Tickets are 25 and booking is essential. Ballina Arts Centre       +353 96 73593 

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  

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plays in the world and Beezneez have assembled an all star cast for the show. Although all the cast have worked with Beezneez before, this is the first time for many of them to work together and this has made the project exciting and original for all concerned.

John McDwyer, who directs the production, says Don't Dress for Dinner is unusual in the sense that it is a farce without banging doors and bedroom scenes but rather relies on fantastic situations being introduced through snappy dialogue and mistaken identity. Comedy of this nature requires exquisite timing and having such an experienced cast has made rehearsal tremendous fun as everyone is prepared to pitch in their own ideas to make the comedy work.

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Scruffy Duffy Mad Science parties are a blast & suit all occasions! We come to you incounties Galway, Mayo & Roscommon!

Experiments, lasers, hovercraft rides andmore for kids age 4-12!

Check our website www.madscience.org/ie

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When?

Ballina, Co. Mayo Tel: 086 8773635

Weddings, Private Parties, Communions, etc.

Full Packages available, see Website for details

Exciting traditional group BEOGA to rock The Dock

‘The Last Wednesday’ hosts BEOGA at The Dock Carrick on Shannon on Wednesday July 27. Described as “the most exciting new traditional band to

emerge from Ireland this century” by the Wall Street Journal, this exciting quintet promise something for everyone.

The County Antrim based group fea-

JOE CAREY @ THE FULL IRISH: TOP MAYO TRAD AT THE LINENHALL

tures the unique twin duelling accordions of Seán Óg Graham and Damian McKee, four times All-Ireland bodhrán champion Eamon Murray, pianist Liam Bradley and Limerick singer and fiddler, Niamh Dunne.

The bedrock of Beoga’s sound lies firmly within the Irish tradition. However, they are not afraid to incorporate other genres’ nuances into their music. From bluesy riffs to Astor Piazzola-style jazz, to a raunchy New Orleans jamboree vibe, their music always returns to a wonderfully bouncy traditional sound.The result is traditional, with a huge sense of fun and adventure and it all works - wonderfully well.

Their 2009 album ‘The Incident’ made the shortlist for a Grammy nomination in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category.They also feature on fiddler Kevin Burke’s new CD ‘Suite’ with Cal Scott. Their gig at The Dock will give you a chance to hear material from their brand new album 'How to Tune a Fish'.

ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR TO TAKE PLACE IN SLIGO TOWN

One of Mayo’s best loved Traditional musicians, Joe Carey, joins Liam McGonigle and Séamus Ó Mongáin for a night of top Traditional music from Erris as part of THE FULL IRISH music series at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar on Wednesday 27th July at 8.00pm.

Geesala native Joe Carey has been playing Traditional music both in Ireland and overseas for many years. A consummate accordionist known for his Old-style playing, as well as an accomplished guitarist and singer, Joe has recorded a number of albums, most notably “Live at Lenehans” with the late legendary fiddle player Paddy Mills and guitarist Pat Egan.

Joe is joined on the night by concertina player Seamus Ó Mongáin, from Dumha Thuama in the Erris Gaeltacht, a well known performer and music teacher who has appeared on many radio and TV programmes including Céili House, Geantraí and TG4’s Gradam Ceol. Performing with them is Belmullet native Liam McGonigle.

He’s been playing accordion since age six and now at the ripe old age of 17 he joins his fellow musicians on for some reel Mayo magic!

This is the second concert in Linenhall Arts Centre’s highly anticipated THE FULL IRISH programme.

For full details see www.thelinenhall.com

Connaught Amusements - Suppliers of -

The Atlantic Writers and Artists Cooperative (AWAC) have organised their first Arts and Craft Fair, which is to be held on Saturday July 23 in the Johnston Court shopping centre, O’Connell Street in Sligo Town between 9.00am and 6.00pm.

Organiser David Booth said that they had been extremely surprised by the number of artists and craft makers who agreed to take part in the fair.

“We will have over 20 exhibitors at the fair, ranging from oil and watercolour artists, jewellers, sculptors, fab-

Tel: 087-2435463

0110

Nationwide Service

• Bouncing Castles with or without slides • Inflatable Boxing Ring • Giant Slides (all with rain covers) • Marquees of all sizes FOR HIRE

TEL: 085-8438516

0910

We make your dreams come true - to have a hell of a do...

Marquees for all seasons: • Weddings • Shows • Race Meetings • Corporate Events • Parties • Staging, Dance Floor and Lighting Provided.

Birdhill, Co. Tipperary Ph: 061-379328 Mob: 086-2520576 Email: podmarquees@eircom.net www.odonovanmarquees.com

ric crafts makers, potters, photographers, fine art printers, blacksmiths, gifts and card makers, ceramics, embroidery, frames and plaques, handmade books and candle makers”.The exhibitors come from all over the North West; from Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Donegal and Galway.AWAC are now planning several large exhibitions and fairs in Ballina, Castlebar, Roscommon, Galway,Westport and Donegal.TAnyone wants to join us, please call David Booth on 087 172 6301 or email davidbooth3@yahoo.com

Do you need xtra business?

Do you need xtra footfall?

If the answer is YES, then you need to be in

Contact our sales team for a quote that will not be beaten!

Call: 071-9154538 or 085-2498067

MARQUEE & PARTY HIRE Weddings, Parties and Special Events We cover them all! Professional marquees all sizes including flooring, lighting, carpets, tables & chairs, heaters etc. tailored to your requirements.

CALL US FOR A FREE QUOTATION! Pool Tables Video Jukeboxes Coin & Note Operated Machines

Dance Floors - Bar Units - Toilets - Lighting - Tables & Chairs - Catering

Phone: 353 (0)96 32042 Mobile: 086-2692630 Farmhill, Kincon, Ballina, Co. Mayo www.toonsandballoons.com

Airport Transfers Weddings Stag Nights Hen Nights Christmas Parties Sight Seeing

Hotels Night Clubs parties Corporate Hospitality

Nationwide Service Tel: +353 41 6855873 Mobile: +353 87 781 4814

Little Learners Montessori / Preschool

• Qualified Montessori Teacher • ECCE Scheme Places Available • Large Outdoor Play Area • Vegetable Garden • HSE Reg’d & Inspected • Notified to Sligo Childcare Committee • Fully Insured

Guide for Parents to the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)

Also Available on School Term: • After School • Hot Meals Provided • Homework Supervision if requested

Drumcliffe, Co. Sligo For more details contact 087-9680744

What is the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)?

The ECCE is a new scheme designed to give children access to a free Pre-School Year of appropriate programme-based activities in the year before they start primary school. Participation in a preschool programme provides children with their first formal experience of early learning, the starting-point of their educational and social development outside the home. Children who avail of pre-school are more likely to be ready for school and a formal learning and social environment.

55, Childers Heights, Ballina, Co. Mayo

Sessional Services Available - Monday to Friday Montessori 9.00 - 12.30 / 1.00 - 4.00 High Scope 9.00 - 12.30 / 1.00 - 4.00

Will my child be eligible?

The ECCE is open to all children aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months on 1 September each year. To avail of the free pre-school year in January 2010, children must have been born between 2 February 2005 and 30 June 2006. To avail of the year in September 2010, children must have been born between 2 February 2006 and 30 June 2007.

• Cater for children from 2½ to 5 years • Free Pre-School Year • Family run business • We offer a home from home environment

Where can I enrol my child for the free Pre-School Year?

There are nearly 5,000 pre-school services notified to the Health Service Executive (HSE) or registered with the Irish Montessori Educational Board (IMEB).

All of these are eligible to apply to participate in the scheme. A list of those accepted under the scheme will be available for parents from their local City and County childcare Committee from October 2009. Parents can contact listed services in their area at that time to arrange for enrolment. If your child is already attending a pre-school service, or will be from September 2009, whether it is a playschool or a full or part-time daycare service, you can also ask the service provider if they plan to participate in the scheme.

How is the pre-school year funded?

Services participating in the scheme will be paid a capitation fee for each qualifying child enrolled. In return, the service will be required to provide an appropriate programme of activities in early childhood care and education (ECCE) which will be free to parents.

While the pre-school year will normally commence in September of each year, a shorter period will apply for those attending from January 2010.

How will the pre-school year be provided?

Children attending a full or part-time service will normally receive preschool year sessions for 2 hours 15

Now taking bookings for 2012

Contact Una Hunt on 087-7929707

Have your business or Event Featured Contact 071-9154538

Opening Times: 7.45am  6.00pm Monday to Thursday 7.45am  5.00pm Friday Catering for: Babies, Wobblers, Toddlers, Montessori and Afterschool.  Full and part time places available  Montessori starting September  limited places

minutes a day, 5 days a week over 50 weeks. To facilitate parents whose children attend a full or part-time service for only 3 days a week, the service may provide 3 weekly sessions of 3 hours 45 minutes each day. The weekly capitation fee in these cases will be 48.50. Children availing of the free preschool year during January to August 2010 will receive 35 rather than 50 weeks of free pre-school.

Children attending a sessional playschool service, typically provided for about 3 hours each day, will normally receive preschool year sessions for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week over 38

weeks. Sessional playschool services which are unable to open 5 days a week, can apply to provide the pre-school year in the form of 3 hours 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week over 41 weeks. Children availing of the free pre-school year during January to August 2010 will receive 23 rather than 38 weeks of free pre-school. The weekly capitation fee in these cases will be 64.50.

Some sessional playschools may choose to open for 50 weeks in the year rather than 38, in which case they will provide daily sessions of 2 hours 15 minutes, and full or part-time services may choose to also provide sessional playschool services in which case the 38 week model will apply.

Will parents have to pay additional charges to the service for the free PreSchool Year?

No, services which participate in the scheme must provide the preschool year free to parents. A service may charge parents for additional services as long as (a) these are provided on an optional basis and (b) appropriate programme based activities are provided to children not participating in an optional activity.

For example, a service can offer an additional activity such as music or dance which parents can choose to avail of for a charge. If they do not wish to avail of this activity, their child must continue to be provided with an appropriate alternative activity. Services can also charge for hours which are additional to the free pre-school provision e.g. if a child is in a full-day service for 10 hours, a parent should expect to pay for the 7 hours, 45 minutes per day which are not free. An additional 30 minutes per day, which would be charged for, may be offered

A small number of spaces still available for the Free ECCE pre-school place, so please contaact Celine or Angeline on 071-9820884 0r 086-8838780 We offer full or part time day care from 6 months to 5 years, please come and arrange a viewing if you are looking for child care places.

Please visist our website on www.littlestarsnursery.ie

Shasmore, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim

to a child in a sessional playschool.

Outings, birthday parties, snacks, etc can also be charged for, provided they are optional for parents.

What are Siolta and Aistear?

Siolta and Aistear are the National Frameworks for Early Learning which support services for children aged from birth to 6 years. Detailed information can be found at www.siolta.ie and www.ncca.ie/earlychildhoodframework.

If you would like further information regarding the free Pre-School Year scheme you should contact your local City and County Childcare Committee.

What to look for on your first visit to a childcare facility.

• Is it a welcoming environment? Can you visit any time?

• How are the staff? Is there good interaction between staff and children?

Do the staff listen to the children, and treat them with respect?

• Do the children look happy and relaxed?

• Is there an outdoor play area?

• Are the premises clean, bright and well ventilated?

• Ask about sleeping arrangements. Are there assigned cots / sheets / sleeping mats? • Have a look at the equipment and toys on offer. Are they age appropriate, clean and in good condition?

• Ask about care plans and routines, are they flexible? Have a look to see if they are displayed on the walls. What will your child be doing during the day?

• Ask to see the toilets and nappy changing areas. Are they clean, tidy and well ventilated, and are the relevant procedures displayed on the wall?

• Have a look to see if the weekly menu is displayed. • What qualifications do the staff hold? • What are their policies if your child has an accident or becomes ill? * Have a chat with the staff in the relevant room that your child will attend, and feel free to ask any questions you have, and see how you feel. Do you feel comfortable?

Early

Learners

Day Care Centre

• Free ECCE Preschool scheme • Full / part time and sessional places available • HSE Approved • After School Service • Secure outdoor play area

Ballymote, Co. Sligo Tel: 071-9189633

Lilliput

All Day Care Centre 20 Connolly Street, Sligo Tel: 071-9154613 / 087-6506262

• Full time / part time care (Mornings & afternoons and all day) - (Hourly care also available) • After School Service • School pickup service • Home work supervision • OPEN ALL DAY SATURDAY • Open 50 weeks per year • HSE Inspected • Secure outdoor play area • Hot meals • Town centre location Part ot the ECCE Scheme • Qualified and experienced staff • Providing quality care for last 9 years

available

No.9 Ashwood Glade, Ballinrobe Road, Westport, Co. Mayo For information contact 09828675

Bernies Creche / Preschool

Newport Road, Castlebar Tel: 094-9250330 / 086-8842227 • Conveniently located to VEC College, Hospital & Town Centre.

Little Meadows

Nursery

31 The Meadows, Grange, Co. Sligo

Catering for 2-3 year olds Morning / Afternoon or full day available

• Full & Part Time Day Care • Afterschool • Participating in ECCE Scheme (Free Preschool Year) For more information, contact: Bernie Weever on 086-8842227 or 094-9250330

Cartron Heights, Sligo. 071-9144085 www.hopesanddreams.ie

• ECCE Preschool Scheme • Participants of CETS Scheme • Afterschool Class • Large outdoor play area • Full and Part time places available • HSE Registered • Hot meals provided

Enquries to Sharon Warnock: 071-9173380

Free Pre-school (ECCE) places Morning Sessions 9-12am Afternoon sessions 12.30-3.30pm

Now taking bookings for 2012

Breaffy Creche

Sunny Days Creche

Hopes & Dreams Montessori School

Montessori  Early Learning Centre Manulla, Castlebar, Co. Mayo • • • •

Montessori and High Scope 1 & 2 We offer FREE ECCE Preschool scheme We offer FREE CETS Scheme Free childcare places for children who’s parents are in educational training programmes with FAS or VEC • Full / part time and sessional places available • We take babies from 3 months to 1 year • Nutritious home cooked meals including breakfast • We collect and deliver your children from school • HSE Approved • Open from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday Tel: 094-9032954 or 086-6292938 www.sunnydayscreche.ie

Clogher, Breaffy, Castlebar, Co. Mayo

Drumgildra, Drumsna, Co. Leitrim

• Open from 7.30am to 6.30pm • Full-Time / Part-Time & Afterschool available • ECCE Preschool Scheme • HSE Registered • Hot meals provided Contact Caríosa on 071-9625911 or 086-8509201

• ECCE Preschool Scheme • 8.00am -6.00pm Mon to Fri • Full and Part Time Available • HSE Registered • Large outdoor play area • Hot meals & snacks provided Contact Margaret: 094-9035205