Nuacht Chláir May 2015 by Nuacht Chláir

Nuacht Chláir

Technology in the Classroom at Coláiste Bhaile Chláir

The free community-curated newsletter for Claregalway May 2015 | Vol.19 iss.8

history

page 5

Legends, Pisreoga & Superstitions features

pages 8–9

Cottage Cheese & Dill Soft Bread Rolls sport

pages 18–19

Claregalway Basketball Club Season RoundUp 2015 news

pages 24–27

Coláiste Bhaile Chláir May 2015 News For more local news see www.Claregalway.info

The most cutting edge school in the county is among the first in the country to embrace the latest technological developments designed to revolutionise learning in the classroom.

oláiste Bhaile Chláir in Claregalway last week received Microsoft’s new Surface 3 devices, having already seen its success on a pilot basis where it achieved exciting results. “Our school is just over two years old and we believe it is a great example of how a school can digitise the learning experience,” said Coláiste Bhaile Chláir Principal Alan Mongey. “We’re using devices in the classroom every day—we have built our curriculum and daily engagement between students and teachers through Microsoft technology. Our teachers have worked together with the students to create a new approach to teaching and learning,” he added. The Claregalway Principal said that they no longer relied on the traditional textbook or even the e-book as the source of all information—even though, for most schools, the vision of a completely Digital Classroom is still just a vision. So in order to make a full transformation to a digital

classroom, a tablet needs to support not only reading and typing input, but also writing which is a critical part of the learning experience. Surface 3 is the device that allows this to happen. “With the support of Microsoft we have developed our own online teaching and learning resource which can be adapted and changed easily to suit each class or student.” Teachers Lara Daibhagh and Gareth Callan were chosen last year as Expert Educators under the innovative schools program, joining a group of 800 teachers worldwide who have been acknowledged for their practice in the classroom. That saw Coláiste Bhaile Chláir join an exclusive community of over 150 premier schools from around the world, recognised to celebrate their truly pioneering efforts and innovation in rethinking teaching, learning and assessment in order to drive deep 21st century competencies. Read more at www.Claregalway.info

Now Taking Orders

An nuachtรกn pobail le haghaidh Baile Chlรกir, Co. na Gaillimhe

You can submit stories & photos by posting to Nuacht Chláir, ‘Currach Ruadh,’ Creig Buí, Baile Chláir, Co. na Gaillimhe.

Editorial

by emailing news@Claregalway.info

by Josette Farrell

by phoning Josette on 086 391 3852 / 091 798 430 via our website www.Claregalway.info or via our Facebook page www.facebook.com/Claregalway.info

We are always on the lookout for new local contributors. If you would like to share some local news, photos, events or stories, just get in touch. We are constantly updating our website Claregalway.info, where you can keep up to date with local news, sports, features, notices and events, read up on some the history of Claregalway, or check out our ever-expanding local business directory. If you have any suggestions for features you would like to see on the site, let us know. Finally, don’t forget to like our popular Facebook page at facebook.com/Claregalway.info where we share local news, links, events and photos. Nuacht Chláir is an open access publication and we try to include everything that’s submitted, subject to the law of the land, and editorial judgement. This judgement is exercised by the volunteer production team in order to preserve balance in the newsletter. We hold no political bias. The views & opinions expressed in the articles are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily those of the production team.

www.Claregalway.info

Welcome to the May 2015 issue of Nuacht Chláir! The upcoming Referendum is the talk of the town at the moment, and it seems to be stirring some debate locally. It will be interesting to see how the polls pan out on the day. We hope you enjoy this month’s issue, which brings you articles from our regular contributors Móna Wise (pages 8–9), GIY Ireland (pages 10–11), Edward Coppinger (page 13), Bridge and Crosswords with Brian, and news from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir (pages 24–27). We also dug into the archives and found an interesting article on pisreoga (page 5). Our latest Cúinne Gaelach (page 12)—a feature by Tom Monahan—has some more seanfhocla to learn this month, and Hannah Coen has shared a great report on Claregalway Basketball Club’s latest season. It’s wonderful to see Coláiste Bhaile Chláir’s continual success in pioneering new learning experiences for students. We are so fortunate to have such excellent facilities being developed locally for the children of Claregalway. Great credit is due to Alan Mongey and his excellent team who are embracing the new technologies. With the recent opening of the Knockdoemore Centre and continued growth of the schools, it is a great time to be young in Claregalway! Excitement is already starting to build for the Garden Festival in Claregalway Castle on the 4th and 5th of July, which is yet another local success story, going from strength to strength since 2010. Keep an eye on GalwayGardenFestival.com or like our page on Facebook, where we share local news and events. There are some more great events planned for the future. Visit Claregalway.info/events for the latest. The Summer Music Festival with Mike Denver takes place on 9th of August. Anyone interested in helping out and planning this event, your support would be appreciated. Email handinhandclaregalwaymd@gmail.com for info. We will keep you informed on the venue when it’s confirmed. As always, your feedback and opinions are greatly accepted. This is our nineteenth volume and you can check out our archives online all the way back to issue one in August 1996! We now have more than 6,000 likes on our Facebook page Claregalway.info, keeping you up to date with local news, events and photos. Until next time, Josette

1,000 to Apply for 70 Teaching Jobs by Tom Gilmore, The Tuam Herald

ver 1,000 applicants are expected to apply for 70 teaching jobs in second level schools in the Galway-Roscommon area. Over 70 posts are available in the Galway-Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB) area, and GRETB Chairman Pat Gilmore expects a huge response. “It’s very welcome news from a few years ago when new teaching jobs were scarce but since these have been advertised on the GRETB website the applications have been coming inso quickly that we expect there will be well over 1,000. “While schools such as Coláiste Bhaile Chláir (Claregalway) and Merlin College have the most vacancies, there is general growth in numbers in all our schools and so the jobs are spread out over all of Galway and Roscommon.” says Pat. CEO David Leahy told the May meeting of the GRETB that it was great news that they would be employing so many extra teachers for the coming school year. “This is more than ever before and the interviews will start on June 1. But we are still seeking additional back line staff,” he added. Cllr. Kerry McHugh said that there is a need for more back line staff in schools and training centres or else it will not be possible to deal properly with the growth in student numbers. She also asked the CEO who would be on the interview boards for the teaching post and he replied that it would be a number of people with experience in the education sphere including some former school principals. One of the schools that is set to employ a large number of new teachers for the coming school year is Coláiste Bhaile Chláir and principal Alan Mongey confirmed to The Tuam Herald that the number of students seeking places there has grown far more quickly than the Department expected. “We require ten to 12 extra teachers as we have 190 new pupils starting here in September. This will bring our total to 580. While we felt that the numbers would grow very rapidly, this has exceeded the expectations of the Department. Usually when a new school opens in an area the growth in numbers can be slower at the start but in Claregalway it has risen very quickly,” says the principal. He is pleased that provision has been made for the rapid growth and planning permission has been granted for 23 additional classrooms, with building expected to start within the next few weeks. The new rooms wil be ready for next September.

Pictured are Julie McKenna, Brian Place, Pauline Burke and Tom McKenna in The Claregalway Hotel—Bridge winners of the Brian Place Perpetual Trophy. Photo by Josette Farrell.

Congratulations to the Cregmore Claregalway Football Club U13 B soccer team who drew their match with Colemanstown to become League champions (Galway League Division 2) on the 25th of April. Well done lads!

Recently cleaned and numbered which should make it easier for everybody to differenciate between the different Lakeviews.

An nuachtán pobail le haghaidh Baile Chláir, Co. na Gaillimhe

Read news from 1996 onwards at Claregalway.info/archives or check out the Parish History at Claregalway.info/history

Customs, Legends, Pisreoga & Superstitions It was Saturday 2nd of May and my wife Margaret and I, who both have country origins, were conversing with Martin and Mary, who grew up in the City. As usual in this company, topics were discussed in light-hearted good humour. When Grace enquired about shaking Holy Water on the previous day, our friends looked at her in surprise and curiosity. It was obvious that they hadn’t heard of Pisreoga and we told them a few stories relating to them. Mary then prevailed upon me to record some of them for the Nuacht Chláir.

ven 40 year ago, Pisreoga were very much part of the Irish Psyche. Evil people could cast spells. Eggs or egg shells found on your property were omnious, as these were placed there by a person wishing you ill luck. Misfortune in many shapes would befall you e.g. if you killed a pig (which was customary in those times), the pig would not bleed and the pork could not therefore be eaten. If you churned, no butter would be produced. I have heard of a litter of pigs born in these circumstances and they resembled rats—the priest was called, who acknowledged the evil, said prayers and the pigs then started to thrive. May 1st presented people with the opportunity of breaking the spell or reversing the evil. When I was a youth, on 1st May flowers were gathered and formed on the ground outside our house in the shape of a large crucifix. Others hung them over their door and other still tied small branches onto a branch of a tree. Holy water was then shaken around the home, in the shed and on the farm. My mother recalls visiting a neighbour’s house as a young girl on the 1st of May and seeing hay ropes burning in the hearth fire—this was to break the spell against butter being produced after churning. All of these rituals have long disappeared, except the use of Holy Water which remains, albeit in a diminished form, to this day.

www.Claregalway.info

A mile from where I grew up, lies St. Brigid’s Holy Well, named after the godess Brigitta. As a youth, I recall going there on many occasions on pilgrimage. Prayers were recited on the way to the well, around bushes near the well, and on the way home. What made it different from other places of worship was that nearly everyone left a piece of a rag hanging on the nearby bushes for good luck. At present there is only a trickle of pilgrims to this place on St Brigid’s Day. The Bean Síodh, could be seen sitting on a window sill, in the form of an old woman or a bird wailing, before the death of a person living in that house. She cried after people whose surname began with the prefix O or Mc. The wailing sounded half human/half animal and sounded frightening. Where did these myths, pisreoga, or whatever you wish to call them, come from and how long are they with us? I would hazard a guess and say that they are with us from Pagan Times in Ireland. Unfortunately, they are fast fading as they are not being passed on to our children and very few of the next generation will have even heard of them. (especially if they do not read the Nuacht Chláir) Is it a pity, or are they only a distraction? B. McKiernan Originally published in the May 2003 Nuacht Chláir

Local Notices The Claregalway & District Day Care Centre is now open five days Monday–Friday from 9.30am–4pm. For more information please drop in, contact 091 739 385, 086 445 8989, or visit claregalwaydaycarecentre.ie. Claregalway Parent & Baby/Toddler Group meet every Wednesday from 10am–12 noon at Claregalway Community Centre. All welcome. Contact Yvonne 087 943 7410. Walking Club meets every Sunday at the Arches Hotel at 10:30am and on Wednesdays meet at Claregalway Church at 7.30pm. All are welcome. For info contact Edel—085 102 0611. Legion of Mary meeting every Monday from 7.15–8.15pm in Cairdeas. New members welcome. Kids Singing Class for ages 7–10 started back on January 19th in Lackagh! Build confidence, learn new songs and improve breathing. One-to-one lessons and exam prep available. Fully qualified teacher. For more information contact Siobhán on 0878527760.

Adult Music Classes, subject to demand, are being offered at Lackagh Village Centre on Button Accordion, Tin Whistle, Keyboard, Bodhrán & Céilí Drums. For further info call Padraig on 086 3166 972. French for all! Qualified teacher and native speaker Aline O’Connell is giving afterschool classes in Cregmore NS, Claregalway NS, Claregalway Educate Together NS. Private grinds also available, and preparation for Junior and Leaving Cert. Classes tailored for all needs, good rates and great results! For more information, contact Aline 087 743 88 10. Claregalway/Carnmore Active Retirement meeting every Friday at 10.30am in Cairdeas. New members are always welcome. Claregalway/Carnmore Senior Citizens Cards and bingo held every Monday night at 8pm in Cairdeas Parish Meeting Room. You can share local notices online at www.Claregalway.info

An nuachtán pobail le haghaidh Baile Chláir, Co. na Gaillimhe

Claregalway Sewerage Scheme Gets Go-Ahead Claregalway Lackagh U16s won the Galway County Community Games Chess final for a second year. They defeated Castlegar and Ballinasloe. Congratulations to team members Adam Healy, Thomas McStay, Oisin Noone, Harry Fleming, Kieran Spellman, Conor McDonogh and Aoife Ryan. Pictured here with Mr Tony Lee Vice President Community Games and Brendan Buckley Chess Coach. Claregalway/Lackagh were also represented at U13 level and put in a good effort against stiff competition. Congratulations and well done to all involved.

The long awaited approval for a sewerage scheme for Claregalway has finally come through after years of waiting. Milltown received approval too and will now go to construction.

ver the past number of years the pipes for the sewage treatment system were installed in both villages but then the process came to an abrupt halt. There has been intense pressure to have the treatment plants in Claregalway and Milltown built and now this can happen. It means that there will be no more septic tanks in these villages and new estates which provided their own treatment plants will also join the new state of the art scheme. “This phase of the Claregalway Sewerage Scheme involves the design build and operate (DBO) of the new treatment plant for the village and contract has been awarded to the EPS Group from Cork. The pipework for the new sewerage treatment plant in the village was completed in 2013 and the approval to proceed to construction of the treatment plant will be welcome news for the businesses and residents of Claregalway.” When the new treatment plant is open it will mean that the eight independent treatment plants currently in operation in the village can now be decommissioned and it is also hoped that the new treatment plant will reduce pollution and enhance water quality in the area”, Deputy Grealish added. The total cost of the new treatment plants for Claregalway and Milltown is €10 million and work has already commenced.

www.Claregalway.info

Beautiful photo of a double rainbow captured recently by Marie Dempsey while saying the Rosary at the Grotto in Claregalway Church.

Members of Claregalway Walking Club Anne Mullarkey Moran, Peggy McGuire and Helen Cahalan before embarking on the Kerry Camino recently.

Cottage Cheese & Dill Bread Rolls The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy around here. We had our eldest child’s confirmation, a nephew’s confirmation and now the next few weeks are jam packed with holy communion celebrations for friends and family.

Móna Wise For more of Móna’s stories visit her website at WiseWords.ie or facebook.com/WiseWordsMona

he nice thing about these events, aside from celebrating the special day for each child, is that it forces us to get stuck in to spring cleaning. We have been cleaning up inside and outside the house for the last six weeks and now are ready for the summer; and wouldn’t you know, as soon as this happens, the rain returns.

The patio umbrella is left covered and raindrops slide down like tears, and the deck chairs are left upside down on the grass, waiting for a dry spell. The ducks, admittedly, are delighted to have the rain. The garden, both flowers and vegetables, are well and truly thriving in this nice environment but I have my fingers and toes crossed that the sun will be back and we will have a lovely long summer. We have a lot of friends and family lined up to visit during the summer and have a wedding to look forward to too! We are now entering into our 18th month of being TV-free at the house. The kids don’t even think or ask about it anymore, and while they do enjoy watching a few movies at the weekend, I can’t tell you how nice it is to not have that constant changing of channels and fights over the remote going on in the background of my life. In addition to this, we have very limited internet access here, having to use satellite, but this is kind of a blessing in disguise I never saw coming. It means the iPads and iPods don’t always work. So they ditch them for, a book, or a board game or a jigsaw puzzle. The one phrase we never hear is I’m bored because that just lands them into a never-ending pile of laundry that is waiting to be folded and put away! They have become quite handy at building and creating projects outside, and are putting the finishing touches, under the watchful eye of their Dad, to a clubhouse made almost entirely from pallets. If you are thinking about cutting back on the amount of telly watching in your house, then summer time is a great time to reduce the hours they spend glued to their screens. You might find it easier to move the telly into a spare room, and then reintroduce it for movie night at the weekend. Ok. Thanks for reading along and let me know how your bread rolls turn out if you try the recipe.

The community-curated newsletter for Claregalway, Co. Galway

Soft Yeast Rolls

Not so difficult to make! Yield: about 20 small rolls What you will need For cheese batter • 270g cottage cheese • 25g sugar • 1 small onion, grated • 20g softened butter • 6g salt • Pinch baking soda • 2 eggs (hold one back for egg wash) • 1 tsp (fresh) horseradish (optional) Dry ingredients • 110g warm water • 25g fresh yeast • 450g bread (strong) flour • 16g fresh dill, chopped to add last • Butter and coarse sea salt (like Maldon) to garnish with Method Mix all the cheese batter ingredients, with the exception of the extra egg, together in a bowl and set aside until needed. Pour the water into a mixing bowl and crumble in the fresh yeast, breaking it up. Add in the flour and mix well until the yeast is mixed throughout. Add all the cheese batter to the flour mixture, and lightly knead for four or five minutes with your hand. Make sure the dough is not too wet or too dry. Then add the dill and mix for one minute. Be sure to not over-mix the dough as this can make the bread rolls dense and chewy. Leave to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes. It should double in size. Portion out the dough into four sections. Roll very gently into long pieces then cut each piece into small squares. You should get 20 rolls—so five pieces per section. Place each roll on a greaseproof lined baking pan. Whisk remaining egg with a fork and drop of water then gently brush over top of the bread rolls. Cover with a damp tea towel or cling film. Leave to dough to rise again for another 25 minutes. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Once you are ready to go, place the oven pan in a pre-heated oven and bake for 25–32 minutes until golden brown. Melt a little butter to brush over the top of them when they come out of the oven. Sprinkle with coarse salt. www.Claregalway.info

Grow It Yourself May 2015 There is a wonderful Ted Talk by New York-based chef Dan Barbour about a small farm in Spain that produces foie gras humanely (without the force feeding that the product is often lambasted for). Raising his geese in a natural environment, farmer Eduardo Sousa re-discovered that if geese are allowed to forage at will, they will naturally gorge themselves in the autumn to build up fat for the winter. The result? A natural foie gras.

he important word there is rediscovered because there is nothing new in this. Originally foie gras was invented simply as a timely slaughter of geese to take advantage of their fatty livers post winter gorge. It was in a typically unthinking and cack-handed attempt to be the master or foie gras and have it all year around that mankind invented the gavache or force-feeding approach. Though the talk focuses on foie gras, it’s actually a parable and there’s a broader point in there about commercial food production. Eduardo Sousa calls modern methods of foie gras production an insult to history, a phrase that could be equally applied to all manner of food production methods—from rearing thousands of chickens in unbearably cramped conditions in sheds to growing tonnes of potatoes in the same field year-on-year using chemicals to cheat nature; to strawberries from Israel on the shelves in a Wexford supermarket during strawberry season. So much of modern food production is an insult to life on earth, the planet and to human health. Barbour calls them the “take more, sell more, waste more” approach to food that just won’t serve us in the future.

His advice is something that I think will resonate strongly with anyone that grows some of their own food. Listen to nature instead of imposing things on it. Work with it, rather than against it. Accept that small is beautiful. Barbour sums up by pointing to the happy coincidence that the most ecologically sensitive food production methods are also usually the most ethical and most delicious. I would add, that they are almost always the healthier and more nutritious choices too.

Tip of the Month This week I spent about 2 hours in the potting shed doing my BIG MAY SOWING. I sowed an 8-module tray each of lettuce, annual spinach, rocket, oriental greens, coriander, chervil, parsley, dill, calabrese, summer broccoli, chard, fennel and kohlrabi. I also sowed one 9cm pot of runner beans and two of French beans (with 5 seeds per pot)—these could be almost certainly sowed direct outside by now, but I like giving them a head start before planting out.

The community-curated newsletter for Claregalway, Co. Galway

Not for the Faint-Hearted by Fiona Place

To Do in the Garden this Month May is the time to get those outdoor beds ready for early summer transplanting. Fork over and rake. Earth up potatoes as the plants develop. Put protective barrier around your carrots to thwart the dastardly carrot root fly. Regularly hoe weeds and mulch. Water plants if required. Support tomato, bean and pea plants with twiggy sticks, pea netting, timber supports with chicken wire, or existing fence or hedge. Pinch out the growing tips of broad beans plants to help prevent Blackfly.

Sow Indoors: basil, dill, coriander, sweet corn, courgette, cucumber, pumpkins. Outdoors: winter cauliflower, cabbage, kale, spinach, sprouting broccoli, leeks, beans (French, Runner, Climbing French), beetroot, parsnip, turnip, swedes, radish, lettuce, peas, broccoli, rocket, carrots. Harden off and begin to plant out seedlings you have lovingly raised indoors— e.g. tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, brussels sprouts, sprouting broccoli, cabbages, sweet corn, leeks. Harvest May is another tricky gap month as stores continue to dwindle. Continue picking asparagus, purple sprouting broccoli, radish, rhubarb, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach and chard. May is likely to see the first real bumper salad leaves like lettuce and rocket—as well as the first garlic, beetroot and globe artichokes.

It’s a dangerous game, I learnt the hard way I sit here with a back support Popping pain killers every 4 hours It looks so mundane, so safe To the young person so damn boring But it’s not, definitely not Lying in bed the night before Thinking of tactics, of tricks, of bids Of high class points, no trumps, ruffing All going through my head as I Twist and turn in my bed Wake up a bit stiff, take a shower Drive the car to the game Meet my partner, discuss tactics Game begins, everything ok Then I am dealt with a strong hand, 19 points A little excitement runs through my body And a jerk through my back My partner has 11 points, game on Try to ignore the pain as I bid and rebid To find myself in 6 No Trump My hand good, dummy hand good I can do this but I am in too much pain Bridge, it’s a very dangerous game. It has you twisting and turning In bed at night Straining muscles that should be asleep And when the ambulance men came to take me away It’s embarrassing to admit, this was the result of bridge Not a good old roll in the hay!

Fiona Place is based in Galway. She has been writing poetry for a number of years and finds it very therapeutic. Her ideas come from her own experiences.

www.Claregalway.info

Proverbs Our Visit to Claregalway Castle by Rian Ó hEochagain, Aoife Horan, Éanna Ó Loinsigh and Aisling McGlynn (4th Class, Bawnmore NS) On Tuesday the 21st of April, 3rd and 4th class went to Claregalway Castle. Our tour guides Chris and Mike brought us around the castle and told us a lot of facts about the castle. They told us the Burkes built the castle in the 1400’s, they also owned it. It took them 30 years to build the castle. The castle once had a moat surrounding it. Inside the moat was a wall, if attackers were lucky enough to pass these defences, the defenders of the castle would shoot arrows from narrow windows in the castle. When attackers reached the castle, tar, stones or hot water could be poured on them from up high. Inside the door of the castle was a murder hole where attackers could be trapped and killed or captured. The ground floor of the castle was used for storage and sometimes animals were kept here. The first floor was a living space, with an open fire. The second floor, also known as The Great Hall, was used for feasts and banquets. It now has tables and chairs that are over 400 years old.

There is a rumour that a ghost lives in the castle. Chris our guide told us that when one of the workers in castle was locking up one night, he turned all the lights off but when he got to the bottom of the castle all the light were back on! No-one else was in the castle at the time. The Claregalway Castle was used as a home for the Burkes also known as the de Burgos but it later served as a Prison, Garda Station and a military headquarters for Oliver Cromwell. Restoration on the castle began in 1999 and now the castle hosts garden festivals and other activities. The tour guide said it would be opening to the public soon! We really enjoyed our day out to Claregalway Castle and if you ever go there make sure you look out for the ghosts. 12

Bainigí taitneamh as 31–40. Cuirfímid fáilte roimh bhur gcuid tuairimí. Feedback welcome! Seo thíos roinnt dena sean-fhocla 31–40: 31 Is binn béal ina thost Silence is golden! 32 Ní théann cuileog i mbéal dúnta A closed mouth catches no flies 33 An té a thugann in am, tugann sé faoi dhó The person who pays (gives) promptly, pays (gives) twice 34 Ní cuimhnítear ar an arán a itear Eaten bread is soon forgotten 35 An rud is gaire do’n chroí ’sé is gaire do’n bhéal What is closest to the heart tends to be one’s main topic of conversation 36 Briseann an dúchas tré shúile an chait Nature breaks through the eyes of the cat 37 Ar mhaithe leis fhéin a dhéanann an cat crónán For its own good the cat purrs 38 Níor dhóigh an sean-chat é/í fhéin ariamh The old cat never burned itself 39 Níl éinne chomh bodhar leis an t-é nach mian leis/leí cloisteáil There are none so deaf as those who do not wish to hear 40 Is fada an bóthar nach bhfuil casadh ann It’s a long road without a turn (Often used in the context of wrong-doing)

by Tom Monahan

The community-curated newsletter for Claregalway, Co. Galway

The Dead Docks by Edward Coppinger Dark is the night and the moon asleep In an empty dock it’s a lonely beat, Eerily quiet the abandoned quay With an icy wind that has no lee. The cranes are silent all ships long gone, No one seeing passengers off or on, No more boat trains with passengers full, No famous liners with black hulls. Gone the loco engines hissing steam And railway lines with a silver gleam, Where thousands used to disembark or sail By stacked cargo and bags of mail. The rusting lines with grass so green Where proudly moored great ocean queens, Here was once worked night and day, Now decadent with terminal sad decay. Where was heard all tongues on earth So badly blighted by the kiss of death, How proud we were of the famous Docks That now is home to the prowling fox. Emigrant ships bound down under Their sirens goodbye loud as thunder, We saw the tears hidden by smiles, On a voyage of eight thousand miles. History was made along them quays By departing armies and refugees. When half a million left for war, And twice that number returned no more. Once again I’m back on my old beat And smelling cargo that’s bitter sweet, If only it could be like it once had been—

Claregalway Church Sacrament Times Daily Mass Sunday 9 & 11am Thursday 7:30pm Monday 9:30am Friday 9:30am Tuesday 9:30am Saturday 9:30am Wednesday 9:30am Vigil (Saturday) 7.30pm Sacrament of Baptism Baptismal preparation training night takes place on the second Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm in Cairdeas. Baptisms are celebrated on the first Sunday of the month at noon and also the third Saturday of the month at 4pm. Booking forms are available from the Parish Office. Sacrament of Marriage Please contact Parish Office for a booking form.

Tune in to 106.4FM to hear Mass in Claregalway Church live every day. St James Choir practice at 8.15pm every Tuesday in Cairdeas Meeting Room, beside the Church. New members are most welcome. ClaregalwayParish@eircom.net www.AssumptionAndSaintJamesParish.com Radio Mass FM106.4 Facebook ClaregalwayParish

Now just an old man’s recurring dream. The Author was a policeman in Southampton Docks in the great years. Part of the Port was sold off in the seventies and eighties for development. Black hulls was the livery of the United States Lines, French Lines and Cunard etc. Modern cruise liners use different berths.

To share local news or stories, visit Claregalway.info or contact us through our Facebook page facebook.com/Claregalway.info www.Claregalway.info

The Parish Office, operated by Teresa Payne, Secretary, is located in Claregalway village beside the Church. Contact 091 798 741 / ClaregalwayParish@eircom.net We welcome with great joy Matthew Finn, Bláithín Concannon, Ava Mellotte, Mallaigh O’Connell & Michael John Connell, Harvey O’Flynn, Natalia & Zuzanna Malinowska, Maksymilian Sadowsky & Adam O’Donnell into our Christian community. Congratulatons to their parents and Godparents.

R.I.P. Mary Mullins, Cregmore

Ginalee Fighting Teenage Depression Depression is an ongoing battle for the many people who have to suffer from the dreaded disease and when it hits teenagers and children it is especially difficult for families. For several years Ginalee Healy has been fighting against the stigma that is often associated with teenage depression, having come through her own battles. It is OK not to be OK has been Ginalee’s slogan as she has continued to highlight the difficulties of teenage and children’s depression. For a number of years Ginalee has organised a walk to highlight depression among young people and while Ginalee hopes to continue with the cause, this year is her last year to organise the walk and talk as a teenager. Ginalee will hold her annual walk and talk on the Bank Holiday Monday, June 1st and as this is her last year organising the event as a teenager she is appealing for a huge crowd to come out and support the event to highlight depression among young people. Ginalee has a new plan with her fight for children and teens suffering from depression and the difference between a teenager and an adult is only beginning. The walk will commence in Loughgeorge at 2pm and proceed to the Nine Arch Bridge in Claregalway. Ginalee and her family are to be warmly congratulated for the ongoing manner in which they have continued to highlight Ginalee’s slogan It is OK not to be OK. All funds raised with the event go to Jigsaw Galway which carries out such wonderful work with help of teenage and children depression.

Congratulations to Éadaoin Ní Neachtain, Eoghan Gallagher (broken hand mastero!) and Sinéad Walsh—winners of the u18 trio in Comhaltas Ceoltóirí on the 17th of May!

For more photos visit Claregalway.info/photos 14

The community-curated newsletter for Claregalway, Co. Galway

Diary Date Table Quiz in Grealish’s Bar on this Friday 22nd of May at 9pm. This is all to support the Niamh Heffernan World’s Handball Fund, and should be a great night. Please come and support. Well done to Lackagh Comhaltas u15 Céilí band who won 1st place in NUIG on 17th of May.

Message from a reader: “A nice sight to arrive home to in An Mhainistir this evening!!! Irish Water mess! Fencing all fell over in the way of parking, loose bricks left there for anyone to pick up and throw around!! They should not have ripped up the path today if they weren’t gonna finish it before they left?”

Pictured is Thomas Moran of Ground Level Construction—a true craftsman. Attention to detail is perfection itself and no stone is left unturned with this guy around. Check him out at Ground Level Construction. Thomas comes from a line of a multi talented family in Cloon—all hardworking individuals. Phone 087 285 8745.

Line Dancing Classes Where: SMA House Claregalway When: Thursday Mornings Time: 10:30am–12:30pm Contact: Martin @ 087 247 2747 Do come along, it’s great exercise and fun!

Pictured is Niall MacDevitt planting up the area near Claregalway National School. Niall is an active member of Claregalway Tidy Towns who have www.Claregalway.info achieved great work around the area.

Naíonra Clúidín na mBabaí Naíonra Clúidín na mBabaí is a community based pre-school that caters for children aged 3 to 5 years. It is based in the GAA Clubhouse at Claregalway Community Centre. It was established over ten years ago and is fully compliant with HSE regulations.

ur curriculum includes song, dance, drama, pre-reading and writing, physical education and lots more all developed to aid the holistic development of the child. The children learn, through the medium of Irish, in a fun and interactive way. In addition to developing the children, it also gives them a good grounding and interest in the language when starting primary school. The daily activities at the Naíonra include dressing up in beautiful costumes, playing with sand and water, singing and dancing and enjoying the large range of toys, puzzles and books available. The children also take advantage of the facilities in the community centre for regular indoor exercise. When the weather allows, the children put on their wellies and enjoy the outdoor green areas. At Christmas, Easter and summer the children put on a little show for their parents to show off what they have learned.

There will be a parents’ information evening on Tuesday 26th of May at 8pm in the GAA Clubhouse. Prospective parents are welcome to view the daily activities of the Naíonra. Enrollments are now being accepted for the academic year 2015/16. Free ECCE places are available. Naíonra hours are Monday to Friday from 9:15am–12:15pm. To book a place or for any further information please contact Lisa at 087 2070558.

An nuachtán pobail le haghaidh Baile Chláir, Co. na Gaillimhe

Thought for the Month

Appreciate What You’ve Got Sometimes people come into our lives and we know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some purpose, whether it is to teach us a lesson, or to help us figure out, who we are or who we want to be. Sometimes things happen to us that seem horrible, painful or unfair, but on reflection we find that, without overcoming those obstacles, we would never have realised our potential, strength, willpower or heart. by Ronan Scully

he people we meet who affect our lives, the success and downfalls we experience, help to create who we are and who we become. If someone loves you, give love back to them in whatever way you can, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things. If someone hurts you, betrays you, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart. Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before and listen to what they have to say.

The Fisherman A vacationing American businessman who was standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in Connemara when a small boat with just one young fisherman aboard pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large salmon. The American complimented the Galway man on the quality of his fish. “How long did it take you to catch them?” the American casually asked. “Oh, a few hours,” the Galway man replied. “Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American then asked. “With this, I have more than enough to support my family’s needs,” the Galway man said. www.Claregalway.info

The businessman then became serious. “But what do you do with the rest of your time?” Responding with a smile, the Galway man answered, “I sleep late, play with my children, watch football games, and take a siesta with my wife. Sometimes, in the evenings, I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar and sing a few songs.” The American impatiently interrupted: “Look, I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you to be more profitable. You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, you can then buy a second boat, a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats. Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you’ll be able to sell your fish directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Galway City, where you could even further expand your enterprise.”

Having never thought of such things, the Galway man asked, “But how long will all this take?” After a rapid mental calculation, the businessman pronounced “Probably about 15 to 20 years, maybe less if you work really hard.” “And then what?” asked the Galway fisherman. “Why, that’s the best part!” answered the businessman with a laugh. “When the time is right, you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.” “What would I do with it all?” asked the Galway man. The businessman boasted. “Then you could happily retire with all the money you’ve made. You could move to a quaint coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, play with your children, watch football games, take a siesta with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want.”

As your thought for the week, think about what is important and what really matters in your life. You may find that it is already much closer than you think. You can read more of Ronan’s Thoughts online at Claregalway.info/tag/thoughts

Claregalway Basketball Season Round-Up 2015 Claregalway Basketball Club’s season began back in September and finished in April. The year was very busy across all the age groups. Thanks to everyone—committee members, coaches, assistant coaches, managers and parents—who assisted with the running of the club this year. Your support is invaluable and greatly appreciated.

hanks to all those who attended and supported the Christmas fun day, Basketball Marathon, Church gate collection, and the Annual All Star Awards Night 2015. Thanks to the Claregalway Hotel for hosting the awards night and sponsoring prizes for the raffle. To Hughes SuperValu, Raftery’s Centra, The Arches, Inspirations Gifts, Keady’s Dry Cleaners, Claregalway Chemist, Nicos, Sweeney’s Pharmacy, Home Gallery and J&J Photography. Here is a round up on all the teams this season.

U10 Our U10 girls trained with Caroline O’Gorman and Robert Bowe this year on Mondays. There was a great turnouts every week for this session with the coaches, let’s continue that into next season. Well done to all players who participated this year. The U10 girls are a non competitive age group where they learn the skills and rules of the game. They took part in a blitz in Killannin during the year and had a great time at it. Many thanks to Caroline and Rob for giving their time and parents during the year.

U13 Boys Started the year slow, the U13 boys’ team is developing weekly and our lads played with great passion at the start of the season. We were up against teams that have been together longer and though we tried hard, we didn’t manage to notch up any wins. That changed though towards the end of the season and we got wins against Moycullen in the league playoffs as well as Corrib in the end of season Blitz.

U11 Boys The boys have progressed nicely this year training on Mondays and Saturdays. Numbers were good all year with emphasis on learning the skills and developing players, not many games are played at this age group, the boys did play and beat titans early in year and they competed in a blitz in Moycullen beating Barna, Moycullen and losing to a very strong Corrib side. Thanks to Joanne Cullen and Rebecca Hansberry as training couldn’t go ahead without their help. Hope to see you all again next season.

U13/14 Girls Trained on Monday night with Mike Murray and Rebecca Hansberry. The girls played many games throughout the year in both U13 and U14. They fought well in all of their games, the girls showed up in numbers all year for their sessions and made great improvements, they have great potential in years to come. Thanks to Michelle who distributed all the information to them during the year.

The boys did really well in the blitz getting knocked out of the semi final playoff on points. This team is starting to gel and we hope to build more on our late successes through the summer and into next season. Congrats to our award winners, well deserved, and thanks to coaches James, Keith and Liam for working with the team throughout the season.

The community-curated newsletter for Claregalway, Co. Galway

U15/16 Girls

Senior

We had a great bunch of girls this year who worked very hard all season, unfortunately there was no silverware to show at the end but it wasn’t from lack of trying. With other pressures on many of the girls this year such as exams, studies and teenage discos the girls did very well and show that they can still play. At U16 level we were knocked out of the cup in the first round by a strong Corrib side but with a majority of these girls still U15 it looks good for the future. This year we gained some new players and throughout the year along with the rest of the girls they had some craic and fought very hard travelling throughout the county along the way. Massive thanks has to be given to Mary Conlon for keeping these teams in the know all season as team manager and thanks to coach Dave Hansberry for all his efforts. Roll on the 2015 season.

The senior section of the club had the best year for both men’s and women’s teams that the club has seen. Both teams going undefeated in the league and the cup for the first time ever in club history was a huge achievement. This season saw the Ladies team which were sponsored a set of gear from Acorn Life in August, retained the Galway Cup title for the sixth time in a row and the League title for the fourth in a row and the fifth in six years.

U16 Boys Train on Wednesday and Saturday and these are a very committed group of lads, most lads have come through the club from U10 upwards. They play in probably the most competitive league in the juvenile section where all teams are capable of beating each other—proof being the boys beat Moycullen twice this year in the league, Moycullen went on to play and win the A final while the Claregalway lads had to settle for the B final where they played Titans, which they went on to win with a bit to spare. Most of these lads represent their schools with the Bish, Maree, and Athenry benefitting from the Claregalway lads. A big thank you should go to Brendan Harte, without his presence training couldn’t go ahead as two adults are needed at sessions.

www.Claregalway.info

Coach Mike Murray’s ladies were backed by new and old faces with new recruits Kaisa Borek, Vanessa Creaven and Nikki Burke joining the squad along with some young guns Rachel Gaffney, Stephanie O’Connell, Caitriona Moran and Rebecca Hansberry. They complimented the returning players from last season Georgina, Kate, Mary Kate, Hannah, Shannon, Moya. The ladies competed in the senior league and Cup and won all games from October to April undefeated. The ladies have notch there 6th Cup Title in a row and their 4th league Title in a row and 5th in 6 years. Well done to all involved. Paul Flanagan coached the senior men. The return of Dave Hansberry, Dave Morris and Gregor Galucha added some serious quality. Tony Creane returned after his year off on maternity leave (he was also injured). Serious dealings in the International Transfer Market brought in two more Mayo boys (without the footballers curse) in Daire Conway and Tom Lavin. A badly needed injection of youth from 17 year old Peter Zabeki dropped the average age into the early 40s! All the mentioned, added to club stalwarts Mike Murray, Marius Sarapajavus, Rob Bowe, John Caulfield and the maturing Ryan Murray meant all of a sudden Claregalway now had one of its strongest teams in the club history. Each player added something different at different times. When players were missing others stepped up to close out games. Even a guest appearance from Keith Duggan meant this was truly a great team performance from the whole squad. The Claregalway men’s team went through the season with a 100% win record. A wonderful achievement and one to be proud of. Also a foundation to be built upon. So the call goes out! 2015–16 here we come! 19

Clare River Harriers Raise over €3,500 for Day Care Centre by Tom Kilgarrif

ongratulations to all of Claregalway and the surrounding areas on the massive turnout on the 14th of April for the Claregalway 5K fun-run/walk in aid of the Claregalway and District Day Care Centre with almost 300 participants taking part. First past the finish line was Brian Heavey in a time of 18 minutes and 12 seconds, Kevin Carr was second and Alasdair Conway (Athenry AC) was third. Fiona Duggan (Castlegar AC) won the ladies category with Labhaoise Cassidy (Manuela Riedo Foundation) in second place and Geraldine Nally (Castlegar AC) in third. Thomas McStay was the first past the finish line from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, Gareth Callan was second and Niamh Heffernan was third. Full results are available on ClareRiverHarriers.com. For more photos visit Facebook.com/Claregalway.info. Many thanks to all associated with the local Clare River Harriers Athletic club and the Claregalway and District Day Care Centre on their tremendous effort in organising and staging the 5K and raising the much needed sponsorship. Thank you to Coláiste Bhaile Chláir for the use of the school for registration and refreshments, to the many students, teachers and parents who raised sponsorship and took part or assisted with the event.

The community-curated newsletter for Claregalway, Co. Galway

Tips to Prevent Gout John Duffy MPSI of Claregalway Pharmacy (091 799 754) has shared this information on preventing attacks of gout. For more information, call in and speak with any member of staff. by John Duffy MPSI

Gout is a type of arthritis, typically caused by a build-up of uric acid in the blood. When levels of uric acid build up, it causes crystals to form, which deposit in joints and cause irritation, inflammation and swelling. This is known as a gout attack, which can be very painful.

here are several reasons why the blood may contain high levels of uric acid. It may be a result of the kidney’s reduced ability to clear the uric acid. It may be an overproduction of compounds known as purines. It may be a combination of both. While medications are key factors in the management and treatment of gout, dietary factors can also play an important role. Following dietary advice may or may not accompany medications, but can help to stabilise levels of uric acid in the blood, which can reduce the risk of gout attacks. Below are some ways to prevent gout. Achieve a healthy weight Obesity may be a primary consideration to reduce levels of uric acid in the blood. Insulin resistance is commonly seen in those who are obese, and may be involved in the development of gout. Insulin resistance has been shown to decrease the amount of uric acid that is cleared in the urine. A condition known as the metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms which includes insulin resistance, along with tummy (abdominal) obesity, high blood pressure and abnormal blood fats (lipids)—for example, high cholesterol. This condition is strongly associated with high uric acid levels, which can be improved with slow, gradual weight loss.

www.Claregalway.info

Reduce alcohol Drinking too much alcohol has been associated with gout for many years. However, it is uncertain how it may be related. Some types of alcohol, particularly beer, contain high levels of purines, which could be an indirect cause of gout. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and so drinking too much alcohol can lead to weight gain. There is more risk of gout attacks from drinking beer compared to spirits, and wine drinking in moderation has no associated risk. If you choose to drink alcohol, drinking in moderation is advisable. Two alcohol-free days a week are recommended. Keep hydrated Ensuring a sufficient fluid intake helps to reduce the risk of crystals forming in joints. Keeping hydrated and avoiding dehydration can lessen this risk and help to prevent gout attacks. Dehydration occurs when there is a lack of fluid in the body. Aim to drink at least 2 litres per day. However, you may need as much as 3–3½ litres per day depending on your weight, whether it is hot, or whether you exercise.

Reduce your purine intake Purines are natural compounds found in many foods. When purines are metabolised, they are broken down and their end product is uric acid. Therefore, reducing purine-rich foods, particularly if they are regularly consumed, may help to prevent attacks of gout. Reduce meat (particularly red meat such as beef, pork and lamb), fish and meat from poultry, as these are primary sources of purines. Aim to have no more than one serving of meat/fish/poultry per day, replacing with other sources of protein such as lentils, pulses, eggs or low-fat dairy products. It can be helpful to have 1–2 meat-free days each week. Limit sugary foods Overindulging in these foods can lead to weight gain and obesity. Additionally, sugary foods, drinks and snacks often contain fructose which can increase uric acid levels in the blood and may increase insulin resistance. These are both risk factors for developing gout, so aim to limit these foods.

Don’t forget to like Claregalway Pharmacy on Facebook, for regular updates & competitions!

Local Notices

Bridge Column

Local and qualified night time babysitter available for evenings and weekends. Full, clean driving licence. References available on request. Contact Julie-Ann on 085 7080 214.

Failure of Communication Neither vulnerable, Dealer North North K J 10 9 8 6 A3 5 10 5 4 2 West — K9 AKQJ64 AKQ83

South AQ75432 Q J 10 6 4 2 — —

East — 875 10 9 8 7 3 2 J976

Bidding (Playing 5 card majors) E S W N 2S1 P 4NT2 5S3 P P P4

Yoga with Gráinne Upstairs at Hughes SuperValu Tuesdays 10am, Thursdays 6.45pm Contact Gráinne on 087 923 4669

Claregalway Yoga Upstairs at Hughes SuperValu Morning & Evening Classes

1 Weak, 6 spades 6–10 HCP 2 Meant to be Blackwood, asking for aces 3 Intended as a cue bid, saying to East bid me a suit 4 South dare not double in case 6C/7C is on for E/W

This hand actually appeared in a bridge tournament in Washington in 1956. At all tables (except this one) the final contract was 6S or 7S by North-South, making. Here, the communications mix up led to West playing in 5S with neither his hand nor partner’s owning a single spade. When the dust settled, E/W were 11 down for an outrageous TOP, awarding (in today’s scoring system) 550 points to N/S, who otherwise would have scored either 980 or 1510!

Monday Morning 10.30–11.30am All levels welcome Wednesday Evening 7.30–8.30pm Beginners gentle stretch Phone Claregalway Yoga 087 193 8495

Bridge Club takes place Mondays at 7:30pm and Friday mornings at 10:30am in the Claregalway Hotel.

An nuachtán pobail le haghaidh Baile Chláir, Co. na Gaillimhe

Baile Chláir Ramblers (Claregalway Walking Club) meet Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings each week and all are welcome. Contact Anne 087 248 5559 or Peggy 087 298 1594.

Pilates Classes Tuesday and Saturday mornings in Corrib KickBoxing Club, Claregalway Corporate Park from 11am–12pm. Call Eileen on 0866088137 for more info.

Carnmore / Claregalway Senior Citizens will have their Summer Day outing on June 13th. Bus will leave Loughgeorge at 9:30am, Claregalway Church at 10am and Carnmore Cross at 10:15am. Venue this year is out west to Clifden. The cost of the tour will be €25 which includes travel and dinner. The Senior Citizen Committe will be calling with your invitations and we are looking forward to having a great day. Once again we would like to thank Callinan coaches who provides the bus free of charge.

Charity Take Me Out in Aid of Crumlin Hospital

Sports Injury Therapy Swedish Massage; Hot Stone Massage and Reflexology. Anne-Mullarkey-Moran, MNRRI, MGPP, ITEC, Pollagh House, Pollaghrevagh, Claregalway. 091 798 933 / 087 2485559 annemullarkey@eircom.net

www.Claregalway.info

Following the success of the 2013 event which raised over €2,500 for these Irish charities, we are following up with the 2015 Charity Take Me Out! All proceeds raised will benefit Crumlin Children's Hospital, Console and 1Life (suicide prevention and awareness). This event is in association with Drive4Charity 2015, and is sponsored by Jaycee Printing and C2 Security. Ballroom doors open at 7.30pm, with the event kicking off at 8pm sharp. Like the 2013 event, we will have a Take Me Out with a difference! There will be 3 rounds of men looking for a date and 2 rounds with girls looking for a date! After, DJ Jay Ryan (facebook.com/DiscoSolutionsIre) will be playing all the latest music. For anyone wanting to stay over, the Clayton Hotel have arranged special rates. Plenty of laughs are promised as our delightful host Eoghan Ó Loideáin from 2013 will be hosting once more. If you are paired off with the man or woman of your dreams, you will be whisked away to Shifters! Anyone that takes part gets free entry! :) Tickets bought at the Clayton Hotel Galway or online in advance of the show are €10, and tickets on the night will be €15. For anyone that is interested in taking part, please email takemeoutgalway@gmail.com or drop the Facebook page a private mail.

Coláiste Bhaile Chláir May 2015 News #1 in Connacht #2 in Ireland MATHletes Ireland—12,639 competitors, 700 Provincial finalists, 160 All-Ireland finalists. All students competed from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, producing 27 Provincial finalists, 4 All-Ireland finalists, and Avril King (2nd year) coming first in Connacht. Students at Coláiste Bhaile Chláir had a very successful MATHletes year. The MATHletes Challenge is a free tournament to transform how we learn and teach maths in Ireland with Khan Academy. The 4-month Challenge develops students’ confidence and competence in maths using Khan Academy, the global leader in free online learning. Students and schools from 4th class to 5th year (ROI) and Primary 6 to Year 13 (NI) are eligible. The uniquely competitive and engaging experience culminates with top scorers advancing to in-person playoffs, where over €20,000 in prizes and the title of MATHletes AllIreland Champion.

Night at the Dogs Many thanks to the Parents Association, Local Businesses, Parents, Staff and Students who supported the Coláiste Bhaile Chláir Night at the Dogs held on Saturday the 9th of May.

Campa Gaeilge an tSamhraidh Coláiste na nGael Óg will be providing classes on the following dates. Second Level students/ Daltaí Meánscoile: Cúrsa/Course A: 15–26th of June/Meitheamh Cúrsa/Course C: 20–31st July/Iúil Primary school pupils/Daltaí Bunscoile: Cúrsa/Course B: 6–17th 0f July/Iúil Cúrsa/Course C: 20–31st of July/Iúil

Mathletes Finalists (L–R): Katie McCallig 2nd year, Avril King 2nd year, Dáire Leonard 1st year, Sinéad King 1st year. Three first year students Sarah McHale, Mark Roe and Paul Costello also competed in the final of the Irish Junior Maths competition on Saturday 9th May in Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill.

The camp will run daily from 10am–3pm. The camp will follow the same format as previous summer camps with Irish lessons, drama, sport, dance and music. A tour and t-shirt is included in the fee. Suíomh/Location: The Irish camp will take place in Claregalway College. Clárú/Registration: Registration for classes will take place on Tuesday May 19th 2015 in Claregalway College from 5–6pm. Registration forms will be provided on the night. Táillí/Fees: Total amount of €90 per child to be paid at registration on the 19th of May. If your child has not been with the college before please bring them with you so we can assess their level of Irish. Is iontach an deis é seo cur go mór leis an dul chun cinn iontach a rinne na scoláirí a d’fhreastal ar na campaí an bhliain seo caite. Is cinnte freisin go gcuirfidh sé le dul chun cinn na scolairí sin atá ag clárú leis an gColáiste den chéad uair. The community-curated newsletter for Claregalway, Co. Galway

Claregalway Student on Shortlist for Top Writing Award by Jacqueline Hogge, Tuam Herald

young writer from Claregalway is in the running for a prestigious award, having made the short list for this year’s Write Here Write Now competition. Blythe Stewart, a first year student at Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, travels to the Mansion House in Dublin tomorrow (Thursday) for the Hot Press competition in association with the Dublin One City One Book Festival. The competition aims to promote the best new student writing talent across Ireland and the judging panel includes Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle. Blythe, 12, who is from Oranmore, has received special recognition for her talent given her young age and is hoping for success in the second level category. She is also hoping to secure a special readers award that is determined by public vote, so is encouraging people to log onto the website and read her entry. If successful in winning, the young student will be spending the summer holidays on an internship at Hot Press, where her winning piece will be published in a special edition of the magazine. “There was a huge level of interest in the competition, with thousands of entries pouring in,” said Hot Press editor and chairman of the judging panel, Niall Stokes. “It was really tough narrowing this tsunami down to a shortlist, but that’s what you have to do. In the final analysis, all of the judges were in agreement that the quality of the shortlisted entries was extraordinarily high, and that we have uncovered some remarkable young Irish writing talent.” Write Here Write Now is supported by the Dublin City Libraries, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Eason and Microsoft Office 365. To vote, log on to Hotpress.com/WriteHereWriteNow and press the Tell us you like this button to put her in the running for the special Write Here Write Now Readers’ Award.

For more news, stories and photos from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, follow @ClaregalwayColl on Twitter or like Claregalway.info on Facebook.

www.Claregalway.info

Prizes Abound at Scifest by Sinead King All the students entered in the Scifest competition from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir gathered at the school at quarter past eight on Thursday the 14th of May. After loading the bus, we departure the school and arrived at the GMIT, in time so we could all set up. All the groups found their stalls and were quickly set up and ready to begin. All the competitors were called in to a lecture hall were the organisers called out the day’s schedule. The judges slowly made their way around, with each stall being visited by at least one judge. After 2 hours the competitors went to get lunch. After lunch we were once again called into the lecture hall and we listened to three talks. When the talks were over, the competitors had a chance to ask questions, with Aoife Ryan, a 1st year Claregalway student won a prize for the best question. After a patient wait the organisers started announcing the winners. The first group from Claregalway to be announced as a winner was 1st year girls Ciara Mitchell, Aisling Killilea and Jennifer Hopkins scooping the Space Award. Next to win a prize were 2nd year boys, James and Aidan who won the Sustainable Energy award. Another prize for Claregalway was won with the project Sensor Guide by Alaidh Fox and Deirdre Hughes who won the Boston Scientific Medical Device award. The last win for Claregalway was won by teacher Ms Nolan for the discover space teacher award. Overall it was a great day for Coláiste Bhaile Chláir winning many awards and showing great interest in STEM by all students involved. Projects included: • Autistic Communication App: Megan Dowd, Precious Adeymi, Aisling Murphy • Sensor Guide Vibration/Noise Stick for blind: Alaidh Fox, Deirdre Hughes • Statistical analysis of the relationship between students’ times spent on the online maths study aid Khan Academy and test results—Does spending time on Khan academy improve Students test results? Sinéad King, Louise Mahoney and Aine O’Hanlon • Anaerobic Respiration: James Skerrit, Aidan Owens • Plants for Space Travel: Aisling Killilea, Ciara Mitchell, Jennifer Hopkins • Colonising Mars, Which Plants to Eat—Space Spuds: Patryk Kaz and Cathal Brady • Investigation of the possibility of using compost and slurry as possible energy sources: Rachel O’Hare, Katherine Gallagher, Aoife Ryan • Simulating Martian gravity: Liam Molloy, Simon Coyle, Killian Goaley 25

Athletics 35 students competed in the first ever Connacht Indoor schools event held in Athlone IT. This event gave our athletes the opportunity to compete on the indoor track and had their results timed.

Students from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir who participated in the first ever Connacht Schools indoors at Athlone IT.

Cookery Demonstration by Leah Flynn and Leah Grealish

On the 28th and 29th of April Louise Lennox, a wellknown pastry chef who features on TV frequently came to our school for a cookery demonstration.

ouise demonstrated chocolate covered profiteroles with homemade crème patissiere filling inside and coloured chocolate Coláiste Bhaile Chláir performed very well and the event decorated marshmallows. The ingredients helped to prepare our Athletes for the South Connacht required for the homemade profiteroles were Schools Track and Field finals held at Dangan on April 30th. margarine, cold water, eggs, water, double cream and milk chocolate. While the pastry of the profiteroles were cooking the homemade crème patissiere (custard) was made. The next item to be demonstrated was the homemade marshmallows. We were given the choice of raspberry or vanilla flavoured marshmallows. She also showed how to get a two toned marshmallow effect. The ingredients required for the marshmallows were gelatine leafs, cold water, granulated sugar, liquid glucose, egg whites, vanilla extracts, oil, corn flour and icing sugar. While the marshmallows were cooking, she taught us how to make coloured chocolate. This was very exciting as she showed us how to make unique designs using white chocolate to decorate the marshmallows using a homemade piping bag. Louise took us through each stage of the demonstrations one step at a time. We found it interesting and thought it looked delicious! Some of the students who participated in the Louise brought different volunteers up. When South Connacht Athletics Track & Field in Dangan. Louise finished cooking we were all hoping for a taste and each student tasted a homemade filled profiterole and a chocolate topped marshmallow! It was a fascinating cookery demonstration enjoyed by all. 26 The community-curated newsletter for Claregalway, Co. Galway

Spanish Foreign Exchange in Claregalway by Aleanbh Heffernan and Katie Roche

Coláiste Bhaile Chláir Girls Basketball On Tuesday the 5th of May the first year girls’ basketball team departed from the school along with a group of supporters for schools first ever All Irelands Finals. After arriving in the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght, it was straight into game mode. The girls went straight into their warm-up after coming out of the changing rooms. We got off to a shaky start with Niamh Egan going down with an injury within the first minute. Throughout the game there was a very low score from both sides. As the game entered the last quarter the Cork girls pulled slightly ahead. The team knew entering the last quarter that it was their last chance to make it through to the final, so the pressure was on. In the last 7 minutes Claregalway scored five baskets, more than what they had scored in the previous three quarters put together. Unfortunately it was heartbreak for Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, as the final score line read 18–20. It was a great achievement to reach the All-Ireland semi-final stage after winning the Western Region for a team in early development. Hopefully this is start of great things to come! Congratulations to all players for all their hard work and commitment throughout the year.

For more news, stories and photos from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, follow @ClaregalwayColl on Twitter or like Claregalway.info on Facebook.

www.Claregalway.info

The excitement all started on Wednesday, the 18th of March. We were all eager to meet our Spanish host brothers and sisters that we had been contacting since we found out about the exchange. We had laid out a table of snacks and drinks for the students, since we assumed they would be hungry after all the travelling. They arrived at half past six and we rushed outside to meet them. They were all smiles and we laughed as we greeted each other. We brought them inside and everyone was introduced to each other. We sat and talked and ate for a while and then we went outside and sat in the sun. We sang songs from our countries and played football and basketball. Eventually, the excitement died down and we all went home around eight to introduce the Spanish to our families. Over the next few days, we all became very comfortable with each other and learnt a lot more about the culture and language of each other’s countries. Outside of school, we all met up and went bowling and to see each other. Some went to the cinema and others went to the beach. Either way, everyone went out of their way to make sure that both Irish and Spanish enjoyed their eight day visit. During school, we did the Céile to teach them about traditional Ireland and we taught them different dances as they did the Flamingo. There was a lot of laughing and it took time and patience but somehow seemed to end in laughter. On Sunday, we went to Ailiwee caves and to the Cliffs of Moher. It was a long drive, but we made it fun. The Spanish loved the cliffs overall, and everyone took lots of pictures. They loved the views... And the cows! On Tuesday, we took them on a day trip to Galway city and we intended to show them the Cathedral and the Spanish Arch and a walking tour of Galway. However they got a taste of what Ireland typically was like and it rained on us. We improvised by bringing them to the shopping centres and they bought presents for family and friends back home. On the last day, there was an emotional farewell and we all look forward to visiting them again in Spain. Hasta luego!

Claregalway is Well Represented on Winning Galway Minor Panel

L–R: Megan Glynn, Orla Murphy, Karen Dowd, Elle Glynn, Grace Cahill.

Congratulations to the Galway Minor ladies on their Connaught Final win over Mayo on Bank Holiday Monday. Claregalway were well represented on the Panel with the halfback line being all Claregalway: Orla Murphy, Karen Dowd and Elle Glynn while Megan Glynn starred at midfield.

Galway Podiatry Practice Cloon, Claregalway Preventing, Diagnosing and Treating Conditions of The Lower Limb and Foot

race Cahill also saw action as a midfield sub in the second half. Galway will play the Ulster Champions in the All-Ireland semi in August. Best wishes to Fabienne Cooney, Deirdre Brennan and the Galway Senior Ladies Patricia A Ruane BSc (Hons) Podiatry MChS who play Cork in the Division 1 League Final on Saturday MChSI. Podiatrist/Chiropodist/Registered Nurse in Parnell Park at 3pm. Well done to the Claregalway Junior Ladies who defeated St Michaels in the League on Sunday morning on a score of 2–10 to 2–2. Next Adult game is the Senior league v Annaghdown on Monday next 11th May. Claregalway Junior ladies were in action last Sunday when they took on St. Michael.s at Lakeview Pitch. 23 players togged out hoping for some game time. The visitors put up some stubborn resistance in the first half and was it not for some clever goal duties from the City club, Claregalway would have enjoyed a greater lead than just one point playing with a strong wind at half time. Claregalway mentors made use of their youthful bench for the second half and playing against a stiff wind the home team started to pop over some great points and eventually broke down the route to slot home two fine goals. Michaels never faded though and broke through the middle which ended in a well executed goal. Claregalway were getting stronger as the game went on and won decisively on a scoreline of 2-10 to 2-2. 28 The community-curated newsletter for Claregalway, Co. Galway

Open Mon–Sat 9am–8pm Appointments: 087 3480 810 Now Accepting Medical Card Patient Holders under the New HSE/Merlin Park Podiatry Clinic Project entitling Patients to free Podiatry/Chiropody Treatments. Call For Details.

Art & Craft Workshop Space Available in Claregalway

CruthĂş Art Studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful space in the heart of Claregalway is available to rent for Art and Craft workshops. It is custom built with craft and Art classes in mind and has a kitchen area for the necessary tea and coffee. We are inviting local artisans who may like a space to teach their craft to pop in and see the space available. We would especially like to see some patchwork, jewellery making, card making, basket weaving or photography. In fact the studio is ideal for all kinds of crafts. Call us on 087 6866740 for information.

www.Claregalway.info

Useful Local Contacts Group Contact name

Contact number

Carnmore National School John Reilly

091 798 718

Compántas Lir Drama Dermot Hession

085 711 4352

Conradh na Gaeilge Anna Glynn

091 798 351

Claregalway & District Day Care Centre

Geraldine Carr

086 227 4139

Claregalway Cemetery Maintenance

Malachy Noone

087 133 3711

Claregalway Cemetery Caretaker

Seamus O’Connell

087 313 7282

Claregalway Educate Together NS Terri Claffey

091 798 356

Claregalway Folk Choir Anne Moylan

087 638 6626

Claregalway National School Carmel Burns

091 798 720

Claregalway Parish Office Teresa Payne

091 798 741

Coláiste Bhaile Chláir Alan Mongey

091 799 001

9 Arch Musical Society Annette Cavanagh

087 219 7772

Our Local Sponsors

Useful Local Websites

Claregalway Basketball Club

www.assumptionandsaintjamesparish.com

Claregalway Dental Surgery Claregalway Hotel Claregalway Medical Centre Claregalway Pharmacy Compántas Lir Drama Group Glynn’s Centra Carnmore Hughes SuperValu Claregalway Noel Grealish td Carnmore Paul Nash Transport The Arches Hotel Claregalway Treat Café Claregalway T Duggan Garage Claregalway This free community-curated newsletter is produced voluntarily. We rely on the generous sponsorship we receive from local businesses to cover printing costs and maintaining our website Claregalway.info. Please show your support for Nuacht Chláir, and the businesses that help make it possible, by shopping local when possible. 30

www.bawnmorens.ie www.Claregalway.info www.carnmore.net www.carnmoreschool.scoilnet.ie www.claregalwaybasketball.net www.claregalwaygaa.net www.claregalwayeducatetogether.blogspot.com www.claregalwaycastle.com www.colaistebhailechlair.com www.compantaslir.ie www.cregmorens.blog.com www.facebook.com/Claregalway.info

Advertising Rates (per issue) Full Page €100 ½ Page €50 You can share stories by posting them to Nuacht Chláir, Currach Ruadh, Creig Buí, Baile Chláir, Contae na Gaillimhe. by emailing them to news@Claregalway.info by phoning Josette on 086 391 3852 / 091 798 430 or you can message through our Facebook page www.facebook.com/Claregalway.info

The community-curated newsletter for Claregalway, Co. Galway

May Crossword

Brian Place Crossword Editor

Post completed Crosswords to: B.D. Place, Woodleigh, Creig Buí, Baile Chláir, Co na Gaillimhe.

1st correct Crossword opened wins a meal for 2 in the Arches Hotel, Cois Chláir, Claregalway. Last month’s crossword winner was Michael Canavan, Claregalway

Name Phone Across 1 Oak fruit (5) 4 One of Boat Race contenders (9) 9 Insect pupal stage (7) 10 Eucharist cup (7) 11 Circular dome openings (5) 13 Choose (5) 15 Electroconvulsive therapy (3) 16 Solid water (3) 17 Yellow-orange colour (5) 19 Containers for wine (5) 21 Containers for e.g. grain (5) 23 Quoted (5) 24 Fluid containing structure (3) 25 Young of several mammals (3) 26 Fluid filled sacs (5) 28 Mother of pearl (5) 29 Funambulist (7) 31 Showy passage near end of concerto (7) 33 Acts one upon another (9) 34 Abbreviation of Cecilia (5)

D R

S W E

A R

L A

K R

G O

R U

S O

W R

K 27

Y A

A Q

T U

A C A

E M

U A

N K

E O

Y 17

E 21

Y A

T 11

Last month’s solution

Down 1 Engraulis encrasicholus (pl) (9) 2 Close (7) 3 Non-commissioned officer (3) 4 Rigid system of social distinctions (5) 5 Mackintosh (3) 6 Respond to stimulus (5) 7 Chemicals for removing ice (7) 8 Throw out (5) 12 Images (5) 14 Build (5) 18 Journalists (slang) (5) 19 Triplet of nucleotides in mRNA (5) 20 Handler of correspondence etc. (9) 22 Topical floor show (7) 24 Divisions of time (7) 25 Carnivore of genus Nasua (5) 26 Scottish pole or beam (5) 27 Footwear (5) 30 Spasmodic muscular contraction (3) 32 December (3)

Supermarket Opening Hours

Post Ofﬁce Opening Hours

Monday–Saturday: 8am–9pm Sunday & Bank Hols: 9am–7pm

Monday–Friday: 9am–5:30pm Saturday: 9am–1pm

Tel: 091 798 138

Tel: 091 798 101

Keep it Local & SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! With our range of Quality Well Priced SuperValu own branded items, our low priced Daily Basics Range, Our 3-weekly WOW & Handbill Promotions & of course Toilet Our Bargain Den with 100s of Big Kittensoft Branded Special Offers that will not be beaten. Tissue 24pk Wasspecial €13.99offers in Hughes’ Bargain Den: Here is just a sample of our many Now €8.99

Siucra Granulated Sugar 1kg Only €1.39 or 2 for €2.19

Kittensoft Toilet Tissue 24pk Was €13.99 Now €8.99

Kelloggs Corn Flakes 750g Was €4.06 Now €2.79

Weetabix Weetos 350g Only €1.99 or 2 for €3.49

Pampers Baby Dry Jumbo Pack 66pce Only €9.99

Persil Bio/Non-Bio Powder 45 Wash Half Price €9.07

Check out our Aldi Price Match 32 Campaign

We won’t be beaten on price, even by the Discounters! (Check local paper & our Handbills for our many specials) The community-curated newsletter for Claregalway, Co. Galway Don’t forget to like our Facebook page!