nuacht chláir january & february 2012

Nuacht ChlThe local newsletter for Claregalway & CarnmoreVol. 16 Iss. 5 | January & February 2012 FREE

Ailbhe Hession— “Voice of Claregalway”

Well done to Ailbhe Hession (pictured) who has got though to the next stage of the Voice on RTÉ 1. Ailbhe had to sing for the coaches in a ‘blind’ audition where the coaches were only able to hear her sing, but not see her. Sharon Corr was immediately smitten with Ailbhe’s voice and will be her coach and mentor.

Local News, Health & Sportwww.nuachtchlair.com

There are four coaches in total: Sharon Corr, Bressie, Kian Egan and Brian Kennedy. They each choose 12 singers for their team who they will then men-tor. The singing battle rounds will take place next and then the live perfor-mance shows will begin on March 4th. The live shows will run for nine weeks, with the public helping to decide who stays in the competition. The final four contestants—one for each coach—will compete in the grand final for a recording contract with Universal Music. For the young Claregalway woman, winning the Coyote Factor was another significant step on a musical journey that she now hopes will see her pursue her love of singing and performing and make a great name for herself. Ailbhe

Móna Wise’s Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe p.4

“I’ve been singing as long as I can remember. I sang in the school and in the local choir. The GAF, which was the Youth Cafe on Francis Street, gave me a few gigs as well which was great as it got me into the gigging.”

Healthy Eating Tips from Claregalway Pharmacy p.9

Thought for the week —“Life is like a cup of tea”p.14

has been impressing music impre-sarios for many years, singing and writing songs and playing alongside Tom Pyne as a member of The Wave. Gigging has become part of Ailbhe’s life.

She graduated with a degree in Music & English from UCD so she has a very solid foundation in music.Continued on page 8

The Nuacht Chláir is the local newsletter for Claregalway and Carnmore, Co. Galway. 1000 copies are printed monthly and the newsletter is also available online at www.nuachtchlair.com.

2 | www.nuachtchlair.com

Supermarket Opening Hours

Monday-Saturday: 8am-9pmSunday & Bank Hols: 9am-6pm

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Post Office Opening Hours

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SponsorsEditorialJosette Farrell, Editor

The acquisition of a premises for a Day Care Centre is welcome news for the Claregalway & District area. The committee has done trojan work in sourcing a suitable prem-ises for this Centre. It is ideally placed in the heart of the village adjacent to the Dental Surgery. The idea was the brainchild of Tom McCann who is in the Medi-cal field and has seen firsthand the positive benefits of these Centres around the country. In this day and age, people can become so busy and immersed in their own world, leaving no time to visit people on their own. That is where Day Care Centres come into play and provide that contact for isolated people. In the bigger picture, the acquisition of a purpose built site for a Retire-ment Village would be the icing on the cake. One could have their own little apartment with access to facilities around them. Retire-ment Villages are very common in England, France, etc. and are very successful for all concerned. A Public Meeting will be held in the Arches Hotel on Thursday at 8.30pm keeping you updated on the progress of the Day Care Centre. Check out Claregal-way & District Day Care Centre on facebook. Geraldine Carr is the driving force behind this as well as being Secretary of the Day Care Centre, keeping us all well informed with her professionalism to the project.

Le Grá, in Hughes Shopping Cen-tre, is a beautiful Art & Crafts shop situated at the rear of the Shopping Centre beside R.C. Hair Salon. Continued best wishes to Ester for the future with this great place that is well worth a visit to. G.I.Y. (Grow it Yourself ) will be back in The Arches Hotel on the Wednesday 29th February at 8pm. The guest speaker is Anna Jeffrey of Kinvara Sustainable Gardens who will give loads of tips on getting your gardens in order. GIY is a growing phenomenon all over Ire-land and groups are setting up on a regular basis. Check out their new website www.giyireland.com. We hope to see all you Social Dancers from the S.M.A. House and elsewhere at the Arches Hotel for your practice dance on the 24th February where you can dance the night away with Big Sam who won’t leave you sitting!

Until next time,Josette

To submit stories & articles, contact us:Nuacht Chláir,‘Currach Ruadh,’ Creig Buí, Baile Chláir,Co. na Gaillimhe.

[email protected]: 086 391 3852 091 798 430

The Nuacht Chláir is compiled voluntarily by a small committee and distributed free of charge. We would like to sincerely thank our sponsors & advertisers, without whom this publication would not be possible.

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Want your business listed here?Visit www.nuachtchlair.com/ advertising-sponsorship


Chicken Tortilla Soup WiseWords from Móna Wise

Feast on this for an evening meal with your family served along side a salad of chopped tomatoes, avocado and onion and then look forward to the leftovers for lunch the next day. It is really that good.

They say that the way to a mans heart is through his stomach and I think it is fair to say that when reversed this works just as well the other way. I have never been a huge fan of food that looks so fancy on the

plate you are not really sure where to start with it. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all the effort that goes into such preparations, but I am a low maintenance kind of girl. I want it to be nutritious and delicious. I feel that if it is,

Móna Wise is a local writer & mother. Check out her blog at www.wisewords.ie.

then very little fussing is needed. This recipe, for Chicken tortilla soup is a bit involved. It is even one of those soups that might improve after an stint (overnight) in the fridge. The flavours are big and bold and fabulous.

—4 sticks of celery (diced)—1 onion—1 carrot (diced)—225g (8oz) streaky bacon (chopped up raw)

—3 tablespoons olive oil—2 tablespoons minced garlic—2 chipotles peppers in adobo sauce

—1 tin of chopped tomatoes—1 bay leaf—1/2 cup of green chills

MethodSauté the garlic, onions, bacon, celery and carrot in the olive oil until the bacon is cooked and the onions have softened. Add chills, bay leaf, tinned tomatoes and all of the seasonings and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock, the chipoltle peppers in adobo sauce, the torn up corn tortillas, the beans and the chunks of chicken. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and let the soup simmer slowly for an hour. Add salt and pepper if needed. Serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt or sour cream and a few sprigs of coriander.

—1 1/2 liters of chicken stock—1 tin of kidney beans—2 corn tortillas - torn up into bite sized pieces

—1 roast chicken - shredded into bite sized pieces (not small)

—1 teaspoon of ground coriander—1 teaspoon ground cumin—1 teaspoon chili powder—1 full cinnamon stick—Salt and black pepper to taste

Ingredients SubstitutionsWe made this right after Christmas using the leftover turkey meat. I think the most impor-tant thing of this whole soup making process is to use good chicken stock. Make your own.

Wise NotesThis is a spicy soup so if you are making it for the whole family it is best to leave the chilis out and add them at the end for the adults.

Móna Wise


New Year brings New HopeThe New Year brings new hope in to our lives, the hope that something different will change our lives for the better. Many people commit to New Year’s resolutions in an effort to change the way that they are, as presently they may not be fully satisfied with where they are right now in their lives.

Some people choose to lose weight or exercise more. Some people choose to be more confident, while for others it could be to read more books, be more sociable, commu-nity involvement, a career change, meeting new people, or just want-ing to make life better or more interesting for themselves. For many years, I have been setting goals for myself. I kept my goals, big and small. The small ones were short term and achiev-able, while longer term goals took more effort to achieve. As a coach, I work with people to achieve their goals and from my experience, for goals to be success-ful, they should have well formed desired outcomes. To clarify I have outlined below how each goal should have the ingredients below in order for them to become successful.

State Your Goals PositivelyYour goals are positively stated. The way we speak to ourselves is hugely important. By talking and thinking in a positive way you are already half way to achieving your goals. As an Irish nation we tend to negatively without realising it. For example: I won’t eat junk food anymore in the evenings (this is an example of negative talking / thinking). You are setting yourself up for a fall by talking/ thinking to yourself in this way. So how should one talk to oneself? A more useful and positive way is the positive phrasing of “I will eat more healthily”. What’s the dif-ference? In fact, while the meaning is the same, the signal that you are sending to your brain is “eat junk food evenings” as your brain is unable to recognise the word ‘not’.

Make Goals AchievableWhat the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve; I love this quote from Napolean Hill. It demonstrates exactly what you need to do to achieve your goals - believe that your goals are achievable. People place limitations on us, sometimes we place limitations to ourselves. People wonder how some people are really successful and immediately say “Oh, I am not like them, I could never do that….” You can. Have the confidence to believe in yourself and you will be surprised at what you can achieve. On the other hand, some people set the bar too high so it may be useful to break goals into milestones and then see how close you are to the your overall aim.

“Dream BIG, because the worst thing that could happen is a small dream comes true”

—Orrin Woodward

Be IndependentGoals should never be dependent on anyone else. Be independent and take control of your life. This means that if someone lets you down, go solo or try someone else. I used to use the excuse that I couldn’t do something because I had no one with me to support me (for example, travelling around the world). Yet the minute I removed this limitation I realised the only person stopping me from my dream was me. Take control of your goals and make them happen.

Write It DownSometimes even writing down a goal can make a huge difference. It’s like making a commitment that the goal will happen. You need to ensure that you can measure how close or how ar away you are from the goal. To make this fail proof; be sure to include the following:

—Write specifically what the goal is—How the goal will benefit you—When it will happen— Will you know you’re on track?

—What will happen if you do achieve the goal?

—What will happen if you don’t?—How will it benefit you and others around you

Continued overleaf


About the Author William is a coach who works with people in a way that works for them. He is currently a national director of the international coaching federation. He also addressed the National Forum on Resilience in Áras an Uachtaráin. He offers many services to help people on all levels in their personal lives, business lives and careers. William specialises in working with people in developing confidence, whether that is in improving a client’s business, career or public speaking. He also runs courses nationwide on time management. If you would like to take immediate action and achieve your goals, contact William on 091 739 676 or [email protected].

For a positive change to happen we need to be clear on what we want and we must be motivated towards it. This requires clarity on what you want, motivation, discipline and to be resilient - resilient in a way that when we get knocked back or side tracked that we focus on what we want to achieve.

Setting a Plan A real decision is measured by the fact that you have taken action. To be successful, outline milestones and some targets for yourself. This will provide clarity and focus on how to achieve your goals. So my next question is: What are the first steps you will take?

Breaking a Pattern & Getting SupportSometimes the way people are working, really isn’t working for them. They need to break the pat-tern of what they are doing in order to achieve their goals. That’s all and well you may say but it’s easier said than done. Well of course that is true. Einstein once said the defini-tion of madness is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. For people to make a real change in their lives requires personal insight and also the knowledge that to achieve their goals personal change must happen first. It is your responsibility to achieve your goals, you are accountable for you. For 2012 challenge yourself, make real change, be true to your-self, do what will make you really happy. Only you know what can make you happy, have the control

to make that happen. Don’t look back a year from now and wish you had done something about it - take action now. Personal Coaching is used by people to achieve their goals and to explore what will make them happy and successful. If you are interested in achieving your goals contact [email protected]

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Lead: Club KHow would you make this contract? (this deal occurred on 13th Dec in a local club and we failed; others succeeded!) Solution: Win with Club Ace. Play S4 towards AK, win with either, once Q appears. Play AK of Hearts, discarding Club 9 and Diamond 5. Play Heart Jack, discarding Diamond 7 from hand. West wins. If Club King is returned, ruff low, draw trumps with Spade Jack followed by small to the remaining top honour in dummy. Play the remaining 3 Hearts and claim. You could, of course, ruff the 3rd Heart, in which case the Heart Queen falls and then draw trumps ending in dummy and thereby make all 13 tricks. We went down 2!

Art Classes

in watercolour, pastels & drawing,

commencing in Claregalway

in February with

Barbara C. Kavanagh.

Contact 086 805 9881 for details.

All levels welcome.

Guitar Lessons

Contact Ger at087 217 0930

All ages and levels.

Parish Notices

SMA House Christmas Cake Raffle

Congratulations to the winner, Giselle Varley,

from Gortacleava.

The raffle raised approximately €500. The SMA Fathers wish to thank all

who generously supported this.

Irish Grinds

available for Junior & Leaving

Certificate students.

Contact Niamh at

087 629 3315

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

every Wednesday

from 10.00am – 6.00pm.

Rosary at 2.00pm for families.

Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3.00pm.

Rosary at 5.00pm for Priests.

All welcome.

Yoga with Magsin Claregalway Study Centre

Wednesdays from 10–11.30am.

Contact 086 391 3852 for info.

Badminton for Adults every Tuesday from

10 – 11.30am in Claregalway Community Centre.

All welcome.

French GrindsContact Aline O’ Connell at

087 629 3315 or aline.o’[email protected]

Submit at www.nuachtchlair.com/contact

March 24thAthenry10-11am

April 28thBodyke

11.10-12.10

May 26thLoughrea10-11am

June 23rd Oughterard10.36-11.24

August 25thCregmore8.30-10.00

Oct 20thGort

10-11am

Loughgeorge Golf Soc. 2012 Outings

Claregalway/Carnmore Senior

Citizens Committee

Cards and bingo held every

Monday night at 8.00pm in

Cairdeas (Parish Meeting Room).

Come along and join in.

Bus service available.

Congratulations to Noelle Fleming, Cahergowan, who got engaged to Pat Gaughan, Mayo, at Christmas.

Congratulations also to Mairead Morley, Cahergowan, and Duncan McFadyn,Glasgow, Scotland, who got engaged recently.

Claregalway/Carnmore Active

Retirement meeting every Friday morning in Cairdeas. If you are retired

why not come along?

New members always welcome.

We welcome Conor O’Dwyer, Robert O’Sullivan, Amelia Esler, Annie Finegan, Harry O’Connell, Micheál Geraghty & Sophia Coen in to our Christian Community.

We wish Mrs. Ann Moran, Gortatleva, the best for her retirement from teaching in Carnmore NS.

Rest in PeaceJohn Hynes, Birmingham & Late Carnmore.


The HurricaneMighty the force of that lashing sea,The rigging trembled and moaned,In mountainous waves as none did see,On an ocean that boiled and foamed.

That hurricane’s blast shook the mast,The decks were out of bounds,And men thought of sins long past –In the ‘eye’ of the storms sound.

We pitched, rolled twisted and tossed,Like a cork on maddened seas,Some said” we’re as good as lost”,And spoke to God on knees.

Crockery stashed broke loose and smashed,All hell was unleashed below,As downward waves onboard crashed – Each threatened a mortal blow.

All our thoughts were in unisonAt each dangerous breaking wave,And spoke for all the Bosun,Saying “for us it’s a watery grave”.

The angel of death was about that night, We felt his beating wings,And waited white, numb with fright,In dread of his deadly sting.

When that awful wind was done,And slow came the dawning day,Some also looked at the rising sun,And to that God too did pray.

Grateful now to have won the fight,And our ship still making way,Damaged she was, yet watertight - All thoughts of God – we stowed away.

Some Eastern Seamen venerated the sun.

Edward Coppinger

Public Meeting in ClaregalwayClaregalway & District Day Care Centre are holding a Public Meeting to update residents on progress

The meeting will be held on Thursday

23rd Februaryin the Arches Hotel Claregalway.

at 8.30pmEveryone Welcome!

Find us on Facebook:Claregalway & District Day Care Centre

“Voice of Claregalway” Continued from front cover

Ailbhe comes from a family of five and her parents are Mike and Liz, who are well known in Drama and theatrical circles in Claregalway and Carnmore. Her maternal grandmother Betty Whelan from Shanaglish was a classical singer who had her voice trained in Italy back in the 1930’s. The same Betty even went on to sing for seven cardinals in The Vatican, but she gave it all up and came back to Ireland and settled down. Ailbhe’s Mother Liz also has a superb voice havingsang Solo and with the Church choir down through theyears. And it doesn’t end there—Ailbhe’s aunt is NoreenWhelan O’Toole, the Galway–based voice coach. Ailbhe’s voice often resounds throughout the Church in Claregalway, and at Christmas time her unique version of O Holy Night has become a much–loved tradition at Mass.Her repertoire also extends to music for weddings and other occasions and many a bride and groom have walked down the aisle to the sound of Ailbhe’s beautiful voice. This modest young lady will go far and it is well deserved. We wish her the best of luck in the Voice and in the future.


Healthy Eating—A Summary of Basic Principles of a Healthy Diet

John Duffy, MPSI, of Claregalway Pharmacy shares these tips for maintaining a healthy diet.

Eat plenty of starchy foods (complex carbohydrates)The main part of most meals should be starchy foods such as bread, cereals, potatoes, rice, and pasta, together with fruit and vegetables. Some people wrongly think that starchy foods are ‘fat-tening’. In fact, they contain about half the calories than the same weight of fat.

Eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit & vegetables each dayOne portion is:

—one large fruit such as an apple, pear, banana, orange, or a large slice of melon or pineapple,

—two smaller fruits such as plums, satsumas, etc.

—one cup of small fruits such as grapes, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, etc.

—two large tablespoons of fruit salad, stewed or canned fruit,

—one tablespoon of dried fruit, —150ml glass of fresh fruit juice, —a normal portion of any vegetable (about two tablespoons),

—one dessert bowl of salad.

Eat “protein foods” in moderationMeat, fish, nuts, pulses, chicken, and similar foods are high in protein. You need some protein to keep healthy. However, most peo-ple eat more protein than is needed. Choose poultry such as chicken or lean meat. Oily fish is thought to help protect against heart disease. For example, herring, sardines, mackerel, salmon, kip-pers, pilchards, and fresh tuna (not tinned tuna). Aim to eat at least two portions of fish per week, at least one of which should be oily.

Don’t eat too much fatTry not to fry much food. It is bet-ter to grill, bake, poach, barbecue, or boil food. If you do fry, use un-saturated oil such as corn, sunflow-er or olive oil. Choose lean cuts of meat, and cut off any excess fat. Try not to add unnecessary fat to food. For example, use low fat spreads, spread less butter or mar-garine on bread, measure out small portions of oil for cooking, etc. Watch out for hidden fats that are in pastries, chocolate, cakes, and biscuits.Have low-fat milk, cheeses, yoghurts, and other dairy foods rather than full-fat varieties.Avoid cream. Use low fat salad cream, or low-fat yoghurt as a cream substitute.

Claregalway Pharmacy, Tel/fax 091 799 754Opens Monday to Friday until 8pm and 7pm on Saturday. For more information and advice on healthy eating visit www.safefood.eu

Don’t have too many sugary foods and drinksThese are high in calories, and too much may cause weight gain (and they are bad for your teeth).

Try not to eat too much saltUse small amounts of salt with cooking, and don’t add more salt at the table.

Don’t drink too much alcoholA small amount of alcohol (1-2 units per day) may help to protect you from heart disease. One unit is about half a pint of normal strength beer, or two thirds of a glass of wine, or one pub measure of spirits. However, too much can be harmful. Men should drink no more than 21 units per week (and no more than four units in any one day). Women should drink no more than 14 units per week (and no more than three units in any one day).

John DuΩy


Conradh na Gaeilge Anna Glynn 091 798 351

Cloonbiggeen Residents Association Vincent Lyons 087 638 6432

Compántas Lir Drama Dermot Hession 085 711 4352

Claregalway Chess Club Evelyn McStay/Mags Brennan

086 819 3487087 238 9451

Claregalway Basketball Club Liam Ryder 087 824 6842

Claregalway/Carnmore Active Retirement Pat Griffith 087 969 6770

Claregalway/Carnmore Senior Citizens Josephine Noone 091 798 368 / 086 121 0996

Claregalway Cemetery Maintenance Seamus O’Connell 087 313 7282

Claregalway Group Water Scheme Tom Lennon 087 649 0781

Claregalway/Lackagh Community Games Rita Healy 087 972 5888

Claregalway Agricultural Show Madge Fahy 087 987 0660

Claregalway Badminton Club Mary Forde 091 798 114

Carnmore Community Centre

Local Community Groups

Mike Kelly 091 798 517

Group Contact name(s) Contact number(s)

Carnmore Hurling Club Michael Fox 091 794 992

Carnmore Ladies Club Bríd Conneely 091 794 374

Carnmore National School John Reilly 091 798 718

Claregalway IFA (Irish Farmers Association) Ollie O’Connell 087 293 3939

Claregalway Naíonra Lisa Martyn 087 207 0558

Claregalway National School Pat Coen 091 798 956

Claregalway Second-Level School Paddy Tobin 087 782 5302

Claregalway Drama Festival Seamus McNulty 087 222 2589

Claregalway Educate Together National School Terri Claffery 091 798 356

Claregalway GAA Sean Flanagan 091 799 258

Claregalway Historical Cultural Group Seamus O’Connell 087 313 7282

Claregalway & District Gun Club Tom Hughes 091 798 215 / 087 972 6117

Claregalway Community Centre Ltd. Michelle Rohan 087 647 8976

Claregalway & District Day Care Centre Geraldine Carr 086 227 4139


Claregalway Legion of Mary Anne Prior/Anne Garrett

091 799 167087 295 0896

Claregalway St. Joseph’s Young Priests Society Marie Dempsey 086 836 5144

Claregalway Ave Maria Prayer Group Fr.Dan O’Neill 091 798 880

Social Dancing (SMA House) Niall Doorhy 087 918 1863

Claregalway Apostolic Society Mary Grealish 091 794 713

Corrib School of Irish Dancing Aoife Dempsey 087 695 0457

Claregalway Adult Choir Marie Dempsey 091 798 125

Claregalway Folk Choir Anne Moylan 087 638 6626

Claregalway Vincent de Paul 091 563 233

Claregalway Youth Prayer Group Olivia Garrett 087 990 9284

Claregalway Clare River Harriers Brian Kenny 087 991 2824

Claregalway Western Family History Association Sean Flanagan/PRO. Bríd Higgins

091 799 258087 795 6229

Claregalway Newsletter — Nuacht Chláir Josette Farrell 086 391 3852

Claregalway Cubs/Scouts Andrea Lenihan 087 211 7569

Claregalway Community Development Vincent Lyons 087 638 6432

Claregalway Youth Club Eileen Ryder 087 671 1602

Cregmore/Claregalway Soccer Club Paul Horkan 087 279 2835

Group Contact name(s) Contact number(s)

Claregalway Foróige Malachy Noone 087 133 3711

Claregalway Lakeview Residents Association Christine Keaney 091 798 156

Loughgeorge Golf Society Neil Lyons 086 842 7093


or visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/nuacht.chlair

[email protected]/contactCall: 086 391 3852 091 798 430

For the past number of years, Nuacht Chláir has been compiling a directory of businesses and organisations operating in Claregalway. For more listings, see our online directory on www.nuachtchlair.com


Celebrate your Child’s First Holy Communion/Confirmation with lunch at the Claregalway Hotel3 Course Lunch just €19.50Kids Lunch Portions €10.00

ß Quality Foodß Friendly Serviceß Excellent Valueß Complimentary Colouring Materialsß Free Parking

To book your party

Call 091 738300Email: [email protected]


Ronan Scully is the West of Ireland representative for Self Help Africa.www.selfhelpafrica.org

Thought for the Week—Life is like a cup of tea

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 become. 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 realized our potential, strength, willpower or heart.

Make everyday countThe 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, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the impor-tance of being cautious to whom you open your heart. Make every day count. Appreciate every mo-ment and take from those mo-ments 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. May an-other of the stories from my Nana Scully’s prayer book might throw a little light on the subject.

Life is like a Cup of TeaA group of alumni, highly estab-lished in their careers, got together to visit their old college professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests tea, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of tea and an assortment of cups—porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal—some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He told his guests to help themselves to the tea. After everyone had a cup of tea in hand, the professor said, “If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. “While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup adds no quality to the tea. In most cases, it is just more expensive, and in some cases, even hides what we drink. “What all of you really wanted was tea. But you conscious-ly went for the best cups. And then you began eyeing each other’s cups, to see who had the best one. “Now consider this: Life is the

tea. The jobs, money, and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life. And the type of cup we have does not define, nor change, the quality of life we live. “Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the tea. So as much as you can, savor the tea, not the cups! “The happiest people that I know in my circle of life don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. “Live simply. Speak kindly. Care deeply. Love generously.”

Thought for the weekLook at ways you can bring peace & joy into peoples lives that need it and to the lives of people around you. Try as much as you can to live a life of deep love and care.

Ronan Scully


Fr. Ian’s Sermon for Statia Kealy’s Funeral

This is the sermon given by Fr. Ian at the funeral of his grand-aunt Statia Kealy who died on September 23rd 2011, then being the oldest person in Ireland. You will see that she was very important to Ian personally but she also made a profound contribution to very many people and places in her life.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord. These are the words of the prophet Job who was assailed by many disasters in life but never lost faith or gave up hope in God. And these are the words that come strongly to mind when I sat last night contem-plating what to say today.

We are at Statia’s funeral Mass. She would not like it to be just stories and yarns about her. She would expect it to be about God. About his love and mercy. About his wisdom. And about his forgiveness. So I will try. The most abiding memory for me over the last four hard days, the one I know will remain with me for the rest of my life is the saying the Rosary last evening in the open air, at Statia’s front door in Ballinphrase. Those of you that were there will know what I mean. The white oak coffin was carried out to her front gate and rested there as the crowd gathered around and we said the glorious mysteries.

Redmond Loughlin, Bill Shortell, Johnny Lougheman, The Gannons, Jimmie Fitz. And no, it wasn’t all just men—though a very, very high proportion of them were. She liked men very much. Indeed she said that the company of one man was better than that of five women.

We could hear horses in Bartons field. We saw a V of birds fly west in the evening sky. We felt a gentle September breeze on our faces and we felt the pang of emotion as Statia, after one hundred and eight years, left her house for the last time. She was happy there. She was conceived there. And born there. And was a child there at the beginning of the last century. And she grew there. And saw her siblings grow too and saw them leave, one by one. And she saw her mother and her father die there. And for forty-six years she lived on her own there. It was there Statia created a generous kitchen and kept the seemingly bottomless bin her grandfather made well stocked with drink and delicacies for old and young; peggies leg and baby powers, woodbines and rich-tea biscuits. It was to this flag floored kitchen with blazing turf fire she invited neighbours and friends, tradesmen and people of the road .

It is a hard sermon. I want to do Statia justice, to do right by her. But the trouble is that there is so much I could say and its very hard to cut it down. So many stories. So many incidents. So many memories. So much to tell you. Things that would make you laugh. Things that would surprise you. Things that maybe I should not tell at all. But perhaps this is not the time for simple reminiscence.

She fed her visitors, entertained them, told them yarns, matched them, minded them, made them feel important and made them feel welcome. Continued overleaf


And yet, as night fell dark in Ballinphrase, each visitor bade Statia goodbye and she walked them to the gate and she wished them God’s speed. That’s what I was reminded of last evening when she came as far as the gate for the last time and we offered the Hail Marys and Glory Be’s. That Statia was so generous and good and warm and engaging, that she was so enamoured by good people and good company. And yet, each night as the visitors said goodbye, she turned to return through the half door to be alone. Just herself, her flickering fire and her faith.

And so in those long nights alone Statia prayed her prayers and her said her trimmings and told her needs and her thanks, her fears and her dreams to him. She prayed the Rosary – all the decades and more. She prayed to Mary and spoke of her as if she was a close neighbour – though she doubted Josephs ability as a carpenter – if he were any good he should have been able to make a cart for the donkey. She prayed for so many needs, for so many people, for so many inten-tions. It wasn’t that she was always asking. Statia was not a demanding person. She wasn’t setting out a list of requests and inten-tions. It was more that God kept her company and that she believed that God also expected her to keep him company. Like a courting couple. Or an old married couple who are still in love. She enjoyed God, knew him, trusted him, was used to him.

And was convinced, utterly convinced that God knew her, trusted her, was used to her. And all this despite the fact that all was not always easy for Statia Kealy. True, the Lord surely did give to Statia. He gave her such a strong sense of identity. Such a rich sense of community. Such loving parents. He gave her faith and long life and good neighbours. He gave her a really mischievous sense of humour. By God could she laugh and sing and celebrate. But it has to be said that much was also taken away. Hard things to endure. The death of her parents. The death of her siblings. Indeed it is a strange fact that Statia had to endure the death of every single person in Ireland who was older than her. And other things were taken from her too. Her sight deteriorated as she grew older. Her cataracts prevented her reading her prayerbooks. And maybe as significant she could no longer peruse the Lonely Hearts Column of Ireland’s Own. Her hearing disapproved with years too. The woman who relished music, jokes and ‘good ones’ could no longer hear Céilí House or Fáilte Isteach. And her mobility lessened. Statia walked to Galmoy for Mass as a youth, went to Rathdowney for shopping (and indeed on two occasions for court appearances – but maybe that story is best reserved for later on) and travelled far and wide with Paddy the pony. But in latter years she first relied on a stick, then on a zimmer frame, then on a wheel chair and finally it cost her some effort to sit out on her chair. Her hands too, that had made bread and written beautiful letters and whitewashed her home and, in her early years as a streamstress in Cullahill made wedding dresses for contented brides and habits for the dead, these delicate, nimble, gifted hands became stiff and lost their suppleness. So yes, Statia was given much. She had so much and always named her latter days as being her best. But from Statia too, much was taken. Her independence. And her abilities. Many of her senses. Though, it must be said, never her memory. Never her clarity. Never her firm faith or her ability to trace relations or know her mind. But much was taken. Much she could have resented. Much she could have been embittered about. Much that she could have lost faith over. Much that could have caused her to turn from God.

And I suppose that’s what I really want to talk about—her faith. In a funny way, faith for Statia did not require faith. It was never doubted or debated. It was convinced and absolute belief. Not some notion of a God far away. Not some dry dogma or notional position. Not even a belief of a God who lived down in this church or in that tabernacle. For Statia God lived in Ballinphrase. Lived with her. Shared her journey, her joys and her judgements. God who listened to every word spoken, every thought contemplated. God who blessed her with the good things and who helped her through the hard and difficult things.


But she never did. She never did lose faith. The Lord did give to her. And the Lord did take away. But Statia still blessed him like Job, still trusted him, still left him in charge. Some people say that it was grand for Statia. That she never knew real stress or worry and that she had an idyllic life. These people are wrong. The woman in the unvarnished oak co≈n here today had hard times and knew hardship. The whole point is though that she didn’t lose any faith in her God so Statia Kealy didn’t let stress or worry overpower her or control her or dominate her. She had reasons to be stressed in her life. But she replaced this stress with an enduring passion and belief that God is good.

Her arrangements have long been made. Sullivans undertakers. A night in Ballinphrase. A night in the church in Galmoy. Buried with her mother and father. A trate for everyone afterwards. And a request that we would all pray that her final judgement would be gentle. And a prayer made fre-quently to Padre Pio for the grace of a good death, to be anointed, to have had Mass, for me to be there to say the prayers. She hadn’t been well since the Monday, the day she became the oldest person in Ireland. She battled and had some pain. On Friday, she knew her life was draw-ing to a close. She said that she felt the burden of years. After a long life, well lived, she placed her arm in her habit and received the indulgence granted to those with such fortitude. I knew too that it was time to perform a final duty.

I told Statia,“Go forth faithful Christian, from the worldIn the name of God the Almighty Father, who created you,In the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, who suffered for you,In the name of the Holy Spirit, who was poured out upon you,

Go forth, faithful Christian; may you live in peace this day,May your home be with God in Zion,With Mary the Virgin Mother of God,With St. Joseph, St. Padre Pio and all the angels & saints.

May you return to your creator who formed you from the dust of the earth.

May Holy Mary, the angels & all the saints come to meet you, As you go forth from this life May you see your redeemers face.”

Statia turned her face towards heaven. She relaxed. Her wrinkles fell away.

On the feast of her favourite Padre Pio, at ten to two in the day, God called her home.

She didn’t ask for an easy death but for a good death. Statia Kealy had this prayer answered. The Lord gave her much. He took away much and she blessed him continually. And I and many more will find her going hard to contemplate and hard to bear. Our lives are ut-terly changed and today we are broken. But for Statias sake, we too must have her faith and the faith of Job. Today, with heavy hearts it is our turn to say -

The Lord gave us Statia, and the Lord has taken her away, Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Fr. Ian O’Neill Parish Priest.

And some say that they wouldn’t like to grow as old as Statia. But only those that fear death could say that. For Statia, while she relished being Ireland’s Senior Citizen and lived for tomorrow and always for her next birthday, never feared dying. For her it was just going home; back to where she came from; back to her own people. She had her bags packed. Her habit has been airing in the hotpress in Castledermot for eighteen years, inspected frequently.

Rest in PeaceStatia Kealy

5th July 1903—

18th September 2011


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Update from your local Councillor Jim Cuddy

Feel free to contact me any day or evening at 798 136 or 087 636 0242 or you can e-mail me at [email protected].

Claregalway Sewerage SchemeAs I go to press tenders have been sought for the pipe laying part of the Claregalway sewerage scheme and completed tenders must be with Galway Co. Co. no later that February 3rd. After that the council will go through the tenders received to select a contractor for this part of the work and work should start shortly afterwards. During the pipe laying there may be traffic disruption in the village. I have asked the council to make sure that any other road opening works such as drainage should be done at the same time. Meanwhile the Department of the Environ-ment are in possession of the appli-cation for funding of the treatment plant itself and we are waiting for a decision on this part of the work.

Playground for ClaregalwayRecently I again wrote to Galway Co. Co., to ascertain what the position was in relation to the playground for Claregalway. The reply received by me states

“The council wish to confirm that the previous offer of support currently remains in place. In this regard, whilst the Council has

received communications from members of the community, on an occasional basis over the last number of years, we await the submission of a formal proposal for consideration.”

Claregalway Relief RoadThis week I sought an update from the council with regard to the relief road. I have now been in-formed that following on from the most recent consultation process which was held in the Claregalway Hotel that the consultants have received some submissions with regard to the preferred route. When they have dealt with the submissions the consultants will have to prepare a planning design, carry out an environment impact of the area and prepare documents for CPO. At that stage they will then have to apply to the Depart-ment of Transport for funding.

Speed Limit ReviewAt the January meeting of the council I had a motion on the agenda seeking an update on the speed limits review. The reply giv-en was as follows” The review of the speed limits has commenced and we are currently examining

the submissions received. Over the coming weeks it is proposed to prepare a report on the submis-sions received and liaise with the Councillors, the Gardai, and the NRA and other relevant bodies on the submissions received. It is then intended on finalizing this report to revise the speed limits for County Galway.”

Road repairsThe poor condition of our roads particularly the country ones is causing great concern to a lot of people, Before Christmas the council did emergency works on some of the roads particularly the Cregboy RD. and the road leading to Gortacleva from the Com-munity centre and the School Rd, Carnmore, and the road from Bal-lymurphy to the Rock Rd. Some of those roads are even worse now than they were before Christmas. Having been in contact with the road engineers they have informed me that they are to engage road contractors to resurface these roads rather that fill in individual pot holes in a matter of days.

Jim


Le GráCraft Studio & Gallery

Claregalway Shopping Centre (behind Supervalu)

Get Creative in 2012! Patchwork, felt-making and print-making are just some of the workshops available from local artists and craft-makers at Le Grá Craft Studio & Gallery.

Come and see the full range of gifts and hear about all the workshops and community events on offer.

For more information call Ester at 087 619 3870 or seewww.esterkiely.com


Children’s Story CornerThe Promise

Launched at Baboró International Arts Festival for Children in Galway and aimed at children 4+, Woodpecker Wood offers an exciting and new diversity to the wonderful art of the Storyteller within the modern media of animation.

It’s Woodpecker Wood! Oh! What a Treat.Let’s open the Book,and take a peek… Harry and Henry are out to play.‘We’ll be Explorers!’We hear them say. Butterfly Garden—here we come.To meet with our friends.Play in the Sun. We’ll go exploring Tadpole Pond—then onto Badger’s Glade.Betty’s such a nightime girl.She much prefers the shade. Next we’ll visit our friend Sam—he lives in Hollow Tree.Exploring is such ‘hungry’ work.We think its time for tea.

Off we go to Honeybee House.Their ‘tea’ is just—a dream!Yummy, golden honey-cakes-And—Rainbow-Ripple ice–cream. Tired and full we head for home.We rest by Ripple Stream.Poor Henry’s ‘tripped’ and cut his nose.He cries: ‘It does so sting!’ ‘I want to take the shortcut home!’Harry cries: ‘Oh No!We promised Mum we wouldn’t!That’s not the way to go!’ ‘What about Sam’s ‘Monster?’Henry says: He doesn’t care.‘There are not any Monsters.And - I’m going Home - so there!’ A very naught Henry-goes looking left and right.He starts across that ‘busy’ road.Not one Monster is in sight.

Now! What is that most dreadful sound—he’s never heard before?The monster! It’s—the MONSTER!And—it’s giving such a Roar!

That Monster’s getting closer—whatever will he do?His brother Harry listened!Henry should have ‘listened’ too! But the Monster is a tractor—driven by their dearest friend.He scoops them up to safety—when he sees them on the bend. Such lucky little hedgehogs!So ‘forgiven’ by his Brother.Henry says: Of Promises!

‘He’ll never break another!’

For more information on Woodpecker Wood, to buy DVDs, and to access your free story, visit www.woodpeckerwood.com

Copyright © Wendy Wrest 2010


Gardening Tips for Spring

—For an early great tasting crop of New Potatoes look for the variety called Rocket, as its name suggests Rocket is fast growing, ideal for planting in containers or barrels, because of its neat compact foliage, and produces a bumper crop of great tasting potatoes. Rocket seed potato is now available for planting and is resistant to scab.

—Start your onions off early this year by planting them in seed trays of compost and placing the trays in a warm bright location. Planting the shallots and sets bulbs now in compost ensures strong growth before planting directly into the garden soil in March.

—Tomato seed needs to be sown early indoors in February—simply sow the seed in small pots or trays in Growise compost, cover with cling film and place on a bright warm window sill. The seed will germinate within two weeks and can be transplanted to smaller pots to grow on. I recommend Tomato Bajaja, it produces masses of small cherry sized fruit all summer long and is ideal for window sills.

—Pea and Bean vegetable seed can be sown indoors now, simply sow in small pots or seed trays in Growise compost cover with cling film and place in a bright warm location indoors. The young plants will germinate quickly and can be planted out of doors in late February. This year look for a great Pea variety called Bingo. Bingo produces large pods of well flavoured peas, its matures early and is ideal for growing in pots.

—Asparagus plants can be planted outdoors this month into well prepared and manured soil—Asparagus is a perennial vegetable and provides regular pickings from early spring each year. Remember to prepare the soil well and add in plenty of Organic compost to enrich the soil.

—Dead and damaged hedges should be removed now and replanted with frost hardy varieties including Laurel Etna, Cherry Laurel, Portuguese Laurel and Beech. Soil preparation is important so add some tree and shrub compost to the planting hole before planting

Forcing Rhubarb is one of the easiest and most rewarding gardening jobs you can do this week, early growth this spring has encouraged some new growth on existing rhubarb plants, you can accelerate this growth by simply covering some of your existing rhubarb plants with a large pot or plastic ridged bin. Simply select a strong clump of rhubarb in the garden and place the container over the entire plant excluding all light. The resulting new growth will be pink in colour and very sweet tasting, rewarding you with early pickings of great tasting rhubarb. Early February is also an ideal time to plant new Rhubarb plants I recommend Timberely early for great tasting red sticked rhubarb each spring.

Horkan’s Lifestyle & Garden Centre, Lydican, Claregalway.www.gardencentre.ie


—Moss is problematic in all gardens this spring. Moss on tarmac, patio drives and slates can be killed with a treatment of Patio Magic, simply mix with water and spray onto the effected area. Patio Magic will kill moss quickly and eΩectively with out staining. Apply Patio Magic this week to eradicate moss on hard surface areas.

—For summer colour in flower borders and beds, plant up some summer flowering bulbs including Double Dahlias, Long–stemmed Gladiolas, Double Begonias and Scented Lilies. Simply pot up into Growise compost and place the potted bulbs into a bright warm location. This will encourage early growth and early flowering. Summer flowering bulbs can be planted out of doors in early April.

Paraic is back with his weekly radio programme on mid west radio every Saturday morning at 9am from March 3rd and weekly on TV3 Ireland AM morning programme with a gardening advise slot every Thursday morning at 9am. Check out Paraic weekly blog on www.gardencentre.ie for weekly gardening advice & tips.

—Horseradish is a simple to grow perennial herb, it produces hot tangy roots year after year ideal to garnish roast beef, plant the horseradish roots out of doors in a corner of the garden, and remember horseradish spreads so plant it in a location where it will not crowd or overgrow other plants. You can also grow horseradish in large pots to control its spread.

Paraic Horkan

Claregalway Senior Citizens Party, Christmas Party 2011

Afterwards, everybody convened at the Clar-egalway Hotel which was looking splendid.The meal was first class and enjoyed by everyone. Many thanks to Nora, Paul Gill and their staff for their great service. Thank you also to the local businesses who gave spot prizes and there was actually one for everyone in the audience! We are so grateful to these people every year for their support in making this night a very special and enjoyable one. Dance and sing-songs followed from all the talent in Claregalway/Carnmore. Music was provided by Mr. Cooney and Mr. Gavin who were fantastic. We hope to see you all again next year God willing. Our Monday nights continue at 8pm in the Parish Room “Cairdeas. Bingo and card playing with tea and biscuits are the agenda for the night and more... A great bus service is provided for these nights. All that’s left for the committee to do is to wish you health, happiness and peace for 2012.Lá Bliana Nua do gach daoine.

Josephine Noone, P.R.O.

Wasn’t that a party? We, the committee of Claregalway/Carnmore really enjoyed it. We hope the Senior Citizens did also. It started so well as the rain stopped and the sun came out. A beautiful Mass was celebrated by Fr. Ian O’Neill, helped out by Senior Citizens reading and the choir singing.


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Something for Saundra Charity Walk

Saundra was a very giving person, always thought of others before herself, so we would like to remember Saundra in a way that allows her to keep helping others We, as her family and friends will never forget her.

We are organising a walk onthe 18th March (Mothers Day) from the Mervue GAA Club House at 1.30pm. To walk to Ballyloughan Beach where we will release 99 Red Balloons in memory of Saundra. We are asking for a €10 donation from all who wish to attend our walk or would simply like to help. All the proceeds will be given to the following charities:

—ACT for Meningities—Rosedale House (Brothers of Charity)—Galway Speeders:

We are now online. To donate to this wonderful event just click onto:www.RunIreland.com/events/something-saundra and you can register to walk on the 18th March 2012.

We would like to thank all the people that sponsored us so far, especially The Arches Hotel Claregalway.Thank you for taking the time to support us.Martina Walsh 086 351 9495Mandy HealyAlison Crane 086 873 4345Regina Flaherty 086 308 4251

Saundra went infor a routine operation in 2005, but due to circumstances, was left a vegetated state for three years until her passing 19th February 2008.

Note to the Editor:Soiled footpaths around the village “destroyed”

It is really disturbing and sad to see the pavements of Claregalway destroyed with dog poo. It’s great to see people using the footpaths but it’s not nice to have to be side stepping over a dog’s mess. Dog poo leaves toxins in the ground which are harmful to other animals, humans and the environment. Is is not too much to ask dog owners to bring a poo or plastic bag when on their walk? People in the community have expressed concern at the amount of dog fouling on the pavements, etc. Please help by cleaning up after your dog. It only takes a minute.

On the topic of pavements, the hedges badly need trimming as one also has to duck & dive under the overgrowth.

If nothing else, our senses are well tested when stepping out in Claregalway between dog poo and overhanging hedges.


[email protected]/contactCall: 086 391 3852 091 798 430

or visit our Facebook page:www.facebook.com/nuacht.chlair


2012 Claregalway/Lackagh Community Games Open Night2012 is here and another exciting and busy year ahead for all involved in Community Games activities. As an aim of Community Games is to introduce children to a wide range of sports and activities. Claregalway/Lackagh Community Games are holding an open night on:Wednesday 1st February in Claregalway Community Centre from 7.30–8.30pm.

The range of activities provided at county level for win-ter are U-14 Solo Talent Singing, Dance Modern/Disco, Music, Recitation; U-14 Group Talent: Dance Irish and Contemporary, Modern and Disco, Set Dancing, Singing, Music, Drama, Comedy Sketch. Cross-County: U-12, U-13, U-14; Chess: U10 & U12; Choir: U13 & U16; Draughts: U-10 & U12; Handball: U-13 & U-15;

Badminton: U-15; Projects: U-11, U-13, U16; Table Tennis: U-13 & U-16; Table Quiz: U-14; Indoor Soccer: U-13 and U-15, Art Model Making: U-8 & U-16, Handwriting: U-10. We will be taking entries for cross-country and solo competitions and group activities where we have parents willing to get involved. If parents are interested in helping out with any of the following we would love to hear from you: draughts, quiz, table tennis, talent. Children must be under the relevant age on 1st Au-gust 2012. Registration fee is €2 and if children haven’t entered Community Games competition before, please bring a copy of birth cert. For further details, check out our website at www.ClaregalwayLackaghCommunityGames.com or contact Marie Lyons at 085 722 3235.

Are you interestedin growing your own food?

GIY networks aim to take the ‘self’ out of ‘self-‐ sufficiency’ by getting back-‐garden growers together on a regular basis to talk, learn from each other and exchange tips, produce and war-‐stories! The meetings are free and open to people interested in food growing at all levels, i.e. from growing a few herbs on the balcony to complete self-‐sufficiency, from beginners to old hands.

Thousands of people are involved in existing GIY groups around Ireland and activities include talks on specific food-‐growing topics, garden visits, seed swaps, produce bartering, mentor panels and the return of the meitheal (where growers get together in one another’s gardens to carry out some growing related task).

www.giyireland.comTogether We Grow

Your Local GIY is:

Venue for next meeting:

Date and Time:

Claregalway

the Arches Hotel

29th February at 8pm

Our “Top-of-the-class!”After–School Classes are to be be held in the

Claregalway Study Centre,

commencing in March!

Key issue—'raising standards'

These classes are 'ground-breaking' and new,

specically designed for age groups 5-6 and 7-8 years.

They will consist of 'six pupils maximum' in order to give

'one-to-one' attention and 'small group' interaction.

Everything will be supplied for the Children and those

completing the Six Session (1 hour) Course will receive their

Certificate of Attendance together with a Double DVD and

Specialist Storybook for home use within the family!

Cost: eu 8.00 per session.

Please book early to avoid

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Contact Wendy on

086 251 6479 or

[email protected]

Age Group: 5–6 years

Mon Wed Fri5 7 9 12 14 16

Age Group: 7–8 years

Mon Wed Fri19 21 23 26 28 30

3.00 – 4.00pm

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24th February 20129:00pm ‘til lateAdmission €5Music by Big Sam

All proceeds go to Claregalway & District Day Care Centre

Dance


Quality food for any occasion

Delicious home cooked food suitable for all your

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Telephone/Fax: 091 797 167Mobile: Frank 085 1266 133

Joe 087 629 2350 Email: [email protected]

www.kearneyfunerals.com

Leading Funeral Undertakers for Claregalway & Lackagh

Lackagh, Turloughmore, Co. Galway


Crossword Editor Brian Place

Send completed Crosswords to:

B.D. Place,Woodleigh,Creig Buí,Baile Chláir,Co. na Gaillimhe.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9

10 11

12 13 14 15

16 17 18

19 20 21

22

23 24 25 26 27

28 29

30 31 32

33 34

35 36

37 38

Across 1 Midpoint (6) 5 Central (6) 10 Dais (7) 11 Enlist (7) 12 Test (4) 13 Alphabetical list (5) 15 Dutch cheese (4) 17 Organ (3) 19 Japanese car maker (6) 21 Forcefulness (6) 22 Astonishing (7) 23 Abscond (6) 25 Unravel the enigma (6) 28 Writing instrument (3) 30 Mammal of genus Capra (4) 31 Foot operated lever (5) 32 Type of fastener (4) 35 Joyfulness (7) 36 Small appliance (7) 37 Capital of Lebanon (6) 38 Lives (6)

Down 2 State of exalted delight (7) 3 Pneumatic car part (4) 4 Stoat's coat (6) 5 Kill (6) 6 Aquatic bird of Anatidae family (4) 7 Wash (7) 8 Passionate (6) 9 Stubby (6) 14 Temporarily blinded (7) 16 Walk noisily (5) 18 Rage (5) 20 Measure of current (3) 21 Finish (3) 23 Stabbing knife (6) 24 Travesty (7) 26 Ground oats (7) 27 Most senior (6) 28 Groundnut (6) 29 Constantly scolded (6) 33 Structure built over water (4) 34 Rim (4)

Across

1 Metal (At. no. 76) (6) 5 8th month (6) 10 Spinner (7) 11 Most noisy (7) 12 Country (capital Ndjamena) (4) 13 Lower parts of ears (5) 15 Hordeolum (4) 17 Upper part (3) 19 Regretful (6) 21 Musical instruments (6) 22 Compounds of iodine (7) 23 Turn upside down (6) 25 US state, capital Carson City (6) 28 One of the spots on dice (3) 30 Lazy (4) 31 Trades or business contracts (5) 32 Present (4) 35 Free time (7) 36 Gymnasium athlete (7) 37 Interstellar cloud (6) 38 Of greatest age (6)

Down

2 Press together (7) 3 Dry (4) 4 Young of invertebrates (6) 5 Underground passage (6) 6 Consumes (4) 7 Italian violinist/composer (7) 8 Light biscuitlike breads (6) 9 Prophet of 8th century BC (6) 14 Dutch artist (7) 16 Mammal resembling giraffe (5) 18 Quantity for one operation (5) 20 Dwelling of simple construction (3) 21 Unity (3) 23 Crowd scene actors (6) 24 Uniform (temperament) (7) 26 Ambiguous, vague or unclear (7) 27 Capital of New South Wales (6) 28 Picture made of small pieces of stone (6) 29 Native of Germany (6) 33 Interlacing of a cord (4) 34 Boast (4)

First correct Crossword opened wins:

A Meal for 2 in the Claregalway Hotel

Crossword Jan./February 2012

Name:

Contact Number:

Last month’s winner:Una Kinneen,

Renmore, Galway.

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Bread

Raftery’s Centra, Claregalway

nuacht chláir january & february 2012

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