MARCH 1999

The long winter of rehearsals are over, and now its time to play the theme music, open the curtain and (with prompters in place)deliver the lines.

This week, the Compantas Lir drama group staged this year's production, 'Poor Beast in the Rain' in the Carnmore centre. The play was well received, and the group looks forward with great optimism to the forthcoming festival season. 'Poor Beast in the Rain', is written by Billy Roach, the Wexford author who is winning acclaim for his fresh approach to writing modern Irish drama. The action takes place in a bookie shop over one weekend, in which Wexford are involved in the All-Ireland Hurling final. However the match merely provides the backdrop to the real excitement of the weekend, when Danger Doyle returns to his hometown, having run off to London with the bookies wife ten years previously.
Past glories and tragedies of the characters lives are recalled, and the memories both happy and painful bring the characters to life in this strong drama.

The play is produced by Mike Hession, and has a cast capable of delivering great performances. New to the group is Bernadett Prendergast, making a great debut. Eddie Fitzgerald Malachy Noone play very memorable characters, while Kevin Duffy gives his best performance ever as Danger Doyle. Phillip Cribben & Liz Hession have very demanding roles, both having suffered the effects of Dangers cavalier lifestyle.

The group start the festival circuit in Castleisland on the 6th of March, and will appear in the Claregalway on the 16th of March.

The group took a great leap forward in 1999, when appearing for the first time ever in the Town Hall Theatre in Galway. This important event took place on Easter Monday, the 5th of April, and was for one night only.

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SPECIAL GREETINGS

Very best wishes and Get Well Soon to Sarah Carton, Gortacleva, who had her appendix removed recently.

Congratulations to Liam and Geraldine Glynn, Carnmore on the birth of Ellen Marie on 30th December 1998

Congratulations to Gerard and Ann O'Reilly Cloon, on the birth of Emily Mary on 2nd January 1999

Congratulations to Michael and Patricia Culllinan, Lydacan, on the birth of Michael Gerard on 20th January 1999

Best Wishes to Stephen and Jean Hughes, Claregalway on the arrival of Helena Margaret on 22nd January.

Birthday wishes to Samantha Murphy, Cregboy, who will be 16 years old on the 10th March.

Birthday greetings also to Kate Carr, Cregboy, who celebrates her second birthday on the 15th March.

Happy Birthday to Rachel Farrell, Cregboy, who will be six years old on the 24th March.

(Cregboy will be busy with birthdays this month!)

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CLAREGALWAY LEISURE CENTRE - A.G.M.

The Annual General Meeting of the Claregalway Leisure Centre was held on 3rd March in the Centre. The number of people who turned up was extremely disappointing - there were eight people in attendance, including the 'Top Table'. This was in spite of the fact that a major effort was made by existing members to encourage more people to come along and show their support for their own Local Centre. There is currently huge demand on the centre for bookings by outside groups during the peak hours. This income is of great importance to the Centre. However, the Committee is anxious to retain as much local usage of the facilities as possible. Therefore, input by locals at meetings is vital, in order to keep the Centre "For the Community - By the Community".

A full review of the year was made and then election of officers for the forthcoming year took place. The existing Treasurer, Hubert Newell expressed his intention to step down, and his post was taken over by Mary Reidy (Secretary), who is now rather reluctantly embarking on her third year in office. With Mary's remarkable work as Secretary over the last two years , we are in no doubt that she will bring the same dedication to her new position. Hubert Newell was thanked for the high level of commitement and expertise which he displayed during his term of office. Tony Clarke has agreed to remain as Chairman, so the Centre and Community are to benefit from yet another year of trojan work from Tony. We are, therefore now without a secretary, so this situation needs to be urgently addressed.

Plans for the forthcoming year were outlined briefly. The Summer Camp, such a success over the last years, will be undertaken once more. The week set aside is Monday 12th July. Further information regarding same will be circulated through the schools, in the near future.

Following the very successful Golf Am/Am, organised by the Leisure Centre in 1998, it has been decided to proceed with plans for another such event.
The Venue is Tuam Golf Club and the Date-for-your-Diary is Saturday 17th April. This is a very important Fund-Raiser for the Leisure Centre, to ensure that finances are available for the on-going essential maintenance of the Centre, and hopefully for some further, very necessary improvements, e.g. The Car Park, The Changing Rooms and Shower Facilities. If last year's competition is anything to go on, this is sure to be an event not to be missed. For further details, contact Tony Clarke at 798942. Your support is earnestly requested.

Kevin Duffy came along to the Meeting on behalf of the Scouting Groups who have the use of a meeting room in the Centre, and this is their base. He thanked the Committee sincerely for this room which is 'Home' for the Cubs, Scouts and Venture Scouts and emphasised that the Scout Movement is willing to do all it can to help the Centre in any way possible.

Concern was expressed in relation to the number of children running around unsupervised during the afternoon indoor soccer sessions. These children are all from Claregalway N.S. It was decided that it will probably be necessary to organise supervision by the parents involved. This is totally for the safety of the children and we are confident of the parents' support.

Please note that there is a very comfortable meeting room available in the Centre. This is used by many groups, e.g. Agricultural Show committee, Drama Festival committee, History Group etc. However, if there are any groups out there who wish to avail of this facility, please do not hesitate to telephone 798371 and make a booking.

Mary Casserly PRO.

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THE AGRICULTURAL SHOW - RACE NIGHT

If you weren't there - you missed a great night! Clargalway Agricultural Show Race Night was filled with fun and laughter from beginning to end. Malachy Noone was in fine fettle and his commentary was superb, as usual. Should Malachy ever be thinking about giving up the "day job" he would have a great future as a comedian and actor. Jokes were the order of the night. He was ably assisted by Fidelma O'Rourke, whose wit and professionalism as an Auctioneer in the Auction Race, had people bidding almost unknown to themselves. Liam Belton was in charge of the projector and operated same, despite a small hiccup at the start of the first race, with the excellence we have now become accustomed to. Thanks to Tom McGuire for providing a microphone and amplifier. But where would we be without the fantastic crowd who turned up to support us and although some were on a "winning streak", others, including myself, didn't get a look in. Our bookies, all ladies, were looking as elegant as ever and great banter could be heard between themselves and the punters.

Once again, we are indebted to all our sponsors on whose continued financial support we depend so much. Our sincere thanks to everyone who donated spot prizes. Thanks to everyone who purchased horses before the night and a special thanks to those who participated in the Auction Race. All the horses fetched very good prices, but unfortunately only the owner of the winner got the television. This year, the winner of the Auction Race was owned by Walter King, Rooaunmore, Claregalway. Joe Morris's horse came in a close second and Joe received a beautiful clock, sponsored by Cre Porcelain. Everyone who purchased a horse in the Auction Race received a consolation prize. Our congratulations to Walter and renewed thanks to all who turned up on the night to support us. We hope you enjoyed the night as much as we did.

Carmel Casserly - Secretary

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"Make hay while the sun shines" as the saying goes. This will be the motto for all gardeners and farmers this coming spring as we come to terms with the dreadful weather conditions. Having spoken to some older and wiser heads, they tell me this is on par to be one of the worst winters yet. Temperatures this winter gone, have been on the mild side, but we have had a lot of damage by winds, gusts and continuous rain. Soil conditions are preventing any garden activity at the moment. Looking forward though, Spring can be the most rewarding and exciting time of the year. Soil temperatures climb back up and plants begin to burst into growth. If you have planned ahead and planted some seasonal things, you'll be making frequent trips outside to see the results. Many of the plants thatcome into their own now are subtle and not designed to make a big show.
The small and delicate bulbs such as Crocus, Narcissii varieties and all the other bulbs such as Hyacinths, Daffodils, Tulips. These were all planted last October/November for results now. Your garden Centre will have some of these in flower in pots available to add a bit of colour. You can also add some of the winter bedding plants such as universal Pansy's and Polyanthus, Forget Me Nots, Sweet Williams, Wallflowers, etc. to brighten things up.

Some shrubs come into their own at this time of year as well, such as Viburnums, Cornus, Saroccoa, which is a beautiful shrub. It has shiny box type leaves with delightfully fragrant white flowers. Some other plants are in bid at the moment waiting to burst into flower, in particular the Forsythias, with their mass of fluorescent yellow blooms.

The traditional planting time for bare root trees, shrubs, conifers, hedging, etc comes to a close at the end of March, so get planting.

One of the cheapest forms of hedging is bareroot Griselinia, at 1/3 of the price bareroot as against potted plants.

The lawn will usually have its first mowing in March. The main factor involved is the state of the ground. If its dry to walk on, its okay to mow it. A lot of people ask about feeding the lawn. My advice would be to wait until there is more active growth and then feed it. I recommend the Golden Vale 3:1 mix, this has all the general fertilisers that will feed your lawn, two different weedkillers that will kill any weeds and sulphate of iron, which does two jobs, gives the lawn a dark green colour and kills any moss present. This should be put out at approximately 2 ozs to the square yard. We give spreaders out free of charge for spreading it, which makes the job much easier. For anyone with a very mossy lawn, I recommend hiring a scarifier, which is like a lawnmower, but roots out all old grass and moss. Collect this an apply your 3:1 afterwards. Scarifiers can be hired from a Plant Hire in Oranmore. Scarifying should only be carried out in the growing season.

In the vegetable garden, if soil conditions are right for sowing you can sow before the end of March. In particular, onions, parsnips and brussel sprouts benefit from the early sowing. Seed potatoes can be planted during March if the soil is dry enough to cultivate. If the ground is too sticky, then the seed potatoes can be put in trays and sprouted in a warm, bright place before sowing.

The greenhouse begins to be busy from March onwards. Many flower seeds can be sown during this month. It is also time to begin sowing greenhouse crops such as peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.

A lot of people are asking about Roses and what to do with them. Generally Roses in the Galway area should be pruned around St. Patrick's weekend. Buds are forming and can be seen on the stems clearly. In pruning cut out old, dead or diseased wood. You can cut back the stems to within 6-8 in of ground level. When pruning, try and avoid having criss crossing branches or buds. Pick 5-6 stems with outward facing buds. Cut at least 1 in above a bud and at an angle away for the bud to prevent water lodging and damaging the bud. Renew old wood with new shoots coming through. Feed with a general rose fertiliser at a rate of 2 ozs to each plant. Scatter on the soil around the plants and scuffle it into the top surface of the soil. You could also give the roses their first spray for black spot disease with Roseclear or any fungicide. Mulching with farm yard manure can also benefit the roses if you wish, to do so.

Feeding trees and shrubs is best left until growth starts and the weather a little better. You can feed all established trees and shrubs with any tree and shrub brand name or with 7:6:17 at a rate of
2 ozs to each plant. Scatter this on the bare soil around the plant and scuffle in.

A lot of people buy seeds for planting out in the summer with images of beautiful colours as on the front of the packets. Some succeed, some don't. The following are seven steps to succeed with seeds:
1. Using a standard seed compost such as Shamrock seed and potting compost, fill a clean pot or seed tray with the slightly moist compost. Level and firm the surface using a presser board to 1 cm below the rim.
2. Water the compost lightly before sowing.
3. Sow the seed from the packet or hand as lightly and evenly as possible. Large seed can be placed by hand but small seed such as Lobelia, Begonias and Petunias are small and difficult. You can help the broadcast of small seed by mixing it with a small spoonful of fine san and broadcasting evenly.
4. Lightly cover the seeds to a depth equal to their diameter with sieved compost or fine vermiculite. Do not cover Lobelia, Begonias, Petunias or Busy Lizzies
5. Label each pot or container with the name and the sowing date.
6. Cover the tray with a sheet of clear polythene or glass to maintain even humidity and conserve moisture. This sheet should be turned daily. Some seeds particularly pansy's, germinate more rapidly in the dark and so are best covered with black polythene until they germinate.
7. Place the container in a heated propagator or in a greenhouse bench or window sill, ideally in a temperature of 16-20 centigrades. A few seeds such as Begonias and Busy Lizzies prefer a constant temperature of 21 degrees, while others such as primulas are actually inhibited by high temperatures. Shade the container with newspaper if it recieves direct sunlight and do not allow the compost to dry out.

Glynn's Garden Centre is re-opening on Sunday, March 14th - Mother's Day and every Sunday thereon, from 2-6 p.m. There will be a range of fresh flower arrangements, bouquets, etc for Mother's Day - don't forget!
That's it for now, happy gardening,
Bosco McDermott, Jnr., Glynn's Garden Centre, Lydican.

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BODY WRAP Body wrapping is relatively new, but has been in use in European countries for over 20 years. Actually, Body Wrapping originated way back in the days of Cleopatra on the Nile, The intent was to cleanse the body of impurities.
True European Body Wraps consist of the process of encasing the body with solution soaked strips of cloth (12 to 15 wraps) that have been heated to a temperature of 150 degrees. The heat opens the pores of the skin, allowing the solution to penetrate into the third dermal layer, while the softening conditioners are absorbed into the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. After you are completely wrapped you will put on a sauna suit that will keep the wraps moist with our aloe/mineral/vitamin/herb solution. This suit keeps the warmth in, allowing the pores to absorb the solution.

ATTIRE- What to wear: Cotton undergarments are preferred for ladies. Swimming trunks for men. They will need an extra pair to wear home. Socks for the feet to keep warm during the session.

WHO CAN BE WRAPPED? Almost anyone should be able to have a wrap. If you are under a doctor's care, please check with him first.

BENEFITS FROM BODY WRAPPING - Eliminate toxins and poisons, celulite reduction, increased skin elasticity, firms and tones, inch loss, makes you feel great!

FOR BEST RESULTS - The inches you will lose will stay off if you follow these guidelines:
1. Do not use lotions or creams prior to the wrap, or for 4-6 hours after the wrap.
2. Do not shower for six hours after the wrap.
3. Do not drink alcoholic beverages, limit your caffeine and salt intake. Avoid carbonated beverages, sweets and starches.
4. Do not eat anything after 6.30 p.m.
5. Do drink 5 to 8 glasses of water daily to help flush out impurities.
6. Continue with regular workouts.

For further information, contact Evelyn Kitt at 091-798485.

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ST. JOSEPH'S YOUNG PRIEST'S SOCIETY.

By now everyone should know from other copies of Nuacht Chláir, that St. Joseph's Young Priests Society is a lay organisation that fosters vocations to the priesthood and religious life by prayer and helps financially in the education of students to the Priesthood.
There is a Branch of St. Joseph's Young Priest's Society in the parish since May 1997. The members meet in the S.M.A. House on the 2nd Friday of each month at 8 p.m. Even though it is only a little over a year in existence it is one of the best Branches in the Galway Diocese. The Spirtual Director is our Parish Priest very Rev. Noel Mullin. He will have a "Céad Míle Fáilte" for you all at the meetings. It is very hard to attend every meeting as there are so many other activities in the Parish, but even if you only attend some meetings and pray for vocations and give the yearly donation of £6 it will be a wonderful help.
St. Joseph is the Patron Saint of the Society and on Friday 19th March there will be mass at 7:30 p.m. in the Church and after Mass the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed and there will be time for silent prayer. We hope that a good number of people will attend the Mass and spend some time in prayer. If you cannot spend an hour maybe a quarter of an hour or as much time as you can will help. We know that Friday evening is a busy evening but where there is a will there is a way.

MAN OF THE HOUSE by Katherine Tynan (1859-1931)
Joseph honored from sea to sea
This is the name that pleases me:
'Man of the House'
I see you rise at dawn and light the fire and blow it till the flame is bright.
I see you take the pitcher and carry the deep well-water for Jesus and Mary.
You knead the corn for the bread so fine gather them grapes from the hanging vine.
There are little feet that are soft and slow follow you wheresoever you go.

There are little feet at your workshop door, a little one sits down on your floor.
Holds his hands for the shaving curled the soft little hands that made the world.
Mary calls you: the meal is ready; you swing the child to your shoulders steady.
I see your quiet smile as you sit and watch the little son thrive and eat.
The vine curls by the window space, the wings of angels cover the face.
Up in the rafters polished and olden there's a dove that broods and his wings are golden.

You have kept them through shine and storm a staff, a shelter kindly and warm.
Father to Jesus, husband to Mary, hold up your lilies for sanctuary!
Joseph honored from sea to sea
Guard me and mine and my own rooftree
'Man of the House'
(An extract from the General Secretary's Report 1998)

Clerical students assisted:
Irish 241. Overseas 398 - Total 639.
Ordinations to the priesthood: - Irish 19; Overseas 50; Total 69.
Not included in the student's figures are 37 Irish and 38 overseas students on leave of absence or on pastoral work in parishes.

PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
God our Father,
You speak to us and nourish us through the life of the Church Community.
In the name of Jesus, we ask you to send you Spirit to us so that men and women among us, young and old, will respond to your call to service and leadership in the Church.
We pray especially in our day, for those who hear your invitation to be a priest, sister or brother.
May those who are opening their hearts and minds to your call, be encouraged and strengthened through our enthusiasm in your service - Amen.

Sarah McCallen, Secretary, St. Joseph's Young Priest's Society, Claregalway Parish.

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CLAREGALWAY BASKETBALL
On Saturday 20th Feb. Claregalway Basketball Club held a one day Tournament with Sligo All Stars Basketball club. All ages were involved and a total of 72 competitors travelled from Sligo for the day.

The day began with the U 9s competing, followed by the U 11s, U13s and U15s. Overall, the standard of play in the games was of a very high level and Claregalway shared the winning honours with the Sligo Club on the day.

As with all tournaments of this size, a lot of help was needed on the day and a special thank you must be given to all the parents and friends of the Club who helped out.

A return visit to Sligo is being organised for the near future.

Mike Murray (Coach)

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