JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2001

 

PICTURE BY EMMET FARRELL (10 YRS OLD) ABOUT RECYCLING IN GALWAY

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NEWSFLASH

Claregalway Mortuary Update—Work is due to commence on the Funeral Home on the 1st February next and is hoped to be completed just before the Galway Races in July. Carey Developments were awarded the contract with the lowest tender at £142,000. The money collected to date amounts to £33,924.91.

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CHOOSING A CAREER - BUTCHER

The Work of a Butcher
The work of a Butcher can be divided into two main areas - retail and wholesale. The Retail Butcher cuts up and prepares animal carcasses for retail sales. The range of duties includes preparing cuts of meat to order, handling cash and serving at the counter. The Retail Butcher may also make sausages and burgers and must have a thorough knowledge about cuts of meat in order to advise customers. The Wholesale Butcher bones, cuts and packs meat for sale to Retail Butchers, Catering Butchers, restaurants and hotels as well as to overseas customers. Meat is cut from a carcass into various quantities and sizes and then carefully stored in boxes and refrigerated until sold. The Butcher is responsible for cleaning tools and working areas at the end of the day.

In the interest of 'Occupational Hygiene', Butchers are obliged to wear a white coat and apron. During sustained periods of 'boning and cutting' trainees are also obliged to wear a protective mesh steel apron and glove. Qualified Butchers are not obliged to wear the mesh steel apron and glove; however, these items must be available. The present working hours in Butcher's Shops are 39 per week, with flexibility between 8am and 6pm.

Educational and Other Requirements
A good general education is necessary. Butchers in the retail trade are usually apprenticed for four years. Training is on-the-job. Further training appropriate to the relevant sector of the industry, in management, meat technology, or small business ownership, may follow an apprenticeship.

Butchers need to be physically fit in order to cope with standing for long hours and heavy lifting. A steady hand and common sense are needed for handling cutting equipment. An above average attitude to hygiene is vital as it is in all the food industries, plus good communication skills and a real interest in people and their eating habits in order that the meat products may be geared to the customers' needs.

How to become a Butcher
The career path to becoming a qualified Butcher is as follows. Initially you would be required to serve an apprenticeship of four years duration with an established Butcher. In conjunction with this period of apprenticeship you can attend the DIT, Mountjoy Square where you can study for the Dublin Master Victuallers Association Diploma. Upon successful completion of both, you are then qualified to be employed in any traditional meat retail outlet or supermarket. The Regional Technical College, Galway, in conjunction with FÁS, also runs a one-year full-time course in Retail Butchery.

Where to go for Further Information:

Dublin Master Victuallers Association/
Irish Master Butchers Federation,
47 Mountjoy Street,
Dublin 7.
Tel: (01) 4024143

The Dublin Institute of Technology,
Mountjoy Square,
Dublin 1.
Tel: (01) 4023000

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SAINT BRIGID

Saint Brigid is remembered for her generous nature and her kindness. Her special day is 1st February, the first day of spring.

There is a lovely cross called St.Brigid’s cross and it is special because it is said to protect your home from evil. Long ago people always put a St.Brigid’s cross over the door in their cottage. The cross is woven from rushes, which grow in boggy places. They bend easily and don’t break. You can make your own Saint Brigid’s cross and hang it over the door.

How to Make your Own St. Brigid’s Cross— make the Brigid’s cross out of colourful pipecleaners as rushes would be impossible for many people to find. But if you can get them do use them!

YOU WILL NEED COLOURED PIPECLEANERS.

1. FOLD ALL PIPECLEANERS IN TWO.
2. TAKE TWO OF THEM AND SLOT ONE THROUGH THE OTHER.
3. NOW FOLD A THIRD DOWN ACROSS THESE TWO.
4. THE FOURTH GOES UP IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO MAKE A CROSS SHAPE.
5. EACH PIPECLEANER AFTER THAT GOES OVER THE LAST ONE USED.
6. MAKE THE CROSS AS BIG AS YOU WANT. THEN TIE THE ENDS WITH PIECES OF PIPECLEANER, AND TRIM THE ENDS.

A Little St. Brigid poem
Saint Brigid made a special cross
to keep all harm away,
We place it now above the door
each and every day.

Saint Brigid made a special cross
with rushes from the ground,
We use it now in all our homes
to keep them safe and sound.

So, when we’re feeling troubled,
Saint Brigid’s cross is here,
We’ve made our own
with colours bright -
we have no need to fear.

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The Annual General Meeting of the Claregalway Leisure Centre will be held in the Centre on Tuesday 6th March at 9.00 p.m. Please mark this very important date in your diary.

The Leisure Centre is managed by a committee who voluntarily give of their time to co-ordinate the many and various acitivities that take place, maintain the building and carry out the fundraising which has financed the necessary maintenance . Over the past year, the overall appearance of the Centre has continued to improve, with the completion of the car park (lines and lighting), and the revarnishing of the floor which was a costly but very necessary and worthwhile exercise. These improvements are enjoyed by all the groups, local and otherwise (basketball, badminton, indoor soccer, scouts etc.) who avail of the facilities. The upstairs meeting room continues to be made available to any local groups who wish to make a booking.

Your Community Centre is run by the people, for the people. The more people who are involved, the smaller the workload for everyone. If you feel you have even a small contribution to make, do come along on Tuesday, 6th March at 9.00 p.m.

Mary Casserly

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1. Perfectionists are realistic, conscientious, and principled. They strive to live up to their high ideals.
2. Helpers are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people’s needs.
3. Achievers are energetic, optimistic, self-assured, and goal oriented.
4. Romantics have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.
5. Observers have a need for knowledge and are introverted, curious, analytical, and insightful.
6. Questioners are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative.
7. Adventurers are energetic, lively, and optimistic. They want to contribute to the world.
8. Asserters are direct, self-reliant, self-confident and protective.
9. Peacemakers are receptive, good-natured and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them

The Enneagram is a study of the nine basic types of people. It explains why we behave the way we do, and it points to specific directions for individual growth. It is an important tool for improving relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.

Note: As mentioned in a recent issue of Nuacht Chláir, if you get an opportunity, I would thoroughly recommend you to do an Enneagram course. I have just completed Part 3 of the course and already looking forward to Part 4. Josette.

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GARDENING WITH BOSCO

“Anois teacht an earraigh, beidh an lá dul chun síneadh,
‘s tar eis na Féile Bhríde, ardeoidh me mo sheoil.”

This saying is very apt for this month, the coming of Spring, the lengthening of days after St. Brigids day, we will sing aloud. So it is with us in the garden, so get those extra layers on and get out and enjoy yourself, listen to the birds and watch as plants and bulbs alike burst miraculously from the soil.

The snow and frost we had in the west over Christmas has unfortunately done a lot of damage to plants in the garden, in particular, to what we regard as seaside plants; the “Escallonia” family, “Hebes”, “Olerias”, “Griselinia”, “Senecio”, etc and evergreen plants with soft foliage such as “Ceanothus” and “Pittosporums”. These all have a black/brown appearance at the moment. Most of them should recover so leave them for now. You can help by feeding them in March/April (when they start actively growing again) with any brand of trees and shrub fertiliser or with 7:6:17, (a potato fertiliser) at a rate of 2 ozs per plant. There may be some dieback along the stems and this can be pruned away later in the spring.

As this month holds very little colour for us anything that does flower in the border or peeks through the cold chilly soil to greet us seems to stand out majestically. Some of my favourite plants appear at this time of year; “Viburnum Bodnantense” is a deciduous shrub that grows up to 10 ft. It has shell pink fragrant blooms from December to March, borne on the bare stems. “Hamamelis”, commonly known as Witch Hazel has spidery type flowers that are fragrant and resistant to severe frost. They come in a range of colours from red, orange to yellow. It’s a large shrub growing up to 10-12ft and prefers an acid soil. Varieties with yellow flowers have the best scent and a good variety is “Hamamelis Mollis Pallioa”. One of the most popular plants at this time of year is the Camellia with its brilliant paeonia type flowers against glossy green foliage. They prefer acid soil but make a good tub plant, so most people can enjoy their beauty, glossy foliage and blooms from February/March until May, depending on varieties, growing to a height of 6-8ft. They have a reputation for being difficult but if you can avoid cold winds and the morning sun (it damages the buds) you should have no problem. Lastly, in the shrub line is an old reliable, the winter flowering heather. “Erica Arthur Johnson” is a good variety growing to 2 ft. with very long pink flower sprays that are ideal for cutting and defy the coldest weather.

The first of the bulbs to appear are snowdrops and early crocus varieties and a bulb that is becoming more increasingly popular, the “cyclamen coum”. They are easy to naturalise in rich soil beneath trees where it doesn’t mind the shade and creates a carpet of colour through the winter.

That’s it for now, happy gardening,
Bosco McDermott, Jnr., Glynn’s Garden Centre, Lydican, Oranmore. (091) 799135.

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This inflammatory process produces symptoms of: (a) Cough (b) Wheeze (c) Breathlessness (d) Chest tightness
Not all of these symptoms need to be present. In children the most common symptom is coughing, especially at night. It is important to remember that wheeze is not always present.
Asthma is an individual and variable condition; symptoms vary from time to time, and from person to person.
One in seven children and one in twenty adults have asthma. The commonest age of onset is in childhood with another peak in the thirties. Anyone can get asthma, and age does not give immunity.

CAUSE

The true cause of asthma is unknown. It tends to run in families who have a history of asthma, eczema or hayfever. Its a combination of genetic and environmental factors that lead to actual symptoms, so if you inherited the tendency to get asthma then something must convert that tendency into the actual condition. We call this ‘something’ a ‘Trigger Factor’. Many are born with a tendency to develop asthma and may go through life without actually developing it.

TRIGGER FACTORS

INFECTIONS ~ Viral infections i.e. colds, flu, chest infections etc.
ALLERGIES ~ House dust mite, pets, (cats, dogs, horses, guinea pigs ) rodents, cockroaches, pollen and moulds in damp houses
SMOKING/PASSIVE SMOKING ~ Smoking is a very important asthma trigger, it also reduces the effect of preventative treatment. The best gift you could give your child is to have your home, a smoke free home.
IRRITANTS ~ Such as smoke, air pollution, car fumes. etc.
CHANGES IN THE WEATHER ~ Cold air, fog, warm summer weather which produces high pollen counts.
FOOD ADDITIVES ~ Example E102 (tartarzine) a food colorant which may make asthma worse. Food allergy is relatively uncommon, but some asthmatics are allergic to milk, nuts, fish, wheat, eggs, sulphur dioxide in alcohol. etc.

ADDITIONAL TREATMENT
Long acting relievers i.e. Oxis, Serevent Foradil and Oxivent may be prescribed to produce sustained relaxation of the airway muscle. They can be used to control night-time or exercise induced symptoms. They should be used in conjunction with regular preventative treatment.

Seretide which is a combination of Serevent (long acting reliever) and Flixotide (preventer) may also be used.

Oral medications like theophyllines e.g. Slophyllin, Uniphyllin, Zepholin, and Nuelin are sometimes used as second line treatment for asthma that is difficult to control. Your GP may prescribe additional treatment such as Accolate or Singular tablets if necessary.

PEAK FLOW METERS
Asthma can be effectively monitored with regular use of a Peak Flow Meter. The peak flow meter (P.F.M.) gives a reading, which tells how open your airways are. The more widely open the airways are, the higher the rate the air can be blown from the lungs and the higher the reading on the P.F.M. If your asthma is not well controlled the readings will begin to drop.
Peak Flow Meters are well worth buying and can be purchased at your local chemist for £10 ~ £15 approx.

RECOGNISING POOR CONTROL OR AN IMPENDING ATTACK

1. If you are Peak Flow Monitoring:

• Fall in Peak Flow of more than 20%
  
• Variation of AM / PM Peak Flow readings
  
• Peak Flow not returning to normal after taking reliever
  

2 .Increased symptoms of cough or wheeze or chest tightness or breathlessness
3. Increased symptoms during exercise
4. Waking during night with symptoms
5. Increased need for Ventolin or Bricanyl
6. Ventolin / Bricanyl not being effective for up to four hours

NB Children whose asthma is going out of control may appear, pale, quiet, under active and have poor appetite.
Delay in going to your GP with asthma symptoms is a very common problem. Early treatment will save a lot of unnecessary anxiety for everyone, and may save the sufferer from being admitted to hospital.
Do not try to do without medication at any time!

REASONS FOR POOR CONTROL

NON COMPLIANCE ~ Not taking preventer every day as prescribed. Preventer medication only works if it’s in the lungs, not at the back of the medicine cupboard!
POOR INHALER TECHNIQUE ~ Have your technique checked regularly by your GP or Asthma Nurse.
INSUFFICENT DOSE OF PREVENTER ~ Asthma may have worsened. Dose may need to be increased. Go to GP for advice.
INCREASE IN TRIGGER FACTORS ~ Smoky environment, flu…etc.

IMPACT OF POOR MANAGEMENT / POOR CONTROL

Frequent visits to GP or hospital
Emergency call outs, regular nebulisation, and regular courses of oral steroids
Time off work / school
Inability to partake in sporting and leisure activities
Sleepless nights
Undiagnosed and untreated asthma can lead to lung deformities and poor growth in children.

GET WISE, TAKE CONTROL! DON’T LET YOUR ASTHMA CONTROL YOU!

Do not settle for a lesser quality of life!
Avoid known trigger factors when possible
Ensure correct inhaler technique
Take medication as prescribed ~ Two minutes spent each morning and evening can save a lot of unnecessary suffering. Parents should take full responsibility to see that this small chore is carried out
Regular Peak Flow monitoring and charting is invaluable. It gives you a clear picture of how well controlled your asthma is.
Never ignore asthma symptoms. Remember wheeze is not always present. Cough alone is a true symptom.

FIGHT THOSE DUST MITES NOW!
Approximately 80% of children with asthma are allergic to the house dust mite. They are about 0.25mm in size, which is not visible to the naked eye. They live in bedding, carpets, soft furnishing and cuddly toys, in even the cleanest of houses, and a single bed mattress may contain one million mites!
They survive and thrive by eating our shed skin. They thrive best in a bed used by someone with eczema who sheds skin profusely and who may sweat, scratch and bleed. The major allergenic part of the mite is the excreta (dung) which form into tiny pellets about the size of pollen grains. When the dust mite is released into the atmosphere and enters the respiratory tract there are immediate and delayed responses. In the nose and sinus these cause irritation producing swelling of the mucosa, mucus secretion and blockage. In the chest they cause asthma.
Signs of dust allergy are sneezing, blocked or runny nose, wheezing or coughing during vacuum cleaning or going into a dusty environment.
The house dust mite is extremely difficult to eradicate completely but if certain guidelines are followed the numbers can be reduced greatly, especially in the bedroom.

GUIDELINES

1. Use polished / painted floorboards, cork tiles or linoleum in preference to carpet. Do not use any rugs.
   
2. Use vacuum cleaner with special dust filtration. Vacuum mattress and room regularly.
   
3. Remove fabric covered headboards.
   
4. Mattresses and pillows should be fully enclosed in recommended covers, e.g. Anti-dust mite covers. Some stores stock anti-dust mite covers. They cover the top of the mattress only. They are not expensive. It may be worth while buying two to seal the mattress completely. Chemists will order special Anti- dust mite mattress, duvet, and pillow covers. They have zips and seal bedding completely. They are expensive e.g. £50 for a single mattress cover but they have the advantage of comfort and are ‘noise free’. Plastic covers may also be used but they tend to be sweaty and noisy.
   
5. Remove feather pillows, and use polyester pillows and cover.
   
6. Use synthetic or cotton bed linen and wash weekly at 55`C or higher.
   
7. Wash quilt or eiderdown every 2-3 weeks, if not specially covered.
   
8. Use light, washable curtain material or blinds.
   
9. Dust room with damp cloth. Do not dry dust.
   
10. Place cuddly toys in freezer every week for six hours.
    
11. The dust mite increases in numbers, especially when the heat is turned on during the autumn / winter months. Keep Rooms at an even temperature.
    
12. Rooms should be as clutter free as possible.
    
13. Open windows and keep rooms well ventilated.
    
14. Mite spray or anti-dust mite spray, may be used on the mattress, divan or other soft furnishing. It is a non-toxic spray, which is effective for up to three months. (Be careful, you may stain soft furnishing.) Ask your chemist for more information.
    
15. Avoid drying clothes on radiators
    
16. Do not keep furry animals or birds in the home.

NB Remember to keep all your Doctor, Chemist and Hospital receipts for tax relief purposes.

Hoping this information is useful to you all!

Catherine Kirrane SRN. SCM. {Asthma Nurse Specialist.}

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NOTE: These companies collect recyclables and then deliver them to recycling factories which costs them money, which they need to recover by charging householders. Hence the recyclables must be in their plastic bags, which you must buy. Dumping recyclables outside their premises is NOT on, they use CCTV to monitor their premises, and it’s a prosecutable offence under the Litter Act. Also it is illegal under Galway’s new By-laws to dispose of glass, aluminium cans and food cans in a regular black bag.

Disability Ireland (formerly Cerebral Palsy) (091) 564 857 Accept clothes, shoes, books, cutlery and bric-and-bric in good condition, either deposited in their bring bank at Galway Shopping Centre, or delivered to their shop on High Street in the mornings.

Connacht Recycling (091)799 297. They will collect cardboard by arrangement, for a minimum charge of £5/load. They also recycle plastic for commercial users. Contact them if you have plastic which has been properly cleaned and sorted. You will need to pay them to take the plastic, contact them for details.

Cunniffe Recycling (086 231 7047). They recycle newspaper and cardboard, provided they are put into separate bags. You must use their bags, which you can buy from them at £10 for 10 new bags, or £7.50 for 10 used bags. Contact them when you want to buy bags or when bags are full and ready for collection. They will collect the bags by arrangement, you can deliver the bags to them at Barna waste on the Headford Road (beside Carrowbrowne Landfill), or they will tell you where and when you can leave the bags to be collected. They recycle used plastic bags by selling them back to you at the lower “used bag” price.

Galway Corporation(091) 568 151 Accept refrigerators, waste oil, batteries, lamps and textiles at their depot on Sandy Road.

Galway Metal (091) 794 358 They accept tin cans, glass and metal objects at their centre in Oranmore, beside the railway line.

Rehab Recycling Rehab operate the glass, aluminum can and clean tin can banks at the bring banks at the shopping centres and car parks as well as at Galway Corporation’s offices and in Renmore.

Ryan Recycling (091)773 190 They recycle newspaper, office waste (e.g. white paper, envelopes), cardboard, magazines, aluminum cans, metal cans, PET plastic bottles (e.g. Galway water), HTPE plastic bottle (e.g. 2 litre milk bottles) and Tetra Pak cartons (e.g. 1 litre Milk or Orange cartons). Different materials must be segregated into separate bags, and materials should be clean (e.g. wash out the milk cartons). You must use their plastic bags, which you can buy from many shops, for example Holland’s Newspaper Shop in Galway City, also in Renmore, in Lower Salthill, in Upper Salthill, in Knocknacarra. £10 for 10 bags. Contact them when you have bags full and ready for collection. They will collect the bags by arrangement (they cover different areas on different days). They recycle the plastic bags by returning them to the bag manufacturer.

Irish Earthworm Ltd. (023 435645). They sell vermiculture units to households, as an alternative to composters. About £150 for a unit. Being tested by Galway Corporation in Renmore. Contact Tom Cuffe locally on (091) 761 607 for more details on vermiculture.

St. Vincent de Paul (091) 562 254). Will accept clothes, shoes, books and bric-and-brac in good condition, delivered to their curiosity shop on Merchants Road. They will also collect furniture by arrangement.

City Bin—Currently they recycle glass and cardboard for business and commercial companies only, but they have obtained permission to build a recycling/transfer centre in Oranmore, which will offer a recycling service there to households.

WHY NOT JOIN OTHERS WHO ARE TRYING TO IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF RECYCLING IN GALWAY?
Contact the Galway Waste Reduction Project, c/o Galway One World Centre, 1 Small Crane, William Street, West Galway (091) 581 688). Homepage: http://communities.msn.com/RecycleforGalway. E-mail: recycle4galway@hotmail.com

Thanks to Christine Keaney of Lakeview Estate for supplying the above information

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SPECIAL NEWS

Congratulations to Flor Leen (N.T. in Claregalway School) and his wife Marie on the birth of their baby girl Roísín, born on the 5th December.

Congratulations also to Enda Flaherty (N.T. in Claregalway School) and his wife Sineád on the birth of their baby Conor, born on the 11th January. Welcome to the parenting world!!!

Congratulations to Deirdre Lenihan of Lakeview - currently living in Boston who became engaged to Brian Gaughan from Renmore, over the Christmas. Best Wishes to both of you.

RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION - RIVER OAKS
A residents Association for the River Oaks area has been formed in the past few months. This association has been formed by a number of residents in order to help in the smooth running of the area. Next meeting for residents of River Oaks takes place on Monday the 12th of February next at 9pm in the Summerfield lounge. A representative from each drive will be elected on the night. All issues will be addressed. A full attendance is expected.

Dave Holleran (Chairperson).

EDITORIAL

Hello and welcome to our first 2001 edition of Nuacht Chláir. With recycling a very topical issue at the moment, we probably think that there is little point in taking any action to protect our environment. But, if everyone made a contribution, the impact could be tremendous. Every home produces about a ton of domestic waste a year. About half of it could be usefully recycled. This would be good for the environment and the economy. Recycling reduces use of raw materials, lowers energy costs, and means less waste going into rubbish tips. Food can be recycled into compost for your garden. Many areas now have collection points for glass, paper, metals and other materials either at supermarket car parks or local authority landfill sites. You can help by making use of them. You can also choose goods which are easy to recycle when used. We have only one landfill site in County Galway, (Poolboy in Ballinasloe) and soon it will refuse to handle commercial waste from Galway city, while later in the year all commercial waste will be refused. What a dilemma we would be in then! Lets educate ourselves and find out what we can do to resolve this crisis—it will not go away. See article on recycling.
Josette.

CHOIR NIGHT OUT

The adult choir enjoyed their Christmas Party recently in the Menlo Park Hotel. The night out took place on Saturday 6th January which was a nice way to finish up all the Christmas festivities. One last fling, plenty of food, drink, music and dancing was enjoyed by one and all and probably everyone was happy to get back to the normality of routine once more. At least, Monday night practice can move into the slower lane for a few weeks, before Patricia shifts into 5th gear again, and starts telling us how many weeks we have until Easter.
Mary Casserly