17th August, 2000
Notice Board


BACCHUS

Following on from our previous article 7 tips to choosing wine in an off-license, here are 7 tips for choosing a wine when eating out.
1. When choosing a restaurant take both the food menu and wine list into consideration.
2. If you are unsure of the style of wine to choose, try a grape variety you were happy with on a previous occasion, but maybe from a different country. Do not be afraid to ask the advice of the waiter/waitress.
3. Try to order your wine before your food, particularly in the case of red wine, as this will allow the wine even more time to breath before you consume, (Note, most red wines will taste much better 30 minutes after opening.)
4. In the case of white wines make sure the wine is not over chilled, as this will inhibit flavours and aromas.
5.If the wine you choose is available by the glass, ask to taste before committing yourself to a bottle. When dining with a group try white wine for the starter and move to red as the meal progresses. This will keep everyone happy and will encourage others to try a style which they otherwise would not have tried.
6. Wine should be presented to you unopened so you have the opportunity to check if it is what you ordered and that the vintage is correct. After it is opened you may taste and if the wine chosen isn't to your satisfaction for whatever reason, send it back. The restaurant will simply return it to their supplier who will in turn return it to the producer. This is a basic fact of the wine trade. Remember you're paying for it and your satisfaction is the restaurants aim.
7. If you wish to finish your meal in style why not try a dessert wine. They have a higher sugar content so they will be much sweeter and in turn may also have a higher alcohol content.
Bacchus


KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENTS

All workers whether full-time, part-time or contract workers are entitled to paid holidays. For further information regarding your holiday entitlement please call in to the Cobh Information Centre at The Parish Centre, Roches Row, phone us on 4814422 or email to cobh.cic@nssb.ie. Our reduced opening hours for August are 10.30 to 4.30 on Monday & Tuesday, 10.30 to 2.00 on Wednesday and 10.30 to 12.00 on Thursday.


THE DOUGLAS LINEN INDUSTRY

Taken from the History of Douglas by Con Foley, part 2
The Carletons were no less prominent. Francis Carleton was Mayor in 1780, and Lucas gives a Hue Carleton as Recorder of Cork Corporation and Francis Carleton of Morrison's Island as Alderman.
In the order of time, Perry and Carleton are first mentioned as proprietors of the Douglas factory. Under the date, June20, 1726, Tuckey states "the Douglas factory was begun to be built" but gives no further information. In his terse statement that the Douglas sailcloth industry was founded by a colony of weavers from Fermanagh, Lewis is both vague and suspect. But we are on much firmer ground when we come to the petition of Samuel Perry, sworn in Cork on March 27, 1750, in which he states that he has been connected with the manufacture of sailcloth in Cork for about twenty years. This is near enough to the year 1726. Mr. Carleton, Samuel Perry's business partner, was a Cork merchant who was known as "King" Carleton because of his wealth and influence. About the time of the American War of Independence (April 1775), he incurred severe losses through speculations and this caused his downfall. "His name is written largely in the early pages of the Ursuline annals. At the meeting of the court of d'oyer, measures were proposed for the suppression of the popish convent and schools in Cove Lane. Francis Carleton, known locally as "King Carleton" called for common sense. He pointed out that the children of the Catholic mercantile families would once again be obliged to seek education on the Continent." On the other hand it should not be forgotten that Carleton was the judge that sentenced the Sheares Brothers to death for their part in the United Irishmen revolutionary organisation.
Robert Stephenson, a technical expert on the linen industry, who visited every linen factory in Munster, Leinster and Connaught on behalf of the Linen Board, in 1755, visited Cork on August 9th of that year and reported: "Near this City and in it are carried on the only Sail Cloth Manufacturers worth notice at present in the Kingdom; Douglas Factory, the Property of Messrs. Perry, Carleton and Co. contains about 100 Looms, with Boylers, Cesterns, Kieves and every Apparatus for preparing the Yarn to that Number which they kept employed till the Duty on Irish Sail Cloth, that had drawn the Bounty was laid on in England; the Hemp manufactured there now is entirely Foreign, they have been so much discouraged by the London Market (to which they export entirely) of late Years, and the Duty charged in England, with other Occurrences, as to reduce their Number of Looms to about fifty, and those are now employed."
Ten years later, Stephenson reported that the cloth manufacture had extended and a Petition had been sent to Parliament to extend the premises. Continued next week


IS ELVIS PRESLEY ALIVE?

We continue with our look at the somewhat controversal evidence
In the weeks preceding his alleged death, Elvis's actions were not those of a man who was about to embark on an extensive US tour. He ordered no new suits despite having gained 50 pounds since his last tour, and he bid "adios" at his last show in Hawaii. He had never done this before. Adios, like the French adieu, has the significance of being a final good-bye as opposed to an "I'll be seeing you on my next tour" kind of good-bye.
Others were intrigued by the King's decision to sign a lucrative TV deal with NBC that would cover the tour. It was unprecedented for a network to pay such a large amount up front, in cash, for such a deal. Many wonder why Elvis even agreed to the deal since his vanity discouraged him from making public appearances due to his obesity.
RCA showed uncanny (and unbelievable) foresight by mass producing millions of Elvis's current and previous recordings and merchandise. This is standard practice for an act that is about to go on tour, but the numbers in this case were beyond reasonable expectations. The announcement of Elvis's death caused record sales to skyrocket.
Elvis did other unusual things that created suspicion. First, he fired several employees that he had relied upon for a long time. Also, two days before his alleged death, Elvis telephoned a friend of his named Miss Foster. He told her that he wasn't planning on going on the upcoming tour. She asked him if he had cancelled it, and he said that he had not. When she asked if he was ill, he said that he was fine, and that she should not ask any more questions or tell anyone anything, and that she should not believe anything she read. He told her that his troubles would all soon be over, and that he would call her in a few weeks. The author of Elvis Where Are You? writes that Miss Foster took a polygraph test regarding this story, and that she was not lying.
The day after Elvis's alleged death, a woman named Lucy De Barbon, a former lover of Elvis, received a single rose in the mail. The card indicated that the flower was from "El Lancelot." This had been her pet name for Elvis, and it was a name that no one else knew. Flowers can't be sent from beyond the grave. This was Elvis's way of letting her know that he was not dead, even though he didn't want to be found.


GODZILLA RIDES AGAIN

Unlike Elvis, Godzilla is alive and well. Created in 1954 for a Japanese film, the foam-and -rubber monster is busy making his 24th movie. Unlike the 1998 Hollywood version, this is the original man-in-the-monster-suit Godzilla smashing miniature buildings and cars and terrorising a frightened world. How this 46-year-old, low budget dinosaur will rate against the $130million two-year-old is something all movie fans will want to see. But don't write off the old guy just yet. In his day Godzilla has destroyed, astro monsters, sea monsters, smog monsters and the mighty Mortha, so beware you special-effects aficionados the die-hard Godzillamaniacs are Jurassic Parking their way towards you.


WALKWAYS AND TAKING-IN-CHARGE

Cllr. Deirdre Forde confirms that a Draft Report has been prepared by the Committee who held oral hearing connected with extinguishment of Public Right of Way in Ashford Court, Woodview Pinecroft Grange. . The Committee are presently finalizing their deliberations for the Report. "I understand that this Report will be sent to Councillors in advance of the September Area Roads Meeting and a decision should be forthcoming on the matter" stated Cllr. Forde.

Taking-in-Charge of Estates.
Cllr. Deirdre Forde welcomes progress in the taking-in-charge of a number of Estates in Douglas. "A £100,000 was allocated in the Estimates this year to facilitate certain works which needed to be done in advance of the taking-in-charge. While this will lead to an improvement in the situation, we still have quite a backlog" stated Cllr Forde. " I know that Officials are working flat out to identify snag lists, works to be done and to have all legalities finalised in relation to a number of Estates."
" I understand that Frankfield will be taken in charge in three to four weeks when the handing over of open spaces has been agreed. The roads in this Estate have previously been taking in charge by Cork County Council. Similarly, The Paddocks Maryborough Hill is very close to being finalised also. Final legalities are being teased out in relation to Broadale and should be concluded within two months."
Consultants have also drawn up a scheme of works for Lissadell, Marklands Wood and Maryborough Court and once these matters are attended to Council will take these Estates in Charge. "At a recent Area Roads Meeting, I requested a comprehensive list of Estates to be Taken-in-Charge, the length of time awaiting to be taken in charge and a progress report on each Estate. I will be requesting that a written progress report in relation to these matters, similar to Housing and Water & Sewerage Works reports which are given to Councillors bi-monthly ."concluded Cllr. Forde


CORK CAT CLUB

Entries have closed for the Cork Cat Club's annual Cat Show at St. Finbarr's Hurling & Football Club, Togher, on Sunday September 3rd. There will be a wide variety of exotic pedigree breeds on display as well as the more familiar "moggie" or household pet, with judging for the "Best in Show" and other big prizes. The Club are also hoping to run some sideshows of great interest to cat lovers. The show is open to the public from 1 to 5 PM and welcomes all visitors and families. But the organisers warn people against bringing their pets to the door hoping to put them in a competition class. The cats already entered have had to be vaccinated and have all their details recorded in an official catalogue. However, for all the other would -be show stars there's always next year!


PHONE BILLS

Local and national calls
For local calls, there is no significant difference in the per minute rates of Eircom, Esat Clear, Ocean and IM. However, Eircom's minimum call charge of 11.5p makes the cost of many local and national calls significantly more expensive than with some of its competitors. This is especially true for short calls - a one-minute local call during the weekend costS 1l.5p with Eircom (minimum charge) but only I.5p with Ocean.
Esat Clear charges the same rates for local and national calls, and works out cheapest for national calls. Remember, a 3p call set-up charge is added to the price of every Esat Clear call within Ireland.

Calls to mobiles
There is no significant difference between operators; most charge roughly the same rates as Eircom (22.99p per minute during daytime hours). The best during daytime hours is Swiftcall (15p per minute). One way to reduce your phone bill is to restrict the number and duration of your calls to mobile phones. It is often cheaper to call the USA than to call a mobile phone in Ireland.

International calls
You can make big savings on international calls by choosing the cheapest operator.Eircom is the dearest for most international calls. Spirit, Swiftcall and Switchcom are the best depending on what country you call. Esat Clear and Ocean are competitive for some international calls.

A SAMPLE BILL
The O'Neill family lives in Douglas, and is currently with Eircom. Their last 2-monthly bill from Eircom had £119.06 in call charges, consisting mostly of local and national calls, and calls to mobile phones. They made a few calls to Britain and USA, but international calls only accounted for £5.97 on their bill.
Based on the figures given by all seven operators we calculated what the O'Neill's 2-monthly bill would be if they switched to another operator.
Swiftcall and Switchcom are not included, as they target consumers making international calls rather than local and national calls.
We took minimum call charges, time of call (daytime, evening, and weekend), and duration of call into account. The comparison was complicated by operators using different definitions of 'evening' and 'weekend'.
We found that the O'Neills could save money by switching to Esat Clear, IM, Ocean, or by signing up for Eircom Options 30 or 50. Their 2-month bill with Ocean would be £110.18, around the same as with Esat Clear (£110.46), Eircom Options 30 (£110.83) and slightly cheaper than Irish Multichannel (£113.24). The highest bill was with Spirit (£123.42), but this could be reduced by over £6 if weekend calls are made after 7pm on Saturday and Sunday.
The cheapest bill was with Eircom Options 50 (£101.06). The O'Neills would have to agree to a monthly call spend of at least £50. However, Eircom say's that you can cancel the agreement if your call-spend is not high enough, or switch between Options 30 and 50.
Eircom Options allow one annual minimum spend 'holiday' This means that on the first occasion within 12 months you fall below the minimum monthly spend (£30 or £50) you can still avail of the lower Options call charges. After that you are charged the minimum monthly spend.
We believe that consumers with a lower average call-spend than the
O'Neills, and who are ineligible for Options, can make savings with Esat Clear and Ocean. However, to connect to Esat Clear you need one
Eircom bill from the last 6 months, showing at least £30 per month in call charges. Ocean does not require a minimum call-spend to get connected. You can make big savings on international calls with Spirit, Swiftcall, and Switchcom.
The prices in the report are accurate as at 15 May 2000. However, due to increased price competition and continuing changes in European telecommunications, we will have to wait and see how prices are affected in the future.
Eircom's monopoly on residential phones ended over 2 years ago, and since then consumers have had an increasing choice of companies. But choosing the best deal is tricky; price structures are complicated and, for many people, switching operators seems too much hassle.
CPS allows consumers to switch to a different operator without installing additional equipment in their home. We hope that as competition increases and intensifies, prices will be further reduced.
There are savings to be made by shopping around. Taking the time to make some calculations and a price comparison based on your own phone calls can help to reduce your bill.
Next week Mobile Phone Charges.


ANXIETY ATTACKS

by Declan Cronin of Apex Clinic.

My first experience with a panic attack was when I was twenty-three years of age. I was having my hair done and I vividly remember the shaking sensation all over my body and then going into a state of panic. I was sure I was going to collapse and so I made an excuse that I had forgotten an urgent appointment and I rushed home. I stayed out of work for two weeks until things settled down. I returned to work and things were going well for the last four years until about three months ago when I had another panic attack, which has knocked me for six. I find myself to be preoccupied with the thoughts that the panic attacks will return. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work, Fiona.

Comment: You should first seek advice from your doctor and get a proper diagnosis. There are various therapies available and they would include medical, complementary, psychological, group therapy etc. Psychotherapy has been proven to be very successful in alleviating the symptoms of anxiety attacks and so you should go to a therapist that has been recommended by someone you trust.
More next week.


CORK ARTS THEATRE

New Dublin Company comes to Cork Arts Theatre. Halo Theatre Company presents "Knock-Off" by Alan Weadick. An evening of surreal farce, mind games, power -tools and the odd Hank Williams number casting a cold eye on today's Ireland. 8.00 pm - Tuesday the 22nd to Saturday the 26th of August. Further information from: The Booking Office - Cork Arts Theatre - 021 4508398


RISING OR FALLING?

According to the latest British researcher, 24 is the age at which men's fertility begins to decline. Women's fertility begins to decrease at around 30.Someone should have explained that to Charlie Chaplin before he became a father at eighty-three. On a more serious note, figures twenty years ago showed men's rate slowing down at 50 and women at 35. The question is has the research become more accurate or is there something they are not telling us.


COOL CLEAR WATER

A reader recently showed us a bottle of "Spring Water", which was purchased locally and according to the label contained chlorine and fluoride. Our reader asked how could it be labelled spring water if it contained additives. Well to the best of our knowledge water labelled 'Mineral Water' must be bottled at source and not interfered with in any way, whereas 'Spring Water' can be any water as long as it complies with the EU Drinking Water Directive which covers all water intended for human consumption. We will have a more comprehensive look at the water issue in the near future. Meanwhile a Californian firm called Solar Solutions is saying that most of the Earth's fresh water supply is contaminated and the only way to get absolutely pure water is to distil it. And by sheer coincidence they are marketing a distillation unit for drinking water. The unit is a clear cone shaped devise that can be placed over a water source, the sun evaporates the water, which then condenses on the inner walls of the cone, flows down the side and is collected in a receptacle at the bottom. This might work well in California but somehow we don't have that much sunshine. However for anybody that can get his or her hands on an old 'Poteen Still' here's a golden opportunity to put it to a good legitimate use. There must be a demand for water that's 100% pure.


THE DAVY CROCKETT STORY

Antonine de Crocketagne was a French Huguenot who fled from Normandy to England, and then to Cork around 1690. Very little is know about him, other than he was a tough illustrious man and was known to wear armour. Somewhere along the line he married and sailed to America and settled in a log cabin in the Tennessee wilderness. Language was a major problem amongst the emigrants of the emerging nation, especially as most of the new arrivals were of different nationalities, but English seemed to predominate so in order to be more acceptable to his companions he abbreviated his name to Crockett. Indians later murdered Antonine and his wife in their log cabin. Their surviving son John, like his father before him was a man of impatience and discontent, married and tired of a miserable existence moved to a little settlement called Cove Creek, where he went into partnership with a Mr. Galbreath and erected a water mill to grind corn. The mill was washed away in a storm and John, his wife Rebecca (nee Hawkins) and, by this time, their four children moved again. Their fifth child, a son, David was born in Greene County, Last Tennessee, on August 17, 1786. In 1798, two years after the Crocketts opened a tavern on the road from Knoxville to Abingdon, Virginia; John Crockett hired his son out to Jacob Siler to help drive a herd of cattle to Rockbridge County, Virginia. Siler tried to detain David by force after the job was completed, but the boy escaped at night by walking seven miles in two hours through knee-deep snow. He eventually made his way home in late 1798 or early 1799. Soon afterward he started school, but preferred playing
hooky and ran away to escape his father's punishment. This "strategic withdrawal," as Crockett called it, lasted two and a half years while he worked as a wagoner and day-labourer and at odd jobs to support him self. When he returned home in 1802 he had grown so much that his family did not recognise him at first. When they did, he found that all was forgiven. Crockett reciprocated their generosity by working for about a year to discharge his father's debts, which totalled seventy-six dollars, and subsequently returned to school for six months.
On October 21, 1805, Crockett took out a license to marry Margaret Elder of Dandridge, Tennessee, but was jilted by her, perhaps justly, since local legend intimated that he was a less than constant suitor. He recovered quickly from the experience, courted Mary (Polly) Finley, and married her on August 14, 1806, in Jefferson County; they remained in the mountains of East Tennessee for just over five years. Sometime after September 11, 1811, David, Polly, and their two sons,
John Wesley and William, settled on the Mulberry Fork of Elk River in Lincoln County, Tennessee; they moved again in 1813, to the Rattlesnake Spring branch of Bean's Creek in Franklin County, Tennessee, near what is now the Alabama border. Crockett named his homestead Kentuck.
He began his military career in September of that year, when he enlisted in the militia as a scout under Major Gibson in Winchester, Tennessee, to avenge an Indian attack on Fort Mimms, Alabama. On November 3,under Andrew Jackson, Crockett participated in the retributive massacre of the Indian town of Tallussahatchee. He returned home when his ninety-day enlistment for the Creek Indian War
expired on the day before Christmas, and re-enlisted on September 28, 1814, as a third sergeant in Capt. John Cowan1 5 company. He arrived on November 7; the day after Jackson took Pensacola, and spent his time trying to ferret out the British-trained Indians from the Florida swamps. After his discharge in 1815 as a fourth sergeant Crockett arrived home and found himself again a father. Polly died the summer after Margaret's birth, although she had been in good health when David returned. On May 21, 1815, Crockett was elected a lieutenant in the Thirty-second Militia regiment of Franklin County.
Before summer's end he married Elizabeth Patton, a widow with two children (George and Margaret Ann), and he explored Alabama in the fall with an eye towards settlement. He nearly died from malaria-was
reported dead-and astonished his family with his "resurrection." By about September of the next year the Crocketts had moved to the territory soon to become Lawrence County, Tennessee, rather than Alabama. They settled at the head of Shoal Creek, and David continued his political and military career. He became a justice of the peace on November 17, 1817, a post he resigned in 1819. He became the town
commissioner of Lawrenceburg before April 1, 1818,and was elected colonel of the Fifty-seventh Militia regiment in the county that same year.

To be continued next week


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