Designed
and Maintained by Niall Farrell
© Nuacht Chláir
| Claregalway Leisure
Centre |
Gardening with Bosco |
| Compantas Lir - Supper Theatre | Claregalway Basketball Club Report for the Season 1999/2000 |
| Active Retirement |
Claregalway Leisure Centre will hold a Craft Fair on Sunday 19th November in the Leisure Centre from 12.00 mid-day - 6.00 p.m. Admission Free.
A wide variety of Crafts will be on display and for sale. This will be an ideal opportunity to make a start on the Christmas Shopping. You can expect to find the following - Woodwork (clocks, lamps, toys, penholders, vases, mirrors etc.) Ceramics, Dried Flowers, Jewellery, Painted Glasswear, Slate Mirrors, Stained Glass Clocks, Pottery, Knitwear, Antiques, Candles, Decoupage, Painting, Patchwork, Floral Arrangements, and many more.
A cake sale will be run by the organising committee, in conjunction with the Fair. A raffle, with valuable prizes will also be held, for which tickets will be sold throughout the day. There will be several novelty events for the children, e.g. face painting, hair braiding and lucky dip.
All proceeds
from the day will go towards the on-going cost of running and maintaining
the Centre. So why not combine having a bit of fun with helping out your
Local Community Centre. This is a first (we think) of this type of event
in the Community and hopefully, if it is a big success, we will be able
to make it an annual date to look forward to.
Mary Casserly, P.R.O.
COMPANTAS LIR - SUPPER THEATRE
Compántas
Lir held their millennium Supper Theatre in Carnmore Community Centre
on 17th, 18th and 19th October 2000. It was a resounding success, the
choice of plays being inspired, aptly using the considerable talents of
this company and giving everyone present a night to remember.
The format is ingenious—a play, a meal at the interval (with wine),
and another play. It was a night you wouldn’t want to end. It must
have entailed a staggering amount of work on behalf of the whole company
and the volunteer helpers on the night. To cater for a hall full of people,
ensuring each one of them gets a main meal, a glass of wine (with refill),
and a dessert, with tea, is a mammoth task in itself. To do it with speed
and good humour, in between staging two plays, reveals an organisation
which deserves the highest praise.
To the plays themselves. They were both well chosen, and superbly directed
“Cough Water” was set in a rural dispensary in Ireland of the
50’s and starred Paddy Greaney, Patsy Cahalan, Brid Conneely, Michael
Fleming, Kevin Duffy, Evelyn Casserly, Mary Duggan, Simon Kavanagh, Deirdre
Conneely and Ann Greaney. It was directed by Maura Kavanagh. The comic
potential of the setting was superbly exploited, as clients entered the
doctor’s waiting room with different ailments and life stories. The
dispensary assistant—mixing cough bottles, dosing patients and generally
running the whole show, was wonderfully acted by Paddy Greaney. The warring
couple of Tom and Nora Connors were played to hilarious effect by Evelyn
Casserly and Kevin Duffy. The whole cast deserve admiration for the level
of their acting skill. It was a thoroughly enjoyable laugh, and sent everyone
into their meal in great good humour.
After the
interval, when we were well fed, we sat back to feast on another wonder.
“Curses, Foiled Again”, a gem of a play brought alive by the
comic talents of the actors. It featured Malachy Noone, Patricia Carton,
Carmel Kenny, Adrian Moran, Mary Booth and Ursula Cribbin, and was directed
by Lilyan Hannon.
A play within a play, it was set in the rehearsals for a Victorian melodrama.
It is the split second timing required when doing a play which switches
from one format to another, which gave this play its hilarity. It would
be hard to isolate one aspect more enjoyable than another, but Malachy
Noone was outstanding, his comic gifts brought fully into play by his
portrayal of Jasper. His timing didn’t miss a beat, and the performance
of the whole cast had the same professionalism. Wonderfully enjoyable.
To stage two plays in succession requires the same set being used, and full marks to the set design team of Regis Golding and John Brennan for coming up with one which could be adapted to two such different settings, by adding or taking away props. A special acknowledgement must go to the youngest member of the group, Christopher Carton, for his great work backstage. Applause also to the set construction team of John Whelan, Tony Broderick, J.J. Conneely and Seamus McNulty. On lighting and sound were Frankie Moran and Tom Maguire, while Anne Moran and Sheila Mannion were in charge of the make up. Stage manager was Mary Duggan.
On this night alone, this company richly deserve their reputation as one of the top drama companies in the country. To those of you who weren’t there, you missed a great night of crack and an opportunity to enjoy these fine actors in their home setting. Looking forward to next year already.
Congratulations
to everyone involved, and to the officers of this fine company Seamus
McNulty (chairman), Carmel Kenny (secretary), Bernadette Prendergast (treasurer),
Declan Varley (PRO).
Siobhán Lynskey.
The Active Retirement Movement is for people whose whole day is no longer taken up with work, paid or unpaid. It is for men and women who are retired and over 50 years who want to engage in educational, cultural, sporting and social activities of their own choice and so make this period a more meaningful and enjoyable phase of life. Included are those who have retired from full time work or who have been made redundant or perhaps unemployed and also for those who having reared a family now find themselves with less work to do in the home.
Membership offers support, companionship, information and encouragement and helps overcome the loneliness and isolation which can creep into life as one gets older. Activities include pitch and putt, walking, swimming, golf, art, computer classes, creative writing, bowling and social events such as theatre nights day trips, interesting talks and short holidays. There are links with the Irish Senior Citizens' Parliament tackling such issues as Pensions, Health, Security and Housing and also with similar groups locally and in Europe and the USA.
Branches are active in Knocknacarra, Renmore, Salthill and Centre city with a combined membership of over 500 men and women. More branches are planned in other areas of the West of Ireland.
If you would like further information please contact
Ann Goodwin (Development Officer) Tel.: 091 592780 E-mail anngoodwin@esatclear.ie
MORE INFORMATION
Members: First, decide if your group is to be based around socialising,
or is there another main interest like sport, arts or a campaign issue?
Use your imagination to recruit members; advertise where and when your
target group is likely to be. Put notices on library notice boards, shop
windows and community centres. Ask your local clergy to inform congregations.
Make your advertising as clear as possible; potential recruits should
be able to contact the group easily.
Premises: Premises depend on numbers and any special needs (for example, wheelchair access) of members, as well as the initial budget. Network locally: is there a local community centre, church premises or school available? Libraries sometimes have meeting rooms. Contact your Health Board's Community Care Services to see if a Health Board room would be available.
Activities: Some groups are mainly social, with members sharing outings, socials, cinema, theatre or cards. Others revolve around activities like walking, table-tennis, bowling or swimming. Still other groups exist to campaign on issues like public transport, pension rights, or local environmental issues.
"The capacities of older people represent a great reservoir of resources, which so far has been insufficiently recognised and mobilised. All generations stand to gain something important from policy changes which enable and motivate older people to become and remain more active."
European Commission, Employment and Social Affairs DG, Active Ageing: Promoting a European Society for all Ages, 1999
As we depart October and the brilliance of the kaleidoscopic autumnal leaves as they fall, the emphasis changes towards berries, stems, evergreens, conifers and heathers. In November in the garden, nothing can compare with the vast number of trees and shrubs that are laden with berries at this time of the year.
Even though there are not as many flowering plants around, it’s easy to introduce colour and interest with some of the many beautiful berry bearing shrubs and trees. Berries or fruits contain seed and as nature intended these to be dispersed, it designed them to be attractive to birds, specifically for this purpose. So a lot of berries or fruits will be lost to the appetites of birds. Therefore, it’s important to plant enough varieties to make up for this and to plant varieties that birds like least. The “Malus” or ornamental crab apple is one such variety, in particular Malus “Golden Hornet”, which has masses of golden yellow fruits that are left on the bare branches, untouched, right through the winter. Two new varieties are Malus “Evrete” and Malus “Gorgeous”, the latter being aptly named as it has beautiful red fruits. Another tree that excells itself in berries is the Mountain Ash family, “Sorbus.” The common mountain Ash, “Sorbus Aucuparca” is laden with red berries at the moment, but to me the best of these is Sorbus “Joseph Rock”. This has deep yellow fruits that first contrast with its autumnal foliage and then remain mostly untouched by birds through the winter, in big clusters on the bare branches. Another worthy variety is “Sorbus Commixta” with orangey-red berries which has an additional benefit of being a tree of modest size for any garden. Lastly, a tree commonly planted and although the birds enjoy its bountiful harvest, it’s worthy of mention is the “Cotoneaster”. Two varieties to watch for are “Cotoneaster Floccosus” and “Cotoneaster Cornubia”. They have a very broad habit but have the advantage of being semi ever green.
In the shrub line there are a huge range of plants and we will mention but a few. “Skimmia Reevasiana” is an evergreen shrub with small white flowers in spring followed by red fruits in Autumn and Winter, great for tubs and window boxes. Another plant used for this purpose, particularly tubs as it is an acid loving/lime hating shrub Gaultheira Proumbens” with white flowers in early Summer, followed by fleshy red fruit, some fruits vary in colour, according to variety. Two very well known varieties to us are the “Iles” or Holly, a good variety being “Ilex J.C. Van Tol”, which is self fertile, with red berries and “Pyracantha “ or “Firethorn”. “Pyracantha orange glow” is a good variety, untouched by birds. Pyracanthas are a dense upright, evergreen shrub with glossy dark green leaves, clusters of small white flowers in summer are followed by round fruits, varying in colour in the autumn.
A less well known variety is “Arbutus Unedo” or “Strawberry tree” - a spreading tree or shrub. It has white flowers, 3 inches long from October to December, often at the same time as the orangey red strawberry like fruits from the flowers of the previous year. It is an acid loving plant, preferring a sheltered site. It has beautiful rough shreddy bark and its fruit is edible but insipid. There are beautiful specimens to be seen wild around the lakes of Killarney.
A lot of
people take hardwood cuttings at this time of year, some with success,
some without. Here are a few guidelines:
Select a pencil thick section of your material, (preferably hardwood rather
than the very softwood growth). Make a sloping cut just above a healthy
bud. Choose another bud 9 inches down the stem and cut horizontally below
it.
Dip the cutting in hormone rooting powder. Open a narrow trench using
a space, in a well drained, sheltered area of bare soil, in the garden.
The soil needs to be loose and well drained. Heavy clay can be improved
by the addition of coarse sand or peat.
Insert the cuttings vertically in the trench about 6 inches apart. Ensure
that they are the right way up, with the sloping cut on the stem at the
top.
Firm the soil around the cuttings, leaving the top couple of inches exposed.
Label them and lift when rooted next Spring. The following is a list of
plants that are easy to propagage from hardwood cuttings -
Cotoneaster species; Forsythia; Weigleia; Griselinia; Butterfly Buish(Buddleia); Jews Mallow (Kerria Japonica); Pheasantberry (Leycesteria); Elder (Sambucus); Dogwood (Cornus).
Garden
checklist for November:
That’s it for now until next month, happy gardening.
Bosco McDermott,
Jnr., Glynn’s Garden Centre, Lydican, Oranmore, Co. Galway. (091-799135).
Last season was a very busy year for the club. As the club continued to grow we needed to enlist the help of more coaches. The club welcomes Liam Egan, Coach of U11 boys, James McDonagh, Coach of U13 boys and Liam Ryder, Coach of U15 who joined us at the beginning of last season. Thanks also to Kieran Moran and Louise Moran for assisting with the U13 boys and U11 girls last season. The club greatly appreciated their help and commitment. Our Assistant Coaches for this season are Anthony Hughes, Louise Moran, Maria Moran and Kiera Skelly. This season the club has introduced a new U9 training session and I would like to welcome Fiona Duggan, Cormac Evans, Mary Glynn, Micheal Murray, and Patricia Newell on board to look after them. Welcome also to Nicki Broderick as Assistant Coach for the U 15 Girls.
Last year we entered 6 teams into the Galway Juvenile League and I am delighted to report they all performed very well, getting to quarter final and semi-final stages in most competitions. Our U11 Girls reached the final but were narrowly beaten by Moycullen. Congratulations to Coach Pauline Walsh and her team.
Four teams from Claregalway and one from Annaghdown were entered into the Community Games. Congratultions to the U13 team coached by Sinead Greally and the U16 team coached by Mike Murrary who won County Silver Medals. Congraulations also to Annaghdown who entered a team for the first time into the U16 Community Games.
There was also a one day U18 tournament held in Claregalway in May with teams from Limerick, Mayo and Roscommon attending. It proved to be very successful and I would like to congraulate Emmet Hartigan, Kieran Moran and Eoghan Hartigan on taking the initiative to organize this event. I would also like to thank their Sponsors Mike Thornton of Galway Cleaning Equipment Ltd., Madge Burke and Ocean Hackneys.
Last Season saw the introduction of a Ladies Basketball Team, which was entered into the Galway Senior League. Hopefully our young players coming up from the Juvenile League will join and I am confident that this team will go from strength to strength. AVE Medtronic Senior Men’s Team started training in Claregalway Leisure Centre last season and allowed our young players to train with them. I would like to thank AVE for providing this opportunity.
Our marathon, which was run in November proved very successful with all members from the oldest to the youngest participating. Almost £2,000 was raised on the day. Thanks to everyone who contributed.
Through Liam Egan’s contacts, 3 sets of jerseys were sponsored to the club last season. Thanks to Liam Egan of Egan Screeding, Sean Crowe of Crowe Plant Hire and Malachy Flaherty of Western Ironcraft. It is greatly appreciated.
Thank you to Jimmy Roche of Roco Engineering for designing our new basketball boards. They were installed over several weeks and I would like to thank Tony Clarke, Sean Harte, Gerry Moran, Frank Moran, Mike Murray, Jimmy Roche, Liam Ryder and Ronan Walsh for all their help. I would like to take this opportunity in thanking the Leisure Centre Committee for all their support over the last year. I would also like to say a special thank you to Jimmy Roche for sponsoring two new Mini-boards for the sides of the hall for the under 9 teams. We hope to install these in the near future.
During last season Mike Murray, through his contacts in the IBA, managed to secure two outdoor Basketball Boards, which were sponsored by the ESB to the IBA last season. These boards were then donated to the Claregalway National School. Mike with the help of Liam Ryder, Francis Moran, and Gerry Cullinane installed these in the school yard over three evenings. Thanks to all for providing their equipment and time.
Recently, the club through the Leisure Centre arranged for 2 benches to be made. Thank you to Gerry Mooney who designed and made these.
Our club returned the visit to Sligo last season. All of our members played and we were also treated to a National League Game in the afternoon. Thanks to all the parents who volunteered their services. It is hoped that Sligo will come to us again this season.
Finally, thank you to the Committee for their commitment and support over the last year. A special thank you to our Secretary Michelle Murray, not only did she work hard for the Juvenile club, she also very graciously looked after the Senior Ladies team.
The Committee
elected for the forthcoming season are as follows: -
Chairperson: Maura Harte
Assistant Chairperson: Mike Murray
Secretary: Michelle Murray
Treasurer: Joannna Giles
PRO: Sarah Mooney
Assistant PRO: Maria Moran
Irish Promotions Officer: Kiera Skelly
Committee members: Pauline Walsh, Mary Glynn, Liam Egan,
Cormac Evans, Liam Ryder, James McDonagh.
This year’s season is already well underway and I wish everyone a very enjoyable year.
Maura Harte, Chairperson.
Designed
and Maintained by Niall Farrell
© Nuacht Chláir