26 Feb 1998, Posted in Gardening Tips,Local News, 0 Comments

Nuacht Chláir January/February 1998

Nine Arches

Across from the Friary and near Claregalway Castle is the bridge over the River Clare. It was first mentioned in 1349 and was a wooden structure. The bridge of the Nine Arches was erected in stone probably in the early eighteenth century. In 1765 John Bodkin, a landlord from Lackagh, changed the course of the River Clare and diverted it away from the old bridge in order to improve the drainage of the area, but also to deepen the river to make it navigable up to Tuam. The present bridge, built in the early 1950, replaced Bodkin’s one and a record of his work is preserved on two stones in the wall of the bridge.

Claregalway Amenity Group have undertaken the challenging task of unveiling the Nine Arches.

Phase I has been completed in conjunction with Galway County Council. This involved the clearing of the arches. With money allocated from Councillors notice of motion funds we were able to complete this phase. We thank Senator Jarlath McDonagh, Councillors Paddy McHugh, Deputy Padraic McCormack for their prompt response for funds towards this project.

Phase II involves the restoration of the 9 Arches in which the FÁS workers will be specialy trained in restoring the stonework under the aegic of supervisor Tom Cullinane. Councillor Seamus Gavin has confirmed he will allocate notice of motion funds towards this phase. His gesture is much appreciated.

Phase II will be a time consuming and expensive process. We are currently finalising costs in this regard in liaison with our local architect Geri McManus to whom we are deeply indebted for her commitment and expertise.

A sincere thank you to Area Engineer Diarmuid Croghan who helped us get this project initiated. His co-operation and commitment is deeply appreciated. Thank you to Colm Wallace of Galway County Council who is a constant source of inspiration to us, to Sean Connell, Area Foreman, thank you for your continuous help on the ground.

Our Group are very enthusiastic about this project and look forward to having this historical structure back to where it belongs – within its monastic setting.

Further updates will be given as the project proceeds.
Josette Farrell.

Committee:
Josette Farrell, (Chairperson)
Sean Harte (Secretary)
Celia Lennon (Treasurer)
Josie Concannon
Mary Duggan
Rose Kavanagh
Larry King
Vincent Lyons
Seamus O’Connell.

The Return

Red and white cones
Yellow diggers.

Roadworks.
What’s the story?

Major clearance
Reappearance.

The Nine Arches
In all their glory.

Patricia Carton, January 1998.

Special Notices

Welcome to the following “Bundles of Joy”:
Aisling Moran, baby daughter of Michael and Margaret, Cloon

Laura Boyle, baby daughter of Tom and Marie in Cahergowan

Shannon Marie Cullen, baby daughter of Anthony and Joanne, Mullacuttra.

Congratulations to Fidelma and Breffni O’Rourke on the birth of their son Bríon, December 23rd. 1997.

“A Baby is an angel whose wings decrease as his legs increase”

Birthday Greetings to Caitriona Davin, Rockmount, who celebrated her 2lst Birthday on 5th January.

Happy Birthday to John Forde, Cahergowan, who celebrated his 16th Birthday on 26th January, and to Paul Casserly who was 18 on the 30th December.

Welcome to Maura and Michael Wall who have recently taken up residence in Cahergowan.

Senior Choir Trip to Maynooth

Although we are well and truly into the new year, many of our Choir Members have special memories of Christmas, due to their visit to Maynooth on Sunday 2lst Dec. – Mon. 22nd December.

This trip was undertaken in order to participate in Gay Byrne’s “Concert of Carols” which is a “Live Recording” for his Radio Programme on the Monday before Christmas This is an annual event. The Concert is performed by a gathering of choirs from all over the country, together with a male and female soloist and a boy soprano, and accompanied by the Concert Orchestra from the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

All participants were expected to attend for rehearsal on the Sunday afternoon and the setting this year, in the Chapel in Mayoooth College, was absolutely spectacular. There were between 500 and 600 voices combining to “raise the roof” with the traditional outpouring of seasonal favourites. Attendance at the practice certainly sets the scene for the actual concert and puts everyone right into the atmosphere of Christmas.

Some Claregalway choir members spent the Sunday night in the Clerical Students accommodation in the College and there could be a tale or two to relate there, but enough said!!! All were present and correct bright and early on the Monday morning and I think anyone who may have been tuned in, would agree that the concert was a huge success. Everyone considered it a wonderful start to Christmas week and a welcome escape from the commercial angle which predominates this time of year.

Hopefully we will repeat the experience next year, and that more of our members will be able to join us.

Minister’s Commitment to Galway Airport

In a New Year’s reception given by Galway Chamber of Commerce at Galway Airport in Carnmore, Mary O’Rourke, Minster for Public Enterprise, reiterated the Government’s commitment to the development of the Airport. The approved changes will cost an estimated £4.2 million, of which £3.1million will come from the Government.

Mrs. O’Rourke stressed the importance of Regional Airports, “in this day and age we are all only too well aware of the importance of Access” she said. The new improvements will include the extension of the existing runway from 1,350 metres to 1,600 metres and widening it from 30 to 45 metres. As a result, jet aircraft will be accommodated, which will open up the Airport to flights to Britain and the Continent. Galway will thus be placed in a better position to attract additional air services, more tourists and more importantly enhance the standing of Galway as a major centre for business and enterprise.

No doubt, the expansion and upgrading of the Airport at Carnmore will have a positive effect on the entire locality.

Senior Badminton

Division III League

Our Division III Team had an important win over the Galway Lawn Tennis Club in a very exciting home game last week. This was the first game in the second round of the Competition. Well done and Good Luck in the next game against Oranmore on 3rd February.

County Championships – Doubles (Senior)

Division III
Congratulations to Paula Shaughnessy and Cathy Casserly who won the Ladies Doubles and to Mairéad Glynn who reached the Semi-final stage of the Competition

Division II
Paul Casserly and Liam Hyland played really well to reach the Final of the Mens Doubles.
Well done Paul and Liam.

Division I
Congratulations to John Forde and his partner, Mark Murphy who were narrowly beaten by Dave Lawlor and Tommy Hehir in an extremely closely contested 3-set Final.

Junior Connacht Championships

U11, and U15 Championships will be held in G.L.T.C. on Sunday 8th February at 10.00 a.m. Good Luck to all who enter.

U13 and U17 will be held at the same venue on Sunday 15th February at 10.00 a.m. Closing Date for this Competition is 6th February. Forms are available on Saturday and Tuesday at the Badminton Club.

U11 Squad

Five of our boys traveled to the Ulster U11 Championships in Lisburn on Friday and Saturday 23rd and 24th of January. Congratulations to Ryan Gately, Mark Loughlin, Ian Steven, Gregory Hehir and Damian Hehir who all played really well and were an absolute credit to their Club.

Damian and Ian reached the Doubles Final and Damian reached the Semi-final of the Singles.

Senior Club Night continues on Tuesday 8.30 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. New members are welcome.

M. Forde.

Claregalway Leisure Centre

A Committee meeting was held in the Centre on Wednesday, 28th January. At this meeting a vote of sympathy was passed on the death of the young daughter of Martin Joe Carroll, who was tragically killed in an horrific road accident recently. Martin Joe is an employee at the Leisure Centre.

The Annual General Meeting will take place on Wednesday 4th March at 8.30 p.m. in the Leisure Centre. Hopefully there will be a good attendance on the night.

There is much activity in the Centre at the moment and the new floor has ensured full utilization throughout the damp winter months. However, much time and energy is required by committed personnel to ensure the smooth running of acitivities and planning of ongoing maintenance and improvements. If there are enough ordinary members willing to help out, the load will not be very great on any individual. So please come forward and do a little, it will help a lot.

M. Reidy (Secretary)

The Garden

A new year is upon us and with it, come all our dreams, resolutions and aspirations for the months ahead. Some of us will include our garden in these aspirations, other’s wont’, but whither or which there will be joy for everybody at some stage, from their garden.

We should not look upon the garden as a chore but as a hobby. Many people are turned off gardening – some by spending 2 hours cutting a lawn – if it is that big buy a ride-on lawnmower or buy a share in one with one or two friends or neighbours. This will cut down on your workload and not be as boring. Don’t leave all your gardening to the last minute or one or two times a year. Spend an hour or two twice a fortnight and it won’t build up, this will be more rewarding and relaxing as well. Many Health Boards, Mental Handicap Associations, Doctors dealing with depression recommend gardening. It is known to be relaxing and very therapeutic for patients. Hence you will often hear people say “I love being out in the garden, I find it very relaxing”. Of course it is, sowing plants, watching them grow, keeping them alive, watching the nature around them. So put an hour or two aside and try different things in your garden and enjoy it.

Most of our heavy frosts are at this time of the year so protect any plants that need it. Cut away any old seed heads or dead stems of perennials to tidy them up. The vegetable garden an have compost or rotted manure or seaweed spread on the surface before digging or rotavating it in. All trees should have their stakes and ties checked. Planting of all bareroot hedging and trees can continue as can planting of all fruit trees and fruit bushes.

You can still spray any fruit trees with tar oil to help clean any moss, liverwort and algae off them. It also helps kill any overwintering pests and diseases on the tree.

This months Irish Garden Magazine has a piece on cleaning Birch trees or the same as above. Basically remove some of the lower branches. Use a rough brush to remove any debris. Mix your tar oil solution and wash or brush down the tree with the solution.

Scrub down paths also or wash with a power hose to prevent any algal growth – leading to slippy paths. Cover parsley and other herbs outside to prevent frost damage. Deadhead old heads of winter flowering pansies. Any straggly shoots can be shortened to encourage bushier growth. Very overgrown and neglected deciduous hedges can be rejuvinated by some hard pruning. This promotes the production of fresh new growth from lower down. Plants such as privet, forsythia and Beech can benefit from this.

Did you know?
Weather has an affect on the size and shape of garden spiders webs. In windy weather the spiders build smaller webs with fewer spirals of silk spaced further apart. When the weather is warmer and there is more food about, the spiders build larger webs, increasing the size of their snare.

When the level of humidity goes down so does the size of the web. So a big spiders web and a red sky at night, is it a sign of good weather coming?

In the new millennium, nursery men predict that lettuce and tomato plants will be replacing plants such as Begonias and Chrysanthemums as pot plants!

A building company that recently felled an oak tree in England were fined £25,000 as it had a preservation order. Here in Ireland many people do not know that before you cut a mature tree down you must notify the Gardaí and obtain a tree felling licence from your local County Council.

All the locals will know this one, but its amazing how many people have asked us about the Nine Arches. Its many the school project that has been written about or constructed on the Nine Arches. For those that do not know, the original river Clare ran through these Arches opposite Dunleavys until the new bridge and road was built in 1953 (I think). Now that they have started clearing them, it makes them a great feature in the village.

That’s it for now,
Happy gardening,
Bosco McDermott, Jnr., Glynn’s Garden Centre, Lydican.

Claregalway Drama Festival

Claregalway Drama Festival which has been held annually since 1982 is currently finalising preparations for the 1998 festival which runs from Sunday, the 8th March to Friday, the 20th March.

As always, a full program of entertaining plays has been arranged. A new feature this year which should prove extremely popular with the children of the area is the presentation of a Puppet Show on Friday the 13th March.

The Annual Primary School Table Quiz will take place on Sunday the 1st March at 3 p.m. in the Leisure Centre. Entry fee is £5.00 per table with five children participating.

A full list of the plays is listed hereunder:

Sun. 8th Big Maggie - Allen Little Theatre.
Mon. 9th Murder in the Cathedral – Holycross/Ballycahill.
Tues.10th. Equus – Ennis Players.
Wed.11th Blood Wedding Athenry Players.
Thurs.12th Sive – Kilkee Drama Group.
Fri. 13th. Puppet Show.
Sat. 14th. The Gentle Island – Doonbeg Drama Group.
Sun. 15th. Belfry – The Corn Mill Theatre Co.
Mon. 16th. I do not like thee Dr. Fell – Icharas Players.
Tues. 17th. The Power of Darkness – Glenamaddy Players.
Wed. 18th. The Steward of Christendom – Coolera Dramatic Society.
Thurs. 19th. Flight to Grosse Ile – Nenagh Players.
Fri. 20th. Sharon’s Grave – Boystown Players.