Nineteen men from the newly established Marconi Men’s Shed, Clifden completed a six-week ‘Tai Chi and Mindfulness’ Course recently.

The course was funded by the HSE Carers Department and the Course Instructor was Natalia Krause from Chen Tai Chi Galway.

And participants were presented with Certificates at a special Ceremony held in the HSE Elm Tree Centre in Clifden last week.

Tom McWilliam from Ballyconneely was one of those who undertook the course; he is also the Chairperson of Marconi Men’s Shed.

“The philosophy in the Shed is that it is important to look after both our mind and body,” he said.

“When men reach a certain age and experience life transitions such as retirement, they can feel very stuck for things to do and this can cause loneliness and depression.

“The combination of Tai Chi and Mindfulness in this course was ideal as it emphasised the integration of mind and body, which improves our overall physical and mental well-being, and helps promote a sense of calm and relaxation.

“Importantly, they are easy skills to learn so practicing at home and continuing the skills independently after the course is over is possible,” he added.

The oldest gentleman to undertake the course was 81-year-old Peter Jeffries from Clifden.

“I did not miss one class, each week was fantastic, during the winter months we tend to spend more time indoors and it is important to do a course like this to help maintain a regular schedule of physical activity for optimal health, as well as the social benefit of getting out of the house, meeting people and making new friends,” he said.

Michelle Harrison is the Manager of the Carers Department, HSE West and North West – and her department funded the course.

“Tai Chi is appropriate for people of all ages and fitness levels as it is a low-impact exercise that combines slow, fluid movements, mindful breathing and mental focus, and is often referred to as a moving meditation which relates well with mindfulness practices, such as body scan meditation and loving kindness meditation,” she explained.

She subsequently evaluated the course which involved all men completing a questionnaire.

“All participants reported significant improvements in their health and well-being as a result of undertaking the six-week course, citing observed benefits such as, sleeping better, improved coordination, greater flexibility, more relaxed/calm, reduced joint stiffness and pain, feeling fitter, managing stress better, and having a better mental outlook overall,” she said.

Regular Tai Chi and Mindfulness practice has been associated with numerous health benefits, including improved balance and flexibility, reduced stress and anxiety, lowered blood pressure, improved immune function, relief of chronic pain and inflammatory conditions, and improved cognitive function.

For further information or for enquiries contact the Carers Department, HSE West and North West, 25 Newcastle Road, Galway on 091 546133.

Pictured: Members of the Marconi Men’s Shed in Clifden who completed a six-week ‘Tai Chi and Mindfulness’ Course recently (front – from left) Dave Beecher; John Kelly; Natalia Krause, Course Instructor, Chen Tai Chi Galway; Peter Jeffries, Stewart Clark, Joseph Coyne, Stephen Gibbons, with (back) Terence McWilliam; Padraig Duane; Donal Thorp; Tony Whelan; Michelle Harrison, Manager, Carers Department, HSE West and North West; Tom McWilliam; Eddy Stocker; Peter Carey; Percy Hyland; Jimmy O’Toole; Tim Gough.

In what may be one of her final duties as Minister for Disability, Senator Anne Rabbitte, turned the sod of a new residential unit and two modular units at Ability West at her home base in Portumna.

The turning of the sod last week marks the start of the works at the site, located on Shannon Road in Portumna. The Minister was joined by members of the Ability West Senior Management Team.

The residential development, which will be a five-bed house, will cost around €1.1 million to build.

This commences alongside the installation of two new modular units to support a number of people with disabilities attending Ability West’s School Leavers programme, which will cost over €300,000, funding for which was secured by Minister Rabbitte in recent months.

Minister Rabbitte said she was delighted to see ‘the continued development of Ability West’s services in Portumna’.

“This new residential service will be the ‘forever home’ for several service users,” she said.

“A lot of time and energy has gone into ensuring this project got off the ground and that the funding was secured, which I’m pleased to have assisted with.

“Praise is due to the various stakeholders involved, including Ability West themselves, Galway County Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

“Ability West are a long-established service provider in Galway and I’ve seen in my role as Minister for Disability that it is an organisation that is known and well respected across the country for the work it has done over the decades.

“Investment like this ensures that families across the county know Ability West will continue to deliver quality care and support in the years ahead, while also planning for the expansion of services to cater for the growing demand.

“Only recently, I confirmed funding of €100,000 for the Ability West ‘Best Buddies’ programme, which is a wonderful, volunteer led initiative that facilitates and supports inclusive communities and meaningful friendships for people with intellectual disabilities.

“This is on top of the recent funding provided to purchase a new wheelchair accessible mini-bus for service users accessing St. Dympna’s Day Service in Portumna.

“As Minister for Disability, I’ve ensured that funding is provided from my disability budget to support best practice, and this has been demonstrated by Ability West’s plans for supporting people with disabilities in the locality,” concluded Minister Rabbitte.

Pictured: Minister Ann Rabbitte turning the sod on the new facility at Ability West in Portumna, with Julie Silke Daly, Fionnuala Douglas, Paula Tuohy, John McHugo, Sean Page, Emma Sweeney and Peter Burke.

It’s a case or use it or lose it when it comes to a two-acre plot of Galway County Council-owned ground at the side of Tuam Stadium.

Locals want to see Browne’s Field developed for community purposes, but Galway GAA has been accused of ‘dragging its heels’ in the situation.

It’s a claim flatly denied by the newly re-elected chairman of Galway GAA, Paul Bellew, who said that the County Board was committed to developing Browne’s Field despite allegations to the contrary.

The plot is located at the back of the stand in Tuam Stadium and has been derelict for years – degenerating into a location for illegal dumping, according to locals.

A meeting of local councillors during the week heard claims that Galway GAA has twice failed to sign a lease offered by Galway County Council for the land beside the famed ground.

Councillor Donagh Killilea said the saga is going on for almost ten years – and he said that at this point if the board are not interested, they must say that plainly.

“Good God, it is a one of the best facilities in the county and needs to be acquired, developed and accessed,” said Cllr Killilea.

There was a time during the 1980s when the ground attracted some 30,000 fans for Galway/Mayo matches but over the course of the years, that attendance level was seriously restricted on health and safety grounds. It now has a capacity of just over 11,000.

The Browne’s Field saga is to be raised yet again at a meeting of Galway County Council with Cllr Killilea saying that it could be utilised by other sporting organisations if the GAA doesn’t make its move.

“We have seen a massive investment in Tuam Stadium over the past few years. The GAA were supposed to take over this field but the lease was not sent back,” said Cllr Killilea.

“In order to increase the capacity of Tuam Stadium, we need a proper access. We need Browne’s Field. It is a training access to Tuam Stadium and locals in St Enda’s Avenue have no issue with it.

“They would sooner see it utilised than being left idle and that is where it is at. But the GAA seem to be not interested in either developing the property or leasing it out,” said Cllr Killilea.

Pictured: Cllr Donagh Killilea at Browne’s Field beside Tuam Stadium.

The provision of a new courthouse in Galway city and the upgrading of existing court facilities around the county are among the priorities of the newly elected President of the Galway Solicitors Bar Association.

Martina Moran, who is attached to Gearoid Geraghty Solicitors in Ballinasloe, described it as an honour and a privilege to be elected to this position.

But she told the Connacht Tribune that one of her priorities was to progress the provision of a new courthouse for Galway city and improve the existing facilities at Ballinasloe, Loughrea, Tuam, Clifden and Derrynea.

Ms Moran added that she would also like to see the refurbishment of the old courthouse in Tuam which has been closed for the past 20 years on health and safety grounds, and has now fallen into a dilapidated state.

“I recognise the desperate need for a new courthouse in Galway that is fit for purpose.  The current facilities are no longer adequate to meet the demands of the justice system, leading to delays that affect the efficient and timely hearing of both criminal trials and civil matters,” she said.

“It appears the Department of Justice has overlooked Galway, a county with some of the busiest court lists in the country.

“It is simply not good enough. As we all know justice delayed is justice denied and I will work tirelessly to advocate for progress on this front,” she added.

The Galway Solicitors Bar Association has represented the interests of Galway city and county solicitors since 1901. Galway boasts the largest number of solicitors after Dublin and Cork, with approximately 390 practicing.

“A key priority during my term will be to build stronger connections among solicitors throughout Galway,” said Ms Moran.

“We can ensure greater accessibility to professional development opportunities for all members. We will also continue to organise our social events which are important for fostering collegiality among our members.

“Additionally, I aim to strengthen our connections with the Law Society of Ireland, ensuring Galway solicitors have access to the maximum range of services and facilities available and I am particularly conscious of the challenges faced by small country practices,” Ms Moran added.

She said that engaging with bar associations nationwide will also be an essential focus.

And she added that, by working together, they can adopt a united and consistent approach on critical issues affecting the profession, including the much-needed restoration of legal aid rates.

“A collective voice ensures our concerns are heard clearly and effectively,” she commented.

Pictured: Ballinasloe-based solicitor Martina Moran who has been elected President of the Galway Solicitors Bar Association.

Young artists from schools across Galway city and county put their talents in the spotlight at an impressive exhibition of their work, hosted by the Galway Education Support Centre last week.

The Junior Cycle Visual Art Exhibition took place in partnership with ATU and Cregal Art and saw over 60 pieces of top-class work on display at the Centre on Wellpark Road in Galway

This exhibition showcased art works of pupils from Galway schools selected from last year’s Junior Cycle Visual Art.

Schools were invited to submit a number of pieces for display, featuring both 2D and 3D works, along with sketch books featuring pupil’s research and development.

The exhibition was coordinated by the Galway Education Support Centre and the Department of Creative Education at Atlantic Technological University, with sponsorship from Cregal Art.

It was curated by ATU student teachers and lecturers and involved more than 60 pieces in total.

The exhibition featured a wide diversity of art works of a very high standard and there was a great turnout from teachers, pupils and their families.

Pictured: At the Junior Cycle Visual Art Exhibition in Galway Education Support Centre Clara Blodau, Gort. Photo: Sean Lydon

There’s never any lack of drama in the kitchen of a Michelin star restaurant – but one of Galway’s most accomplished chefs has now turned his hand to drama of the more traditional kind…by publishing his first book of plays.

JP McMahon says that, for a long time, he has lived a parallel life as a playwright – but it wasn’t until Covid that he really devoted his full energies to making this become a reality.

Between 2017 and 2021, the man behind the Michelin-starred Aniar Restaurant and the Aniar Boutique Cookery School, also completed a PhD in Drama at University of Galway.

His PhD focused on playwrighting and how food makes meaning in the theatre, restaurant and the gallery.

Last week he launched the first collection of work. Titled PLAYS, 2012-2024, the collection is published by Godot Press and includes an introduction by Galway-based playwright Christian O’Reilly.

Three plays in the collection – ‘Irish Food. A Play’, ‘Dante.Beckett.Lobster’. and ‘Killing Lobsters’ – were all written as part of his PhD.

The others were written over a lengthy period of time from 2012-2024, including ‘The Last Room’, which was recently among the winners in the 2024 PJ O’Connor Radio Drama Awards.

That play focuses on two men who meet after travelling through a series of interconnecting rooms, unsure of where they are and what they are supposed to do next.

In a dynamic back and forth, new pieces of information are gradually revealed as the tension between them increases.

“I was delighted to come third place in the PJ O’Connor Radio Awards. Radio has always appealed to me as a medium, even as a chef, to communicate, and it has been a significant boost as I launch my first collection of plays. The plays in this collection highlight another side of me,” said JP.

“For a long time, I have lived a parallel life as a playwright. While working as a chef from my late teenage years, I started to write plays in 1998 after reading Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. It is a wonderful realisation to finally see them in print.

“If I hadn’t joined Christian O’Reilly’s playwrighting group during Covid I may never have tried to assemble a collection. The group gave me the confidence to put my plays into the public realm.

“As much as I enjoy being a chef, I have always wanted to be a playwright, and I hope that in the future, I can pursue the latter as much as the former,” he said

Christian O’Reilly – himself an acclaimed Galway-based playwright – joined Dr Charlotte McIvor and JP to launch his first collection of plays in the O’Donoughe Centre at the University of Galway last week.

And while it’s his first book plays, JP has of course produced a wide selection of cookbooks over the years, including his most recent publication, An Irish Food Story: 100 Foods That Made Us.

His Aniar restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star every year since 2013 – and the man himself is one of Ireland’s foremost food leaders and a prominent advocate for local food, food sustainability, food education and food ethics.

He is the founder and symposium director of Food on The Edge, the internationally renowned food convention that sees visionary, change-promoting chefs and food leaders coming together to listen, talk, and debate about the future of food in the industry and on the planet.

And for good measure, he is also the director and founder of the Blas na Gaillimhe Food Festival, which takes place in Galway in May and November.

Pictured: JP McMahon at the official launch of his new book, PLAYS ‘2012-2024’ at the O’Donoghue Theatre at University of Galway. Photo: Andrew Downes, xposure.

Commuters in Loughrea have received the Christmas gift they’ve long been waiting for – an evening bus service linking the town to Galway.

It was announced this week that from Monday, December 23, a new TFI Local Link bus service will run between Loughrea and the city three times nightly from Monday to Sunday.

Starting in Loughrea outside Beatty’s, the new Route 439 will also stop on the Athenry Road at SuperValu, in Craughwell, at Derrydonnell Cross and in Oranmore.

The service will be a critical link for students and workers in the city who until now had no bus service home after 6.30pm.

A service will now run seven nights a week from the Cathedral in Galway at 7.25pm. 9.25pm and 11.25pm, with further stops at Eyre Square, the G Hotel and at ATU Galway.

Local Councillor Shane Curley (FF) has long campaigned for an improved nighttime service and at a meeting of the County Council on Monday, said this new service was very welcome.

“This is extremely positive news and I want to thank the Executive [of Galway County Council] because I know they put huge work into engaging with the NTA and the Department of Transport on this issue,” he added.

Sinn Féin TD for Galway East, Louis O’Hara, said the new service would provide some relief to commuters, but said it shouldn’t have taken so long – and more was needed.

“This issue has been ongoing for years and it should not have taken so long for evening services to be provided. This still falls short of the level of service provided by the previous Bus Éireann service and I will continue to advocate for increased public bus services along this route.

“It also underlines the need to address the lack of bus services elsewhere in the county, such as in Athenry. Commitments have been given by the NTA that a service will be up and running between Athenry and Galway City in early 2025 and urgency is needed to ensure that this happens,” said Deputy O’Hara.

Independent Deputy Seán Canney said this type of service was required if there was to be a proper alternative to driving for those working or studying in the city.

“I welcome this service for Loughrea, to have a vital connection between Galway City and Loughrea. Presently, there is no evening or night connection to Loughrea from Galway City.

“This new service will deliver a vital public transport link for students, workers and the general travelling public. Three connecting services will enhance the lives of those living along the route and deliver a viable option to the private car,” said the TD for Galway East.

Pictured: Good news…Galway East Deputy Louis O’Hara.Photo: Brian Harding.