PROMOTING A HEALTHY & POSITIVE LIFESTYLE

March / April 2015

Top destinations offthe beaten path

Surviving a massacre -Steve Travers

Complementary andalternative therapies

How to choose the right pet

The Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire is an historic and much-loved luxurylandmark hotel and a favourite with the locals, this hotel dating back to 1828 is an

impressive sight on the Dun Laoghaire skyline. Situated on 4 acres, overlooking Dublin Bay with direct access to Dun Laoghaire

promenade and Pier, the Royal Marine Hotel & Spa is the ideal venue to meet withyour requirements.

This luxury 4 star hotel offers a mix of elegance and style that will have you returnmany times. One of the best located hotels, whether your visit is for a city break,conference or even a relaxing spa treatment, the Royal Marine will accommodate

your every need.With only twenty minutes by the DART train line direct into Dublin City Centre,

this makes Dun Laoghaire accessible to the heart of the capital whilst allowing youto enjoy a more scenic location.

www.matureliving.ie

Published by: IBS Publications LimitedRiverview House, Barrett Street, Ballina, Co. Mayoand Office 3, Unit 7, NW Business Park, Collooney, Co. Sligo.

Tel/Fax: 071-9154538 / 096-77743Web: www.matureliving.ie • Email: info@matureliving.ie

NewsAge Friendly SligoOfficially launchedMoya Doherty - the timeof my lifeHappy Birthday Barbie!Nautical InspirationDental Care withBlueappleCompetitionHow much exercise isenoughMeadow Theories withLeonie CorneliusShort Breaks in IrelandVisitors AttractionsTop European destinationsoff the beaten pathWhat is Magnetotherapy?A beginners guide totablet computersHow to choose the rightpetThe Bands of ourShowband era Cooking & RecipesAngelscopesSolicitors GuideAlternative TherapiesTop 10 Spring car care tipsHotels GuideServices DirectoryDating

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Editorial: Seamus Caseyseamus@matureliving.ieDesign: Stephen Finneysteve@matureliving.ieAdvertising Sales: Lisa Gilmartinlisa@matureliving.ie

The information in Mature Living is carefully researched and believed to be accurate, but the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions. Statements or opinions expressed herein are notnecessary those of the editor or publisher. Advertisements within the publication are not endorsed by the publisher. Neither are any claims made within the advertisements. Before consuming any products mentioned in the

publication readers are advised to consult with their general practitioner or equivalent professional for opinion or advice.

March 2015 IT’S almost Easter and there is still quite a

chill about . . . so it might be too soon todiscard the woollies just yet. Still, I

always feel after watching the St. Patrick’sDay Parades that Summer is waving itsinitial greeting, albeit from a distance.There is an air of optimism about; morepeople are prompted to get up and danceand look to the future with confidence.What a pity the momentum is thwarted by

so many stories of home repossessions . . . a legacy of years ofgreed (not always by the said home-owners, it must be added).

Dance, perhaps, is the appropriate word to introduce thismonth’s featured personality, Moya Doherty, the creative forcebehind the phenomenon that is Riverdance. But the Donegalnative has many other strings to her bow and her achievementswere justifiably recognised recently when she received theaccolade of Donegal Person of the Year. Among other things, shewas co-founder of Today FM and is currently chair of RTE. Shetalks with Kate Winter about her life now, in her fifties.

Still in the entertainment vain, Mature Living has always beento the fore in recalling the phenomenon that was the showbandera in Ireland. In this issue, ahead of the much anticipatedShowband Stories presentation in Ballina Arts Centre on 27thMarch, Catherine Gilmartin speaks to host Stephen Travers, oneof the survivors of the Miami showband massacre almost fortyyears ago. The tragic event was to prove a watershed in theIrish music scene. Stephen speaks candidly about his love ofmusic and his many memories of a unique period in Irishentertainment history, but particularly his devastation at theloss of friends on that fatal night. He will be joined in the ArtsCentre by fellow survivor Des Lee, and former members of thepopular Jack Ruane Showband, to recall fond memories of abygone era.

If that’s not enough, we have our usual array of articles andfeatures, including some advice on just how much exercise isappropriate for you. We have an introduction to a moreintegrated approach to healthcare. We talk about the role of aherbalist in our section on alternative therapies.

In our travel section we introduce some European destinationswhich are slightly off the beaten path, but certainly worthvisiting. For those envisaging some local travel it is important tokeep the motor in good order and our Top Ten Care Care Tipsmight be of interest. Also, for those of you who haven’t yettaken home a pet we discuss the options and what furred,feathered or finned friend would be suitable for you.

If you’re lucky, of course, you might win a 2-night GoldenBreak for Two at the Four-Star Clayton Hotel, Galway.

Something for everyone in our March/April issue. We hope youhave an enjoyable Easter.

LAST MONTH’S COMPETITION WINNERThe winner of last months breakaway to The Diamond coastHotel was Joan Regan of Boyle, Co Roscommon

Seamus Casey - Editor

News

The Irish Cancer Society’s grantaid programme for affiliatedcancer support centres is now

open for applications and theSociety is inviting all affiliatedcentres, including Cara IorraisCancer Support Centre and MayoCancer Support Association toapply for funds. The Irish Cancer Society expects togrant over half a million euro thisyear to its affiliates and iswelcoming applications from newcancer support centres who wish tobecome affiliates of the Society.The Society’s Affiliation programmewhich runs in three-year cycles is anetwork of groups all across Irelandwho provide information andsupport services to people livingwith cancer.

Dorothy Thomas, Patient SupportServices coordinator said “TheAffiliation programme wasdesigned to ensure that cancersupport services all over Irelandare supported in their work and areoperating to the highest possiblestandards of practice. There are 32organisations around the countrywho are currently affiliated to theSociety.

“We are encouraging allaffiliated centres to apply forfinancial support in the form ofgrant aid from the Society in 2015.The closing date for applications is16th April 2015. We are alsolooking for applications from othercancer support centres around thecountry who may wish to becomeaffiliated to the Society. There arenumerous other advantages injoining this national networkincluding no cost training,technical support andorganisational consultancy.”

The grants offered by the Societygo towards the provision ofcounselling services for thoseaffected by cancer, training andtravel and the delivery of a numberof support programmes which areproven to be effective including:

Strides for Life – a walkingprogramme that seeks to reducethe risk of secondary cancers byincreasing fitness.

Prostate Support Group – a sixsession psycho-educational groupfor men who’ve had a diagnosis ofprostate cancer.

Living Life – an eight sessionpsycho-educational programme run

over 16 weeks for people who havehad a diagnosis of secondarycancer.

CLIMB® Children’s Lives IncludeMoments of Bravery – a six sessionclosed group for children aged 5 –12 who have a significant adultwith cancer in their lives.

In order to avail of any and all ofthe grants offered by the IrishCancer Society, the organisationmaking the application must:

Be affiliated to the Irish CancerSociety.

Enter into a contract ofagreement regarding the use ofthese funds.

Deliver the programme or servicein the calendar year for which thefunds are granted. Provide reportsrelating to these services.

Affiliated organisations candownload an application form atwww.cancer.ie/how-we-can-help/support/affiliation-programme/grant-aid-affiliated-services-2015

For more information onAffiliates of the Irish CancerSociety go towww.cancer.ie/support or call theIrish Cancer Society on 01 2310500.

SEAMUS GALLAGHER MEMORIAL CARDS

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SEAMUS GALLAGHERHEADSTONES

Mrs Betty Gallagher originallyfrom Watergrasshill in CoCork, but living in Achill for

15 years, recently presented DrMark Tangney, Principal Investigatorwith Breakthrough Cancer Research,with a cheque from a fundraisingwhist drive.

Mrs Gallagher, a cancer survivorherself, read about the work of DrTangney (an international expert ingene therapy) and his team, in

developing a new approach thatcould be used to treat severalcancers with low survival rates.

Having been treated yearspreviously by Professor GerryO’Sullivan, founder of the ResearchCentre, Mrs Gallagher has kept upto date with the ground- breakingwork taking place in the Corklaboratory. “I read about the workDr Tangney and his team are doingand I wanted to help. I know to

bring their efforts further they needlots of funding and I wanted to dosomething to help. I organised awhist drive in Achill and I wasdelighted with the support Ireceived from locals in the area andalso from friends who travelled upfrom Cork to support the event.

It was a wonderful experience tobe able to meet Dr Tangney and histeam in the lab and to hear first-hand from him about the work theyare doing. I know they will put themoney to great use, because thereisn’t a family in Ireland who has notbeen affected by cancer and we allneed to pull together to supportthese researchers to take their workfrom the lab to treating patients. Iam planning another fundraiserlater in the year for BreakthroughCancer Research and I hope it toowill be a great success.”

Dr Tangney Principal Investigatorat the Cancer Research Centre said“It is fantastic to meet people suchas Betty who organise fundraisersfor our work in cancer research.Their support is vital; we could notdo what we do, without the muchneeded funds that Betty and otherslike her across the country raise onour behalf. Knowing we havededicated fundraisers helps us todevelop new treatments for thosewith cancer and to bring ourfindings from the laboratory topatients clinical trial and help us todevelop new treatments for thosewith cancer”.

Irish Cancer Society Calls for Grant Applications from Affiliated Cancer SupportCentres in Co. Mayo

Achill Whist Drive Raises VitalFunds for Cancer Research

Mrs Betty Gallagher from Achill, is pictured presenting Dr MarkTangney, Principal Investigator with Breakthrough Cancer Research,with a cheque from a fundraising whist drive.

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“Funerals can be arranged to meet a specificbudget. We can advise on how to reduce costs

without affecting quality or dignity.”

Age Friendly SligoOfficially Launched

L-R Chris Gonley (CEO Sligo LEADER Partnership), Deirdre Lavin (CEO Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership), MichaelClancy (Chief Superintendent), Cllr Seamus Kilgannon, Cllr Tom MacSharry, Sean McHugh (Chair Sligo ActiveRetirement), Sarah Wetherald (Regional Consultant Age Friendly Ireland), Ciaran Hayes (Chief Executive), DorothyClarke (Director of Services), Vanessa Clarke (Muintir Na Tire), Geraldine Mullarkey (HSE), Cllr Hubert Keaney

The event was opened by Cllr TomMcSharry followed by apresentation from Sarah

Wetherald, Regional Consultant forAge Friendly Ireland. Chief ExecutiveCiaran Hayes, chair of the newlyestablished Age Friendly Alliance thenspoke about his vision for Age Friendlyin Sligo and the opening speecheswere completed by keynote speakerBrian Leyden who gave his insightsinto ageing in Ireland.The event wasattended by older people fromaround the county as well asrepresentatives from keyorganisations such as the HSE, AnGarda Siochana, Sligo Leader, SligoCounty Council and Sligo Sport andRecreation Partnership. Also presentwere history student representativesof Sligo Grammar School andmembers of Sligo Active RetirementGroup who presented Sligo Libraries‘Memory of the Dancehall’intergenerational project. Thisinitiative provides an opportunity for

Transition Year students from SligoGrammar School to work incollaboration with Sligo ActiveRetirement Groups in the creation ofa public museum exhibit themed onthe Dancehall era in Sligo’.Followingspeeches a consultation process tookplace to try and identify the keyissues facing people as they age inSligo and discussions betweenorganisations and community as tohow they could work together tobring about solutions. These eventsare an opportunity for older people toreally have their voices heard and tobe part of a process that will seethem given the chance to be engagedin a process that is having real impacton the ground in other counties. Thisconsultation was the second in thecounty with a timetable of eventsover the next few months organisedin partnership with Muintir Na Tire.The next consultation event will be atthe Ocean Sands Hotel in Enniscroneon the 25th February at 7pm and

communities should keep an eye outfor further events taking place intheir local community.

Some of the key points emerging onthe day were; the need fororganisations to better combine theirefforts to improve the quality of lifefor the community, the creation ofour towns and villages to prioritisethe need of people over vehicles, adesire to strengthen the relationshipacross generations and the need fororganisations to ensure theirinformation is better communicatedto older adults. Overall all attendeeswelcomed the chance to shape thecommunity, but stressed the need forpractical action to happen.

The Age Friendly programme isrunning in ALL local authority areasacross Ireland and Sligo’s sign up tothe programme means they will haveaccess to a suite of projects,programmes and initiatives that arealready improving the quality of lifefor older people across Ireland.

Consultations are due to finish atthe end of March and the next stepwill be the development of the SligoOlder Person’s Council, a committeecharged with representing the voiceof older people across the county.This group will not only be aninherent part of developing a strategyand action plan for the county, butrepresentatives of this group will alsosit at the Alliance table with keydecision makers from across Sligo tomanage the roll out of the overallprogramme. If you are interested infinding out more about thiscommittee, please contact DoloresMcDonagh, dmcdonagh@sligococo.ie

The Irish CancerSociety and Delllaunch Daffodil Day

2015 in Mayo. Daffodil Day,supported by Dell, willtake place in Mayo onFriday March 27th 2015.This year marks the 28thDaffodil Day, Ireland’slongest running andbiggest fundraising day.The Society announced agrowth in cancer incidencethat is sure to have a

direct impact on itsservices – increasing theneed for the people inMayo to support DaffodilDay so they can reachtheir fundraising target of€3.5 million for 2015.

Speaking at the launchof Daffodil Day, JohnMcCormack, ChiefExecutive Officer, IrishCancer Society said,“Every family in Mayo istouched by cancer, and

these new figures confirmthat cancer rates aregrowing. As cancer isincreasing so are ourefforts to fight it. As thenational cancer charity weare working harder toensure that every family inneed of support in Mayohas access to our services.To meet the increaseddemand for help as morepeople get and survivecancer we need to raiseeven more money thisyear on Daffodil Day.”

Funds raised on DaffodilDay by thousands ofvolunteers across Irelandgo directly to fund thework of the Society acrosssupport, prevention,research and advocacy.Night Nursing is oneservice funded byDaffodil Day. Last yearthe Society was able tofulfil 96 per cent ofrequests for a nightnurse. Seventy Fivepercent of cancerpatients wish to die athome surrounded byfamily, yet only 25% getto do so. The Irish CancerSociety provides the onlynight time care servicefor cancer patients intheir own homes. In 2014the Society’s nursesprovided 499 nights ofcare to 78 patients inMayo and this service isfully funded by thepeople of Mayo whoconsistently support the

work of the Society.Mr McCormack

continued, “We won’t giveup until every personaffected by cancer in Mayohas the support they needand we need the supportof everyone in Mayo tomake this possible. Weknow our volunteers won’tgive up, we know Dell –our lead partner – won’tgive up and we need everyperson in Mayo to join usin this fight. We still havesome way to go to fullysupport patients who willdie from their cancer. Wewon’t give up until wereach that future withoutcancer – and I know theIrish public won’t either.”

It’s vital that DaffodilDay reaches its ambitiousfundraising target of €3.5million in order tocontinue to provide andexpand this service andothers. The Society andDell, lead partner forDaffodil Day, are calling onthe public to help supportthe campaign on Friday27th March and ask peopleto volunteer, organise ordonate on CallSave 185060 60 60 or visitwww.cancer.ie/daffodilday

Also speaking at thelaunch, Liam Halpin,General Manager, DellIreland said, “Dell employs2,300 people in Irelandand we have campuses inCherrywood in Dublin, inLimerick and in Cork. Eachand every one of theseemployees have joined theDaffodil Day volunteeringarmy in one way oranother and it’s beengreat to see themomentum across thethree campuses grow overthe years. This is our fifthyear as lead partner of theDaffodil Day campaign.We’re looking forward to agreat day of fundraising toensure the continuedservices provided by theIrish Cancer Society topeople around thecountry.”

The Irish CancerSociety’s 28th DaffodilDay, supported by Dell,will take place in Mayo onFriday 27th March.

Here is how you cansupport Daffodil Day Visitwww.cancer.ie/daffodilday or Callsave 1850 6060 60 Volunteer onDaffodil DayOrganise a Daffodil Dayevent in your communityor workplace

News

By Anne Dempsey

Some people can’t wait, and have already madeplans to play more golf, take more exercise,try a new hobby, or just stop and stare.

Others do not relish the thought of retirement andavoid thinking about how to fill in the extra hours.Either way retirement is a new territory for mostpeople. A routine you may have been used to formany years is over, the familiar structure in yourday is gone, and some purpose, role and identitymay have disappeared. In order to have a happyand fulfilling retirement, people may need to beginconsciously to prepare in advance. There is a lotyou can do to ensure a rewarding and enjoyableretirement.

Getting finances sorted is obviously a priority. Itis vital to find out what you will have to live on,whether you qualify for an occupational pension, asocial welfare pension, or have investments whichwill mature. Pre-retirement is a good time toexamine any savings, in case you need to releasemonies in a new way, or to take advantage of newinvestment opportunities.

People may worry that income will reduce inretirement, so it is important to ensure that youare comparing like with like. Your cost of livingmay reduce when you retire. You may save onpetrol, on commuting fares, on eating out, even ondressing for work. Also, you may come into a lowertax bracket. Doing the comparative exercise mayreassure you that things are not as different as youhad thought.

Take advantage of any company perks while stillin employment. For example, your company mayoffer free or reduced health checks for staff.Going into retirement knowing you have a cleanbill of health, or being alerted to any healthproblem needing attention is a good idea. At thesame time, if you have not done so already, youcould sign up with your local GP, and any healthprofessionals or services which may now be moreconvenient to you to access locally.

Retirement gives people an average 2,200 hoursper year to fill. It’s a lot of time. If you have fewhobbies or interests outside work, now is the timeto find some. There is no shortage ofopportunities. There may be something you werealways interested in trying - be it painting,campaigning or learning to swim. Whatever it is,there are classes available to get you started. Youmay be interested in volunteering. My ownorganisation - Third Age - has over 1,400volunteers, mainly older people, making a valuablecontribution in their community and keepping theminvolved and engaged. Many organisations inIreland today depend on volunteers.

How about friends? Surveys show that 80% of thepersonal contacts people have in adult life arework-related. On retirement this contact may bebroken which can add to feelings of loneliness andisolation, particularly for single people andwidows/widowers whose jobs offered valuablesocial contact. Now is the time to think of friendsin a wider way, and even to make some newfriends. Active Retirement Ireland can be veryhelpful in this regard.

Retirement is not an event. It is a process. As webecome accustomed to retirement, we cangradually let go the old way of life and embracethe new. We will help ourselves if we can maintainsome of the values that work gave us – purpose,identity and the use of our skills.

Next month: more activities and ideas inretirement

For more information about WeDO, contact AnneDempsey on 087-7450721

Preparing forRetirement

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19 people in Mayo diagnosedwith cancer every week

Page 10 Mature Living

Feature by Kate Winter

Moya Doherty isaphenomenon.

She is the creativeforce behindRiverdance, co-

founder of Today FM, co-ownerof Tyrone productions, currentchair of RTE, producer, director,mother and millionaire whorecently won Donegal Person ofThe Year award. Here, she chatscandidly with Kate Winter aboutthe journey so far, and why she'snever been happier than she isin her fifties.

You famously started out yourmedia career, with no formalqualifications, as a secretary inRTE and now you're the Chair.Do you think somebody such asyour younger self could walkinto the RTE of today and dowhat you did?

I think it's still possible. I wouldlike to think so, in that if you'repassionate enough and you wantsomething badly enough youshould be able to attain it. Idon't have a huge regard for alot of the Media Studies coursesout there today. I wonder ifpeople shouldn't just get out,roll their sleeves up and learnon the job.

You would often be referred toas "having it all" with yourcareer, family, success, etc.How do you feel about thatphrase?I think because we journeyevery day, we change and moveand shift, there are times whenthings are good and times whenthings are not so good. Onething that has always beenstaggering to me is this sensethat if you are perceived to

"have it all" then everythingmust be wonderful all the time.I don't know what this "all" is... I know I'm certainly blessed withmy relationship and mychildren, but I worked very, veryhard and I was away from thema lot. I questioned all the timewhether I was a good enoughmother. Maybe there is nobalance; I think people struggleall the time to find one but Iquestion if there is such a thing.

There's not much about yourpersonal life out in the publicdomain - is that somethingdeliberate on your part?Oh yes, I am intensely private.When my mother was alive andshe would hear things that hadmaybe been written about mefrom the neighbours, she wouldalways reply "I don't knowanything about that, Moya

would never discuss that withme and I would never ask her".Yes, she was formidable! It's

funny though, because while Ihave an aversion to gossip, I amintensely curious about othe

Riverdance at the Opening of the Special Olympics in Croke Parkin 2003 (Opening ceremony was Produced by Moya and John)

people's lives. What makes themtick, why they choose to dothings, what their stories are.

You're married to JohnMcColgan, who's both yourbusiness partner and lifepartner; which came first?We worked together first. Whatattracted me to John and to anypartner I ever had in the earlyyears of my life, was theirwork. I didn't care about theirbank balance or their looks. Idid go out with some realoddballs, looking back. But itwas always their mind, theircreativity, and a sense ofhumour that appealed to me. Asfor working with John, we'retogether thirty two years now,

it's just our life... It only struckme recently that my parentsalso worked together all of theirlives, and it came as quite ashock to realise I've doneexactly what they did.

Was having children a bigdecision for you two, becauseyou were both so career-driven and busy?Oh yes. I didn't want children atall, though John did...Something happened to mewhen I turned thirty though,and I started looking at babiesin supermarket trolleys andthinking Maybe it's time... I geton very well with my boys, andalways have done, but I do thinkI'm better with them as fully

formed adults than I was atrunning around after them aslittle boys. I'm not terriblymaternal. I like them to beindependent... My parentsnever looked over theirshoulders at us once we weregrown and I think that's ahealthiness to that.

You've spoken of the workethic you have as coming froma sense of time and place,from your heritage, yourparents, from Donegal. Butyou've also mentioned anelement of criticism and asense of 'not being goodenough' instilled by yourmother. When did you begin torealise that you are good

enough - exceptional, even?It is a curious one, because nowI can look back on the criticismall five of us suffered from. Ourmother was quite tough on us.She was the traditionalmúinteoir. I don't even think sherealised it, though she did sayon her death bed "Sure what didI ever do but criticise you?"... Ithink it came from her ownmother. I'm not even sure if it'sa matter of nature, nurture orjust simply in the footprint ofyour DNA. The upside of that childhoodcriticism is that you becomelike a little hamster on thewheel - you peddle twice ashard as everybody else. And Ican see the damage, too. I cansee the harm it does, so Iwouldn't exactly encourage it asa model for rearing children. Istill give myself a hard time, Istill look at some things I do andthink that's not good enough.That said, I'm much easier onmyself nowadays. Much easier.But that's just the agingprocess, I suppose. Therealisation that you're more

than half way along yourjourney, and there's no time towaste digging in areas of regret.

What are the most evidentchanges in that aging process,from the headstrong young girlwho strove so fiercely for herindependence to the strong,successful woman you aretoday?I was a complete nuisance. Iwould say back then I wasutterly impossible. I had no planand no strategy. I thank Godthat the aging process hasbrought with it a calmness. Younever lose a sense ofindignation or your values butit's in much greater perspective.Things that would have causedme concern and irritated medon't do so as much anymore. Ican take a step back and thinkabout things more deeply. Iwould have loved to be able todo that thirty years ago but Ididn't have the skills. I spent mylife planning, but now I planless and enjoy more... I cansafely say that this is the besttime in my life.

John and Moya outside the Apollo Theatre, Hammersmith - 1995

John and Moya with President Mary Robinson & her husband Nick

Moya, Jean Butler and Bill Whelan launching Riverdance for Rwanda video in 1994

Page 11 Mature Living

John and Moya with their sons Danny and Mark at the New York premiere of Riverdance in 1996

Fashion

Page 12 Mature Living

This month Barbie turns 56 yearsold. You wouldn’t know it fromhow she looks – flawless skin,

thick lustrous hair, wasp waist, perkybosoms, a glamorous and youthfulwardrobe and still wearing pointy-toed stilettoes.While never showing the ravages ofaging and the reality of getting old,the fashion doll that sold billions(one every three seconds in the

world, according to Mattel, her mak-ers) has been an inspiration for younggirls to dream – and dream big.Barbie has had more than 150 ca-reers that included astronaut to run-ning for president (an exhausting sixtimes but never winning).But while Barbie goes on one big ad-venture after the next and rackingup controversies in her wake, thereis one thing that little girls – and a

few boys – can’t get enough of andthat’s her extensive wardrobe.You might be inclined to lamentabout her unrealistic body image,but children love to dress up thisdoll. Even a few adults have discov-ered the joy in dressing Barbie.In honour of her birthday, we take alook at a few of the designers whowere inspired to dress one of theworld’s most famous fashionistas.

NAUTICAL INSPIRATION

When Coco Chanel donned a striped Breton sailor T back in 1917, little didshe know she would ignite a trend for nautical themed fashions that wouldremain popular almost a century later.

This season, once again, there is a tidal wave of blue and white horizontal stripes,blanketing everything from T-shirts to bags and shoes. And that other yachtingcolour combo – red, white and blue – is also making its way ashore.Perhaps it’s the graphic simplicity of those bold lines that make it such a popularand enduring trend. It’s very easy to wear and the look has an air of freshness.If you’re lucky to be booked for a cruise on the high seas this or heading to awarm and sunny destination for a well deserved break, these pieces make for easypacking and offers a strikingly chic look.

Feature with Sonya Hamill of Blue Apple Dental - Irish Dentistry’s Dental Practice of the Year 2013

‘Blueapple Dental & Implant Team’ is an award-winning dentalpractice in the village of Belcoo in Co. Fermanagh, run byhusband and wife team, James and Sonya Hamill.

Blueapple carries out all forms of dentistry under one roof, andfocuses on helping people overcome their dental challenges,to re-establish their dental health, comfort and beauty. Theybelieve that there is no-one they can’t help regain their dentalconfidence.

‘Blueapple Dental & Implant Team’ has won multiple awards,including ‘Best New Practice’, ‘Best Young Dentist in the UK &Ireland’, and most recently ‘Best Patient Care in Ireland 2012’.

Blueapple welcomes new patients. Just call 048 66386111 to make an appointment for yourconsultation.

www.blueappledental.com

‘Such encouragement and support I have never experienced before and empowered me to complete the procedure without sedation….My trust inBlueapple across all aspects of my dental experience is always upheld each time I visit the practice. I cannot emphasise enough thetransformation that has occurred in my life in terms of panic and anxiety. ‘ An anxious patient, Sligo.

It is very common for a newclient approaching a dentalpractice to begin with the

phrase, ‘I don’t like dentists.’ Asyou would imagine, often it’s thepeople who need our help themost who are the ones who holdoff coming to see us for thelongest. But one thing wedefinitely know is, with somesimple steps most people, wewould even say everyone, can behelped to feel comfortablehaving their dentistry done. So, what are some of the mostcommon reasons for these typesof anxieties, and how can theybe overcome?

Dental Embarrassment:One of the main reasons manypeople fear coming to see thedentist is because they areembarrassed. You need neverput off coming to the dentist

because you are embarrassed toshow them the condition of yourteeth. No matter how bad youfear your teeth may be, we canhelp you. And once that firstvisit is out of the way, and youhave the comfort of a plan inplace, many people will feel alot happier about having theirtreatment.

The Past:Often a person’s anxiety stemsfrom an experience they havehad with a dentist previously;typically a long time ago. Thereare a number of ways in whichthis can be overcome, but it isimportant to provide somereassurance first. Moderndentistry is vastly improved inattitude, methods andcapabilities to what it used tobe. Modern dentistry should bepainless.

Sometimes this problem stemsfrom an experience with aninconsiderate person. Don’twrite off the profession becauseof one negative experience. Youneed someone who you feel willlisten to you and take time totreat you the way you deserve tobe treated. Often a personalrecommendation is the easiestroute to the dentist for you.

Fear of pain and injections: Dare I say the ‘I’ word? Oftenthe experience of having theanaesthetic is the moment ananxious patient has become mostfocused on. We now have stepsfor making this much easier. AtBlueapple we take care to makethis a positive experience. Wenumb the area in advance, warmthe anaesthetic, and thenadminister the anaesthetic veryslowly and through a very fine

needle. These techniques make ahuge difference. And oftenpatients will tell us they didn’teven feel it. Once you have theanaesthetic dental treatmentshould be pain free.

So, what can a dental practicewith an anxiety friendly ethosoffer you?A variety of methods can be usedto help a patient overcome theanxieties which prevent themhaving dental treatment carriedout.At Blueapple we operate ananxiety friendly policy, whichmeans that we provide a tieredapproach for helping individualsreach their dental goals. This isbecause every client is different,and has different needs forhelping them reach the point ofbeing comfortable receivingtreatment.These begin with something assimple as gentle relaxationtechniques, and then progress.Some people like to listen tomusic, or place a blanket overthem. A practice like ours canhelp you work out what is rightfor you.

Trust is key. Trust between patient anddentist is the foundation of apositive dental relationship.When we begin treatment withan anxious patient at Blueapple,typically we begin with atreatment which is very straightforward and short. This enablesthe client to feel comfortablethat our dentist is following theirlead, stops when they ask them

to so that it is done at theirpace, tells them what they aregoing to do, and then doesexactly that and no more. Thislevel of trust is quite often aturning point for many patients,because they feel empoweredand are in control of thesituation. As this trust iscemented, the patient typicallyfinds themselves being able toachieve more and more in thedental chair.

What else is there?The choice of using medicationsto help you achieve comfort inthe dental chair is an optionmany people like to know isthere. At Blueapple we see themajority of people find sufficientrelaxation somewhere on thescale of help before this, but theknowledge that it is available ifthey need it is a great comfort.For those who do choose thisroute, they can look at eitherOral Sedation (a sedative tablet),R.A. (sedation throughinhalation) or IntravenousSedation. At Blueapple we offerIV sedation, and through this weprovide a small dosage ofsedative which gives the patienta state of deep relaxation, whichenables them to have theirtreatment carried out veryeasily.

So, overall, the message is totake the first step and see whathappens. Find the dentist whoworks for you and make a plan.This quote is true, ‘A year fromnow you will wish you hadstarted today.’

Pain Free Dentistry!

Mature Living have teamed up with the Sheraton AthloneHotel to offer one lucky reader a midweek break for two,comprising of 2 Nights Bed and Breakfast and

one Dinner. To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic price, simply answer the question below.

Q: Which River Runs through Athlone?Send your entries into us at: Sheraton Athlone Competition,IBS Publishing, Unit 7, NW Business Park, Collooney, Co. Sligo.T&C Apply, Closing Date for entires: 10th April 2013

Win a 2 Night Golden Break for Twoat the Four Star Clay!on Hotel GalwayWin an amazing two night Golden Year Break at the luxurious

four star Clayton Hotel in GalwayThe prize which is based on two adults sharing includes the following:

• 2 nights luxurious accommodation with Full Irish Breakfast each morning

• 2 Evening Meals in the Enclosure Bar & Bistro or the Tribes Restaurant• Complimentary access to Leisure Centre incl. 20m pool, Sauna & Steam Room

To be in with a chance to win this fantastic break, simply answer the question and send youranswer, along with your name, address, email address and telephone number into us at theaddress below...

Question: What is the name of the Restaurant at the Clayton Hotel?Send your entries into us at ‘Clayton Hotel Competition’ Mature Living Magazine, Office 3, Unit 7, Northwest Business Park, Collooney, Co. SligoTerms and Conditions Apply, Closing Date for enties is April 20th 2015

GOLDEN YEAR PACKAGES2B&B, 2 Dinners from €109pps • 3B&B, 3 Dinners from €159pps

(No Single Supplement Applies)

• Luxurious accommodation with Full Irish Breakfast each morning• Dinner on each evening in the Enclosure Bar & Bistro or the Tribes Restaurant• One Full Guided Day Tour of either Connemara or the Cliffs of Moher

(valid with 3 night package only) • Tea & Homemade Scones on one afternoon (valid on 3 night package only)• Free Parking & Complimentary News Paper• Additional discounts available for local activities.• Complimentary access to Leisure Centre incl. 20m pool, Sauna, Steam Room

(The above are valid Sun – Thu. inclusive or weekends at an additional cost)Please Quote ‘ Mature Living Magazine’ to avail of Golden Year Specials above

We also cater for private groups and tailor make Active Retirement Breaks upon Request.

Call (091) 721900Email: reservations@clayton.ieWeb: www.clayton.ie

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THE ART OF VISUALMERCHANDISING

By Rodney Munn

Visualmerchandising isthe Art,a word

chosen carefully,ofdisplaying merchandiseI n a manner thatappeals to and drawsthe eyes of thecustomer to the

product.It couches the product in asetting that attracts the passerby tobecome a prospective customer. So acreative and thoughtful approach canbreathe new life into any stores newproduct.So having a plan,and an ability tocreate ideas that are different arerequired ,and an awareness of the ever-changing trends in the fashion world arealso essential. So visual merchandisingincludes,window display,interiordisplay,signs,promotions ,sales,all ofthese can be done inn such a way thatwill engage the mind of the customer.

The main goalis to showcase theclothes ,as in our case,in such a way thatthey stand out and require attention.COLOUR; Colour is a powerful tool for usein display..As a visual quality it can beassociated with emotions,occasions,gender etc,and can changewalkers into a static audience.It istherefore an essential ingredient indeveloping a theme for any display,as anexample,,you have springsummer,straight away that suggestsbrighter colours yellow and redsetc,autumn winter dictatesdarker,stronger colours.even the coloursof the shop can be synonomous with whoyou are,its reflected ingift vouchers,bags,suit bags, business cards etc,all ofthese helps to present an overallpresentation. I was recently given a bookcalled "TWELVE TIPS ON WINDOWDISPLAY" by Herbert N Casson dating backto the early 1900s,it was amazing to readmany elements identified back then are

still relevant to-day like,have aplan,choose good colours,have eyecatchers,good lighting,etc it truly wasafascinating read. At EJS we have a teamof people involved in windowdisplay,interior display,good signageinside and out,promotional material,salesigns,and computer marketing,we all seethis as an essential aspect to the businessin attracting new customers.AT the moment we have a whole newshop full of new product from our newspring summer ranges all displayed insuch a way to engage your senses andencourage you to treat yourself tosomething new!!

Health Matters

There’s a lot of confusinginformation out there onhow much exercise is

enough. More isn’t necessarilybetter unless, of course, you’rein performance training orworking up to a marathon. Andwalking around the house orputtering in the garden doesn’tcount.

That’s because there’s adifference between “activity”and “exercise.”“Activity is something you doevery day,” says Jason Hagen, a38-year-old award-winningexpert in aging. “Exercise isplanned, structured andrepetitive.”If your goal is not to train for amarathon but just to age welland lessen the risk of disease,then Hagen has a simpleformula that can help. It allstarts with accepting the powerof exercise“The only thing that cancounteract the aging process isexercise itself,” he emphasizes.“That’s the first thing you needto know. To date, it’s the onlyintervention shown to beeffective.”But it’s the kind of exercise youdo that’s key.As we age, beginning in our 30s,we start to lose muscle massand function. It’s called

sarcopenia. Hagen says theaverage person will loseapproximately 0.5 per cent oftheir muscle mass per year, orroughly five per cent everydecade.And that lost muscle will neverreturn – ever. All we can do, hesays, is slow down the process.So how do we do that?Resistance training, that’s how.Hagen thinks free weights arebest, but any weightedmachines or strength trainingequipment will do. Thinkpushing and pulling. And it’salways a good idea to get someinstruction on how to use freeweights and other equipment soyou avoid any kind of injury.But we also need aerobicexercise in the mix since it’swhat’s so good for our heart andlungs. That includes activities such aswalking fast, swimming,running, using a cross trainer.How hard do you need to go atit? The best aerobic workoutsshould get you pumped, but stillallow you to hold a brokenconversation without gaspingfor air, Hagen says.

As we get older, the ratio ofaerobic to resistance in ourworkouts needs to change. In anutshell, your age shouldequal the percentage of

resistance involved.Here’s how Hagen’s formulaworks:At age 40, you should do 60 percent aerobic, 40 per centresistance.At age 50, it’s 50 per centaerobic, 50 per cent resistance.At age 60, you need to do 40per cent aerobic, 60 per centresistance.At 70, you should do 30 per centaerobic and 70 per centresistance.…and so onHagen says following this simpleformula and working out threetimes a week for 30 to 45minutes is enough to help youage better, minimize the loss ofmuscle and help to maximizegood health.

And if you’re one of thosepeople who tend to skip workingout or haven’t yet done anykind of exercise at all, it’snever too late to get started.Just ask Hagen.“I see better results in peoplewho go from sedentary tomoderate exercise than I do inpeople who go from moderatelyactive to highly active. You getthe biggest bang for your buckwhen you make the jump tomoderately active. That’swhere you see the most returnon investment.”

Page 16 Mature Living

You can’t change themetabolism you were bornwith. That’s the bad news.

The good news is you’re burningcalories every time you eat –just by chewing and swallowingand digesting. In other words,when you eat, your gut isexercising.But once we reach our 50s, ourbody metabolism naturally startsslowing down, so here’s a littlemore bad news to digest: nomatter what foods you eat to tryand speed up your metabolism,it won’t be enough tocounteract the loss in metabolicrate that comes with age,according to Hagan.Between the age of 10 and 90,

explains Hagan, a woman’smetabolism will slow down theequivalent of a chocolate bar –roughly 250 calories. In otherwords, at age 10, she’ll typicallyburn about 1,600 calories a day.By age 90, that drops to roughly1,350 calories, he says. “It’s notmuch but, over time, it canmake a difference if not paidattention to.”So, that the spare tire you maybe carrying around your waistcan’t wholly be blamed on aslowing metabolism, but it couldbe adding to it. The biggerfactor, Hagan emphasizes, isyour lifestyle and the types offood you eat, when you eat andhow often you eat.

Hagan’s main message?“Food and exercise have to gotogether,” he says. “But there’sno need to be defeatist becausethere’s lots we can do tomaximize our health.”

Here are Jason’s tips forboosting metabolism,increasing energy and stayingtrim:1) Eat more frequently: Insteadof two or three big meals a day,eat four to six small meals. Byeating more often and eatingless, you avoid being hungry andyour metabolism is kept revvingby the digestive process.2) Eat more protein: “Proteingives you a higher return oninvestment,” says Jason,explaining that the body uses 20per cent more energy tometabolize proteins. That meansincorporating more poultry, fish,legumes and lean meats intoyour diet. Nuts are good too, butare also high in fat.3) Don’t skip the carbs: “Somany people typically takethese out of their diets – whichis really more about dieting thanit is about living,” says Jason.He’s a big advocate of “goodcarbs,” things like whole grains,brown rice and whole wheatpasta, as well as fruits andquinoa. If it’s more energy

you’re after make this your fuel.“The also brain uses mostlycarbohydrates,” he adds. “So ifyou’re looking to boostawareness, energy and acuity,those come from yourcarbohydrates. That’s whypeople who go on a low carbdiet start to feel more sluggishand start forgetting things.”4) Get moving: You simply haveto exercise if you want toincrease your metabolism, sinceroughly 20 to 25 percent of yourmetabolic rate is directly tied to

exercise. If you’ve done nothingfor years, Jason emphasizes it’simportant to start slow. Forexample, go for a walk one daya week, then gradually move upto two days a week, then threedays a week.“Play with the frequency, notthe intensity,” he advises.Overall, Jason recommends adiet consisting of roughly 50 percent carbs, 20 per cent proteinand 20 to 30 per cent fat,combined with exercise threetimes a week.

Page 17 Mature Living

Glaucoma is one of themost common causes ofpreventable blindness. It

can be picked up as part of anormal eye test and oncetreatment starts, its progresscan be halted.Here we explain whatglaucoma is and how it affectsyour sight, how certain groupsof the population are atparticular risk, the simple teststhat can lead to its detectionand the treatments you may beoffered. Treatment cannotreverse damage already doneand is likely to be necessary forthe rest of your life… but yoursight can be protected if it ispicked up in time.What is glaucoma?Glaucoma is the name of agroup of eye conditions thataffect your vision. Of themany types of glaucoma,chronic glaucoma is the most

common. It usually affects botheyes but can start in one eyebefore the other.Often in chronic glaucoma thepressure in your eye is higherthan it should be and over timethis causes damage to the opticnerve at the back of your eye.The optic nerve carries visualinformation from the lightsensitive part of your eye toyour brain, where it istranslated into a picture.Damage to the optic nerve canaffect your sight.Why does it occur?Your eye produces a fluid(aqueous fluid) that helpsmaintain the shape of youreyeball and transportsnutrients to your eye. Thisfluid is produced by cellsbehind the coloured part ofyour eye (the iris) and is notthe same as the fluid thatforms tears.

Normally the amount of fluidproduced is balanced by theamount draining away throughspecial drainage channels. Inglaucoma, the balancebetween the production anddraining away of fluid may notbe correct. If the fluid doesn'tdrain away properly then eyepressure can build up anddamage the optic nerve. Whysome eyes don't deal with thebalance of fluid properly, isstill not clear.Who is at risk

You are at risk of developingglaucoma:as you get older – it isuncommon below the age of 40but rises to around 5 in 100people over the age of 65. if you have a close relativewith glaucoma;if you are of African or African-Caribbean origin - your risk is

four times that of people ofEuropean origin and you are atrisk of developing it at anearlier age; if you are veryshort sighted; if you havediabetes.

Regular eye checks areparticularly important:at any age if you are of Africanor African-Caribbean origin, asthis means glaucoma isdetected as early as possible;once you know a close relativehas glaucoma. Be sure to alertyour optician, so he is aware ofyour increased risk.However it makes sense foreveryone to have regular eyechecks. This way any problemwith your vision or your eyescan be picked up early andtreated. You should have aneye check every 2 years if youare under 70 years old andevery 12 months if you are over

70. Anyone aged 60 or over isentitled to a free eye check.

Recognising symptoms ofchronic glaucomaGlaucoma is problematic as itis not painful and there are nosymptoms until it is reallyadvanced. Glaucoma usuallystarts by affecting your sidevision (peripheral vision). Youoften don’t notice this as yourbrain can compensate for alarge amount of this part ofyour vision being affected. Considerable damage can bedone to your side vision beforeyou realise it, so it is importantto have regular eye checks thatinclude checks for glaucoma.If glaucoma isn't caught andtreated early - then it can goon to cause fairly serious'tunnel vision'. Eventually,without treatment, it will alsoaffect your central vision.

Glaucoma Facts

Page 18 Mature Living

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS LEONIE CORNELIUS

Meadow TheoriesLeonie Cornelius talks us through her ideas for creating a great combination of plants for your very own meadow style planting.

Living here in the North Westof Ireland we are lucky to besurrounded by amazing

landscape and inspiring planting.Often our gardens though don’treflect these surroundings much.There is a lot to be said forevergreen, low-maintenanceplanting but often the gardenfeels disjointed and out of touchwith its natural surroundings. Ifyou have an area in your gardenthat feels a little boring and likeit slightly jars with the viewsbeyond then the idea of creatinga scheme that echoes the naturallandscape a little more closely

may be a way to integratebetter. This is the perfect timeto start thinking about whatwould work well and what wouldsuit your personal space so thatyou can start planning. Once thefrost is over you can order up acombination of these plants andget going, with the aim of havinga stunning delicate display thissummer. Keep in mind, these ideas workreally well in planters too so ifyou just have a balcony or asmall back garden then you toocan have a little slice of natureright there.

Planning a scheme based on thefeel of our wildflowermeadows:Grasses: if you look closely at ourmeadow landscape you will seethat it is made up of mainlygrasses and a scattering ofwildflowers in between. Grassesgive great movement andstructure to any scheme. I loveusing grasses in my gardens andin my Bloom in the Park garden2012 I used masses of Stipatenuissima, a soft, feathery grasswhich gives the whole scheme areally ethereal feel. All plantslook great framed against thesoft fluffy seedheads of the grassalso known as the ‘Ponytail’.

Suggested grasses are: Stipatenuissima, the evergreenAnemanthele lessioniana andlower grasses such asHakonechloa macra.

Structure and leaf shape: Youwill notice on closer inspectionof our meadows that there areoften plants with structure thatgive the ground a little supportat the base. One of the plantsthat grow wild here is the nativeAlchemilla spp. A bigger versionof this which is a great plant forthe front/middle of the border isAlchemilla mollis which you willfind in any good garden centre. Iused small plants of this at thefront of my scheme for my Bloom2012 garden and they give thatcontrast in shape and structureto the soft grasses.

Suggested structural andgroundcover: Alchemilla mollis,Saxifraga urbium for evergreengroundcover and pretty summerflower spikes.

Structural colour: Flowers that

grow in a cushion like shape area wonderfully strong addition toa meadow scheme and I oftenuse Achillea in its many varietiesfor this. They range from subtlelilac tones, to whites and deepreds and look gorgeous in ameadow scheme.Suggested plants for structuralcolour: Achillea varieties, Sedumvarieties such as Matrona forfabulous late blooming colour.

Spires: Spires are a great way tobring shape into a border and Ilove the verticality that plantssuch as say for example ournative orchids bring to anoutdoor scene. A way of pickingup on the spire shape is by usingelegantly spired plants such asSalvia varieties and

Suggested spire shapes:Agastache 'Black Adder'Spots of colour: I love delicatespots of colour that float abovethe grasses and other plants. Inour natural habitats the Knautia

arvensis (Field scabious) canbring this effect. There areplenty of varieties that you canget in garden centres, in manyamazing colours.

Suggested spots of colour:Knautia macedonia, Aquilegiavarieties, Anemone hybr. 'AndreaAtkinson', Lychnis ‘White Robin’. Placing these plants, whether ina planter or out in the groundwill mean creating a randomarrangement of flowers. Plant inirregular shapes and clustertogether a few grasses to giveeffect. And one of the really funthings is that you can collectseeds from many meadowflowers and package them up asgifts, party or even uniquewedding favours. Happy planting.

Leonie Cornelius is an awardwinning TV Garden Designer,Interior Architect and Columnistcorneliusleonie@me.com twitter @leonie_Cee

Sonnagh, Charlestown, Co. Mayo • Tel: 094-9254269 • kathsmyth@eircom.net

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Operating on a home !om homebasis where Residents feel at home

in an oldy worldy environment.All Rooms Ensuite

Respite Long and Shor" Ter#.Catering for Retired, Convelescent

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you will not be disappointed!

Knock Shrine has recentlyboosted its online presencewith the launch of a new

website. The official launch wasconducted by Gerry Glennon ofMidwest Radio on Saturday 14thMarch in Knock House Hotel andwas attended by an enthusiastic

crowd of local people, press andthe staff of Knock Shrine. The‘Witness to Hope’ choir, directedby Úna Nolan, delivered a seriesof lively gospel songs whichended the event on a very posi-tive note.

Friends of Knock Shrine will be

delighted with the modern andappealing look of the website aswell as many of the new and ex-citing features that have beenintegrated into the new design.For the first time ever, pilgrimscan place a petition online, lighta candle online or purchase a

Knock Shrine Friends’ Associationcard.

Fr. Richard Gibbons, Rector,Knock Shrine explains the ideabehind some of these new fea-tures,

“In developing the new web-site, we were very mindful of allof our visitors and friendsaround the world who may nothave the opportunity to travelto Knock and we want them tohave the ability to engage withus online. Features such asLighting a Virtual Candle orstreaming a live ceremonyallow pilgrims to become a partof our greater community offaith and provides them with anonline space for prayer and re-flection.

For every candle request wereceive online, an individualcandle is lit here at the Shrinein our outdoor candelabra. Wealso wanted to ensure that visi-tors can be kept informed of allof the exciting events and de-velopments taking placethroughout the forthcoming pil-grimage season and the newwebsite is full of informationregarding upcoming events. Pil-grims can also sign-up to ourmonthly Newsletter.

All of the wonderful and valu-able services at the Shrine havebeen given as much presence as

possible. It is our great wish thatthose making a pilgrimage toKnock will utilise all of the greatservices here such as Youth Min-istry, Prayer Guidance, GuidedTours and so on.

So far, we have had a wonder-ful response to the new website.Pilgrims seem to be engagingvery well with all of the newservices and information avail-able to them.

The new website is a small butvery important method of reach-ing out to people on an interna-tional scale. We will have ourfirst official pilgrimage fromNew York accompanied by Cardi-nal Dolan in August this year toopen the Novena ceremonies.Pilgrimage on an internationalscale is something we hope todevelop over the coming years.Our new website will be the firstpoint of contact for so manypeople who are coming fromabroad and as such, it is a cru-cial aspect of both our onlinepresence and the ‘Witness toHope’ initiative, which focuseson developing pilgrimage toKnock Shrine on an internationalscale as well as renewal of KnockShrine and renewal of faith inthe country.”

To view the new Knock Shrinewebsite, log on to: www.knock-shrine.ie

Excitement as Knock Shrine Unveils New Website

Knock Shrine's new Website - Mid West Radio's Gerry Glennon pictured at the launch of Knock Shrine'snew website with Knock Shrine's Marketing and Communications Manager Maria Hunt and Fr RichardGibbons Knock Shrine Rector. PIcture Henry Wills.

There was a time whengoing and staying in ahotel seemed like the

impossible but nowadays thereis some excellent value outthere for someone wanting togetaway for a couple of nightsand enjoy all that our hotelshave to offer. From eveningmeals to spa treatments tochoice is endless.In 2012, just over 7 milliontrips were taken by Irishresidents within the Republic,with an associated expenditureof €1.3 billion Sixty-five per cent of Irishresidents took a domesticholiday in 2012 – up 8percentage points on 2011. Theincidence of short trips (1-3nights) rose by 5 percentagepoints at the expense of longer(4+ nights) which declined by 2percentage points.

What did they do on holiday? Activities engaged in on holidayVisiting national parks (23%)and houses/castles (22%) werethe most popular leisurepursuits for domesticholidaymakers whilehiking/walking (22%) andwater-sports1 (22%) were themost popular active pursuits.Visits to a spa (20%) areimportant aspects of adomestic holiday break while18% and 17% visitedheritage/interpretive centresand/or gardens respectively.

Were they happy with overallvalue for money?Thirty-three per cent ofholidaymakers consideredvalue for money as very goodwith 53% rating it good. Justover 1% were dissatisfied withthe value for money on offer.

Satisfaction with holidaybreakNinety-eight per cent ofdomestic holidaymakersreported being satisfied withtheir holiday in Ireland in 2012with just 2% registeringdissatisfaction. Of those whowere satisfied, 77% reportedbeing very satisfied with 21%being fairly satisfied.

Advantages/disadvantages ofholidaying in IrelandAvoiding the inconvenience ofair/sea travel (38%) is theadvantage most often cited forholidaying in Ireland. Havinglots of things to see & do (17%)and being less expensive thangoing abroad (14%) are thenext most importantadvantages given.

Page 20 Mature Living

Feature

More and more Irish people are deciding to takeshort breakaways and juding by some of the offersthat hotels have all year round it is no surprise.

Golden Years Breaks at the Four Star Clayton Hotel, Galway

Call (091) 721900Email: reservations@clayton.ieWeb: www.clayton.ieBallybrit, Co. Galway

Over 55's packages1 Night Dinner B&B Package

from €59pps

2 Night’s Dinner B&B Package from €109pps

3 Night’s Dinner B&B Package from €159pps

(No Single Supplement Applies)

Our packages include:• Luxurious accommodation with Full Irish Breakfast each morning and dinner each evening

in the Enclosure Bar & Bistro• One Full Guided Day Tour of either Connemara or the Cliffs of Moher with 3 day package• Tea & Homemade Scones on one afternoon (Only applies to 3 Night Pckages)• Free Parking & Complimentary News Paper • Complimentary access to Leisure Centre incl. 20m pool, Sauna, Steam Room (The above are valid Sun – Thu. inclusive or weekends at an additional cost)

Feature

Golden Moments at Mount Falcon - Free Night included!

MOUNT FALCON, FOXFORD ROAD, BALLINA, CO. MAYO • TEL: 096-74472 • FAX: 096-74473EMAIL: EVENTS@MOUNTFALCON.COM • WEB: WWW.MOUNTFALCON.COM

Three nights of luxurious accommodation and dinner on one evening from our Bistro menu. Brush up on your golf with complimentary access to the driving range or spend an hour in the Elemis spa with a €25 euro credit toward a 60minute facial or massage. Relax in the 17m pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna. Visit the famous Foxford Woolen Mills where you will enjoy 10% off in their bountiful gift shop.

3 nights for the price of 2……for only €199 per person sharing !• Subject to availability at time booking • All packages in Mount Falcon are subject to a 5% service charge

Contact Reservations at the Falls Hotel & Spa for bookings andmore details on 065-7071004 or email reservations@fallshotel.ie • www.fallshotel.ie

Ennistymon Co. Clare

Spring Bridge Breaks @ The Falls Hotel

• Transport from Train Station to the Hotel included • Bridge Clinics every Morning after Breakfast• Organised Day Trips around county Clare• Afternoon Activities in the Hotel including: Dancing, Aqua Aerobics, Flower Arranging & More!• Tea, Coffee & Scone on Arrival at the Hotel• A Choice Dinner Each Evening in Cascades Restaurant Followed by Bridge Evening Session• Entertainment in Dylan Thomas Bar Every Night

March 22nd - 26th

€260 per person

4 night’s Dinner &B&B

No Single Supplement!

Local Activities: Lough Key Forest Park www.loughkey.ie, Moorlands Equestrian Centre www.moorlands.ie, Electric Bike Trails www.electricbiketrails.comArigna Mining Museum www.arignaminingexperience.ie, Indoor Airsoft Shooting & Archery www.carrickindoorshooting.com

Special Midweek Offer

B&B for 2 Peopleonly €99

20% off Spa TreatmentsAvailable Sun-Thurs

Special Midweek Offer

B&B for 2 People &Dinner only €129

Includes 2 Course MealAvailable Sun-Thurs

Over 50’s SpecialOffer

2 Nights B&B and 2Dinners only €278

Tea & Scones & Newspapers 4 Course Dinners / Full Use of Leisure Centre

Special Weekend Offer

2 Nights B&B and 1Dinner only €238Includes Full Use of Leisure Centre

20% off all Spa treatments with all offers ( excludes special offers / t&c's apply )

Mill Street, Town Centre, Westport, Co. Mayo • Tel: 098-29200www.milltimeshotel.ie • info@milltimeshotel.ie

CLUB

Every Sunday 12 to 5pm

FacepaintingBouncy CastleGames & Music

FREE Supervised Kids activities - Christenings and Children’s Birthday Parties catered for

Happy Easter!Easter Egg HuntEaster Sunday from 3pm - Crack open lots ofFun and Surprises!

Midterm Midweek Monday 6th April

2 Nights B&B & 1 Evening Meal for 2 Adults sharing

€99 per person sharing2nd child stays free of charge

(Sharing with 2 adults and 1 child)

Arrive Fri 3rd April2 Nights B&B€109 per person

sharing

Sun 5th April1 Night

€49 per person sharing(Room only)

Breakaways

Page 30 Mature Living March 2014

Retirement holds the promiseto be a much earned timeto enjoy life at a slower

pace and renew your focus on ac-tivities you enjoy that you didn’thave time to do before. If you’relike many, it also holds a hope toget in better shape and lose a lit-tle weight. However, more oftenthan not, retirees actually be-come less active, and gainweight!

A study called “The Effect ofRetirement on Weight” followedalmost 38,000 retirees and con-cluded that retirement con-tributed to weight gain. Some ofthis weight gain was from less ac-tivity after retiring, not more –even though most had moreavailable time to be active. Un-structured meal times and eatingout more often were also toblame. Researchers also found

that being overweight canshorten your life; for every 2.2pounds gained after age eight-een, women’s odds of survivingpast seventy dropped 5 percent.Diseases to blame are cancer,heart disease, complications re-lated to smoking and diabetes. Itis a fact that as we get older weneed fewer calories to maintainour weight – about 5% less forevery decade after 40. To main-tain weight we need at least onehour of moderate activity eachday to keep the weight fromsneaking on. And even thoughphysical decline is typically 36percent between the ages of 60and 90, if you exercise regularlyyou can cut the drop by 50 per-cent or more.

The positive news is thatweight gain and physical deterio-ration don’t have to be a part of

your retirement future. Recog-nizing the potential to becomeless active and gain weight withretirement can be used to produs into action, and create a plan.What’s a retired girl to do? Fol-low these eight tips and to fightthe statistics:

Walk and talk. If you are amultitasker extraordinaire likeme, walking can be a great op-portunity to catch up with friendsor listen to a sermon on the ipod.It can also be a great time topray. Wear a pedometer if youwant to see how many stepsyou’ve taken and miles you’vewalked – it’s a great motivator!Aim for 10,000 steps a day tokeep off the pounds. Start slowlyand work your way up, if youhaven’t been active recently.

Walking videos work! There aremany videos available, but Leslie

Sansone has great free videosranging from 15 minutes to 50minutes on You Tube. They areworth watching sometime Getout of the chair regularly. Stand-ing for at least 10 minutes everyhour, whether you’re watchingtelevision or on the computer,will keep your metabolism burn-ing, and is better for your back,too. Eat the good stuff. Makeyour food choices mainly fruitsand vegetables, whole grains,and lean proteins. Stay awayfrom junk food, and order wiselywhen eating out. Eat earlier. Ifyou can eat before 7pm, all thebetter for your body to digest thefood before you go to bed.

Eat less calories. Click here tocalculate how many calories youneed to maintain or lose weight.To watch your portion sizes, tryeating off of an eight inch plate,

and forgo seconds.Find someone to hold you ac-

countable. With a support buddyyou’re less likely to slip up ormiss a workout. Find an activitythat you like. Try new things,keep your mind open. Create anarsenal of ideas handy to turn towhen you’re not sure what kindof exercise to do.

Although retirement is a timeto enjoy some free time, don’tlose site on how important it is totake care of your spiritual andphysical self. It takes effort tomake a plan, then follow it, butit’s much easier to preventweight gain and physical ailmentsthan to lose weight and treathealth conditions. Use retire-ment as a time for you to focuson your health. Making a com-mitment every day will be wellworth it!

Give Yourself the Gift of Active Retirement

Visitor Attractions

From horses to horticulture weoffer a unique experience that canbe enjoyed at your leisure or aspart of a guided tour.

Come to the Stud and share with usone of Ireland’s true treasures.

• World Famous Japanese Gardens• St. Fiachra’s Garden • Horse Museum• Lots of newborn foals to see • New playground• Enjoy our homebaking and locally sourced foods

in the restaurant• Meet our Living Legends; Beef or Salmon,

Kicking King, Moscow Flyer, Rite of Passage & Hardy Eustace.

• Location: South of Dublin & the M50, off the M7,Exit 13 onto the R415

• Open 7 days a week 9.30am - 5pm• For further information contact:

reservations@instourism.net or Tel: 00 353 45 521617

Produce this Advertisement and receive a 2 forthe price of 1 Admission.

Ballintubber Abbey1216 AD - 2016 AD

Ballintubber Abbey stands one mile off the main Castlebar - GalwayN84 road, seven miles from Castlebar, nine miles from Ballinrobe and

thirty nine miles from Galway City

Telephone: 094-9030934www.ballintubberabbey.ie • info@ballintubberabbey.ie

Among the medieval religious foundations whose ruins dot the Irish countryside, the Abbey isunique. Founded in 1216 by Cathal Crovderg O’Connor, King of Connaught and celebrating its

Octocentenary (800 years) in 2016.

• This remarkable Abbey is the only church in Ireland where, for almost 800 years, Mass hasbeen offered without a break.

• Experience for yourself the story of “the Abbey that refused to die.” Our video and guideswill take you through the stories of Cromwellian burnings, suppression and the notorious priest

hunter, Seán na Sagart.

Celtic Furrow: Every age and interest group are catered for in the Celtic Furrow- that traces theorigins of our festivals, our customs, our piseogs and our beliefs. The Celtic Furrow through

models and paintings, garden and labyrinths, farmyards, subterrans and live exhibits, willfascinate you.

Tochar Phádraig: Walk a few kilometres of Tochar Phádraig - the path from Ballintubber Abbeyto Croagh Patrick where Pilgrims have walked in the footsteps of St Patrick this past 1500 years.

Visitor Attractions

'THE story of Knock began in August 1879,when fifteen people from Knock villagewitnessed an Apparition at the gable wallof the Parish Church. Giving theirtestimonies, the witnesses describe aheavenly vision, consisting of Our Lady,St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, alamb and cross surrounded by angels. TheKnock Apparition was a silent one andeach of us can find its meaning forourselves.

Many Miraculous cures have beenreported in Knock since the time of theApparition and many people still cometoday in search of healing, reconciliationand peace. St. John Paul II visited Knock

in 1979 to celebrate the centenary of theApparition. Today, Knock Shrine in set inbeautiful landscaped garden where thereare daily scheduled ceremonies, includingmasses and confessions.

The staff at Knock Shrine would bedelighted to assist pilgrimage organisersand promoters in a arranging and planningtheir pilgrimages. New groups are alwayswelcome and will be given full assistancein putting their plans together.

Contact the Shrine Office for furtherinformation or shop onlinewww.knockshrine.ie Tel: (094) 93 88100 or Email: info@knock-shrine.ie'

European Capital of Culture, alongsideLiverpool, but for the intrepid visitor itmeans you can enjoy the city without thecrowds.

While Liverpool has the Fab Four,Stavanger has a fab fjord. Base-jumpers andparagliders head for a 1,000m sheer dropnearby the city, while Pulpit Rock is thesafest place for more sedate visitors toenjoy the dramatic views.

Stavanger itself has the oldest cathedralin Norway, the Anglo-Norman and Gothic StSwithin’s, surrounded by 200-year-oldwooden buildings.

Tirana, Albania

Welcome to Europe’s most anarchic city.In two decades, the population of Albania’scapital has swelled more than fourfold, to800,000 residents (at last count) as theimpoverished rural population migrates enmasse.

In the past few years, in an attempt tocheer up the populace, the concrete high-rises have been painted in all the colours ofthe rainbow so the cityscape looks like anout-of-control version of the island ofBalamory from the BBC children's TV series.

But Tirana’s most splendid sights have tobe the mosque and huge mosaic inSkanderberg Square. They are perhaps theonly constants within this city in full flux.

Tiraspol, MoldovaIn the capital of the unrecognised

breakaway republic of Pridnestrovie, alsoknown as Transnistria – a narrow, 250-mile-long strip between the Dniester river inMoldova and the Ukrainian border – lookscan deceive. The city appears stuck in animmaculate Soviet time warp, with statuesof Lenin and red stars galore – yet thegovernment is firmly anti-Communist.

The slim official tourist guide boastsabout how green Tiraspol is andrecommends a "tree garden" in the centreand, 10km out, the Butylka wine and cognacmuseum in "the world’s largest bottle-shaped building", at 28m high.

Tiraspol is worth a look not for anygrandeur or beauty – unless you find ultra-functionalist concrete complexes alluring –but for the curiously kitsch thrill of beinginside this living USSR museum, completewith a tank parked in the centre.

Tours, FranceThis hub of the Loire Valley is ideal for

French-language students, as locals are saidto speak the purest, most eloquent andunaccented French in the world.

But even if you only parlez Franglais,Tours is worthy of a tour, particularly as it’sless than an hour’s flying time from LondonStansted.

The best way to get around this cityknown as le jardin de la France is on twowheels. Pedal through the narrow streets tosee the half-timbered restored rustic housesin the old quarter, marvel at the cathedralin "flamboyant Gothic" style and followriverside cycle tracks to some of the 300lavish royal chateaux situated along theLoire and Cher, which both flow throughTours. The restaurants in medieval PlacePlumereau serve Touraine wines withrillettes, rillons and controversial foie gras.

Uglich, RussiaSeemingly untouched by the ravages of

Russian history, the mellow Volga city ofUglich, 130 miles downstream from Moscow,is most famous for being the site of themysterious unsolved murder of Ivan theTerrible’s young son. The crimson Church ofSt Dmitri on the Blood ensures no one willforget the gory events of 1591.

The city's traders are prepared for cruiseday-trippers, with souvenir stalls set up

close to the ships and brass bands playing onthe quay, but Uglich deserves a morelingering look to soak up its richarchitectural relics.

Be sure to visit the triple-towerMarvellous Assumption church and themedieval Alekseevsky monastery – or simplyget wedged in at the Vodka Museum, wheresamples are included in the admission price.

Wroclaw, Poland

Poland’s answer to Venice (pronounced –if you can – vrotswahf) perches on anarchipelago on the River Oder in LowerSilesia.

Now a buzzing student centre, the city of100-plus bridges rose like a phoenix from itsbombed-out shell to become a post-warcosmopolitan and cultural hotpot, thanks toits assimilation of high-cultured Poles fromLwow (Lviv, in Ukrainian) when that city wastransferred from Poland to Ukraine in 1945.

The pride of Wroclaw is the Raclawicepanorama, a 140m-long canvas depicting a1794 battle in which the Poles beat theRussian Hussars.

Travel

Page 28 Mature Living Page 29 Mature Living

There are still plenty of Europeantreasures that the cold war left out ofbounds for decades or that the happy-

snappy hordes have for other reasons leftalone. These under-the-radar destinationsare, what's more, typically cheap. Thelowest-cost flights are often to the leastfrequented airports, and you'll find cityprices there aren’t inflated for tourists – allthe more reason to visit in these creditcrunch times. You heard about them herefirst: get the first taste of 10 unsungEuropean beauties.

Birmingham, EnglandStatistics show overseas tourists are

flocking to Birmingham, yet many Brits stillturn their noses up at the city. Perhaps theypicture this one-time workshop of the worldas still full of dark satanic mills andoverflowing with polluted canals.

Avoid Britain's second largest city,however, and you're missing out on a rough-and-ready treasure on your doorstep. In theheart of Brum your nose might lead you notto factories belching smoke but to the so-called Balti triangle – an array ofinexpensive eating houses serving famouslydelicious curry recipes invented byBirmingham Pakistanis.

Grand old buildings and cutting-edgearchitecture vie for your attention in thecity centre’s spacious squares. Themirrorball-shaped Selfridge colossus in theBullring shopping centre, a former brutalistconcrete blot, is worth the trip alone.

Klagenfurt, Austria

Surely Alpine towns have been fullytapped for tourism? Not so. Klagenfurt, thecapital of the Austrian state of Carinthia,may have been overshadowed by Salzburgand Vienna but it lays plausible claim tobeing the country’s most scenic city.

For what Klagenfurt lacks in Viennese-style architectural splendour (although itdoes boast grand Italian Renaissancebuildings) the southern city makes up for inits setting. It sits beside the warm turquoisewater of Wörthersee lake, with theKarawanken mountains bordering Italy andSlovenia looming behind it.

The city is also surrounded by 24 fairytalemedieval castles. Don’t leave without tryingthe local barley broth or cheesy pastriescalled kasnudle.

Maastricht, HollandLimburg province is quite different from

the rest of the Netherlands: for a start, it’shilly. The tongue-shaped peninsular in thesouth of the country is flanked by Belgiumand Germany but has its own distinct(Catholic) flavour.

In contrast with some of the other citieshere, many people will have heard ofLimburg's capital, Maastricht, but forreasons that are likely to provoke a yawn.Far more compelling than its associationwith the EU treaty, however, are the city'smedieval ramparts, Notre Dame-like twin-towered cathedral, jazz and blues bars anda convivial café atmosphere bolstered byuniversity students.

Arguably the most fascinating sight is thechalk labyrinth inside Sint Pietersberg hill.The former marlstone works are where thefirst dinosaur fossils were identified, in the18th century. The walls are studded withthe remains of prehistoric sea creatures andbranch off with shelters used during thesecond world war and by refugees from theFrench revolution.

Plovdiv, BulgariaThis less famous city of seven hills was

humming before Rome and Constantinople

were twinkles in the gods’ eyes. Bulgaria’ssecond city, founded by the Thracians fivemillennia ago, has hung on to its ancienttreasures as well – Soviet vandalism didn’tdestroy its 200 historic sights.

Jostling for attention with the Romanstadium and amphitheatres is the old townwith its local Baroque-style architecture,lavishly decorative on the outside andinside.

The atmospheric city is oppressively hotin summer and covered in snow mostwinters; autumn is the mellow season. Anyof the hills are good for sunset views; theold town, which covers three hills, is full ofart galleries and painters’ stalls.

Charter flights have recently becomeavailable from most UK airports, a signPlovdiv could be the next big destination.

Stavanger, NorwaySince a ferry from Newcastle stopped

running to Stavanger in September 2008,Brits have had a harder time getting to thispicturesque Norwegian port city (althoughthere are flights from Heathrow). Thewithdrawal of the service was a bit of ablow for Stavanger during its tenure as

If you prefer not to feel part of the herd, shepherded from tacky souvenir shop to jam-packed monument inParis or Rome, it’s time to try a European city you may not have heard of but will be glad to discover.

Birmingham, England

Maastricht, Holland

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Stavanger, Norway

Tours, France

European Capital of Culture, alongsideLiverpool, but for the intrepid visitor itmeans you can enjoy the city without thecrowds.

While Liverpool has the Fab Four,Stavanger has a fab fjord. Base-jumpers andparagliders head for a 1,000m sheer dropnearby the city, while Pulpit Rock is thesafest place for more sedate visitors toenjoy the dramatic views.

Stavanger itself has the oldest cathedralin Norway, the Anglo-Norman and Gothic StSwithin’s, surrounded by 200-year-oldwooden buildings.

Tirana, Albania

Welcome to Europe’s most anarchic city.In two decades, the population of Albania’scapital has swelled more than fourfold, to800,000 residents (at last count) as theimpoverished rural population migrates enmasse.

In the past few years, in an attempt tocheer up the populace, the concrete high-rises have been painted in all the colours ofthe rainbow so the cityscape looks like anout-of-control version of the island ofBalamory from the BBC children's TV series.

But Tirana’s most splendid sights have tobe the mosque and huge mosaic inSkanderberg Square. They are perhaps theonly constants within this city in full flux.

Tiraspol, MoldovaIn the capital of the unrecognised

breakaway republic of Pridnestrovie, alsoknown as Transnistria – a narrow, 250-mile-long strip between the Dniester river inMoldova and the Ukrainian border – lookscan deceive. The city appears stuck in animmaculate Soviet time warp, with statuesof Lenin and red stars galore – yet thegovernment is firmly anti-Communist.

The slim official tourist guide boastsabout how green Tiraspol is andrecommends a "tree garden" in the centreand, 10km out, the Butylka wine and cognacmuseum in "the world’s largest bottle-shaped building", at 28m high.

Tiraspol is worth a look not for anygrandeur or beauty – unless you find ultra-functionalist concrete complexes alluring –but for the curiously kitsch thrill of beinginside this living USSR museum, completewith a tank parked in the centre.

Tours, FranceThis hub of the Loire Valley is ideal for

French-language students, as locals are saidto speak the purest, most eloquent andunaccented French in the world.

But even if you only parlez Franglais,Tours is worthy of a tour, particularly as it’sless than an hour’s flying time from LondonStansted.

The best way to get around this cityknown as le jardin de la France is on twowheels. Pedal through the narrow streets tosee the half-timbered restored rustic housesin the old quarter, marvel at the cathedralin "flamboyant Gothic" style and followriverside cycle tracks to some of the 300lavish royal chateaux situated along theLoire and Cher, which both flow throughTours. The restaurants in medieval PlacePlumereau serve Touraine wines withrillettes, rillons and controversial foie gras.

Uglich, RussiaSeemingly untouched by the ravages of

Russian history, the mellow Volga city ofUglich, 130 miles downstream from Moscow,is most famous for being the site of themysterious unsolved murder of Ivan theTerrible’s young son. The crimson Church ofSt Dmitri on the Blood ensures no one willforget the gory events of 1591.

The city's traders are prepared for cruiseday-trippers, with souvenir stalls set up

close to the ships and brass bands playing onthe quay, but Uglich deserves a morelingering look to soak up its richarchitectural relics.

Be sure to visit the triple-towerMarvellous Assumption church and themedieval Alekseevsky monastery – or simplyget wedged in at the Vodka Museum, wheresamples are included in the admission price.

Wroclaw, Poland

Poland’s answer to Venice (pronounced –if you can – vrotswahf) perches on anarchipelago on the River Oder in LowerSilesia.

Now a buzzing student centre, the city of100-plus bridges rose like a phoenix from itsbombed-out shell to become a post-warcosmopolitan and cultural hotpot, thanks toits assimilation of high-cultured Poles fromLwow (Lviv, in Ukrainian) when that city wastransferred from Poland to Ukraine in 1945.

The pride of Wroclaw is the Raclawicepanorama, a 140m-long canvas depicting a1794 battle in which the Poles beat theRussian Hussars.

Travel

Page 28 Mature Living Page 29 Mature Living

There are still plenty of Europeantreasures that the cold war left out ofbounds for decades or that the happy-

snappy hordes have for other reasons leftalone. These under-the-radar destinationsare, what's more, typically cheap. Thelowest-cost flights are often to the leastfrequented airports, and you'll find cityprices there aren’t inflated for tourists – allthe more reason to visit in these creditcrunch times. You heard about them herefirst: get the first taste of 10 unsungEuropean beauties.

Birmingham, EnglandStatistics show overseas tourists are

flocking to Birmingham, yet many Brits stillturn their noses up at the city. Perhaps theypicture this one-time workshop of the worldas still full of dark satanic mills andoverflowing with polluted canals.

Avoid Britain's second largest city,however, and you're missing out on a rough-and-ready treasure on your doorstep. In theheart of Brum your nose might lead you notto factories belching smoke but to the so-called Balti triangle – an array ofinexpensive eating houses serving famouslydelicious curry recipes invented byBirmingham Pakistanis.

Grand old buildings and cutting-edgearchitecture vie for your attention in thecity centre’s spacious squares. Themirrorball-shaped Selfridge colossus in theBullring shopping centre, a former brutalistconcrete blot, is worth the trip alone.

Klagenfurt, Austria

Surely Alpine towns have been fullytapped for tourism? Not so. Klagenfurt, thecapital of the Austrian state of Carinthia,may have been overshadowed by Salzburgand Vienna but it lays plausible claim tobeing the country’s most scenic city.

For what Klagenfurt lacks in Viennese-style architectural splendour (although itdoes boast grand Italian Renaissancebuildings) the southern city makes up for inits setting. It sits beside the warm turquoisewater of Wörthersee lake, with theKarawanken mountains bordering Italy andSlovenia looming behind it.

The city is also surrounded by 24 fairytalemedieval castles. Don’t leave without tryingthe local barley broth or cheesy pastriescalled kasnudle.

Maastricht, HollandLimburg province is quite different from

the rest of the Netherlands: for a start, it’shilly. The tongue-shaped peninsular in thesouth of the country is flanked by Belgiumand Germany but has its own distinct(Catholic) flavour.

In contrast with some of the other citieshere, many people will have heard ofLimburg's capital, Maastricht, but forreasons that are likely to provoke a yawn.Far more compelling than its associationwith the EU treaty, however, are the city'smedieval ramparts, Notre Dame-like twin-towered cathedral, jazz and blues bars anda convivial café atmosphere bolstered byuniversity students.

Arguably the most fascinating sight is thechalk labyrinth inside Sint Pietersberg hill.The former marlstone works are where thefirst dinosaur fossils were identified, in the18th century. The walls are studded withthe remains of prehistoric sea creatures andbranch off with shelters used during thesecond world war and by refugees from theFrench revolution.

Plovdiv, BulgariaThis less famous city of seven hills was

humming before Rome and Constantinople

were twinkles in the gods’ eyes. Bulgaria’ssecond city, founded by the Thracians fivemillennia ago, has hung on to its ancienttreasures as well – Soviet vandalism didn’tdestroy its 200 historic sights.

Jostling for attention with the Romanstadium and amphitheatres is the old townwith its local Baroque-style architecture,lavishly decorative on the outside andinside.

The atmospheric city is oppressively hotin summer and covered in snow mostwinters; autumn is the mellow season. Anyof the hills are good for sunset views; theold town, which covers three hills, is full ofart galleries and painters’ stalls.

Charter flights have recently becomeavailable from most UK airports, a signPlovdiv could be the next big destination.

Stavanger, NorwaySince a ferry from Newcastle stopped

running to Stavanger in September 2008,Brits have had a harder time getting to thispicturesque Norwegian port city (althoughthere are flights from Heathrow). Thewithdrawal of the service was a bit of ablow for Stavanger during its tenure as

If you prefer not to feel part of the herd, shepherded from tacky souvenir shop to jam-packed monument inParis or Rome, it’s time to try a European city you may not have heard of but will be glad to discover.

Birmingham, England

Maastricht, Holland

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Stavanger, Norway

Tours, France

Magnetotherapy

Page 30 Mature Living

The word“magnetotherapy”means the applicationof a mainly magneticfield, originated fromlow and highfrequencies, for

therapeutic purposes. The magnetotherapyregenerates the injured cells by improving theenzyme kinetics and repolarizes the cellularmembranes; furthermore, it produces an anti-stress action and promotes acceleration of allreparative phenomenon’s, with bioregenerating, anti-inflammatory and analgesicaction, without side effects.The magnetotherapy is a physiotherapy form,that uses electromagnetic energy and it is aneffective, safe and not invasive cure. Themagnetic fields interact with cells, favoring therecovery of the physiological conditions ofequilibrium. It is indicated in cases where it isnecessary to stimulate tissue regeneration afterdamaging events of various kinds.As electricity has current, magnetic field hasvortex. Electricity has + and - magnetic field N(North) and S (South) the same principle. Now imagine you would like to make a juice,you put into the juicer all organic fruits, yourelectricity is working, but you can not make ajuice as you forgot the adapter. Without theadapter your wonderful juice maker will notwork. In the Body organic fruits represent youroxygen and nutrients, electricity representsyour Arteries and Veins and the adapterrepresent - capillaries. Capillaries - minute blood vessels. If they areblocked they are unable to transmute alloxygen and nutrients to the organ in the pointof blockage. Organs become ill. 80% of all bloodrun thought capillaries .If we can surround theill organ with the vortex of magnetic field thecapillaries become unblocked and the functionof the organ restores. If the capillary areunblocked the body has the ability to healitself. 25 years ago miles away in Moscow inInstitute of Heart and Thoracic surgeryBurdenko research started. The research ofmagnetic field of the Brain and Heart It lead todiscovery that magnetic inductions andfrequency can totally restore people health.Different frequencies resonate with differentorgans. Medical magneto-therapy belts wereborn. Nowadays medical scientists givewonderful equipment and knowledge to workwith magnetic field. With a touch of a button

we can now select a program suitable for 99different illnesses. Total and local magneto-therapy with traveling, fixed, pulsed andlow-intensity magnetic field for acute andchronic cardiovascular diseases, diseases ofbronco-pulmonary, nervous, loco-motor system,inner organs, immunity dysfunction, traumaticinjury and its complications. That medicalscientist technology is now available in Ireland,Thanks to ELAMED.

The magnetotherapy’s benefits:• Relieve the pain: it acts as a potent analgesic• It accelerates the healing processes• It stimulates the cellular exchange• It improves the nutrition and the

oxygenation of tissues• It reduces the inflammations• It stimulates the resorption of edema• It improves the capillary flow• It regenerates the cells without energy• It slows down the process of bone density

decrease

The magnetotherapy’s advantages:• It helps to relieve pain and inflammationswithout the use of drug• It 's a safe and not-invasive therapy• It does not cause pain• It has an analgesic action• It reduces the time for the healing of a

fracture• It can be applied with no contraindications

for most diseases

The magnetotherapy acts on:• bone system• muscular system• joint system• nervous system• circulatory system

The effects of the magnetotherapy can beclassified as follows:• anti-inflammatory action• stimulating action of the endocrine system• anti- oedematous action• analgesic action• tissue repair• anti-stress action

The magnetotherapy can produce:• an healing effect• an analgesic effect• an aesthetic effect

ELAMED is Yelatma - Instrument making enterprise - it is a joint stock company with 800 employers and is certified according to ISO and MDD93/42EEC.Elamed products are taking world by storm and are already widely in use In Russia, USA, Canada, Israel, Poland, Estonia, Germany, Sweden, Belgium andAustralia. Elamed offer 2 lines of products for home use and they also offer medical devices for hospitals and small clinics. For further information

contact our sole Irish distributor Catherine Gaffney on 087 68 94 300 or 0719177221.

Our machines have got a lot of programs for different types of Treatment. The family can use them since the selection of Programs and the duration and frequency are already set.Furthermore our devices are reliable and they represent the result of morethan 25 years of research in the field. For further information contactCatherine on 087 6894300 or 07191 77221

“My name is Maria Harris and I suffer with COPD (Chronic ObstructivePulmonary Disease). I was diagnosed over a year ago. It causes severecoughing and breathlessness.I went to Ekaterina (Catrina) Gaffney for a course of Magnetic

Therapy and had 15 treatments - the device used on me was Polymag-2- as a result I can now breath more easily and I am not queasy anymore. It has given me a great relief”- Maria Harris

“My job entails a lot of lifting, placing boxes on shelves etc., as youcan imagine is years of wear and tear has taken its toll on my body,arms, shoulders, back etc. For years I have been doing what everybody else been doing,painkillers and trying different therapies to get by until a close friendof mine introduced me to Catherine at first I was getting great relieffrom deep tissue massage until Catherine told me about a newmachine she was introducing which was electro -magnetic therapy. As I had done a lot of damage to the tendon in my upper left arm andinflamed the nerves in my shoulder and neck, you can only imagine thepain I was in. No sleep, lack of appetite and very short fuse.I tried this wonderful machine electromagnetic therapy. After one

session I had instant relief, with Catherine's expertise in deep tissuemassage and a specialized program of twelve short sessions of electromagnetic therapy, I am so happy to say I am a new woman. I havenever felt as good, I have absolutely no pain in my arm or shouldersince undergoing this treatment. It’s the first time in 15 years. I amcompletely pain free. Thanks so much to Catherine, cannot recommend her highly enough,amazing lady, amazing machine. P.S. Thanks for giving me my lifeback” - Tracy.

Our devices are very easy to use and can beused by any person at home.

Iam a qualified nurse from Russia’s PRINCIPAL MEDICAL BOARD. Ispecialise in general medicine, general medical treatments, manualtherapy, healing, and contact remedial massage. Working in Ireland

since 2000 I studied Aromatherapy massage at Tara School and in 2002studied sports injury massage at SEED Institute UK. Working to bringmassage therapy as part of physiotherapy; focusing on spinal injury,trauma and stroke recovery.

Catherine Gaffney

What is MAGNETOTHERAPY

What our clients say...

€392

Page 31 Mature Living

This device is based on lowfrequency, low-intensivemagnetic field and should beused for the treatment ofdifferent diseases in doctor'soffices and is suitable forhospitals, clinics andrehabilitation Centre’s.

A sample of some of theailments that our machinecan be used to help(For the full complete setcontact us)· Nervous system diseases.· Blood circulation systemdiseases. Respiratory organsdiseases. Digestive apparatusdiseases.· Musculoskeletal system andconnective tissue diseases· Urogenital system diseases.· Endocrine system diseases,nutrition and metabolismdisorders.· Ophthalmic diseases.· Ear and its mastoid bonediseases.· Dermal and hypodermictissue diseases.· Some infection andparasitic disease.· Mental and behaviordisorders.· Blood and hemopoietic

organs diseases, and somedisorders involving immuneprocess.· Traumas, poisoning andsome other side effect of theexternal cause influence

There are 99 most effectiveand frequently usedapplications in the memoryof this device. The mostinteresting thing is that anyof the programs can becorrected for the currentsession, and can also bestored in nonvolatilememory. The devicePolymag-02 consists of amobile control unit and anumber of emitters. Thefollowing emitters can beincluded in the maximumversion:Four major emitter (incovers) that can be used as inthe form of a plane and asthe solenoids;Two flexible emitting linesare for the treatment of thecollar area, the area ofadrenal and along the nerves;Local emitter is for thetreatment of deep-seatedorgans (deepness ofpenetration is 15 cm);

Ophthalmologic emitter is forthe treatment of ophthalmicdiseases and Ear Nose Throatdiseases and for the use aslocal emitters when treatingchildren;Headband emitter is for thetreatment of cardiovascularand neurological diseases.The magnetic field therapy(MFT) procedure can betaken by two patients withdifferent diseases at thesame time. It allows makingmore profit.The device takes upminimum space and is verymobile, because the controlunit, major emitters andflexible emitting lines arelocated on a dedicatedmobile stand, andophthalmologic emitters,headband and local emittersare located on the table-cartof the machine. The mobilityof this device allows movingit easily from one room toanother in order not todisturb the patient. Thereare three different versionsavailable.For further informationcontact Catherine on 0876894300 or 07191 77221

It is recommended for local magneto-therapy by travelling and pulsed magneticfield for application in physio-therapeuticdepartments, general practice doctor'soffices first-aid stations and at home by theaptient themselves based on the doctor'sadvice

It is effective both for the treatment andrehabilitation of: · Neurologic diseases· Locomotor system diseases· Blood-vascular system diseases· Pancreatic diabetes complication· Cardiological diseases· Trauma and operative intervention· Gastroenterological diseases· Respiratory apparatus diseases

Advantages: · Programmed exposure parameters· Easy to use

· Local and zonal exposure due to emittersseveral combinations· Magnetic field deep penetration, allowingmaking effective treatment of inner organs.· An ideal combination of price andtherapeutic abilities

This device has 79 preinstalled programs forthe treatment of various diseases.The device generates four types ofmagnetic field: fixed, travelling in verticalplane, travelling in horizontal plane andpolarity. Ailments that the machine can beof benefit to are: Nervous system,respiratory, digestive, skin, osteomuscularsystem, Urogenital, traumas include nervestrauma. The device allows setting all theparameters of the magnetic field. Thefrequency and amplitude of the magneticinduction, independently directs each ofthe connected emitters.

Portable Magnetotherapy Almag-01The rapid pace ofmodern life,environmental influenceand predisposed factorsprovoke disorders, whichoften become chronic.The attempts to curethese ailments usingvarious methods in mostcases give no resultscausing periodicexacerbation of thedisease with a number ofside effects. Scientificresearch resulted in thedevelopment of ALMAG-01 PortableMagnetotherapy Devicewith a Travelling PulsedMagnetic Field.The device can helptreat a wide variety ofdiseases including:locomotors systemdiseases, neurologicdiseases, Osteoarthritis,fractures, internalinjures of the joints,post traumaticcontracture of thejoints, purulent wounds,soft tissue, damagedligaments and muscles,weak healing sores,keloid scars,hypertension 1 degree,myalgia, neuralgia, heelspur, metatarsalgia, Iliaccrest spur and tendontendinitis bursitis.Can be use on elderly

people over 75. This device has minimumcontraindications.

Advantages:· Large depth and areaof penetration allowselecting the treatmentof all organs withminimum side effects orallergic reactions;· High therapeutic effectis following a repeatedcourse of treatment anddoesn’t build up atolerance;· The possibility toperform procedures forpatients without agelimit;· It increases effect ofprescribed medicinalpreparations.

Features:ALMAG01 is fullyportable and it does not

require grounding, whichallows the procedures tobe performed directly atthe patient's bedside;The procedures can beperformed throughclothes, gauze andplaster bandages;It is easy to operate andcan be used by patientsat home on doctor'sorders.Clinical tests show thatthe use of the machinecan be effective in up to78-90% of cases after 2-3procedures with theremission period for 1.5years. The ALMAG-01 isconsidered a self-dependent therapeuticmeans avoidingpharmaceutical methodsof treatment, or as anaddition to these moretraditional methods oftreatment.

Contact Catherine Gaffney on 087-6894300 or 071-9177221

Magneto-Therapy Device POLYMAG-02

€310

Portable Magnetotherapy Almag-02

€1970

Health

We spend roughly onethird of our lifetimewith our head on a

pillow, and yet we often spendthe least amount of timethinking about that small itembeneath our brains that wholetime. Given how critical havingthe right pillow can be togetting a restful night’s sleepand avoiding neck pain, it’sabout time we gave our pillowsa closer look.Just as your mattress shouldprovide great support for yourbody type and preferredsleeping position, your pillowshould be chosen to suit yourparticular sleep needs.Whether you’re a side sleeper,back sleeper or stomachsleeper, and whether you needfirm support or extracushioning, it’s important toconsider how you sleep to finda pillow that’s ergonomicallyideal for you. To help find theright pillow for you, here’s ahelpful guide to choosing apillow for the best night’ssleep.

Sleep PositionThe position that you sleep inmost often should largelydictate the size and shape ofthe pillow you select. If thepillow is too high, it can causemuscle strain on the back ofthe neck and shoulders, andmay also cause narrowing ofthe air pipe, leading toobstructed breathing andsnoring, which can hindersleep. Alternatively, if the

pillow is too low, thispositioning can also causestrain to the neck.Side Sleepers: Choose a pillowthat just fills the spacebetween your ear and yourmattress without needing to tiltyour head. Your head, neck andshoulders should remainaligned.Back Sleepers: Select a pillowthat keeps your head fromtilting forward or backward;typically a thinner pillow worksbest. Also look for a pillow thatoffers extra loft in the bottomthird of the pillow to help

cradle your neck.Stomach Sleepers: Choose verythin, almost flat pillow thatkeeps your head and neck in aneutral alignment. Somestomach sleepers find it helpfulto tuck another pillow undertheir stomach to avoid lowerback pain.

Consider Your MattressWe often select a pillowwithout thinking about the typeof mattress that we have, butthe two should be seen asworking together to give youthe best night’s sleep. If you

have a softer, plush or pillow-top mattress, your shoulderswill likely sink into themattress if you’re a side-sleeper. In that case you’llwant a thinner pillow toaccommodate for the slightsinking.

Pillow FillingThe type of pillow filling youchoose depends a great deal onpersonal comfort preference,but can also be dictated byallergies if you’re allergic todown or latex. A few of themost common pillow options

are memory foam, gel andtraditional cotton. To helpconform to your sleep position,you may wish to choose apillow that is adjustable ornaturally adjusts to your shapeand position to providemaximum comfort.How Often Should Your ReplaceYour Old Pillows?Experts recommend that youreplace your pillow on averageevery year, so chances are itmight be time to replace yours.Follow these expert tips andyou’ll see a difference in yourquality of sleep in no time!

Choosing a Pillow for the Best Night’s Sleep

Contributing Factors to ArthritisArthritis doesn’t always have

to be a rite of passage asyou get older. There are a

number of different contributingfactors that can eventually leadto the onset of arthritis. Somefactors are under your controlwhile others are with you beforeyou’re even born.

Genetics: If your relatives havearthritis, there’s a good chancethat you’ll have arthritis as well.It hasn’t yet been determinedjust how much genetics andheredity increase an individual’schances of developing arthritis,but there is evidence thatgenetic variations are to blame.

Weight: Joint damage isdependent on how much weightthe joint has to support,meaning the more you weigh,the greater the chances youhave of suffering from arthritis.Obese individuals are much morelikely to experience arthritis intheir knees and hips, areas thatsuffer from a great deal of wearand increased pressure.

Previous Injury: Even if yourprevious injuries are healedthere’s still a chance that theycan give you problems later onin life. The reason for this isthat damage to the joints canresult in irregularities in thesurface of your joints. Anexample of injuries that canresult in arthritis is a tibialplateau fracture in which thebroken section of boneprotrudes into the cartilage ofthe knee joint.

Stiletto Heels: While wearinghigh heels can be bad enoughfor the spine, wearing stilettoheels can be downrightdangerous on the knees. Highheels increase the amount ofpressure on the knees, whichcan lead to an early onset ofknee arthritis. Research hasshown that sporting a pair ofone and a half inch heels canaffect the progression and rateof osteoarthritis. It’srecommended that womenreduce their high heel usagestarting in their thirties.

Occupational Hazards: Certainjob occupations can alsoincrease an individual’s chancesof developing arthritis. Heavyconstruction, assembly lineworkers, and other physicallydemanding jobs carry the mostrisk.

Texting: While you mightprefer texting to talking, doingso can contribute to arthritis inyour hands. If your thumbs have beenfeeling particularly painful orcreaky, all of that texting thatyou’ve been doing just mightbe the root of your problems.Since arthritis can take severaldecades to develop, the datarelated to what’s known as“texting thumb” isn’t quiteclear.Pay attention to your day-to-day activities and ask yourselfwhich of them could lead toarthritis. By takingpreventative and rehabilitativesteps now, you’ll most certainlybe doing your older self afavour.

Health

If you have back pain, whatyou wear can help you feelbetter—or worse. Most people

know that high heels and heavyshoulder bags are hard onbacks. But other types ofclothing can contribute to backpain, too. Any garment thatconstricts movement, like tightjeans and tight tops, or thatpulls on the neck or shoulderslike poorly fitting bras andheavy necklaces can strain yourback or affect your posture.Fashion need not be sacrificedfor comfort. A combination ofcommon sense and accentuatingyour personal style can make astrong fashion statement. Hereare a few fashion ‘don’ts’ ifyou’re dealing with back pain.

High HeelsWhile they may look nice, highheels alter your center ofgravity, placing more stress onthe spine and knees. Prolongedwear can also cause your calfmuscles to shorten. If heels area must for certain situations,minimize the time you wear

them. If you commute, usetennis shoes or other shoes thatsupport the feet and legs anddon the heels after you reachyour destination. Avoid stilettoheels and pointed toes. Instead,try lower heels with a widerbase like those on classicpumps. Shoe manufacturers areresponding to concerns aboutuncomfortable shoes by addinginserts, heel supports,contoured foot-beds andresilient soles to fashionablestyles, so make an effort to lookfor more comfortable high heelsif possible.

Heavy Neck JewelryHave you worn an attractive,chunky necklace only toexperience sore shoulders or astiff neck? Heavy neck jewelryadds extra weight around yourneck, causing neck and shouldermuscles to work more. Heavynecklaces pull your headforward and put pressure onyour cervical vertebrae. Backmuscles automaticallycompensate by placing stress onthe spine. If you like chunkyjewelry, go for lighter-weightmaterials that are kinder toyour back.Ill-Fitting Bras Poorly fittedbras can also aggravate backpain. Straps that are too tight

can dig into shoulders orcompress nerves. Inversely, aloose under band puts morepressure on the shoulders and shoulder blades. Well-fittedbras, both traditional and sportsmodels, distribute the strainacross the shoulders and back.

Tight Clothing Tight jeans, skirts and tops maymake a fashion statement, butthey can also restrict the wayyou move, change the way youwalk or throw you off balance.If you can’t bend, sitcomfortably or breathenormally, your clothing may berestricting joints, compressingvertebrae or straining shoulderand neck muscles. Manymanufacturers add stretchymaterials like Lycra to clothingfor more give in the fabric. Thislets you move freely while stillwearing a contoured, form-fitting garment.

Develop your own fashion styleby knowing and wearing whatlooks best on your frame.Attractive, well-fitted clothingthat lets you move freely andnaturally helps take the tensionoff your back. Taking a moreproactive approach can go along way in both preventing andrelieving lower back pain.

Fashion VersusYour Bad Back

TravelTechnology

To bring you up to speed, itall began in 2010 whenApple’s iPad came along

and lit the touch-paper thatlead to the explosion of thetablet market.

What are tablet computers?The idea of tablets as mobilecomputers; lighter and moreversatile than laptops, has beenaround for a while, but earlytablets were relativelyunsuccessful. They wereprimarily business focussed, andoperated only in a niche area ofthe computer market. In short,they weren’t very much fun.

In early 2010, Apple unveiledthe product that wouldrevolutionise the tablet worldof computing - the iPad. Theirgenius stroke was to make theiPad more media focussed thanits predecessors, as well astaking into account weight,battery life, and ease of use. Itdiffered by offering a totally

touchscreen desktop, and ranon Apple’s mobile operatingsystem. Most importantly, itremembered to bring the fun.Fast-forward back to thepresent, and the variety oftablets on the market todayvery much follow this trend.From the iPad (with RetinaDisplay), to the Samsung GalaxyTab, to the HP Touchpad (toname but a few), they’re light,versatile, and occupy the spacehalfway between a mobilephone and a laptop, offeringthe benefits of both mediums.They’re not only practical,they’re also enjoyable.

Why tablets?One of the main selling pointsof tablets is their portabilityand ease of use. Compared tolaptops, which incorporate akeyboard and mousepad setup,the touchscreen of a tabletoffers the advantage of one-handed browsing. You can surf

the web while standing on atrain, lying in bed, or evenwhile sitting on the proverbialthrone. Physical keys arereplaced with a virtualkeyboard on the screen so youcan still type away whennecessary. Handwritingrecognition software (whereavailable) can also convertletters and characters traced byeither your fingers, or a styluspen.

When it comes to webbrowsing, there are two ways ofgetting your tablet connected.The two options available are astand-alone tablet or paymonthly tablet. A stand-alonetablet is free of SIM andcontract, and will connect tothe web via WiFi, meaning youcan get online through yourhome WiFi hub, or free publichotspot. A contract tabletcomes with a data bundle on apay-monthly contract similar tothat of a mobile phone, andconnects via 3G. Connectioncapabilities come built in, sounlike laptops, you’ll neverhave to worry about losing yourdongle.

Similar to mobiles, tabletshave access to the various appstores which let you purchaseand download applications suchas word processors, games , etcacross the operating systemsavailable. The continued mediafocus of the tablet means youcan download all your favouriteapplications and games, andthen use them while away. Themedia capabilities don’t stopthere, as most app stores alsooffer a range of music, movies,and also books. Similar to e-readers such as the kindle, youcan download a wide selectionof titles including both classicsand the current bestsellers.Tablets have also enabled yourfavourite magazines to gomultimedia, with many monthlypublications taking advantageof the format and realising iPadeditions alongside the moretraditional tree-based release.This is not only moreenvironmentally friendly,itmeans that articles which arenormally accompanied by staticimages can come alive withvideo and audio.

Tablets are also great socialtools. Contract tablets oftencome with minute and text

allowances (as well as data),and with easy access to allsocial network sites, it’s neverbeen easier to stay in touch.Chose a tablet with an inbuiltcam and you can also use Skypeto videocall your nearest anddearest.

Tablet choicesNow that you’re up to speed,

there’s no need to feel dauntedby the huge range of tabletsavailable. The desirability ofthe tablet has led to a wealth ofchoice available, and althoughApple, the pioneers andtrendsetters of the tabletworld, still lead the market,there are many other optionsavailable in terms of size, spec,and affordability. The iPad 2refined the existing Apple iPadto create probably the mostdesirable tablet on the market,although the Samsung GalaxyTab 10.1 offers a similar quality,alongside a more affordablepricetag. Asus tablets offerimpressive cameras, and theBlackberry Playbook boasts asleek and compact design.

Whatever your needs, there’sa tablet to meet them, and wehope our beginner’s guide hasmade the tablet world a loteasier to swallow.

Buying a tabletThe iPad remains the best full-spec, full-sized tablet there is.If you want the best tablet onthe market, get Apple's iPad Air2 which features a Retinadisplay. It is a quality devicewith unsurpassed build quality.

And the iTunes market offersmore quality apps than anyother platform. But you pay apremium for quality, and youwill find that you are prettymuch locked into Apple's worldwhen it comes to purchasingmusic and movies. Apple stillsells the first iPad Air at adiscounted rate, by the way,and it remains a great tablet.So if you want an iPad but don'twant to pay the full price it isworth checking out. The list ofalternative tablets starts withthe Nexus 10. Google's new Nexus 10 Androidtablet has an impressive PLSscreen with a resolution of2560x1600. The Samsungmanufactured device is alsothinner and lighter than Apple'siPad, runs the latest Androidoperation system and is €100less than the iPad.

Samsung has two othertablets in the Android tabletmarket, both are solidcompetitors: the Galaxy Note10.1 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 210.1. With pen input and ahighly customized version ofAndroid 4.0, the SamsungGalaxy Note 10.1 distinguishesitself in a crowded market, butat a similar price to the iPadyou'll have to really want peninput before it makes sense tochoose the Note. Meanwhile theTab 2 10.1 is like the iPad andthe Nexus 10, only not as good.Unlike its predecessors,however, it is cheaper. Foraround €350 it will make all butthe most stringent tablet fanshappy.

A Beginners Guide to Tablet ComputersIf you’re the kind of person who finds that technology moves faster than you can keep up, then youmaybe feeling slightly in the dark when it comes to tablets.

Page 34 Mature Living

Pets can be the perfectcompanion for both youngand old, but be sure to

consider every angle beforechoosing a cat, dog or otheranimal to join your family. Hereare some pointers on what tolook for in a new pet. Askyourself the following fivequestions before making any finaldecisions.

Where Do You Live?Do you live in a small apartment?If so, a large dog or even anenergetic puppy would beuncomfortable in a tiny spacewith no room to exercisefrequently. Do your researchbefore choosing a pet. Certainsmall breeds (like the parsonrussell terrier) are usuallyextremely active and need lots ofroom, while a large dog (like agreyhound) may be fine in anapartment home because theyare often couch potatoes. A bighouse with a backyard might bemore conducive to dog-owners.Consider getting a cat oraquarium-based pet that wouldn'tmind being contained in a smallerliving space. Remember thatwhile birds won't leap through atownhouse like a Great Dane,

they're often loud, and certainspecies can disturb yourneighbors.

Who Will Take Care Of The Pet?If you are out of the house forlong hours, animals such as fishor reptiles that don't requireconstant attention might be abetter fit for you. Or if you taketrips and travel a lot, consideryour options for pet sitters.

What Is Your Budget?Caring for an animal can getexpensive, so set a budgetbeforehand and choose your petaccordingly. You'll need topurchase toys for your pet to playwith, water and food bowls andliving space, such as an aquariumfor fish, a cage for birds or a heattank for reptiles. Certain animalsrequire a specific diet, which canalso increase your budget(parrots, for example, eatpellets, vegetables and nuts).Some pets may also needtrainers, an added cost that canquickly add up.You also might want to budget forpet insurance, which cansometimes be the differencebetween being able to keep a petor having to give it up for

adoption. The most commoninsurance claims for dogs includeaccidents, like swallowed objectsand bite wounds, and illnesses,such as skin problems and moreserious concerns like cancer.Many of the top claims for catsare similar, so regardless of whattype of pet you choose, gettingthem insured could save you fromfinancial troubles down the roadshould your pet need health care.It may be easier on your wallet tocare for an older pet. When ananimal is young, it will requireextra attention (and money!).Slightly older dogs have "alreadygone through their chewingstages; they may already behousetrained and may have beenraised with children and alreadylove them," she says. That's extramoney you save by adding analready-trained animal to yourhouse. On the flip side, olderdogs can also incur addedexpenses, should they experiencehealth problems. Larger breedsoften develop arthritis and hiptroubles as they age, and surgeryand joint medications can becostly. It's important to weighyour options when consideringthe age of your pet and yourbudget.

What Kind of Pet Should YouBring home?From dogs, cats and fish torabbits, snakes and newts to evensomething as exotic as a beardeddragon, the possibilities abound.There are many kinds of animalsthat can be welcomed into yourhome, but they are typicallybroken down into three types ofpets: companion, working andshow animals. Companions arethose pets, like horses or dogs,which will stick with you throughthick or thin. Working animals arechosen because of their specialabilities, like guiding a blindperson or herding sheep. Andshow animals often require agreat deal of dedication andtime, as they are being groomedfor a specific purpose. Mostpeople are looking for companionpets, unless they have a familymember with a disability -- orthey have dreams of Westminsterdog show glory.Which pet you choose depends onmany factors. If you have smallerchildren and don't have a ton oftime to look after your new petyourself, consider animals thatare easiest to care for, such asfish, hermit crabs, sea monkeysor snails. If you're looking for a

cat, American shorthairs, Birmanand Burmese breeds are some ofthe most kid-friendly andhappiest cats. If you're lookingfor dogs, golden retrievers andLabrador retrievers would be agreat addition to the family, andthey are some of the mostenergetic and faithfulcompanions kids can find. Broughnotes that when looking atreptiles, a corn snake, leopardgecko and water turtle are bestfor beginners.

What Other Questions ShouldYou Ask?Many Dog and Puppy Rescueservices provide a questionnairefor people looking to adopt,which can be useful no matterwhat type of animal you arethinking of adding to your family.For example, do you need to getpermission from a landlord, whatvet will you go to and do youhave any allergies to consider?

Whatever kind of pet you choose,if you take the time to consideryour needs, living situation andfinancial commitments, your newfuzzy -- or scaly, feathery orslimy -- friend will be a part ofthe family in no time.

How to choosethe Right Pet

Page 35 Mature Living

Pets

Find a furred, feathered or finned friend who is a perfect match with these 5 questions.

Page 36 Mature Living

Showbands Feature by Catherine Gilmartin

Catherine Gilmartin spoke to Steve Travers, oneof the Miami Showband Massacre survivors

who is hosting "SHOWBAND STORIES" featuringJack Ruane Showband, ahead of their gig at Ballina

Arts Centre, Friday, 27th March at 8pm

Co. Tipperary-native SteveTravers (bassplayer in theMiamiShowband)grew up withhis sister andbrother in ahome where

there was a great love of music.He explains: “My father lovedclassical music, so I was aware ofgood quality music all my life. Myuncle was a fine harmonicaplayer and, through him, Ilearned to love the jazzstandards. He had a genius forcounterpoint melodies and thatheavily influenced my bassplaying”.

Steve continues: “When I wasvery young (around nine or ten),before I was old enough to attendthe dances, we would wait forthe visiting Showbands to arriveat our local dancehall, TheOrmond Hall, and “help” themcarry in their gear. When thatwas done we’d ask them to showus a chord or a bass riff from thelatest chart hits etc. One manwho was always particularlyobliging to us kids was HenryMcCullough who went on to playat Woodstock with Joe Cockerand later with Paul McCartney inWings. We’ve been friends formany years and I had the greathonour of producing him in thestudio about seven years ago”.

“Like most young people of myera, I was carried along with themusical tidal wave of the Sixties.Apart from the excitement of thenew music, it was also brilliantlypackaged in a style explosion.The combination of that excitingsound and vision during theSixties was irresistible and Iwanted to be part of it”.

Steve tells me that the biggestmusical influence of his life wereThe Beatles, The Rolling Stones,Jimi Hendrix, The Animals andevery artist and band thatappeared on the CBS ‘sampler’album ‘The Rock Machine TurnsYou On’ released in 1968. Stevesays he is still blown away by it.“It introduced me to some of thegreatest and most innovativeartists of the time; I actually gotto play with Taj Mahal in 1982

and that’s a memory that Itreasure”. Like many of theshowband era, Steve Traversstarted out young, joining agroup as soon as he could. “Thefirst band I played with was alocal beat group called The Web.We played all the chart hits ofthe day. The singer was a bigRolling Stones and Animals fan sowe did a lot of classic R ‘n B butwe were more concerned withour hairstyle than the music;catching the eye of a pretty girlwas the mark of success of anygig then”. He continues: “I wasfirst head-hunted by The Miami inSeptember, 1974 when themanagement asked the leadguitarist with Tweed, Gay Brazel,to recommend a replacement forthe great Johnny Brown but Ididn’t join the band until the endof May, 1975.”

The Miami Showband will formany be forever remembered fora terrible tragedy which befellthem as they made their wayhome from a gig one night in1975. Stopped at an unofficialcheckpoint, the band wereordered out of their van andfound themselves facing whatthey thought were armed Britishsoldiers. The men turned out tobe members of the UVF, whoplanted a bomb on the band’svan. The bomb blew upprematurely, killing two membersof the UVF. The armed men thenopened fire on the band, killingthree of them and seriouslywounding the other two.

Steve regards the event as“Life-changing! It became knownas ‘The Day the Music Died’ but,of course, it didn’t. I believe itwas ‘the day that young Irelandlost its innocence’. Bandsstopped playing in the North for aconsiderable time which put a lotof bands off the road andaccelerated the advent of thedisco era. It took me about threemonths before I started playingagain”. As well as the eventbeing ‘news’, there was obviouslya deep personal connectionbetween the members of theband – travelling in vans criss-crossing the country night afternight. Steve still remembersfondly some of the friends he lostthat night. “The first thing that

struck me about the lads wastheir musical ability. They alsowrote a lot of their own material.Fran O’Toole and Des Lee wereprolific song-writers and they hadan extensive catalogue of theirown compositions alreadyrecorded when I joined. We allshared a similar taste in music:The most played album (cassette)in our minibus that summer wasEdgar Winter’s White Trash livealbum ‘Roadwork’ yet we’d go onstage and play the pops of theday. That seemed, to me, to be acontradiction but, in hindsight,it’s an indication of howprofessional the band was”.

“Tony Geraghty had anenormous reputation from hisprevious Rock and Blues bands;he was considered by many of hispeers to be on a par with thatother great guitarist of the day,Gary Moore. Tony and I quicklybecame firm friends and resolvedto form our own band in the not-too-distant-future but that wasnot to be. He was one of thecoolest guys I ever knew with abrilliant sense of humour.

“Brian McCoy, our trumpetplayer, was a real gentleman.Brian always drove our personnelminibus and I’d sit beside him onthe way home from the gigswhile everyone else slept. We’dtalk about everything frompolitics to personal issues. I gotto know Brian very well”.

“Apart from being a heartthroband Ireland’s greatest ever Soulsinger, Fran O’Toole was also asensational jazz keyboard player.We got on brilliantly from themoment we met. He had afabulous, impish sense of humouralong with a strange mix ofintelligence and innocence. Hewas forever playing games andhe’d play tricks on everyone.Fran was the most charismaticperformer I ever shared a stagewith”.

How did you cope with the lossand what must have been aterribly traumatic experience? “Itried to put it out of my mind foras long as I could but I couldnever escape it”

The remaining members of theband are currently taking a legalaction against the Britishgovernment. He takes up the

story. “Three men wereconvicted for the murders, (twoaccidently blew themselves up onthe night), but those whoplanned, facilitated, directedand covered it up were neverbrought before the courts…untilnow! Des and I are currentlytaking legal action against theBritish security forces so we talkat least once a week. Along withthat, Des is a permanent guest onShowband Stories becauseeveryone wants to hear hisamazing story from his childhoodin Belfast to challenging themight of Great Britain anddemanding justice after fortyyears. The interview I did withDes for Irish TV is regarded as “aworld first” for television forobvious reasons and it’s reallyworth watching”.

The concept behind ShowbandStories is one which surprisinglyhasn’t been tried before. Howdid it come about? “I want tocollect as many of the greatShowband stories as possiblebefore they’re lost forever. It wasthe greatest time in Irish historyto be a musician; everyone foundwork at home so you can imaginethe adventures they had.Unfortunately, I’m too late forsome!”

In the meantime excitement isbuilding in Ballina for this nightof nostalgia presented by theIrish National Showband Archive,in association with the BallinaSalmon Festival and with specialGuest, Des Lee, who alsosurvived that terrible event.

The Jack Ruane Showbandfrom Ballina were one of Ireland'sbest known Showbandsthroughout Ireland and the U.K.Steve has great memories of theband from the bygone era. “Thethree things every Showbandneeded were, first, to beacclaimed by writers andbroadcasters in Dublin, second,to “go well in Cork City” becausehaving that on your CV was an

enormous boost and third, “toget into The West” as that’swhere the real money was to bemade because they dancedseven-nights-a-week there. Therewas a saying “a band can live inThe West”. The Jack Ruane Banddid it in reverse; they werealready huge in The West by thetime I saw them in Dublin so weall paid close attention to whatthey were about. I wanted tohave a representative of TheJack Ruane Band on my TV seriesbut I didn’t have a contact forthem at the time. Tweed’smanager, Liam Brennan,eventually connected me withJack Jnr”. With such anincredible history behind him,Steve Travers keeps looking tothe future and keeps working.

“We’ve recently finished themovie screenplay of the book Iwrote with Neil Fetherstonhaughin 2007, and I’d like to see thatproject over the finishing line inthis fortieth anniversary year ofThe Miami Showband Massacre.I’d also like to see a just outcometo our legal action against TheBritish Ministry of Defence andThe Chief Constable of The PSNIbut I’m prepared to fight this forthe rest of my life if needs be. Ifthat can be achieved, I’d like tothink that my amazing wife,Anne, and I will eventually getpeace of mind”.

Showband Stories will featurethe story of the famous JackRuane Showband from Ballina.Surviving members Judd Ruane,Jack Ruane, Eugene McCaffreyand PJ Duffy will be there on thenight to recount days of old andstories of the Showband days inIreland. This is definitely a shownot to be missed!!

As they say "The real story ofthe Showbands can only be toldby those who lived it"

Book now to avoiddisappointment. Informationand booking from Ballina ArtsCentre 096 73593

Page 37 Mature Living

Memories

There werehundreds ofthem. Irish

bands of everysize, descriptionand musical genretravelling theroads andborheens of

Ireland. They travelled the length and breadth of thecountry from the 1950's through the mid 1980's.Although "officially" the term showband wascoined in the late fifties and was used to describebands that played a wide variety of music andusually included a "show" during the night, the termwas gradually applied to all the bands that played inthe 1960's. As the Irish music scene splintered inthe late sixties into pop, country bands, the termwas dropped but we still find it the best overalldescription of the bands of the "ballroom" era. Inthe early days, they travelled in whatever they couldfind...bread vans, hearses, and even cars (roof racks

and all). In later years, many (if not most) of themtravelled in converted Ford Transit vans (like theone pictured right) that were normally used fordelivery services. After a couple of windows werepopped into the centre panels, a row or two of oldairplane seats were installed and the band wasready to travel "in style." Although style was amatter of opinion...if you're stuck in the back of avan on a cold and rainy winter's night, it may seemlike "a long way to Tipperary," but it's even furtherto Castletownbere, Co. Cork! It will be impossibleto list all the bands that played the dance halls,ballrooms, marquees, parochial halls, communitycentres, hotels, and town halls across Ireland buteach month we are planning to feature a band fromthe west with the help of Gerry Gallagher andwww.irish-showbands.com . Apart from a few whoenjoy near mythical status (such as the RoyalShowband and a handful of others), most bandscame together, played for a few years and theneither reinvented themselves, changed their name,or just disappeared, their members either returning

to civilian life, or scattering to two or three newbands. For such a small country, it is difficult tocomprehend the sheer number of bands that thecountry produced. Almost as hard to imagine, is thenumber of dance halls that once dotted thecountryside, many out in the "middle of nowhere."Pick up next months issue for another blast fromthe blast from the showband era...

All editorial and photographs are kindlysupplied by Gerry Gallagher from

www.irish-shownbands.comOver the years Gerry has built up what canonly be describe as the definitive guide to

the showband era. I would like to thankGerry for allowing us to reproduce the

articles and photos in Mature Living. If youwould like to know more about your

favourite band or who was number one in aparticular year visit

www.irish-showbands.com

The Bands of our Showband Era

Page 38 Mature Living

The story of the SmokeyMountain Ramblersstarted when Jerzy

Kryzanowski (better known inIreland as George Kaye) cameto Ireland to busk, havingspent time around the folkclubs of England. Instead, hefound himself doing the pubscene and formed the MitchellCounty Ramblers with CliveCollins. It was late 1967 andGeorge had decided it mightbe time to go home when hewas approached by Galway'sDes Kelly of the famousCapitol Showband. Des sawthe trend of country musiccoming to the showband scenebefore anyone else had achance to react. George wenthome for a holiday atChristmas and returned to joina new type of band. Namingthem the Smokey MountainRamblers, Des wantedsomething totally different, notlike Big Tom or LarryCunningham (both of whomwere more "country n' Irish").The original lineup of the band

included: George Kaye onfiddle, Dave Kearney (RIP) onguitar and Martin Johnson(RIP) on bass (both formerlyof The Movement), PaulKenny (RIP-drums), and JohnCook (guitar and dobro). Theband hit the road in early 1968and soon released their firstsingle, "Ballad of AmeliaEarhart." Although the bandgarnered a lot of attention,their strong bluegrass influencedid not catch on with dancerswho were used to hearing the"country and Irish" music ofBig Tom and LarryCunningham. Early on, JohnCook, who worked with AerLingus in his day job, foundlife on the road too demandingand decided to leave and wasreplaced by Lennie Power onguitar.

As the band's single, AmeliaEarhart was winding down,Des decided the band needed avocal front man and to fill outthe band's sound top more of atraditional showband lineup. Inthe October 19th, 1968 issue of

Spotlight, a small articleannounced Pat Ely was joiningthe band as its new lead singer.Pat had previously been withthe Savoy Swing 7. In fact,Pat, Tommy Higgins(keyboards) and Bernie Fallon(drums) had all been with theSavoy Swing Seven, who hadrecently dropped the Savoy offthe name and had becomesimply the Swing Seven whowere being managed byEamonn Hughes. Paul Kenny(RIP-drums) went to theCotton Mills Boys. Thingswere not going well for theSwing 7 when Des Kellycontacted the boys looking formusicians to round out theSmokeys. Pat's addition tothe band paid off withimmediate success when hisfirst single, The Little Folk,made it to number 13 in theIrish charts. In April, the bandappeared alongside Americanstar Hank Locklin at theDanny Pearse Tribute Concertin Dublin. The country boomwas in full swing and the

Smokeys were one of the firstbands to climb to the top of thenew genre. In November,1969, the band had a scarewhen George Kaye collapsedon stage in Donegal. He wasoff the road and hospitalizedfor several weeks in Dublin,but thankfully was notseriously ill. During 1970, theband continued to consolidateits position as one of the topfive country bands in thecountry, appearing on thecover of Spotlight magazine.The band also released its firstalbum, The Smokeys, in 1970.

In August, 1970, theSmokeys were hit by its firstserious lineup change whenfounding member GeorgeKaye decided to return toEngland and left the band afterabout 2 1/2 years on the road.In an article in Spotlight, co-manager Johnny Kellyreported that he would bereplaced with a sax player,giving the band moreversatility in their music.However a few weeks later,

Johnny's brother Des Kellyresponded to the crisis byannouncing the Smokeyswould be featuring two saxplayers in the future and wouldbe featuring Cajun music intheir updated programme. JoeMcIntyre (Swingtime Acesand Johnny Flynn Band) andTony Cannon replaced Georgeand the band was now an eightpiece. As an aside, whenGeorge Kaye left the band andwent to England, he formed agroup there called WhiteLightning in the Nottinghamarea. In May, 1971, Georgereturned to Ireland and broughtseveral group members withhim including his brotherThaddeus Krzyzanowski (RIP- guitar), and Terry Foster(banjo). They formed a bandcalled Real Country by addingto their ranks Bernie Fallon,(who left the Smokeys andwas replaced by AlfieMerrigan), Joe Murray (leadvocals and keyboards from theFirehouse), Vinnie Baker(guitar also from the

Smokey Mountain Ramblers (1968-1975 & October 2012)

Article and Photos courtesy of Gerry Gallagher www.irish-showbands.com

Firehouse) and Shea Cribben(bass from the RivieraShowband who broke up a fewmonths earlier). An article inSpotlight dated October 7,1971 reported that EileenReid, former lead singer withthe Cadets was joining theband, which was going to dropthe name Real Country andbecome the George KayeBand featuring Eileen Reid. Inthe end, Eileen formed a bandcalled The 2nd Sound andGeorge opted not to play withthe new outfit, instead forminga four piece bluegrass bandwhich played acoustic music.The band (pictured below) wasGeorge Kaye and theBluegrass Roadshow. Theband featured George (fiddle),Thad (RIP - guitar), BernieFallon (RIP - string bass) andTerry Foster (banjo).

Vinny Baker writes to tell usthe band didn't last for morethan two years, they releasedone single and eventuallyincluded Jimmy Day andEileen Reid in its ranks forabout a year. By then, Georgehad left to rejoin Pat Ely in theRocky Tops. Thaddeus andTerry returned to England, butsadly Thaddeus was killed inan airplane crash a few yearslater. Vinny left in 1971 andJoe Murray joined theSmokeys before ending upwith Margo's Country Folk.

Meanwhile back at theSmokey's ranch, the monthsafter George's departure wouldresult in massive changes tothe band's lineup. The Capitol,one of the top 60's showbandson the circuit were on their lastlegs. They had been strugglingfor a couple of years and as thesummer season ended, thetime came for them to fold. Inan article in the November 4,1971 issue of Spotlight, DesKelly announced that threemembers of the Capitol wouldbe joining the band: BramMcCarthy (RIP - trumpet),Tony O'Leary (vocals), andMike Dalton (bass). Theywould be joining Pat Ely, JoeMcIntyre (sax), Dave Kearney(RIP - guitar) and AlfieMerrigan (drums). Departingwould be Tommy Higgins,Martin Johnson (RIP), andTony Cannon. The revampedlineup of the band waspictured on Pascal Mooney's"London Calling" page in theNovember 18, 1971 issue ofSpotlight. The band includednewcomers Jimmy Murray(guitar), Tony O'Leary(vocals), Bram McCarthy (RIP- trumpet), Alfie Merrigan(drums) and Mike Dalton(bass). Dave Kearney left theband at this time as well.

Tony O'Leary had first cometo national prominence whenhe sang in the 1970 National

Song which was won by Danasinging Ireland's firstEurovision winner, All Kindsof Everything. From there hehad joined the Capitol as theywound down and then waspicked to front the Smokeys.(After the break up of theSmokeys, he would go on tofront the Gallowglass CeiliBand.)

The Rocky TopsWith the original members

of the Smokeys scatteredthroughout Ireland, MightyAvons' manager CharlieMcBrien saw an opportunityand contacted Tommy Higginsto see if they could reunite theoriginal band that had enjoyedso much success just a coupleof years earlier. As Pat Ely wasthe only member remaining inthe "new" Smokeys, and TonyO'Leary had joined (whocould handle lead vocals as hehad done with the Capitol), itseemed like a great idea andPat agreed to reunite with hisold band mates.

The February 19, 1972 issueof Spotlight announced thatthe original Smokey MountainRamblers lineup had reformed,but under the new name of theRocky Tops. In one of the era'smost unique stories, the band(which had been chopped andchanged over the years)decided it was time to get backtogether, but as the Smokey's

name was already in use, theydecided to start a "new" band.Even though an article in theMarch 4th issue of Spotlightreported that the originallineup was back together withthe exception of one member -Tony Cannon from Donegalon sax - this was incorrect asthe original lineup hadincluded drummer Paul Kennywho had left to join the CottonMill Boys and had beenreplaced by Bernie Fallon.Additionally, Lennie Powerhad decided not to join thenew band. The Rocky Topsplayed their first date on St.Patrick's Day, 1972.

The departure of Pat Ely leftthe Smokeys with TonyO'Leary as their lead singerand a band that was moreCapitols than Smokeys. In theSpotlight issue of July 6, 1972,an article about the Smokeysreported their new lineup. Thelead singer of the band wasTony O'Leary, who wouldeventually go on to front theGallowglass. Also in the bandat that time were JimmyMurray (guitar), Joe Murray(keyboards), Bram McCarthy(RIP - trumpet), AlfieMerrigan (drums), JoeMcIntyre (sax), and MikeDalton (bass). There is somequestion here about JoeMurray's role as Vinny Bakertold us Joe was with RealCountry, but Spotlightreported he was with theSmokeys. After leaving theSmokeys in late 1971, byMarch of 1973 Lennie Power(RIP) was with the folk groupThatch, which also includedfuture Miami guitarist, DesFlaherty.

Finally, a record attributed tothe Smokeys featuring Anne,was released in 1975, althoughwe are not sure of the lineup atthat time. We will try to findout more.

Despite having the originalSmokey's lineup, the RockyTops never reached the levelof success they had previouslyenjoyed in the late 60's. Inearly 1974, Pat Ely wasenticed away by the TonyLoughman (RIP) of the TopRank Organisation to front anew band, the Storytellers.Frank O'Neill, who hadpreviously been withEnniskillen's Skyrockets, wasdrafted in on lead vocals withthe Rocky Tops and he

brought in a guitarist he hadplayed with previously asDave Kearney (RIP) wentwith Pat to join theStorytellers.

For the Rocky Tops though,the writing was on the wall.By the end of the year, theRocky Tops were no more,lasting just about two years.However, for the next thirtyyears, Pat Ely wouldcontinued to perform under theRocky Tops banner usingvarious lineups for gigs aroundthe country and in England.

Although short lived incomparison to other bands ofthe era, the Smokeys were oneof the first hugely successfulcountry bands to break on theshowband circuit. Eventuallybands like the Cotton MillBoys, Ray Lynam's Hillbilliesand Bill Ryan's Buckshotwould carry the countrymantel (non Country n' Irish)through the 70's and into theearly 80's, but the Smokeyswere one of the first.

Burning brightly for a fewyears, they often played 7nights a weeks, which,according to Tommy Higgins,was one of the major reasonsfor their eventual downfall."Even though we were allyoung men in our 20's, therewas no way we could keep upthe pace night after night andin the end, it took its toll on theband. In the end, we played 49nights in a row and werefacing a run of 40 moreconsecutive nights and at thatpoint, something had to give"explained Tommy recently.

My thanks to Tommy Higginsfor his help in completing thisstory.

Smokeys UpdateOver 40 years after theirsuccessful run on the ballroomcircuit, 2012 sees the Smokeysreuniting for a tour of the Irishdance circuit. Featuringoriginal, members Pat Ely,George Kaye and TommyHiggins, the band will play aseries of dates augmented byformer country showbandmusicians. The new lineupincludes Francie Lenehan(guitar-Cotton Mill Boysamong others), Tom Jamieson(drums), Liam Gilmartin(guitar-Ray Lynam Band) andGerry Gallagher (bass-MagicBand).

Contributed by John Baird

Page 39 Mature Living

Left to right: Lennie Power (RIP-guitar), Martin Johnson (bass), Bernie Fallon (RIP-front-drums), Pat Ely (vocals), George Kaye (fiddle), Tommy Higgins (keyboards) and Dave Kearney (RIP-guitar).

Food and Drink

Ingredients:Serves: 4-61 cup fine fresh breadcrumb1 lb lean ground lamb1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon pepper1 teaspoon ground cumin1/2 teaspoon allspice1 teaspoon dried mint2 cloves garlic2 tablespoons parsley1 egg1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:1. Make the bread crumbs bybreaking up 2 slices of stale but

not dried out whole wheat breadinto the bowl of a food processor.2. Whizz until finely crumbed.3. Add the ground lamb and theegg, and process until blended.4. Add the spices, garlic andparsley.5. Process the meat well toachieve a fine texture.6. Roll the mixture into smallmeatballs (I use a melonballer) orfinger shaped patties usingdampened hands.7. You may cook them at once, orrefrigerate the mixture for sev-eral hours.8. (If your meat is very fresh, you

can divide it in half and wrappart well in plastic for the nextday's meal.) Heat the oil in aheavy skillet, and fry the balls orpatties until cooked through andevenly browned.9. The meatballs should bestirred several times, the pattiesturned once.10. Remove them with a slottedspoon to drain.11. Serve the meatballs hot or atroom temperature as an appe-tizer.12. Lovely with a yogurt or tahinisauce, on a bed of rice or in apita.

Ingredients:Servings: 3

1/2 kg bonless stewing lamb2 tablespoons olive oil1 medium onion, finely chopped1 garlic clove, minced1/4 cup chopped sweet pepper (red, or-ange, yellow, or green) (optional)1/2 cup canned tomatoes, pureed or3/4 cup chopped pealed tomato3/4 cup water1/2 teaspoon baharat, spice mix Ba-harat Spice Blend or 1/2 teaspoonground allspicesaltfresh ground black pepper1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions:1. Trim and cut meat into 2 cm (3/4inch) cubes.2. Heat 1/2 the olive oil in a heavy panand brown meat quickly on each side.3. Transfer to a plate.4. Add remaining olive oil, onion, garlicand sweet pepper.5. Fry gently until onion is transparent.6. Add tomato and water.7. Stir well, and add bahrat or allspice,salt and pepper to taste and most of theparsley.8. Return lamb to pan, cover and sim-mer gently for 1 1/2 hours or until lambis tender and sauce is thickened.9. Very good when served on a bed ofRice

Ingredients2 cups whole milk or 2 cups 2% low-fat milk2 1/2 cups heavy cream or 2 1/2 cupshalf-and-half6 -8 egg yolks2 cups sugar1 1/2 cups pistachio nuts, chopped (Ifusing salted ones, make sure to soakand drain first)3 -4 tablespoons rose water or 3/4teaspoon rose extract1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon saffron, ground and dis-solved in a tablespoon of hot milk1 pinch salt

Directions:1. In a medium thick-bottomed bot,slowly heat the milk to boiling whilestirring. Add the vanilla extract andsaffron. Continue to cook on lowheat, stirring occasionally while doingthe next step.

2. Beat the egg yolks with the sugaruntil smooth and foamy. Very care-fully and slowly, pour the egg/sugarmixture into the milk. Make sure tostir it rapidly with a fork or use awhisk while pouring (or you will endup with scrambled eggs in the icecream!).3. Continue heating the mixture onlow heat while stirring constantlywith a wooden spoon until thickened(it should be foamy and coat thespoon).4. Pour the custard mixture into abowl, and refrigerate until wellchilled.5. Once cold, stir in the cream, rosewater or extract, and chopped pista-chios.6. Churn in an ice cream maker untilfinished (or, stick in the freezer andvigorously stir every 30 minutes or soto break up the ice crystals, until it ishomogenous and frozen).

Food and Drink

Ingredients:

Yield:84 teaspoons active dry yeast1/2 teaspoon sugar1/2 cup water1/2 cup unbleached all-purposeflour3 1/2 cups bread flour1 teaspoon salt3 tablespoons olive oil1 cup lukewarm water, plus1 tablespoon lukewarm water

Directions:1. Dissolve the yeast and sugarin 1/2 cup warm water, and letstand in a warm place 10minutes until frothy.2. Stir in the 1/2 cup of flour,cover with plastic wrap and letrise 30 minutes.3. To finish the dough, put the3 1/2 cups of flour in a largebowl, and make a well in thecenter.4. Put in the yeast-and-sugar

mixture, salt, olive oil, and 1cup plus 1 tablespoon oflukewarm water.5. Gradually work in the flourto make a soft and stickydough.6. Knead the dough on afloured surface for 15 minutes.7. The dough will be very stickyat first, but as you knead, itwill gradually cease to stick toyour hands.8. You should have a damp andvery springy dough that offersno resistance to kneading.9. Put the dough in a oiledbowl, cover with plastic wrap,and let rise 1 hour, until wellswollen.10. (You can refrigerate thedough at this point until you'reready to use it.) Put the doughon a lightly floured surface androll into a log.11. Cut into 8 equal pieces,and roll each one into a tightball.12. Place the balls on a flouredsurface, and let rest 30minutes under a towel.13. Preheat the oven to 450degrees, and if you have them,heat tiles 30-40 minutes before

baking.14. Roll one ball of dough on afloured surface with a rollingpin into a circle 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick and 8 inches indiameter.15. Brush the top with olive oil.16. Bake 5 or 6 minutes, andrepeat the process with theremaining dough balls.17. As the pide come out of the

oven, stack them in a large panand keep them covered untilall are ready to eat.18. Remember to let the oventemperature return to 450degrees after baking 2 or 3pide.19. Serve the pide hot.20. They also can be reheatedwrapped in foil.

TimesPrep Time : 20 minCook Time : 25-33minReady Time : 45 minServings12 Servings

IngredientsCake2 cups all-purposeflour1 teaspoon bakingsoda1 3/4 cups sugar1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup vegetable oil8 tablespoons un-salted margarine2 tablespoonsunsweetened cocoa3 tablespoons Turkishcoffee2 tablespoons Cinna-mon2 large eggs, lightlybeaten, at room tem-perature1/2 cup non dairysour cream, at roomtemperature1 teaspoon vanillaextract

Glaze2 ounces dark choco-late, chopped1 teaspoon margarine1/2 cup confection-ers sugar1 1/2 tablespoonswater or soy milkOptional: extra cin-namon, coffee andcocoa powder tosprinkle on top

Directions1. Preheat oven to375ºF. Grease andflour a 12-cup Bundtpan.2. In a bowl, whiskflour, baking soda,sugar and salt. In apan, whisk oil, mar-garine, 2 Tbsp.cocoa, 3 Tbsp. Turk-ish coffee, 2 Tbsp.cinnamon and 1 cupwater. Bring to a sim-mer over medium-low heat, stirring. Ina bowl, whisk eggs,non dairy sour creamand vanilla.3. Stir cocoa mixture

into flour mixture.Fold in egg mixture.Pour into Bundt pan,smoothing top. Bakeuntil a skewer in-serted in cake’s cen-ter comes out clean,25 to 33 minutes. Letcool on a wire rackfor 10 minutes; re-move from pan. Letcool completely.4. Make glaze: Whisk1/4 tsp. each cocoa,turkish coffee andcinnamon. In a mi-crowave melt choco-late with margarine(start with 30 sec-onds and then stirand do 10 secondsstirring until done).Remove from mi-crowave; let cool. Ina bowl, whisk con-fectioners’ sugar andnon dairy milk. Stir inchocolate mixture.Drizzle glaze overcake. Sift cocoa mix-ture over top; letstand until glaze isset.

Fiona Faery is an Irish Psychic Medium who unites people regularly with their loved ones in spirit & also offers psychic guidance with her Faery or-acle card readings. She is a regular on Irish radio & has monthly columns in various publications. Fiona is known for her optimistic no-nonsenseapproach to life. She teaches workshops on mediumship and helps 'baby' mediums build their confidence & step into their power. Her spiritual

poetry has found a home on her Facebook page; Fiona Faery where she posts a daily poem. Her poetry is aimed to motivate & empower, asFiona believes in helping people connect with their soul purpose. She reads internationally through her website www.fionafaery.ie

Fiona Faery gives private 1-to-1 sittings at The Sligo Park Hotel on the last weekend of every month. She is also availablefor private consultations or One Question readings on her

website www.fionafaery.ie You can contact Fiona to Book a Private Reading @ 0863736143

with Fiona Faery

Angel of BalanceMarch is all about priorities. It's time to focusyour energy on the year ahead. Write

down a list of whatyou wish toachieve, dreams,wishes, plans etc.Try not to getbogged down bythe mundane, asthis will only weighyou down. Chinup and lookstraight ahead! Lucky Day: 21stMarch Lucky colour:Green

Angel of Truth and Integrity Another's opinion of you is none of yourbusiness. Try not to let gossips and hearsay

press your buttonsthis month. Bulls docharge when theyare riled up. Staycalm and see it astheir issues notyours. This monthsees issues over acontract/legalitythat may need tobe addressed. Lucky Day: 18thMarch Lucky colour:Brown

Angel of FriendshipThis month your feeling very sensitive, Gem-ini. Try not to get stuck between two feud-ing friends/family members. A joyful eventconcerning musicsees you let yourhair down. Forthose single Gem-ini's the appear-ance of the lovebirds indicate anew romance laterin the month. Getout and about!Lucky Day: 24thMarch Lucky colour: Emer-ald

Angel of NatureThis month you may need time out to restand regenerate. Pursuits such as hillwalking, Yoga orThai chi will be verygrounding for you.There is a need torelease pent upemotions. Beaware of taking ontoo much and tryand maintain ahealthy boundarywith others thismonth. Lucky Day:28th March Lucky colour:Purple

LeoAngel of Children It's time to connect with your inner child. Dosomething just for fun, play your favouritemusic or contact a childhood friend. Buy

an ice cream or hopon a swing! You'vebeen guilty of takenyourself too seriously.Its time to connectwith all that isfrivolous and fun.Laughter is a tonic,it's time to remindyourself of what istruly important. Lucky Day: 29thMarch Lucky colour: Garnet

Angel of Romance For those single virgoans, A lucky romanticencounter later in the month sees youbeen quite smitten. There is nothing likesome old fashion chivalry to make yourheart melt! If your in arelationship, it's time tomake a date andplan some coupletime. There may alsobe a trip abroad or aweekend awaybefore the end of themonth. It's time tomake the sparks fly!Lucky Day: 17thMarch Lucky colour: Lilac

Guardian Angel Know you are loved. This card is a sign fromyour loved ones in spirit and your guardianangel that they are always watching overyou. You may haveeven asked for a signand you can takethis card as confir-mation of it. Watchout for coincidences,sycronisities, as theyare our loved onesway of letting usknow they arearound. Heaven isonly a heartbeataway.Lucky Day: 30thMarch Lucky colour: Pink

Scor!ioAngel of supportKnow you are always supported andguided by your spirit team. It is also impor-tant that you avail of support from yourfamily members, friends, colleagues etc.We all have downdays. It's importantwe learn to reachout to others whenthey need supportjust as much as weneed to ask for sup-port when needed.The universe is al-ways listening.Lucky Day: 27thMarch Lucky colour: cerisepink

Sagi"ariousAngel of New BeginningsYou cannot open a new chapter in your lifeif you are still re-reading the previous one. It's

time to thank thepast for the lesson ithas given you andturn and face thelight of a newbeginning. Watchout for a luckyphone call orsurprise invitation atthe end of themonth. Know thatthis year could bethe best year yet!Lucky Day: 26thMarch Lucky colour: White

Angel of CelebrationLucky Capricorn! Make a wish Capricorn,for the gods are smiling on you this month.Keep yourthoughts focusedand honest,believe in yourdreams and thankthe universe forthe blessings thatare on their wayto you. A joyfulannouncement orcelebration will beannounced inyour family.Lucky Day: 31stMarch Lucky colour: blue

AquariusAngel of Ideas and Inspiration Are you ignoring your gut feelings? Do youfeel someone is being two-faced around

you. Listen to yourgut. Do not confuseit with paranoia orfear, for your gutfeeling is calm andstrong. Any ideas orthoughts, keepclose to yourself thismonth. Trust yourintuition as it willnever lead youastray.Lucky Day: 19thMarch Lucky colour: ForestGreen

Angel of Divine Timing This is a card of destiny. Cupid stands withhis bow poised and ready to shoot, keepyour thoughts positive and focused. Seewhat you want,take aim and gofor it! This card alsourges you to bepatient, Divinetiming is in order.Don't give up hopeas destiny isweaving it'sthreads aroundyou.Lucky Day: 20thMarch Lucky colour: Mossgreen

Pisces

Virgo Libra

Capricor#

Taur$s Gemini CancerAries

Angelscope for March

Contact Mary for a quote Tel: 096-33456Market Street, Killala • mary@mcgregorsolicitor.com

• Personal Injury Claims*• Employment• Property Sales & Purchases• Family Law• Wills & Probate• Court Attendances

* In contentious business a solicitor may not calculate fees or othercharges as a percentage or portion of any award or settlement.

www.mcgregorsolicitor.com

Efficient, Confidential &Affordable Legal Services

Tel: 071-9144479Elphin Street, Boyle | 19 Chapel Street, Sligo

Please contact John or Carol on the abovenumber to arrange an appointment or email

john@murphyballantyne.ie orcarol@murphyballantyne.ie

At Murphy Ballantyne, Solicitors, our servicecombines the personal touch of the familysolicitor with a range of specialist advicerelevant to clients. We provide a strictlyconfidential, courteous service, all at the

highest professional standards.

Solicitors

CONOR A. MAGUIRE

SOLICITORSConor A. Maguire BA (ES)

T: 071-9855983 • M: 087-6739454E: mail@camsolicitors.com

skype: conor.maguire31

Lower Main Street, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim

(Sub Office) High Street, Drumshanbo, Co.Leitrim (Tuesdays 4-7pm)

* In contentious business a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as apercentage or portion of any award or settlement.

Tel: 094 -9022980 094-9022981

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VINCENT DEANE & CO. SOLICITORS

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Joan C. O’Brien, B.Comm., LL.B.John Keane, B.Comm., LL.B., Dip. Emp. Law

• Wills & Probate • Property Sales & Purchases• Personal Injury Claims* • Employment Law• Family Law • Court Attendances

Talk to your solicitor as soonas you have made thedecision to sell, do not wait

until you have found a purchaseras you may have wasted valuabletime. Consider these issuesbefore putting your property onthe market.

Title Your solicitor will examine yourtitle documents and see if thereare any issues which need to beaddressed. In the event of anyproblems, your solicitor canpoint to these. There are severaldifferent issues which can affecta title and this is precisely whatyour solicitor is qualified to do.Your solicitor can point outpossible resolutions, andtogether you can decide on thebest possible option to resolveyour situation. Your solicitormay have to draft a specialcondition to put in your contractfor sale. Special conditions aredrafted to protect you andensure that you do not get sued

after the sale has closed!Bank/Mortgage In the event that you have amortgage, your title deeds mustbe obtained from your bank. Youwill need your mortgage accountdetails so that your solicitor canapply for the deeds. In theevent that you are in theunfortunate position of negativeequity, then discussions will haveto take place to ensure you getthe banks consent to the sale.

PlanningYou will need a copy of yourplanning permission and anarchitect’s or engineer’scertificate of compliance withplanning permission and buildingregulations. Have you carried out any workon your property internally orexternally since you bought theproperty? Did you need planningpermission for this? Any doubtsor concerns should be brought toyour solicitor’s attention. Youcan save time, money and avoid

being sued by dealing with theseissues before your contract forsale issues. It may be necessaryto consult with an engineer or anarchitect to obtain definitiveadvice. Your solicitor can discussthis in detail with you andoutline what is in your bestinterest.

IdentityYou will need to bring proof ofidentity (your passport and/ordriving licence), two utility billsand your PPS number and proofof same. Identity documents arerequired to comply with moneylaundering legislation. Your PPSnumber is required for Stampduty purposes. Local Property Tax, HouseholdCharge and NPPR ReceiptsYou need your Local Property Taxreceipts and ID number. If youhave already paid LPT for 2015you can ask your solicitor to put aspecial condition in the contractrequiring the purchaser to paypart of the LPT for the period

after the sale closes. You willalso be asked to produce areceipt for Household Charge forthe year 2012. If the propertyyou are selling was not yourprinciple private residencebetween 2009 and 2013, you willneed a receipt for NPPR or ifapplicable, an exemptioncertificate.

ContentsYou need to consider whatcontents if any you want to sellwith the property. It is in yourinterest to bring a list of contentsto your solicitor and auctioneerso that everyone is aware of whatis included. Generally fixturesand fittings are included in thesale unless they are specificallyexcluded e.g. if you have achandelier in the sitting roomthat is of particular sentimentalvalue and you wish to bring thiswith you, this should beidentified and specificallyexcluded from the sale. Management companies

If your house is in an estate andyou pay management fees, yoursolicitor will have to obtain fulldetails in relation to themanagement company to satisfya potential buyer. Buyers areaware that there can be delays inobtaining information frommanagement companies; hencethe sooner your solicitor makesthe appropriate queries thebetter.

There are several other issueswhich may arise in relation to anysale and you should seek expertlegal advice to keep everythingon track and to ensure that youare protected. Every case isunique. Be prepared and talk toyour solicitor in time, wellprepared means you may justsecure that purchaser who is allset and ready to buy!Carol Ballantyne, MurphyBallantyne Solicitors, 19 ChapelStreet, Sligo. TEL: 071 9144479.Email:carol@murphyballantyne.ie

7 Issues to Discuss with your Solicitor if youare Selling a Residential Property

Alternative Therapies

Page 44 Mature Living

Learn to understand and accept your selfHenry Schwab Healing

Evikeens, Boyle, County Roscommon • Tel: 071 96 62114

LEARN TO UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT YOUR SELF calm, relaxed and in controlREIKI may help you to heal pain in your body, back and joints, relaxing and balancing your body and mind.TAPPING ( EFT = emotional freedom therapy) may be very effective to overcome youranxiety, fears, phobia and negative thinking to free you from mental and emotional stress.TAT(Tapas Acupressure Technique) may heal old trauma and many allergies.Matrix Reimprinting = transforming your past, present and future.Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy are available.ANXIETY , BEREAVEMENT , CHILDHOOD ABUSE , CONFIDENCE , DEPRESSION , EATINGDISSORDER , FEARS & PHOBIAS , PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT , RELAXATION , STRESSMANAGEMENT, STOP SMOKING , WEIGHT MANAGEMENT ,and any other problem of a psychosomatic nature, i.e. caused by the mindit is never too late to turn your life around - www.henryschwabhealing.com

Hypnotherapy &Psychotherapy(Dip.Hyp./Psych.,ADHP),EFT

Master Practitioner (AMT), AdvancedPractitioner of Meridian Therapies, Master

in Reiki & Seichem (Tera Mai)Holistic Therapies

Carmel is a qualified nurse and hasDiplomas in Reflexology, TherapeuticMassage & Aromatherapy coupledwith Post-Graduate training inreflexology in pregnancy , workingwith people undergoing cancertreatment including their Carers.

Airport Road, Strandhill, Co. SligoContact Carmel Clarke: 087-6323903 (Holistic therapies Sligo)

Aromatherapy • Massage • Reflexology

Home treatments available on request

10% DISCOUNT with on any treatment with this advert

People often ask“What exactly does aherbalist do?” As a

Medical herbalist I amtrained in Westernorthodox medicaldiagnosis and use plantbased medicines to treata wide variety ofailments. These wouldinclude: • Digestive complaints egIBS and constipation• Exam stress

• Circulatory disorders • Skin problems such asacne, dermatitis,childhood excema andpsoriasis• Hormone imbalance egmenopause andandropause (it happens tomen too!)• Headaches andmigraines• Depression, anxiety, andinsomnia• Asthma, and recurrent

infections, cystitis andsinusitis • Arthritis andfibromyalgiaHerbal medicine can beused for people of allages. From children withrecurring infections, toteenagers with acne orpoor sleep due to pre-exam jitters, and menwith prostate problems toolder people withdigestive complaints. All

life is here! Herbalmedicine worksextremely well inacute conditionsas it is importantto deal withhealth problemsbefore theybecome deeplyrooted. Even inlong term, chronicconditions andtimes of transitionhowever, such asmenopause, usingherbal medicinecan profoundlyimprove yourquality of life.

In taking adetailed history ofyour overallhealth I can tailora mix of herbsspecifically suitedto you. Theseherbs might be asa tea, a tinctureor drops,whichever suitsyour needs best.Together we willlook at otherchanges whichmight be usefulfor you forexample helpingto get the bestfrom your diet.The herbs weprescribe are bothWestern andChinese herbs, all

of which have beenused for thousands ofyears to treat problemsjust like yours.

Additionally there is alot of ongoing scientificresearch into plantmedicine with excitingresults being publishedalmost every month. Itis important thatmedicinal herbs aregrown to a high level ofquality control andproducts from thoseherbs meet the mostexacting standards. Tothis end we sourceboth our dried herbsand tinctures from thebest producers locallyand abroad. If you would like toknow more about theSligo Clinic of HerbalMedicine and how wecan help you, go to ourwebsite atwww.sligoherbal.comThere are regularupdates on herbalnews and researchfrom the medical,scientific and herbalcommunities.

Killala, Ballina, Co. Mayo • T: 096-33898 • M: 085-2404817

E: info@dovehouseretreat.com • www.dovehouseretreat.com

• Personal Counselling & Psychotherapy• Relationship Counselling • Therapeutic Art/ Mindful Art• Nutritional Therapy

Develop your knowledge and self understanding, Open your mind to new possibilities, Validate who and what you are and Experience positive living.

Therapies

CranioSacral Therapy

It’s gentle, deepand it works!

Relieves:• Stress and Tension related problems

• Nerve entrapment issues• Chronic pain syndromes

• Habitual patterns, insomniaFacilitating somato-emotional

release work

A treatment that works with the body, helping youto naturally free yourself from pain, improving

vitality and general well-being.

For enquries / Appointment contact BridgetMangan CST-T, IACST, MNRRI

A Light touch approachto body work, addressing

tensions deep into theNervous system...

Mind and Body Centre, Rosbeg, WestportTel: 087-2544660

What exactly does a herbalist do?

To make an appointment please contact Steven on 086-8365411

By Bridget Mangan

Iam now in favour of a moreintegrated approach tohealthcare, one that

encourages patient educationand preventative practices butlike many others who at somepoint in their life have felttheir health needs have beenpoorly met by the medicationroute alone, I have been opento the wisdom of moretraditional medicinal practices.My own journey of recoveryand reconnection has broughtme more fully into the realm ofholistic healthcare for whichrecognition of the mind, bodyand spirit connection is key tounderstanding and addressinghealth concerns.

Over the last 15 years I havetrained and worked as abodywork therapist, using themodalities of Reflexology,Massage and CranioSacraltherapy. My approach to healthand healing is very muchunderpinned by my training and

studies in Naturopathy andNutrition. Naturopathy holdsthe view that ill health is theproduct of the internalenvironment of the bodythrown out of balance byexcesses and deficiencies andsuppression of life force energy.Attention to constitutional typeis relevant as is a diet rich inessential vitamin and mineralelements as a means ofensuring cellular health andvitality. For me CranioSacraltherapy embraces coreprinciples of Naturopathy, interms of treating the wholeperson, respecting individualityand understanding that in orderto achieve more long termresolution to health issues it isnecessary to heal from theinside out, addressing theunderlying root cause of thedysfunction.

The therapy is designed toevaluate and enhance thefunctional efficiency of a vitalphysiological system, theCranioSacral system, which

relates to the membranes andthe cerebrospinal fluid thatsurrounds and protects thebrain and spinal cord.It extendsfrom the bones of the skull,face and mouth which make upthe cranium, down to thesacrum and tailbone area. It isa semi-closed hydraulic system,responsible for the production,circulation and reabsorbtion ofcerebrospinal fluid. There is arhythmical rise and fall ofcerebrospinal fluid within themembrane container, whichoccurs in response to nervereflex and pressurestatmechanisms and gives rise towhat is termed the craniosacralrhythm. Given its intimaterelationship with the NervousSystem and hence themusculoskeletal system, thisdistinct regular movement has awhole body effect and anyirregularities in its expressionthroughout the body tissues canoffer valuable diagnostic andprognostic information to thetrained hand. The craniosacralrhythm is the cornerstone ofcraniosacral therapy, being themajor evaluative and guidingtool within the treatmentprocess. As therapists we relyon a highly developed palpatorysense to firstdetect andaddressrestrictions inthecraniosacralboney anatomyto then focusour attentionto potentialtensionpatterns in theunderlyingmembranesystem. Ourpalpatoryenquiry canextend toanywhere inthe body as weacknowledge

the nature of the body’s fascialsystem. Fascia is a form ofconnective tissue that iscontinuous and slightly mobile,connecting every part of thebody in a unified network,while dually being the vehicleby which tension patters cantransfer from one area of thebody to another. The focus ofthe treatment techniques is toencourage fluid flow andexchange by addressing areas ofcompromised mobility. Themechanical principle is thathealth follows movement,particularly fluids. Byfacilitating optimal fluidtransfer, physiological processesare enhanced and self-healinghas more opportunity.

The treatment is performedon the person fully clothed andthe therapist uses a light touchon relaxed body tissues, apressure sufficient to engagethe body’s natural self-correcting tendencies. Gentlemanual techniques areemployed to release problemareas that may be impairing theaccommodative ability of thecraniosacral system, therebyensuring a healthy environmentfor the brain, spinal cord andnerve roots. As the body fully

relaxes and a therapeuticinteraction is in play, theperson is more open toprocesses of change at a deeperlevel. Many of the traumas weexperience in life have asignificant emotionalcomponent and sometimes thebody sees fit to retain andlocalise that emotional imprintin the tissues, which over timecan have inhibitive effects to aperson’s health and well-being.As practitioners we are trainedin specific techniques (Somato-Emotional Release work) toguide an empower the personto identify and achieveresolution of often longstanding and deeply heldpatterns of emotionally causeddysfunction. CranioSacralTherapy strengthens yourbody’s ability to take bettercare of you, dissipating thenegative effects of stress onyour central nervous system,which in turn brings the othersystems of the body into a morerelaxed state, thereby helpingto alleviate a wide range ofailments and health concerns.Contact Bridget at Mind andBody Centre, Rosbeg, Westport on 087-2544660

Spiritual Holistic HealingDivine Intuitive Healing of Mind, Body and Soul

Spiritual Holistic Healing - Jacinta Hession - Phone: (087) 6433793hession.healing@gmail.com • www.spiritualholistichealing.vpweb.ie

Cora Langan Physiotherapy& Acupuncture Clinic

3 Moy Court, Batchelor's Walk, Ballina, MayoTel: 087 104 6010

Cora Langan, CharteredPhysiotherapist offers an holistic

range of treatments. Specialist clinical areas include

acupuncture, lymphatic drainageand pilates.

Hidden Mind Therapy is a non invasive sound correctivetherapy that helps promote positive mental health.Especially effective for people going through cancertreatments to help keep a positive mental outlook andalleviate stress in the body.

Here at Spiritual Holistic Healing our therapies are provenbeneficial in treating:

• Birth Shock • IBS • Depression • Anxiety/Stress• Lack of Energy • Autism/ADHD • Effects of Geopathic Stress• Joint Pain

Why I now favour a more integratedapproach to healthcare

Sligo Clinic of Herbal Medicine

Now open for appointments at No. 1 Wine St, Sligo • Call Fionuala on 089-2321524

Fionuala Clarence, Medical Herbalist, would like to invite you to an openevening on Friday 20th March from 6pm - 7.30pm.

There will be talks by Dr Prannie Rhatigan, author of Irish Seaweed Kitchen, Dr DilisClare, GP and Medical Herbalist at Health and Herbs Galway and Tara Canning

Nutritionist and Masterchef.

Open 10am – 5.30pm Tuesday to Friday (Saturday morning clinic from 10.30-1pm)

For further info visit our website at www.sligoherbal.com and to see what’s new, or forinfo on upcoming events check out our Facebook page at Sligo Clinic of Herbal Medicine.

In the coming months we will be rolling out a programme of specialist clinics with talks anddemonstrations from leading practitioners of all things medical, herbal and nutritional.

Motoring

Each and every year coldtemperatures, snow and ice,road salt, potholes, frost

heaves, batteries, tires, brakesand suspensions put our vehiclesto the test. While most newvehicles have “smart” computersystems that can alert us aboutthis and that there can be somecomponents that can make ourvehicles unsafe if leftunattended.

Add A Checkup To Your SpringCleanupSpring is the time to “thank” our

hard-working vehicles for theirgreat winter performance with amaintenance overhaul. There areplenty of things you can doyourself to help your vehicle getback to 100%. A spring checkupcan help uncover winter damagebut there may be somecomponents that are harder tocheck without requiring a skilledtechnician to pinpoint theproblem. You should have yourengine analyzed by a competenttechnician and determine the ifany of your vehicles componentsare in need of servicing.

1 Batteries, Plugs & Wires: All ofthese components give the sparkto your your vehicle and theywork extra hard when it’s cold.Winter stress can compromisetheir performance up to 60percent. Test and replace old orweak batteries, plugs and wires,especially those more than threeyears old. It will certainly becheaper than a tow andreplacement down the road.

2 Tyre Pressure: Cold weathercan reduce tyre pressure, somake sure all tires, including the

spare, are properly inflated andbalanced. You can check theinside of your car door to find outwhat the proper air pressureshould be.

3 Belts and hoses: Inspect andreplace worn or cracked belts, aswell as hoses that are blistered,brittle or too soft. Belts and hosesolder than five years, even if theylook intact, might need to bereplaced.

4 Brakes: After a season of snowand ice it is advisable to inspectthe brake system, including lines,hoses, parking brake and brakefluid for proper level. We rely onour brakes and something assimple as a brake pad change canhelp put an end to any worrysabout brake safety.

5 Suspension & WheelAlignment: Deep potholes aren’tfriendly to shocks and struts. Aninspection to determine wear orleaks can alleviate bigger issuesdown the road. Also having yourwheels properly aligned after aseason of tough conditions canhelp keep you on the road in asafe direction.

6 Fluid Levels: There are lots ofthings to check but don’t skipover any of them: engine oil,transmission fluid, brake fluid,antifreeze/coolant and, yes, evenwindshield washer fluid.Commonly a brake fluid flush canget your sluggish brakes workingas good as new and because this

is recomended once a year thereis no better time to get it done.

7 Engine Air filter: Changing outthe engine air filter is a quick jobthat can be done during any oil,brake or transmission fluidchange.

8 Windshield Wipers: Checkthem for wear and cracks andreplace them if necessary, thinkabout doing this each spring andfall.

9 Clean the interior: It’s easy touse your car or truck as a storagearea for all kinds of things(including useless junk andgarbage), especially in the coldmonths when you don’t feel likecleaning your car in the freezingcold. Take the time to declutteryour car, losing the extra weightcan significantly increase your gasmileage too. It’s worth it.

10 Clean the exterior: Takespecial care to address theundercarriage where road salt caneat away or corrode the metal. Athorough cleaning at a car washshould do the trick. 100,000 milemaintenance The average familydrives about 12-15k miles whichmeans that it is around the 7-10year mark and time for a littlemore than your average overhaul.If you keep up with seasonalmaintenance and the majormaintenance benchmarks thenthere is no reason that you can’tsee your vehicles odometer go to200,000 miles and beyond.

Car Care Tips

The Luxury Glenlo AbbeyAManor to which you

can becomeaccustomed...

Galway’s 5 star luxuryhotel, Glenlo Abbey, is

the ideal choice for yourbreakaway in Galway,with unrivalled personalservice it is the perfectplace for either

relaxation or anactivities based holiday.

The wildness ofConnemara is right onour doorstep and the

vibrancy of Galway Cityis only minutes away.

The ideal location forexploring the West ofIreland - With its superbdining options. includingthe River RoomRestaurant overlookingthe estate, the OakCellar Bar, and threeelegant ReceptionsRooms, where guestscan enjoy a relaxingdrink, afternoon tea, ortake time out to relaxand read thenewspapers.

And the PULLMANRESTAURANT ABOARDTHE ORIENT EXPRESS, a66 seater restaurantcomprising of 2 of theoriginal carriages fromthe Orient Express is a“must”

Dunboyne Castle Hotel & SpaOffering one of the best

locations in and aroundDublin, Dunboyne Castle

Hotel & Spa has become known asone of the finest new hotels inIreland. The best of both worldsallow you to easily access all thatDublin city centre and surroundingshopping has to offer and yet thetranquillity of Dunboyne Village ison the doorstep.

Seiod Spa has 18 treatmentrooms and a luxurioushydrotherapy pool.

The Terrace Lounge is adelightful conservatory areaoverlooking the magnificentgardens and is a perfect setting tounwind with a pre-dinner drink.The 2AA Rosette Award WinningRestaurant – The Ivy, where thejourney through your taste budstakes over and for wine lovers aspecial treat is in store. Any visitto Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spawould be incomplete without avisit to the Sadlier Bar, wherelocals gather and mingle with

guests in a friendly festive setting.Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa

features 145 oversized modernguest rooms; 2 junior suitesfeaturing separate bedrooms andliving room areas and twopresidential suites that must beseen to be believed.

Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa – amust visit hotel with great serviceand stunning facilities. Visitwww.dunboynecastlehotel.comand see the amazing specialoffers.

Harbour Hotel, GalwayThe Harbour Hotel is

the ideal venue toexperience the

excitement and vibrancyof Galway. The HarbourHotel deliver the

complete experiencewith their City Centrewaterfront location is

right in the heart of theGalway City with amplecar parking space, andunrivalled hospitality, itcouldn’t be easier.

Just a 3 minute strollfrom our hotel will takeyou to Eyre Square andthe city centre, includingShop Street and thebustling bars & cafés ofQuay Street. Meanderalong the culturedstreets and enjoy thepace of life unique to theWest of Ireland. You areassured of a very warmwelcome upon arrival.Our team will welcomeyou to our modern,comfortable, familyowned hotel and takeexcellent care of youthroughout your stay.

Breakaways

Breakaways

Ashort drive along the SouthEast coast will bring you toDun Laoghaire, where over-

looking the bay you will find theRoyal Marine Hotel. Steeped inhistory, and a favorite with thelocals, this landmark hotel is animpressive sight on the DunLaoghaire skyline. A hotel hasstood here since 1828. Manycelebrities, and even royaltyhave passed through its doorsover the decades. In 2004 thismagnificent old building closedfor restoration, a painstakinglabour of love by the presentowners.

Situated in an elevated site on4 acres overlooking Dublin Bay,the hotel has stunning views thaton a clear day stretch as far awayas Howth; and yet is still only ashort journey from down-townDublin. The original hotel hasbeen extensively but sympatheti-cally renovated with precise at-tention to detail.

And it is just this same atten-tion to detail, we extend to youas our guest – whether overnightor simply joining us for a drink inour bar or dining in our restau-rant.

The large bay windows and highceilings of the Bay Lounge high-light the grandeur and historicfeel that is central to the hotelstyle. Lavishly furnished it is acomfortable and ideal venue tomeet friends and family for cof-fee, lunch or perhaps to enjoythe age-old tradition of afternoontea whilst overlooking the gar-dens, with spectacular views ofthe harbour. Our resident pianistcompletes the ambience everySaturday afternoon.

Or perhaps dine in relaxedstyle in our Dún Bistro where thedelights of the Restaurant arematched only by the professionalfriendly service and stunningviews over the harbour. Servingan Early Bird Menu, Table d’hote

and a la Carte Menus.Try out lively Hardy’s Bar for a

local drink (named after the fa-mous actors and world famouspartners Laurel & Hardy whostayed in the original Royal Ma-rine Hotel). Food served everyday until 10pm. Live music everySaturday night.

The Pier Health Club offersstate-of-the-art cardio and resist-ance equipment, free weightarea and a luxury 18 metre swim-ming pool. We are proud to offerour members a spacious, relaxedand welcoming environment inwhich to exercise. Or simply re-treat into the hushed tranquillityof the sansanaSpa (the only FailtéIreland ‘comprehensive’ spa inDublin) and choose pamperingdelights from our extensive treat-ment menu.

With so much to choose from,what better way to spend a dayor so than at the beautifully re-stored Royal Marine Hotel…

...With so much to choose from, what better way to spend aday or so than at the beautiful Royal Marine Hotel…

Active Retirement Breaks 2015

Abbey Hotel, Donegal Town, Co. Donegal • Tel: 074-9721014Email: oisin@abbeyhoteldonegal.com

www.abbeyhoteldonegal.com

March 20152 Nights B&B & 2 Dinners - €119pps3 Nights B&B & 3 Dinners - €159pps4 Nights B&B & 4 Dinners - €199pps

The Abbey Hotel is locatedon the main square of thebeautiful coastal town of

Donegal. The small harbourtown lies at the heart of Co.Donegal making it the idealplace to explorer the northwest. The superior 3-star Hotelis right next to Donegal Castle,Donegal Bay Waterbus, Craft

village, Donegal railway andheritage centre, and a shortdistance from Salthill gardens, 2blue flag beaches and some ofDonegal’s top walking and hikingtrails.

Comfortable bedrooms eachfeature a flat-screen TV,telephone and individual privatebathroom. Most rooms also

overlookDonegal Bay andthe River Eske.

The awardwinning MarketHouserestaurant hasa menu ofexcellentinternationalcuisine. Guests

can dine in a room full ofcharacter, and drink from thewide selection of wines.

The Eas Dun Bar, with itsunique 2-tier interior design,offers regular liveentertainment and musicalmost every night of the year.Guests have complimentary useof the leisure centre facilitiesnext door, including a pool, spabath, steam room and gym.

During your visit hotel offerscomplementary parking, freeWi-Fi in all rooms throughoutthe hotel and a voucher ofTea/Coffee and scone. Nosingle room supplementThursday to Sunday. Forweekend rates please contactreception.

Active Retirement breaks in thebeautiful costal town of Donegal

Get away from it all and experience a relaxingmidweek stay at the 4 star Donegal hotel with3 nights B&B and 2 Evening Meals (2-course),

complimentary refreshments on arrival and spathermal session for only €139pps from Sunday -Thursday this Spring. The Forge bar hosts live musicevery Sunday night. Treat yourself to some retailtherapy at McElhinneys Department Store where youcan avail of 20% off as a Villa Rose Guest.

Set in the heart of Donegal in the busy town of

Ballybofey, the Villa Rose is an ideal base to touraround or stay put and relax for the week, read thecomplimentary morning papers or book in for arelaxing spa treatment. If Group Active RetirementBreaks or Dancing for Pleasure is what you are intothen call Leona on 074-9132266 today to request the50+ Active & Dancing Brochure 2015.

4 Star, Family Owned, Town Centre hotelReservations: 074-9132266

Ballybofey, Co Donegal Email: reservations@villarose.net • www.villarose.ie

Spring Midweek Breaks1 B&B + Dinner €49pps • 2 B&B + 2 Dinners €99pps

3 B&B + 2 Dinners €139pps*Includes 2-course Dinner, Refreshments on Arrival

Complimentary Spa Session & 20% Vouchers for McElhinney's Dept Store

Dancing Holidays4 Night Ballroom Break, Feb 22-26th €239pp3 Night Ballroom Break, May 4th - 7th €185pp

4 Night Sequence Break, May 10th - 14th €239ppCall us for an Active & Dancing Brochure Today!

Spring & Summer Group Rates Available - Contact Leona for more info.

April 20152 Nights B&B & 2 Dinners - €119pps3 Nights B&B & 3 Dinners - €159pps4 Nights B&B & 4 Dinners - €199pps

Active Breaks at The Villa Rose Boutique Hotel and V-Spa

With 68 comfortable, spacious rooms, our Hotel is ahaven of peace and tranquility, the perfect setting fora relaxing break. Located adjacent to the famous

Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Knock, we are a 20 minutedrive from Ireland West Airport Knock and just 10 minutesfrom Claremorris Train Station.

Knock House Hotel is ideally positioned to visit TurloughHouse and Museum of Country Life, Westport House andCroagh Patrick, which are all within a 45 minute drive. Andof course, Knock Museum is on our doorstep, capturing theunique and compelling story of the Apparition of 1879 and thefifteen ordinary people who witnessed this extraordinaryevent. Visitors can read original hand-written letters bypeople cured at Knock and listen to pilgrims sharing storiesand memories of Knock. The Apparition is also set in thecontext of life at that time, from living in the thatched houseto working in the forge.

During your break, we are happy to cater for your everyneed and it gives you an opportunity to make new friends andmix with like minded people. We have 6 bedrooms speciallyequipped for those with limited mobility. Enjoy fine dining inthe Four Seasons Restaurant which overlooks a beautiful

garden and captures the magnificent spire of the Basilica.We have earned a great reputation over the years for ourfood, wine and service. Lunches, snacks, hot and coldbeverages available all day in our beautiful limestone Lounge.

To book your stay and avail of our special rates, please callKaren on 094 93 88088.

Page 42 Mature Living February 2014

Why choose a Hotel when you canhave the Luxury of a ResortPlanning a relaxing break away, the ideal location

is Breaffy House Resort which is located in theheart of Co. Mayo. Set on 90 acres of gardens

and rolling woodland. The House dates back to1890, retaining some of its original Country Houseatmosphere whilst offering all of the luxury of amodern day hotel. The Resort is renowned for itswarm welcoming staff with an excellent range offacilities. The Resort includes Spa, Leisure Centrewith 20 metre pool, Sauna and Jacuzzi. The Resortoffers deluxe rooms which include a range of suites,superior, standard rooms with all the facilities thatyour guests would require – direct dial telephone,multichannel colour T.V., radio, hairdryer, trouserpress and tea/coffee making facilities.

This year we have put together an amazing offer of4 nights Dinner B&B and 5th night B&B FREE whenyou book our Golden Breaks package. This offerincludes 3 course dinner each night in the MulberryRestaurant and breakfast each morning, along with5th Night Bed & Breakfast free. Transfers can be

arranged from local bus and train stations based onminimum numbers. Complimentary on site parkingshould you wish to drive. We have chosen a selectionof arrival dates each month which means we canprovide in-house activities such as wine tasting, tabletennis, bowling, grow your own garden and potterypainting. This is the ideal location to explore Mayo.The Hotel is just 20 mins away from the scenic townof Westport. All guests have complimentary use ofthe swimming pool, sauna, seam room, Jacuzzi, andgym. You may also take part in one of our manyclasses, which include Aqua Aerobics, Over 55’sworkout and the increasing popular Zumba. If youfancy some pampering, enjoy some time out inBreaffy Spa. Which offers a range of facial, body andmassage treatments to leave you feeling relaxed andrejuvenated. Enjoy a hearty breakfast at leisurebetween 7:30am –10:30am each morning and Dinnereach between 6:30pm – 8:45pm. The Mulberry Barserves food for 12-9pm each day for snacks, lightbites and main courses.

To Book: Call us now on 094 90 22033 or email toreservations@breaffyhouseresort.ie Bookings on line

www.breaffyhouseresort.com

4 nights Dinner, Bed & Breakfast€199 pp5th Night B&B FREEOffer Available Selected Dates Only – Call for Details

Escape to Breaffy House Resort to Relax, Unwind and Revive

INCLUDES:Full complimentary daily and

nightly entertainment program Transfers local Bus & Train Station Use of the leisure centre facilities

One of the best places to base a home holiday or aweek-end break is, undoubtedly, the Lough AllenHotel in County Leitrim. Situated on the shores of

Lough Allen, only 14 km from the bustling town ofCarrick on Shannon, it is only a short walk to the townof Drumshanbo.

The hotel has offerings to compare with the tophotels in Ireland and also has the stunning Leitrimcountryside. Spa treatments, leisure centre and asumptuous candlelight dinner are all part of what’s onoffer for an unforgettable break. A family re-union can

be rounded off with a lavish evening mealIt is an ideal wedding venue or conference centre.

The central location of the hotel in Leitrim facilitatestours and visits to the surrounding unspoiledcountryside. The location facilitates visits to the manynearby lakes that comprise the Leitrim countryside andshopping in nearby Sligo or Enniskillen A visit to LoughAllen hotel & Spa in Drumshanbo is a must and there arepackages to suit any budget.

Visit the stunning Leitrim countryside

2 Nights B&B for 2 people Only €99Available Sun-Thur Only...€49.50pps

Please mention Mature Living Leinster when booking

Mid Week 2 Nights B&B Offer

Drumshanbo • Co Leitrim www.loughallenhotel.com

To Book Call 071-9640100 or emailreservations@loughallenhotel.com

Join us at the 3-star Knock House Hotel andenjoy the beautiful countryside in the heartof County Mayo.

Boyle, Co. Roscommon Telephone: 071-9670010 Email Us: info@pureflowers.ie • www.pureflowers.ie

• Traditional Tin Smiths • Copper • Aluminium• Zinc • Stainless Steel • Lead

• Titanium • Natural Slate • Ornamentation

GG Roofing, The Grove, Kilmovee, Co. MayoPhone: 087 2437259/094 9649296

Email: info@ggroofing.ie • www.ggroofing.ie

All forms of cladding & roofing in tradition standing seam and battenroll in Copper, Zinc, Aluminium Stainless steel and Lead Sheet.

Specialist flashing kits for chimneys,dormers, box gutter valleys andpitched valleys for slated roofs.

Design, layout and detailing services for both commercial and privateprojects.

Welding and fabricating of Stainless Steel and aluminium.

Services Directory

Creating the perfect personalised momento of

those we dearly miss

For a consultation in our comfortable surroundings, please pop in to our shop

Upstairs at JT Office Supplies, Ballina, Co. Mayo.

Tel: 086 7792771 Tel: 089-461-2664info@westpest.ie • www.westpest.ie

• Free 24/7 Call out service• Free Surveys

• Discreet soloutions• Regular Inspections

• Senior Citizen DiscountsWest Pest is an expert pest control companybased in the West of Ireland but covering allareas. We cater for domestic, commercial andagricultural customers. We deal with all pests

including: Rats, Mice, Wasps, Bees, Flies,Ants, Cockroaches, Fleas, Bedbugs, Pigeons

and other Wild Birds.We will respond to any emergency

within an hour.

CHIMNEY PROBLEMSFREEFONE: 1800 200 510

Relining, Repairing, RebuildingNormally no opening of walls ,

Free Insurance Quotes, National Guild ofMaster Craftsman

NATIONWIDE SERVICE

Oil Kits Supplied and Fitted, Stoves and

Ranges Fitted

Declan 087-9974893

Middleton TravelMiddleton Travel Sligo - People on the move

We can cater for all your trips:• Family Outings

• Airport Transfers • The Races• Golfing Trips

• Sporting Trips • Stag & Hen Parties• Corporate Events • Office Parties

Middleton Travel, 11 The Elms, Woodtown Lodge, Sligo Tel: 071-9162890 • Francie: 086-8143464

Keith: 087-2918668Email: middletontravel@eircom.net

www.middletontravelsligo.com

Chiropodist: Martin Mc NallyTel: 087 222 6260

Westport, Co. Mayo

WestportFoot Clinic

Contact: Tom RogersStrokestown, Co. Roscommon

SAME DAY COLLECTION SERVICESERVICING LEITRIM & SLIGO FARMERS FOR

OVER 20 YEARS

071-9634783 / 9633344Only Licensed Knackers Yard & Service in NorthWest

Lowest Prices and Daily Collection Guaranteed

DEAD AND WORN-OUT

ANIMALS

TREACY COACHES BALLINA

Daily Service to SLIGO - departs

Ballina at 7.30amand departs SLIGO IT at

5.15pm Monday to Friday* We Accept Travel Passes *

Enquiries tel: 096-22563

Services Directory

Call or e-mail today: Ashlee DolanPhone: 085 194 6653

sithappenz@thedoghousemail.com

Covering the Connacht areaSit Happenz will travel outside of Connacht

www.sithappenz.wix.com/sithappez

In home dog training service. Teachingpuppies & old dogs new tricks.

Sit Happenz is a professional in home dog training provided by Cer!fied

Animal Behavior Consultant Ashlee Dolan, CABC.

East BrothersGARDEN MACHINERY

• Petrol Chainsaws for Property Maintenance• Chainsaws for Agriculture and Horticulture

• Electric / Cordless Chainsaws

BOYLE, CO. ROSCOMMONTel/Fax: 071-9662710 • Mobile: 086-2427554

FREE CONSULTATIONIN YOUR HOME

OR OUR SHOWROOMS.

Harmony Hill, Sligo Tel: 071-91-45810

Tolan Street, Ballina Tel: 096-24763www.tegre.ie

Shane McDonaghTree Surgery andAgri Contractor

• Tree Pruning / Reduction• Tree Removal & Hedge Maintenance

• Stump Grinding and Log SplittingFully Insured

Tel: 087-2116836

McGowan'sFUNERAL DIRECTORS

Emmet St, Ballina,Co. Mayo

Tel: 096-70669Anytime

Email: info@ballinafuneralhome.ieWebsite: www.ballinafuneralhome.ie

Phone: 071-9162140 Market House, Market Yard, Sligowww.sligofuneralhome.ie info@sligofuneralhome.ie

All Services Provided

Authorised representative ofHorizon Funeral Planning

Talk to us today for help and advice in your Pre-Need arangements

KSC PAVING & DECKINGCENTRE, BALLINA

• PATIO SLAB • BRICK PAVING• FENCING • COLOURED CHIPPING

• DESIGN • SUPPLY •FIT

STONEWORKS• WISHING WELLS • GARDEN WALLS• FISH PONDS • STONE ROCKERIES

• BUILD • SUPPLY • DESIGN

GRAVE CARE• COLOURED CHIPPINGS

• SLABS • BARK• FANCY BRICKWORK

• SUPPLY • FIT • MAINTENANCE FREE

WHEELIE BINSERVICE

SKIP HIRE(All Sizes)

096-32500www.loftusrecycling.com

Call Martin on 086-0316833

Meet You Here COFFEE HOUSE & ART GALLERY

Cathedral Street, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon Open 8am - 5pm • Tel: 087-7095874

Winner Of Best Causual Dining In Rosscommon

Open for Homemade Breakfast,Lunch, Dinner, Coffee and Drinks

Professional & amateur artists display their workat the ‘Meet You Here’ Coffee House - These pieces

are also for sale at an affordable price.

We also retail special gifts for that special someone.

Services Directory

Quality, Affordable HomecareIn Your Community

Providing dedicated homecare across the West,Northwest and Midlands since 1996

Choose RHS Home Services - World Class,Quality Homecare in Your Community

For Your Free No Obliga"on Consulta"on Call Us Now:Roscommon: 09066-25988Galway: 091 388785 Mayo: 09493 82156www.rhshomeservices.ie

Why se#le for a franchise when you can choosea local, proven homecare service?

• Home Help • Light Housekeeping• Care of the Elderly • Overnight Care

• Meal Prepara"on• Personal Care• Companionship • Respite Care

• Full dealer service facilities• Full Mechanical Repairs• Star Diagnostic Service

MERCEDES SERVICETEL: 086-0563130

Get the same serviceas your main

dealer at a fraction ofthe price!

Keane’s Garage

Urlaur, Killkelly, Co, Mayo Tel: 094-9649006 - www.keanesgarage.com

Doni FeeneyPainting &Decorating

GET A FREE QUOTE CALL 086 2461115

From single rooms to complete house or commercialrefurbishments we have it covered so if you requireProfessional and Efficient pain"ng and decora"ng

come to Doni Feeney Pain"ng and Decora"ng today!

Roll-R-Doors, Derryhillagh, Castlehill, Ballina, Co. MayoTel: 096-51382 • Mob: 086-1650132

info@rollrdoors.ie • www.rollrdoors.ie

Roll-R-Doors offer a full range of Domestic and IndustrialGarage Doors and Accessories. Specialising in both

replacement and removal of old doors with new garagedoors and installation of new garage doors, Give Roll-R-Doors a call on 086 165 0132 to see what we can do for

your projects needs.

PADRAIG RUANEHeating & Plumbing

• Oil & Solid Fuel Central Heating • Domestic Solar Systems

• Hot Water Heating • Ground Source Heat Pumps

• Air to Water Heat Pumps • Installation of Wood Pellet stoves

Tel: 071 9130497Mob: 087 2654493

Contact John Foy on M: 085-8893518• T: 071-9164532

"We don’t just treat, wesolve the problem"

Sligo Pest Control has over 12 years experience in treat-ing domestic and commercial pests.

Pests treated include mice, rats, bed bugs, flies, fleas,wasps and bees, woodworm and birds.

We are fully qualified, fully insured and can supply references if required.

Market Cross , Sligo | T: 071 91 38775Manorhamilton | T: 071 98 55444

Carrick-on-Shannon | T: 071 9671850Open Mon-Sat 9.30am - 5.30pm

Eyecare for your Family

www.mcpartlanopticians.ie mcpartlanopticians@gmail.com

Stonemasonry ServicesConstructionRestorationMemorials

086-1953006 / 096-30003

Western Mobility

LO CALL 1890-253038Mobile: 087-7783633

StairliftsStraight & Curved

• Platform Lifts

• Level Access Showers

• Walk in baths

Free no obligation survey

Services Directory

SLIGO

PHONE: 087-2066910 / 071-9197925www.terrysstoves.com

terrysstoves@gmail.com

Buying a Stove???Talk to Terry first• Free Survey Available• Solid Fuel Stoves• Gas Fires

WARNING!!!Upto 80% of Heat Generated by anOpen Fire and almost 20% of Heatfrom your Central Hea!ng System

escapes up an open Chimney!Prevent this wastage!

CHIMNEY REPAIRS IRELAND

Tel : Office 1800 283067 / 087-7997671www.chimneyrepairs.ie

• 20 year guarantee • 25 years experience• Relining and rebuilding• Smoke and soot problems solved• Free estimates• Free assistance with

insurance claimsGulladoo Centre, Cornafest, Co. Leitrim

Tel: 049-4339605 Mob: 086-8638842Email: info@gulladoocentre.com

"Our mission is to provide a dedicated centre ofexcellence delivering a quality client centred approach

with compassion and dignity while respecting the valuesand beliefs of all our clients"

Who can come to the Centre?Anyone who is concerned about their own or someone else's

alcohol, gambling or substance use. A doctor's referral is notnecessary.

What does treatment envolve?We offer a 4 week programme. Addiction is a life threatening

condition which can be effectively treated through timelyintervention. We know that although recovery is a difficult

and complex process - change is achievable with the help ofhighly trained professional staff and with feedback from other

recovering addicts, and those concerned about recovery.

ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTRE

Drumkeerin Stone

Golden Gravel Suitable for Driveways, Paths,

Flowerbeds etc.Available in 6mm,14mm,20mm and

30mm stone mulch.Building sand and Golden blinding.Supplied in ton bags or bulk loads.

Na!onwide delivery available.

Tel: 086-8142496Ariel Dym 096-70993

• 086-8978395

www.ap-motors.eu

• Servicing • Panel Beating• Tracking • Parts• Light Setting• NCT Preparation• Valeting • Recovery

Unit 2, Ardnaree, Ballina, Co. Mayo

5%Discountwith this Advert

TEL: 096-72652 BOB: 087-9852827 • GERRY: 086-8581961

PADRAIG BURKE Funeral Directors

Rosebank, Attyrory, Carrick-On-Shannon, Co. Leitrim

Tel: 087-9385571 / 071-9621343email: padraigburkefuneraldirectors@gmail.com

WE ARE THERE FOR YOU TO PROVIDE EXCELLENCE IN FUNERAL

CARE WHEN YOU AND YOUR FAMILY NEED IT MOST.

All Services ProvidedAuthorised Representative of Horizon Funeral Planning

GS GORDON SHERLOCKCONTRACTS

Telephone: 071-91-30070 • Mob: 087-2969872www.sligotarmac.com

Specialising in laying tarmacadam, asphaltand stone mastick asphalt.

From small household driveways to tennis courts, large industrial areas, farm roads, estates, car parks and more• 25 years of experience in the Tarmacadam business

• Free Advice and quotations • Fully insured

We are confident that our workmanship wil impress anyone, we can count on our pastcustomers to verify our professionalism and attention to the finest detail.

Specialists in tarmac & asphalt driveways

Is sport an important part ofyour life? Does your visionallow you to maximise yoursporting potential?At Deirdre Cooke Opticians, we carry a wide range of sports eyewear, the majority of which can be fitted with your pre-scription so no excuses for not improving yourgame!We carry frames and eyewear suitable for:•Cycling •Swimming • Skiing • Diving • Football• Fishing • Shooting • Golfing • Contact Lenses• Just to name a few...

We also carry Maui Jim Sunglasses which are polarised for UV protection, and where suitable, you can be fitted with contact lenses for unhindered movement andfreedom, without glasses getting in the way.

Professional Relationship Counselling

Couples & IndividualsFees Based on Personal circumstances

Ballina 096-21478 accordballina@eircom.net

Castlebar 094-9022214accordcbar@eircom.net

Charlestown 094-9254944 accordcharlestown@eircom.net

Feature ArticleServices Directory

• Water Analysis• Water Filtration• Water Softening• Well Drilling• Pump Supplied and Fitted• Rain Water Collection & Purification• Sewage Treatment Systems

IN THE BUSINESS FOR OVER 25 YEARS

Email: waterteck@eircom.netWebsite: www.waterteck.com

Phone: 086-8072249 071-9658976

Furniture recovering and restoration including covering of chairs, 3 piece suites,headboards, car seats and boat seats.

Hotel and Bar seating, Office furniture and other Contract / Commercial furniture.Repair of sails, tents and other outdoor gear for sports and leisure.

We provide a service of Colour consultancy and Interior advice.

We retail upholstery fabrics and essentials. Collection and delivery can be arranged at a small fee,

depending on distance.Boradruma, Snugboro, Castlebar • Tel: 094 9023532 / 086 8350608

Open Monday - Friday: 9am - 5pm Visit us online at www.boradrumaupholstery.ie

Rehabilitation Cent!e specialising inthe t!eat"ent of alcohol, dr#gs, gambling and other dependencies.

Addic!on Treatment Centre

Call in confidence: 094"9256888Email: hopehouse#eircom.net

www.hopehouse.ie

Hope House... “where recover$ begins”

Foxford, Co. Mayo

HEAR Ltd.2014HEARING CLINICGerard Feeney BSC, MSHAA, MISHAA, MIHS

Hearing Aid Consulta!on will a"end:

Matt O’Flaherty Chemists, William Street,Galway. Tel: 091- 556664

Mc Sharry's Pharmacy, Golden Island,Athlone, Co. Westmeath Tel: 090-6474799

Hayes & Hayes Pharmacy, St. Brendans Street, Portumna. Tel: 090-9741025

Stauntons Pharmacy, Main Street, CastlebarTel: 094-9024045

Appointment NecessaryFREE HEARING TEST, CONSULTATION AND ADVICE

Latest Digital Technology Available.PRSI Grants of up to 50% per aid may apply.

Repairs to all makes of hearing aids.

GIBLIN STONE...everlastingChoosing a memorial

for a loved one is avery personal thing.

Quality • Experience• Service

GRANITE COUNTERS& FIREPLACES IN MARBLE, GRANITE

ALSO AVAILABLE, CALL US TODAYFOR DETAILS

Church Street, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo Phone: James 087 9061833

• Brian 086 1957788

www.giblinstone.com

We offer you a unique andfriendly approach to

campervan hire, with usyou get to join a

community of camper nutsand share your adventure

with all your friends.

With Facebug you get to hirea chilled out VW T4 camperwith all the usual comfortsplus Wifi to check your email, catch up on work orconnect to your social networks and a streamingwebcam to share your journey with your friends.

We like to keep it simple so campers cost.... €110.00per day or €700.00 per week which includes insurance

Call us on 085­850­5555Email: info@facebugcampers.com

www.facebugcampers.com

N5 Moneen Business Park, Castlebar, Co. MayoTel: 094-9026373 • Fax: 094-9024353

Email: info@walterdonoghue.comwww.walterdonoghue.com

SINGLE LADY, Would like tomeet man late forties - earlyfifties. I have m,any interests,love music, all osrts. Pleasereply if you are interested.Replies with a stamped envelopeto Box number 1201 at the ad-dress below.

UP FOR A BIT OF CRAICMature prof. Lady, good sense ofhumour is looking for ‘kinda’handsome, good natured, GSOH,sensible, house trained gent, 65-

ish plus, who likes fun date out,cosy nights in, dancing & singingto a new beginning with a happyending. Replies with a stampedenvelope to Box number 1111 atthe address below.

GREEN ACRES Single man, 55,good jobm would like to meetsincere lady, foreign ladiesplease reply too!Replies with a stamped envelopeto Box number 1101 at the ad-dress below.

SINGLE MATURE GALWAY MANGSOH, likes music, dancing,sport, reading, photography,sogs. would like to meet honestsincere carling, n/s womanReplies in a stamped envelopeto box number 1150 at the usualaddress.

NORTHWEST LADYSingle, sincere, loves dancing,drama, creativity and adventuretravel. N/S 40+ would like toshare part of my jorney with you.

Replies with a stamped envelopeto box number 1115

HANDSOME 49 SINGLE MANOwn H.A.C. Would like to meetany single or seperated lady 30’sto late 40’s Pretty attractive,honest sincere and understand-ing. Replies in a stamped enve-lope to box number 1155 at theusual address.

PRETTY TALL SLIM 60’SRetired nurse many interests,wltm gentleman over 6ft tall tohave and to hold for yhe rest ofour lives to enjoy ala. Leinster.Replies in a stamped envelope tobox number 1080 at the usual ad-dress.

SLIGO LADY SEEKING MALELate 50’s, likes music, dancing,walking and travel. N/S, S/D,profrssional l;ady, loving, caring,and honest. Interested in friend-ship maybe leading to a relation-ship. Replies in a stampedenvelope to box number.

SINGLE, MATURE, ATTRACTIVELADYMedium height and build, longbrown hair, Interests are reading,history, philosophy, Gaelic, TV,Music, concerts, theatre, walk-ing, travelling, loves animals - es-pecially dogs. Wishes to meetsomone like minded. Replies in astamped envelope to box number1109 at the usual address.

FREE DATING*

CLASSIFIEDTHE FOLLOWING DETAILS AREFOR OFFICE USE ONLY ANDWILL NOT BE PUBLISHED.These details MUST be com-pleted for all adverts

NAME:

ADDRESS:

TELEPHONE NUMBER:

WRITE YOUR ADVERT HERE:

(MAX 30 WORDS) - *Phone numbers will not be included in these adverts.

Post the completed form to Mature Living Magazine, NW Business Park, Collooney, Co. SligoSTRICTLY PRIVATE ADVERTISERS ONLY - BUSINESSES CAN CALL 071-9154538 AND SPEAK TO ONE OF OUR FRIENDLY SALES REPRESENTATIVES ABOUT OUR EXCELLENT RATES.

• Rollers • Tracks • Hinges • Door Realignment • Locks • Multilocking systems etc

Over 20 years experience servicing Irish windowsand doors. Fully insured

GLASS PARTS ETC REPLACED

Brendan Gormley: 071-9183860 / 087-2562669

Expert patio door repairs!

Aluminium & PVC RepairsTo windows, doors and patio doors

Services Directory

Far Finisklin Road, Sligo Tel: 071­91 61924

sales@sligoglass.com • www.sligoglass.com "pride in our work"

Heat Resistant Stove GlassWe can Cut Robax Stove Glass to required

Size & Shape While U Wait....

We Always have Stove Glass in Stock & can cut it while you wait.

SCHOTT ROBAX is aheat resistant Ceramic

Glass, suitable For99% of WoodburningStoves & Fireplaces

Robax has anextremely low

thermal expansionwhich allows it not to

be effected byextremely high

temperatures orsudden

temperature changes.

Page 55 Mature Living

DATING CLASSIFIEDS

WEST OF IRELANDWINDOWS &

DOORS SERVICING

Repairs to all makes of Windows & Doors, Fogged

Units, Hinges & HandlesReplaced.

Tel: 087-3542249

TANK CLEANBoyle, Co. Roscommon • Septic Tanks EmptiedPre-Cast Sewage Treatment UnitsSeptic Tanks & Rainwater Tanks Supplied & FittedNew Percolation Areas & Polishing Filters InstalledAll Work to EPA StandardPermit No. 13-11160-01

Call today for a site visit - David Regan: 087-9125128 • Boyle, Co. Roscommon

PADRAIC CRYANSTONE WORK

Call Padraic on (086) 2867950 todayfor a FREE no hassle quota!on

Based in Roscommon, Padraic Cryan Stone & BlockworkServices is an Irish company with over 16 years experience inthe Irish Construc!on Industry that prides itself on exceedingcustomer expecta!ons and delivering all work on budget and

within the agreed !meframe.

We provide General Building work from Restora!ons to NewBuilds, and Stoneworks and are happy to meet you at your

convenience and provide you with a quota!on.