Lifestyle

Most of the agitation in 19th century Ireland was of a peaceful nature. O’Connell’s great movements and that of Parnell had no connection whatsoever with violence.

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THEY say that every dog has its day. Well that day was Saturday for more than 120 pooches, who helped lead the way in raising funds for charity.The four-legged friends were barking up the right tree when it came to raising money for the Clare ISPCA by taking part in the Doggy Day Care Clare 5k walk.The walk started from Doggy Day Care in Ballymaley Business Park, with dogs and their owners invited to come along and join in the fun.After the walk there was still plenty to see and do, with a barbecue, face painting, mini market and competitions including best photo, dog with waggiest tale and others. According to Darren O’Connor of Doggy Day Care, “It was a brilliant day, we had a great turnout and the weather really helped us. There were dogs of all shapes and sizes, all breeds, even a collie on wheels, Mollie from Whitegate, and the dogs that took part were given a …

JUST outside Berlin, in a newly unified Germany, 30-year-old Michael Ritter is struggling with political and personal upheaval. His devotion to the now discredited East Germany makes Michael an exile in his own country. Tainted by his membership of the Socialist Party that ruled the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), Michael’s past costs him his job as an English teacher and prompts the break-up of his marriage. As he tends to his dying mother, Petra, she reveals Michael’s father is not the man he supposed and urges him to search for his roots. The journey leads him to a buried manuscript that opens, “I was born in Galway, a small town on the west coast of Ireland, on November 19th 1942…”The Berlin Crossing is a Cold War novel about losing faith and finding redemption that takes the reader through Germany, London and Galway, where its author, Kevin Brophy, now lives. Mainly set against a backdrop of espionage intrigue and Stasi …

THE returns of a fundraising initiative by the County Clare Hunt and supporters on behalf of a very special charity will be revealed at an event in Quin on Friday, May 4.Recently, the hunt organised a charity ride through the village and surrounding countryside for Clare Suicide Bereavement Support Clare (SBS) and the number of participants, children and adults, exceeded expectations.A spokesperson for the group said they were overwhelmed by the Clare Hunt’s decision to adopt them as their charity for this particular event. “We were delighted the organisers managed to get so many people to come out on the trek and help us. It was fantastic that over 270 riders saddled up,” he said.A special mass will be celebrated in St Mary’ Church, Quin at 7.30pm on Friday, May 4 and immediately afterwards, the proceeds of the event will be presented by the Clare Hunt to Clare SBS.Members of the support group, which has been operating since 2002, are …

PEOPLE who die by suicide shouldn’t be judged for taking this drastic course of action, according to Clare hurling manager, Davy Fitzgerald.Instead, the former All-Star custodian believes people should concentrate on helping people suffering from severe depression and those expressing suicidal thoughts.The two time All-Ireland winner has revealed his heart scare in 1999 proved to be the “wake-up call” he needed to put his own life into perspective and appreciate his own health and well being.The Sixmilebridge man and Clare hurlers are supporting a campaign to increase public awareness of the services provided by Pieta House, the Mid-West Suicide and Self-harm Crisis Intervention Centre in Mungret, Limerick.He insists it is wrong to judge or attach a stigma to anyone who dies by suicide.“We don’t know what is going on in anyone’s head. For someone to take their own life, it must be pretty unbelievable how they are feeling.“They must have put some huge amount of thought into what they were …

WOULD-be Roses of Tralee from across Clare took part in a county-wide tour on Saturday ahead of the selection of the 2012 Clare Rose this Friday night. The tour started in Ennis town before stopping off in Corofin, en route to Father Ted’s house in Kilnaboy. From there the women travelled to Kilrush where they were treated to a VIP tour of the Vandeleur Walled Gardens and a visit to Shannon Ferries in Killimer before returning to Ennis for a night out.The Clare Rose of Tralee selection takes place at The West County Hotel, Ennis, this Friday night at 8pm, with pre-show shopping at 7pm. The winning girl will receive a collection of Newbridge Silverware, a voucher for a night for two people in any Carlton Hotel in Ireland and a number of other prizes. The Clare Rose will also represent the county in the regional finals in Portlaoise on June 3. Gort woman Lisa Nolan is representing Juniper boutique, …

THE season of weddings, communions, confirmations and so on is upon us. The cameras are flashing, with family and group photos an important part of the day. I know for myself that taking a good picture is a rare event as I always seem to panic when I hear those dreaded words “Say Cheese”. Being photogenic is not just about having strong cheek bones or a great complexion, rather it is about your approach and knowing how to relax when the camera starts flashing. There are some pointers I can give which, when put into practice, will transform your image. When you are going to an event where you know the cameras are going to be flashing and family portraits are commonplace, bear in mind that what you are wearing will impact on your overall appearance on camera. Fabrics with stripes are tricky on film. Heavy horizontal stripes will make your body look wider than normal on camera. Very-closely-spaced stripes …