Lifestyle

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MICHAEL D Higgins is no stranger to presidential titles. He is the current president of the Labour Party and is president of the Galway Gaelic football and hurling teams but now he is aspiring to don another presidential role, that of Ireland’s 10th President.

YET another Matchmaking Festival swings into action in Lisdoonvarna this weekend. While it is coinciding with what has been described as one of the toughest tourism seasons for the country, Lisdoonvarna hotelier Marcus White is nonetheless upbeat regarding the prospects for the month of September.

IT was like the good old days, a steady stream of cattle lorries heading out from Sixmilebridge village to the mart at Ballysheen. Many of the drivers were on the road since early morning but last Saturday was a little bit different.

The FitzGerald family name has been prominent in Irish history. The Dáil meets in Leinster House, built as a town house for the Duke of Leinster and situated on Kildare Street, which was their original title. Many of the 18th century moves for independence were inspired by 1798 and the exploits of Lord Edward FitzGerald.

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Archaeologist, Graham Hull, responsible for shedding light on much of the hidden history of the county, offers John Rainsford an insight into his work By John Rainsford   THE rain is heavy over East Clare but for Graham Hull, it is just another day at the office. The muck, the sweat and the tears are all part of an archaeologist’s lot in life but he would not have it another way. Viewers of the Channel 4 archaeological series Time Team, will know the sort of person whose life revolves around stones and bones. Indeed, the presenter of the ‘reality archaeology’ show, Tony Robinson, provides a good comparison. His constant search for historical evidence to support one theory after another has become a byword for historical obsession. Graham Hull explains his own passion for the ‘dig’. “I am a professional archaeologist and director of TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, an archaeological consultancy based in County Clare. My research interests include the medieval period …

One year on from her momentous weight loss, Therese Young is maintaining her target weight and feeling better than ever, she tells Carol Byrne ‘THE pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change and the realist adjusts the sails,’ is a phrase that Kilrush woman Therese Young feels best describes her journey to weight loss, having lost 14 stone in a year and a half.“I lead a very active life in the community of Kilrush and am very involved in all aspects pertaining to the sea, swimming, sailing and fundraising for the lifeboats. I see myself as a realist, having adjusted my views so that I could utilise my positive approach to life to modify my lifestyle to embrace my target goal. That is what I had to do to get to where I am today,” she told The Clare Champion.Therese sought help three years ago from the Motivation Weight Management Clinic in Limerick, making the 120-mile …