Lifestyle

As a 13 year old boy, his career in the hotel industry began washing dishes for Angela Lyne at the Queen’s Hotel, and now Nicky Logue is in charge of one of the country’s top hotels. General Manager of the InterContinental Hotel, he has been also held top jobs in Killiney Castle and the Gibson as well as several high level posts in the UK. Reflecting on those early days back at the Queen’s, Nicky says, “I think I lied about my age to get a summer job, told them I was a little bit older than I was. After starting in the wash up, I progressed to the lobby and more front of house, which I really enjoyed.” The industry was in his blood, and it was the only career path he wanted to follow. “I was working on and off in the Queen’s while I was going to secondary school and my late Dad was in the business …

I always like to take a little city trip coming up to Christmas to see the lights and soak up the atmosphere, so I hounded the hoomans to such an extent that they packed the car and we headed for Galway and a couple of nights in one of my favourite haunts, The Twelve Hotel. We were late leaving Ennis so we just had time for a quick dogguccino on the way, at Gran Gran’s in Kilcolgan. A lovely place and well worth a stop. The holiday starts at The Twelve We had to tackle Christmas traffic through Galway city, but eventually we arrived at Barna and who was there to greet me only my favourite receptionist, Mónika. She made a great fuss of me as usual and when I went up to the room, there was a beautiful picture she drew of me on a Christmas Wreath. She really has talent. It was a lazy evening then, with pizza …

Well there I was last week thinking it had been a while since my last stay at the wonderful Twelve Hotel in Galway when I saw the bags being packed and loaded in the car. I supervised proceedings to ensure that my bag was packed too, as I wasn’t going to be left behind no matter where we were off to. Snuggling down in my bed in the back seat, we set off and I sniffed that we were heading North, which was very promising indeed. We stopped on the way for a quick dogguccino in Clarinbridge but in short order, we continued on to Galway city and out the other side. This was really looking promising and I howled with excitement as we pulled into the Twelve. I strutted into reception and who was there to greet me only my favourite receptionist, Monika, who always makes a great fuss of me. Going up to our room, there was another …

One of Clare’s best small businesses will get a chance to exhibit their business to almost 300,000 people at the National Ploughing Championships next month as part of the Local Enterprise Village. Moher Cottage, located beside the Cliffs of Moher on the Wild Atlantic Way, is supported by Local Enterprise Office Clare and is a destination gift store, manufacturing and selling their own fudge, prints and gifts under their ‘Moher Cottage’ brand. Founded by Caitriona and Kevin Considine, with decades of hospitality and business experience between them, spotted the need for a new visitor experience for those visiting and living in Co. Clare. Moher Cottage is also online on www.MoherCottage.com The initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) will see over 30 small businesses from across the country take a stand in the Local Enterprise Village in the heart of the Ploughing Championships, opening their businesses up to almost 300,000 prospective customers across the 3 days of the event. The …

THE 2023 MÓRglór award has been given to fiddle player Siobhán Peoples. A world-renowned performer and tutor, she has been an inspiration and mentor to many musicians, locally, nationally and internationally, through her extensive teaching career. She has been an outstanding ambassador for the traditional arts in Clare and an integral part of the vibrant session scene for several decades. In recent years, she has also been one of the driving forces behind the resurgence of the Ennis Trad Festival. Siobhán is steeped in the musical history of County Donegal, through her father Tommy, and of County Clare, through her grandmother, Kitty Linnane, pianist with the original Kilfenora Céilí Band. An incredibly dedicated teacher, Siobhán is a featured tutor annually at many festivals and at the University of Limerick. She is known for the qualities of great instrument teachers including a deep love of her instrument, a thorough understanding of her own skills and playing, and the patience, analytical ability …

It was 2.33pm on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 15, 1923, and the man everyone had come to see was finally prepared to speak to a crowd that had first embraced him as one of their own just six years previously and would remain faithful to all his causes for another 50 years. He was the ‘Man of Clare’, even though he wasn’t from Clare. Eamon de Valera. The Chief. The East Clare by-election victor of 1917 that kickstarted the revolution once more. The Sinn Féin leader. The former President of the Dáil. The Anti-Treaty leader. The man on the run. On this day, the Feast of the Assumption, the warrant for his arrest because of his leadership of the Anti-Treaty side in the Civil War that had only finished a few months previously, had yet to be served, but this was the day. He was banned from public speaking, but at an election rally called by his Sinn Féin …

The Clare Arts Office in conjunction with Scariff Library Gallery is delighted to present “Vial” an exhibition of art by Marie Connole exploring Ireland’s Revolutionary Years. Since 2021, the Clare artist has been commissioned under the Decade of Centenaries Programme to create artworks highlighting events in Ireland, and particularly Clare, from 1913 to 1923. This latest exhibition brings together two recent projects completed by the North Clare artist, the Irrepressible Women of Clare Series, first exhibited in 2021, and the An Alchemy of the Civil War, first shown in 2022. Both of these exhibitions were developed from extensive research and a range of historical sources by the artist. The five portraits of ‘Irrepressible Women of Clare’ focuses on the lives of diverse women living in the county to understand the effects of Ireland’s War of Independence. The women are Georgina Frost, Kathleen Talty, Peg Barrett, Kathleen Griffin and Lady Beatrice Hare O’Brien. ‘An Alchemy of the Civil War’ is a …

A unique celebration of the harp and its special place in Irish folklore and culture will take place at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park on September 2 and 3. The inaugural two-day celebration features harpists and harp music experts from across Ireland with a series of exhibition, talks and performances marking the instrument’s unique position in the medieval banquet offering at Bunratty Castle. ‘A Celebration of the Irish Harp’ coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet and the recent launch of a new exhibition chartering the history, evolution, and popularity of one of Ireland’s oldest running evening entertainment shows. The celebration is hosted in collaboration with Deirdre O’Brien Vaughan, Director of the Irish Traditional Music Institute. The internationally renowned harpist, musician and music teacher has nurtured thousands of musicians over the last 30 years, toured and taught across the world, and has performed with Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann, The Chieftains and Liam O’Flynn. “The celebration will bring …