Gort

2010 is a record-breaking year for the Gort Show with nearly 1,300 entries received for the indoor classes. Gort Agricultural Show takes place this Sunday, beginning at midday. Held on the town’s Ennis Road, organisers believe it will be the biggest show in its 29-year history.This year’s show will be officially opened at 1.30pm by Derek O’Connor. Tubber man Derek is the champion point-to-point jockey for the last seven years. He will be accompanied by Miss Galway 2010 Lisa Nolan. Among the attractions on the day are a steam traction engine, open mic traditional music sessions, a bonny baby competition, face painting and Irish dancing.“There will be many children’s rides and a mass of entertainment for all the family,” said the show’s organising secretary, Amanda Norton.“If you want mad fun, then join in the Carry the Wife race and impress your neighbours,” she added.While there are many outdoor events, the indoor classes have proved particularly popular this year. “The indoor …

WALKS, talks and adventures are some of the events being held in South Galway next month as part of National Heritage Week.

OVER the years, she has seen revolutions, wars, recessions and resurgences today, Gort woman Mary Quinn prefers to live in the present, spending time with her family and friends.

Kinvara will host its inaugural flag day in support of the RNLI at the weekend. The event is aimed at the whole family and Dominic Gallagher, one of its organisers, is hopeful the community can raise a significant amount of money for the charity. “The RNLI is a great organisation. It has always been close to my heart. “It doesn’t get money from the Government so fundraising is vital to keep it going. “We have a huge number of volunteers taking part and we are hoping to make this an annual event,” Dominic stated. “People often take the RNLI for granted. “The old motto is the RNLI always answer the call, they always go when they are called, no matter what the circumstances. Other countries don’t have organisations like the RNLI. It is a most professional outfit made up of brave men and women and we are lucky to have them. “We are a seaside community and a lot of …

Fine Gael TD Ulick Burke this week expressed reservations about the allocation of between €10m and €12m for South and East Galway flood relief works.“Whilst I welcome the announcement, I am somewhat sceptical that this amount will be made available on the ground within the two-year time frame indicated by the minister,” deputy Burke stated.He made his comments after Minister at the Office of Public Works, Martin Mansergh, announced that he expected to spend between €10m to €12m over the next two years on schemes in the area.“The greatest fear now is that we will have another report gathering dust on the shelves and as yet, no meaningful works have occurred in South Galway, nothing on the Dunkellin River Basin and little in Ballinasloe,” Deputy Burke remarked.Last December, a Humanitarian Aid package of €10m was announced by the Government to assist families throughout the country who were affected by the flooding. “As at February last, only 718 payments had been …

TWO South Galway men will travel to the Caribbean later this year building homes in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

THIS year’s Clarenbridge Oyster Festival Queen was recently revealed as Lorraine Lally, a native of Creganna, Oranmore.

WHEN water gushed into Tom Flatley’s home in South Galway on November 21 last year, he didn’t know that it would consume his life ever since and eventually carry him to Europe.In the mid 1990s, Tom moved from England to Enniscrone in Sligo before then renting a home in Oranmore.“It was a halfway point because most of my work was in Castlebar and Sligo and my wife got work in Shannon. Eventually, my work started coming more towards Galway so we moved as soon as we could afford to buy our own house and Ardrahan was the right side of Galway for Noreen’s journey,” outlines Tom.The young couple bought an old farmhouse in Tullira, Ardrahan. They sought to renovate it and applied for planning permission in March 2002. In October that year, Galway County Council granted planning permission for an extension to the existing house and a septic tank.Tom’s experience buying his home was like that of many others across …