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Lifeline- Galway International Arts Festival Galway, Galway Community Circus, Jigsaw and the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland 

September 6, 2022

We have worked with Lisa in the past in a training capacity (side note: she’s an incredible woman to facilitate a group of young people) but this summer we were delighted to work again with Lisa when she moderated a panel discussion on youth mental health as part of the Galway International Arts Festival, in conjunction with Galway Community Circus & the Finnish Institute in the UK & Ireland


The young people involved have said that they felt so comfortable with Lisa’s approach as a moderator and as an audience member I can tell you that she’s second to none. She’s kind, compassionate and yet she not afraid to ask difficult questions. She makes sure to make all participants feel involved, valued and most importantly heard. And did I mention she’s a gas woman?! We’re so, so glad that Lisa was free to lead this discussion, it was all the better for her involvement.

Aoife Guilfoyle Youth and Community Engagement Worker Jigsaw Galway,

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Baboró’s Back, Baby

August 11, 2022

First look at Baboró’s return to fully live festival in Galway this October

Baboró International Arts Festival for Children
Galway | 14 – 23 October 2022

Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, Ireland’s flagship festival devoted exclusively to children and families, has announced that the 26th annual festival will take place from Friday 14th to Sunday 23rd October, 2022. Taking place across theatres, galleries, schools and communities in Galway City and County, Baboró returns to a full programme of over 50 live events for an extended festival of 10 days.  

The international festival, which celebrates children, families and community through art in all of its forms, will be welcoming companies from all over Ireland and Europe, including Belgium, Italy, Norway, Denmark,Scotland and England. Events for children of all ages will include a special collection of European work for early years children (0-6 yrs), residencies in special schools and child-led projects. 

Children aged 8+ are invited to join the surreal world of ‘Der Lauf’, where nothing is quite as it seems. Two circus performers from Belgian company Le Cirque du Bout du Monde, compete in a series of bizarre challenges as they juggle blindly, spin plates wildly and stack glasses wearing boxing gloves. As the glasses rise, so do the stakes. The children, as their only guide, help lead them to safety or towards further peril. 

Ballet Ireland will present ‘The Glasshouse’, a dance performance for children aged 6+. It is the story of earnest, young Fiach, who is on a mission to repopulate the world with plants and turn it green. This fun and compelling show, by exciting young choreographer Róisín Whelan, is about the courage of the human spirit, friendship and life’s determination to survive. ‘The Glasshouse’ is a feast for the eyes and senses, with moments of suspense and joy, exhilarating dancing, vibrant costumes and magical music to enthral children and families.

‘The excitement is building in Baboró HQ as we put the finishing touches to this year’s festival programme. We just can’t wait to welcome thousands of children, their teachers and families from across the city and county back to the festival. Baboró’s bumper programme has something for everyone, from tiny babies to older children as well as the young at heart. So, chalk down the dates and get ready for the excitement of a full festival again.’ – Aislinn O’hEocha, Executive Artistic Director, Baboró.

Branar, one of Ireland’s leading theatre companies making work for children, will present their new co-production with New International Encounter (UK/Norway) ‘Grand Soft Day’. A charming and curious new show for children aged 3-6 years, ‘Grand Soft Day’ celebrates the wonder of the world around us. It is a show of all seasons – splashing in puddles, wind whipping your hair, crunching frost under your feet and rain dripping on your nose. 

Theatre, dance, visual art, literature and creative workshops will feature in the full festival programme which will be announced when the box office opens in early September. For information about purchasing tickets, show announcements, and more sign up to Baboró’s newsletter, follow on social media or visit www.baboro.ie.

This year’s festival is supported by Medtronic, TG4, The Ombudsman for Children’s Office, and the businesses and venues of Galway City. Baboró is funded by The Arts Council of Ireland and Galway City and County Councils.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Baboró’s mission is to inspire children to engage with the world through their experience of the creative arts, and the festival is grateful for the support of its family of funders, sponsors, donors and partners who make it possible to deliver on this mission. This year’s festival is supported by Medtronic, TG4, The Ombudsman for Children’s Office, and the businesses and venues of Galway City. Baboró is funded by The Arts Council of Ireland and Galway City and County Councils.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Baboró International Arts Festival for Children will launch its programme in early September, at which time tickets will go on sale. For the latest programme announcements follow Baboró on social media or subscribe to their newsletter.

Newsletter: bit.ly/baboronews
Facebook: facebook.com/BaboroGalway
Instagram: @Baboro_Festival
Twitter: @BaboroGalway
Website: baboro.ie

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IdeasLab name ICTUS Medical and IRIS as Start100 winners for 2022

July 12, 2022

Celebrating student entrepreneurs Start100 showcase allows students to pitch investible ideas and innovations

 IdeasLab, the entrepreneurial and innovation hub at NUI Galway, has announced as the inaugural Start100 winners for 2022.

ICTUS Medical and IRIS were crowned the winners of the inaugural Start100 programme from NUI Galway’s IdeasLab.

ICTUS Medical received the overall award for Start100, with IRIS receiving the One to Watch award.

Nine teams of students presented at a special showcase event bringing their innovative ideas to a panel of judges from the worlds of academia, research, industry and enterprise after an intensive six-week programme hosted by IdeasLab.

IdeasLab launched their new student incubator programme, Start100 earlier this year. Start100 helps students with an early-stage concept to transform their ideas into potentially investible innovations.

The Start100 programme provides physical space, key networking opportunities, expert mentorship from alumni and enterprise, as well as a support fund of over €40,000. Students have access to funds to research and develop their idea throughout the programme, and have the chance to win a final event prize fund.

ICTUS Medical is spearheaded by Peter Best-Lydon, a Galway native and recent Biomedical Engineering graduate, and Ciarán McDermott, a final year student in Electronic Engineering. They are developing a painless monitoring device that empowers stroke survivors to take control of their health by detecting sleeping strokes.

“We are absolutely delighted to win. Start100 has been a massive help to us with all of the connections that we have made,” Peter Best-Lydon said. “There is a buzz every week in IdeasLab and it was great to get a sense of working in a start-up. We are really looking forward to making a significant impact to the patient.’’

The One to Watch prize was awarded to IRIS, which was co-founded by Keelan Rowley and Michael Dillon, both recent graduates of NUI Galway’s BSc in Project and Construction Management.

IRIS is a safety device that helps detect the presence of people and animals from machinery like Tractors, Diggers, Dumpers. A cost-effective device that saves lives and families. Winning this award will allow Michael and Keelan to focus on prototyping and validating their idea.

President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh launched the showcase event.

“At NUI Galway, our values – respect, openness, excellence and sustainability – are what define us and more importantly we strive to see them become not just words but actions and deeds. Supporting students on a journey of societal impact through enterprising ideas is part of that mission for the public good. It’s a great encouragement to see young people finding solutions to problems through innovation, ideas and solutions and also to see them being supported in that journey by our educators, our university community, and our civic and business networks,” Professor Ó hÓgartaigh said.

The difficult decision of selecting the most investable idea was made by a diverse judging panel representing some of Irelands best and brightest entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and academics. The panel for the final showcase included: Dr Helen McBreen, Partner Atlantic Bridge; Professor Michelle Millar, Dean of Students at NUI Galway; Dr Paul Dodd, Vice President Engagement, NUI Galway; Dr Vanessa Creaven Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Spotlight Oral Care; and Finn Hegarty, Co-Founder and Chief Procurement Officer at GloFox. 

Dr Natalie Walsh, Director of Entrepreneurial Development at NUI Galway, said: “In recent years, we have seen some fantastic student entrepreneurs create global businesses in the west of Ireland.  Through Start100 we now have a platform to support more students to achieve this type of success through the creation of commercial and social enterprises. Start100 is the first student incubator to launch in the University, designed with former and current students, our alumni and enterprise partners, we are incredibly proud to see Start100 come to life on our campus.”

A summary of nine projects showcased at the event included:

I Said Speak – An information awareness video that delves into Ireland’s drink culture among students

Receipt Relay – A customer insights software for retail and hospitality chains using point of sale and consumer app integrations

IRIS – A safety device that helps detect the presence of people and animals from farm machinery – saving lives and families

Matán Marketing – Digital marketing for gyms

Scrunch-UP – An anti-spike scrunchie for university students

ThoughtGarden – Self-administered CBT mobile game to reduce anxiety and depression

DataPals.io – A data-driven e-commerce agency that builds and optimises high-performance Shopify stores

Struts.app – An application that facilitates the remote capture of patient’s foot scan data using just a smart phone

ICTUS Medical – A painless monitoring device that empowers stroke survivors to take control of their health by detecting sleeping strokes

For more information check out

http://www.nuigalway.ie/Ideaslab

Or follow IdeasLab on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/nui-galway-ideaslab/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/IdeasLabNUIG

Instagram @IdeasLabNUIG

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About IdeasLab

IdeasLab at NUI Galway is an open collaborative environment for the campus community to explore and accelerate ideas.  Programmes are open to all students from any year or course. Whether meeting new people, developing skills, working to solve global challenges or setting up a business is your aim, IdeasLab is the place to start.

Start100 is funded by the Human Capital Initiative (Government of Ireland) and the European Institute of Technology HEI Initiative.

Start100 Media

Quotes

Helen McBreen – Judge from Atlantic Bridge – Quote on all Start100 presentations

Through Start100 the student teams gained the experience and tools needed to build a business and that came across in spades in their presentations. The passion that came across in all of the presentations was huge. The friends that the student teams have built by engaging with one another and networking is fantastic. The impact of all of the ideas was impressive, every team spoke about huge problems in their target markets and spoke with passion, like most entrepreneurs do. The Start100 teams had a great understanding of the problems in their target markets and the need to solve them. 

Helen McBreen quote on One to watch – IRIS

IRIS were our One to Watch in terms of the impact, the passion of their presentation, the teamwork involved throughout and the transformation from week one to week six of Start100

Helen McBreen quote on Overall Winners – ICTUS Medical

There is a huge market ahead for this winning team and their technology around stroke detection. It is very early days and there is a lot of road to go, there is going to be a lot of head winds, a lot of tail winds and challenges but this team clearly presented and demonstrated how they progressed over the 6 week Start100 programme. ICTUS Medical presented a clear plan for the years ahead and the work that they will have to do to bring their technology into the stroke market was very impressive.

Vanessa Creaven – Spotlight Oral Care – Judge – On both winning teams

In the overall competition the winning team really stood out in terms of their passion and ingenuity. ICTUS Medical have a huge opportunity to make a real difference on an individual patient level but also on the healthcare service as a whole.  They presented a very structured and thoughtful plan and were seriously impressive Start100 participants. Both ICTUS Medical, as overall winners and ‘One to Watch’ IRIS were really patient focussed and would make a huge difference to the quality of life of patients.

President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh on Start100

At NUI Galway, our values – respect, openness, excellence and sustainability – are what define us and more importantly we strive to see them become not just words but actions and deeds. Supporting students on a journey of societal impact through enterprising ideas is part of that mission for the public good. It’s a great encouragement to see young people finding solutions to problems through innovation, ideas and solutions and also to see them being supported in that journey by our educators, our university community, and our civic and business networks

Natalie Walsh IdeasLab quote on Start100

In recent years, we have seen some fantastic student entrepreneurs create global businesses in the west of Ireland.  Through Start100 we now have a platform to support more students to achieve this type of success through the creation of commercial and social enterprises. Start100 is the first student incubator to launch in the University, designed with former and current students, our alumni and enterprise partners, we are incredibly proud to see Start100 come to life on our campus.

Peter Best-Lydon of overall winning team ICTUS Medical

Absolutely delighted to win. Start100 has been a massive help to us with all of the connections that we have made. There is a buzz every week in IdeasLab and it was great to get a sense of working in a start-up. We are really looking forward to making a significant impact to the patient.

IRIS – One to Watch

Michael Dillon

Start100 was a great programme. We really learned a lot and the lecturers that came in provided us with great insider information and helped us plan how we will expand our business. This prize really means a lot and will help us towards prototyping and field testing our design.

Keelan Rowley

Start100 has been critical in the development of our product. From the very beginning we were mentored throughout the entire process of the 6 week programme. We had brilliant tutors and lecturers. Winning this prize will be very important for our prototyping and validating the solution we have developed.

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Laughing all the way to The Kings Head

July 12, 2022

The biggest laughs in the littlest room

The most intimate Festival comedy at its best will happen at The Kings Head this July! The Kings Head has been a venue for lunchtime Comedy during GIAF for over 25 years. This July you can catch some of Ireland’s best Comedians up close and personal in the intimate surrounds of The Ruby Room on the top floor of the 800-year-old Kings Head.

For many it’s a Festival within a Festival, with a different line up each day, it’s a rare chance to catch these stadium style comics in such an intimate setting. All this under the tutelage of host and MC Gerry Mallon.

No pre planning or booking, The Laughter Loft at the Ruby Room for Galway International Arts Festival is what Galway festivals are all about. Spontaneity and fun.

Enjoy the comedy styling of top acts including Foil Arms and Hog, Deirdre O’Kane, Neil Delamere, Emma Doran, Colm O’Regan, Martin ‘Beanz’ Warde, Sinéad Quinlan, Shrinidhi Kalwad and many more. Shows take place daily from Monday 11th to Sunday 24th July. Doors open at 12:30pm with all shows starting at 1pm.

There is no pre booking, first come first served with Tickets available on the door only. For all things The Kings Head check out www.thekingshead.ie, www.giaf.ie or get social @TheKingsHead.

-ends-

Here is the Full Laughter Loft Lineup:

Monday July 11th: Karl Spain

Tuesday July 12th: John Colleary

Wednesday July 13th: Foil Arms and Hog , 2 shows 1pm and 3pm .

Thursday July 14th: Foil Arms and Hog , 2 shows, 1pm and 3pm .

Friday July 15th: Joe Rooney

Saturday July 16th: Emma Doran and Shrinidi Kalwad

Sunday July 17th: Patrick McDonnell

Monday July 18th: Kevin Gildea.

Tuesday July 19th: Neil Delamere

Wednesday July 20th: Danny O Brien,

Thursday July 21st: Sinead Quinlan and Ian Burke.

Friday July 22nd: Colm O Regan.

Saturday July 23rd: Martin ‘ Beanz ‘ Warde and Paul David Murphy.

Sunday July 24th: Deirdre O Kane

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BLUE TEAPOT SHINE A LIGHT ON DEBUT PLAYWRIGHT WITH

July 12, 2022

INTO THE DARK WOODS

The award-winning Blue Teapot Theatre Company makes a welcome return to the stage this September with the world premiere of ‘Into The Dark Woods’ at Galway’s Black Box Theatre. Written by debut playwright Charlene Kelly, Into The Dark Woods is a story told through the lens of intellectual disability, drawing on archetypes found in fairytale and nature and features an inclusive cast.

Blue Teapot have worked towards a strategic ambition to stage a theatre production written by an artist from within the company. Charlene Kelly’s play emerged from a series of creative writing initiatives with dramaturg Eileen Gibbons, leading to collaboration with the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre, as co-producer.

Directed by Petal Pilley, the play tells the story of a Prince tired of being controlled by his father. Heartbroken he runs away, into the woods. Cold and alone he calls out for help. A girl, also lost, is charmed into leaving a safe and familiar path. Hunted by darkness, their way out is uncertain.

Into The Dark Woods runs from Wednesday 14th until Saturday 17 September in the Black Box Theatre, Galway at 8pm with additional day time shows on Friday 16 September at 11am and Saturday 17 September at 3pm.  The show is suitable for adults and children aged 10+ years.

A Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture Commission. Tickets for Into The Dark Woods are available online via www.tht.ie and from Town Hall Theatre Box Office 091 569777. For more on the company visit http://blueteapot.ie/

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Slow Cabins®  launches its first off grid cabin experiences at ‘secret’ Irish locations

July 12, 2022

The eco hospitality brand invites you to take a digital detox & escape hectic working life for a few days

Post pandemic, we have rediscovered the charm and benefits of nature in our own country. Slow Cabins have been recognising the need to slow down since 2017 and is now launching its first locations in Ireland to cater for growing demand.

The company designs and places off grid cabins at secluded secret locations in nature, all within a 2.5 hour drive of major European city hubs. The concept revolves around an eco-friendly ‘low impact’ stay at a secret location not too far from home. Take a break without (choice) stress, complexity and long travel times. The escape, designed for 1-2 people encourages full attention on living ‘the slow life’.

This summer, from August 1st, Slow Cabin’s first secret Irish location will launch with bookings now open. So, the question that everyone wonders? Where am I going?! Clients book without knowing the exact location of the cabin, letting the company take the ‘stress of the choice’ out of your hands. Then within two weeks of the trip, you’re provided with coordinates of the exact cabin location . Even when you arrive, you’ll park a short distance away and hike to discover your cabin, so come prepared!

So what can you expect? The cabins are sustainable by necessity, and encourage time to reconnect with each other and with the environment around you. Each Slow Cabin brings the outside in, equipped with a queen size bed and crisp white linen. There’s also a large log burner to keep you warm and cosy on rainy Irish days. This is all framed by large panoramic windows for full contact with the great outdoors. They’re each clad in shou sugi ban (Japanese charred wood) cladding, helping the cabins nestle neatly into their environment. Outside when the sun is shining, expect beautiful countryside, private space for a fire pit and grill and seats to watch the world go by.

“Recent European studies show that our resilience improves and stress levels decrease by up to 70% after a stay in nature. Getting away from it all brings peace, energy and a sense of perspective. And that’s where Slow Cabins have an interesting role to play in a fast ‘always-on’ society”, says Slow Cabins Ireland Director, Matthew Parkinson.

It is the complete return to nature, off grid living and to the simple draws of our physiology. Nature is healing. Moving away from the rush and fast pace of everyday life so you can completely switch off. This could be through hiking, cycling or enjoying some superb local food. On your stay you’re equipped with everything you need and nothing you don’t.

Slow Cabins are powered by nature’s resources-  through sunlight and water. When you arrive, you’ll have a charged battery, as well as a full tank of filtered rainwater. This allows you to live simply and self-sufficiently and with minimal impact. This is intentional and  comes back to their model of regenerative eco-hospitality. The goal –  to help sustain and improve a place through giving  back to local biodiversity projects at a host site. Slow Cabins even provide tips on how to manage your energy throughout and after your stay. It can take a little bit of a mindset shift but totally worth it! 

There is strict quality criteria in identifying and selecting a site for cabins. This includes a thorough impact assessment to ensure they’re working with the environment rather than against it. There will only ever be a few Slow Cabins at any given location. This ensures peacefulness and privacy for guests and respect for nature. Once there, guests will also receive all kinds of insider tips about the area to enjoy the locality as it is and should be.  A guilt free, thoughtful, stay in nature. 

(Slow Cabins Ireland have opened their bookings for 2022)

For more information check out www.slowcabins.ie.

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A Raven’ Street Feast for Galways westend

July 12, 2022

August Bank Holiday Weekend return for community based get together

The Galways westend Street Feastival is back on Sunday 31st July on Ravens Terrace. The fifth Westend Street Feastival is resuming after a short break* of two years and the ethos and the vibe is that of community, great local food and enjoying time together.

The area which is known for its food, nightlife and café culture is pulling out all the stops with a stellar food and drinks line up as well live music with the addition of a family face painting station.

Ravens Terrace will be pedestrianised from 12 noon and will be transformed into an outdoor dining plaza. The neighbourhood’s commitment to green is to the fore of the festival with a partnership with Walsh Waste ensuring that there is no trace and that all waste created is recycled and composted correctly.

Bring your appetite as the food vendor line up includes, Botown Burgers, Hooked on Henry Street, Murphys Ice Cream, Alainn, Space Cowboys Tacos, Handsome Burger, Ember Firehouse, An Tobar Nua, Tartare, Danny Donuts and Sweet Dreams confectionery. Drinks and the rest will be available from the Salthouse, McGuire’s Daybreak and Gourmet Tart.

The Street Feastival will run from 12 noon until 6pm and is weather dependent of course, it is wheelchair accessible and there will be live music happening throughout the day.

For all things Galways westend check out www.galwayswestend.ie and of course on Social channels.

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Connection, Compassion and adventure in Finding Victoria

June 27, 2022

New Book to help when things don’t go according to plan

Parenting small children can be challenging at the best of times. There are hundreds of books out there listing things for parents to do, but what happens when you’re in the real world, and things don’t go as planned?

Finding Victoria is Peter Pan meets Mary Poppins…with the science. This book written by Kristin Ruane (who is from New Jersey but has been living and working in Galway for the past eight years) is a training guide to the science of Applied Behavior Analysis written as a novel. The idea is to bring some awareness of the science to parents in an accessible, yet enticing way, by adding context to the lessons through relatable characters, and unexpected plot twists.

Finding Victoria is a book for anyone who enjoys a story about connection, compassion, adventure, and magic! The story follows Victoria, an adorable, yet stubborn child who meets her match when her mother, Valerie, decides to call a behavior analyst. Kay is an experienced therapist who has been working with families for years, but she’s never met a girl quite like Victoria. Kay works hard to untangle some of her challenging behaviors, and to teach Victoria her most hated task – writing. Therapy takes a sudden turn when Kay immerses herself in Victoria’s play world and discovers her secret – she’s magic.

The book is for parents, teachers, behaviour analysts, psychologists, and pretty much anyone who knows children.

“For a long time, I wrote fairytales. It never occurred to me to write about what I did for a living, until one day, I was talking with a parent that I was working with, and she told me, “You need to write about this!” It was then that I realised I could combine my love of writing fairytales with my love of psychology, teaching and behaviour analysis. I’m hoping the book will help to increase awareness of the field of ABA, and offer support to parents that need it,” explained Kristin.

“This book is a great example of how to humanize the science of behavior and allow the general public to appreciate what wonders it can do for us. Kristin Ruane perfectly blends scientific knowledge and years of experience of its application to solving human problems with a deep sense of compassion and empathy for her subject and packages this in a beautifully-written story of progress and hope. Thoroughly recommended!” Dr. Ian Stewart NUIG.

“As the mother of an energetic four-year-old, I found this book to be incredibly valuable in learning how to manage my son’s tantrums and to help improve his listening skills. It is written in a way that is both engaging and informative, making it a worthy use of any busy parent’s time.” Megan Gibbons, Mother.

Practical, insightful, compassionate – a lifeline for the modern family.” Niamh O’Regan, Mother.

“I’m fascinated by connection, it’s why my research was what it was, and it’s why I’ve written this book. The world has changed so much, and I think we’re unaware of how much we’re disconnecting from each other, and ourselves. We probably all have a lot to learn about why we do the things we do, and if we’re honest with ourselves, we probably all need a little hope and magic in our lives, too,” Kristin said.

People can support the project by pre-ordering a book from the Kickstarter website. The books are offered at a discounted price on Kickstarter (€15/€18) retail price is €20.

For now, you can find the book at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/findingvictoria/finding-victoria , or on Instagram @kristinruane, or @princesscottonfairy. The hope is that it will be available at all of the local book shops.

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MACNAS BRASS AND WIND WORKSHOPS

June 27, 2022

Macnas are starting a spectacle music troupe lead by Matthew Berrill, brass/wind musical wizard!  If you are a  brass/wind musician who has an interest in improvisation, experimental sounds, performance, and play and is excited about being part of outdoor spectacular events then come join their weekly workshops happening in September 2022.

Brass has been an integral soundscape within  Macnas’ epic works over the last decade and as part of their ongoing artistic program they are excited to work with the next generation of musicians for spectacle Theatre.

Open to musicians 14 – 20yrs

How to get involved:

Email victoria@macnas.com with an expression of interest, let us know what instrument you play and how many years you are playing. There is more info here https://www.macnas.com/works/macnas-spectacle-youth-theatre. 

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One Hub for Ukraine essential donations to open at Galway Race course

March 2, 2022

Volunteers and Essential Items urgently needed for the people of the Ukraine

From Friday 4th March, A centralised Galway Hub for Ukraine essential item donations will open. Galway Race Course Director Michael Moloney has offered up the space after Smakoteka Galway owner Kasia was inundated with donations this past week.

Today, Thursday the first truck is heading to Poland from Galway with essential items donated from people across Galway. On Friday next 11th March another truck will leave Galway for Poland. Donations are appreciated but only essential listed items which can be found on the Smakoteka Galway Facebook Page.  

Volunteers are being sought to help out here in Galway with this humanitarian crisis and people can get in contact with Donnacha at Volunteer Galway if they can give their time to this.

If you can volunteer contact https://volunteergalway.ie/ or ukrainesupport@volunteergalway.ie  To see what you can donate check out https://www.facebook.com/smakoteka.galway

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O’Connell’s Galway release Signature Cask Whiskey

January 27, 2022

50 bottles to go on sale this Friday 28 January 2022

O’Connells in Eyre Square in Galway City are exclusively releasing their Powers 12-year-old Single Cask Whiskey.

The journey to here was born out of a natural opportunity, when O’Connells after many visits (to Midleton Distillery Cork, the home of Irish Whiskey) had access to the best of casks stored in the warehouses. This led to the selection process of finding the O’Connells Cask.

200 years of expertise means the people in Midleton know all there is to know about creating some of the best whiskey Ireland has. With their help and guidance O’Connells have chosen a wonderful example of Pot Still Irish Whiskey.

“We managed to whittle down the final line up to 5 whiskeys from 5 single casks. These casks were all over 12 years ago, some even longer. For our final tasting and selection day, we came back to our bar off Eyre Square, our choice of cask was fairly unanimous,” explained Paul Flanagan of O’Connells.

This cask was originally laid down to mature on the grounds of Midleton in 2007, released and bottled in 2021 and now available in 2022.  

Tasting Notes on the Whiskey:

The whiskey starts to introduce itself straight out of the glass. Toasted oak, sweetness of toffee and caramel along with the subtleness of fig on the nose. A great intro into what’s to come. The first taste has a silky texture with spices coming in gently at first then gradually building up. Touches of dark chocolate, roasted coffee beans and nuttiness hit the taste buds. On the finish the oak notes slowly fade allowing the sweet and nutty tones to linger until the end.

O’Connells Powers 12-year-old Single Cask Release (€295) is available to buy from the bar in Eyre Square from 1pm on Friday 28 January 2022. For more information pop into the bar or connect with O’Connells Galway on Instagram and at https://www.facebook.com/OConnellsGalway.

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Can It! Fishmongers turned Tinmongers

January 20, 2022


Ireland’s busiest online Fishmongers gets canned


Covid, Lockdown and Hungry fishmongers has led to the beginning of a new way to eat the best of fish here in Ireland, www.fishtins.com. The online fish tin shop is introducing Ireland to a growing selection of some of the oldest traditional and world most famous canneries from Pointe de Penmarch (1920 ) in Brittany, Pollastrini (1889) in Italy, Olasagasti and Agromar in Cantabria Spain, Conservas Norte in Portugal, La Brujula from Galicia or El Capricho overall Winner at “The world 101 best canned products of the world.

The business idea was born during the first Lockdown of 2020, when most of the country was at home, the people at www.eatmorefish.ie were busy filleting, packing, providing an essential fish supply to thousands homes countrywide.

Long hours, hard work and empty stomachs, they began rooting and looting their own store for healthy lunch options and eating the few fish tins selection. “As lockdown went on, we began craving more variety and started trawling the internet for alternative fish tins. So many species, flavours, producers… and unique designs… We wanted them all, and our tins collection started growing bigger and bigger,“explains Stefan Griesbach.

With the growing collection of fish tins, an idea of business was born. Fishtins.com is a partnership between Vincent Corrigan and Stefan Griesbach, who are the men behind the successful online fish market www.Eatmorefish.ie.

With a passion for Fish, Seafood, Gastronomy, Parisian born Stefan is the founder of Gannet Fishmongers in Galway with over 30 years seafood expertise whilst Long Island born ex chef and sea angler Vincent are a well-appointed mix of talents.

Fish canning started 150 years ago to preserve perishable foods, long before the introduction of artificial flavourings, food preservatives and wasteful packaging (#noplastic) (#100%recyclable)

Like good Wine, quality fish tins get even tastier as they age. Fish tins are packed with Proteins, essential oils and other nutrients so offer a really simple and tasty way to eat more healthily.

“Frigate Tuna, Skipjack Tuna, Albacore tuna, Blue fin, Bigeye or Yellowfin Tuna … Not every Tuna tastes the same,” says Vincent. “Some of our everyday Tuna tins are perfect for a quick pescatarian office lunch, but others are so exceptional they deserve to be opened as a special moment. Wait till you taste some of our Cantabrian anchovies or pickled Galician mussels” adds Stefan.

To see the full collection of Fish Tins simply check out www.Fishtins.com and order yours directly to your door.