DANCING THE JIVE

Dance away those winter blues with Danny Mulhern’s jive classes. Dancing is a fabulous way of keeping fit and having fun and these sessions are a great way to socialise and have a bit of craic too. Dancing is becoming more and more popular with both men and women and all ages can enjoy it. Danny Mulhern’s passion for dance is well known throughout the peninsula and he is looking forward to sharing this with Inishowen. “You don’t have to be an experienced dancer to come to these classes, or even have a partner” Danny explains, “Any-body can do it. Complete beginners are usually jiving away within two weeks.”

Danny has been dancing since he was thirteen and absolutely loves it. “It is one of the most underrated activities and it has so many benefits.” He declares. “You can express yourself through dance which builds confidence and regular classes also improve energy levels. What’s more, dancing is great for releasing stress, it can help you lose weight, it improves all round fitness and creates the feel good factor,” he continues.

Danny keeps up with all the current trends in dance by regularly attending national seminars and workshops and is well qualified to share his expertise.

Classes are taking place in the Plaza in Buncrana on Mondays (8pm) at the Market House in Clonmany on Tuesdays (8pm) and in Foody’s Lodge in Quigleys Point (to be confimed) (7.30pm). With Classes only €6 and discounts for group bookings, this is great news in this day and age when we are all looking for an inexpensive way to combine socialising, fitness, fun and feeling good!

For more detail you can contact Danny on: 086 8837806

DON'T DESPAIR - REPAIR

Use it up, wear it out and make it do. It is how our grandparents survived and with the economy going downhill and the recession taking its toll, we all have to tighten our belts and start practising to live more carefully. It is time to add a new R to the ‘Reduce, Re-use and Recycle’ motto - nowadays intelligent consumers also need to Repair.

In the boom times our culture moved into ‘buy cheap and throw away’, maybe because our parents had known difficult times in the past. As cheaply priced (and cheaply made) goods flooded the shops, it made more sense to buy a new toaster rather than fix the old one, to get a new coat rather than sew up the torn one.

Now, as we need to practise new ways to budget, it is time to shift our mentality again and start thinking about mending and repairing items instead of throwing them away. Learning some DIY in sewing, car repairs and gardening is a start and using local businesses for more tricky jobs supports your friends and neighbours and keeps money moving in the local economy. Spending a bit of time and effort on re-vamping an old piece of furniture can be satisfying as well as cost-effective. Getting your favourite boots resoled and re-heeled is cheap in comparison to buying new shoes and spending a bit of time with some cleaning products and a needle can tidy up a much-loved dress.

If you haven’t got the necessary skills there are numerous electricians, plumbers, cleaners, carpenters, cobblers and other experts in Inishowen who are just waiting to help you by getting your belongings into a good state of repair. Not only will you save money, you will also save yourself the misery of trying to find a suitable replacement for your favorite piece of clothing or home decor!

Plumbing Repairs
Plumbing is one of those jobs where if you don’t know what you are doing it really is best to call in an expert. One local Inishowen man recently tried to fix the seal between his toilet and the floor himself and ended up with his toilet bowl in two pieces. Local plumber, Kevin Callaghan is the man to call on 086 4060594 if you need any plumbing jobs doing around the house. Preventative maintenance and small jobs are important to keep a house in good order. A single constant drip of water coming from a corroded pipe in through the roof will eventually do so much damage that the whole ceiling might need replacing. Pipe work needs to be checked often, especially in this cold weather. Leaking toilets can waste a lot of water. Kevin can repair your cylinders and boilers quickly and efficiently as well as installing taps, toilets, wash hand basins and even the kitchen sink.

The Shower Man
Having showers instead of a bath saves heating costs as well as time. A short shower in the morning can wake you up and get you ready to face the day. If your shower starts to play up, it is cost-effective to get it fixed asap. The Shower Man will respond quickly to your call, usually fixing your shower in one visit. Under the leadership of Brian Gillespie, The Shower Man has a well-earned reputation for reliability and professional excellence. So if your mains pressure is poor, you need to replace a unit or your storage tank needs cleaning then call in The Shower Man. As approved service agent for the most popular bathroom makes, they will soon sort you out.


CLAIMS4U
If your property or belongings have been damaged by fire, oil leaks,chimney fire,burst pipes, or for any other reason, you might have to put in an insurance claim. Claims4U are a professional loss assessor, who will make your home insurance claims easy. Totally independent from the insurance companies, Claims4U can assess the cost of repairing the damage and replacing your property. They also negotiate with the insurance company for you, taking all the stress out of the process and helping you get the best settlement deals available.

OIL RIG TRAINING

Effective Offshore Training

With many local people looking for different work opportunities, two Letterkenny brothers might just have the answer they need. Khris and Frankie Veldman have opened a new training and recruitment centre, (Feidhm Mara Teoranta) to prepare people for work in the developing offshore oil and gas industry. To get a job offshore, workers need specific training before they can be considered and this is one of the areas where the first Irish offshore training centre can help. Feidhm Mara Teoranta based in Falcarragh provides the Basic Offshore Survival Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET) course as well as training for delegates to work on the drill floor.

There are lots of job opportunities available in the industry including work for painters, labourers, cooks, crane operators, mechanics, electricians, carpenters, welders, banksmen, plumbers and maintenance engineers but you would need to have your certificate before you would be considered for the position. The brothers also run a recruitment division to help people find offshore jobs. With their experience of what the industry needs as well as their contacts, the recruitment division will actively search for the best offshore work available.

Enrolment is now being taken for the three-day health and safety course in March and Khris recommends people to book early, as many of the available positions need to be filled as soon as possible. They can be contacted on (00353) 74 9135999 or check out their website

5 MINUTES WITH - SHANE CANNING

Shane Canning was born in Moville and has just returned there after graduating from Liverpool University with a BSc combined honours degree in Sport and Health Studies. He is a keen football player and is a football coach. He has also completed a qualification in Personal Training. This is the area where Shane is concentrating his energy and he has just set up his new business SC Health and Fitness, based in Moville. His company is unique for Inishowen as Shane comes to his customers’ home to set up individual exercise plans for his client and helps them keep on track throughout the process. The idea is great, especially for people who wouldn’t be comfortable in a gym, or if there are travelling or mobility problems or simply for people who are short on time. Shane is also running an 8-week circuit-training course from his base in the Moville Celtic Clubhouse. If you would like any more information about the services Shane is providing, you can ring him on 086 3481087 or 074 9382171


What music are you listening to at the moment?
I pretty much like all genres. I absolutely love the Kings Of Leon at the moment though. My brother put them on to me a few years ago and they just keep getting better.

What book are you reading?
I am not a big fan of reading; I don’t really have the time for it. I will breeze through the TV guide though.

What was your favourite childhood game?
I have been really obsessed with football since I have been able to kick one. So I would have to say that if it looked like a football I would be playing with it….

Have you been to the cinema recently, what did you see and was it any good?
I went to see Yes Man, an enjoyable, but formulaic romantic comedy about a man who says yes to everything for a whole year. I am not a big fan of Jim Carey but I though it was very funny.

What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
The back pages to see what the report is of our match (Moville Celtic) at the weekend.

What would you never throw away?
Photographs. They are brilliant to look back on years after they have been taken.

Most embarrassing moment of your life?
On my first day at university, there were 500 people standing and waiting to get their student card photographs. When it was my turn, I went to sit down, missed the seat and fell into a heap on the floor….. Good start….

Favourite TV programme?
All cooking programmes. I particularly enjoy Heston Blumenthol, the chef/scientist. He experiments with slow food cooking and aerating chocolate soufflés in a vacuum to make the bubbles bigger. He will also travel the world to get certain ingredients for a meal and buy and feed a live chicken for a few weeks before he eats it.

What job did you want to do when you were a child?
This is very predictable for me…I wanted to play for Manchester United. I wanted to be a defender

Where was your best holiday and what made it special?
I went to America for the summer after I finished secondary school. I found it amazing to see how differently the Americans lived and it gave me a chance to see more of the world.

What famous people would you invite around for dinner and why?
Three chefs: Gordon Ramsey, Jamie Oliver and Heston Blumentol so they could all cook….

What do you do for a special treat?
My girlfriend and I really enjoy going away for the weekend.

Favourite animal?
Invisible ones. I am not a big fan of animals.

Biggest thrill?
Going fast (responsibly of course) and I have always fancied bungee jumping or sky diving… I will have to put that on my list of things to do.

Biggest Challenge?
Setting up my personal training business. I have had some great support though from family and the Inishowen Partnership.

What was the best present you ever got?
Money is always a good one.

What was the last thing you bought just for yourself?
A simple pair of trainers, nothing special.

What charity would you support?
I donate to the Foyle Hospice when I can. It’s such a worthy cause.

The world’s most irritating/most useful invention?
The mobile phone can pass for both. It’s good for keeping in touch with clients, but can ring at some very inconvenient moments.

Favourite past-time?
Playing football, especially for my team. I have played for a long time. I started off in the Inishowen Ulster Schoolboys and went to the senior team at 15.

Which period in history would you most like to have lived through?
I like the glitz and glamour of the 1970’s

What do you have for breakfast?
I tend to keep things simple. This morning I had Weetabix, orange juice and an Actimel.

What was your first paid job?
I worked for the Centra shop in Moville when I was younger, that’s where I got my first real pay packet… I can’t remember how much it was now…

Worst household chore?
That would be an outside job… weeding. I don’t like that at all.

Personal philosophy?
Be yourself.

IN BRIEF....

Sunny frm the new Pagoda take away in Muff tests the kilns...

Francis O'Donnell retires from Cockhill church after 37 years....

Water pump damage leaves families without water...

Illegal dumping in the church skip

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 42

The Preacher and the Farmer

An old hill farmer trudged several miles through the freezing snow to his local and very remote chapel for Sunday service. No-one else was there, apart from the priest.
"I'm not sure it's worth proceeding with the service - might we do better to go back to our warm homes and a hot drink?.." asks the clergyman, inviting a mutually helpful reaction from his audience of one.

"Well, I'm just a simple farmer," says the old farmer, "But when I go to feed my herd, and if only one beast turns up, I don't leave it hungry."

So the priest, feeling somewhat ashamed, delivers his service - all the bells and whistles, hymns and readings. The service lasted a good couple of hours – and the priest finished proudly with the fresh observation that no matter how small the need, our duty remains. And he thanked the old farmer for the lesson he had learned.

As the two men set off for home through the snow, the priest looks at the farmer. "Was that okay?" he asks him.

"Well I'm just a simple farmer," says the old crofter, "But when I go to feed my herd, and if only one beast turns up, I sure don't force it to eat what I brought for the whole herd..."

From which we see the extra lesson, that while our duty remains regardless of the level of need, we have the additional responsibility to ensure that we adapt our delivery (of whatever is our stock in trade) according to the requirements of our audience

NEDS POINT FORT AND THE DONEGAL SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM