Galway Advertiser 2003/2003_09_25/GA_25092003_E1_014.pdf 

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Getting to know George B e r n a r d Shaw
George B e r n a r d Shaw, the legendary Augusta Gregory, folklorist a n d writer, she asked him for some help with the others he gave her, with typical Shavian It was in fact a p l a y : The Shewing-Up of Blanco Posnet, b a n n e d by the B r i t i s h L o r d Chamberlain as "blasphemous". But even in those pre-1916 days, the jurisdiction of the Lord Chamberlain's office did not extend to I r e l a n d . T h e A b b e y T h e a t r e immediately began to rehearse the play. When Dublin Castle insisted it w a s not p e r f o r m e d , a n d L a d y Gregory and Yeats insisted that it would be, there was an almighty row. Dublin buzzed with rumours that if the play was performed the Abbey would be closed down by f o r c e . T h i s w a s p u b l i c i t y that m o n e y c o u l d not buy! T h e play opened to a packed house, but the real d r a m a was w o n d e r i n g w h a t D u b l i n C a s t l e would d o . In the event, it did nothing; and there was warm acclaim for Lady Gregory and the Abbey Theatre who it was felt had won a momentous victory. Even Padraic Pearse praised her "for making a fight for Irish freedom from an English censorship". Irish playwright, music critic, a n d political pamphleteer, a n d Lady were great friends. He admired her tremendously, a n d when in 1909 fledgling Abbey Theatre, which she co-founded with VVB Yeats a n d humour, something he said which was better than money.

Massive sale to celebrate N17 superstore expansion
BY UNA SINNOTT THE N17 Superstore is set to become the largest store in Galway city with the opening of its new 5,000 square feet extension this evening. The new extension brings the size of the store to 35,000 square feet, and provides frontage onto the Headford road. Mayor of Galway Terry O'Flaherty will officially open the new 2 million extension at 5pm this evening, and a massive give-away sale will take place at the Terryland premises this weekend to celebrate the expansion. 'We are having a massive give-away weekend sale," N17 owner Tom Naughton told the Galway Advertiser. "We would like to thank the people of Galway for their support, and this is a sign of our commitment to our customers on price, quality, and service." The Galway-owned N17 Superstore opened its first branch in Milltown in 1998, where the flagship store has grown to be one of the biggest retail outlets in the country. N17 bought its Terryland premises in 2001 from Craughwell Electric, and has since expanded three-fold to offer vast ranges of furniture, lighting, curtains, linen, and electrical goods. The new extension has allowed the company to take on an additional 15 people, bringing the workforce at the N17's two stores to more than 50 employees.

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'THICK WITH GOODWILL'

IN TEXAS

It took Michael Holroyd 15 years When George Bernard Shaw died to write the widely acknowledged in 1950 he left a formidable volume " b r i l l i a n t " four v o l u m e life of of work including more than 5 0 Shaw, despite his subject being the plays, collected writings amounting most infuriating and forbidding to more than 40 volumes, and vast figure in modern literature. Holroyd p i l e s of u n c o l l e c t e d p a p e r s . He presents this remarkable Dubliner wrote 10 letters every day of his with great skill and humour and adult life and all his correspondents a b o v e all in c l e a r , e n t e r t a i n i n g k e p t his l e t t e r s . In u n i v e r s i t i e s l a n g u a g e . P a r t of H o l r o y d ' s throughout the English speaking success as a writer is that despite world there are huge deposits of his his g r e a t s c h o l a r s h i p he d o e s n ' t works, commentaries, and write in academic gobbledegook u n p u b l i s h e d p a p e r s . It was long Holroyd, whose grandmother came c o n s i d e r e d a t a s k of H e r c u l e a n from County Cork, came to Dublin magnitude to write the life of the to begin his research in 1975 and great man, who died in his 94th year lived near Synge Street where Shaw following a fall from an apple tree w a s b o r n . He s o o n fell into the he was pruning in his garden at Ayot c o m p a n y of I r i s h w r i t e r s a n d St L a w r e n c e . He e n d o w e d the describes their many meetings as National Gallery of Ireland in his "having an atmosphere thick with will, a legacy much enhanced by the goodwill". Once on the Shaw paper royalties from My Fair Lady. He trail, he travelled from university to left a s u b s t a n t i a l sum for the u n i v e r s i t y l o o k i n g for material creation of a new English alphabet Surprisingly the life of an academic of at least 4 0 l e t t e r s , yet to b e is not as genteel as I imagined. On claimed. Shaw was a frequent visitor to arrival at the University of Texas at Lady G r e g o r y ' s h o m e at C o o l e There were a number of possible Austin, Holroyd was to experience Park, near Gort, Co Galway. There b i o g r a p h e r s c a p a b l e of w r i t i n g Professor's Dan's humiliation and are photographs of him arriving in Shaw's life, perhaps the strongest rejection eyeball to eyeball. D a n his car piled high with trunks and c o n t e n d e r w a s the A m e r i c a n swept the nervous Holroyd into a suitcases. Her grandchildren, Anne professor Dan H Laurence, widely soundproof room and for m o r e and Catherine, loved his visits as he c o n s i d e r e d the w o r l d ' s g r e a t e s t than 30 minutes raged and fumed p l a y e d g a m e s with t h e m in the a u t h o r i t y on the Irish writer. that the authorised biography was library before they went to bed. Laurence had dedicated most of his handed to s o m e o n e " w h o k n o w s T h e i r f a v o u r i t e was ' H u n t the life to s t u d y i n g Shaw, and had bloody nothing about Shaw". The thimble' and he would amaze them published several important studies agonised shouting and raving left by a l w a y s finding the t h i m b l e which would include a four volume Holroyd shell shocked and drained. incredibly quickly. Such was the collection of letters and the standard Suddenly Dan invited him back to speed with which he pounced on the b i b l i o g r a p h y of all his w o r k s . his apartment encased with books thimble that they became suspicious However, probably to everyone's by and about Shaw. At the switch of and to their horror, they spotted him surprise, the Shaw Trust invited a b u t t o n he c o u l d flash S h a w ' s cheating. Instead of covering his Michael Holroyd to undertake the words on to a screen, a device he face with his hands he would peep task. Holroyd, who had written the could also operate lying down. In out to see where it was hidden. The life of the writer Lytton Strachey the years that followed when Dan's girls' sense of justice was offended and was in the middle of the life of works on Shaw appeared, Holroyd a n d t h e y d e c i d e d t o tell t h e i r the artist Augustus John ( both men always acknowledged their value grandmother that their visitor was a were contemporaries of Shaw ), told and reviewed them favourably. No c h e a t . To t h e i r s u r p r i s e Lady the Trust that h e ' d love to do the such reciprocal praise was Gregory laughed "til the tears fell biography but couldn't touch it until forthcoming from Dan when the down on to her lap" During World he w a s f i n i s h e d all his c u r r e n t Holroyd biography appeared from War 1, food was rationed and the undertakings. To his surprise the 1988 to 1992 family agreed that each person had Shaw Trust said they were perfectly to decide whether to have butter or happy about the delay. Michael Holroyd will address j a m on bread. No one could have I can only imagine how these the n i n t h A u t u m n G a t h e r i n g at both together. Again the girls were pleasant comings and goings, all Coole Park this weekend, an annual astounded to see Shaw butter one fully reported in the newspapers in event held in acknowledgement of side of his bread, and then, when he 1970, affected poor Dan. He was Lady Augusta Gregory's thought no one was looking, turn it understandably furious. He must contribution to the Irish literary over and put jam on the other side. have wondered who this revival in the early decades of the whippersnapper was to snatch such last century. a prize from his grasp. The two men Ronnie O ' G o r m a n were to have an emotional, verbal r o g o r m a n @ galway ad vertiser.ie shoot-out in Texas some time later.

Loughrea and Tuam top of the test centres
BY UNA S I N N O T T EAST GALWAY motorists planning to take the driving test can now avail of the shortest average waiting time the country, which stands at 25 weeks in the Loughrea test centre. stand a 61.9 per cent chance L o u g h r e a drivers will of passing. In Clifden a 33 have a 61.9 per cent chance week wait has a 61.1 per of passing after their wait, cent chance of ending in according to figures released success. by the Department of Meanwhile Macra na Transport. Feirme has hit out at the Those who don't mind long waiting times for waiting a few more week to drivers wishing to sit the improve their chances of test, claiming that delays are securing a pass will most costing drivers 30 million likely flock to Tuam, which over the average waiting now boasts the second time of nine months in highest pass rate in the higher insurance premiums. country. Some 66.9 per cent "It's unbelievable that this of drivers received a pass Minister [for Transport, grade after waiting an Seamus Brennan] is talking average of 28 weeks in about expanding the length Tuam last year, well above and complexity of the the national average of 55.4 driving test while the per cent and slightly behind waiting list is getting longer the whopping 69.5 per cent and longer," Macra pass rate in Birr, Co Offaly. president Thomas Honner Motorists in Galway city said. can look forward to a 32 "The minister's week wait to sit the test, and Department announced in February that they would implement initiatives to reduce waiting lists, but since then nothing has happened except the list has Eyre Square 12-5pm got longer. It is time the & Galwcry Shopping minister and his Department actually did something apart Centre 1 -6pm from giving bogus indications which only serve to raise people's expectations."

Canadian mayor hosts breakfast for Irish business and cultural leaders

Open Sundays

Man OFIaherty

Pharmacy

IN ORDER to strengthen e c o n o m i c , community, cultural, and tourism ties with sister city Galway, Brian Murphy, Mayor of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, will host a b r e a k f a s t for G a l w a y ' s b u s i n e s s and c u l t u r a l l e a d e r s at the H a r b o u r H o t e l , Dock R o a d , t o m o r r o w , from 8.30 to 10am. The ties between Moncton and Galway are built on an important continuing partnership and exchange between The Moncton Hospital and NUI, Galway medical college, an earlier staff exchange between Moncton Youth Residences Inc and the St Bernard's Group Home in Ireland, and more recently on the successful oyster festival that inspired Moncton's Atlantic seafood festival. Mayor Murphy will meet with Galway Mayor Terry O'Flaherty while in Galway and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans staff will investigate opportunities is areas of oceans and fish habitat management, scientific research, and aquaculture and fisheries innovation.