Author: Katleen

Small Business Interview West of Ireland – Earthwise – Jackie Queally

Hello all,

Last week I interviewed Philip Gleeson from Quickest Fox Marketing, and this week I am excited to share the interview with Jackie Queally from Earthwise. I would recommend you listen to her talk about the Burren, and lot’s of interesting aspects of the Burrenlowlands.

Please share this interview, as I’d like to start a small movement to highlight the brilliant businesses in the West of Ireland!

Tell us a bit about yourself & where you are located in the West of Ireland.

My father is from the coast, close to Lahinch (Moy), and I moved over from Scotland where I lived for about 20 years to be nearer him. He is an elderly widow now. I used to run a very successful small tour company in Scotland that took people to ancient sites – anything from prehistoric to the Middle Ages. It included a lot of Templar places and I also wrote specialist guides, including two to the world-famous chapel Rosslyn just south of Edinburgh. I used to run workshops there too. I have always been involved on teaching adults and healing/therapies.

Can you provide me with a description of your business?

I adapted the knowledge I had used in Scotland as there is some overlap, to create local Irish tours that take people to hidden spots in nature. There we learn to dowse (divining energy lines and water lines), and also experience sound healing, using drums, gongs and voice. It helps people become more present. Most of us need to be more in the moment. These are slow tours as opposed to the speedy ones you can easily find that go to busy tourist spots.

I have written three books on the Burren in the last three years, and in the seven years since I came to Ireland I have written two other spiritual books too (nature photography with my poems and ley lines). Another aspect is the workshops I run along pilgrimage routes I create, using mindfulness techniques, sound healing and dowsing. Dowsing has many applications. You can learn to dowse for healing, or for making decisions. People find it very interesting.

How long have you been in business? In this business? In other businesses?

I started this business in what I call sacred geography in 1999. I’ve been running local and all-Ireland tours as a guide since 2013. However I’ve also trained in sound healing, sonic acupuncture, naturopathic deep massage, tuning fork balancing therapy and gong healing. So I like to incorporate sound into my tours and also workshops. For instance I gave a group a sound healing participatory workshop recently. These were MS sufferers who loved it. I also do one-one sessions with the tuning forks and instruments. Clients find it is a very effective form of therapy. I used to teach reflexology and was a spiritual healer before I started the tours in 1999.

I give talks on many subjects, including the Burren landscape from a more spiritual perspective. This year I am giving a wide range of workshops and talks in Nova Scotia! I gave two talks recently in England too, one of them on the Burren’s mystical landscape.

How did you get started in this business?

That’s a fun question. In Edinburgh an elderly friend who since has died asked me to research the Picts and the Celts – after writing for six months we decided to offer day tours based on emerging local sites we discovered. I studied human ecology when young and I felt the early Celtic saints embodied the qualities we were advocating for human survival in the future!

Is this your full time job, a hobby or a bit of both?

I would say the talks and workshops are a hobby that pays. The tours pay more but are sporadic depending on when the discerning tourist is here. My aim is to do more tours this year so it becomes more lucrative. I was selling my books at Kinvara market last summer but that was to entice people to come on my unique tours. Unfortunately the market is held on a Friday when often people are returning to where they came from the following day.

Really I am combining various interests (healing, sounds, writing, trave)l into one overall business. The connecting theme is a deep appreciation of our earth as a living entity -so I changed the business name to Earthwise to encompass all that. I am also diversifying into Waterwise with a highly experienced engineer so we can educate people about the ways in which they can purify and enliven their water, as water is not in a good state often these days. Most diseases including cancer derive from the unsavoury water we drink. There is much that could be done using little money to improve our domestic water. We are not just looking at what is killed off in the water, but what healthy elements the water can contain. So many of the current products on the market are expensive and not so good for the water ultimately.

How did you get the background and skills necessary to run this type of business?

I love giving talks and my first one was when someone asked me to talk on the Celtic trees at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1999. I took people through the nature reserve in Holyrood Park and we visited each of the tree types. It’s been a theme I continued. Walking and talking and listening to nature.

How do the social, economic, environmental, technological, legal and political environments impact your business?

I arrived at the time the recession was starting up, intending to take a sabbatical from the tours. Socially there has been and still is a lot of social changes occurring. People in rural Ireland seem to have surplus money to spend on things that are considered luxury items. That is why I am concentrating my writing and talks on the international market more. Tours and workshops are still aimed of course at the local market, but probably more toward Dublin. I also am starting to work with the corporate market but that is slow to take hold, offering them eco-wellness tours on electric bikes for instance. Generally things are slow here as there is not a captive audience like you have in a large tourist city such as Edinburgh where I used to live.

I would not invest in my own transport again as local companies warned me they tried and failed even during the boom times.

Environmentally the lack of access to places can be off-putting. I was used to the right-to-roam in Scotland. However there are places where farmers are very congenial and that helps. Also we don’t walk too far. I remember visiting Holy Island with a group on a sunny Sunday and we had the place to ourselves last Autumn. I prefer to pick a few places and take our time soaking in its atmosphere and interacting with the place more. It’s important to do this.

I find Senator Lorraine Higgins in Loughrea a hard-working local politician who really wants to help her constituents find rewarding work that will keep them here.

Do you know who your competitors are?

I am unique. I do try to help people in businesses that are related if they are starting out and need advice – and for more established businesses or individuals they sometimes ask me for help from a specialist knowledge base.

How do you market your business? How are people aware of your business? Where can people find you? Website, Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube, Pinterest, etc. Please provide details.

www.earthwise.me is the amalgamation of two previous sites.

FB: Natural-Healing-Energies (Natural Healing Energies)

FB Burrenspirit (Spirit of Burren Tours / Creative Ireland)

FB earthwise books (Earthwise Publications)

FB earthwiseconnect (Earthwise)

CelticTrails (Celtic Trails)

Youtube: Jackie Queally

Pinterest: Earthwise Ireland

Linked In – Jackie Queally Dedicated to being Earthwise

Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next ten years?

I hope to write a few more books that will be more international in flavour. These will sell more than local topics do. I also would love the waterwise business to take off as I passionately believe in its aims. Since I hope to travel more in the next ten years I have no long term plans for the business. The beauty of what I do is I can live elsewhere and continue my research. I have enjoyed the last seven years here. It’s a quiet and easy-going place to dream and create in.

Do you plan to compete in the global market place? If yes, how? If no, why not?

My customers have always been global for books and tours and talks. I have no plans to expand as I am based here for now due to my father being here. Neither does my kind of work lead to expansion as the product really is myself in various forms! The waterwise business is different- we would need to employ others if it expands.

How has technology, such as computers and the internet, impacted on how you conduct business?

I am not finding Facebook so easy to get actual customers through the door. It is time-consuming. I have heard that other media may be better. It is a full time job and I can’t afford to employ someone to do it… yet!

What do you love about the area you live in/do business in?

Every day is different according to who gets in touch and for what reason. It is demand-led to some extent you see. For instance, since beginning this article an international artist asked me to create an audio meditation for her jewellry website. I obliged with an Imbolc meditation created at a secret site that ties in with Brigit.

Whom do you seek advice from for your business/ do you meet up with other business owners? If so, where?

I use various meet ups in Galway for networking, occasional training from Galway Rural Development, and Enterprise Ireland in Ennis and Galway, and the local Bank of Ireland manager Damien Gardiner holds local business days. He also lets you have a stand in his bank on Friday mornings if you book it. I also meet tour business owners from around Dublin once a year.

Can you describe your customers?

Genuine, loving, intelligent, resourceful, and varied.

Why do your customers select you over your competitors?

Reputation and especially the book Spirit of the Burren

What are the biggest challenges for running this business?

All the admin and time spent on computer. It is hard to eat and exercise properly but one has to. This means the days are full just keeping it all going!

I also like to visit friends and family who live away from time to time and that can break the rhythm of the days.

What keeps you going, when the chips are down?

As a preventative to this occuring: Meditation – right now I am qualifying in mindfulness but have taught synergy meditation for 10 years and also Gaia Touch. If down, a hot bath, a walk or reading a good book, that inspires me with its spiritual knowledge. Also gardening and baking when I have the opportunity. I like mushroom foraging and seaweed foraging too.

Do you support local charities? If so which is your favourite charity and why?

I recently supported a local woman who created and then organised a supply of rocket stoves for refugees in the awful conditions at the camp in Calais. (https://www.gofundme.com/stoves4calais) Also Vincent De Paul here. I dislike extreme poverty and pity those who are searching for a better quality of life and are trapped at a young age due to political or social barriers to success.

Any special things planned for 2016?

Yes I met with a UN official in Gort recently as the creator worldwide of the geoparks wants their artist for peace Marko Pogacnik to start workshops in each of them, starting with the Burren geopark. Since I worked with Marko last Spring in Derry he invited me again to work with him again on this project. He is coming to the Burren as his first port of call and I am running some workshops to introduce people to his Gaia Touch exercises. The first one is on Saturday 27h February from 10am til 1pm and people must book through me at info@earthwise.me. These exercises help people work with the multi-dimensionality of the land as a way of helping the earth cope too with the many changes it is undergoing right now. Marko is well known internationally and this is an honour for me to help him. Also I am very excited about my work trip to Nova Scotia that is so connected to my old work in Scotland too.

Any tips for someone who is thinking of starting their own business?

Follow your heart and don’t worry too much. Be prepared to work long hours though. If you have family demands too it is hard as the admin has increased so much compared to even the 90s so you need support in other areas of life to counteract the tedium of the emails etc.

What did you learn from this interview?

My life is busier than I thought, though I don’t do any one thing all the time and only do one thing at a time. I have a lot to be grateful for. Because I love what I do I don’t consider it a drain on my time.

Just a quick reminder, Please share this interview, as I’d like to start a small movement to highlight the brilliant businesses in the West of Ireland!

Connect with me on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook!

Have a great evening,

Katleen

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February 26, 2016
Dinner At Toscane Restaurant on Dame Street

Hello Readers,

I hope you are having a great weekend. I am just back from another great family get together in Dublin! This time my parents were visiting from Belgium, and we decided to meet up in Dublin. As our previous visit to Dublin was such a hit, we thought it was a perfect formula to repeat!

The BonBells in St-Stephen’s Green The Bon referring to Bonjeaan

You can read our previous visit in this post.

Dinner At Toscane on Dame Street

We went for dinner in Toscana on Dame street, we just can’t get enough of that place, and I am pretty sure we’ll be back again, later in the year. I didn’t get a chance to ring them to book our party ( there was 10 of us, including a few very good friends of ours) and booked our table via a little widget on their site. I received an email to remind me of my reservation, which I thought was awesome.

Hailo or Uber?

As there was the 6 of us travelling together, and the walk from the B&B to Toscana was just that little bit too far, I had to order a taxi. You may be familiar with Uber, which is the app I usually use, however on this occasion I wanted to order the taxi ahead, rather than order the taxi when I needed it. And this is something that Uber doesn’t offer, so I needed an alternative. A friend of mine had mentioned Hailo, so I thought I’d download that app. Once downloaded, I was able to enter my debit card details, and order a taxi in advance, and specify the amount of seats I needed, where I wanted to taxi and where I was going. The taxi arrived well in advance and dropped us off at the restaurant in no time. As my debit card details were entered in the app, there was no need to reach for my purse. And to finish it off, I was sent a receipt by email.

Dinner at Toscana – Priceless

After dinner, we went for one last nightcap in O’Donoghue’s, which is a short stroll from Staunton’s on the Green. I am a Cider fan and David loves Guinness,so I called this picture “His and Hers”.

His and Hers

It was a long day, so fell asleep in no time!
Hope you enjoyed reading this!
Katleen
PS.. Come back soon, I will start to publish my Small business interviews shortly!

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January 24, 2016
We are blue we are white, we are dynamite

We are blue we are white, we are dynamite

Hello all,

We waved 2015 farewell and welcomed 2016! My best wishes to you and yours for 2016! Congrats to those that are still sticking with their new year’s resolutions, commiseration to those that have already lapsed, oh well, you are still a good person:). I am back to work, and during breakfast my eldest son asked me if I knew the slogan of the Ardrahan hurlers, and I said I didn’t. He was very quick to remind me that it is: We are blue , we are white, we are dynamite! I choose the above title, as I thought it symbolizes the spirit of the people in this area. We tend to have storms in the winter, and this year we have been “treated” to a few too many ! I wrote about #Stormdesmond in a previous post and since #stormdesmond we have had #stormeve and the most recent one was #stormfrank, and unfortunately #stormfrank was the drop that made the bucket overflow, quite literally, as many were forced to leave their houses and farms due to flooding. We are no strangers to flooding, as some areas (traditionally) get flooded, and you’ll see lakes that aren’t there during the summer.

The floods of 2009

The area of Labane/Peterswell/Kiltartan was badly affected by floods in 2009, and I will never forget the community spirit I saw in 2009. People were marooned in, kids couldn’t go to schools, animals were separated from their owners, and couldn’t be fed. I saw people get together, assist each other to bring food and supplies to those marooned in, offer tractor rides, and get together to pump water out of houses.

Local vet being towed in a boat to see to some sick cattle in ’09

It was one of the most frightening experiences I ever went through, especially when the road that connects us with the main road was flooded and we were effectively marooned in. The road at Kiltartan was flooded and Gort was not passable. My husband wasn’t able to get to work, as all the main roads were flooded. Fast forward to 2016, and unfortunately the same is happening.

South Galway Flooding 2015

I took below video at the same place

A local aerial photographer Sean Brady took following footage, to give you an idea of the extend of the flooding. Click on the next link by Sean Brady Aerial Photography. on Monday, 28 December 2015 that shows the extensive flooding at Kiltartan.

A number of dignitaries visited Labane/Ardrahan today, including the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins. Our youngest son was all set to meet him and get his signature, and his wish got fulfilled, and my husband was interviewed for the radio. Glad to see that some local politicians Ciaran Cannon and Joe Byrne got together to dig a channel to ease some of the flooding in the Kiltartan area , so water can flow into the sea at Kinvara.

It’s not over yet, and hopefully the rain will stay away, the water can flow back to the sea or evaporate and a strategy can be developed to deal with such disasters. If you are affected by the floods, you can apply for emergency funds here ( no longer valid). If you would like to support those affected by the floods, you can donate to the Irish Red Cross here ( no longer valid)

For my part, small business is always on my mind, and is the backbone of many communities in Ireland. Getting your business featured to a greater public or talked about in local media/TV/Radio is difficult, is hard to measure and is very costly. I have decided to start talking to small business in the West of Ireland, listen to their stories , challenges and successes ,and hope that this will contribute to creating more awareness of what small business has to offer in the West of Ireland. if you are a small business in the West of Ireland, get in touch by emailing me katleen@workinglivingtravellinginireland.com. It will be the best email you have sent in 2016:)

Cheers, Katleen

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January 4, 2016
What’s that rattle in a Guinnes can?

Hello Readers,

In all the years I have been living in Ireland, I never really saw the widget in a Guinness can…. until today… I was tidying up earlier today and was about to crush a can of Guinness when I thought to myself, I really want to see what this thing looks like( and also find out why it’s in a can and what it does!).

Just in case you have never seen a can of Guinness, it looks like this.

I recorded a very short video of a can that I was shaking, so you can hear the rattle.

I then cut the can open.

And this is what this “widget” looks like:

Now the reason there is a widget in a can of Guinness gets quite technical, so I did some research in Wikepedia. ( And whilst I was there, I donated 2 Euros to keep this service free, maybe if you are feeling generous:) you can do the same.

Some background:

Draught Guinness, as it is known today, was first produced in 1964. With Guinness keen to produce draught beer packaged for consumers to drink at home, Bottled Draught Guinness was formulated in 1978 and launched into the Irish market in 1979. It was never actively marketed internationally as it required an “initiator” device, which looked rather like a syringe, to make it work.

Some canned beers are pressurized by adding liquid nitrogen, which vaporises and expands in volume after the can is sealed, forcing gas and beer into the widget’s hollow interior through a tiny hole—the less beer the better for subsequent head quality. In addition, some nitrogen dissolves in the beer which also contains dissolved carbon dioxide. It is important that oxygen be eliminated from any process developed as this can cause flavour deterioration when present.

The presence of dissolved nitrogen allows smaller bubbles to be formed thereby increasing the creaminess of the head. This is because the smaller bubbles need a higher internal pressure to balance the greater surface tension, which is inversely proportional to the radius of the bubbles. Achieving this higher pressure would not be possible with just dissolved carbon dioxide, as the greater solubility of this gas compared to nitrogen would create an unacceptably large head.

When the can is opened, the pressure in the can quickly drops, causing the pressurised gas and beer inside the widget to jet out from the hole. This agitation on the surrounding beer causes a chain reaction of bubble formation throughout the beer. The result, when the can is then poured out, is a surging mixture in the glass of very small gas bubbles and liquid.

This is the case with certain types of draught beer such as draught stouts. In the case of these draught beers, which before dispensing also contain a mixture of dissolved nitrogen and carbon dioxide, the agitation is caused by forcing the beer under pressure through small holes in a restrictor in the tap. The surging mixture gradually settles to produce a very creamy head.

Here is what a pint of Guinness looks like when poured out in a glass!

I hope you found this interesting, at least I am glad I have finally seen the rattle in a can of Guinness.

Cheers,

Katleen

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December 13, 2015
Ardrahan Christmas carols & Switching on of lights

Hello all,

My last post was about the floods in and around Galway, and although the water has receded in many places, unfortunately many places are still flooded, and more rain is expected. Galway County Council has come up with a map that shows where there is flooding.

Switching on of the lights

I was very excited to be part of Ardrahan’s first Christmas carol event , organized by Ardrahan Camogie, and really brought the Ardrahan/Labane community together on a dark evening.

It all started with the lightning of the Christmas tree, decorated with memorial cards.Beneath the tree were lit up red candles.

Christmas Carols

Followed by a beautiful rendition of Hallelujah. It may have been cold and dark, but to hear that magical voice accompanied with the thin whistles, we all fell silent, a few tears were shed, but above all we all enjoyed the moment of being together, and thinking about those people that have gone before us. May they rest in peace.

Just over 2,000 Euros was raised selling ribbons and candles. The proceeds of the sales of ribbons and candles will be split between the local Camogie Club And Galway Hospice. The Camogie club rallied around and spent quite a few evenings practising the songs with the kids, rehearsing the thin whistle songs, together with the guitarists. The kids ( all from Labane National school) really delivered a great performance and got lots of well deserved treats, which they really enjoyed. I think a tradition has started!

Well done to all!

Cheers,

Katleen

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December 10, 2015
South Galway Floods in 2015

Dear Reader,

It’s been a busy time in Ireland storm wise, as we have had storm Abigail, Barney, Clodagh and then the latest one is just gone, storm Desmond! There was terrible flooding in South Galway in 2015, resulting in nearby Thoor Ballylee getting badly flooded.

The storm was fierce, with very strong gale force and the rain was relentless. As the storm developed, the footage was being shared via Social Media.

The first video I can across was this one, of two guys going for a swim in Salthill. Absolutely scary, so please never ever repeat this, it’s just too dangerous!!!

Theresa Mannion reporting from Salthill

The weather only got worse, and that’s when Theresa Manion was reporting, also from Salthill.

Below is the “original” version!

I think the “rap” version is quite funny!

Closer to home in South Galway, I have blogged a few times about Thoor Ballylee, unfortunately got flooded again. I say again, as it got flooded in 2009. Go check out a more recent blog article I wrote about a loop cycled – you can see the area then when it isn’t flooded:)

Another video highlights the floodings both in Gort, Thoor Ballylee and Craughwell.

Severe flooding in Craughwell and at Yeats Tower (Thoor Ballylee) in Gort today (Video: Joe O’Shaughnessy, Connacht Tribune)

Let’s hope the water recedes soon, and the next storm will be kinder to us..

Katleen

PS. Check out this link to find out what other storm names are planned for the rest of this winter. Let’s hope we don’t get to the end of the list.

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December 8, 2015

Jobs Watch : Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed

The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU).

Source: Jobs Watch » Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed

Hello Readers,

I thought this might be of interest to those who are looking for a job in Ireland, and want to find out more where the new jobs are being created. The majority of job announcements are covered in the press, but it may then be challenging to find out where those new companies are located and where you can apply for the jobs.

I came across the below list on the Jobseeker app from Intreo. In the app is a section of job announcements, which you can find on the The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed website. Do check out their website, it has a number of resources for people who are unemployed, and sign up to their E-Bulletin to get updates.

As so many Irish people are returning home for Christmas, I am sure it will be topic of conversation topic over the Christmas table. For those who are thinking of moving back, or wanting to move to Ireland, the below list gives you an idea of the job creation efforts around Ireland. I have just pasted in December and November. To find out prior to October 2015, click here. It’s great to see all the announcements in once place!

Click on any of the links, and you’ll find out where the company is located, the type of jobs available and where to apply.

Dec-15
Sector	Location	Company	No: of Jobs
Medical/Pharmaceutical	Cork	GE Healthcare	140	Click for more details »

Nov-15
Sector	Location	Company	No: of Jobs
Retail	Dublinnorthfingal	Art n Hobby Shop	10+	Click for more details »
Research and development	Not yet known	AbbVie / Science Foundation Ireland / Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute	15	Click for more details »
Medical/Pharmaceutical	Galway	Aerogen	20	Click for more details »
Medical/Pharmaceutical	Countrywide	Affidea (Euromedic)	100	Click for more details »
Financial Services	Countrywide	AIB	50	Click for more details »
Retail	Galway	Aldi – Knocknacarra	20	Click for more details »
Retail	Limerick	Aldi – Newcastle West	20	Click for more details »
Energy	Cork	Amarenco	“hundreds” construction	Click for more details »
Education & Training	Dublin	Amazing.com	50	Click for more details »
IT	Cork City	Apple	1,000 permanent + unstated construction	Click for more details »
IT	Dublin	Asana	30	Click for more details »
	Dublincitydcc	Bastible	~5	Click for more details »
IT	Cork City	Bluemetrix	15	Click for more details »
Medical/Pharmaceutical	Cork City	Bon Secours Health System	75 permanent + 200 construction	Click for more details »
HR/ Marketing/ Research	Dublincitydcc	Chameleon Advertising Tech Ltd	21	Click for more details »
Financial Services	Dublinwestsdcc	Clear Financial	15	Click for more details »
Construction	Dublincitydcc	Comer Group – One Ballsbridge	Not stated	Click for more details »
HR/ Marketing/ Research	Countrywide	CPL Resources	160	Click for more details »
Financial Services	Dublincitydcc	Credit Suisse	40-60	Click for more details »
IT	Dublincitydcc	Davra Networks	20	Click for more details »
Retail	Countrywide	Dealz	400 framework + 600 longterm + 200 seasonal	Click for more details »
Retail	Dublincitydcc	Dealz – Thomas Street	~25	Click for more details »
Transport	Galway	Deliveroo	30	Click for more details »
Manufacturing	Limerick	DesignPro	85	Click for more details »
IT	Dublinwestsdcc	Digital Realty	120 construction + Not stated permanent	Click for more details »
Retail	Countrywide	Dixons Carphone / Curry’s PC World	220 seasonal	Click for more details »
Retail	Dublinnorthfingal	Gerards	Not stated	Click for more details »
Manufacturing	Monaghan	Glanbia	40	Click for more details »
Logistics	Dublincitydcc	GlenAran	~10	Click for more details »
ICT	Dublincitydcc	Huawei	50	Click for more details »
Retail	Dublincitydcc	Iceland – Talbot Street	35	Click for more details »
Retail	Kerry	Iceland – Tralee	35	Click for more details »
HR/ Marketing/ Research	Dublincitydcc	Indeed	300	Click for more details »
Insurance	Dublincitydcc	Irish Life	150	Click for more details »
Retail	Sligo	Jodi’s Boutique	Not stated	Click for more details »
Retail	Dublincitydcc	Joules	12	Click for more details »
Hospitality	Dublincitydcc	Jurys Inn / Hilton Garden Inn	Not stated construction	Click for more details »
Education & Training	Limerick	Lero	136	Click for more details »
Media	Dublincitydcc	Maximum Media	42	Click for more details »
ICT	Dublin	Microsoft	Not stated	Click for more details »
Construction	Dublincitydcc	New Children’s Hospital	2,300 construction	Click for more details »
Med-tech	Cork City	PMD Solutions	11	Click for more details »
IT	Dublincitydcc	Pond5 Media Ireland Limited	30	Click for more details »
IT	Dublin	Primary Integration	20	Click for more details »
Retail	Dublincitydcc	Printsave	~5	Click for more details »
Retail	Dublinnorthfingal	Quiz	10+	Click for more details »
Food & Beverages	Dublincitydcc	Saba	Not stated	Click for more details »
ICT	Cork	Spearline Labs Limited	20	Click for more details »
IT	Dublincitydcc	Squarespace Ireland Ltd.	160	Click for more details »
Food & Beverages	Dublinsouthdlr	Starbucks	Not stated	Click for more details »
Beauty Therapy	Dublinnorthfingal	SugarDolls	Not stated	Click for more details »
IT	Dublincitydcc	Swrve	45	Click for more details »
Professional services	Countrywide	Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)	80	Click for more details »
Education & Training	Countrywide	Teagasc	75	Click for more details »
Medical/Pharmaceutical	Countrywide	Team Horizon	11	Click for more details »
Retail	Dublinnorthfingal	Terrisales	~5	Click for more details »
Food & Beverages	Dublincitydcc	The Jar	~10	Click for more details »
Call centre	Cork City	Voxpro	400	Click for more details »
ICT	Dublincitydcc	Wave2Wave Solution	30	Click for more details »

Hope to have inspired someone to have a look, and if you did apply for one of the above jobs, and got the job, let me know, I’d love to hear your story!

Cheers,

Katleen

December 1, 2015

A Weekend in Dublin – Where to stay, eat and relax?

Hello all,

I had started to write this post early November but never got to finish it.. so I thought I’d finish it today, as just booked the same property in Dublin again for a our next visit in January!

Check out Hotels, B&B’s in Dublin Booking.com IE Just to be clear, this is an affiliate link. If you click on this link and decide to book a property, I get a small referral fee.

So here you go.. this is what I had written …

It’s back to school today, the autumn break has come to an end. But what an end…. We had the most beautiful weather, I would nearly say we had better/warmer weather on the 1st of November than on the 1st of July or the 1st of August. Even today is a fabulous day, and it’s just over 20 degrees Celsius.

We are just back from a weekend in Dublin as we were celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary of my parents in law, and my husband David also had his 49th birthday.

Where to book your stay in Dublin

Finding a place to stay in Dublin is not that hard, and like everybody else we went to Booking.com IE to reserve our hotel. There are also other places I’d recommend you check out, such as AirBnB, Homestay and Lidl-Breaks (particularly the last one has some great offers if you are looking for a hotel near the airport. The golden rule really is to book as far ahead as possible, as prices go up very quickly!

We were a group of 10 adults, so we needed a few rooms. Location was very important so we could easily get to the Grafton Street( Dublin’s South side shopping street). I say south side, as there is also a shopping streets on the North side called Mary Street & Henry Street.

Staying at Staunton’s on the Green on St Stephen’s Green

We choose to stay in Staunton’s on the Green, and really had a great stay.

The Boys testing out their beds!

It’s located on St. Stephen’s Green( it’s a big Square, with Stephen’s Green Park in the middle). I found the below aerial video on the website of St-Stephen’s green, I thought it was quiet good!

The entrance to the park is pretty much across from the entrance of the hotel. Walk through the park and you are at the bottom of Grafton Street and of course the St- Stephen’s Green Shopping center. We spent some time in the park and met a retired German banker, who looked after wounded pigeons.

Feeding Pigeons on St-Stephen’s Green

I would highly recommend this Guest House! Very friendly staff, clean rooms, coffee and tea facilities. Our room was in the front of the hotel, so we did have some city noises such as ambulances/Police sirens( it was also Halloween night, so lot’s of call-outs from the emergency services), but they also have plenty of bedrooms at the back of the hotel. There is also a garden/yard at the back of the property if you wanted to sit down and enjoy the view ( okay or go for a smoke). We actually spotted a few squirrels!

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Breakfast is served in the dining room from 8-10. The hotel was completely booked out, and the dining room was jam-packed with people, so the noise levels were quite high! Nevertheless, the staff were all very friendly and helpful and tried to serve the guests as fast as they could.

Hop on Hop off Bus in Dublin City Centre

We went onto the Hop on Hop off Bus trip, and we had the greatest fun!!

Our driver/guide was Damien D ( please remember his name!) and he provided us with the most interesting commentary, anecdotes and laughter, we really didn’t want to get off the bus at the end of the ride. We did get off and hopped onto another bus on our way back. The return trip was also interesting, but we got the recorded commentary, which was also very educational, but give me Damien D anytime!

Dinner at Captain America’s on Grafton Street

We had booked our first dinner at Captain America’s on Grafton Street and the meal was perfect.

Dinner At Captain Americas

After a filling breakfast the next morning, we set off for a walk on Grafton Street and walked into Davy Burns, just off Grafton Street. Also check out Power’s Court Center, there are some really interesting eateries , such as Counter Culture.

Counter Culture in Powerscourt Centre , Dubliln City

For our second evening meal, we reserved a table at Toscana on Dame Street.. An absolute treat to eat there, and no surprise they won last year’s award of for “Best Grow It Yourself Restaurants in Ireland”

Our weekend came to an end, and we took one last picture in St-Stephen’s Green.

The Bells in St-Stephen’s Green Park, Dublin

We’ll be heading to Dublin again in January, and have booked in Stauntons on the Green again.

Cheers,

Katleen

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November 29, 2015
Things to do when visiting the Burrenlowlands – Coole Park & Sundial

Hello all,

As I am writing this the sun has just set, and it has been one of those days you didn’t quite expect in October, but grateful to make the best use of the time! I hear there is a heatwave in LA, I guess we are have a “temporary- weekend” heatwave in the West of Ireland, though maybe it can still be classed as our Indian Summer, all by it a little late in the year! ( I reckon we were owed some nice weather after the below apar July and August)

Very late Indian Summer in the West of Ireland, 11th of October

We headed to Coole Park, which is a nature reserve a short drive from the house. We are no strangers to Coole Park, and have written about Coole Park before here and here . I added the below maps to give you an idea where Coole Park is located, so you know how to get there by car.

How to get to Coole Park from Galway:

How to get from Shannon to Coole Park:

The walks are fabulous at Coole Park, and a great way to stretch your legs and clear your mind! Dogs are welcome, but need to be kept onto a lead.

Check out the Sun Dial in the walled garden, which is a fun way to find out the time.

Can you guess the time we were in the park? Answers on my Facebook page please:)

I am currently working to add details of recruiting companies in the technology and medical sector in Galway. There are two maps you can consult, here is the technology one, and this is the Medical one. If you are thinking of moving to Galway and want to have a heads up who is recruiting, follow my blog and you’ll find out!

Have a great day, wherever you are:)

Katleen & the gang

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October 11, 2015