My Fishing Programme

I am waiting for the 17th of march to come.   It is the first day of the fishing season here in the south east for the barrow, Nore, and Suir rivers.

Last year, 2010, I finished up my fishing by using a 15 foot salmon fly rod which is more enjoyable than spinning rod fishing.  My plan this year for 2011 is to salmon fly fish all year.

Salmon  fly fishing  is  an  art  that    will  not  be  learned   in  a short  space  of  time  it  takes  great  patience.

Safety first. This topic is often overlooked as we all think that accidents will happen to someone else and not to ourselves.  For anyone going salmon fishing then I would suggest at a minimum that they should have:-

1.    glasses for eye protection,

2.    a wading staff to test how deep the river is before stepping forward,

3.    a properly fitted life jacket.

The First Obstacles to Overcome.

The name! Double handed rod.
For some people even the name alone will prevent them from picking one up.  Double handed, this must imply doubly as difficult as a single handed rod?  Thankfully this is not the case; it is sometimes easier to teach people how to cast the double handed rod than the single handed rod.

Length and strength. 
The double handed requires only a small move on the hands to create a huge impression on the top of the rod therefore the single handed person usually starts by moving the hands too far and with too much energy.  A short move with as little energy as possible is what is required in the beginning.

Think – short moves, bottom hand, with as little energy as possible.

Try to avoid reaching or stretching, and also try to avoid having your hands too close together.  It is easier for most people to work a lever at shoulder width apart, and if the hands are too close together then it is difficult to get the leverage of the rod working at all.

Need to knows!
The following are a few things that all fly fishers need to know before any of their casting becomes efficient.

1.  Avoid slack line and try to keep the tension of the line against the tip of the rod.  Close your eyes and think about pulling the line, not throwing or pushing.
2.  Mel Krieger’s word Whuuummmmmp, teaches us that we start slowly, build in speed and the fastest part of the cast is just before we stop.
3.  The line will follow the rod tip.  It has no choice, it is attached to it therefore if you are moving straight ahead when you stop the rod then the line will go straight ahead, moving downwards then the line will go downwards etc, ………………… Remember the leverage; even if you are moving downwards ever so slightly with your hand then the action is magnified at the top of the rod.

The Overhead Cast

The overhead cast consists of two casts; the back cast and the forward cast.
The six stages of the overhead cast are:-

Back cast =   lift, stroke and stop.
Forward cast =   stroke, stop and follow through.

Or in simple terms:-

Dip the paint brush in the paint tin; lift it to the ceiling and whuuuuump along the ceiling.  Stop! 
Wait for your line to unfold then whuuuuuuump back along the ceiling.  Stop! 
Wait for your line to drop, and then bring your paint brush back to the paint tin.

   

Common casting faults with the Overhead cast

1. Rod tip too high before you start.
     One of the most common casting faults and one of the reasons for me failing my APGAI-Irl exam
     the first year was starting to cast with the rod tip too high.
     If you start with the rod tip too high then you have created slack line before you start to cast.
     You have to move the rod a little bit before you get a straight tight line. 
     Remember every time you move you must be pulling the weight of the fly line to make the rod bend (load).
     If the rod is not bending when you are moving it then you are not bending the rod.

2. The WHAM effect. 
     Use the word whuuuuuuump from the start of the back cast. 
     Start slowly, gradually build in speed and the fastest part of the cast is just before you stop.

3. The Elephant Trunk
     This is when the bottom hand sticks out too far on the back cast. 
     This will drive your rod tip downwards when you stop and your line will follow hitting the grass or the water behind. 
     Remember only the ceiling not the windows and doors.

4. Not using the bottom hand at all. 
     This usually happens when the single handed caster picks up the double handed rod for the first time. 
 When the caster starts to realise that the bottom hand is as important as the top then they will really start to feel the benefits.

Last year it was all spinning rod fishing for me but not this year, as the good is gone out off spinning for salmon.  The reason being is that you have more sport in fly fishing for salmon and it takes more rod time and skill to land a salmon with a 15 foot fishing rod.

The first step for me to do now is get my salmon licence from the South East Fishery Board.  The cost of the licence will be €58.00.

My second step is to get my salmon flies all in order. I hope to get the right ones for this year at the right price as well.

My third step is my fly rod reel.  It needs a service after last year with the hardship that it got from August to September.

My forth step is that my fishing rod needs cleaning and varnishing to keep it dry for this year.  I hope to have everything in order for the 17^th of March and have tight lines (this means always with a fish on the line) for 2011.

I decided this year that I will get the south east licence only.

·     

The Munster Blackwater is Ireland’s second largest river next to the mighty Shannon. It rises in the mountains of east Kerry. It flows eastward for 75 miles through Counties Cork and Waterford, until it enters the sea at Youghal, in east Cork.  It has a catchment area of more than 120 square miles.  The best of salmon fishing is to be found between the tidal limit just below the bridge at Lismore and up as far as Mallow, 45 miles up-stream.

The Moy River rises in the Ox Mountains and flows approximately 68 miles to where it enters the Atlantic ocean at Killala bay. The river Moy is rated as one of the best Salmon rivers in Europe, with catches of between 8,000 and 10,000 Wild Atlantic Salmon annually to the rod and line. The Spring fishing is at its best from mid March until mid May.   Spring Salmon are considered to be the King of Atlantic Salmon with weights ranging from 8 lbs to 20 lbs and there are a few Salmon in excess of this landed each year. 

Today is Tuesday the 15th of March.  It is only 2 days from the start of the salmon fishing season.  I am hoping the first day is fine and dry and I have a tight line some part of the day?  It would make my day very enjoyable.  I am waiting now for the 17th of March.

The 17^th of March came and went it was not my day on the river for I caught no salmon. Hoping the next day on the river I will have more luck than the first day.    

Garden Maintenance

Month By Month Garden Maintenance

January        Clean up all flower beds.  Sweep up all leaves.  Please feed the birds and other small creatures which may not be able to find food due to snow on the ground.  If you don’t have a feeder, a simple piece of plywood or a scrap of carpet will create a very good feeding area.  Use your fireplace ashes and tea bags under fuchsia to fertilise the roots.

February

 If you're cleaning out the garden shed and come across some chemicals that you no longer want; DO NOT pour them down a drain, or toss them in the dustbin or they may contaminate the water! Consult your local authority.

March

As soon as possible start cutting the grass. If it has not been cut since last autumn it will be long and tufted and hard work.  Choose a dry day, cut it to three inches and remove the cuttings. The same day, or soon after, cut it again to half its height. Don’t put it out of your mind. It will be easier to cut when short in about 10 days.

April

When they have finished blooming, you should deadhead your spring flowering bulbs. Do not cut off the green leaves yet! These leaves continue to grow for a few weeks, and provide the bulb with food for flowering next year.

Split apart the root of plants such as   Daylilies, Delphiniums, Iris, Chrysanthemums, Daisies, and Phlox. The additional plants you create can be traded or given to friends, or moved to a new area of the garden.

May

Place banana skins on your house plants to feed your plants.

For better blooms next year, resist the temptation to cut back your daffodils until they have almost completely died back.

When planting your annuals if you loosen up the roots a bit before planting it will stimulate stronger growth.

Once all danger of frost has past, you can move your Easter Lily plants out into a sunny spot in your garden. Be sure to mulch the roots of the plant over winter and remove the mulch again in spring. You'll enjoy your Easter Lilies for years to come.

June

Deadhead plants regularly to promote more flowers.

Remove suckers from roses. Don't cut these off at ground level as this will encourage them to grow back even stronger. Use a trowel to dig down to where the  sucker starts and tear it out.

 July         

Lawns. Don’t cut your lawn too short during hot dry weather.  Frequent mowing that takes a smaller proportion of the blades is less stressful to the grass.  If you haven’t sharpened you lawn mower blades, since the beginning of the season it probably needs it now.

August

Keep tall flowers staked and cut dead flower stalks. To reduce the number of pests on your fruit trees for the coming year pick up and destroy all fallen fruit.

September

Plants and trees that provide colour in the month of September include Cotoneaster, Hydrangeas, Potentilla, Pyracantha and Butterfly Bush.

 October

Time to dig Gladiolus. Remove the tops and let them dry for two weeks. Dust them with Sulfur. Store in dry peat moss or vermiculite at room temperature.

Time to transplant peonies or divide them if you wish to multiply your plants.

November

Mound five to six inches of soil around the bases of your hardy fuchsias and roses. Use soil from another part of the garden, rather than risking damage to the roots by digging around the base of the plant.

December          

As long as the weather remains dry you can continue planting evergreens. Clear up any fallen leaves and cut back perennials if you haven't already done so.

Take hardwood cuttings of currants and gooseberries. The cuttings should be about 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) long and should be buried in a trench in the open ground to about half their length.

Curl up in front of the fire with lots of colourful catalogues to give you lots of ideas for next year.

FISHING IS MY HOBBY

I am waiting for the 17th of march to come. It is the first day of the fishing season here in the south east for the barrow, nore, and suir rivers.

Last year, 2010, I finished up my fishing by using a 15 foot salmon fly rod which is more enjoyable than spinning rod fishing. My plan this year for 2011 is to salmon fly fish all year.

Salmon fly fishing is an art that will not be learned in a short space of time it takes great patience.

Safety first. This topic is often overlooked as we all think that accidents will happen to someone else and not to ourselves. For anyone going salmon fishing then I would suggest at a minimum that they should have:-
1. glasses for eye protection,
2. a wading staff to test how deep the river is before stepping forward,
3. a properly fitted life jacket.
The First Obstacles to Overcome.
The name! Double handed rod.
For some people even the name alone will prevent them from picking one up. Double handed, this must imply doubly as difficult as a single handed rod? Thankfully this is not the case; it is sometimes easier to teach people how to cast the double handed rod than the single handed rod.
Length and strength.
The double handed requires only a small move on the hands to create a huge impression on the top of the rod therefore the single handed person usually starts by moving the hands too far and with too much energy. A short move with as little energy as possible is what is required in the beginning.
Think – short moves, bottom hand, with as little energy as possible.
Try to avoid reaching or stretching, and also try to avoid having your hands too close together. It is easier for most people to work a lever at shoulder width apart, and if the hands are too close together then it is difficult to get the leverage of the rod working at all.
Need to knows!
The following are a few things that all fly fishers need to know before any of their casting becomes efficient.

1. Avoid slack line and try to keep the tension of the line against the tip of the rod. Close your eyes and think about pulling the line, not throwing or pushing.
2. Mel Krieger’s word Whuuummmmmp, teaches us that we start slowly, build in speed and the fastest part of the cast is just before we stop.
3. The line will follow the rod tip. It has no choice, it is attached to it therefore if you are moving straight ahead when you stop the rod then the line will go straight ahead, moving downwards then the line will go downwards etc, ………………… Remember the leverage; even if you are moving downwards ever so slightly with your hand then the action is magnified at the top of the rod.


The Overhead Cast

The overhead cast consists of two casts; the back cast and the forward cast.
The six stages of the overhead cast are:-
Back cast = lift, stroke and stop.
Forward cast = stroke, stop and follow through.
Or in simple terms:-
Dip the paint brush in the paint tin; lift it to the ceiling and whuuuuump along the ceiling. Stop!
Wait for your line to unfold then whuuuuuuump back along the ceiling. Stop!
Wait for your line to drop, and then bring your paint brush back to the paint tin.

Common casting faults with the Overhead cast
1. Rod tip too high before you start.
One of the most common casting faults and one of the reasons for me failing my APGAI-Irl exam
the first year was starting to cast with the rod tip too high.
If you start with the rod tip too high then you have created slack line before you start to cast.
You have to move the rod a little bit before you get a straight tight line.
Remember every time you move you must be pulling the weight of the fly line to make the rod bend (load).
If the rod is not bending when you are moving it then you are not bending the rod.
2. The WHAM effect.
Use the word whuuuuuuump from the start of the back cast.
Start slowly, gradually build in speed and the fastest part of the cast is just before you stop.
3. The Elephant Trunk
This is when the bottom hand sticks out too far on the back cast.
This will drive your rod tip downwards when you stop and your line will follow hitting the grass or the water behind.
Remember only the ceiling not the windows and doors.
4. Not using the bottom hand at all.
This usually happens when the single handed caster picks up the double handed rod for the first time.
When the caster starts to realise that the bottom hand is as important as the top then they will really start to feel the benefits.


Last year it was all spinning rod fishing for me but not this year, as the good is gone out off spinning for salmon. The reason being is that you have more sport in fly fishing for salmon and it takes more rod time and skill to land a salmon with a 15 foot fishing rod.

The first step for me to do now is get my salmon licence from the South East Fishery Board. The cost of the licence will be €58.00.
My second step is to get my salmon flies all in order. I hope to get the right ones for this year at the right price as well.

My third step is my fly rod reel. It needs a service after last year with the hardship that it got from August to September.
My forth step is that my fishing rod needs cleaning and varnishing to keep it dry for this year. I hope to have everything in order for the 17th of March and have tight lines (this means always with a fish on the line) for 2011.
I decided this year that I will get the south east licence only.

The Munster Blackwater is Ireland’s second largest river next to the mighty Shannon. It rises in the mountains of east Kerry. It flows eastward for 75 miles through Counties Cork and Waterford, until it enters the sea at Youghal, in east Cork. It has a catchment area of more than 120 square miles. The best of salmon fishing is to be found between the tidal limit just below the bridge at Lismore and up as far as Mallow, 45 miles up-stream.


The Moy River rises in the Ox Mountains and flows approximately 68 miles to where it enters the Atlantic ocean at Killala bay. The river Moy is rated as one of the best Salmon rivers in Europe, with catches of between 8,000 and 10,000 Wild Atlantic Salmon annually to the rod and line. The Spring fishing is at its best from mid March until mid May. Spring Salmon are considered to be the King of Atlantic Salmon with weights ranging from 8 lbs to 20 lbs and there are a few Salmon in excess of this landed each year.

Today is Tuesday the 15th of March. It is only 2 days from the start of the salmon fishing season. I am hoping the first day is fine and dry and I have a tight line some part of the day? It would make my day very enjoyable. I am waiting now for the 17th of March.
The 17th of March came and went it was not my day on the river for I caught no salmon. Hoping the next day on the river I will have more luck than the first day.

Month by Month Garden Maintenance

January

Clean up all flower beds. Sweep up all leaves. Please feed the birds and other small creatures which may not be able to find food due to snow on the ground. If you don’t have a feeder, a simple piece of plywood or a scrap of carpet will create a very good feeding area. Use your fireplace ashes and tea bags under fuchsia to fertilise the roots.


February


If you're cleaning out the garden shed and come across some chemicals that you no longer want; DO NOT pour them down a drain, or toss them in the dustbin or they may contaminate the water! Consult your local authority.

March

As soon as possible start cutting the grass. If it has not been cut since last autumn it will be long and tufted and hard work. Choose a dry day, cut it to three inches and remove the cuttings. The same day, or soon after, cut it again to half its height. Don’t put it out of your mind. It will be easier to cut when short in about 10 days.

April

When they have finished blooming, you should deadhead your spring flowering bulbs. Do not cut off the green leaves yet! These leaves continue to grow for a few weeks, and provide the bulb with food for flowering next year.

Split apart the root of plants such as Daylilies, Delphiniums, Iris, Chrysanthemums, Daisies, and Phlox. The additional plants you create can be traded or given to friends, or moved to a new area of the garden.

May

Place banana skins on your house plants to feed your plants.
For better blooms next year, resist the temptation to cut back your daffodils until they have almost completely died back.
When planting your annuals if you loosen up the roots a bit before planting it will stimulate stronger growth.
Once all danger of frost has past, you can move your Easter Lily plants out into a sunny spot in your garden. Be sure to mulch the roots of the plant over winter and remove the mulch again in spring. You'll enjoy your Easter Lilies for years to come.



June

Deadhead plants regularly to promote more flowers.
Remove suckers from roses. Don't cut these off at ground level as this will encourage them to grow back even stronger. Use a trowel to dig down to where the sucker starts and tear it out.



July

Lawns
Don’t cut your lawn too short during hot dry weather. Frequent mowing that takes a smaller proportion of the blades is less stressful to the grass. If you haven’t sharpened you lawn mower blades, since the beginning of the season it probably needs it now.




August
Keep tall flowers staked and cut dead flower stalks.
To reduce the number of pests on your fruit trees for the coming year pick up and destroy all fallen fruit.


September
Plants and trees that provide colour in the month of September include Cotoneaster, Hydrangeas, Potentilla, Pyracantha and Butterfly Bush. Potentilla nepalensis
Butterfly bush. Pyracantha

October

Time to dig Gladiolus. Remove the tops and let them dry for two weeks. Dust them with Sulfur. Store in dry peat moss or vermiculite at room temperature.
Time to transplant peonies or divide them if you wish to multiply your plants.

November

Mound five to six inches of soil around the bases of your hardy fuchsias and roses. Use soil from another part of the garden, rather than risking damage to the roots by digging around the base of the plant.




December

As long as the weather remains dry you can continue planting evergreens. Clear up any fallen leaves and cut back perennials if you haven't already done so.

Take hardwood cuttings of currants and gooseberries. The cuttings should be about 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) long and should be buried in a trench in the open ground to about half their length.
Curl up in front of the fire with lots of colourful catalogues to give you lots of ideas for next year.

The Feeding of the Cattle

When I was small me and my family had to feed all the cattle and in the winter it was very hard work.
I always loved it, and I still do. It is all about what you grew up with back then. I remember getting up on winter mornings to go and feed the cows and when you went outside the cold would hit you like knives piercing your skin. I remember having to go to a high field to hunt in the cows for feeding and the snow was like a blanket of sheep’s wool on the ground. There were tracks of hares and foxes all around me, I decided to track one of the hares just to see where it went to. It went on for at least a mile. The Hare must have been very hungry because it made so many holes in the snow to find grass.
It even ate some bark off a tree, what damage hares can do. When you are out in the country side you will see all types of strange things, like you will see foxes with rabbits on their backs just after a successful hunt, they’re like a cat that got the cream. It is all about the nature of the beast, let it be hares, foxes or even humans we are all the same, we will all eat to survive whatever that may be.

JC

Convoy

Convoy was made in 1978

This movie was made in 1978 and it’s all about the trucks on the highways in the USA.

The trucks want to get away from the sheriff. He is a bad sheriff. The trucks use the CB radio to talk to each other on the highway.

The song in the movie is called rubber duck 10 4over.

I like this movie because it has beautiful trucks.

MICHAEL

Goldeneye

Actors Pierce Brosnan and Sean Bean and Judi Dench. This film is about James Bond. Goldeneye is a key to a weapon. James Bond saves London. His girlfriend is the actress Izzabella Corupco .

In my opinion this is a great movie.

Brid

The Chamber of secrets

I think this Film is the Best Harry Potter film. It is scary funny and Harry is a real Hero when He saves Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and Hermione’s magical powers work. It was made in 2002. The main actors are Daniel Radcliffe Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.

The Character I like Best is Dobby.

Joey

How I started driving

The first thing I ever drove was when I was only about ten years old. It was an old Circus truck a Commer that my father used for delivering coal. We were delivering to houses in Baron Park in Clonmel. The drivers name was Jim Gabriel. Jim was an elderly man. While Jim was in one house I decided to move the truck a couple of houses up so I got in behind the steering wheel and started up the truck and drove to the next house, it was great fun.
After a year my father bought a truck from Curran’s Enamel in Clonmel. The make was a Tames truck and was much bigger. One evening while we were out in Marlfield, I decided to move the truck to the next house. Outside the house were four women customers. I started off slowly but then I came too close to the women, I could not stop. They had to move fast to get out of my way. I said I was sorry and luckily they had seen the funny side of it. I still meet some of them now at the over fifty fives Social club and we still laugh about it.
The next time I drove was in Kilree Cottages in Bagnelstown. It was a zephyr v four car that my father had. Where we lived was a cul-de-sac with a small drive in to the house. Myself and my brother would take turns pushing each other up and down the road. Then dad bought a zephyr v six car, this was great fun because it had a very long bonnet on it. I wasn’t allowed to drive it but when we moved back to Clonmel, I got my chance.
My Mother and Father were going on holidays to Wales, so Dad had left the car up in Dundrum, Co Tipperary, in the company van driver’s house after being out on site so he asked me to go up and collect the car. This was the first time I was allowed to drive on my own. Dad warned me to make sure to put petrol in the car. The next night, I, my sister and four of her friends went for a drive. I was a great fellow driving. I put two pounds worth of petrol in the car every night we went for a drive. One Sunday we went down to Wexford. That was the longest drive. When mom and dad got back, I had the car cleaned out and polished it was like a new car, not a scratch on it.
One day all the family were going up to Dublin to see my aunty Winnie who was a nun in Clondalkin. When we got to the other side of Carlow, Dad asked me to drive. Just then, a truck with two horse carriages passed. When I caught up with it, dad told me to pass it out. When I did, he gave out to me and said to slow down. I got mad and pulled into the side and said you drive yourself. Things were very quiet for the rest of the journey.
Then, when I got some money out of an accident, I bought my own car, a new blue Vauxhall Viva. I kept that for a year and bought a red Ford Cortina which was later wrote off by a friend of my brother.
After that, my brother in law Niall Dennehy asked me to drive an old Transit post office van delivering goods all over the country for Bolger Transport in Clonmel. Then he bought a bigger Transit then a ten ton Bedford truck. Next was two Hino articulated trucks and then he got a Daff articulated truck. What we didn’t know at the time was that it was a left hand gearbox instead of a right-hand one.
One Sunday evening it was left outside my front door to do a run down to Dingle, Co. Kerry. I had never driven this truck before. Instead of the gears going from left to right, they went right to left. I left home at four the next morning for Dingle. It wasn’t long before I got the hang of the gears. The place I had to deliver to was very awkward but I managed it.
From then on, I started driving for Bolger Transport. I was driving trucks for fifteen years altogether. Then I went in to business for myself selling Fruit and Vegetables. I bought a Transit van and was selling at car boot sales, door to door house visits, cattle marts, the Square in Cahir and the novenas in Holy Cross. Then I got sick and could not drive or drink for a year. I didn’t mind giving up the driving but not the drink, that nearly killed me [Joke].
From that, I went on to do a computer course for nearly two years. Following on from the course, I got a job as a caretaker in a day-care centre and then, one day I fractured a rib and got a Hernia. I had to have an operation to fix the hernia.
I hope to be back in work in two months please God.(It actually took ten months!)


Anthony
13/7/2010

Family at Christmas Time

Family at Christmas Time
At Christmas time with family all around
And hope and joy with every sound
The smell of turkey roasting in the oven
The excitement of children with Santa coming
This feeling fills me with love
And I thank God above
Every Christmas brings the same joy
And I await this like a child waiting for a toy
This year I feel like no other
I can’t wait to see my brother

By Catherine

My Family

My family

By Billy

I had a wonderful father and mother, I also had three brothers and I got on well with them. When I got sick, my mother took me to the Regional Hospital in Cork and I was made better. I passed my time in a small farm which was one of my father’s friends’. I was with my father and mother a good number of years, giving them a hand.

My family was delighted when I got working in the Nagle Centre in Cashel. I got to see my friends back in my home town on the odd occasion.

I buried my father, mother and two brothers. I miss those who have passed away. I wish my family could see me win a couple of Olympic medals in Shanghai. My brother and sister in law were delighted also my nephews and a large circle of friends.

I am a Godfather of one of my nephews. I also have a good number of aunts and uncles.

A sore day out

A sore day out
My name is Daniel, I was born and raised around cars and that’s why I got into hot rod racing. My hotrod is a Toyota Starlet, it’s the most common car used for racing.
I painted my car red and yellow with a white roof, I used those colours because they were leftovers from another job. My car is a little different to other starlets, it is completely gutted out. I took out the dashboard, windows, seats, roof lining and took off all the door cards as well.

To save weight and stop it folding if it gets a hard slap from behind the exhaust is cut off at the centre box. That’s the reason hotrods are so loud, but the noise is music to my ears.

You don’t have to be mad to drive hotrods but it helps if you are, wait until I tell you about one race I drove in that shows what I mean. I was sitting at the start line, I put the car into reverse then into first and sink the boot to roast the front tyres off it, to get them hot. The flag is raised I am feeling edgy and very intense, but I never take my eyes off the flag.
I want to get off the start line quicker than
everyone else.




It is a straight line to the first corner banging and bashing all the way. There are sayings in hotrod, when you are out in front the others “eat my dust” and “eat my rubber”. The race to the first corner would be like mothers getting their kids to school, there is no mercy or forgiveness. It is not nice biting rubber or getting dirt in your eyes and the fumes are so bad you would fly home on them.
I drove flat out into the first corner, the car was roaring like a banshee all the way up the back straight I have the pedal to the metal. The rest were eating my dust I only had to stay out there for fifteen laps.
With four laps left and the boot welded to the floor, I show no mercy, once I walk inside that gate I have no conscience. Then trouble started, the back of the car started to break away and slowed me down. The rest of the cars caught up with me on the final lap, I was able to stay ahead by driving like a beginner on the motorway I was all over the track.
At the last bend I was still ahead, I took a quick look in the mirror and I saw my arch enemy. I knew this meant I was in severe trouble, he hit me in the ass as he passed. I went straight into the wall, turned over on to my roof, I was travelling so fast that I skated down the track and over the line upside down and finished in second place.
I was steaming when they got me out of the car, we turned it back over and brought it back to the pits, threw some oil into it and got it running, then I went out for the last two races. When we were sure the car was ok someone asked how I was, that’s hotrod for you.

By Daniel

My Dream Holiday

My Dream Holiday
My dream holiday was going to Rome for my fiftieth birthday. I have been on a lot of holidays but this one stands out from all the others.
I went to Rome in March this year. The weather was nice and warm. It was about 25 degrees with clear blue skies. The journey over only took two hours. We booked into the hotel. Our room was upgraded to a double deluxe with no extra payment. It was a fabulous room and great start to the holiday.
Next day after a lovely breakfast, we headed to St. Peter’s Square. It was full with people from all over the world. I queued to get into the church but it was worth it. My next visit was to see the Sistine Chapel. This was amazing and to me more beautiful than St. Peter’s. The walls and ceiling were covered in amazing artwork. I could’ve spent a week there, but I had to move on.
Over our stay in Rome, we saw lots of interesting and beautiful things including Trevi Foundation and Spanish steps.
Someday I hope to go back to Rome.

By Geraldine.

Book Review

Book Review

Date: 3rd March, 2010

Book Title: Woman Walks into a Bar

Author: Rowan Coleman

This book tells us about a woman in her 20’s called Sam. She is trying to find Mr. Right. Her daughter set her up on a dating service on the internet and we follow her on her
journey.

Sam is a single parent trying to raise her only daughter. They have a good relationship as Sam was very young when she had her daughter. Sam has two best friends whom she knows since school. Her past relationships have affected her confidence.

She has experienced emotional abuse and physical abuse in her past relationships and she has to find a way to lower her barriers for any new relationship to work.

Yes I liked the book because it was enjoyable, it held my attention. It was entertaining.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a story with a nice ending.

My Summer Tour of Ireland

My Summer Tour of Ireland

By Aidan

When I got my holidays I went to Limerick to my sister and I met all my other sisters and brothers. I stayed for the weekend and we went for a meal and a drink.

On the Sunday night I got a phone call from an old friend and he invited me to Galway to visit him. I decided I would go on Monday morning. There was a music festival on at the time and
Galway was full of tourists. We had a few nights out and nice meals and we sat on the footpath eating chips and burgers and listening to music in the street.

My daughter lives in Mayo and as I was so near I decided to give her a ring and went to visit her for a few days. She lives near the coast. At 5am the next morning I went fishing with her brothers in law and nephews. I caught mackerel and had it for my tea that night and breakfast next morning!

Next I decided to visit my brother in Shannon in County Clare. We went for a day trip to Ennis. We did some shopping and had a nice lunch.

I also visited my sister in Shannon. She told me she had booked a house in Ballybunion in County Kerry and she invited me to stay. I spent a weekend with her and we visited Killarney and the lakes. We had a look around Tralee. She decided she didn’t want to cook so we ate out every day.

Two days after I got back to Clonmel I flew from Cork to Wales……………………but that is a story for another day!

Bill Gates

Everybody knows the name Bill Gates and anybody you ask now in the world will tell you that he is the man behind Microsoft, he had an early interest in computers and in software. In 1973 he started as a student at Harvard University where he met Steve Biller, now the Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft while he was still an undergraduate. In 1975 before graduation Gates left Harvard to form Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen; the pair planned to develop software for the newly emerging personal computer market.
Bill Gates’ company Microsoft became famous for their computer operating systems and killer business deals, for example Bill Gates talked IBM into letting Microsoft retain the licensing rights to ms-dos an operating system that IBM needed for their new personal computer Gates proceeded to make a fortune form the licensing of ms-dos.
On November 10, 1983, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, Microsoft Corporation formally announced Microsoft Windows, a next-generation operating system. On January 1ST 1994, Bill Gates married Melinda French Gates. They have three children. In 1995 windows 95 came out, it was a big hit then windows 98 and then 2000 followed by windows ME and XP. Bill Gates stepped down as chief executive officer of Microsoft in January 2000. He remained as chairman and created the position of chief software architect.
In June 2006, Gates announced that he would be transitioning from full-time work at Microsoft to part-time work and full-time work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He gradually transferred his duties to Ray Ozzie, chief software architect and Craig Mundie, chief research and strategy officer. Gates last full-time day at Microsoft was June 27, 2008. He remains at Microsoft as non-executive Chairman. His Net worth is $57 billion and he is one of the most famous people in the world.
Thomas C

The Outside Light

When I was growing up in a little fishing village, situated on the west coast of the harbour, there was always something to do and to see. We would fish among the seaweed and rock pools. I used to love the shore and would spend a lot of time there when I was not in school and there was always something new to be discovered that had been washed off a ship during a gale. In the summer we would swim every day and sometimes twice a day, it was wonderful. On the quay there was always someone who needed help to overhaul nets or bail out a boat, and I would like to help when the old men were making sails and watch as they used a sail needle and a sail maker’s palm.
When I was very young my father had a small boat with sails and when the weather was favourable he would take me out fishing. I can still remember the sound of the creaking of the mast and the flapping of the sails as the boat glided through the water. Then when I was 9 years old, my father got a 5½ horse power outboard engine which cost £98 and at a time when salmon were 1 shilling & 3 pence per pound.
The sails were never used again. This made life easier for my father and it helped to get a lot more fish. But for me it meant that I had to go fishing when the weather was good or bad, and sometimes I would be very seasick and other times I would be burned with the sun and salt water, and my face would blister. At that time, there were a lot of ships using the harbour & the nets would have to be hauled in when the ships were passing, and then set out again. This had to be done very fast. It was hard work, but I liked it and I didn’t complain. Sometimes the captain of the ship would signal to my father, and he would exchange paint or rope for fresh fish, by means of rope and basket lowered from the side of the ship.




When we were fishing at night the navigating would have to be down by the lights on the shore. This was more difficult in heavy rain or fog. When the fog was really thick it was not always possible to see the ships in time and they would come too close to our boat and sometimes cut through our nets.
At times the fog was so bad we had to stay out all night ‘til the sun came up in the morning. There was always one light that shone and it seemed to be brighter than all the rest and even at times when it was not possible to see, it was a comforting thought knowing it was on. That was the light that was on the corner of our house that my mother always left on when I was out in the boat. My father did not see the point of it and though it was a waste of electricity never the less, my mother would always leave on the outside light. When the weather was stormy that was the worst time of all. On one of these occasions when I was just 11 years old and the weather was very bad for some weeks, the wind was blowing from the south east direction which caused a big swell and I was very seasick. We had just hauled in our nets and we were steaming to another location when a huge wave struck our boat, I thought that we were gone under, and then my father was nowhere to be seen, he had fallen overboard and he was in the water. Luckily the engine stopped and I was able to grab his hand. I don’t know to this day where I got the strength to help my Father back on board.
There were good times also, like when the weather was calm and we could go ashore. I could explore some isolated beach, maybe a cave and swim from the boat in the clear deep water. Sometimes sharks would come alongside but this didn’t happen very often, only in extremely good water. Sometimes my father would tell stories of his seagoing days and I learned a lot about the sea life.
On Saturday there would be no fishing and I would help clean the boat and mend the nets. Then at the end of the season the boat would be hauled up on the quay and the barnacles and algae would be scraped from her bottom. Any leaking seams would be caulked with oakum and pitch, and a coat of tar would be given, then the boat would be painted and ready for the following year.
In the evening I would often got to the quay and watch the bigger herring boats unload their catch. We could always get some herrings to bring home. We would roast them in the fire on a wire grill and they were lovely. Then I finally left school and the only work that was available to me was fishing. It was hard work with long hours, sometimes we caught no fish for weeks and in the winter there would be work on the pier salting and barrelling herrings. I liked this job although it was hard and very cold working on the quay all day, sometimes from five o clock in the morning. There were times when we would have to work very late at night and on these occasions we would be brought to the pub and given what was called a salmon roll, and a large bottle of Guinness. Then we would go back to work loading or unloading a ship.
I fished for many years after that and there were times when I would get work ashore, but I always ended up back fishing. Finally in the early 80’s fishing as I knew it failed and when I met my wife we moved away from the sea. With her help I managed to get full time work ashore, and now when I visit the seaside my past life is just a fading memory. At times when I see the children playing on the foreshore and hear them cry out that they have found a crab or starfish, I can only smile.
I still like to watch the fishing boats and ships as they come in and out of the harbour as I stroll along the foreshore, of just sit on a rock on a summer’s evening and listen to the water lapping on the beach. Now as I drive back home and leave the harbour lights behind, my eyes sometimes mist over when that famous poem by John Masefield, “Sea Fever” comes to mind.
I must go down to the sea again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

Mountain Disasters

I read from my book ‘Mountain Disasters’.
I read from page 1 to 41. I read about Mount Everest in India and Mount Hood in Portland, Oregon, USA. I am finding this book very
interesting.
This book has a very good key terms part.
This makes reading more clearer.
It is exciting to read about the climbers who reach the top.
It is very sad to think of the people who
perished on the mountain.

By Joan

Lanzarote

Lanzarote

By Liam

We went to Lanzarote for the first time this year. We stayed in a lovely hotel in Porto Del Carmen. It’s a lovely place with lots of places to see. We went on two trips. One was in a boat across the sea to Fuerteventura. On the way, we saw the dolphins diving. It was great to see them.
On the other tour, we went to Fire Mountain. A man there put a little bit of grit in our hand to see how long we could hold it. We didn’t hold it for long, it was roasting. From there we went to see the camels and went for a ride on them. They are very smelly and they spit and bite so they have leather bibs over their mouths. It was a good day out. We stayed a week and enjoyed ourselves.
I would like to thank my tutor Helen for all her help and wish her and my fellow
student a very happy Christmas.

Book Review

BOOK REVIEW
BY P.J.
Date: 23rd April 2010

Book Title: Fields of Home
Author: Marita Conlon-McKenna
This book is about the famine years, it tells the story of one family, the O’ Driscolls and their lives at the time. Eily lived with her husband John, their daughter Mary-Brigid, son Jodie and Aunt Nano. John has been working for the Land Owner and trying to do a bit on his own place, life was hard.
I learned a lot about the Famine and really enjoyed reading this book.