Date Event Outline Start Time Hosted by Ticketing / Booking Saturday 18th November 2023 Lightfest Fireworks & Live Music Carlow Town Hall Car Park hosted by Carlow County Council Join us for an evening of family fun which includes live Music , turning on the Lights , Food Stalls , Facepainting and Live Music concluding with the skies coming to life with an amazing fireworks display 4pm Carlow County Council Eventbrite Sunday 19th November 2023 Dorothy DoLittles Magical Adventure Puppet Show With the help of magic DoLot dust, Dorothy goes on a magical adventure to the land of the DoLots in this beautiful piece by Call Back. 3pm Visual Visual Box Office Tuesday 21st November 2023 Creative Crafts for Adults 11am Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library and learn how to make your own fabric flower which can be used as a brooch or to accessorise your bag, hat, scarf or jumper 22nd November 2023 25th November 2023 Carlow Little Theatre presents The Steward of Christendom 7.30pm Visual Visual Box Office Carlow Little Theatre Society are delighted to be returning to the stage of the George Bernard Shaw Theatre this coming November, with their production of Sebastian Barrys The Steward Of Christendom, a profoundly moving story of family, love and loss. Sunday 26th November 2023 ABBA FOREVER 2023 TOUR 8.00pm Visual Visual Box Office The smash hit show ABBA FOREVER is returning to VISUAL & The George Bernard Shaw Theatre Carlow this November for one night only! Friday 1st December 2023 George Michael Tribute Live 2023 8pm Visual Visual Box Office George.. The Essential Collection, Promises To Captivate The Audience And Leave Them Wanting More. Saturday 2nd December 2023 Christmas Craft Fun for Kids 7+ 10am Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library for a Christmas Themed Craft Workshop and create your very own Christmas Snowman Tea Light Saturday 2nd December 2023 Christmas Craft Fun for Kids 7+ 11.15am Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library for a Christmas Themed Craft Workshop and create your very own Christmas Decorations which will add sparkle to the Christmas Tree Saturday 2nd December 2023 Wibbly Wobbly Wendy does Christmas 11am Bagenalstown Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Bagenalstown Library to meet Wibbly Wobbly Wendy who is all excited about Christmas for a Christmas Storytime, Optional to wear your Christmas Costume! Saturday 2nd December 2023 Rathvilly GAA Annual Christmas Fair & Fireworks 6pm Rathvilly GAA Rathvilly GAA Facebook Crafts, Music & Fireworks a event not to be missed Saturday 2nd December 2023 Pat & Faye Shortt Knuckle Down 8pm Visual Visual Box Office This father and daughter comedy duo have come together once again and are selling out venues across the country with their new show Knuckle Down. Sunday 3rd December 2023 CRYS Jingle Bell Jog 11.30am Carlow Regional Youth Services Pop Up Races Carlow Regional Youth Service are hosting our popoular Jing Bell Jog. It is on Sunday 3rd December 2023, starting at the Barrow Track @ 11:30 Sunday 3rd December 2023 Cash Returns Show 8pm Visual Visual Box Office Europes no.1 Johnny Cash & June Carter tribute are back Monday 4th December 2023 Creative Christmas Crafts for Adults 11am Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library and unleash your creativity by creating your very own Christmas Star which will add sparkle to your home or tree Wednesday 6th December 2023 The Exchange Christmas Food, Drink & Craft Fair 2pm-8pm The Exchange, Potato Market , Carlow No Booking Food, Drink & Craft Fair to all the Family Thursday 7th December 2023 Friday 8th December 2023 The Student Exchange Christmas Craft Fair Local Enterprise Office Student Enterprise Programme 11am-3pm The Exchange, Potato Market , Carlow No Booking 2nd Level Schools from Across County Carlow provide a variety of festive crafts and local products and services Thursday 7th December 2023 Phil Coulter Four Score & Then 8pm Visual Visual Box Office Having clocked up a major milestone last year, some commentators may have assumed that his Phil Coulter at Eighty national tour was a sort of lap of honour, a last hurrah for his followers. Wrong! Friday 8th December 2023 enCRe Live In Concert 2023 8pm Visual Visual Box Office Join enCRe as they embark on their first solo concert premiering at the George Bernard Shaw Theatre at VISUAL Carlow Saturday 9th December 2023 Wibbly Wobbly Wendy does Christmas 10.30am Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library to meet Santa and his Elf, Wibbly Wobbly Wendy for a fun festive morning, Optional to wear your Christmas Costume! Saturday 9th December 2023 Lightfest Tullow Fireworks & Family Event hosted by Carlow County Council in association with St. Patricks GAA TBC Carlow County Council / St. Patricks GAA Tullow Eventbrite Join us for an evening of family fun which includes Music , Food Stalls , Facepainting concluding with the skies coming to life with an amazing fireworks display Sunday 10th December 2023 Thursday 14th December 2023 Bouceland with Santa at the Exchange Various Carlow County Council Eventbrite Visit Santa for Free and enjoy 45 minutes of Bouceland at the Exchange Sunday 10th December 2023 Lightfest Bagenalstown Fireworks & Family Event hosted by BIG & Bagenalstown Area Chamber of Commerce TBC Bagenalstown GAA Grounds Eventbrite Join us for an evening of family fun which includes Music , Food Stalls , Facepainting concluding with the skies coming to life with an amazing fireworks display Wednesday 13th December 2023 Christmas Carol Service 6pm Tullow Library No Booking Come along to Tullow Library for a Miscellany of Christmas Carols with the reknowned Regina Hanley & Friends and raise the roof with Christmas song and enjoy a mince pie! Wedensdat 13th December 2023 Sunday 17th December 2023 Jack and the Beanstalk Various Visual Visual Box Office The team at Striking Productions returns this year to the Kingdom of Barrowvale with this years panto, Jack and the Beanstalk Friday 15th December 2023 Christmas Lunchtime Musical with Carlow College of Music 1pm Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library and join students of Carlow College of Music for a Christmas Themed Concert which will get that Christmas cheer going! Thursday 21st December 2023 Friday 22nd December 2023 A Christmas Carol 7pm Visual Visual Box Office A Christmas Carol is Aaron Monaghan and Bryan Burroughs playful, physical storytelling, stage adaptation of Charles Dickens much lovednovella.

Excerpt from:
Lightfest kicks off festive season in Carlow - Carlow Nationalist

The Herald-News presents this weeks Pets of the Week. Read the description of each pet to find out about it, including where it can be adopted in Will County.

Send Pets of the Week submissions to news@theheraldnews.com. Photos should be in .jpg file format, 200 dpi and sent as email attachments. Submissions are subject to editing for length, style and grammar and run as space is available.

Tyson is a 3-year-old, 70-pound terrier mix with a huge heart. He loves to play and go on walks. Tyson is outgoing and likes to meet new people. He also is good with other dogs. He needs a home without cats. To meet Tyson, email Dogadoption@nawsus.org. Visit nawsus.org.

Tyson is a 3-year-old, 70-pound terrier mix with a huge heart. He loves to play and go on walks. Tyson is outgoing and likes to meet new people. He is also good with other dogs. He needs a home without cats. To meet Tyson, email Dogadoption@nawsus.org. Visit nawsus.org. (Photo provided by NAWS Humane Society of Illinois)

Marigold is a 5-year-old domestic shorthair that was rescued with her kittens from southern Illinois. Now that her kittens have found forever homes, Marigold needs her happy ending too. She is friendly and has a sweet little meow. She loves to play, and she enjoys being a lap cat. She seeks out attention and enjoys pets. Marigold has done well with other cats and should be fine with kitty siblings if given a proper introduction. To meet Marigold, email Catadoptions@nawsus.org. Visit nawsus.org.

Marigold is a 5-year-old domestic shorthair that was rescued with her kittens from southern Illinois. Now that her kittens have found forever homes, Marigold needs her happy ending too. She is friendly and has a sweet little meow. She loves to play, and she enjoys being a lap cat. She seeks out attention and enjoys pets. Marigold has done well with other cats and should be fine with kitty siblings if given a proper introduction. To meet Marigold, email Catadoptions@nawsus.org. Visit nawsus.org. (Photo provided by NAWS Humane Society of Illinois)

Marlo is a large pit bull/Saint Bernard mix that is goofy and playful. She has tons of energy, loves to play with balls and is very strong. Marlo needs an active and strong owner. Contact the Will County Humane Society at willcountyhumane.com and follow the instructions for the adoption process.

Marlo is a large pit bull/Saint Bernard mix who is goofy and playful. She has tons of energy, loves to play with balls, and is very strong. Marlo needs an active and strong owner. Contact the Will County Humane Society at willcountyhumane.com and follow the instructions for the adoption process. (Photo provided by Sue Newcomb Visual Arts)

Freddy is a domestic shorthaired kitten who came in as a stray with his littermates. He has tested positive for FIV. However, with excellent care, many FIV cats live normal lives. Please give this guy a forever home. Contact the Will County Humane Society at willcountyhumane.com and follow the instructions for the adoption process.

Freddy is a domestic shorthaired kitten who came in as a stray with his littermates. He has tested positive for FIV. However, with excellent care, many FIV cats live normal lives. Please give this guy a forever home. (Photo provided by Sue Newcomb Visual Arts)

Link:
Pets of the Week: Nov. 13, 2023 Shaw Local - Shaw Local

The Cruising Group can often emerge as the backbone of any sailing club, particularly in the winter. Back in the day when the new Howth Yacht Club premises opened in March 1987, fresh concepts were needed to ensure that the large building was well used on a year-round basis. Gary McGuire was the founding-convenor for this then-novel concept (in Howth anyway) of a weekly winter gathering of cruising folk, supported in turn by rallies and cruises-in-company of all lengths in summer.

Today, it continues to thrive, the largest single grouping in the club, and an active user of all aspects of its clubhouse/marina complex. So when you get a request to introduce a speaker to Cruising Group people with this level of enthusiasm and dedication, it merits some thought and more. Certainly this was the case recently when I got the call, from HYCs current convenor Susan Kavanagh and her predecessor Gerry ONeill, to give the word on Limericks lone sailor Pat Lawless.

The son of a world sailor, Pat Lawless of Limerick is part of a remarkably innovative areas unrivalled sailing heritage

He was coming to provide what proved to be a packed house with the full insight to himself, and his familys multi-generational interaction with the sea and particularly its oceans. Almost immediately it was clear that, as everyone already knows a bit - while some know a lot - about Pat, and his involvement with the Golden Globe sailing the Saga 36 Green Rebel, there might be more point on the night to introduce him by giving some attention to his home area and the Limerick sailing scene which shaped his devotion to the oceans.

Pat Lawless solo-sailing his Saga 36 Green Rebel

It was a real light-bulb moment. For the slightest bit of thought suggests that Limerick, combined with the Shannon Estuary below it and Lough Derg above, make up Irelands Number 1 sailing area in terms of significant individual achievement, and in pioneering and innovation, both in sailing itself, and in its organisation.

And this Limerick Roll of Honour is not just history its the here and now. For Id argue that the greatest single achievement in Irish sailing in the 21st Century at both national and international level is still the clear overall victory by Ger ORourke - of Limerick and the Royal Western YC of Ireland at Kilrush in the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race, for this was very much an individual super-success by a notably determined, failure is not an option owner-skipper.

It rounded out his achievement record with his Cookson 50 Chieftain, which was extensively family cruised oceanic and coastal - between bouts of racing which included a class win in the Sydney-Hobart race, and a second overall in the Transatlantic Race.

Limerick, Youre A Lady Ger ORourkes Chieftain approaching the finish line for total victory in the 2007 Fastnet Race

Its all enhanced by knowing that Ger was introduced to sailing in a very Limerick way. He was chatting with Gary McMahon as they and a group of similar free-thinking spirits gently eased themselves into the weekend with a couple of Thursday night pints in one of those very special pubs which are a Limerick speciality. When everyone dutifully headed for home at a responsible hour, Ger asked Gary if hed see him again the following night.

But Gary said not, as hed be taking his boat down the Estuary to her summer berth. So Ger said hed like to have a go at this sailing game, and could he come too? And that was that the Limerick man who so totally dominated the 2007 Fastnet Race was introduced to sailing by the sea-experienced Limerick acquaintance who - four years after Chieftains mighty Fastnet win - was finally to see the launching at Oldcourt above Baltimore of the fully-restored 56ft ketch Ilen of 1926 vintage, and Conor OBrien and Shannon Estuary fame.

The restored trading ketch Ilen in Greenland in July 2019 under Gary Mac Mahons command. Photo: Gary Mac Mahon

But of course, any discussion of the long history of recreational sailing in Ireland will inevitably attribute its origins partly to the fleet of pleasure boats kept by The Maguire Hugh the Hospitable on Lough Erne in the 16th and early 17th Century, and then come on very strongly with the clearly recorded foundation of the Water Club of the Harbour of Cork in 1720, and agree it was Cork that did it.

But it was a Limerick and Shannonside man who brought it to Cork. Murrough OBrien (1614-1673), 1st Earl of Inchiquin, was an OBrien of Dromoland who somehow emerged from a trail of destruction on the winning side during each phase of the Munster wars in the 1640s. But when his luck finally ran out, he went to France and served with such distinction in the French army that after a successful campaign of conquest into Spain, he was made Governor of Catalonia.

Soldier of fortune and misfortune. Limericks Murrough OBrien brought recreational sailing to Cork Harbour in the 1660s

When the run of luck ran out on that too, he threw in his lot with the exiled Court of Englands King Charles II in the Netherlands, where they were passing the time until Cromwell popped his clogs in England with several activities, including the novel Dutch sport of recreational sailing. OBrien took a special fancy to this, and when Charles II was restored in 1660 and returned to London, OBrien re-collared much of the OBrien land in Ireland and went back there, bringing his sailing interest back with him.

But because he still had so many enemies around the Shannon Estuary, he made his base at Rostellan Castle on the eastern side of Cork Harbour, which conveniently enabled him to have the occasional sail for the pure pleasure of it. Yet when he died in 1673, his will stipulated that he was to be buried in St Marys Cathedral, so they got him back there in the Shannonside city whether they wanted him or not.

Yachts of the 1720-founded Water Club on fleet manoeuvres off Cork as painted by Peter Monamy in 1738. Image: RCYC

Meanwhile back in Rostellan his descendants continued sailing with such increasing interest that when the Water Club was established in 1720, the fourth Earl of Inchiquin Murroughs great-grandson was the founding Admiral. And though in the 1800s the Rostellan Inichiquin OBriens returned to Dromoland Castle as the Thomond branch there had run our of heirs, back in Cork the OBriens continued to be prominent in sailing to such an numerous extent that one branch re-spelled their name as OBryen, with the Cork Harbour-based Henry OBryen becoming Irelands most successful racing skipper in the 1860s, his successes including winning the mould-breaking Dublin Bay to Cork Harbour Race in 1860.

But by that time the Shannon Estuary itself had seen some remarkable flourishes of sailing. A regatta at Kilrush in 1828 which drew in boats and skippers from as far south as west Kerry in the form of Daniel OConnnell, The Liberator, from Derrynane, and his Uncle Maurice from Cahirsiveen, arrived to augment the growing locally-based fleet at Kilrush, and from that the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland was formed, a good two years before any sort of club was established at Kingstown in the East Coast.

That said, the Northern Yacht Club on Belfast Lough had been in being since 1820, but by 1838 it had transferred all its focus across channel to the Clyde becoming the wholly Scottish Royal Northern Yacht Club

The Royal Western of Ireland thrived as a moveable feast, with Stations at Kilrush and Tralee. But Kilrush remained the main base, and in 1838 there were eighteen substantial yachts based there, while others were to be found in various estuary anchorages in 1837 the Knight of Glin had taken his south-shore based yacht Rienvella to Galway Bay to contest sailings Galway Plate, and won.

Glin Castle with the Shannon Estuary beyond. In 1837, the Knight of Glin took his yacht Rienvella to Galway Bay and won sailings Galway Plate

But while slowly growing overall prosperity seemed to guarantee a bright future for west coast sailing, the Great Famine of 1845-1848 wiped it out, and just about everything else with it. The pleasure boats were left to rot, or else withdrew to the east coast, and the Royal Western briefly had a life as an east coast club, until the Model Yacht Club emerged from among its few younger members in 1857, and from that emerged the Corinthian-promoting Royal Alfred Yacht Club on Dublin Bay in 1870.

Meanwhile, what was left of the old Royal Western of Ireland was taken over by the buccaneering Scottish entrepreneur John Arnott in Cork to find a new base in Cobh. But even that didnt seem to work, and it was supposedly wound up there in 1870, but many years later it was shown that such was not the case.

Daniel OConnell meanwhile had not lost interest entirely, for before he set out in 1847 for his desperate famine pilgrimage to Rome - from which he did not return alive - he was one of a small group who revived the old Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire as a response to the almost wholly Ascendancy landlord-dominated outlook of the Royal St George YC. That founding meeting took place in Dublin on 4th July 1846, and the choice of American Independence day was no accident.

The Royal Irish Yacht Club, originally founded 1831, was brought back to life on American Independence Day the 4th July in 1846, and its new clubhouse, opened in 1850, is now the worlds oldest intact purpose-designed yacht club

Looking inland from Limerick, recreational sailing had long been a feature of life on the great lakes of the Shannon, and while a predecessor of Lough Ree Yacht Club had existed at Athlone since 1770, in 1835 Lough Derg YC came into being at Dromineer, drawing in sailors from a wide area of Ireland.

The date is of significance, as these days up in Dublin they tend to think of Lough Derg YC as being Royal St George Yacht Club West. But as The George didnt come into being until 1838, it should arguably be more accurately thought of as Lough Derg Yacht Club East.

Squibs in action off Dromineer, where the Lough Derg YC was founded in 1835. Photo: W M Nixon

The next Limerick area breakthrough in sailing came in 1885, with the Americas Cup Challenge by Lt. William Henn RN (Retd) of Paradise House on the north side of the Estuary, along the western shores of the rapidly widening River Fergus as it flows south through and beyond Ennis.

William Henn loved sailing, he loved being at sea, but when he found that the Royal Navy was providing him with very little of either, he resigned in disgust, though always proudly sporting his rank as a Lieutenant.

Galatea, seen here in full racing trim, was the Americas Cup challenger in 1885

Even in Victorian times, the saloon in Galatea was somewhat at variance with full-on racing expectatios

Happily for his interests, hed married a Scottish heiress who shared his love of sailing and living aboard their luxuriously appointed Americas Cup cutter Galatea, which they brought to the Shannon Estuary between sessions of unsuccessful but hugely popular Americas Cup challenging, and extensive Caribbean cruising which made them pioneers in that now-renowned cruising area.

We gave an update on their story here. Its sufficient to say that while the Galatea challenge in 1885 set the sporting and popular tone later emulated by the Royal Ulsters Thomas Lipton in his five AC challenges between 1899 and 1931, one of the reasons Lipton was able to make such good use of his increasing popularity was because, in 1893 and 1895, the Shannon Estuary provided the home base for two more Americas Cup Challenges, but they became embroiled in controversy.

The Earl of Dunraven of Adare in County Limerick, on the River Maigue a few miles upstream of the south shore of the Shannon Estuary, was descended from a shrewd 17th Century County Limerick farmer called Thady Quin. Quin was good at the agricultural business, but he was even better at establishing a dynasty through a family tradition of marrying well, such that by the late 1800s, his direct descendants were living in the enormous new manor house at Adare on a vast acreage, and the current patriarch was Windham Thomas Wyndham-Quinn, the Fourth Earl of Dunraven.

Having exhausted Irelands supply of really useful heiresses, Thady Quins descendants had looked to Wales, and signed on a Miss Wyndham, who came with a very substantial field. It was actually a coal field. In fact, it was about half of the very extensive and extremely valuable coalfield of South Wales.

On the coast beside it was the Wyndhams home place, Dunraven Castle. So though the title of Earl of Dunraven may sound very Irish indeed, it has more basic origins in South Wales, as the Wyndham family had held sway there since 1642. But also with a basis in Wales was a new and enormous income, much of which was poured into expanding and developing the familys Irish estates such that the fourth Earl even used experience acquired in Wales to create a coal mine near Adare at Ballingarry, in which he took a direct personal and technical interest.

The fourth Earl of Dunraven brainy, ambitious, and very very rich

But as it happened, his lively mind and technical expertise caused him to become interested in the Americas Cup, as sailing had become a new and passionate activity for him after being introduced to it at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in what was then Queenstown, and pursuing it further with his friend John Jameson, the whiskey magnate of the Royal St George YC on Dublin Bay.

Being Dunraven, his approach was very technically-based and success-oriented. After extensive research, he decided the Scottish designer G L Watson was the man to create his very advanced new 117ft challenging cutter, to be built on the Clyde by Hendersons. The name was to be Valkyrie II, for of course the Earl was a Wagner fan, and when the contract was signed and the building shed being prepared, she was the only big cutter to Watsons new and brilliant ideas to be under construction.

But when the sporting Price of Wales got to hear of this, he decided it was his duty to provide Valkyrie II with a near-sister to be a training partner before Dunravens boat made her way to America, sailing across the Atlantic as AC challengers were then required to do. So the Prince sent to Portmarnock to his friend Willie Jameson to be the Royal Sailing Master and what wed now call Project manager, and the wonderful yacht that became Britannia was soon under construction beside the very similar Valkyrie II.

Valkyrie (left) in action in the Americas Cup. Although she was designed before the royal cutter Britannia, the new and very fast hull type from GL Watson became known as The Britannia Ideal

Thus although Dunraven was a talented man with much good fortune, when things went pear-shaped for him, they did so big time. Nowadays, the near-perfection of the Britannia Ideal at the time of her construction set a gold standard for yacht design for decades. And because the Prince of Wales was involved, this is the way it is remembered. Yet if life was at all fair, it would be remembered as the Valkyrie Ideal. But fate has decreed that all the two Watson-designed Valkyries of 1893 and 1895 are remembered for is international acrimony, and a sinking incident.

Dunravens excess of enthusiasm and competitive zeal were his undoing in his 1893 Americas Cup challenge, and even more so in his contentious 1895 challenge. He was making them at a time when the Americans were seriously flexing their international sporting and national pride muscles, and if anyone became responsible for losing the 1851-won Americas Cup, he would be given a bottle of Bourbon and a loaded revolver, and left alone to contemplate his fate.

Thus everything conspired against Dunravens two wonderful Watson-designed boats, and when he made a real fuss abut the many spectator steamships crowding Valkyrie III during light weather racing in 1895, it ended with such acrimony that he received the unprecedented snub of being expelled from his Honorary Membership of the New York Yacht Club.

In his massive and definitive history of the Americas Cup, the late Bob Fisher felt that Dunraven had been poorly treated, and in private conversation he was much more firmly of this opinion. But we neednt waste too much sympathy on this sailing son of Shannonside. He soon bounced back with extensive cruising under sail. And he developed numerous technical projects, many of them of a maritime nature, while his Americas Cup challenges are now perhaps best seen as ensuring that in the half Century after America first won the cup, Shannon Estuary-based owners made one third of the nine challenge.

More surprisingly in life afterwards, Dunraven proved adept at high politics. He was a popular and effective co-Chair of the successful Land Commission of 1903, which transformed for the better the nature and structure of Irish country and farming life. Yet he was his own man. When the Great War ended in 1918, he took the enormous profits from his Welsh coal-mining interests and invested a substantial part of the sum in wait for this the design, development and construction of a 500-ton diesel-powered yacht, the largest built at that time, and a fine vessel without anything coal-fired throughout the length and breadth of her.

One of Dunravens many active interests was west Kerry, with Derrynanes natural harbour where he sailed with the ghost of Daniel OConnell, and the eternally fascinating Skellig rocks miniature sea mountains dominating the horizon.

He liked the place so much that he built a holiday cottage there. It really is little more than a cottage, just big enough for small family groups. It was a shrewd move of which his ancestor Thady Quin would have approved, for had he built a substantial holiday home just above the Derrynane beach, his summers would have been over-run by uninvited guests imposing on the Dunraven noblesse oblige.

The place where many sailors histories interacted Derrynanes natural harbour in West Kerry. Photo: W M Nixon

As it is, big cheeses visiting that sublime area were hosted by the new Parknasilla Hotel at Sneem, and when they were sufficiently interesting, Dunraven would extend an invitation to sail out to the Skelligs. Thus Bernard Shaw in the midst of writing St Joan in the middle of a supposed holiday at Parknasilla - was taken to Skellig Michael by the eccentric Earl, and it was worth everyones efforts, as the effect of that extroaordinary place produced some short but very impressive Shavian prose.

Meanwhile, another summer presence at Derrynane was Dunravens near-neighbours from Cahirmoyle at Ardagh, the OBriens of the family of the 1848 Young Ireland activist William Smith OBrien. While the countryside around their fancy Italianate house of Cahirmoyle at Ardagh was decidedly humdrum, they had their own much-loved piece of coastline at Foynes and Foynes Island, and for summer recreation they decamped to Keatings Hotel at Derrynane (now Bridies), a modest place which set the mood of the place where young Conor OBrien (you can find his signature in the Visitors Book) started to learn to sail with the 27ft open ketch-rigged clinker-built whaler Mary Brigid.

First command Conor OBriens sailing was self taught with the 27ft whaler Mary Brigid along the coast from Derrynane

In time, OBrien would mark the establishment of the new Irish Free State with the voyage round the world south of the great capes in his own-designed, Baltimore-built 42ft ketch Saoirse between 1923 and 1925. As Afloat.ie readers are well aware, we are very much in the midst of celebrating that momentous achievement with considerable flourishes. But while it officially began and ended at the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dublin Bay on the 20th June 1923 and the 20th June 1925, as far as OBrien was concerned that was purely for the convenience of publicity purposes. He felt on the contrary that all his voyages really began and ended when he sailed from or returned to his mooring off Foynes Island, where he made his last home and died in 1952 at the age of 72.

Conor OBrien in his prime around 1930, as sketched by his new wife Kitty Clausen

Saoirse re-born at Oldcourt on the River Ilen, June 2023 Photo: W M Nixon

Thered been another Limerick area gesture to the new state when the new boats of the 1922-established Shannon One Design Class at Lough Derg YC at Dromineer were transported by various railway links to what nearly all the natives still thought of as Kingstown, as it had been selected as the sailing venue for the 1924 Tailteann Games. The Dublin Bay sailors were muted in their enthusiasm, but the SOD sailors, having made their journey, went at it with gusto for all that Dublin Bay was in a brisk mood.

Their boats were supposedly only una-rigged lake boats. Yet the long, slim and beautifully but lightly-built Shannons wiggled their way in style over the salty waves, and came home with two Gold Medals while the supposedly rugged local Water Wags reputedly had none.

Shannon One Designs as dedicated lake boats at Dromineer on Lough Derg, Yet in 1924 they proved to be able sea boats by winning two Gold Medals at the sailing events of the Tailteann Games in Dublin Bay.

Despite these displays of enthusiasm, the 1930s and 40s became a relatively fallow period for Limerick and Shannon sailing, even though some astute lake sailors had used the opportunity of the Olympic Games in Belgium in 1920 to secure some superbly-built racing keelboats at knockdown prices. And some amateur sailors such as Limerick merchant David Tidmarsh and later fellow Limerick-man Roger Bourke kept the flag flying to provide an Irish Cruising Club presence in the estuary. Then around 1960 the rocketing rise of kit-built dinghy racing saw Killaloe Sailing Club at the south end of Lough Derg becoming a vibrant Enterprise centre, with annual major events there showing that local talents such as Frank Larkin could match it and more with the national stars.

As the series production of fibreglass boats was becoming an international norm, Limericks factory tradition inevitably became involved, and Gerry Nash set up Fastnet Marine in the city to build the notably successful Shipman 28. Primarily this boat was for the export market, but so many were produced that there isnt a sailing port in Ireland that even today still has a significant presence of Shipman 28s.

Shipman 28s may be racing here in Dublin Bay, but they were all built in Limerick

But the main impact on the area came from that State Within A State, Shannon Development, whose quietly-expanded remit for the promotion of prosperity extended all the way from the sea at Kerry Head far upriver to Birr in County Offaly. Its success stemmed from a dedicated and very hard-working team, and when they decided that an integral part of the regions continuing progress would be the re-establishment of Kilrush as a significant sailing centre, they didnt mess about.

They made their group financial controller, sailing enthusiast Brendan Travers, the Project Manager for the massive task of transforming Kilrush into a permanently floating marina, with a mighty barrage and a hefty sea lock. It was indeed a mega-project by the West Coast standards of the day, and inevitably, it over-ran in every direction. But now Kilrush is transformed, even unto the revival of the old Royal Western YC, of which the Glynn family of Kilrush had kept many original documents and artefacts.

Kilrush as it was in the 1890s, with the Shannon Estuarys large tidal range a key factor in port life.

.and Kilrush as it is now, with the sea lock and marina providing peace of mind and space for a good boatyard

Not least of Kilrushs achievements is that it has attracted the international boat-building talent of Steve Morris. From New Zealand, he was enticed to Ireland and Kilrush, in particular by his new Irish wife, who wished to live near her mother.

A substantial doctorate could be written about the longterm role of the Irish mother in enticing international skill to specialist industries in this city, particularly when theyre located in places others might think of as remote. Kilrush is no longer remote in classic yacht and general boat maintenance terms. In Ireland, it is now Classic Boatbuilding Central, with Steve and his team working on an extraordinary variety of jobs, everything from the re-birth of the Dublin Bay 21 Class for Hal Sisk and Fionan de Barra, to a minor but potentially tricky job of sorting out some damage on a relatively new Howth 17, which recently provided a useful excuse for four leading Howth 17 sailors to spend a day trailing the boat to Kilrush so that they could worship at this shrine of master craftsmanship.

The artist in his studio Steve Morris last week in Kilrush, inspecting the restored hull of the Dublin Bay 21 Oola. Photo: Ian Malcolm

The restored stem on Oola the line of the bow on the Dublin Bay 21 was one of renowned designer Alfred Mylnes very best. Photo: Ian Malcolm

Worshipping at the shrine Howth 17 sailors Marc FitzGibbon, Donal Gallagher and Alan Markey savouring the quality of the Kilrush craftsmanship on the DB21 Oola. Photo: Ian Malcolm

Meanwhile, other aspects of the Limerick sailing skills and maritime devotion have continued to manifest themselves. Despite the Covid hiatus, Killaloe Sailing Club have built themselves a fine new clubhouse, while the dinghy sailing interests of the area have also been able to express themselves through the lake-based Cullaun Sailing Club in the heart of County Clare.

Foynes Yacht Club prospers such that it was able to host the 2023 National Championship of Champions sailed in their own fleet of Mermaids, and although Gary Mac Mahon has stood back from the day-to-day running of the Ilen through transferring the superbly restored ship to the Sailing-Into-Wellness organisation, the detailed research he did on Conor OBriens Saoirse has enabled her to be re-built with authenticity in Olcourt near Baltimore by Liam Hegarty as a stylish vessel for West Cork devotee Fred Kinmonth.

Saoirse departs from Dunleary on her great pioneering voyage on June 20th 1923

While all this was working towards fulfilment, before the century turned, Limerick man Pat Lawless set off solo round the world in an International Folkboat - a very pretty little craft, but she wouldnt have been everyones choice for the task he had in mind. So no-one was surprised that, when he eventually returned, it was in a hefty 32ft Seadog ketch. And he has left his two sons Pat Jnr and Peter, with the ambition of being the first Irish sailor to sail solo round the world non-stop, for thats what Limericks Lawless sailing family do.

Thus in national and international sailing terms, Limerick and the Shannon Estuary and the rivers nearby lakes are pace-setters in Irish and global sailing. In fact, every brief examination reveals further layers of achievement and seagoing activity. Theres no doubting theres much more to the Shannonside city than Terry Wogan, Richard Harris, Frank God Help Us McCourt, and Munster Rugby. Limerick is a gutsy town. And though the Earldom of Dunraven and the Knighthood of Glin are now extinct, their spirit is more alive than ever.

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Shannon Estuary & Limerick Have Combined Over Centuries As ... - Afloat

Efforts Seek to Advance Equity for Students with Basic Needs Insecurity

UNION, N.J. Understanding that non-tuition costs like food, child care, and housing can impact the well-being and success of college students, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) held a statewide convening on Friday to highlight efforts to address basic needs insecurity among New Jerseys diverse student populations and launched a free online navigation tool that will connect college students with a wide spectrum of basic needs resources.BasicNeeds.NJ.gov designed in collaboration with the Office of Innovation centralizes information relevant to students regarding housing, food, transportation, child care, and other similar supports, while providing an overview of eligibility and the processes for seeking State assistance.

This work is part of the Murphy Administrations ongoing efforts to help New Jerseyans successfully complete a college education and to make progress toward the statewide goal of ensuring 65 percent of New Jerseyans hold a high-quality credential by 2025.

As my Administration continues to work toward making higher education more affordable and accessible throughout our state, we recognize that success depends on what happens both in and out of the classroom,said Governor Phil Murphy.Todays students come from all different backgrounds and face any number of challenges in their day-to-day life beyond their ongoing studies. We must take a whole-of-government approach to supporting New Jersey students and understanding their unique challenges to help ensure their postsecondary success.

The day-long event at Kean University convened a dynamic set of speakers and stakeholders, including prominent national researcher Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and Complete College America, to inform and enhance basic needs programming for postsecondary students in New Jersey. Over 170 people attended, representing a combination of campus practitioners, students, community organizations, state agencies and policymakers.

Supporting students' basic needs security is not only the right thing to do, but it is also vital to ensuring that colleges and universities can fulfill their missions to help students achieve their academic goals,said Dr. Brian K. Bridges, New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education.In today's landscape, students grapple with unprecedented challenges and enhancing opportunities for communication between researchers, policymakers and practitioners is critical. This collaborative approach empowers us to innovate and formulate lasting solutions, focused on equitable support for all students.

In order to ensure that our services are truly meeting the needs of our residents, its essential that we include them and community partners in the design and development process,said Dr. Beth Simone Noveck, the New Jersey State Chief Innovation Officer.TheBasicNeeds.NJ.govwebsite marks one among a suite of partnerships the Office of Innovation has been proud to engage in. We are always seeking ways to better connect communities with the tools and information they need to thrive in New Jersey.

BasicNeeds.NJ.govis part of the broader Resident Experience Initiative (ResX) funded by the federal American Rescue Plan to streamline, simplify, and improve how New Jersey delivers benefits and services to residents.

As part of theBasicNeed.nj.govs design and development process, the Office of Innovation and OSHE connected with over 900 individuals and campus partners, which includes outreach to more than two dozen community groups statewide and ethnographic interviews conducted with New Jersey college students. The site will be continually updated and enhanced based on feedback from student users, various campus stakeholders, and community organizations.

The convening and development ofBasicNeeds.NJ.govfollow findings from OSHEsCOVID-19 Student Impact Surveyand the2019 #RealCollege Survey, which illustrated an increasing prevalence of material hardship among New Jersey postsecondary students, most acutely in the areas of food and housing insecurity.

Basic needs insecurity among students is a significant concern that affects students not only in New Jersey but nationally,said Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, Senior Fellow at Education Northwest and the convening keynote speaker.At least one in every three students faces food insecurity, one in four is a parent while studying, and one of every two may be housing insecure. Knowing this allows us to recognize that students are humans first and addressing their personal needs and overall well-being is not tangential but central to their academic success.

The work of the convening complements several of the strategic investments by the State, such as the annual Hunger-Free Campus grants, the statewide Some College, No Degree initiative, and the mental health supports for college students, that are strengthening postsecondary student success in New Jersey. It also builds on the Murphy Administrations overall efforts to fulfill the vision set forth in theState Plan for Higher Education, which is essential for reaching New Jerseys economic goals and seeding prosperity more broadly across the state.

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Office of the Governor | ICYMI: Office of the Secretary of Higher ... - NJ.gov

Newswise High interest rates persisted throughout 2023, with an increasing number of Americans now believing that inflation is the new normal. With the holiday season now upon us, many consumers are also cutting back on gift spending with 42 percentof shoppers telling Bankrate.com that they expect to buy fewer items this year, and 41 percent planning to seek out more coupons, discounts, or sales.

As the New Year approaches, will Americans continue to simply survive, or will consumer spending tell a more optimistic story?

Wenyao Hu, Ph.D., CFA, assistant professor at New York Institute of Technologys School of Management, shares his predictions.

In response to inflation, the Federal Reserve has raised the federal funds rate since the beginning of this year, but forecasts, including those from Goldman Sachs, suggest a possible decrease in rates by the year 2024 if inflation subsides, says Hu. This anticipated shift aims to prevent economic slowdowns, echoing the strategic rate cuts of 2019 amidst stable unemployment and inflation rates.

Hu notes that, as higher interest rates are expected to cease in 2024, investors should consider exploring alternative investment opportunities beyond quasi-safe assets.

Diversifying into dynamic, growth-oriented strategies may become essential to adapt to these changing economic conditions and maintain portfolio resilience in the face of shifting monetary policies, he says.

According to Hu, 2024 will also be an interesting year to watch Gen Z spending and saving trends.

Gen Z is leading a soft saving trend, prioritizing quality of life and present experiences over traditional savings, he says. This means they're more likely to spend money on things that bring immediate happiness and are open to investing in causes that reflect their values.

For members of Gen Z, as well as others, theres a good chance this means prioritizing spending on entertainment.

The post-COVID era is witnessing a surge in the concert economy, exemplified by the success of Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour. This trend demonstrates a strong consumer appetite for in-person entertainment experiences, significantly boosting local economies, said Hu, adding that Swifts tour has had a remarkable economic impact, with each show grossing around $13 million and generating substantial consumer spending.

This phenomenon is not just limited to ticket sales but also extends to related spending on travel, accommodation, dining, and retail, which significantly benefits local businesses, says Hu.

Savvy investors could also have potential opportunities to capitalize on the concert economy. Hu notes that individuals can profit from the concert economy trend by investing in businesses related to the entertainment and events industry, such as companies involved in event management, ticketing platforms, hospitality, and transportation services that benefit from increased consumer spending around major events. Additionally, investing in stocks or funds related to the entertainment sector can be a strategic way to leverage this growing trend.

Hu is available for interview/comment. Contact [emailprotected].

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Expert Forecasts 2024 Personal Finance and Spending Trends - Newswise

As the Commanders get ready for their rematch with the Giants, Howell is first in yards (2,783) and completion (264) as well as tied for fifth in passing touchdowns (17). According to the Commanders' public relations department, Howell is the only quarterback in NFL history to have thrown for over 2,900 passing yards, rush for over 200 yards and have a 65% completion rate within their first 11 career games.

As a result, the national media is starting to pick up his performances. Howell isn't paying attention to that, either.

"It really doesn't change anything for me," Howell said. "I haven't really noticed if it is out there, but I just try to do everything I can to stay focused on this team and stay focused on each and every game that we play and just taking it one day at a time."

Howell is more concerned about the Commanders getting wins, which he said haven't come as often as he would like. To drive that point home further, the Commanders are 1-3 when Howell has thrown for 300 yards or more. That's not to say that the Commanders are better when Howell underperforms (they aren't), but it does show that Howell's individual stats don't guarantee a win.

Howell would rather get a win over racking up stats.

"We just got to try to take it one week at a time and...I think we've played alright the past few weeks, [but it] doesn't mean we're going to play alright this week," Howell said. "So, we got to take it one week at a time, one day at a time, and make sure we approach it the right way to give ourselves a chance to try to play well on Sunday and give us a chance to win."

And with the Commanders at 4-6, there isn't much room to gloat.

"I want to go out there every single weekend, play well and give our team a chance to win," Howell said. "Obviously, we haven't won enough games. We haven't won the games that I feel like we should have won this season. So that's a little bit disappointing, but I really don't look too much into what I'm doing on a personal level."

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Practice notes | Sam Howell focused on team success, not individual ... - Washington Commanders

New initiativeaims to increase revenues for businesses owned by underrepresented communities in Seattle particularly Black-owned businesses.

Seattle Seattle small businesses can now apply for theLiberty Project a new innovative business growth program launched by Mayor Harrell, the Consulting and Business Development Center (CBDC) at the University of Washingtons Foster School of Business, the Albers Business Foundry (ABF) at Seattle Universitys Albers School of Business and Economics, and Tabor 100. Named after the legacy of the Liberty Bank the first Black-owned bank in the Pacific Northwest that served individuals and businesses who were excluded from financial services and investment opportunities the Liberty Project is nowaccepting applicationsfrom local small businesses for the inaugural business cohort.

The Liberty Project is one of many tangible actions we are investing in to drive economic empowerment and create pathways to grow generational wealth, particularly for Black-, women- and other minority-owned businesses. The Liberty Bank has always symbolized resilience, empowerment, and opportunity, and now, the Liberty Project will build upon that rich legacy,said Mayor Bruce Harrell.We are making a deliberate and proactive effort to address the economic disparities faced by communities that have endured disinvestment. By aligning our values, resources, and actions, we are creating tangible opportunities for business growth and success, and I am excited about the possibilities this collaboration brings.

Powered by the M3business success model, the Liberty Project will provide services to participating businesses aimed at (1) improving theirmanagementcapacity and (2) growing access tomoneythrough loans and investments, which will lead to (3) increased access tomarketsthrough corporate and government contracting opportunities and access to new consumers in downtown Seattle and throughout the region.

The program will offer an array of support including business consulting, finance and accounting services (including loan application assistance), marketing services, technology services (such as website development and equipment assessments/upgrades), contract bid preparation and limited legal support provided through Communities Rise and local minority Bar associations.

The initiative will serve businesses in six priority industries: retail, personal services, commercial construction, food and beverage manufacturing, restaurant, and power utilities contract industries. These six industries are prioritized due to their high concentration of black-owned businesses and significant market demand for their services.

Applications for the Liberty Project will be accepted on a rolling basis through anonline portalmanaged by Tabor 100. Interested businesses must meet the following criteria:

Currently, Black/African Americans account for approximately 7.9% of Seattles population but earn revenues at a rate well below their share of Seattles population. Statewide, black-owned businesses earn less than1% of total business revenuesand earn2.3 times lessrevenuethan white-owned businesses on average.

While the projects initial focus will be on Black-owned businesses that meet the stated criteria, applications from businesses owned by other demographic groups, industries, size, or earned revenue will also be considered. Selected businesses will participate in the program for one year and, upon completion, become part of an alumni network offering ongoing technical assistance and support for continued business and revenue growth.

Businesses interested in applying for the Liberty Project canlearn more here.

For nearly 30 years, the CBDC, Tabor 100, and the ABF have collaborated and worked independently to support the growth of Black-owned and other underserved businesses in Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. Building on these existing partnerships, The Liberty Project will partner with the Office of Economic DevelopmentsSeattle Restoredprogram to assist restaurant, personal service, and retail businesses with downtown Seattle site locations as part of Mayor HarrellsDowntown Activation Plan.

What People are Saying:

Ollie Garrett, President and CEO of Tabor 100

At Tabor100 we are committed to economic power, educational excellence and social equity for African Americans and the community at large. Through the Liberty Project we are living out our mission and deepening our collaboration with two of the most successful small business assistance programs in the nation to help grow Black-owned and other underserved businesses. Together, we are leveraging our resources and expertise to support our local business and our communities. We are ready to get to work.

Michael Verchot, Director, Consulting and Business Development Center, University of Washington Foster School of Business

Growing from research by our Emeritus Dean William Bradford and others, the Liberty Projects M3model of improvingManagement capacity, growing access toMoney, will lead to increased access toMarkets thorough corporate and government contracting opportunities and access to new consumers in downtown Seattle. We have already proven this model to be successful in growing Black-owned and other underserved businesses in Seattle and across the US. This past year alone, we helped companies increase sales by more than $38 million using this model. The Liberty Project will enable us to engage at a deeper level with our long-term partners at Tabor 100 and the Albers School of Business and Economics as we collectively will grow even more wealth-building businesses in Seattle while contributing to the downtown Seattle.

Joseph M. Phillips, Dean, Albers School of Business and Economics, Seattle University

The Albers School and Seattle University are excited to get started with this first phase of the Liberty Project. Many underserved businesses in our community have a crucial need for the services our three partner organizations will be providing, and we are all anxious to get started with this important work.

Markham McIntyre, Director of Seattle Office of Economic Development

The Liberty Project is an innovative approach to a systemic need. Were excited to work with our anchor institution partners to help Black-owned businesses grow and thrive in Seattle. We have a moral and economic imperative to end systemic racism, including closing the racial wealth gap, which is why its a major pillar of our Future of Seattle Economy framework and why were committed to the Liberty Project.

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The Liberty Project: New Small Business Growth Program Accepting ... - Seattle.gov

STOCKHOLM After Leon Draisaitl, Tim Sttzle has emerged as Germanys great offensive weapon in the NHL. The Ottawa Senators young star center can, to some extent, thank a Swede for his successes.

It was the former Elite League defenseman Jan-Axel Alavaara who convinced the super prospect to stay in Adler Mannheim and take the next big step in his hockey career.

His belief in me opened many doors, Sttzle said tohockeysverige.seahead of the NHL Global Series.

As a player, Jan-Axel Alavaara was an effective defenseman, playing 573 games in the Elite League for MoDo, Frlunda, and Skellefte. He also won two Swedish championships during his years in Gothenburg and played a handful of matches in the blue and yellow national team jersey for Tre Kronor.

As a leader, the 48-year-old from Kiruna has been equally successful especially since he took over as the sports director of top German squad Adler Mannheim in 2018. There, he helped the team win a championship in his first season and has since narrowly missed out on the final with a couple of semifinal losses.

However, the most significant thing he has done for German hockey may have been signing a first-team contract with a certain young German in the summer of 2019. The top prospect had moved four hours south from Krefeld to Mannheim two years earlier and spent two seasons in the clubs junior operation. Despite this, it was anything but certain that he would stay and play senior hockey during his draft year in 2019-20.

Alavaara, however, managed to convince him and especially his parents to stay.

My parents were actually strictly against me turning pro, laughed Sttzle during a conversation with hockeysverige.seahead of the NHL Global Series in Stockholm. They were afraid I wouldnt get the matches and ice time I needed during my draft year. But Axel gave me the chance. I asked him and the coach how much I would get to play so I could calm my parents down, but they promised I would get my chance and if I behaved, I could get a good role in the team while they were careful to point out that they couldnt play me if I didnt deliver.

It worked out well.

As a 17-year-old, Sttzle stepped up and formed a successful line with former Swedish league players Ben Smith and Tommi Huhtala. He scored 34 points in 41 games from the German prodigys stick and was subsequently picked third in the 2020 NHL draft by the Ottawa Senators. His NHL debut came during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season. Since then, he has proven to be one of the leagues best young players.

Alavaara has been an important figure in that journey.

Absolutely, he has meant incredibly much. His belief in me as a player opened many doors, said Sttzle, who also praises the Swedes significance for the club as a whole. He is very tough and sets high demands on his players, but he is also the first to back them up if they need help. Every year, he puts together a good team and they are almost always favorites to become champions. Sure, they have good resources with the money and all that, but it takes more than that to be able to have a good team. He has done an incredibly good job.

One of the initiatives that has made Adler Mannheim successful is their investment in junior operations, which is far from a given for German clubs.

The youth program is fantastic. Its very unusual to find such in Germany, explained Sttzle. I was lucky to play there for two seasons and had a fantastic time. I am very grateful to have been part of that organization. They have helped me enormously to become the player I am today, and I still go there every summer and train with the guys.

Even though he is now an NHL star, his heart remains close to domestic operations. He speaks at length and passionately about German hockey and its future prospects.

All teams in the top league must have three U23 players in their teams, he said. There are many guys who may not be ready when they are 17, 18, or 19 years old, but this gives them the chance to develop. The best example is Nico Sturm [on] the San Jose Sharks who really got a boost when he was around 23 and now he has won a Stanley Cup (with the Colorado Avalanche). He is the perfect third or fourth-line guy in the NHL. He is one of those guys who really worked hard to make it all the way to the NHL, and thats what German hockey is about. Helping the players improve and assisting the guys to get used to tougher play and hopefully help them make it to the NHL.

With better players and international successes like the Olympic final in 2018 and the World Championship final this year, hockey has grown stronger in Germany.

Its hard to beat soccer, Sttzle said with a laugh. We just try to get better year by year. We have several really good players who can become very good, (J.J.) Peterka in Buffalo and (Lukas) Reichel in Chicago not least. You can notice that the interest is growing and that feels like the most important thing.

Considering the successes that he, Leon Draisaitl, and Moritz Seider have had, does Sttzle get recognized more often back home in Germany now?

In Mannheim, which is more of a hockey town, I get recognized, but its definitely more relaxed than in Canada, he said. There, its hard to go out without being recognized. So, its quite nice to come home and have a bit more privacy, but of course, we play for the fans and depend on them, so its always fun to sign autographs and take pictures with them.

Why did you choose hockey and not soccer, which should be more obvious for a young German guy?

It was actually difficult, he said. I was quite good at soccer too, maybe even better than I was at hockey at a young age. But my closest friends played hockey and my dad played when he grew up so I liked the sport more. No one told me I could earn $50 million (laughs), we just played because we loved the sport.

Sttzle has established himself as a superstar in just over three seasons with the Senators. Last year, he hit 90 points and already has 20 points in 14 games this year including a three-point effort against Detroit to kick things off in Sweden.

For Sttzle, the rapid success hasnt come as a surprise.

I think you always have to have self-confidence and believe in what you can do, he said. I have always believed in myself and now its just about getting better every year and focusing on what you can do to improve. But for me, its not about achieving personal success. I want the team to get better and for us to win more games.

Is the next goal to reach 100 points and become the second German after Leon Draisaitl to achieve this milestone?

No, for me, it doesnt matter if I have 70, 90, or 100 points, Sttzle said. Its about how good we are as a team and how tight we are as a group. I think the most important thing is to set high expectations for ourselves in the locker room and try to fulfill them. If I score 100 points and we miss the playoffs, nothing is won.

Many believe this will be the season when the young and promising Ottawa Senators take the next step and become a playoff team. The start of the season has been a rollercoaster, though. In 13 games, theyve only earned 12 points, and the team is unexpectedly last in the Atlantic Division.

Despite this, Sttzle chooses to focus on the positive.

It feels like we have the team to be successful, he said. We have a group where many have signed up to stay in Ottawa for a long time and enjoy being there. This has been shown by our ability to sign good free agents, like G [Claude Giroux] and Vladdy [Vladimir Tarasenko], which maybe wasnt the case before. We just need to find a way forward to take the next step.

This story appeared on hockeysverige.se this week and has been translated from Swedish to English

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Tim Stutzle is the pride of German hockey but a Swede has been crucial to his success - Daily Faceoff

We all go to

Natalia Ramsden, an organisational psychologist turned executive coach, founded Sofos Associates as a way of helping clients to do exactly that. Combining new developments in neuroscience with her own clinical and consulting experience, the business describes its mission as enhancing executive performance through cognitive excellence.

So can Sofos Associates really help you to get ahead at work, just by re-training your brain with a few simple exercises and techniques? Traditionally, if an employee wanted to develop skills, their HR department would have sent them off on a leadership programme of some kind, says Ramsden, but I wanted to offer something more empirical and scientific. I see a lot of clients who realise that as working individuals, their brain is their asset and they want to invest in it as a long-term strategy.

Sofos Associates approach is tailored to the individual, with possible solutions including advice on nutrition, exercise and sleep, personalised coaching, and access to cutting-edge techniques such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, laser treatments and biohacking. Progress is measured through a mix of quantitative data brainwave measurements, heart rate, vitamin levels and qualitative feedback.

I had a client come to me and say that he used to feel so burnt out by Friday afternoon that hed be asleep in an armchair by the time dinner was ready, but since working with us, he's had the stamina to have a proper meal and a conversation with his wife, says Ramsden. That kind of anecdotal evidence means a lot to me.

You don't have to sign up to a course of treatment to start training your brain, however there are easy exercises you can undertake that will kick-start a rethink. Here, Ramsden shares her five top tips:

When you go to sleep at night, spend one to five minutes thinking through your day and try to remember how it played out, step by step. This is great for developing your sense of gratitude, but its also a way of exercising your memory muscle.

Simple activities such as brushing your teeth with your left hand (assuming youre right-handed) have been found to boost neuroplasticity. Its about looking for novelty, so that you can stop your brain from going into autopilot mode.

I'm a huge advocate for good-quality sleep all the research shows it has positive effects on your mood, as well as on health and longevity.

The goal is to move to a more conscious way of living. Its easy to get into the habit of thinking we can sit at our desks all day long and then work out at high intensity for an hour. Consider whether there are gentler approaches to build movement into your day, such as going for a walk while taking a work call.

Challenge yourself to sit and eat peacefully in the park or at a table, rather than just grabbing a sandwich to have at your laptop.

For more information or to book a complimentary consultation, contact Natalia Ramsden at natalia@sofosassociates.com.

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How to train your brain for success at work - Harper's Bazaar UK

Days after graduation, Emily Bradys career took an unexpected turn. Does anyone know what SEO is? she remembers a colleague asking. She didnt at the time. But as a content developer, she was naturally curious. So she learned. That was more than 10 years ago when the criterion for boosting SEO performance was a website that worked and had the right keywords in the content. Since then, Emily has helped countless law firms rise to the top of search engine results.

Shes Omnizants new director of SEO and an expert in the field of law firm SEO.

Emily credits the constantly changing nature of what resonates with search engines for piquing and keeping her interest in the hard work of getting websites to rank well. Plus, the SEO communityespecially publications such as Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Journal keeps her informed. Shes also an active member of the Women in Tech SEO community because its the best way to stay on top of all the digital marketing news, strategies, and continuous algorithm changes, she says.

I could spend another decade doing digital marketing and not scratch the surface of everything there is to know, she says.

The bulk of her career has been spent optimizing legal websitesspecificallyfor organic search. Emily has also gained experience in SEO at other marketing agencies and businesses that rely on local SEO and innovative tactics to grow. At Omnizant, she leads our largest team of SEO professionals, who are responsible for increasing the number of visitors to our clients websites with a variety of techniques and by analyzing performance data and adapting quickly.

While shes focused on delivering results for our clients, Emily is generous in sharing the intricacies of SEO in 2023 with clients and colleagues. Here are some of my favorite excerpts from an interview with Emily, edited for length. She offers tips on how to stand out on Google and her two cents on artificial intelligence, or AI.

A. Oh gosh, its evolved so much! When I started doing SEO in 2012 content had a totally different meaning, and high-quality content meant something entirely different as well. The types of blogs that ranked back then were much less focused on being helpful and more focused on including the right keywords.

Today, Google is much better at understanding what content should rank by relevancenot just through keyword stuffing. So the way we approach SEO (and content specifically) is very different because now we get to focus fully on the needs of the people who will be reading the content and less on including the right words so Google knows its relevant. In short, content quality has improved by leaps and bounds and thats a good thing for law firms and their clients.

A. One thing thats peculiar about SEO for legal websites is the local aspect. Google views searches for lawyers as local searches. Thats why you see a map show up when you search for personal injury attorney even if you dont include the city youre located in. Google just assumes you want a local attorney.

That said, not every area of law is local in the same way a plumbing business or dog walker is local. Class action lawsuits, for example. This creates a unique challenge for SEOs (and law firms) when it comes to optimizing their websites because Google has a strong preference to rank them locally, even if the firm serves a much larger geographic area.

Legal websites are unique in other ways too, such as the fact that the general topics discussed on them are very impactful to the financial and general well-being of clients. (Google calls these types of websites Your Money, Your Life content.) Because of this, having factual and helpful information on the website is super importantbecause lawyers are helping people when they need it the most, and the outcome of their cases will have a big impact on their money and their lives.

A. I think were already seeing the next big thing in SEO, which is AI. At the most basic level, AI makes it possible for anyone to create content about a given topic, whether they have the expertise to do it well or not. This means were going to face (and we are already) a lot of content that is repetitive and just doesnt have enough unique value to be useful to people.

So, in a way, standing out has become easier than ever because Google is not only better at understanding what pages are most relevant but SEOs and content marketers who arent willing to put in the time to do it right will have a hard time ranking, and those who are creating longform, robust content pages will come out on top.

Thats one thing to take into consideration with the advent of AI. The other consideration is this: How do we actually use it effectively? AI has the ability to help us create high-quality content faster, as well as the ability to automate other SEO tasks.

Thats why its so important to start figuring out how we use AI well now, so we dont get left behind in the next five years. At the most basic level, AI should be something were exploring now and at least using as a tool to scale content creationwith writers at the helm who can edit and improve the content so it has the unique value and demonstrated expertise search engines are looking for.

A. This is a tough question! I think it depends. In the legal space specifically, organic rankings tend to be very competitive. To my observation, law firms are one business type that adopted SEO early on and were willing to invest in organic search marketing from the beginning. Because of these, there are lots of businesses that have very strong organic rankings, which means its difficult to displace them. The search engine results pages (SERPs) are often saturated with strong websites so SEOs have to be very strategic about how they get their clients ranking for important terms. You cant do it half-baked and expect to win in an industry as competitive as the legal industry.

That said, this also means there are marketing firms that have been doing SEO for law firms for a very long time, so working with the right team is the first step to getting traction on Google.

A. This is related to my earlier answer regarding Googles objective to surface the best possible search results, and the SEOs role in demonstrating that a given law firm is, in fact, the best result. Theres another piece to that equation, which is whether or not the firm actually is the best result. What I mean by that is, firstly, does the firm have the background to serve its client base as well or better than competitors? If not, it doesnt mean SEO isnt worth it, but it does mean that continuing to gain reviews and testimonials and case results is important.

The most successful SEO and marketing campaigns include a certain amount of involvement from the business itself. SEO never works in a vacuum. Creating a meaningful footprint in the local communitywhether it be through charity drives, scholarship sponsorships, getting interviewed, or generally being newsworthy and involvedcan influence your online success as well.

[View source.]

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An Interview with Emily Brady on Law Firm SEO Success - JD Supra