Mid-week Break Wyatt Hotel, Westport.

I was fortunate to have won a mid-week break in a draw among the Branch Secretaries of RTAI in September to the Wyatt Hotel – a haven of peace and tranquility in The Octagon, Westport. The dedicated, courteous staff under the management of Barney Clarke ensured that our stay was most enjoyable and relaxing. After a champagne reception we were served a delicious 4course meal in the dining room whose walls are adorned by a fantastic collection of art works.

Members of our group: Seamus Mc Tague, Inishowen, Freda Salter- Townsend, Iarchorcaí, Michael Hickey, Offaly and Eileen Mc Manus, Dublin, were given a talk and conducted tour of Westport with Bronagh Joyce who regaled us with stories of Gráinne Mhaol. The high light of the tour was a visit to the Church of the Holy Trinity (1872). The stone carvings on the doorway are magnificent, the marble of the spacious sanctuary is from Carrara and the mosaics and murals were the work of craftsmen from Italy. The pulpit is carved from alabaster that was part of the cargo of a ship that was wrecked off Clew Bay and washed up on the lands of the Sligo Estate. It has also five stained glass windows – truly magnificent and well worth seeing.

We were also given a conducted tour of Westport House and an insight into 500 years of history of the Browne Family and the house with 30 rooms on show displaying original art works, antiques and architecture. Built in 1730 on the ruins of the 16^th century castle of legendary Irish Pirate Queen, Gráinne Mhaol. The house is still home to her direct descendants the Brownes. The house is open to the public all year round except January and February – it is well worth a visit. We were served tea and coffee in one of the magnificent rooms.

To complete our perfect stay in such idyllic surroundings we attended “The Legend of Gráinne Mhaol Traditional Music Show”. Pirate, chieftain, lover and mother Gráinne Mhaol (1530-1603) was one of the last Irish Clan leaders to resist the English conquest of Gaelic Ireland. She lived during times of continuous feuding, piracy, sea-battles and land grabbing. Gráinne Mhaol had several castles in the West of Ireland and it was on the foundations of one of these that Westport House was actually built. There is still a trace of her original castle in the basement of the house (The Dungeons) to this day.

The show was most enjoyable full of energy and enthusiasm which blended the old and the new, the ancient and the contemporary, the Sean Nós dance against the more modern steps and styles of Irish dancing. All the talented musicians, dancers and singers came form the west of Ireland – it was rated on RTE radio as “ One of the best Summer Shows in Ireland”.

This was a fantastic mid-week break sponsored by the Wyatt Hotel for our members. They treated us like royalty attending to our every need. You too can enjoy such a stay for 45euro 1D BB p.p.s. (until Dec. 2011). Call Annette 09825027 and quote Ref. No. RTA 0711 to avail of this discounted rate.

You won’t be disappointed.

Mary Kyne (Galway Branch)

Walking Tour - Medieval Sites, Galway City

Our tour commenced at the Hall of the Red Earl where Galway Civic Trust Development Officer, Michael Quinn introduced the group to the remains of the oldest building to be excavated within Galway’s medieval walls. The 13^th century Hall acted as a tax office, a courthouse and town hall rolled into one. It is synonymous with the establishment of the town of Galway by the De Burgo family. The group was also shown replicas of some of the numerous artefacts which were uncovered during the excavation of the hall.

Our next stop was at The King’s Head pub. Originally known as Banks Castle, the building was commandeered by the infamous Colonel Peter Stubbers following the Cromwellian invasion of Galway in the 17^tho wielded the axe on the head of King Charles I in 1649. The group was brought inside to examine a fireplace dating from 1612 which bears the family coat of arms of 3 of the 14 ‘Tribes’ of Galway families.

From there the group moved across to St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church which is Ireland’s oldest and largest medieval parish church still in use in Ireland. Dating from 1320, the church is dedicated to St. Nicholas – the patron saint of sailors. Michael told the group of one particularly famous sailor, Christopher Columbus, who visited the Church in 1477. The various internal and external medieval features were then pointed out to the group. These include gargoyle waterspouts, a 16^th century baptismal font, vocational grave slabs, and various religious statues which were destroyed by Cromwellian soldiers who used the Church as a stable in 1652.

Lynch’s Castle was the next stop on the walk and the group was told that this was the HQ of the all-powerful Lynch family who were the most prominent of the ‘Tribe’ families. The 15^th century castle is the finest example of an urban tower house in the country and is the oldest building still in commercial use, housing as it does, a branch of AIB. It was located at the centre of the medieval town of Galway. The various defensive features and medieval carvings were pointed out to the group who were told of the particularly curious legend of a sleeping baby being carried to safety by a pet monkey belonging to the Lynch’s during a fire in the castle.

The group then moved along to Eyre Square. This was originally an open area in front of the town walls, known as ‘The Green’. Young men would practise medieval sports here such as archery and swordsmanship. Michael showed the group a copy of the famous 1651 map of Galway which featured jousting take place. The group was also shown the Brown Doorway which was brought to the Eyre Square in 1905 as an example of the fine mansions which the Tribe families owned.

The final stop on the tour was the town walls which are located in the Eyre Square Shopping centre. Michael told the group how the walls and its defensive elements had protected the town and its inhabitants from numerous attacks in medieval times. The walls had led the security and prosperity of Galway for a period of over 300 years. Ultimately, however, the walls were the undoing of the town when Cromwellian forces employed a siege strategy to starve the town into submission in 1652. It was the 14 signatures of the terms of surrender who became known as the ‘Tribes of Galway’. Michael concluded the tour with a medieval poem which depicted how important the number 14 was to Galway, and, which claimed the city to be twice as good as Rome which could only boast 7 hills.

Note: Galway Civic Trust provides a number of tours in the city - for booking and further information contact Michael Quinn 0876466625: Office:564946

R.T.A.I. A.G.M.

Four delegates from Galway attended the A.G.M. in August 2011. Noreen Flynn, President INTO, Noel Ward, Deputy General Secretary and fraternal delegates from T.U.I. and R.S.T.A. addressed the meeting.

The following points were made:

1. INTO are working hard to retain both pay and pensions in the present hostile environment.

2. The Trident Report sets out to prove that the pensions are sustainable.

3. The valuable substitute work provided by retired teachers was acknowledged. Retired teachers will be employed where it is not possible to get registered teachers with the Teaching Council.

4. INTO will set out to make amendments to the proposed Bill on Pensions in 2012.

5. T.U.I. expressed gratitude to INTO for keeping a watchful eye on our pension conditions and assured the assembly that all Teacher Unions were united in holding the line on the Croke Park agreement.

6. We experienced 3 deductions on the same day – the imposition of a “levy’ on pensions (PSPR) of approximately 5% on average, the imposition of a new “charge” – The universal Social Charge and thirdly the “ rowing back” of the PAYE conditions to those of 2006. These “cuts” reduced our take home pay significantly as indeed experienced by all workers in the state.

7. The care, dedication and professionalism of Denis Desmond and his secretary Siobhan was appreciated by members.

8. T.U.I. and R.S.T.A. were impressed with our excellent publication “Comhnasc”

Points of Importance Raised at the A.G.M

1. Please remind all newly retired teachers in your area to complete and return our membership application form as soon as possible after retirement. It is sent out automatically with pension details and other documentation. Can be downloaded from the website – www.rtaireland.ie

2. The association deals with the families of our deceased members as sympathetically as possible and try to ensure that they receive all of their entitlements in pensions, grants and tax allowances.

3. One change clarified in the Croke Park “Clarification” document will affect us. This is the agreement on review of pensions in the future. In the budget, December 2009, the minister stated that he would review pensions in 2010. In the original Croke Park deal he said that he would review pensions in January 2011. In the “clarification” he said that he would not review the pensions situation until the conclusion of the agreement i.e. 2014 or possibly 2015. The INTO and RTAI believe that this ensures a continuation of the status quo vis-a vis pensions until 2015. This is a solid gain for us in the Croke Park revised deal.

4. Those doing substitute /resource teaching should remember that pension continues to be paid up to day 90 after which pension may be abated. The state will not pay a full teacher’s pay and a full teacher’s pension at the same time.

5. An EGM will take place in March 2012 to ratify the Rules and Constitution of R.T.A.I.

6. Motions were passed on matters dealing with Voluntary Health Insurance, Nursing Home Schemes and changes to our rules and constitution.

7. The Galway motion that, “ The views of Retired teachers form part of Policy formation and Review in Education matters especially pertaining to Primary Schools” was defeated as it was deemed not specific enough.

Hurrah!! I won a mid week break in the Wyatt Hotel, Wesport in a secretaries draw.

Mary Kyne (Runai)