Connacht Tribune
Marriage Bureau closes in on 1,000 weddings
Forget online dating – the surest way of finding the love of your life is to take the road to Knock!
Because Knock Marriage Introductions Service, formerly the Knock Marriage Bureau, has been responsible for almost 1,000 marriages since it was established exactly 50 years ago this month.
And Galway women in particular say that it is a lack of suitable social outlets that is the main reason for them registering with the service.
It was originally established as the Knock Marriage Bureau back in 1968 and since then they have being facilitating a considerable number of successful relationships.
Fr Stephen Farragher, a former Administrator to the Tuam Parish, is now playing cupid to couples who want to forge a relationship.
Last year he was the chief celebrant at two weddings that were facilitated by the Knock Marriage Introductions Service – and there are two more this year.
“We are getting a lot of applications from those who do not trust on-line dating and from people who are fed up of the club and pub scene.
“There are people who put faith in the service that we provide and signs on we have had some great success over the past 50 years,” Fr Stephen said.
Applicants simply fill in a form stating their profession, hobbies and interests and every effort is made to unite them with a suitable partner.
Traditionally it was farmers in their 50s or 60s or women, mainly from the teaching profession, who signed up for Knock but Fr Stephen says that the applicants now come from a whole cross-section of professions.
“Last year at one of the weddings I officiated at, the husband was an engineer and the bride had been overseas on voluntary duties,” he said.
One of the driving forces behind the introduction service is Leona Connery who says that it is a joy when a couple come back to contact them saying that they are engaged to be married.
Ms Connery says the marriage introduction service is “way ahead” of internet and speed dating. “We have people using our service who have tried both and still come back to us because it is a success,” she said.
Most of the women using the service are professionals such as accountants, teachers and doctors, while more than 50 per cent of the men are farmers. The service was founded in 1968 by the late Fr Michael Keane, a native of Claremorris.
At that time, with emigration rates extremely high, it aimed to introduce returning emigrants to women at home. Canon Joseph Cooney took over at the helm of the service in 2005 and now Fr Stephen Farragher co-ordinates the service on behalf of the Church.
In total there have been four marriages in 2017 and four engagements with weddings to take place this year.
At the moment there are 20 couples that have been matched by Knock Marriage Introductions who are still in a steady relationship.
Last year alone there were over 620 inquiries from individuals seeking companionship. The inquiries range in age from 28 to 74.
When an introduction takes place, all of the applicants agree between themselves when and where they decide to meet.
“I find it very rewarding when I introduce a couple that works out and they find happiness together,” Leona told The Connacht Tribune.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
