Stiefel Laboratories Sligo

Stiefel Laboratories have been in Sligo since 1975.  A thriving American company specializing in pharmaceutical products they have given steady employment through good times and bad with their current level being 250 people.

Log in remember me

Back from the Federatiom of Fish Fryers.  I flew Ryanair to Leeds and back for 1 euro each way plus handling fee of 10 euro ( I think), maybe 12.  Ryanair are  brilliant.  The flights leave on time, no assigned seating, room for everybody’s  carryon as nobody is trying to shove extra bags of shopping etc as their carry on luggage.  Everything is up front.  You want to eat, you pay.   You want to drink, you pay.  You want to be pampered, you pay.  You want to fly cheap provided it’s not a rugby or  soccer match or something else that drives up demand you can.

I was astonished when I arrived at Dublin Airport at 4.45 on a Monday morning and the place was  jamming.  There was an army of people marching through on their way to flights to mainland Europe.  No leisurely tourists here.  Busy people with no frills and flounces in sight.  Recessionwoman’s style.

The fish fryers course was a delight from beginning to end.  The tutors ranged in age  from 77 down to 34 but all had lots of experience  in the fish and chip business.  We cooked and ate fish and chips for the three days and learnt everything from hygiene to equipment to actual cooking.  It was worth every penny of the 740 sterling and I have become a very discernong consumer of fast food.

There were 9 students of which I was the only woman.  The only other non British person was from Transylvania of all places.  Most of the other trainees had their own premises or were in partnership with people who owned premises so I was out of sync there.  Still I have a fairly good idea of whats needed in terms of prep area etc.  Also the tutors provide mentoring on an ongoing basis.  They were a really nice  bunch of people and made me realise how  polite, amusing and charming the Brits are.

We have got no reply on our premises offer  and I feel it is not going to pan out so it’s back to the drawing board.  However, knowledge is power and I am looking for a job in a chipper to build  on my learning.

Meantime I am standing firm on “the higher Ground”.

The High Ground

Living outside Mohill, Co Leitrim, the author John Mc Gahern was a loved and respected resident who lived his life quietly among the local people.
 
Dedicated to his memory the “High Ground” café is now open above the Gala convenience store on Main Street.

Swine Flu

Which flu is it exactly?  Ultan started to get sick last Saturday with fever, coughing, asthma and the usual virus symptoms.  He mentioned how a kid at school had mentioned he might be coming down with swine flu and wasn’t seen for a week.

The Dragons are back

Two of the dragons from RTE’s Dragon’s Den were on Ryan Tubridy’s show on RTE 1 this morning.  Don’t you just love Ryan Tubridy and his effervescence early in the morning?

The National Federation of Fish Friers

Founded in 1913, the Federation of Fish Friers in Britain appears to be the place to go to learn how to run a fish and chip shop.  They have training sessions and recessionwoman is going on one November 2.

Let the Hare sit

“Let the hare sit” is an old country expression applied to situations that are heated and getting out of control.  It’s a call for calm and reflection before acting in haste.  It’s a sensible idea, but the poor hare may not be such a lucky creature.

The Hungry Road

Hunger is a hard word in Ireland’s history.  The famine of the 1840’s wiped out our population.

These words are dry in our day where diets are more prevalent than hunger.

I have never been physically hungry and in modern day Ireland I probably never will be, but I am hungry for money.  I want to make a decent living and raise our family. 

I am hungry for the feeling of a day’s work with a day’s pay with a little more thrown in for my creativity in establishing my source of income.

If someone else pays me they should get the extra for the creativity.

I am an entrepreneur and I am on a hungry road, full of holes and cliffs and ditches and wrong turns.

This is the core of an entrepreneur.  Hunger!

I’m glad I got that straight!

To Lisbon or not

Michael O Leary (CEO of Ryanair) and Declan Ganly (founder of Libertas) had a debate on the Miriam O Callaghan show on RTE the other night, regarding the Lisbon Treaty.

Rougey Walk

The Rougey walk on the cliffs in Bundoran, Co Donegal is truly breathtaking.  It is perfect for a bit of exercise as it goes up and down and has steps on and off the beach.  Who needs a gym when they have Rougey.  A mile goes very fast with all the visual attractions of the town of Bundoran on one side, and the thrashing Atlantic on the other.