Getting a job!

Clonakilty girl Sharon Whelton who has moved to Calgary in Canada gives us a taste of what life is like for Ireland’s new generation of emigrants – this week, Sharon gets a job.

I had signed up with an employment agency who conducted both an interview and a comprehensive skills test with me, and thankfully I scored well in the skills test.

As well as working with Hunt Personnel, I signed up with Friday Professional Group, where they also conducted a really comprehensive skills test. 

To be fair to Friday Professional Group, after just one day, they called me to tell me that some temporary work was available on December 14^th and 17^th, so as I had no other work plans, I immediately grasped the opportunity. However, there was a slight change of plan!

Spoilt for choice

It started off as a typical Monday morning, Mike would usually two set alarms the night before; one ringing at 5.30am and the other at 6am.

He would usually hop out of bed soon after 6am, whereas I would fall back to sleep!

However, when I woke up that particular morning, I had this gut feeling that I was going to get a call from someone about a job opportunity. 

Little did I know how right I would be; I first received a call from Diversified Staffing Ltd in relation to a job that I had recently applied for, so I scheduled a meeting for the morning after. 

A few minutes later, I received another call; this time from Melissa in Hunt Personnel. A company downtown were in dire need of a receptionist, so she asked if I would be available for an almost immediate interview? 

I jumped at the opportunity and ran to the shower to get ready. I got downtown just after 10am and meet with Anne MacLeod, who is a director with Collins Barrow, the company that I could potentially end up working for!

Interested

It was quite an informal interview, but Anne seemed interested, so I went back to Hunt Personnel where Melissa told me that she would contact me before midday with an answer. 

I went back to our apartment in Montgomery and relaxed for a while, as the previous couple of hours were a complete blur! Low and behold, just after midday, Melissa called to inform me that I was offered a permanent position with Collins Barrow, who is one of Canada’s top accounting firms!

You can imagine my sheer delight when Melissa told me the good news. I messaged Mike immediately whilst rushing to make the next bus into town to sign the paperwork, but typically he didn’t reply for almost an hour! 

But both he and my parents were delighted with the news! Reality then really kicked in the following morning, when my own alarm rang at 6am…it really was quite a harsh reality!

I jumped into the shower and it finally hit home that I would be starting my first day of full-time employment out here that morning. I was pretty nervous as I got on the bus at 7.05am, and reached the office just after 7.30am (I don’t technically start work until 8am but the buses can be quite quick or slow, depending on the traffic, so it’s safer to get the 7.05 bus and just get to work earlier).

Back to reality

My first day mostly consisted of a lot of training, but this role is really a learning process, so I am almost constantly learning new things about my job.

Our working hours from January to June are 8am-5pm as the tax season will be coming up.

But the good thing with this is that with the extra work time that we make up can be used as Flex Time, which then goes as holiday time!

This Christmas was the first time that either Mike or were away for the festive season.

We sent our gift boxes back home just before the deadline for international posting ended, on December 7^th, and thankfully my package arrived safe and sound (and more importantly in one piece).

Everyone was thrilled with their gifts, so that was great. We received a fabulous hamper from Mom and Dad which has loads of delicious Irish foods, and there are more packages on the way; it’s so exciting!

With my work, I am entitled to three weeks vacation, as well as flex time, so overall I should have about 22 or 23 days vacation per year, which is great – I will certainly put those days to good use! We also our both our work Christmas parties in December, which was great fun!

PVP Engineering Christmas Party

Exciting times

I really do want to travel, so I would love to try and even get to Toronto or Vancouver, as well as somewhere like New York! Wishful thinking perhaps, but you never know what could happen!

We’re also having our first snowboarding lessons so I can’t wait to get started! Mike has already gotten a taste of the sport, as he went to one of the mountains with John last Sunday, and to say that Mike was a broken after the day was a bit of an understatement!

He could barely climb the stairs to our apartment after! He was in even more pain on Monday, and with me being the ever-supportive girlfriend, I just laughed constantly at his misfortune!

I’m really excited to start lessons though; from what Mike was telling me, it sounds class! I just hope that my lack of patience won’t get the better of me, because Mike has warned me that it can be very frustrating at times! We also went to Calgary Zoo in mid-December, it is class! It was quite cold that day however, so we will definitely go back when the weather gets warmer!

I think that’s everything for now. It’s been six weeks in Calgary, exciting times!

Calgary here we come!

I've been meaning to update my blog for WEEKS now, and I think it's about time that I have gotten around to doing it! The following blog posts are all extracts with my work with the West Cork Times, who have kindly published some of my work! It goes without saying that I am extremely grateful to be able to continue my writing, whilst working over here! Hope you all enjoy it :) 

In a new series Clonakilty girl Sharon Whelton who has moved to Calgary in Canada gives us a taste of what life is like for Ireland’s new generation of emigrants.

Calgary so far

Where to start on my Calgary adventure so far…I guess one word would probably sum it up so far…AMAZING!

When I was packing all my stuff the days before I was due to fly out from Cork, I’m not going to lie; I was really nervous – Nervous about connecting flights, nervous about leaving home, nervous about living with Mike (my boyfriend).

Calgary really is such a lovely city! The weather takes a little time to adjust to, though. When I arrived on November 10, it was -23! To be honest, I didn’t find it TOO cold, but I guess I was so exhausted from the flights and early start that it may not have registered fully with me.

It hasn’t hit the freezing temperatures that it is capable of hitting just yet..Some people have forewarned me that temperatures have been seen to plummet to as low as -40! Lucky me..But seriously, and I know this sounds ridiculously obvious, but as long as you wear enough clothes, then the cold is bearable!

Our living area

Jobs

In relation to work and jobs over here, prospects are very good in almost every sector, to be honest. It’s such a refreshing change to back home!

Another big difference I noticed between here and back home in relation to job applications, is that companies over here are much more willing to reply back to you, even if you are unsuccessful with a particular job application. Back home, one could never receive a reply from a company, and you could convince yourself that “oh they are just busy; they’ll get back to me soon”.

They won’t, trust me. As I said, companies are much better with letting you know if you have been successful or not, and it really does mean a lot. It’s just manners and common courtesy to reply to someone, no matter how busy you are – even an automated email is better than getting no response!

Before I arrived in Calgary, I had made contact with a number of different companies, recruitment agencies and various other contacts in the hope of organizing potential interviews, and basically seeking advice and guidance on finding employment here in Calgary.

View from the balcony in our apartment

The vast majority were very helpful, and I gained a lot of useful tips – one of which is ensuring that your Irish resume is tailored to suit Canadians.

They have their resumes done quite differently to ours, so it’s really good to have yours tailored to meet the request of people out here – trust me, it makes a HUGE difference!

Thankfully, due to my sheer persistence and constant emailing, I had some interviews and meetings arranged with three or four different sources, which was great, so once I had gotten over the jetlag and accustomed myself to the time difference, I emailed my contacts and arranged to meet with them.

During my first few weeks of being in Calgary, I found that breaking into the communications industry can be very difficult, somewhat like back home really, so I decided to try and increase my experience as working as a receptionist, as I worked with Clona Dairy Products from May to early November of this year.

To be continued …

My eye-witness account from Phoenix Park - Saturday, July 7th

IN the days leading up to last weekend, I was so excited about Saturday’s gig in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. 

To have the opportunity to see Calvin Harris, Snoop Dogg, Tinie Tempah and Swedish House Mafia all on the one bill was fantastic, and I was geared up to have a super day/night.

Little did I know the event would be completely tarnished for a multitude of reasons, with the fundamental reason lying with the multiple stabbings which occurred in the space of a few hours.

My boyfriend and I were both celebrating our birthdays last weekend and planned on heading to Phoenix Park at a reasonable time so as to avoid excess crowds. As the gates were to open at 4pm, we decided to make our way from the city centre.

However, this didn’t exactly go according to plan. We waited patiently at the nearest bus stop, but unfortunately each bus was already full of festival revellers. We then luckily grabbed a taxi with two other lads from Tipperary.

On entering the proximity of the gig, we realised just how messy this day was really going to be. On either side of the streets lay sprinklings of bodies, male and female, already intoxicated with whatever substances they had been consuming.

Thankfully, our taxi driver dropped us as close to the entrance as possible, and as we walked towards the main gates, we then discovered that the gates were in fact open since 3pm. In hindsight, if this was announced in a more proper fashion in the lead up to the gig, then I honestly believe that some of the mayhem could have been avoided.

As the majority of our fellow enthusiasts were also under the impression that gates were open at 4pm, the following 60 minutes or so were honestly ridiculous. The queuing was completely out of control, with at least 25,000 people trying to make their way into the concert.

Due to this complete lack of organisation, we subsequently had to listen to Calvin Harris’s set whilst being pushed to and fro in the queue. Eventually, we made it into the gig but it was a bad start to the day.

Luckily, Snoop Dogg’s performance made up for the aforementioned issues. However, a seemingly meaningless push by one young lad led to a brawl breaking out literally one foot from where we were standing.

One girl tried gamely to break this fight up, but for her troubles was punched straight in the face. Naturally she was in complete shock and quite upset, but after a minute or two, went back dancing with her friends.

However, it was later that evening when Mike and I realised how serious events were really getting. Soon after Swedish House Mafia entered the stage, we saw a group of stewards look very anxiously at each other, as I spotted a lad in his early 20’s in quite some distress up against the barrier.

The stewards lifted him over the barrier and onto the floor of the disabled area. It was then that we realised that he had indeed been stabbed, with blood pouring from a wound in his abdomen.

Fellow revellers realised the seriousness of the incident, and immediately handed their jackets in a frantic bid to stop the bleeding. The lad seemed to be responsive when efforts were being made to contact emergency services, but the lady accompanying him was completely distraught.

Mike and I then really thought that this incident was indeed too close for comfort, so we made our way from the gig. Even as we walked from the gig back to the city centre, again there were bodies passed out on the grass or on benches. It was truly horrifying to see.

It was such a pity that what could have been a potentially fantastic gig was tarnished by the aforementioned events. I would only hope that those injured will make a full recovery. 

Undoubtedly, the level of security needs to be looked at for future events, but last Saturday night would certainly not encourage me to attend such a concert at Phoenix Park again.  

Munster Ladies Gaelic Football 7's Launch

The cream of ladies football talent will be on display on Saturday, June 23 when Clonakilty Ladies Football Club hosts the third annual Munster Ladies Gaelic Football Association 7’s tournament.

 The tournament, which is in association with Super Valu and The Quality Hotel in Clonakilty, will again take place in the hugely impressive Ahamilla complex just outside Clonakilty town for the second successive year.

 This is one of the highlights of the ladies footballing calendar, and spectators will be treated to an array of footballing talent on the day. 

The official launch of the tournament will take place this Friday, June 8 at 8pm in the Carbery Room at the Quality Hotel, with all interested invited to attend on the night.

Last year, 37 teams participated overall on the day, with separate competitions dedicated to Senior, Intermediate and Junior grades in both cup and shield. The day was hailed a huge success by both players and trainers alike, with even more teams expected to be in attendance on June 23.

Chairman of Clonakilty Ladies Football Club, Donal Collins, is looking forward to what should be a hugely exciting day of football.

“We, in Clonakilty Ladies Football Club, are extremely proud to be hosting the Munster 7’s for the second year,” Donal said.

“It is fantastic to have some of the best players, not only in Munster, but in Ireland displaying their talents on the day.” “Hopefully the weather will be a bit kinder than last year, because we can guarantee that a great day’s football awaits us. Good luck to all teams involved,” the Clonakilty chairman concluded.

Unfortunately the weather was far from ideal, with hundreds of dedicated footballers battling against strong winds and rain in a bid to get their hands on the respective silverware.

Waterford’s Ballymacarbry took the Scally’s SuperValu Senior Cup title, and will this year be chasing their third consecutive title following their phenomenal performances in 2010 and 2011.

Listowel Emmets were proud winners of the Quality Hotel Intermediate Cup, with the Dan O’Mahony Junior Cup being awarded to Fermoy, following an epic battle with Clonakilty’s second team.

In the shield competition, Cork teams dominated the proceedings, with the Senior Shield going to St Vals. Bride Rovers were winners of the Intermediate Shield, with Glanmire coming away with the Junior Shield.

Munster SHC Quarter Final Preview - Limerick v Tipperary

The 2012 Munster Senior Hurling Championship explodes into life this weekend at Semple Stadium, as Tipperary and Limerick cross paths in this year's quarter-final.

GAA die-hard fan and Cork native Sharon Whelton previews the game for Studenty.me and gives her verdict of who will emerge as victors.

This Sunday, May 27, sees the eagerly anticipated clash between Munster rivals Limerick and Tipperary in the quarter final of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.

Billed as one of the highlights of this weekend’s GAA calendar, these two hurling stalwarts will battle for a semi-final berth on June 24, against a Cork team who are determined to make their mark in this year’s hurling championship.

Both Limerick and Tipperary have named a strong starting 15 for Sunday’s game, with respective managers opting for a mixture of both youth and experience.

Limerick manager John Allen has handed championship debuts to up-and-coming stars Conor Allis and Shane Dowling, who are both named in the half-forward line.

Last year’s county champions, Na Piarsaigh, provide three of the forward sextet, with Kevin Downes and David Breen listed at full forward and wing forward respectively.

The selection of Downes sees Niall Moran drop to the substitutes bench. The sole surviving member of the 2007 Limerick team that defeated Tipp after an unforgettable trilogy of games, Donal O’Grady, has also been reverted to a more defensive role.

Allen and his team of selectors were fortunate to select from a near full strength squad for this weekend’s clash, with Seamus Hickey unfortunate to miss out following his recent injury setback.

Tipperary named their team late on Thursday night, with manager Declan Ryan under pressure to deliver the goods in this year’s Championship, following a poor league campaign earlier this season.

The return of Thurles man Lar Corbett to the panel in recent days seems to have somewhat reignited the flame back in Tipp – however, there is no room for him in Sunday’s starting team, with Ryan opting to keep the sharp-shooter in reserve.

Donagh Maher makes his first championship start for the men in blue and gold this Sunday, with James Woodlock and Brendan Maher paired in a strong midfield duo.

Up front, the focus will be on the performances of Pa Bourke, Noel McGrath, Eoin Kelly and Brian ‘Buggy’ O’Meara, with the defensive rearguard spearheaded by the ever-reliable Padraic Maher and Michael Cahill.

This promises to be a cracker; however, I feel that although Tipp haven’t been firing on all cylinders thus far this year, I can still see them grinding out a narrow win against what will be a physical and determined Limerick side.

Throw-in at Semple Stadium is at 4pm, and will be shown live on RTE television.

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Stephen Walsh, Richie McCarthy, Tom Condon; Wayne McNamara, Donal O’Grady, Gavin O’Mahony; James Ryan, Paul Browne; David Breen, Conor Allis, Shane Dowling,; Graeme Mulcahy, Kevin Downes, Sean Tobin.

TIPPERARY: Brendan Cummins; Donagh Maher, Paul Curran, Michael Cahill; Thomas Stapleton, Conor O’Mahony, Padraic Maher; James Woodlock, Brendan Maher; Gearoid Ryan, Noel McGrath, Pa Bourke; Eoin Kelly, Brian O’Meara, John O’Brien.

Interview with Gari Deegan

Bunratty native Gari Deegan is thrilling audiences with his performances on RTE’s hit reality show, The Voice of Ireland on Sunday nights.

For those who are unfamiliar with the show, four coaches (Bressie, Westlife’s Kian Egan, Brian Kennedy and Sharon Corr of the Corrs) each chose 12 acts from thousands of hopeful singers, who were then pitted against each other in a bid to progress to the Live Shows.

Following a nervy and shaky start on the first live show, the 28-year-old heartthrob showed nerves of steel to deliver an impressive performance which saw him sail through to the next show, which will be broadcast live this Sunday, April 1.

Sharon Whelton caught up with the Spin SouthWest DJ ahead of the third live show to discuss his experience so far, his relationship with the four coaches, and what advice he would give to young and aspiring musicians.

“Well, I’ve been singing since I’ve been about ten, and I did my first musical with the Ennis Musical Society,” Gari started. “I actually wasn’t going to apply for the Voice of Ireland. I had done a few reality TV shows, so when I asked to do it (the Voice of Ireland), I was hesitant.

“When I got the call, I was like ‘I don’t know, leave it with me and I’ll think about it’. I was watching the show on American TV and I absolutely loved it, so I kind of said ‘why not’, so I’m obviously delighted I went for it now!” he enthused.

“It’s the first Irish reality show that has gotten any bit of credibility, and ShinAwil have really pumped a lot of money into it. It’s a huge success so far, and I’m so happy I applied.”

So how has the Voice of Ireland experience been for Gari so far? “It’s brilliant!” he beamed. “I love it, but on the other hand, it’s stressful, it’s very tiring, there’s an awful lot of pressure involved, but I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can.

“I take it very seriously because I want to do well on this show, and I’ve been doing well so far. I’ve got a lot of support – people in Clare and Limerick have gotten behind me so much, and it’s just brilliant. There is a real sense of pride and I love it, I just can’t thank people enough.

“I have a team of family and friends from Bunratty and Shannon that have been amazing,” Gari smiled. “When I’m in Dublin, they have meetings and run a campaign for me. They don’t ask for anything in return, and they’re just brilliant. I’m the only one from the southwest, which is great, and the fact that I work with Spin SouthWest also helps!

“I’m so happy that everyone’s gotten behind me, but as far as the show goes, I’m loving it. I’m not good with competition though! I hate the fact that I’m up against people on my own team that I get on with. Pat and I are great friends, and the fact that I’m against him is very tough, but that’s the way it goes I suppose.”

During the recent Battle Stages of the show, Gari was pitted against Dervla, with media speculating that the pair were more than friends. However, he was quick to dismiss these rumours.

“Myself and Dervla just clicked and we got on great,” Gari explained. “But, I didn’t know that Dervla had a boyfriend at the time. We got on brilliantly, and we’ve kept in touch – she actually sent me a card before the first live show. She’s brilliant, lovely, and a brilliant singer too.”

Gari then spoke of the pressure that the first live show brought to both him and the other contestants. “Getting through the first live show was the main thing,” the Bunratty man said. “As I showed on the second live show, I was much more comfortable and it was a much better song, and I’m really getting the feel of it now.”

“My relationship with the coaches is brilliant! I’m so happy I picked Bressie because he’s genuinely in this to make music. He’s on the phone every couple of days, and he’s just so enthusiastic about music. He’s just great craic and a really cool guy.

And what about the other three coaches? “I get on brilliantly with Sharon. She’s lovely and great craic,” Gari continued. “She’s been very encouraging and supportive of me. I get on great with Brian too, he’s very funny.

“I get on great with Kian. A lot of people don’t think we do (get on well) for some reason, but was very supportive and positive to me during the second live show. I’ve had a pint with Kian, and he’s great.”

In terms of what he has learnt so far, Gari has realised that he can get a bit anxious at times, but feels that it’s due to the pressure. “There’s parts where I just feel like exploding with the stress of it all, but I try and put that aside. On the positive side, what I’ve learnt from the show is the power of TV. I do feel that you have to toughen up when you’re on a show like the Voice of Ireland. When you put yourself out there, you’ve got to learn to take the bad with the good.

“I’m not just saying it because I’m on this team, but we really have the strongest team, and even Brian Kennedy has said it,” Gari explained. “I’m up against Pat; I’ve been a fan of Conor’s since day one. I get on great with him and he’s got a great voice. He’s going to be tough to beat.

“I’m getting a lot of positivity and seem to be generating some fans as well, so hopefully I can beat Conor,” he added. “I want to beat Conor, even though he’s very good and I’m a fan. I think no matter what happens on the show, Conor’s going to do well from this, and hopefully I will too.

“From the other groups, I think Richie is very good and a nice guy, but a bit musical theatre for me, Vanessa on Sharon’s team is very good, and Nollaig is good too. From Kian’s team, Liam and Graham are great as well.

“But it’s weird, because I only have to worry about the people on my team until I get to the final, and hopefully I will get to the final. First, I have to concentrate on beating Pat, Conor and Kiera.”

Gari’s highlight and lowlight both relate to performances on the first two live shows, and felt that he didn’t do himself justice when singing ‘Tracks of my Tears’ during the first show.
“I love that song, and I was very disappointed with myself when I hit that horrible bum note at the end,” he revealed. “I came off the stage saying ‘oh my god’ because I sang it better at rehearsals, but I had to let it go.

“I think my highlight was redeeming myself on the following show with ‘Next To Me’, and I felt so much better singing it. The Blind Audition was also a lot of fun for me.”

“Without sounding overconfident, I think I’m improving every week,” Gari stated. “I think there’s room for a male Irish popstar at the moment, and I think I can do that. It’s going to be tough though, and that’s not me sounding cocky or anything, you have to be confident. Otherwise, what’s the point in doing it, if you can’t believe in yourself?”

Finally, what advice would Gari give to young and aspiring musicians that are eager to break into the industry?

“What I say to kids in schools is that when I was younger, I used to sing, but in my room,” he said. “I was afraid to sing. I know I could sing whilst I was in secondary school, but I just wouldn’t. I cared too much about what people thought.

“But if you can sing, or play an instrument, or are anyway musical, just do it and don’t care what anyone thinks. I wish I did it when I was younger. I’m 28 now, but I just think for confidence reasons, just do it and start young, because I wish I had,” Gari finished.

*The Voice of Ireland is broadcast every Sunday night from 6.30pm on RTE One, with the results show at 8.30pm.

UL Charity Week

THE acts and events for next week’s eagerly awaited Charity Week have been announced, with organisers hopeful that it will be the best yet.

The main acts of the week are former Blizzards frontman Bressie, popular Galway trio ‘The Kanyu Tree’, and up-and-coming alternative rock band ‘Storyfold’.

The Kanyu Tree and Storyfold will headline the all day festival on the Wednesday of Charity Week, while Bressie will headline the main Thursday night event, playing a DJ set.

Though everyone’s focus seems to be on the big names of the week, we shouldn’t forget the main focus of Charity Week, as the events help raise much needed funds for local and national charities.

This year’s chosen charities are Pieta House, Tipperary Limerick Care for Cystic Fibrosis (TLC4CF), Brothers of Charity, and The Mid-West Rape Crisis Centre.

A fantastic line-up of events and entertainment throughout the week has been secured and confirmed through the hard work of Events and Promotions Manager Keith Quinlan and his team.

The week will kick off in style with the annual Great Race, with participants beginning their country-wide challenge this Friday, February 24, and will culminate on the midnight of Sunday, February 26.

This year also sees the introduction of the Nearly Naked Mile, which will see students strip to their undies and run over the Living Bridge! Sponsorship is necessary for this event, so be sure to pick up your card on campus.

The Raft Race is again taking place this year, which has proven to be a huge success in recent times. Sunday night sees the pre-Charity Week Warm-Up, with a Club Night in the SinBin.

Another new event this year includes the King (and Queen) of the Campus, which sees participants sign up for a small fee, and will then design their own ballot boxes.
A donation of one euro qualifies as one vote, and the winning pair will win free entry into EVERY SU event for themselves and two friends for the remainder of their college years!

Other interesting events include Shave or Dye, the Duck Race, the Lovely Girls Competition, a Vow of Silence, a Slave Auction, Mock Weddings, a Mankini Challenge, a Campus Waterfight and a Campus

However, with only one week left before Charity Week descends on the campus, students have been urged to be on their best behaviour throughout the week.

President of the University of Limerick Student’s Union Derek Daly stated that the behaviour that led to the cancellation of College Week in NUI Galway would cause a situation on the UL campus.

“We are already under pressure from residents,” Derek said. “The residents have begun building a portfolio and will use any excuse to call and work for the cancellation of Charity Week.”

"Best behaviour throughout the year is necessary - that means shutting up when passing through the estates and not leaving cans and bottles lying around."

Daly added that other authorities have offered the Student’s Union significantly more than what has been raised in the last two years combined, to give to a charity of the Union’s choice if they will cancel the event.

"Students have an obligation to use Charity Week to give back, as well as take time to enjoy,” the SU President stated.

“In the last number of year the average donation per student has been about 50 cent - that's pitiful - and that alone plays into the hands of those who want the week cancelled.”

Campaigns and Services Officer in the university, Paddy Rockett stated that the one of the biggest things is that we highlight the effect students of UL can have on the outside world, just by being students.

“Charity Week paints a negative picture from a resident’s point of view, due to the actions of few,” Paddy added. “What’s worse is that so many great students are involved in raising money for charity and getting involved with the fun events.”

“What I will say to students is that Charity Week is yours. Jump in and be seen, jump in and help out, and see your true worth by doing what students do (enjoy themselves) and see the great effect it has on these great charities.”