Things to do during the weekdays?

ofthebeststuff

Hi there!

I'm a Canadian in my mid 20s living in Galway with my Irish partner. I've got no kids and I'm unemployed, and while it's cool playing hausfrau and reading loads and surfing the internet for hours, I'm looking for more things to do with myself during the day. There seem to be lots of cool evening things, but that's when my partner's home and we're usually happy to eat dinner and watch TV. It's durning the day that I'm at loose ends.

I'm generally fairly broke (see: unemployed) so cheapness is of the essence. I'm wondering if there's more people out there who are unemployed or have flexible schedules and what kind of interest there might be in some day-time meetups or if there are already groups that meet in the day.

I'm interested in things like book clubs, writing groups, anything to do with theatre, maybe a knitting stitch-and-bitch type thing. I have a super-cool dog who'd love to meet other dogs to run around parks like maniacs. Anything really. I don't know if anything like this already exists.

Thoughts?

Panthro

gudday, im in a similar position as yourself for the next month until college starts back, im finding it hard to fill the hours, so i went and registered with volunteer galway, and will be going into them tomorrow so see what volunteering positions are available.broaden the horizon and whatnot!
maybe it could be something in it for you too, anyways best of luck with it.

snubbleste

OP, you sound awfully familiar..

Volunteer ie. with the homeless services or Simon or gspca. who knows, it may end up in employment at some point. Make yourself known as having a keen interest in drama with various theatre groups.
If you are a bloke, i'd suggest sports clubs and learning a new sport to make use of the long summer days.

Mrs OBumble

snubbleste wrote: »

OP, you sound awfully familiar..
....
If you are a bloke, i'd suggest sports clubs and learning a new sport to make use of the long summer days.

Women can play sports these days too, you know.

Check out the notice board in the Social Space in Middle Street. I think they were looking for volunteers there too, a while ago, not sure of the situation now.

Other places that may need volunteers during the day include Vincent de Paul, the hospice, the hospital visitors scheme (there was something in the paper about it looking for new people a few weeks ago).

Beware though: volunteer work can be tough, and because you're from overseas you may run into people who tell you that you cannot get Garda clearance: this isn't actually true, but some agencies are using the line to get rid of volunteers they don't want, since it (apparently) takes over six months for the clearance to come through at the moment.

Maybe ask in the library if they know of any day time book clubs. (I'll bet that if there are any, it' will be mainly retired people, which may or may not be what you want.)

St Nicholas church have a number of free lunch-time concerts: mainly groups visiting from the US etc - they've always got room for more of an audience. Watch their noticeboard for details of these.

And you could try heading down to the macnas (www.macnas.com) workshop, to see if there's anything you could help with there - would have been better last week (pre-parade), but there ya go.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103787127198530927107.00046ea5dd56081f30026&ll=53.276993,-9.057659&spn=0.012446,0.038581&z=15

ingalway

snubbleste wrote: »

If you are a bloke, i'd suggest sports clubs and learning a new sport to make use of the long summer days.

And if OP is not a bloke what would you suggest? - Knitting? Crochet? A gentle afternoon walk?

Fionn MacCool

ingalway wrote: »

And if OP is not a bloke what would you suggest? - Knitting? Crochet? A gentle afternoon walk?

Cooking and whinging.

starbelgrade

Clean the house & grow some veg. Plants have feelings too!

ofthebeststuff

LOL I'm already set on the cooking and whinging front, thanks--I devote large segments of my day to just those two activities.

I tried to grow veg last summer, what didn't rot in the damp got eaten by slugs. Meh! (see, there's some whinging right there!)

Thanks for all the good ideas. I'd thought that volunteering was off-limits, as I'm not a citizen, and it's really good to know that may not be the case.

I thought most sports things were at night, but now that you mention it I'll look into it daytime things. Maybe tennis or something.

Anyway, thanks again.

moldypeach

im the same until college starts so i went to the macnas website and sent them a form to volunteer seems a good idea to meet people and have fun

ScumLord

Learn to play trad music, grow a beard and go around pubs playing for pints.

diverdriver

I have pretty much the same problem. There really isn't that much to do weekdays in Galway. Coming from Dublin as I do. It feels very quiet and small. You can only walk the prom so much. So I sit here and type stuff like this. Yawn!

ArraMusha

I would advise getting into running or cycling, but with the weather we have in Galway now you cant be selective. Running is free and you can get your hands on a bike cruiser 2nd hand for less than 100 quid, try adverts.ie or europa cycles for 2nd hand ones.

cornbb

Go swimming or diving or snorkelling in Salthill, or pick mussels on Claddagh beach.

coldwood92

perks funfair sathill

Xiney

Holy Hayzeus.

Are you me?

(Mid 20s Canadian unemployed accidental housewife married to an Irishman wondering why the hell she's in this rainy aka miserable part of the world)

Except I just got a Labrador puppy so at least my days are a little.... interesting. Haha.


Send me a pm if you feel like it though. Always up for new friends. Unless you're a fan of that boob Harper, in which case...... just don't talk to me about politics

Xiney

ps I'd advise against volunteering with the gspca in their shop at least.

It was horrifying.

Greaney

I have a little group on Kotalk called 50 things to do in Galway for free...

So here are some

Contempo do free concerts once a month in the Library in Agustaine street. They're at lunchtime. I dont' think they're going to restart till after the summer

Keep an eye out for what's on free in the Museum, they've not only got gigs and readings but I've been to chocolate tasting competitions (ooooH!), Contempo will be doing a free open rehearsal there at the end of August

During the summer various open days and fundraisers run, Ballybane community veg garden had theirs last thursday, I know that's not much help to you but it's an example of what's going on

Carboot sale on Sat 8th August in Terryland Football Stadium

There's a writing group in Ballybane Library

Galways walking club meets in Toners bar, they've a wee website if you want to look them up.

Come September, if we do it again this year, there'll be an open night in Galway where the museum, galleries, aquarium and other venues throw open thier doors for a free nights entertainment and art, it's like a free mini arts festival for the locals.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head..

notahopeinhell

If you're applying for volunteering positions (with Oxfam Shop etc), make sure they know that you're actually living in Galway for the foreseeable future, if they think that you'll just be here for the summer they may be less inclined to train you in.

Seaneh

cornbb wrote: »

Go swimming or diving or snorkelling in Salthill, or pick mussels on Claddagh beach.

There are muscles on cladagh beach??? like, which part?

cornbb

I found loads of them at the very east end of the beach, near the end of the pier. Go when the tide is very low and look under the seaweed on the rocks. I can't vouch for the cleanliness of the water just around there but I ate a load of them and I'm still ok...

biffoman

im sick of people like yee who winge about our country.the bad this that n other.ireland is what it is.cold wet and we love it.if its sooo horrible here then pisss offf.

Mrs OBumble

Ahh, the classic Irish response: "everything's fine, you're a blow-in, feck off". How we've all grown to love it!

cornbb

biffoman wrote: »

im sick of people like yee who winge about our country.the bad this that n other.ireland is what it is.cold wet and we love it.if its sooo horrible here then pisss offf.

"If you don't like it then you can geeet ouuut!"

ronnie3585

We don't take kiiiindly to your type round here.

Sea Devils

biffoman wrote: »

im sick of people like yee who winge about our country.the bad this that n other.ireland is what it is.cold wet and we love it.if its sooo horrible here then pisss offf.

Typical classic reply even though nobody was actually complaining about it in the first place.

Xiney

Sea Devils wrote: »

Typical classic reply even though nobody was actually complaining about it in the first place.

To be fair, I was :pac:

Sea Devils

Xiney wrote: »

To be fair, I was :pac:

Meh I'm sure a few people would feel like that from time to time:P