Latest news with #Doran
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Top performances by Sligo Swim Club Masters in Ulster
This was the team's third year in a row to visit the splendid South Lake Sports Complex, that is arguably the most aesthetically pleasing swimming location in the country. Its 50 and 25 metre pools are complemented by other sporting amenities, walking tracks, and an excellent cafe. Unfortunately, the Sligo team was unexpectedly depleted at the last minute when 'medal magnets' Evan Kelly, David Bartley and Aoife Cannon had to withdraw due to injuries. However, the four remaining Sligo swimmers put in top performances to win multiplex medals and establishing Personal Best times (PBs) and Connaught records thereby maintaining Sligo's proud winning tradition in Ulster. The team brought home 6x Gold, 4x Silver and 1x Bronze medals. Tim Doran opened the gala for Sligo by competing in the 200M Individual Medley (IM). This is a new event for Doran but he delivered a powerful backstroke and breaststroke performance that was sandwiched between his usual elite level butterfly and freestyle - securing a Gold Medal, a PB, and a new Connaught Record in his age category (35-39). Aidan Mackey, in his second ever gala, kicked off with the 400m Freestyle. His double training sessions over the past months built up a strong fitness base that made the difference in the latter part of his race. This resulted in Mackey lowering his PB by 3 seconds and taking a second Gold Medal for Sligo in his age category (50-54). Next up, had Doran back in the pool for the 100M butterfly. Even though he is in the final year of his current age category, he won his second Gold medal in a very tight race - making it 3 races, 3 Gold medals for Sligo. Enda Eames, who has the distinction of competing for Sligo Masters in every national and provincial gala since 2022, continued the medal count by taking a Silver medal in the 50M backstroke. Even though he is in the final year of his age category (65-69), he still had enough speed to overtake his 'younger' competitors in a time that is just short of his PB. The busy Sligo schedule continued with Mackey back on the blocks for the 400M Freestyle. His fitness levels were again severely tested but he didn't disappoint - winning a Silver medal through a consistent high pace that reduced his PB by an amazing 12 seconds. The morning's session had Sligo winning 3x Golds and 2x Silvers from 5 races. The afternoon session started with the Medley Relays…but Sligo unfortunately couldn't participate due to the diminished team numbers. However, there were three competitors in the blue ribbon event - the 100m Freestyle. Eames was first up and he missed out on a bronze medal in a tight race and was just short of his PB and Connaught record gained at the recent National Championships. Next was Mackey…who showed he has real speed as well as endurance by taking a Silver medal in a time just outside his PB. Then came what was arguably the 'swim of the meet' with Doran producing an extraordinary performance in winning the Gold medal in his 100M freestyle race. Tim's time was the fastest across all age categories (some of his competitors were 10 years younger) and just a fraction of a second outside his PB. The final sprint races had Eames and Doran compete in the 50M freestyle. This was already a very successful gala for Sligo but there were more medals to come. Eames was up first and delivered a Bronze medal with a flying start to lead a group of evenly matched swimmers. The Masters event is unusual in that the swimmers, both male and female, are lined up (seeded) based on their PB's, with the slowest swimmers in 'Heat 1'. So in Enda's case in 'Heat 6', he was competing against seven swimmers aged between 26 to 53…with him being 69. When the race is finished, the swimmer's times are spread across the respective age categories to determine the medal ranking and also to determine provincial and national records. Having blitzed everyone in the 100M, Doran had a target on his back when he stepped up onto the starting blocks for his 50M. Again, he didn't disappoint and after his usual flying start…led from start to finish to win his 4th Gold medal. Tim achieved a clean sweep across all his events…but always the perfectionist, was disappointed that he missed his PB (and Connaught record) by 0:00.01 seconds! The final event of the day was the gruelling 1,500M freestyle and the Sligo Masters 'top gun' in these long distance events - both in the pool and open water, is Shane O'Doherty. As usual 'he came, he swam, and won another Gold medal'. His fitness, ability to keep a high-tempo consistent pace, and maintaining the 'technical' aspects of his stroke - means Shane's time in the 45-49 category was faster than every male swimmer at the event other than the winner in the 25-29 age category. Not to be completely overshadowed was Aidan Mackey taking on the 1,500M distance for the first time. This was his fourth race and such is his mental toughness and endurance that Aidan won a Silver medal in a sub-25 minute time. This completed a haul of 1x Gold and 3x Silver medals plus 3x PB's. The Sligo Masters team will now be taking to the open water over the summer and hoping to hit the same heights. The return to the pool will be for the Ulster 'short course' championships at the end of October in Newry, Co. Down, which will be followed by the National 'short course' championships at the National Aquatic Centre (Dublin) in November. The team would like to acknowledge their County Sligo Swim Club (CSSC) coaches, especially the lead Masters coach Elaine Stafford as well as Evan and Kevin, who deliver the highest levels of quality training and technical mentorship that are essential to successfully compete at these events.
Hospitality Net
5 days ago
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Blake Doran joined Stonebridge Companies as Vice President of Operations
Stonebridge, a Denver-based innovative, privately-owned hotel management company boasting a diverse range of luxury, resort, full-service, and premium select-service properties, announced today the appointment of Blake Doran as Vice President of Operations. Doran will report to Lee Palaschak, Executive Vice President of Operations. With over two decades of experience in both on-property and above-property hospitality operations, Doran brings a strong foundation in hotel leadership and a proven ability to drive financial performance, enhance guest satisfaction, and support team development. He most recently served as Divisional Vice President of Operations for Remington Hospitality, where he oversaw a multi-state portfolio of hotels and played a key role in executing operational strategies and supporting on-property teams. Doran is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University.
Agriland
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Agriland
Agri Aware Open Farm 2025 to take place in 2 counties
Agri Aware has announced the return of its flagship Open Farm event which will take place in two counties this year. The agri-food educational body said that the event will return to Co. Kildare, along with a brand-new Open Farm experience in Co. Galway. Open Farm is the major part of Agri Aware's mission of enhancing agricultural literacy, giving the public and schoolchildren a unique opportunity to experience a working Irish farm firsthand and understand the journey of food from farm to fork. Open Farm is a free of charge event with gates open to the public from 10:30am to 5:00pm on both days. Agri Aware The Kildare Open Farm will be hosted on the Doran family's dairy farm in Donadea (W91 DH99). On Thursday, June 13, the farm will welcome over 800 primary school students from Kildare and Dublin for a dedicated schools day. Students will explore how dairy products are made, learn about sustainable farming practices, and develop a deeper appreciation for where the food they consume comes from. On Saturday, June 14, the farm will open to the general public for an educational and interactive day out for all ages. There will be self-guided tours for visitors, a mini-farm village, food demonstrations, kids' games, and the chance to speak with the Doran's about how they care for their animals and the environment. (L-R) Olivia, Kayla, Hallie and Aonghusa Fahy with Agri Aware chair Shay Galvin The Galway Open Farm will be hosted by Aonghusa Fahy on his beef farm in Ardrahan (H91 TPD2). The Schools Day will take place on Thursday, June 12, followed by the public Open Farm Day on Sunday, June 15. Similar to Kildare, students and the general public will have the opportunity to engage directly with the farm family, see modern beef farming in action, and understand the vital role Irish beef farms play in producing high-quality food sustainably. Open Farm is sponsored by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), the National Dairy Council (NDC), the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA), Tirlán, Our Food Connects, ABP, Teagasc, Kildare Milk Producers Group and the Fresh Milk Producers Group. Agri Aware has teamed up with Agriland Media as the official media partner for Open Farm for 2025. Open Farm Commenting at the launch of Open Farm 2025, Agri Aware chair Shay Galvin said: 'Bridging the gap between producers and consumers remains a key challenge, but it's one we are committed to addressing'. 'Open Farm gives us a unique opportunity to connect people directly with the farms that produce their food. 'We're especially looking forward to welcoming schools on Thursday, followed by the public open days in Galway and Kildare over the weekend. 'Our sincere thanks go to the Doran and Fahy families for generously opening their farms. 'Thanks to them, visitors will get to see first-hand how Irish food is produced sustainably, with care and dedication,' he added. Kildare host farmer Kevin Doran said that he immediately agreed when he was first approached about hosting Open Farm. 'We are passionate as a family in what we do here in terms of producing a sustainable top-quality product with, first and foremost, the welfare of our animals being the top priority. 'To be able to showcase this to both primary school students and the general public as part of Agri Aware's Open Farm is one of excitement for us as a family that we are looking forward to,' he said. Galway host farmer Aonghusa Fahy added: 'As generations pass, the connection between food and its origins is increasingly being lost, even in rural communities. 'We take immense pride in what we do, from the care we give our animals to the quality of food we produce. 'Through Open Farm, we want to share our story and show the public how we're farming sustainably for the future,' he said.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sullivan County Dispatcher receives ‘Superstar Award'
SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Sullivan County Dispatcher Wendy Doran received a 'Superstar Award' on Monday after helping a father save his infant child from drowning in December. Doran, who was previously presented a 'Lifesaving Award' for her actions, used new technology called Rapid Deploy. MORE: Sullivan County Dispatcher Wendy Doran receives Lifesaving Award 'It's really, really a good technology,' Doran said. 'I enjoy using the Rapid Deploy map and then with the technology of video, it does assist us to see what's going on when there's so much other interference at the call.' Rapid Deploy sent the father a link on his phone that allowed Doran to observe the infant's actions. Doran successfully instructed the father to retrieve a syringe to extract water from the infant's mouth. The infant began breathing, and an EMS crew arrived shortly afterward. 'We started Rapid Deploy with a view to reducing response times to save lives,' Rapid Deploy CEO Steve Raucher said. 'That's the mission of the company. So every bit of technology that we build should shave time off our response and add more information to the first responder and improve their safety too.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Mint
13-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Instead of setting SMART goals, why not make a PACT?
If you are a professional, it's likely that you have recently completed a goal-setting exercise as part of your annual performance appraisal. Irrespective of the template followed for this activity by the HR department of your organisation, the fundamental principle behind such an exercise is similar for most enterprises: to help employees become more productive, accountable, and focused on meeting their targets in the new financial year. One of the most common tools used in the corporate world to keep professionals on track is a goal-setting framework that goes by the acronym S.M.A.R.T. Management consultant George T. Doran first mentioned it in an article for Management Review in 1981. According to this model, the most effective goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable (originally Doran used Assignable), Realistic and Time-bound. 'I will run three times per week for 30 minutes each session to prepare for a 5K race in 8 weeks" is an example of a S.M.A.R.T goal. A tried and tested tool for close to half a century, S.M.A.R.T goals not only strongly correlate with the outcomes desired of an individual, but also leave no room for ambiguity. Even to carry out daily tasks, it can prove beneficial, both for managers and their reportees. Instead of going down the slippery slope of vague promises, such as, 'I'll send over the presentation by E.O.D.," an individual working within the S.M.A.R.T framework will have to make a more precise commitment, such as, 'I will send over the presentation by 5pm." There is, however, a flip side to this model. S.M.A.R.T goals tend to be overly focused on outcomes and the metrics attached to them. With no wiggle room for recalibration, these goals either leave you feeling triumphant or like a loser. Especially if the goal in question is personal, such as reaching a certain designation in a specific period of time, this framework may lead to burnout if not met. Also read: When serendipity helps build a strong career Further, the continuous pressure of being always on track may lead to toxic work habits—such as pulling off the proverbial 70-hour-week, either in all honesty or to keep up the appearances. Come rain, shine, war or economic meltdown, S.M.A.R.T goals keep you on your toes, not accounting for the Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) world we live and work in. Let's make a PACT The S.M.A.R.T framework may have worked for Boomers, Gen X and older millennials when the world of work was relatively insulated from the shocks and tremors of global upheavals in tech, AI and financial meltdowns. But for Gen Zs and Gen Alphas joining, or about to join, the workforce, the current reality calls for a different approach to productivity. In her recent book Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World, former Google executive, neuroscientist, and founder of the mindful productivity platform Ness Labs Anne-Laure Le Cunff proposes an alternative to the S.M.A.R.T model—an approach that takes into account all the ups and downs we face in our VUCA world. Instead of being tied to outcome-oriented linear goals, this French Algerian writer suggests that we shift towards setting non-linear goals and make a P.A.C.T. that is focused on the process and the output. Her acronym—Purposeful, Actionable, Continuous and Trackable—is an antidote to empirical metrics of productivity. For example, 'I'll learn coding in the next six months" may be a worthwhile goal, but for it to work as a P.A.C.T., it will have to be re-framed as something along the lines of, 'I will code every day for one hour for the next six months." Building motivation in individuals to achieve their goals almost always involves a carrot or stick approach. A pact, in contrast, offers a reprieve from the push and pull method. It relies on the momentum of the process to build skill and confidence through repeated action. Le Cunff calls these exercises to reframe our working style 'tiny experiments." Mindful productivity While it is difficult to imagine tiny experiments working at an organisational level, Le Cunff's ideas can prove transformative for personal productivity. And so, going beyond the theories of the fixed and growth mindsets proposed by psychologist Carol Dweck in her 2006 book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, she proposes a third model: the experimental mindset. To explain what such a mindset may look like in practice, she invokes the concept of 'metacognition," or heightened self-awareness achieved through repeatedly questioning the triggers behind our actions. If you are a serial procrastinator, for instance, your experimental mindset can help you see what's stopping you from getting on with your tasks. Is it your rational brain that sees no value in the work itself? Do your emotions feel that there are better things awaiting your attention? Or, perhaps, there are practical impediments for you to do the task? Also read: The secret of success? Energy management Based on your answers, Le Cunff suggests a 'persist, pause and pivot" model to get out of the rut. Her provocations may or may not work every time for everyone, but at least such tiny experiments—and there are several more in her book—will put you in touch with some of the default blockages in your mind. Work Vibes is a fortnightly column on ideas to help you thrive at what you do.
