St. Macartin's Cathedral
Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
A Featured Cathedral Family
Member
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Claire Holmes
A member of our Choir and Praise Group, Claire is married to Willie and works as a dietitian for the Western Health and Social Care Trust.
Tell us about your early days.
Neither of my parents came from the Province – my Dad was from Lanarkshire in
Scotland and my Mum from London. They moved here in the late forties when my
Dad took up a post in public health in Lurgan. I was born and went to school in that
town. When I finished my A levels, I took a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics at the
Robert Gordon Institute of Technology (now the Robert Gordon University) in Aberdeen. I didn’t intend to return to Northern Ireland afterwards but I had to because I was completely broke. My first job was at the Ulster Hospital and I was working there when Willie and I met at a camp for children with Diabetes that was held in Belfast.
What brought you to Enniskillen?
A car! Seriously though, I moved here when Willie got his consultant’s post at the Erne Hospital. The year before we moved, we hired a cruiser and had a lovely week on the lake with Leah and Sammy - our two children at the time. The weather wasn’t wonderful but we could see what a beautiful place is was and both agreed that we would like to live here. When Willie got his post at the Erne, we were both delighted and moved here in July 1987 with Leah and Sammy - and our one week old baby, Marie-Claire!! I have now lived here for longer than anywhere else and consider it home.
What are your hobbies/interests?
My job is really interesting and gives me a great deal of satisfaction. I worked for twelve years as Community Dietitian in Fermanagh and then in 2004, I became Lead Dietitian with the "Cook It!" project, a healthy eating, cooking skills programme that is delivered by community tutors and it was (and still is) my job to train and support them in delivering the programme. However, the work of my team has developed and we work with community and voluntary sector organisations to promote good nutrition among the population in the Western Trust area.
But you can’t work all the time and I think it is important to have interests outside work. I get great enjoyment from music and from singing - it makes me feel happy. I really look forward to choir practice and the Sunday services because no matter how bad a day I’ve had, how tired I feel or how dreadful is the weather, I feel joyful after singing all the hymns and canticles. The choir and Praise Group are like a special family - working together to produce something beautiful (we hope!) to offer to God and inspire others in their worship.
I was a book worm as a child and still love an engrossing story. I enjoy cooking and recently have been experimenting with bread making. I have even lifted my knitting needles again after many years of neglect. I like to be active – walking, running, swimming, even climbing – but time pressures over the past year have limited this a bit and at present I’m mostly just going to the gym a couple of times a week.
Do you travel/hope to travel?
I have developed a real taste for travelling. Willie and I love visiting France – the food, the culture, the climate – yes, definitely the climate!! I would like to revisit Canada and the US but I’d also like to see more of the European countries - particularly Scandinavia. And I’m always pleased to go back to Scotland, which I associate with childhood holidays. I don’t think I have enough life left to travel to all the places I would like to visit!
Favourites in life—food/film/books?
Tea and home made cake! ‘Singing in the rain’ and ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. ‘A Town Like Alice’ and ‘Anne of Green Gables’. Tetris and Super Mario – though when I visited Leah in London recently, she introduced me to an X box game called Portal and I found it quite addictive. Just as well I don’t have an X box!
What is your best day?
Any day spent with those I love.
Have you a favourites Bible verse/hymn?
Ephesians 3 v 20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine …..” God is so much MORE than I think he is and this verse reminds me not to make him small and limited. At the Songs of Praise recordings, we sang the hymn “All my hope on God is founded; he doth still my trust renew. Me through change and
chance he guideth, only good and only true” There is no other hope but in God through Jesus Christ – and he is good and true. When I look back at times of difficulty in my life, I can say that God has always been with me – even when I thought He was absent.
Any challenges?
I plan to retire from the health service in a couple of years and have mixed feelings about it. I have interests but I need something purposeful to do – I’m scared I might end up sitting on the sofa watching television all day! Finding another role will be a challenge.
Neither of my parents came from the Province – my Dad was from Lanarkshire in
Scotland and my Mum from London. They moved here in the late forties when my
Dad took up a post in public health in Lurgan. I was born and went to school in that
town. When I finished my A levels, I took a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics at the
Robert Gordon Institute of Technology (now the Robert Gordon University) in Aberdeen. I didn’t intend to return to Northern Ireland afterwards but I had to because I was completely broke. My first job was at the Ulster Hospital and I was working there when Willie and I met at a camp for children with Diabetes that was held in Belfast.
What brought you to Enniskillen?
A car! Seriously though, I moved here when Willie got his consultant’s post at the Erne Hospital. The year before we moved, we hired a cruiser and had a lovely week on the lake with Leah and Sammy - our two children at the time. The weather wasn’t wonderful but we could see what a beautiful place is was and both agreed that we would like to live here. When Willie got his post at the Erne, we were both delighted and moved here in July 1987 with Leah and Sammy - and our one week old baby, Marie-Claire!! I have now lived here for longer than anywhere else and consider it home.
What are your hobbies/interests?
My job is really interesting and gives me a great deal of satisfaction. I worked for twelve years as Community Dietitian in Fermanagh and then in 2004, I became Lead Dietitian with the "Cook It!" project, a healthy eating, cooking skills programme that is delivered by community tutors and it was (and still is) my job to train and support them in delivering the programme. However, the work of my team has developed and we work with community and voluntary sector organisations to promote good nutrition among the population in the Western Trust area.
But you can’t work all the time and I think it is important to have interests outside work. I get great enjoyment from music and from singing - it makes me feel happy. I really look forward to choir practice and the Sunday services because no matter how bad a day I’ve had, how tired I feel or how dreadful is the weather, I feel joyful after singing all the hymns and canticles. The choir and Praise Group are like a special family - working together to produce something beautiful (we hope!) to offer to God and inspire others in their worship.
I was a book worm as a child and still love an engrossing story. I enjoy cooking and recently have been experimenting with bread making. I have even lifted my knitting needles again after many years of neglect. I like to be active – walking, running, swimming, even climbing – but time pressures over the past year have limited this a bit and at present I’m mostly just going to the gym a couple of times a week.
Do you travel/hope to travel?
I have developed a real taste for travelling. Willie and I love visiting France – the food, the culture, the climate – yes, definitely the climate!! I would like to revisit Canada and the US but I’d also like to see more of the European countries - particularly Scandinavia. And I’m always pleased to go back to Scotland, which I associate with childhood holidays. I don’t think I have enough life left to travel to all the places I would like to visit!
Favourites in life—food/film/books?
Tea and home made cake! ‘Singing in the rain’ and ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. ‘A Town Like Alice’ and ‘Anne of Green Gables’. Tetris and Super Mario – though when I visited Leah in London recently, she introduced me to an X box game called Portal and I found it quite addictive. Just as well I don’t have an X box!
What is your best day?
Any day spent with those I love.
Have you a favourites Bible verse/hymn?
Ephesians 3 v 20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine …..” God is so much MORE than I think he is and this verse reminds me not to make him small and limited. At the Songs of Praise recordings, we sang the hymn “All my hope on God is founded; he doth still my trust renew. Me through change and
chance he guideth, only good and only true” There is no other hope but in God through Jesus Christ – and he is good and true. When I look back at times of difficulty in my life, I can say that God has always been with me – even when I thought He was absent.
Any challenges?
I plan to retire from the health service in a couple of years and have mixed feelings about it. I have interests but I need something purposeful to do – I’m scared I might end up sitting on the sofa watching television all day! Finding another role will be a challenge.
