Galway man Michael Griffin has been working with Hartmann's Jewellers for over 40 years, but still finds time for a game of cards or a flutter on the horses.

When Michael started a jewellers' course in Galway Technical Institute back in 1962, he never envisaged just how long he would be working in the trade. After completing his course in 1964, he was offered a job at Hartmann's Jewellers by then owner Eamon Hartmann at the tender age of only 15.

Forty-three years later. Michael is still happily working away with the company though his role has changed significantly. Michael started with Hartmann's as an apprentice jeweller and slowly worked his way up the ladder to become one of the most talented jewellers in the country.

"Back when I went to college, everybody went to learn a trade and I just picked the jewellers' course. I got offered a job here soon after and I've been here ever since," he says.

Michael's day-to-day work at Hartmann's includes machine engraving, sizing rings and jewellery repair. "When I started here, it was mostly repairs. The sale of jewellery was a much smaller part. Nowadays, people have more money and they are coming in buy all different types of jewellery. That part of the business has grown a lot," explains Michael.

A true Galway man, Michael has never been out of the city for any length of time and is more than happy about it. In his spare time, he is a huge horseracing fan and is a well-known face on the Galway Races scene. Michael says he prefers to watch the races on the TV as he gets a better view and can study the form. His favourite trainers include Sir Michael Stoute and Ireland's Willie Mullins, while he reckons that Tony McCoy and Seb Sanders are the jockeys to watch this year. However, he says that regardless of how much information you have, it can still be hard to pick the winners.

"It's hard to know these days because there is some race fixing going one. I think it is more common in England than here. The prize fund for some of the meetings are so small, there might only be €15,000 in offer in total. When you factor in the costs of transporting the horses, paying for handlers and all the rest, sure the prize money would only pay for the petrol! They must be making their money somewhere else," says Michael.

As well as horseracing, Michael is also a fan of the greyhounds and says that it is easier to pick a winner there because "there are only six and if you get the right break, you're grand!". He used to also play basketball and go swimming with his wife but had to give it up as the water in Salthill has gone too cold. These days, he settles for card games and plays 25 with his friends down at the Forge every weekend as he has done for "donkeys years".

Michael has been married to wife Denise for "an awful long time", 36 years to be precise. They have five children and two grandchildren, all based in the Galway area. Having spent 27 years working in the same workshop at Hartmann's, Michael has no plans to go elsewhere and says he is very happy with his job.

"We all get on very well, everybody pulls their weight. You would think with the same people working together for so long there might be a few disagreements but there isn't here, so I really enjoy it," he says.

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