Planning sought for new city centre restaurant

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March 29, 2023

Galway Daily news Croí donation gives a shock to the heart in Salthill

A donation from Galway Salthill Rotary Club to Croí Heart & Stroke Charity has delivered a lifesaving boon for the area.

Galway Salthill Rotary Club recently presented a cheque to Neil Johnson, CEO of Croí in memory of their longstanding member, the late Benny O’Connor.

The donation has allowed Croí to purchase a fourth automated external defibrillator (AED) for the Salthill area.

The new piece of lifesaving equipment has been placed in a central location beside Salthill car park on the wall of the toilet block facing the sea.

“The Galway Salthill Rotary Club through its Kick the Wall collection box embedded in the wall at Blackrock has been a considerable success,” said Pat Hobbert, President of Galway Salthill Rotary.

“For the last eleven years it has enabled the club to support local charities through the generosity of the Galway public, the defibrillator being an example”

An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

It’s a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that can analyse the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.

Croí thanked the O’Connor family and Galway Salthill Rotary Club for the generosity which enabled this purchase, and the city council for providing a location where it can be used to help those in distress.

Step into the past as heritage sites in Galway reopen for summer season

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March 29, 2023

Galway Daily news Heritage sites in Galway re-open for summer season

Stunning picturesque pieces of Galway’s history will be welcoming visitors back early this year, with the reopening of Athenry Castle and Portumna Castle and Gardens, and many more.

Locals and visitors alike are invited to “step into our story” as a number of the national landmarks across Galway that the OPW holds in trust for the nation reopen for the season.

Will you step inside Athenry Castle, an imposing three-storey hall-keep and an emblem of Norman lordship?

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Or maybe Portumna Castle and Gardens, a Renaissance-style castle set in beautiful gardens on the shores of Lough Derg?

Marie Gibbs Supervisor Guide with the OPW in Galway said, “We are thrilled to reopen both Athenry Castle and Portumna Castle & Gardens this early in the year and for them to remain open longer into the season than usual.”

“This will give more opportunities for people in Galway and visitors to the county to experience the different stages of castle building in the West of Ireland.”

She added that visitors will also be “learning of the families who lived and ruled in these areas. Both sites provide interesting and informative tours for all ages and interests.”

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Visitors to Galway are able to enjoy 6,000 years of history at locations such as Pearse’s Cottage in Ros Muc, or the foreboding Dún Aonghasa atop the cliffs of Inis Mór.

Welcoming the re-opening of the OPW Heritage sites for the summer season, Minister Patrick O’Donovan said, “I am delighted to see so many of Ireland’s tourism attractions re-open for the summer season, just in time for Easter weekend.”

“The heritage landmarks re-opening, as well as those open all year, significantly contribute to the local sense of place, the local economy and are great places for all the family to enjoy.”

“The OPW is working hard to safeguard our national landmarks and the preservation of these heritage sites shows the clear investment by the State in our heritage portfolio.”

On the first Wednesday of every month, visitors and families can enjoy free admission to Athenry Castle, Dún Aonghasa, Aughnanure Castle and Pearse’s Cottage at Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh.

Exhibition opening for award winning Galway-Based Artist Cecilia Danell

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March 29, 2023

Claremorris Gallery will host a new exhibition by award-winning artist Cecilia Danell next month, featuring a body of work inspired by her interest in the push and pull between the natural and the man-made.

Entitled ’A Stillness Expanded’ the selection of paintings by the Galway based artist represents a glimpse of the forrested landscape where she grew up in Sweden, but they could be anywhere.

Through use of colour, sci-fi graphical elements and the focus on remnants symbolising human presence, Danell’s paintings depict scenes that exist between truth and fiction.

He work points to something else and sometimes upending the romantic notion of nature as an untended wilderness.

Living in Galway, for the past decade Cecilia Dannell has returned to her family farm in Sweden to walk and gather research material for paintings

Her work has garnered many awards. She is the 2022 recipient of the RHA Hennessy Craig Award for painting, the ESB Keating Award at the 190^th RHA Annual Exhibition, a 2017 Arts Council Next Generation Award and the 2011 Wexford Arts Centre Emergence Award.

Much of the work was created during the pandemic, a time when many of us found our immediate landscapes both strange and familiar at the same time.

Her paintings draw on how both we and our environment adapt, adjust and form new realities after seismic events. Each canvas represents a slice of a bigger world and gives a sense of a portal to a universe larger than what you can see.

While incredibly unique, these paintings have broad appeal especially for those who are connected to nature and want to bring the outside in.

Rosemarie Noone, Claremorris Gallery, said ”The pandemic amplified our natural human impulse to get back to nature, to live in tune with nature, to re-root. Danell’s paintings prompt us to make that connection and examine our relationship with it.”

Danell uses acrylic washes and layers beneath oil paint. Her signature style includes acrylic drips which add velocity and are intended to ‘break the illusion’ to remind us that a painting is a construct. She paints wet on wet, an intense process, taking about three weeks per canvas.

A Stillness Expanded opens at Claremorris Gallery on April 1 and runs until April 15, and thereafter by appointment.

Gallery hours 1 – 6pm, Wednesday to Saturday or by appointment. For more see https://claremorrisgallery.ie/

Almost 200 people waiting for hip and knee replacements in Galway

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March 29, 2023

Galway Daily news Planning sought to build new Surgical Hub at Merlin Park Hospital

There are almost 200 people on a waiting list for hip and knee replacements in Galway, some of whom have been waiting more than two years.

Ahead of a meeting of the Regional Health Forum this week, Councillor Donagh Mark Killilea asked how many were on waiting lists in Galway, and what the capacity for operations is.

The Tuam councillor said that he is meeting people who are, “In pain and told that they will need to wait up to two years for an operation.”

The HSE provided figures for 196 patients waiting for hip and knee replacements at Galway University Hospitals.

Of those on the waiting list, 73 have been waiting for an operation for over nine months, which is the National Service Plan target for inpatient and day case procedures for 2023.

The HSE also said that current staffing levels at surgical theatres allow for 12 operations to be carried out each week.

However, approval has also been given to hire additional staff that will bring this up to a maximum of 20 sessions a week.

€100,000 funding for conservation of Nuns Island Theatre

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March 28, 2023

Galway Daily news €100,000 funding for conservation of Nuns Island Theatre

Galway City Council has been awarded €100,000 under the 2023 Historic Structures Fund to conserve the stunning Nuns Island Theatre.

Funding of €100,000 has been awarded for repair works to many elements of Nuns Island Theatre and The Manse Creative Arts Centre.

The old building used to be a Presbyterian Church, before being converted into an intimate yet modern 82 seat theatre in the heart of Galway City.

A total of €4.5 million was awarded for 95 heritage projects in the 2023 Historic Structures Fund.

By providing grants of between €15,000 and €200,000, the HSF assists owners of heritage structures to care for their properties.

The scheme provides assistance to a wide range of heritage structures, including castles, churches, mills, bridges, shopfronts, and thatch structures, as well as to private houses.

Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan said, “This year’s Historic Structures Fund will assist 95 owners and custodians of historic and protected structures across the country as they carry out hundreds of conservation projects to repair and safeguard our built heritage.”

“Through this investment, this Government continues to celebrate the value and diversity of our built heritage, while also supporting traditional building skills.”

“These actions also continue to help us deliver on our commitments to built heritage under Heritage Ireland 2030, the national heritage plan which I launched last year.”

Maldron Hotel in Oranmore sold to private purchaser

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March 28, 2023

Galway Daily business Maldron Hotel in Oranmore sold to private purchaser

The Maldron Hotel in Oranmore has been sold to a private investor after more than five months on the market, a sale handled by property advisory firm Savills.

The four star hotel located just off the N18 went up for sale in September 2022, with a price tag of €13 million.

Built in 1998, the Maldron Oranmore has 113 guest bedrooms, and is operated by Dalata Hotels.

The hotel also operates the Q Bar and Grain & Grill Restaurant, along with conference facilities, and a leisure centre with a gym, 20m pool, sauna, steam rooms, and more.

It’s understood that the sale will not affect the existing lease with Dalata Hotels.

Tom Barrett, Director of Hotels & Leisure at Savills Ireland said, “We are delighted to have managed the successful sale of the Maldron Hotel Oranmore Galway to a private investor.”

“This transaction highlights the continued confidence in the Irish hospitality market, particularly for well-established and well-located assets such as the Maldron Hotel.”

The private investor which purchased the property was represented by Dessie Kilkenny of CBRE

Massive expansion plans for popular Galway City bar

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March 28, 2023

Galway Daily news Massive expansion plans for popular Galway City bar

Plans have been submitted for a massive expansion of the popular Taylor’s Bar in Galway City, along with a new café and apartments.

A planning application has been made by BRTW Investments for the demolition of No. 5 & 6 on Dominick Street, and renovations to No. 7, Taylor’s Bar.

In their place, the new building will have a large extension to Taylor’s on the ground floor, and the first floor will be a licenced café.

The second and third floors of the building will comprise two penthouse apartments, one single bed unit and one two bed unit.

Outbuildings in the rear yard of Taylor’s, including sheds, toilets, and a lounge building will also be demolished.

This is to make way for a two storey extension to Taylor’s with toilets, a kitchen and storerooms, as well as a new basement below the bar’s yard which will have more toilets and storage areas.

Other works will include refurbishments to the upper floors of Taylor’s and the Beer Garden in the rear yard.

A cover letter for the application states that including No. 5 in the plans will reduce the material impact of the development on Taylor’s, a protected structure, as an alternative fire escape can be located there.’

It says that the two buildings have “exceptionally small” plot sizes, and it would not be financially viable to develop them individually.

“This collective development enables the redevelopment of otherwise dilapidated small premises which have become unsustainable on their own.

“The new design of the building retains a ‘hole in the wall’ traditional element to respect the proportions and plot sizes similar in scale and expression (although simplified) as No. 7”.

“The additional side section continuing at the penthouse expression is a more contemporary expression of the crescent era’s contribution to the streetscape.”

A decision on this planning application is due from Galway City Council by April 20 of this year.

Galway company RugbySmarts chosen for tech partnership with IRFU

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March 28, 2023

Galway based software company RugbySmarts has been selected for the next phase of a strategic partnership with the IRFU.

RugbySmarts is one of three companies which has been chosen by the IRFU and Enterprise Ireland to test and validate their products with the sporting organisation.

Their SaaS platform uses AI and Computer Vision to give coaches the power of video analytics.

It is customisable to each individual coaches needs, which in turn allows them to focus fully on the aspects of the game that they deem most important, and takes automatic game highlights.

Scott Walker, IRFU Director of Strategy and Technology said, “The IRFU is excited to work with MoveAhead, RugbySmarts and Brace, over the coming months.”

He added that they are “eager to learn from Ireland’s innovative entrepreneurs”, and working with these companies is a “perfect opportunity to support each other as well as developing the game of rugby.”

This is part of a strategic innovation partnership between the IRFU and Enterprise Ireland aimed at enabling Irish innovators and start-ups in the sport tech sector to get access to the organisation at an early stage of their product or services development.

The partnership will run for two years, and allow the selected companies to trial, test and validate their products in an elite sports organisation.

In turn the IRFU has the ability to access early-stage technology and create an innovative environment to remain competitive in a rapidly changing sporting landscape.

Following an ‘IRFU Technology Call’ in recent months, an open competition was held where 10 finalists were selected to pitch their technology solution to the IRFU.

Three companies were selected as part of the 2023 programme to work with the IRFU and participate in the programme over the next nine months.

Keith Brock, Senior Development Adviser with Enterprise Ireland, said that they are committed to nurturing Irish talent.

“This partnership with the IRFU will foster the growth of these Irish start-ups and their cutting-edge solutions,” he said.

“This collaborative opportunity will offer these companies, which are Enterprise Ireland High Potential Start-Up companies, an unrivalled opportunity to utilise their products and services, and we look forward to supporting them on their journey.”

Aware’s free mental health programmes coming to Galway

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March 28, 2023

Galway Daily news Aware mental health week

The mental health charity Aware is offering free life skills programmes in Galway which will be getting underway next month.

Aware’s popular Life Skills Group Programme is available to attend at the Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit from April 18, with registration now open.

This programme, nine hours over the course of six weeks, will teach attendees how to better cope with the stresses of everyday life.

It teaches how to recognise and manage unhelpful thoughts, learn new ways of thinking and ultimately begin the journey to a healthier and more confident life.

Developed by the renowned cognitive behaviour therapy specialist (CBT), Dr. Chris Williams, the programme is specifically designed to help people learn more about how we think and how this can influence our actions in helpful or unhelpful ways.

“I feel by practicing these tools daily I will be able to get back to the old confident me that seemed to have got lost because of life pressures,” one attendee said.

“An amazing, potentially life changing course that is user friendly and welcoming. The skills are invaluable.”

The Life Skills Programme has been independently evaluated by Aware.

The evaluation showed a clinically significant improvement in participants’ self-reported levels of anxiety and depression after completing the programme.

Virtual programmes are also available so participants can choose the format, day and session time that best suits their schedule.

The organisation’s Relatives & Friends Programme and Living Well With Bipolar Disorder Programme is also open for registration with virtual options available.

To find out more and register your free place, visit https://www.aware.ie/programmes/

Lackagh residents without water on Tuesday afternoon

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March 28, 2023

Galway Daily news Moycullen water outage

Uisce Éireann and Galway County Council have advised residents and businesses in Lackagh that they will be without water for a time today.

The four-hour water outage is to facilitate valve replacement works on the watermain network and the area affected is from Lackagh Cemetary to Knockdoe.

People in the area will be without water between 11am and 3pm.

Woman’s car stolen at knifepoint after man (50s) stabbed in Doughiska chaos

City Council issues advice for tenants who have received eviction notices

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March 28, 2023

Galway daily news Galway County social housing tenants

Galway City Council has issued advice for households who have received eviction notices from their landlord and are worried or unsure of what to do.

The Council advised anyone affected by termination notices of the services that are available to them in these circumstances, and said that tenants should contact their Housing Department as soon as the notice is received.

When the tenants contact Galway City Council, staff in the department will take note of the termination date, and they may refer the notice to Threshold, a housing service funded by the Local Authority.

Threshold can also be contacted directly on Freephone at 1800 454 454 or via their website, threshold.ie, which contains more information and advice on the validity of their notice.

The Council’s first response will be to try to prevent homelessness including assessing the person’s position on the social housing list, providing advice on applying for Choice Based Lettings, advising the person on the level of Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) they may be eligible to receive, and, in some cases, assessing if the Council can acquire the dwelling where the tenants reside if it is being offered for sale.

Placement in emergency accommodation will be a last resort, if no other alternative can be identified.

For households in emergency accommodation there will be support to assist them to access more permanent social housing supports in the shortest possible timeframe.

Galway City Council will be liaising with other neighbouring local authorities to deal with tenancy issues that may require an inter-authority approach.

The Council says that it is aware that the Government is examining options to allow tenants who are not eligible for social housing to remain in their homes.

The Council is awaiting further details on the proposed schemes from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The contact details below should be used by tenants who may have received a notice of termination or a landlord who has issued a notice of termination to their tenants and who may wish to sell their property to the Council.

Galway City Council Housing Department

Monday-Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm 091- 536400. Email: housing@galwaycity.ie

Potential for thousands of new ‘affordable’ homes on State-owned land

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March 28, 2023

galway daily news housing grant builder as limit lowered

Eight sites in Galway city have been identified as having potential for new homes in a national report on public land to be discussed by Cabinet today.

The report says that 83 State-owned sites could be used to build up to almost 67,000 homes in the medium to long-term.

The work compiled by the Land Development Agency indicates that land in Galway, Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Waterford could be used to build thousands of homes.

The LDA believes that over 9,700 of the homes identified in the report could be delivered in the next five to ten years.

More than half the homes could be built in Dublin, but the report also says there are obstacles to unlocking state land for housing.

Galway hospitals account for 10% of over 700 patients on trolleys in Irish hospitals

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March 27, 2023

Galway Daily news 67 people on trolleys at UHG

Some 709 people are on trolleys waiting for a bed in Irish hospitals today after what was another extremely busy weekend for healthcare workers across the country.

Forty-eight of those patients are at University Hospital Galway – the fifth most overcrowded in the State – while 22 are at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.

General Secretary for the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation Phil Ní Sheaghdha said that the pressure that nurses and midwives are under can ‘no longer be sustained at this level’.

“Today’s figures demonstrate we have had yet another busy weekend across all hospital sites,” she said. “We have seen a pattern of extremely high levels of overcrowding following weekends, this cannot continue.”

The nurses and midwives union has requested that the HSE immediately carry out a full review of weekend activity across all hospital sites and in the community sector.

Woman’s car stolen at knifepoint after man (50s) stabbed in Doughiska chaos

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March 27, 2023

Galway Daily news missing teen found safe

Gardaí are appealing for information following a stabbing incident and theft of a car in the Doughiska area yesterday, Sunday.

At approximately 1.40pm, a man in his 50s was assaulted by another male in the Fionn Uisce area of Doughiska.

A short time later in Fearann Ri, Doughiska, a man armed with a knife entered a parked car and demanded the keys to the vehicle from a woman.

He then left the scene in the stolen car – a white 2010 Mazda 3.

The man (50s) who was assaulted was taken to University Hospital Galway to be treated for his injuries which are understood to be serious but non-life threatening.

Gardaí are appealing to anyone with information in relation to either incident to come forward.

Gardaí are particularly appealing to motorists who may have any video footage (including dash cam) who were travelling in the Fionn Uisce and Fearr An Ri areas of Doughiska, between 1:30pm and 2:30pm to make this footage available to them.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Oranmore Garda Station on 091 388 030, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Rugby star joins Galway students celebrating 20 years of volunteering

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March 27, 2023

galway daily news rugby star mack hansen with students celebrating volunteering

Irish rugby player Mack Hansen joined students at University of Galway at a special ceremony celebrating 20 years of student volunteering at the University.

Over 500 student volunteers were recognised at the event for their efforts with an ALIVE Certificate for Volunteering, joining more than 15,000 students who have given their time to strengthen communities.

The students were acknowledged by University of Galway President Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh for their volunteering commitments with national non-profit organisations such as Barretstown and campus student initiatives.

The ALIVE Student Volunteering Programme connects students with volunteering projects that not only make an impact for the individual student’s personal and professional development, but also create social change through community solidarity.

Mack Hansen said that as an ambassador for Barretstown, he sees first hand the impact of volunteering and just how much volunteers get from their experience too.

“I was delighted to join the team from Barretstown and University of Galway for this special event to recognise the fantastic students who have given up their time to volunteer for organisations across Ireland.”

Lorraine Tansey, ALIVE Student Volunteer Programme Coordinator, said that since the pandemic they have seen a resurgence of volunteering projects and a dramatic increase in volunteer recruitment campaigns from non-profits, community groups and NGOs.

“As a result, University of Galway students have taken up the call to action and been volunteering with charity shops, fundraisers, health organisations and environmental campaigns to mention a few.”

People across Galway encouraged to wear red to stand against racism

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March 27, 2023

galway daily news wear red day anti-racism poster

Schools, businesses and organisations in Galway have been encouraged to wear red this week to stand against racism of all kinds in the community.

The Immigrant Council of Ireland’s ‘Wear Red Day’ takes place on Friday, 31 March, and people are also invited to make a donation to the charity.

All funds raised through the anti-racism initiative will be used by the Immigrant Council to continue their work on tackling racism in Ireland.

Commenting ahead of the event, Valeria Aquino, Integration Manager at the Immigrant Council, said the day is an important opportunity for schools, businesses and community groups alike to send out a strong message that we welcome diversity.

“With racist incidents on the rise, it is vital that we provide people with the tools and knowledge they need to properly deal with racism,” she said.

“Wear Red Day is a great opportunity for schools and workplaces to start the conversation on racism and discrimination.

“As well as wearing red, we’re also encouraging people to run activities throughout the day – everything from five-aside competitions, to bake sales – all to help boost donations. We hope the people of Galway get behind this initiative and show their support on Friday.”

The Immigrant Council is encouraging participants to share their Wear Red Day activities on social media using the hashtag #WRD23.

Wear Red Day is part of the Show Racism the Red Card anti-racism programme, which is operated in Ireland by the ICI.

The programme provides educational resources, workshops, trainings and awareness-raising activities for primary and secondary schools, youth groups, workplaces and sporting stakeholders nationwide.

Further information on Wear Red Day is available at https://www.immigrantcouncil.ie/show-racism-red-card/wear-red-day

Planning refused for Connemara wind farm development

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March 27, 2023

Galway Daily news Plans in the works for northwest Galway wind farm

Galway County Council has refused planning permission for a wind farm energy development near Maam Cross in Connemara.

An application was made by Tullaghmore Windfarm Limited to build 6 wind turbines on a site off the N59 in the the townlands of Tullaghmore, Tawnaghbeg, Tullaghaboy and Lurgan, northeast of Maam Cross.

The wind turbines would have had an overall height of 185m from the ground to the tips of their blades, and a rotor diameter of 162m.

The developer sought a ten year planning permission, for an operational lifespan of 30 years for the wind farm.

All told, the wind farm would have had 40.8MW electricity generation capacity.

In refusing planning permission, the county council said that the site is designated as not permissible for wind energy developments under the county development plan.

The visual prominence of the location, on high ground, was also given as a reason for refusal, as was the proposed access to the site via the N59.

Concerns were also expressed that the wind farm might interfere with the Air Corps Low flying Training Area West.

Finally, the council said that not enough information had been supplied to assuage concerns about potential environmental and ecological impacts from the development.

Upgrade works underway on Inverin water mains network

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March 27, 2023

Galway Daily news Upgrade works underway on Inverin water mains network

Work has gotten underway this month on replacing part of the Inverin water mains network, which is due to be completed by summer.

Irish Water is replacing old water mains at Cnocan Mhaicin, Inverin which were prone to bursts causing local outages.

Gerry O’Donnell, Leakage Reduction Programme Manager with Irish Water, said “Working in partnership with Galway County Council, we have prioritised leakage reduction works to those areas which need it most.”

“This project will see the replacement of approximately 650m of old water mains,” he explained.

“Replacing these pipes will address water pressure, supply and leakage issues which affect some homes and businesses in the Inverin area.”

The works will also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers’ property boundaries and connecting it to the customers’ water supply.

If the existing service connections on the public side are lead these will be replaced as part of these improvement works.

The work is being carried out by Farrans Construction, and is due to be completed by the end of May.

Traffic management will be in place to facilitate the works, with local and emergency access being maintained.

“Part of ensuring that safe and reliable drinking water is produced every day in County Galway, is driving down the amount of clean, treated water lost to leakage,” Ger O’Donnell said.

“Uisce Éireann has already replaced approximately 414m of old and damaged water mains in An Lochan Beag, Iverin.”

“We would like to thank customers for their continued cooperation and patience while we continue to upgrade and improve the water supply across the county.”

Two strategic milestones for Galway’s Blue Teapot Theatre Company

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March 27, 2023