Over 200 new jobs approved at Údarás na Gaeltachta board meeting in Na Forbacha

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December 8, 2022

Overcrowding is continuing to affect patients in University Hospital Galway and Portiuncula University Hospital after the worst November on record for hospitals nationally.

There were 70 people waiting for a bed across the local hospitals this morning, 51 at UHG and 19 at Portiuncula Hospital.

A total of 545 patients were on trolleys nationally this morning, with only University Hospital Limerick and Cork University Hospital recording higher trolley figures than UHG.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said that last month was the worst November on record for overcrowding in Irish hospitals.

Galway’s hospitals had over 1,000 patients on trolleys during the month and UHG was the fifth most overcrowded hospital in the State.

The INMO described November’s overcrowding as “chaotic”, with just two days when there were fewer than 500 people admitted to hospital without an inpatient bed.

Gardaí to target 4 lifesaver offences on roads this Christmas

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December 8, 2022

Galway Daily news National Slow Down Day traffic operation after road deaths

Gardaí have urged motorists to take care while travelling on roads over the coming weeks at the launch of their Christmas and New Year road safety appeal.

An Garda Síochána is targeting four ‘lifesaver offences’ over the holidays: intoxicated driving, speeding, the use of mobile phones and seatbelt offences.

There will be a particular emphasis on locations where there is a higher risk of fatal or serious injury collisions.

To date, 148 people have lost their lives on the roads this year – 25 more than on the same date in 2021.

A total of 1,125 collisions causing serious injury have also occurred.

Data compiled over the past 12 years indicates that the highest risk time for fatal or serious road traffic collisions during the Christmas period is between midday and 9pm.

Over half of incidents occurring within this timeframe, and 21% occurred between 3pm and 6pm.

The risk of a fatal or serious injury road traffic collision is highest on the Sunday of the Christmas period.

From January 1st 2022 to date, 156,560 drivers have been detected for travelling in excess of a speed limit.

A total of 17,567 drivers have been caught using their mobile phone while driving and 5,664 seatbelt offences were recorded.

More than 7,600 people have been arrested on suspicion of drink/drug driving.

An Garda Síochána has also urged all road users to be safe this Christmas and New Year period, particularly this weekend as Met Éireann have issued a yellow weather warning for sub-zero temperatures.

Inspector Ross O’Doherty of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said that the Christmas period is one of the busiest on Ireland’s roads.

“Our operational activity over the past seven days indicates to us that drivers need to be much more mindful of the offences which so often lead to fatal or near fatal road traffic collisions,” he said.

“The number of people that have already lost their lives on Irish roads this year is a cause for concern – Gardaí are out of duty every day enforcing Road Traffic legislation in order to ensure that we do not lose any more lives.

“Motorists and all road users can help us reduce these stark statistics. Please be mindful of how easily collisions can happen.

“We are urging all road users and motorists in particular to pay even greater attention to driving conditions over the coming weekend, as temperatures take a sharp dip and the roads become more difficult to navigate.”

Create While You Wait programme launched at UHG

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December 8, 2022

galway daily news create while you wait programme at galway hospital — Professional artist, Yvonne Cullivan, with Keelan Gallagher of Baile na hAbhann (14). Photo: Andrew Downes, XPOSURE

National children’s charity Helium Arts has launched its ‘Create While You Wait’ outpatients programme in University Hospital Galway.

The programme sees bespoke creative activity packs designed by professional artist Yvonne Cullivan provided to children and young people while they wait to see a doctor or nurse.

Yvonne is also engaging with outpatients through the programme, which supports children and young people aged between 6 and 18 who are managing lifelong health conditions.

The initiative aims to help to brighten the atmosphere of waiting areas while also providing a distraction and relieving stress for children and families.

Yvonne Cullivan said that the effect of having an artist present in the outpatient waiting space is immediate.

“Staff and families alike are welcoming and willing to engage with me,” she said.

“Children and young people have the chance to play with materials, with me or their parents, to keep them focused and entertained.”

Yvonne said that she has seen this instantly calm children down and stop their tears if they have been distressed at all during their visit.

“Children and young people have been creating beautiful artworks with focus and pride, sometimes with their parents or guardians helping out.

“It is an opportunity for choice and expression for them and I feel that our engagement is really valuable in that moment.

“The space itself is brightened up with the beautiful images they create. It is really rewarding to see and feel the difference it makes to families to engage with me for those few minutes or hours of waiting.”

Consultants and hospital staff have commented on how beneficial it is to have this programme in their clinic waiting rooms.

Dr Annette Murphy, Head Consultant, said that children are relaxed and less intimidated because of the initiative.

Helene Hugel, founder and CEO of Helium Arts added: “Nurturing creativity through the arts is shown to improve coping skills, wellbeing, stress and anxiety, as well as building confidence, self-worth and a sense of hope.

“At Helium Arts, we are driven by the idea that healthcare will always be about more than treating the condition – it is about supporting people. And as we have seen throughout the pandemic, the arts play a vital role in supporting people, both their individual and their community wellbeing.”

The launch of this programme at UHG was made possible through funding received from the Community Foundation for Ireland and the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal.

To find out more about the programme, or to refer a child, contact Helium Arts’ Family Liaison on hello@helium.ie.

Over €3.3 million announced for 21 Galway community centres

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December 8, 2022

galway daily news community centre funding galway

The Department of Rural and Community Development has announced funding of over €3.35 million for 21 community centres across Galway.

Grants of between €25,000 and €300,000 for the local community centres were confirmed by Minister Heather Humphreys this morning.

Community centres, parish halls, scouts clubs, youth hubs, family resource centres and sports complexes are set to benefit from the funding.

An Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, who announced the funding with Minster Humphreys this morning, said that he is delighted to see this ‘ground-breaking’ investment in community centres.

He said that it will bring real improvements to the heart of communities across Ireland.

“In time, I think it will become as significant as the Sport Capital Programme which has brought local sporting facilities up a level that would have been unimaginable 20 years ago.

“The benefits will be felt in Community Centres, Parish and Scouts Halls, Clubhouses, Men’s Sheds and Youth Facilities.

“Every county in Ireland will receive funding, for projects like new meeting rooms, refurbished and warmer buildings, new social hubs, and improved disability access.”

The most popular pc games for fishing fans

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Angela Mc Bride

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December 8, 2022

Best fishing simulators

Fishing simulators are a great way to relax and relieve stress and are sometimes the only opportunity to get out on the pond for fishing enthusiasts of all stripes.

Of course, sitting with a fishing rod can hardly be compared with something, but household or work affairs, weather, or lack of bite can easily hamper your way to the evening fishing. And nobody canceled the need to fuss with gear, bait, and bait. Meanwhile, fishing simulators in these conditions can be a worthy alternative if better substitutes exist. Fishing games are so popular that they even have themed online slots and other online casino games. Today we will analyze the best games about fishing on PC, consoles, and mobile gadgets. Our top list includes the following:

Advanced simulators.
Staking on maximum realism.
Uncomplicated arcade games will be easy to master, even for a person far from video games.

Every fisherman will find a suitable place to cast a fishing rod!

Professional Fishing

Genre: simulator
Platforms: PC, Android, Apple
Player ratings: 75% (Steam)

Let’s go straight to the trump card: Professional Fishing is probably the best fishing simulator among the games distributed on a free-to-play model. That is, you can download it free on any of the available platforms! Moreover, here you will not see even a trace of the usual “free play” games hurt: graphics are made at a decent level for the genre, and putting money for in-game purchases for a relaxing pastime is unnecessary.

A cute, three-dimensional environment and a modern engine allow you to walk around each body of water on your own to choose the right place to fish. And if you want to cast a fishing rod from an island in the middle of the lake, you can get there by small boat. Thanks to an advanced artificial intelligence system, each fish behaves differently and will require an individual approach from the fisherman. The dynamic change of weather and time of day affects the process of fishing the most direct way: catching catfish is much easier at night, and the representatives of the carp family much more readily bite in the rain. Available online with tables of records, championships, and duel mode, where you can compete with a friend one-on-one.

Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour

Genre: Simulator
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Game scores: 77% (Steam)

Advanced simulator, whose developers have staked on the most realistic recreation of the fishing process and the path of a professional fisherman. The primary game mode is a career in which you have to break through from the bottom to a place on the list of the coolest fishermen in the world. And to do this, you will have to prove your skills in online championships, competing for face to face with other equally ambitious amateurs. However, no one forbids you to take a break from online battles on your server with a couple of cronies.

Authenticity and attention to detail in the game are at a high level. The developers have agreed with more than half a hundred leading fishing tackle manufacturers so each place and hook looks and works exactly as in real life. And the believability of the gameplay was overseen by world-renowned fishing experts. There are a dozen fishing spots to choose from in the most colorful locations in the U.S. and Europe. You can cast from the shore or a boat in the middle of a body of water. And to find the most suitable place for a fishing rod, you will help with sonar and GPS. Fishing Sim World is a funny but complex and demanding game for those who appreciate maximal realism in fishing simulators.

Ultimate Fishing Simulator

Genre: arcade/simulator
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Android, Apple, Nintendo Switch
Player ratings: 90% (Steam)

Ultimate Fishing Simulator is a compromise solution for those who want a sea of opportunities to catch virtual fish but are afraid of getting bored without a bite in the “professional” simulator. The fish bites almost without stopping, so sleeping for a fishing rod will not work! At the same time, referring the game to the number of primitive arcade languages does not turn around. Here you have a bunch of settings and gear, a realistic mode for hardened professionals, and a variety of fishing, including the classic float, bottom, spinning, fly fishing, and a favorite pastime of anglers – ice fishing with the obligatory ritual of drilling a hole.

The player chooses offline mode and online multiplayer with seven spacious and colorful bodies of water. And if you get tired of the built-in locations, at your service, a convenient and accessible level editor who, with the right skills, can recreate a nearby river and the pond at the cottage. Weather and time of day are constantly changing, and it’s essential to keep track of them – some fish can be fished only at night or dawn. And keep track of your achievements will help you with a collection of fishing trophies.

Fishing Planet

Genre: simulator
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Android, Apple
Players scores: 84% (Steam)

Another realistic fishing simulator, distributed on the conditional-free scheme: the basic game with all the essential features is free, and you only have to pay for all sorts of optional bonuses. In addition, it is a rare project devoted to fishing with support for full cross-platform multiplayer: PC players can fish together with those who prefer to play on consoles or even mobile devices. Fishing Planet is a time-tested game released in 2015, which entails both pros and cons. On the one hand, the developers had time to polish all the mechanics to a shine and cram the game with lots of content, and high player reviews confirm that they did a great job. On the other hand, the graphical side has undoubtedly gotten a little old in 7 years. However, if graphics aren’t the main thing for you, this game could be one of the best fisherman simulation games out there.

The main pride of the game is the advanced artificial fish intelligence that reacts to many different parameters, including season, time of day, water temperature, wind speed, weather conditions, depth, and current speed. The number of picturesque reservoirs over the years of game development has reached 25, and the number of fish species is approaching two hundred. The player has access to float, spinning, and bottom types of fishing. Different tackle allows you to pick the most suitable combination for your tasks. You can fish from the shore or on a motorboat. As a competitive mode in the game, there are regular online competitions with personal scoring and prizes.

Local senator welcomes energy supports for businesses

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December 8, 2022

Galway Daily news Galway Senator condemns "rotten, corrupt" saga at Inland Fisheries Ireland

Senator Seán Kyne has welcomed the launch of an energy support scheme for businesses.

Businesses can now apply for the TBESS scheme which provides up to €10,000 per month to businesses, professions, trades or retailers, whose bills have increased by more than 50% when compared with last year.

The Galway Fine Gael senator said that the government supported business through Covid-19, and as a result most of them were in good shape to re-start after the pandemic.

He said that they “didn’t do that in order for those same businesses to fail now due to high energy costs, so we have put this easy to access scheme in place to help at this crucial time.”

Senator Kyne encouraged all businesses, big and small – including cafés, restaurants, pubs, hairdressers, accountants, creches and manufacturing – to apply through the Revenue Online Service.

“The scheme runs from September 1^st last to February 28^th next and claims can be submitted now to get a payment before the end of 2022.”

First acts announced for GIAF Big Top 2023!

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December 8, 2022

Bell X1, Tones and I, and Fat Freddy’s Drop will play the Heineken Big Top next July as part of Galway International Arts Festival.

Galway International Arts Festival and Róisín Dubh announced the first acts for next year’s festival, with Kaiser Chiefs already being announced after missing out on this year’s festival.

Tickets for Kaiser Chiefs are already on sale, while tickets for the other three acts will go on sale tomorrow, Friday 9 December at 10am on giaf.ie and roisindubh.net.

Bell X1 will a welcome return to the GIAF stage on Friday, 28 July for what is sure to be one of the best live gigs of the summer.

Tones and I will take to the Big Top on Saturday, 29 July following an incredible entry onto the music scene with the global hit-song Dance Monkey.

The tune has been No. 1 in over 30 countries going quadruple-platinum in the USA and multi-platinum in 15 other countries.

Fat Freddy’s Drop, who will play on Thursday, 20 July, combine techno, house, soul, dub, reggae, funk rhythm and blues, and they have built a sizeable following of Fred heads both at home and internationally.

With the Guardian newspaper describing them as a ‘funk machine’ and a ‘must-see live gig’, this is a night not to be missed by music fans.

Missing out on GIAF 2022, Kaiser Chiefs will take to the stage of the Heineken Big Top for a much anticipated performance on Thursday 27July.

Galway International Arts Festival acknowledged the support of its principal funding agencies, the Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland, its Drinks Partner Heineken, its Education Partner University of Galway and its Energy Partner Flo Gas.

Galway students’ unique takeaway habits revealed by Just Eat

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December 8, 2022

galway daily news china court chinese takeaway galway

Chinese food is still the go-to for students in the West with over half of students choosing their favourite Chinese when ordering, according to new Just Eat data.

Galway students place more burger orders than anywhere in the country though, making up 20% of orders from ATU Galway students.

The research shows University of Galway students prefer pizza and three quarters of student orders take place between 4pm and 11pm.

The top three restaurants for ATU Galway students are China Court, Apache Kebab & Milkshake, Terryland and Supermacs, Tuam Road.

And for University of Galway students, their top three choices are Boojum, Yummy Wok and King Ding.

University of Galway students are also the biggest late-night eaters in the land, with almost one in five students at the university ordering between 11pm and 6am.

Sundays are Galway students’ favourite day to treat themselves to a delivery, with 18% of students placing orders as the weekend comes to a close.

Commenting on the findings, John Carey from Just Eat said that what is interesting is how cuisine choices vary depending on the student area.

“While Galway students share a love of Chinese takeaway with other parts of the country, something that is unique to the area is their love of burgers!

“GMIT students order 13% more burgers than anywhere else in the country! NUIG students are also the biggest late night snackers in the country with 19% placing an order after 11pm.”

Click here to find out the favourite takeaway in your local area”

The Growing Popularity of Using Closed Captions in Ireland

By

Angela Mc Bride

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December 8, 2022

Closed captioning has become increasingly popular in Ireland, with more and more people using it to improve their viewing experience. This accessibility feature is used for people who are hard of hearing or deaf, but also for those who may be learning a language, watching the news without sound, or listening to audio in a loud environment. Closed captions provide a written form of the audio, making it easier for viewers to understand and follow along.

Closed captions can be used as real-time captioning for live events, such as sports games or news programs, or as pre-recorded captioning for films and TV shows. An example of a closed caption used in real-time can be found in the Irish stadium during the 2017 All-Ireland Football Championship.

The stadium had installed over 1,000 closed caption devices that enabled spectators who were hard of hearing to follow the match as if they were listening to it with their own ears.

What are Closed Captions Used for?

For quite a while, closed captions were utilized exclusively for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and need a hearing aid to get to video content, yet they have become much more than that in our online world.

As well as further developing openness for individuals with different handicaps, subtitles support crowd commitment on a wide scale, further develop client fulfillment, and give adaptability to crowds to watch or draw in with Content in extremely uproarious or exceptionally calm conditions.

Closed captions can be added to Content on a huge number of stages in various settings. You can add closed captions to your video gatherings on stages like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, online occasions, live transfers, recorded video, and nearly anything else you can imagine.

Why Use Closed Captions in Your Content

There are many reasons why you need to caption your Content in Ireland. Your Content can either be videos, meetings, tutorials, etc. The main reason for closed captioning your Content is to attract a wide range of audiences. The following are other reasons you need to caption your Content.

Make your Content Simple to Engage with

When we are in a hurry, we would constantly prefer not to be booming sounds from our gadgets. Closed captions make recordings and streams more straightforward for crowds to watch, any place and anything they do. On the off chance that they are in an open vehicle without headphones, if they are in a peaceful spot where they cannot play the sound, or on the other hand to peruse along, closed captions assist individuals with connecting without any problem.

That applies to the people who are deaf or those with hard hearing to engage with your Content. For example, many webinars use live transcriptions for the audiences to follow up on the online seminar.

Help Boost your Audience’s Attention and Comprehension

Closed captions make it simpler to catch and keep your crowd’s consideration, as shown by how recordings with closed captions have a more drawn-out review time. These more drawn-out review times assist you with making yourself clear, yet they can likewise cause your substance to perform better on web indexes.

Various investigations have likewise tracked down closed captions to improve the perception of video content and make a positive learning reaction among understudies.

Improve Accessibility

More than five percent of the total populace has critical hearing misfortune. That is a colossal number of individuals – around 400 million – that do not approach your Content if you do not utilize subtitles.

Closed Captions will uphold your crowds that are hard of hearing or nearly deaf to follow your Content. Also, the more precise and definite the closed captions are, the better.

While we are regarding the matter, other significant ways of working on the availability of your video content incorporate recording and sound depiction. These are significant roads to investigate, assuming that you esteem available Content.

Closed Captions Improve SEO (Search Engine Optimized)

SEO is essential in developing natural leads and guests that can assist you with meeting your web-based promoting objectives. Content like videos benefits from Search engine optimization, similarly to websites. The better you improve them; the more likely viewers will naturally view your video.

Closed captions can further develop your video Search engine optimization similarly that Content showcasing helps site Website design enhancement. Web search tools glance through the composed Content on a site for the watchwords, states, and composed Content that matches what the client is searching for.

Conclusion

Closed captions are an important tool for people with hearing impairments, and they can also be a useful resource for those who may not be able to hear the audio in a loud environment. With the growing popularity of closed captions in Ireland, it is clear that this accessibility feature is becoming an important part of the viewing experience. The use of closed captions has been met with positive reviews in Ireland, and it will likely become even more popular in the future.

What’s Behind Galway’s Rising Property Prices?

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Angela Mc Bride

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December 8, 2022

Galway daily news Galway County social housing tenants

The last nine years have seen property prices in Galway “increase by “172%”, following their lowest point after the 2008 financial crash. While this is good news for those who currently hold real estate, it presents a problem for people looking to get onto the property ladder themselves.

According to figures released at the beginning of the year by the Central Statistics Office, the average sale price of residential property in Galway is now over €320,000. This is a big increase from average prices in 2013, which were around €185,000. Because of this, buying a home isn’t realistic for a lot of people, but it does offer an interesting opportunity for real estate investors.

While prices can’t continue to rise forever, the market looks set to continue this trend as long as demand outstrips supply. Even with new properties being built, it still isn’t enough for prices to come down, and investing in real estate remains highly popular in Galway and across the country.

Real Estate Investing

One of the main reasons why property prices are rising in Galway is due to the growing number of people investing in both residential and commercial real estate in the city and surrounding areas. More people are looking to save for the future, and real estate is seen as a relatively safe and stable long-term investment.

Those who are looking to get into investing can benefit from a real estate online course. Studying the real estate industry can make it easier to identify investment opportunities in all areas of the market. This offers insights into how to find properties and build a property investment portfolio that will grow over time.

Galway has a growing reputation as a tourist destination for people across the world, with a mild climate, beautiful countryside and historic towns. It’s also the least densely populated county in Ireland, and during the summer months, there are plenty of festivals and events that help attract tourists. This has led to a growing holiday property market, with many properties now bought up to rent as holiday accommodation or to convert into hotels.

Lack of Available Land for Construction

The main way to bring down property prices and ensure that more families can own their own homes would be to build new houses. However, this isn’t as simple as just building. Land has to be properly zoned by councils, and new developments need to be approved by local people. Despite being the least densely populated county in Ireland, there’s a lot of pushback from residents.

Within the city, there’s a lack of available land. Outside the city, some people are worried about how new construction projects could affect the area. People who already own homes aren’t concerned about rising property prices as it actually benefits them. In addition, there are concerns about how new housing developments could affect the rural countryside image of Galway.

Cost of Living and Increased Rent

The cost of living crisis is affecting most of Europe and other parts of the world as rising inflation affects the cost of all things. As inflation has made the cost of buying everyday items more expensive, it’s also been affecting property prices. Landlords have been forced to raise rents, and higher rents are also making it more difficult for people to buy new homes. Sites like Renthero have the latest rental prices and available properties in Galway.

The result is that investors are often the only people who can afford to buy, leading to an inflated market as more properties are rented out. Galway is becoming a more expensive place to live, and unless the local government acts, prices will continue to rise and become costly for ordinary people.

Progression of plans for new elective hospital for Galway welcomed

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December 7, 2022

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

The announcement that the government has signed off on a site for a new elective hospital in Galway has been welcomed by the Saolta Hospital Group.

Saolta, which operates University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park Hospital, said that the new hospital will help reduce waiting lists for operations.

The government gave the green light to Minister Stephen Donnelly for the development of a new elective hospital at Merlin Park, allowing the project to now proceed to the planning stage.

Welcoming today’s announcement, Tony Canavan, CEO of the Saolta Group said, “This is incredibly welcome news for our region. This development will allow us to provide vital services and earlier access to care for our growing population.”

“The greater elective care capacity will also free up capacity in GUH for non-elective and inpatient activity and will lead to better health outcomes for our communities.”

When built, the new hospital will have eight operating theatres, seven endoscopy suites and nine minor operation rooms.

It is predicted that it will be able to provide 175,000 additional procedures, treatments and diagnostic appointments per year.

Procedures in the new elective hospital will be high volume, low-to-medium complexity surgeries which can be efficiently planned with dedicated theatres provided.

The Elective Hospital will be focused on providing Day case, GI Endoscopy, minor operations, outpatient treatment and outpatient diagnostics services.

“The delivery of the elective hospital on the MPUH site will provide the much needed capacity for effective function of the emergency, elective and cancer programmes for the region. However, addressing the sub-optimal facilities and capacity shortfall in UHG is essential,” Tony Canavan said.

He said that the delivery of a new elective hospital is just one of four major developments needed to address the healthcare demands of the Galway catchment area.

The others are the construction of a new emergency department and women and children’s block, a cancer centre and ward block, and replacement laboratory facilities for Merlin Park.

Speaking about the plans announced by the Minister to develop a surgical hub in Galway, Mr Canavan said all initiatives to address waiting lists in the shorter term would be welcomed.

Man to be sentenced after pleading guilty to knife offence

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December 7, 2022

Galway Daily courts Man charged in connection

A man is to be sentenced at the Circuit Court after pleading guilty to producing a knife and menacing Gardaí.

Michael Mongan (27), of Camillaun Park, Newcastle appeared before Galway District Court this week.

He is being sent to the Circuit for sentencing after pleading guilty to producing a large knife while appearing about to assault a Garda in October of last year, at Camillaun Park.

Mongan gestured the knife across his throat and said “that’s what Gardaí will get if they come in here”.

He has been sent forward for sentencing to the current sitting of Galway Circuit Court.

Free legal aid was award for a solicitor and one junior counsel.

ATU Galway students wins national award for research on impact of menstrual cycle on athletes

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December 7, 2022

Galway Daily news — Colette Collins, a 2022 graduate of the ATU B.Sc. (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science was awarded the ‘2022 SURE Network Award for Best Oral Presentation’ at the annual SURE Network conference in TU Dublin on 14 October.

A student at Atlantic Technological University Galway won a prestigious national science award for research into the impact of the menstrual cycle on athletic performance.

Colette Collins, who graduated last month with her B.Sc. (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science from ATU, took home the Best Oral Presentation prize at this year’s Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Network Conference.

Colette won this award for her research presentation entitled, “Exploring the relationship between the menstrual cycle and markers of physical performance in intercounty Ladies Gaelic Football player”.

Dr Siobhan Leahy, who supervised Colette’s research said, “Colette’s achievement in winning this award is just reward for a huge amount of work that went into the planning and conduct of her project.”

“This is a hugely important area of the research with the potential to inform planning of training programs and phases for female athletes competing at all levels”.

For the study, 20 inter-county players were recruited during the pre-season training phase.
All players completed a detailed online survey.

Two distinct phases of the menstrual cycle were subsequently identified, the early follicular phase (day 1-5) and the mid-luteal phase (20-25).

Over the next month, the participants were tested during these two phases, via a 20m sprint test and a maximal jump height test.

Overall, the participants had a significantly slower sprint time in the early follicular phase in comparison to the mid-luteal phase with no difference in jump height observed.

Speaking about her research, Colette noted that half of the athletes taking part in the research believe that their menstrual cycle symptoms affected their playing performance.

“In addition, the qualitative survey analysis highlighted the lack of player awareness or understanding of the potential impact of the menstrual cycle on sport.”

“Furthermore, despite the prevalence of symptoms, only 15% of players had previously discussed this issue with their coach.”

Players also declined to highlight recurrent concerns regarding sufficient changing and sanitary facilities at matches.” says Colette.

She said that women’s health should be considered during formal reviews of athletes’ performances, and that their needs to be better communication between coaches and their athletes.

“Completing this research was an eye opener from start to finish”, she says. “The taboo surrounding the menstrual cycle is still evidently present in today’s society at all levels in sport.”

“It has spiked a major passion within me for menstrual cycle specific research in sport and I hope to continue to progress the literature in this area going forward.”

“A huge thank you to my supervisor Dr Siobhan Leahy for her help and guidance throughout this process”.

The 2022 SURE Network Conference was jointly hosted by Technological University Dublin (TUD) and South-East Technological University (SETU), Carlow, in October.

Government approves new Elective Hospital and surgical hub for Galway

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December 7, 2022

Galway Daily news Government approves new Elective Hospital and surgical hub for Galway

The government has this morning signed off on the site for a new elective hospital in Galway, along with developing a surgical hub.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly received government approval to progress to the planning phase of a new elective hospital at Merlin Park in Galway.

The Galway centre, with a planned eight operating theatres, seven endoscopy suites and nine minor operation rooms, is forecast to provide 175,000 additional procedures, treatments and diagnostic appointments per year.

This is one of three national elective hospitals the government is planning to build, with the others to be located in Cork and Dublin.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said, “I am delighted that Government has approved our plans for the Elective Care Programme and in particular for the sites at Cork and Galway.”

“The development of these facilities represents a major change in how we’ll deliver quality care based on future demand. By separating elective from emergency care, we will be able to deliver better care and outcomes for all patients.”

“These new Elective Hospitals will have a real impact on people up and down the country and I am keen that they are up and running as soon as possible.”

“For this reason, I will work with colleagues across Government to consider options to expedite their delivery wherever possible.”

The Elective Hospitals will be focused on providing Day case, GI Endoscopy, minor operations, outpatient treatment and outpatient diagnostics services.

The Cork hospital will be built at at St Stephen’s Hospital, Sarsfield Court, while a site for the Dublin hospital will be chosen once its business case has been approved.

The HSE is also progressing plans for five ‘Surgical Hubs’ in Galway Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Dublin.

These are meant to be shorter term measures to address a backlog of surgeries, based on on the Reeves Centre at Tallaght University Hospital.

Minister Donnelly said that they will “quickly deliver elective care complementary to the electives programme” when up and running.

The surgical hubs will be located either on the site of existing hospitals, or in buildings close to them.

It is expected that the total cost of developing these surgical hubs will run to the area of 90-100 million euro.

Plans for Athenry driving range shot down

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December 7, 2022

Galway Daily news Plans for Athenry driving range shot down

The county council has shot down plans to build a driving range for golfers outside of Athenry.

Planning permission was sought for a golf driving range on land at Kingsland South, Athenry, approximately 1km east of the town centre.

The proposal was for a driving range building with office and storage room and a waste water treatment system with percolation area on the site.

The council’s roads department raised concerns that the proposed entrance onto the public road was deficient due to insufficient sightlines, and the potential to interfere with the flow of traffic.

In refusing planning permission, the council said that the entrance onto the public road would create a traffic hazard, and that it was not satisfied that effluent from the site could be properly disposed of.

The county council also said that the development would injure the residential amenity of nearby homes due to increased traffic, and potential light spillage from the site.

Public consultation on Portumna rejuvenation scheme

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December 7, 2022

Galway Daily news Public consultation on Portumna rejuvenation scheme

A public consultation is open this month on plans by the county council for the rejuvenation of the public realm in Portumna town centre.

The County Council is preparing the Portumna Public Realm Enhancement Scheme, which aims to make a plan for creating a public space in the town which is attractive for locals and tourists alike.

“The plan will aim to be creative and innovative, putting placemaking at its heart and embracing urban design and architecture to ensure that Portumna will realise its full potential as an attractive and thriving hub within Irelands Hidden Heartlands,” a project brief states.

The public realm refers to the space between buildings and includes roads, streets, lanes, parks, squares and footpaths.

The scheme aims to create attractive green spaces with improved biodiversity for the enjoyment of local residents.

It also aims to open up the town centre economy with extended pavement areas for outdoor spaces for businesses, and better public lighting to enable the night time economy.

Pedestrian and cycling connectivity are also a big part of the schemes, with plans for improved pedestrian routes from the town centre to adjacent recreation and tourism amenities, and the establishment of a strategic cycling hub with bike parking and support facilities.

This project has been commissioned by Galway County Council, with money coming from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.

“It forms one part of the wider Portumna Vision 2030 regeneration programme being delivered for Portumna through rural regeneration funding, including the redevelopment of the iconic Courthouse on Clonfert venue.”

“This exciting project will give Portumna a once in a lifetime opportunity to reimagine itself as a more attractive, inclusive and dynamic town for people to live, work, visit and invest.”

Further details about the project and its goals can be found in its brochure online.

Submissions regarding this scheme can be made using the ‘Make a Submission‘ link on this page, or you can complete a questionnaire here.

The closing date for submissions in the public consultation is December 22 of this year.

Port of Galway added to large scale EU transport infrastructure programme

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December 7, 2022

Galway Daily news Port of Galway added to large scale EU transport infrastructure programme

The Port of Galway has been made a part of a large scale revised EU transport infrastructure funding programme.

The Port has been added to the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network, which has been revised at Brussels this week.

The TEN-T Network policy addresses the implementation and development of a Europe-wide network of railway lines, roads, inland waterways, maritime shipping routes, ports, airports and railroad terminals.

Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton welcomed the inclusion of Galway in the revised plans, citing the port’s importance to developing offshore renewable energy for Ireland.

Speaking on Tuesday, she said “Today is an important milestone in the ongoing development of the EU’s transport network.”

“The draft Regulation discussed at Transport Council this morning will, when adopted, improve connectivity across the EU for both passengers and freight.”

“Importantly, it aligns transport policy to the European Green Deal by providing the means of transitioning to green, clean and smarter mobility.”

“I am particularly pleased that the Port of Galway has been added to the TEN-T network, given the important role it can play in developing renewable energy projects and its ambitious plans in this regard.”

The European Commission’s proposal to revise the Regulation was published in December 2021 and aimed to align the development of the TEN-T network with EU climate goals, among other ambitions.

The draft Regulation sets out an EU-wide network of rail, inland waterways, shipping routes, roads, ports, airports, and freight terminals as well as the requirements for infrastructure on this network.

A key addition to the draft Regulation is the recognition of the synergies between transport and energy.

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said that this will support the development of ports around the country, making them critical hubs for offshore wind particularly, and ensuring that they are connected on to key infrastructure and population centres.

“The important role that ports have to play in supporting the roll-out of offshore renewable energy is now recognised in the Regulation.”

“This means that major Irish ports can become key energy hubs, not just for the operation and maintenance of off-shore wind farms, but as locations where the energy from those farms will come onshore.”

“This means that ports can also become critical nodal locations for high energy users, bringing modern industries to where the energy is.”

Investigations ongoing into city centre assault

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December 6, 2022

galway daily news Further arrests made in connection with car park brawl

Investigations are ongoing into a brazen daylight assault on a young man in Galway City Centre last week.

Gardaí are investigating an assault that occurred on Middle Street, Galway City at approximately 2:15pm last Friday, December 2.

When Gardaí arrived at the scene the young man, aged in his 20s, was receiving medical attention from ambulance personnel.

He was later taken to University Hospital Galway for further treatment.

It’s understood that a male suspect fled towards Shop Street in the company of three other males.

An Garda Síochána have said that investigations into the attack are ongoing.

Galway gives €16,060 in Christmas Food Appeal

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December 6, 2022