Met Éireann has extended its warning for thunderstorms to Galway this afternoon, with bands of thunder and lightning expected to cause disruption in places this evening.
The status yellow warning in Galway is now in place and will be lifted at 10pm today, Wednesday.
This evening’s warning comes after Met Éireann issued orange warnings for rain and thunderstorms in the south-east of the country.
Most counties in Ireland also have a warning for rain, but Galway seems likely to avoid the worst of the heavy rainfall.
Donegal, Tyrone, Sligo and Mayo are the only counties which have not been issued warnings by Met Éireann or the Met Office.
Galway Chamber has received a bronze ‘Investors in Diversity’ accreditation from the Irish Centre for Diversity.
The Chamber hailed the award as a ‘starting point’ in their efforts to promote greater awareness and understanding of diversity and inclusion across Galway’s corporate culture.
The Irish Centre for Diversity praised the Chamber for having accessible, relevant policies in place which represent many different aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion.
They also noted how these many policies demonstrate Galway Chamber’s ‘dedication to developing and maintaining an inclusive, supportive culture and diverse workforce’.
“It is clear from policies and procedures that bullying, harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated and any incidents will be dealt with seriously, swiftly and confidentially,” the award report said.
Speaking about the award, Kenny Deery, CEO of Galway Chamber said that it is great to receive this award as they have taken strides to enhance diversity and inclusion across the Chamber.
He said however, that it is a journey, and that they fully acknowledge that there is still further road to travel.
“We view this accreditation as the starting point and we will be continuing our efforts to further improve our practices and policies,” said Mr Deery.
“As part of that activity we also want to be in a position to promote greater awareness and understanding of these issues across Galway’s corporate culture.
“Galway Chamber’s role is to lead on these aspects and we hope as our efforts to enhance our own diversity and inclusion activities progress, we will be able to encourage other companies across Galway to further embrace the importance of these values.”
Beauty influencer Ally McGinn taking on the challenge at the Clayton Hotel at the weekend
‘The Kube’ fundraising event was held at the Clayton Hotel at weekend in aid of Galway Hospice.
Contestants took part in challenges inside a perplex cube while trying their best to keep their cool.
Steven Frayne emerged as the winner as he completed the final challenge in the quickest time. He was presented with his winnings of €1,000.
Galway Hospice extended a special thank you to contestants who took on the challenge and raised funds for Galway Hospice, to businesses across Galway for sponsoring the event and for supplying raffle prizes, and to everyone who attended on the night.
Olympian Fiona Murtagh concentrating in The Kube.Contestant Evan Connolly from Zone N Fitness.Pictured L to R Charlene Hurley, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Galway Hospice, Anne Rabbitte TD, Galway Hospice volunteer Jim Hynes and MC Patrick McDonnell.Contestant Kieran O’Malley from the Connacht Hospitality Group.St Thomas’ hurlers L to R; Seán Fallon, Dara Cormican, Gerald Kelly, MC Patrick McDonnell, David Sherry, Damien Finnerty and Éanna Burke.Kube Winner Steven Frayne receiving his winnings from Charlene Hurley, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Galway Hospice, alongside MC Patrick McDonnell.Back row L to R; Ros na Rún crew and actors Dara Madden, Siobhán Haverty, Conal O Céideach, Seán Misteál, Gearóid Kavanagh, Carol Plunket and Máire Éilís Ní Fhlatharta. Front Row L to R, Grainne Bleasdale, Caitríona Ní Dhomhnaill, Pól Ó Gríofa, Sarah Beth Henry.
To keep in touch with other events in aid of Galway Hospice, visit galwayhospice.ie/events or call fundraising on 091 770868 for further information.
Just under €800,000 has been awarded for a number of road repair projects on the Aran Islands.
Minister Heather Humphreys said that the funding will be used to resurface three roads on Inis Mór and Inis Oírr
Inis Mór – Eoghanacht road resurfacing – €315,000
Inis Mór – Bóthar Ó Thuaidh resurfacing – €297,000
Inis Oírr – Resurfacing of L-5250 – €175,500
“By investing in these road projects, we will improve mobility on the islands for the benefit of the local community and visiting tourists,” Heather Humphreys said.
“Supporting our islands is a key commitment under ‘Our Rural Future’, the government’s 5-year rural development policy.”
It is unlikely that these projects could be carried out by the end of 2022 due to logistical issues with transporting equipment to the islands in poor winter weather.
These grants have been awarded now so that the council can carry out preparatory works suchnas procuring equipment.
This with a view towards completeting these road resurfacing projects as early as possible next year.
The annual Race in Pink day at the Galway Races will be back this month to carry on fundraising for breast cancer research.
Race in Pink will take place during the October Galway Races Festival on Sunday, October.
Since its launch in 2018, Race in Pink has so far raised over €250,000 National Breast Cancer Research Institute.
A ticket for the day long event gets you admission for the race day, a hospitality badge, a drinks reception, a four course lunch with wine, live music, and a tipster for the horse races if you feel like a flutter.
Anna Lardi, executive director and Finghin Collins, artistic director of Music for Galway. Coordinating partners in Songs of Travel. Photo: Andrew Downes, Xposure
Music for Galway is singing a merry tune after being chosen to receive €1 million in Creative Europe funding for its Songs of Travel project.
MfG with its CELLISSIMO festival partnered with three other music festivals, Järna Festival Academy in Sweden, Valdres Sommersymfoni in Norway and the Piano Biennale in The Netherlands.
The four festivals have teamed up with Causa Creations, an Austrian game development studio, for Songs of Travel.
This project will use music to raise awareness and create empathy towards climate change and migration, and will develop and implement a sustainable model of operation for specialised classical music festivals.
“I am so excited about this project. The idea grew out of our first CELLISSIMO festival where, back in 2019, we interacted with musicians that had recently settled Galway,” says Anna Lardi, festival director of CELLISSIMO.
“For the same festival we invited Swedish cellist Jakob Koranyi who travelled to Galway by land and sea, such is his conviction in terms of respect for our environment.”
“These two events planted a seed and here we are, five countries working together on the presentation of music, raising empathy towards each other and our planet and telling stories through music and a game.”
Songs of Travel includes the co-commissioning of five works of contemporary classical music by composers connected with migration.
One of these will form the soundtrack to a new interactive adventure game charting five stories of migrants fleeing troubled homelands to new beginnings in Europe.
The festivals will address sustainability from an ecological perspective and an education resource will be created to support engagement with contemporary classical music and to highlight themes of migration and social inclusion.
Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council said, “The Arts Council congratulates Music for Galway in their successful leadership of this exciting Creative Europe funded programme.”
“It is a major achievement for the organisation, for Galway and for Ireland and we look forward to seeing exciting outcomes in the coming years.”
Of 169 projects approved by Creative Europe, there are only two led by Irish organisations.
For now the celebrations are kept on ice as the organisations enter the grant agreement preparation phase. Once that is signed, the corks will pop in earnest.
Plans are progressing for the continued expansion of the Fishery facilities at Ros a Mhíl, with approval being sought to reclaim waterlogged ground.
The Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine is seeking planning permission to reclaim an area of waterlogged ground at the Fishery Harbour Centre at Ros a Mhíl.
This will be accomplished by dredging soil and sand from the site of the proposed small craft harbour.
The council granted planning approval for phase 3 of this project in November of 2021.
This material will be brought to the waterlogged site, south of the existing public car park, before being deposited and leveled. Once the site has been filled in, a geotextile surface will be placed on top, before that it covered with stone gravel.
Planning permission had previously been granted for this project in 2015, and further approval is now being sought to continue and finish it.
A decision is due from Galway County Council on this planning application by November of 2022.
Galway Hospice will be on a surer financial footing after the Cabinet gave its approval to redesignate it yesterday evening.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced he has received approval for the redesignation of Galway Hospice, Marymount Care Centre, Milford Care Centre, and St. Francis Hospice.
Currently they are all classed as Section 39 voluntary organisations, meaning they receive uncertain funding, and their staff are not public employees.
Galway Hospice and the others will now be designated Section 38 organisations, guaranteeing more certain funding, and that their staff will become public servants.
The redesignation is expected to be completed before the end of 2022.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that this will provide “financial and staffing sustainability” for palliative care services, so that they can continue their work.
“We are rightly very proud of our palliative care services in Ireland. We have seen the spread and range of services grow significantly over the last 20 years.”
“This has been in strong collaboration with the voluntary sector and the HSE. We must now ensure that the sustainability of these core services is protected into the future.”
Currently, approximately 70% of inpatient and 74% of community adult specialist palliative care services are provided by voluntary hospices.
In 2020, Galway Hospice was awarded €750,000 in once-off funding to keep the lights on during the COVID-19 pandemic, as public health restrictions had made much of the fundraising it heavily relies on, impossible.
Minister Donnelly added that in-patient palliative care services are unique among Section 39 voluntary organisations due to the “consultant led, complex clinical care” they provide.
“These service providers are supporting people with life limiting illnesses to remain at home and in their communities while receiving specialist palliative care.”
“We value the essential adult specialist palliative care services provided by these four organisations and the benefits the care they provide give to people with life limiting illnesses and their families.”
In recent weeks, multiple unions having been demonstrating for increased funding and job security for Section 39 organisations, arguing that they are having increasing difficulty retaining staff, and keeping services going.
There are more than 42 vacant nursing positions in the Emergency Department at University Hospital Galway headed into winter.
These figures are from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation which is sounding the alarm on “grim conditions” in emergency departments across the country.
The INMO Executive Council held a meeting today, in which it called on the government and HSE to come immediate plans to tackle chronic dangerous overcrowding.
This comes as 92,324 patients have been on trolleys so far this year, a 45% increase on the year previous.
INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said their members are, “once again sounding the alarm on grim conditions in each emergency department across the country. Today alone there are 526 patients without a bed.”
“We know anecdotally that many nurses in emergency departments are moving to elsewhere in their hospital or are leaving the profession altogether because of the conditions in which they work and a lack of safe staffing.”
“For example, in St. Vincent’s University Hospital, eighteen nurses are needed for any given shift in the ED, our members there are reporting that in reality only 9-11 nurses are rostered for most shifts.”
“In University Hospital Galway there are over 42 unfilled nursing vacancies in the Emergency Department.”
She said that the system is “sleepwalking into another overcrowding crisis” after nurses and midwives have just come through the COVID-19 crisis.
“Our members are demanding that the HSE’s recently published winter plan separates staffing for emergency department attendances and admitted patients.”
A decision needs to be made swiftly on whether all elective care needs to be cancelled, she added.
“Our emergency department nurses are not willing to put up with the conditions that they find themselves working in. This is reflected in the high numbers of resignations.”
“It is vital now that the HSE and Government meet with these nurses, hear their concerns and take immediate action.”
If the number of people on trolleys continues to rise while staffing levels remain unsafe, she said, the INMO will have no choice but to consult its members on the next steps to take.
The government has given its approval to plans to ban no fault evictions this Winter.
Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien has today received cabinet approval for the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Bill 2022.
This will defer no fault tenancy terminations that are due to occur during the coming winter months from taking effect until after March 31, 2023.
This will also apply to people renting student specific accommodation, or students rental in the general market.
Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said, “The government is very aware of the increasing pressure on homeless services, the limited supply in the rental market and the struggles people are facing over the coming winter months.”
“This temporary measure will protect renters who are facing homelessness by deferring any ‘no fault’ tenancy terminations from taking place this winter.”
Minister O’Brien said that the government is also conscious of the effect that this will have on landlords, in particular on smaller or ‘accidental’ landlords.
He emphasised that this legislation will not protect someone who “wilfully withholds rent” engages in “anti-social or criminal behaviour “.
Notices of termination can still be served on tenants during the coming winter, but they cannot be implemented.
There will also not be a cliff edge to the tenancy protection, rather evictions will be allowed to occur on a phased basis.
This will be between March 31 and June 18, based on factors such as when the notice was served, and how long a tenant was staying at the property.
Some 2,800 SUSI grant holders in Galway will receive a double payment next month, while many more will get a fee refund.
The government has authorised a double payment of the SUSI maintenance grant on December 16, which will come to €679 for those receiving the maximum amount
There are 2,831 students and families receiving support from the SUSI grant scheme in Galway, and this boost has been welcomed amidst the cost of living crisis.
Galway Senator and Fine Gael spokesperson for Education Aisling Dolan said, “We know how difficult it is for families and students going to college this year.”
“It is wonderful having a normal college experience again after the past couple of years, however, higher costs are causing huge worry.”
She said that the extra SUSI payment will mean money in people’s pockets before the end of the year.
“This will benefit almost 50,000 students across the country and 2,800 students and families in County Galway.”
The government has also announced a once off €1,000 refund for people who have paid the full student contribution for the 2022/23 academic year.
This requires no action from students and will be automatically processed by colleges and universities.
“The HEI will begin contacting eligible students this week and seek the necessary account details to process a refund,” Aisling Dolan said.
“Individual students who have been contacted by their college or university and asked to provide account details to facilitate a refund.”
In order to be eligible for the refund, people must submit these details by November 30.
Students eligible for a 50% student contribution grant support as paid by SUSI will benefit proportionally and will receive a €500 credit (from €1,500 to €1,000) in the value of the student contribution they are due to pay.
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris added, “These are practical measures to help students and families with the cost of education and the cost-of-living more generally.”
“If you have not paid your fee, it will be knocked off your bill and if you have, your college will be in touch to ensure you get your money back and if you have a grant you will receive that additional support before Christmas.”
Plans have been submitted for a whiskey maturation warehouse to support the new distillery being built in Ahascragh.
Easyfix Ltd is seeking planning permission from the county council to build a single storey warehouse, with a 2,082m² floorspace.
The brownfield site is located at Perssepark, just off the R348, approximately 11km south of Ahascragh, and was previously used as a sand/gravel pit, and a storage site for Bord Gais.
The warehouse would be used for maturing whiskey in casks after the spirit has been distilled at the upcoming Ahascragh Distillery.
The county council approved plans back in 2020 for the restoration of the Old Mill buildings in Ahascragh village centre, and their conversion by Gareth McAllister to a whiskey distillery.
The buildings have been unoccupied since the 1950s, and are now owned by Ahascragh Distillers Ltd.
This craft distillery will produce both whiskey and gin using malted barley, and will employ an estimated 8 to 14 people when complete between making the spirits and guiding tourists.
The planning application by Easyfix for this maturation warehouse includes a letter of support from Ahascragh Distillers.
This states, “A maturation warehouse goes hand in hand with a whiskey distilling operation. A rural and less dense setting is preferable as a maturation warehouse needs to be secure, have limited access points and in an open safe area for the storage of Whiskey liquid.”
“The site at Perssepeak is ideal for our whiskey maturation warehousing. It is close to the distillery in Ahascragh allowing for daily deliveries of freshly made spirit for casking and storage in the warehouse.”
The letter also states that if this application is not approved, they would be forced to locate their facilities to an alternate location in Wexford, which would be bad for the product and the sustainability of the business.
Galway County Council is due to make a decision on this planning application by December 1 of this year.
Planning permission is being sought for the construction of a new Ballinasloe National School, to replace the separate ageing facilities currently in use.
The Board of Management of Scoil an Chroi Naofa has submitted plans to the county council to demolish one of the two existing school buildings.
In its place they plan to build a new two storey school building with 16 classrooms, a special needs education suite, general purpose room, and administrative space.
A new access road will also be created off society street leading to a set down and parking area behind the main school building.
Another building used by the school, a protected structure on the opposite side of the street, will be converted to a Parental Integrity Unit, for pre and post-school activities run by the Parents Association.
During the construction of the new school, temporary accommodation will be located in the rear yard of this building.
An Engineering Report for the application states, “Scoil Chroi Naofa currently operates on two buildings separated by Society Street at Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.”
“The senior classes are hosted in the 1960’s building to the north, while the junior classes are located in the 1930’s building to the south.”
“The 1960’s building is of a poor standard and completely inadequate to the needs of the school. Its demolition and the construction of the new Scoil an Chroi Naofa will re-unite the blocks and provide modern common facilities.”
“The 1930’s building is a Protected Structure and is in an acceptable good condition which requires only some refurbishment and upgrading in order to function as Parental integrity Unit.”
A decision on this planning application is due from Galway County Council by November 23 of this year.
Galway Docklands Festival will celebrate all aspects of our maritime culture and history over three days this week, with fun for all the family.
Get a chance to drive a motorboat, see the iconic Galway Hookers and hear from those who make them, enjoy great food & drink, and much, much more.
The festival, a collaboration between Galway Bay Boat Tours, Galway Hooker Sailing Club and Galway Bay Seafoods, will run from Friday to Sunday, October 21 – 23.
The festival will also be an opportunity to raise funds for the maritime charities, the RNLI and LAST (Lost at Sea Tragedies).
The festival will highlight Galway’s seafood and local beers, introduce you to the city’s iconic Galway Hooker sailing boats and our maritime history as well as lots of family fun and activities.
Get to meet the boat builders, sample seafood, take a guided walk around the Docklands, hop on board a boat for a spin through Claddagh and out Galway Bay and let the teenagers experience driving a motorboat (while supervised).
The festival will have something for everyone. There will be plenty of sea themed activities, art competitions, crafts and entertainment for all the family to enjoy.
The Sailing Club are also launching Caper Beag in association with Galway Hooker Beer on the Saturday at 2:30pm.
Get to meet the crews of the beloved Galway Hookers, along with local sea school students and the Sea Scouts.
Over a coffee morning local speakers will talk on Galway’s maritime heritage and we will finish the festival evenings with rigging demonstrations of the Galway Hookers and a Parade of Sail which is always a joy to see on Galway’s waterways.
The festival will finish with an auction in Claddagh Hall on the Sunday evening. This promises to be lots of fun and all funds raised will go to Galway RNLI and LAST (Lost at Sea Tragedies).
Follow Galway Hooker Sailing Club, Galway Bay Boat Tours and Galway Bay Seafoods for more information.
If you would like to support the festival with a financial contribution or a prize for the auction please contact our club PRO Collette Furey on 0872166783 or at pro@galwayhookersailingclub.ie.
Taoiseach Michéal Martin with Dr Stephanie Bollard , UCD and dog, Apollo at the launch of ICAT. Photo: XPOSURE
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has launched the second phase of a €21 million cross-border medical clinical and research training programme in Galway.
The Taoiseach unveiled the Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT) programme at University of Galway during a visit last week.
ICAT aims to train the brightest doctors, vets and dentists across Ireland to become world class clinician scientists.
During this second phase of the project, €21.3 million will be spent to train 42 fellows in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, “Our Government is deeply committed to research and innovation and its role in the future of healthcare.”
“Investment of this scale and with this strategic outlook will help to position Ireland as a place where top-class researchers and innovators are afforded the opportunity to strive for lasting, impactful change which tackle challenges of our time.”
“The ICAT Programme has proven to be a catalyst for some of the brightest minds in healthcare and I am delighted to see the ambition in phase 2 of the programme.”
The ICAT programme has been awarded to six equal stakeholder partner universities by the Health Research Board (HRB).
They are: University of Galway, Queen’s University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Principal Investigator of the ICAT Programme, Prof Conall Dennedy at University of Galway, said that it offers people a chance to become “world class researchers” in parallel with their clinical training.
“It is the vision of the programme to enhance the health of people in Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as animal welfare, embracing the principles of One Health.”
“This large investment by the HRB, six partner universities and associates is critical to futureproofing the health of our nations.”
ICAT supports participant fellows to undertake truly novel research by availing of a large networked pool of experienced supervisors, facilitating an easy mobility of ICAT fellows between Northern Ireland and Ireland
Planning permission is being sought to enlarge a student accommodation complex that has already been approved, to add 49 more bed spaces.
Cleverson Ltd received approval from An Bord Pleanála for 223 bed, student accommodation development on the Headford Road in Galway City in July of 2021.
The apartment complex will comprise two seven storey buildings linked by a glazed bridge.
The site, next to Galway Retail Park, is a mix of wasteland and car parking owned by the developer.
The developer is now seeking approval from the city council to amend those plans, with modifications to the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth floor layouts of the complex.
This would only increase the number of units by one, to 69, but the number of bed spaces within those apartments would be increased to 272 in total.
Approval is also being sought to replace a gym on the second floor with communal spaces, and for amendments to three retail units, while a forth would be converted to offices.
The number of bicycle storage spaces in the student accommodation complex would also be increased from 134 to 157.
Galway City Council is due to make a decision on this planning application by November 23 of this year.
Music for Galway’s annual Emily Anderson Concert will take place this week in University of Galway, with a follow up performance in Connemara.
The Emily Anderson Concert will be held on Thursday 20 October at the Emily Anderson Hall in the university at 8pm.
As part of the new MfG Galway Encore series, the concert will be repeated the following night, Friday, October 21 at the Comharchumann Shailearna, Indreabhán, also at 8pm.
It features the outstanding duo of Dutch violinist Rosanne Philippens “energetic, sensitive and flawless” (Telegraaf –NL) and Hungarian pianist Zoltán Fejérvari “a deeply communicative artist” (Gramophone) who will perform three of Beethoven’s finest violin sonatas as well as premiering new works composed by three University of Galway BA Music graduates.
Rosanne Philippens. Photo: Marco Borggreve
One of the most distinguished alumnae of the University of Galway, Emily Anderson became the very first professor of German in UCG in 1917.
She left her position in 1920 for a remarkable career that included working as code breaker for the British Foreign Office during WW2 (for which she was awarded an OBE in 1944) and editing, translating and publishing the correspondence of Mozart and Beethoven (for which she received the German Order of Merit in 1951).
With this latter work she afforded access to the thoughts and lives of these iconic composers to musicians, composers, musicologists, film makers and biographers in the English speaking world.
The annual concert dedicated to her memory features either music by Beethoven or Mozart.
Zoltán Fejérvari
This year, Music for Galway has also invited three of the first graduates of the new BA in Music at the University of Galway, Ellison Hassel-Cramer, Laura Heneghan and Katie Feeney to write a short work for violin and piano in response to Beethoven.
These pieces will be premiered at the concert by the stellar Philippens/Fejérvari duo.
Whether you are in Galway City or out West, get your ticket and experience the music of a giant juxtaposed with the freshness of budding composers, performed by superb artists.
Tickets cost €20 / €18 concession. There is a reduced price for full-time students and school-going children of €6 and MfG Friends pay €16.
To book or find out about how to join as MfG Friend, visit website musicforgalway.ie or phone 091 705962.
Emily Anderson Concert
Rosanne Philippens violin
Zoltán Fejérvari piano
ELLISON HASSELL-CRAMER – For Me (world premiere)
BEETHOVEN – Violin Sonata No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30 No .2
LAURA HENEGHAN – Rêvasser (world premiere)
BEETHOVEN – Violin Sonata No. 8 in G major, Op. 30 No. 3
KATIE FEENEY – Ballade (world premiere)
BEETHOVEN – Violin Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 96
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has placed the first stone in a massive expansion of Galway Technology Centre in Mervue.
The expansion of the GTC is expected to enable the creation of 12,500 jobs over the next 15 years, along with attracting an estimated €1.4 billion in investments.
The project, which is being backed by Enterprise Ireland, will see an additional 15,500 square feet added to the centre, bringing the total area to 65,500 square feet.
Speaking at the ceremony to mark the extension, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said, “Since its inception, Galway Technology Centre has played a central role in enabling the growth of scaling enterprises across the west of Ireland.”
“It has provided numerous start-ups and high potential businesses with the space and support they needed in order to flourish and prosper.”
“The centre has come a long way from its first opening in the mid-nineties, when there were eight units filled by seven start-up companies.”
“In the years since they have developed alongside the enterprises they have supported, providing greater space and resources as the need for their service has grown.”
When the work is complete, there will be a particular emphasis on facilitating rapid scaling for start-ups and other innovation driven enterprises in GTC, as well as ICT businesses in need of second sites.
The enhanced facility will also include further conferencing and meeting space, state of the art IT infrastructure as well as other digital amenities such as a video production and broadcasting suite.
Galway Technology Centre first opened in 1994, and in the years since has expanded several times.
Over that time it has housed more than 300 companies who have created in excess of 3,000 jobs.
Currently there are 41 companies in GTC with over 325 people employed directly on site and thousands more in the other satellite offices of these enterprises located in Ireland and abroad.
Technology company Fidelity Investments has announced that it will be creating 200 new jobs in Galway as it expands its Irish operations.
The company will be filling the jobs over the next two years, with roles in software engineering, cloud, application and data architecture, cyber security, and agile roles.
The major expansion will also see another 100 jobs created at its Dublin offices.
When complete this recruitment will see the company’s Irish footprint grow to 1,800 employees total.
Lorna Martyn of Fidelity Investments Ireland said, “We are excited to be growing our operations in Ireland again.”
“In recent years we have had exceptional success in recruiting high quality candidates and look forward to welcoming our new associates over the coming months.”
“We have shown huge resilience over recent years and, as a company, we are firmly committed to supporting our customers.”
“These new highly skilled positions will enhance our ability to meet our customers’ changing needs into the future.”
Since opening in Ireland in 1996, the company branches here have grown steadily from a workforce of 400 in 2013 to almost 1,500 today.
Commenting on this announcement, Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe said, “Since first establishing a presence in Ireland over a quarter of century ago, Fidelity Investments has become a key part of the Irish financial services sector.”
“The company’s commitment to Ireland is reflected in today’s announcement and we look forward to seeing Fidelity enjoy continued success in both Dublin and Galway.”
“The Ireland For Finance Strategy underlines the Government’s approach to encouraging overseas investment and supporting jobs by focusing on growth in green, sustainable and digital financial services.”
Martin Shanahan, Chief Executive of IDA Ireland added that this expansion is a “clear commitment” by Fidelity to Ireland.
“The expansion reflects positively on the strength of the fintech ecosystem here which enables companies like Fidelity to create products to serve their global customer base from Ireland.”
