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Connemara company Innill Dóiteáin Teoranta bought by English firm

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Two Galway women appointed to Board of Údarás na Gaeltachta

The Spiddal based company Innill Dóiteáin Teoranta has been bought out by English firm Innovative Gas Products Ltd.

The new owners have said that the company will continue to operate as normal, and that its employees are secure.

Innill Dóiteáin Teoranta have been operating in Spiddal since 1983, and currently employ over 25 people.

A client of Údarás na Gaeltachta, Innill Dóiteáin Teoranta manufacturers and supplies a wide range of metal products and frames for companies in the electronic and medical device industry in Ireland and Europe.

Innovative Gas Products have been their customers for many years, and have bought the Connemara company to support growth in Europe, and to meet the challenges of Brexit.

Based in England, they develop metal products as well as gas and bio-ethanol heaters.

“We have known IGP Limited for many years as customers and we look forward to continuing the excellent work that the team has done here to grow the company,” said Marian Ní Nuadháin of Innill Dóiteáin Teoranta.

“We have been here for forty years and it is gives us great pleasure to be able to make a new start and continue to grow and develop and to provide more employment in the Gaeltacht.”

“Even with challenging circumstances at the moment, it is an opportunity for us to be confident that investment will be made in the company in the coming years.”

Joshef Hacohen, CEO of Innovative Gas Products Ltd added that they are delighted to be deepening their longstanding relationship.

A Tiny Mutiny taking over Ros Muc

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily arts A Tiny Mutiny taking over Ros Muc

The children are taking over Ros Muc this weekend, as Baboró’s Tiny Mutiny is coming to Connemara in this celebration of children’s art.

Baboró commission, Tiny Mutiny/An Ceannairc Beag Bídeach, will celebrate children as artists in their own right as they create colourful, boisterous protest performances in both Ros Muc and Galway city.

Two youth ensembles will proclaim the need for a child-led cultural space in the West of Ireland, having created their visions and proclamations in response to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The first of these exciting site-specific events will take place at Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh, Ros Muc on Saturday 15 October at 6:30pm, with rebellious children from Connemara.

As evening falls on Saturday, the Tiny Mutiny will take their protest to Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh, lit by sun guns and a visual projection on the cottage’s gable end.

The second mutiny will be led by children from Galway city and will take place at the Spanish Arch at 6:30pm on Saturday 22 October.

Working with local artists Jojo Hynes, Midie Corcoran, Róisín Seoige, Laura Angell & Atmos Collective, each ensemble will share their vision through protest performances accompanied by colourful banners, rebellious songs and digital projections.

The exciting site-specific events take place at Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh and in Galway City. If you are Galway City based, the Tiny Mutiny will be on the Spanish Arch at 6:30pm on Saturday 22 October.

For more information check out www.baboro.ie. This is a free, family friendly event. Please dress for the weather!

Kinvara GAA seeks approval for new pitches

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily sport Kinvara GAA gets approval for two new all-weather pitches

Kinvara GAA is planning to expand their facilities with the the addition of two new all-weather pitches, and new floodlighting.

The club is seeking planning permission from the county council for two all-weather training pitches totaling 2,615m² with floodlights.

They also wish to erect six new 21.34m high floodlights around the existing grass pitch at the club on the Moy Road.

“The development will allow for increased usage hours of the sports facility during the winter months,” a cover letter for the application states.

The lights would be shut off by 10pm each night, and the club says that additional parking is not needed.

The application states that a light analysis shows there will be minimal light spillage onto the Moy Road.

A decision on this planning application is due from Galway County Council by October 26.

TULCA Festival to take place across city in November

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Michael Malone
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GALWAY daily news clare gormley tulca curator

The 20th edition of TULCA Festival of Visual Arts will take place in venues across Galway City from 4 to 20 November.

TULCA will feature a programme of multi-venue exhibitions and events including seminars, workshops and an Education Programme with artist talks and gallery tours that focus on looking at and responding to contemporary visual art.

Exhibition galleries will be held at the TULCA Gallery, Galway Arts Centre, 126 Artist-Run Gallery and Columban Hall. The Artist Talks Series will take place at Pálás Cinema in partnership with ATU.

Every year TULCA commissions an Irish curator to develop a concept for the festival. Through a process of open call and invitation the curator selects national and international artists to respond to the theme.

This year’s festival is curated by Clare Gormley, Director of Programmes & Curator at the Belfast Photo Festival and Co-Founder and Director of the Northern Irish Art Network.

The 2022 festival programme is titled The World Was All Before Them, with a theme that addresses the notion of futurity and asks, in this moment of global change, upheaval and uncertainty – what the political potentials might be in imagining new futures and envisioning new ways of being in this world.

The festival title comes from the final lines of John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost, which recounts Adam and Eve’s journey out of Eden and into a new, unknown world.

This edition of TULCA seeks to take stock of our current moment and imagine what lies ahead, as we find ourselves on a precipice of ecological destruction, humanitarian crisis, mass migration, global pandemics, wars and technological over-saturation.

There has never been such an urgent time to challenge the structures of our current existence, and to seek out visions of future worlds worth living in.

Curator Clare Gormley said: “I’m very excited to be working with the TULCA team on an edition of the festival that both takes stock of our current moment and, hopefully, also provides a glimpse of the way forward as we reckon with the myriad challenges—ecological, societal, political and cultural—posed by our rapidly changing world.

“I’m particularly looking forward to exploring the work of artists, who are adept at problem-solving, world-making and asking questions about the future of our society, to see what they might have to offer us in this unprecedented moment.”

This year’s contributors to the festival are artists, filmmakers, writers and poets, including Anouk Kruithof, Becca Albee, Berte & Harmey, Caroline Jane Harris, Chloe Cooper, Christopher Steenson, Elise Rasmussen, Emily Speed, Esmeralda Conde Ruiz, Judith Dean, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Michael Hanna, Nicoline van Harskamp, Quentin Lacombe, Tabitha Soren, Tadhg Ó Cuirrín and The Lifeboat.

Call for history of Ireland’s Institutions to be taught in schools

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Michael Malone
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Galway Daily news Galway universities awarded over €2 million for new research equipment

Academics at University of Galway have called for the history of Ireland’s Institutions to be taught in post-primary schools.

The call has been made ahead of a conference on Saturday 15 October organised by the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the University.

The one-day event, titled Teaching the Dark History of Ireland’s Institutions: Engaging Educators and Policymakers, will take place on Saturday from 10.30am to 4pm.

Focusing on why this history should be taught in schools and how it may be implemented for students in Transition Year, the conference will draw upon lesson plans designed and implemented in schools over the past two years.

It was created as part of a project which aims to create different educational strategies to ensure that the history of Ireland’s institutions is not forgotten.

It is led by Mary Harney, and supervised by Judit Villena, both PhD candidates at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, in conjunction with LLM graduates and has been active since 2019.

Shauna Joyce, a recent graduate of the LLM in International Human Rights Law at University of Galway and co-organiser of the project, said: “As a new generation of Irish citizens, we believe that it is incumbent on us to take up the mantle from those older survivors to ensure that past abuses are not only remembered, but to ensure that through education they are not repeated.”

The teaching of the history of institutions was a recommendation made by the report of the Mother and Baby Homes Collaborative Forum.

The conference is hosted in partnership with a cross-sectional group of academics, activists and teachers from the Irish Centre for Human Rights and the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies at University of Galway and Waterford Institute of Technology.

Speakers and topics

Dr Philomena Mullen, Trinity College Dublin, Association of Mixed Race Irish – The exclusion of the mixed race child from the narrative of the institutions

Noelle Brown, actor, playwright, survivor – Theatre as a Platform for Change

Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley, University of Galway – Teaching the History of Ireland’s Institutions: From the Foundling Institutions to the Mother and Baby Institutions

To register for the conference, click here.

Swim in Pink for breast cancer research this Halloween

By
Michael Malone
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galway daily news swim in pink 2022
Attending the launch of ‘Swim in Pink’ in association with Blackrock Beachwear in aid of the National Breast Cancer Research Institute were; Breast cancer survivor Faith Fahy, Ethelle Fahy National Breast Cancer Research Galway fundraising committee, Owner of Blackrock Swimwear, Louise Griffin and Avril Horan-Kyne PRO Blackrock Swimwear. The fundraising event takes place from 9:30am at Ladies Beach, The Prom, Salthill. Registration is just €20 with all of the monies raised going to the charity. Sign up at www.swiminpink.ie and get a FREE swimming cap. Photo: Sean Lydon

The National Breast Cancer Research Institute is asking as many people as possible to ‘Swim in Pink’ on Bank Holiday Monday, October 31 to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research.

This is the second year of the event which was a huge success for the charity last year rising over €30,000 nationwide.

It is hoped the event will be even bigger this October with the Galway event taking place from 9.30am at Ladies Beach, The Prom, Salthill on the last day of the month.

One in seven women Irish women will develop breast cancer before they reach 75 with over 3,500 cases diagnosed annually.

Based at the Lambe Institute at University of Galway, the National Breast Cancer Research Institute funded researchers are currently working on major national and international projects to improve the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

To help the fundraising efforts, Galway-based company Blackrock Swimwear have created two stunning ‘Swim in Pink’ swimsuits – long and short-sleeved – and beach shorts.

Unfortunately, pre-orders are now closed, and any orders placed will not be received in time for the ‘Swim in Pink’ event on October 31.

However, those who would still like to purchase one of these specially commissioned swimsuits and shorts at any time, can go to www.blackrockbeachwear.ie  with all the profits going to the National Breast Cancer Research Institute.

Registration for Swim in Pink is just €20 with all funds raised going to the National Breast Cancer Research Institute.

To register go to www.swiminpink.ie and you will receive a FREE Swim in Pink swimming cap. 

Food Works programme invites ambitious start-ups to apply

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Michael Malone
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galway daily news food works programme participants 2021
Niamh and Ruairi Dooley, Biasol, Conor Sweeny, Leamhain and Gráinne Mullins, GRÁ Chocolates are all currently taking part in Food Works, Ireland’s leading accelerator programme for early-stage food and drink companies delivered by Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc. Niamh and Ruairi Dooley, Biasol, Conor Sweeny, Leamhain and Gráinne Mullins, GRÁ Chocolates are all currently taking part in Food Works, Ireland’s leading accelerator programme for early-stage food and drink companies delivered by Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc. Photo: Chris Bellew, Fennells

Early-stage food and drink companies from Galway are being encouraged to apply for Food Works 2023, Ireland’s leading programme for start-ups in the sector.

Food Works has helped raise over €6.5m in funding for participants over the last 10 years by combining the resources of Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc.

The programme is now looking for applications from ambitious start-up food and drink businesses to take part in 2023.

Among the companies from Galway who have previously taken part are Grá Chocolates, Salthill; Nua Naturals, Furboghgarve; and Micil Distillery, Connemara.

Food Works was established in 2012 and since then has welcomed over 100 companies through the programme.

These include hugely successful food and drink brands such as Wicklow Wolf; Nobó, Lismore Food Company, Fiid and Thanks Plants.

Successful applicants can receive feasibility grant funding of up to €35,000.

In addition, since the programme began, 19 participants have successfully secured High-Potential Start-Up investments and 17 companies have received Competitive Start-Up Funding.

Food Works 2023

Food Works runs annually over 10 months from February to December. Participating start-ups are supported to get investor ready by developing a comprehensive business plan focussed on scaling internationally.

Successful applicants take part in workshops with national and international industry experts across various disciplines such as strategy, finance, product development and marketing.

They also receive customised support from business advisors, facilitated peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities across the industry – at home and abroad.

The closing date for applications for the 2023 programme is 2 December 2022. Full details and an application form are available at FoodWorksIreland.ie

Climate Action Week launched at University of Galway

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Michael Malone
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galway daily news green flag awarded to university of galway

Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton has launched Ireland’s Climate Action Week at University of Galway today.

The event coincided with the University being awarded Green Campus status for a second time by An Taisce and the raising of the Green Flag at a special ceremony.

The ceremony was attended by Energy Performance Officers from each of Ireland’s universities, along with government representatives.

President Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh welcomed guests to the launch of Climate Action Week and the Green Flag ceremony in the Quadrangle today.

He said that the university puts values of respect, excellence, openness and sustainability at the core of its teaching, learning and research, and also in the operations of the busy campus.

He said that they will continue to push forward to respond to global challenges as part of their central mission to serve the public good.

Climate Action Week, which runs from October 10-16, offers a range of online and in-person events which aim to inform citizens, increase awareness and highlight the need for urgent climate action by all sectors of society.

University of Galway was awarded the prestigious Green Flag by An Taisce and the International Foundation of Environmental Education for three years for the quality of its campus and the environment and sustainability drive.

The Green Flag is a visual sign of the commitment made in reducing the environmental footprint associated with campus operations.

University of Galway Environmental, Health & Safety Manager in Buildings & Estates, Lorraine Rushe, said the Green Flag is the result of many years of hard work by staff and students,

“It recognises the engagement by students and staff and the vast effort and hard work that is ongoing in the areas of energy, waste, water, travel and biodiversity.”

Candlelight vigil in Galway for Creeslough tragedy victims

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Michael Malone
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galway daily news creeslough tragedy

A candlelight vigil will be held at Eyre Square in Galway city tomorrow, Tuesday at 7pm in memory of those who tragically lost their lives in Creeslough on Friday.

Dozens of vigils took place across Donegal over the weekend in memory of the victims of the tragedy, and vigils were held as far away as Australia.

Ten people died in an explosion at the only shop in Creeslough after 3pm on Friday afternoon, and one man remains in a critical condition in St. James’s Hospital in Dublin.

The local community is now preparing for the funerals of those who tragically died in what will be a difficult week for those in the village and the wider community.

Shauna Flanagan Garwe, who was only five years old, was the youngest of the ten victims. Her mother Áine lost her partner and only child in the tragic incident.

The body 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, a young fashion designer, was the first to return to Creeslough last night.

She was visiting her boyfriend in the village when the tragedy happened, and was getting ready to start a new job in Belfast this week.

Jessica will be buried in Creeslough tomorrow, Tuesday.

 

Jessica Gallagher

Pope Francis expressed his condolences on Sunday to all those suffering following the explosion.

In a message to the Bishop of Raphoe, he said he was saddened to learn of the loss of life and the destruction caused by the explosion on Friday.

“His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the loss of life and destruction caused by the explosion in Creeslough and he expresses his spiritual closeness to all those suffering in the aftermath of this tragedy,” a statement from the Vatican read.

“While entrusting the deceased to the merciful love of almighty god, His Holiness implores the divine blessings of consolation and healing upon the injured, the displaced and the families coping with pain of loss.

“As a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord, the Holy Father sends his blessing to all the people of Ireland.”

The ten people who died were named on Sunday as Catherine O’Donnell, 39, and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan; Robert Garwe, 50, and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe; 14-year-old Leona Harper; Jessica Gallagher, 24; James O’Flaherty, 48; Martin McGill, 49; Martina Martin, 49, and 59-year-old Hugh Kelly.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha dílse.

Ceremony at UHG to mark Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

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Michael Malone
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galway daily news Galway University Hospitals holding Memorial Service

Staff from the Maternity Department at University Hospital Galway are organising a ceremony to mark International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day on Saturday 15 October at 6pm in the hospital canteen.

The event is open to families who have experienced loss due to miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, and other causes of infant loss and will also be available to view online by going to https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85345484384

International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day takes place each year on 15 October and ends with a global wave of light at 7pm which will be marked with a candle lighting ceremony at the hospital and by illuminating the gable end of the Nurses’ Home with blue and pink light.

Helen Byrnes, Bereavement Support Midwife, University Hospital Galway said they are delighted to once again be able to hold a ceremony in the hospital and invite families to attend in person.

“The ceremony aims to recognise, acknowledge and remember all pregnancy and infant losses whenever and however they happened. It will include poetry, readings and a choir will join us,” she said.

“The virtual option is still available for those who are unable to attend. The evening will finish with the candle lighting at 7pm as part of a continuous wave of light around the world in honour of babies who have died through miscarriage, stillbirth or in the neonatal period, to let the families know that they are not alone.

“Afterwards we will have light refreshments which will be an opportunity for bereaved families to come together as a support for each other to talk and share their experiences.”

Ms Byrnes said that they welcome anyone who has been affected by pregnancy or infant loss to join them on Saturday 15 October at 6pm to take time out to reflect and remember.

“We have a booklet of the readings and songs available from saolta.ie for anyone who is viewing the ceremony online.”

For further information on the Remembrance ceremony, please contact Helen Byrnes on 091 893614 or 087 771 2329, helen.byrnes@hse.ie

New Tesco Express store opens doors in Doughiska

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Michael Malone
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galway daily news tesco tuam shopping centre logo

A new Tesco Express has opened its doors to a brand new 3,000 square foot store in the Galway city suburb of Doughiska today.

The newly refurbished store will employ 16 people and will be managed by Kelvin Farragher who has been with Tesco for more than a decade.

Kelvin Farragher welcomed the first customers into the new Tesco Express this morning.

He said that the team has put in a lot of work to ensure that the customer experience is of the highest standard.

“We are all really looking forward to getting to know the local community here in Doughiska.”

The Tesco Express will stock produce from several local Galway suppliers including Soho Bakehouse, Kevin Hughes Potatoes and Corrib Eggs.

Geoff Byrne, Chief Operating Officer, Tesco Ireland said he is delighted to be in Doughiska today to see the doors open on our latest store.

“We welcome Doughiska to our store network and look forward to playing a big part in the local community for many years to come.”

One person arrested after multi-vehicle crash

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Briain Kelly
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One person was arrested and another taken to hospital after a multi-vehicle crash in Galway this morning.

Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of a four vehicle collision in Curraghline area this morning.

An Garda Síochána have said that one person was taken to University Hospital Galway as a precaution after the crash.

One woman was also arrested at the scene and conveyed to Galway Garda Station.

The road has since been cleared, and Gardaí say that investigations are ongoing.

Two month road closure in Galway City centre

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news road closure

A street in Galway City Centre will be closing for two months while the new pedestrian bridge is being built.

The city council have given notice that the Gaol Road Link, in front of the cathedral, will be closed from October 24 to December 22.

This is to allow for the assembly and installation of the new Salmon Weir pedestrian and cycling bridge.

Local diversions will be in place along Gaol Road, behind the Cathedral, and University Road.

Work began on the new Salmon Weir pedestrian bridge in April of this year, and the project has so far involved a road closure on the Newtownsmith side.

Go on an arts trail with Baboró Children’s Festival

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Briain Kelly
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Baboró International Arts Festival for Children is kicking off in Galway this Friday, with many treats for families and schools to enjoy.

Three different visual arts offerings from the city centre to Salthill will create a wonderful arts trail for people to enjoy over the week.

Beginning in Galway’s westend at Galway Arts Centre, Dominic St., the Widden Ar Geels (The Community Speaks) exhibition will run from October 15 – 29.

Two of Ireland’s leading artists, Leanne McDonagh and Oein DeBhairduin, celebrate the stories and oral traditions of the Irish Traveller community by creating an inclusive space for all to enjoy the magic and wisdom imbued in the craft and stories of the Mincéirí.

Immerse yourself in Traveller stories of vixens, owls and horses who live alongside humans as guides, protectors, friends and foes, while spirits, giants and fairies blur the lines between this world and the otherworld.

Widden Ar Geels, art by Leanne McDonagh

Then at Engage Art Studios in Salthill, Lucy Hill presents FOLD, an exhibition for children 8 years and under that explores ideas of openness, relationships, colour, form and line.

Inspired and informed by Early Childhood Education and Care philosophies, the show explores the relationship between art and early childhood learning elements including colour, shape, form, line and texture.

Visitors to the gallery are encouraged to create their own art with prompts and materials from the artist. Enjoy FOLD from October 15 – 23, (gallery closed Monday 17 & Wednesday 19).

On Quay Lane in Galway City, Street artist Emmalene Blake created ‘Our City Walls’, a large mural that is inspired by the insights and drawings of Galway children as part of Baboró’s 25th celebrations in 2021.

Granted an extension by Galway City Council for inclusion in this year’s festival, ‘Our City Walls’ shines a light on the right of EVERY child to enjoy and participate in a rich cultural life.

As part of the development of the mural, school children were invited by Creative Associate Phillida Eves, to share how they feel about their rights, what they like to do in their free time and to try to imagine what life would be like without art and culture.

Emmalene responded to their reflections as she designed ‘Our City Walls’.

“We hope that thousands more children will enjoy the colourful and inspiring mural when they visit the festival this year,” said Baboró Artist Director Aislinn Ó hEocha.

For more information check out www.baboro.ie. These are family friendly Free events.

Plans submitted for Claregalway Primary Care Centre

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Claregalway Primary Care Centre gets planning approval

Plans have been submitted to the county council for the construction of a primary care centre in Claregalway.

Valley Healthcare fund, a sub fund of infrastructure investment fund ICAV, is seeking planning permission to build a two storey primary care centre at Cahergowan, Claregalway.

The county council last year refused planning permission Valley Healthcare to build a PCC in Claregalway, due to concerns about its size, and a lack of information on proposed roadworks.

This two storey proposal is smaller than the part three storey building previously rejected, and has been reduced in height by more than 2.5m, along with having a smaller footprint.

The primary care centre will have a retail pharmacy on the ground floor level, along with the consulting and treatment rooms.

The floor plans for the project show rooms dedicated for psychiatry, pediatrics, chronic disease management, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, physiotherapy.

Pedestrian and vehicle entry to the site will be via the Montiagh Road, and the development will have a total of 73 car parking spaces.

The works will also involve widening the Montiagh Road carriageway, and footpath links from the site to the junction with the N83 Galway Road.

A decision on this planning application is due from Galway County Council by November 14 of this year.

Increased funding for Gaeltacht summer college accommodation providers

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Increased funding for Gaeltacht summer college accommodation providers

Gaeltacht families that host people attending Irish colleges in the summer are getting an increase in the funding they receive from the government.

Minister of State for the Gaeltacht Jack Chambers announced the additional funding during a visit to the Galway Gaeltacht.

The daily grant payable to Gaeltacht families under the Irish Learners’ Scheme is going up from €11 to €12 per day.

On top of that, the once-off start up grant provided to families registering for the first time is being tripled, from €2,000 to €6,000, or 80% of their costs, whichever is less.

Minister of State Chambers said, “I am delighted to be able to announce these additional policies today for the benefit of the Irish language college system.”

“Hundreds of families all over the Gaeltacht are providing accommodation with the help of Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge for Irish language college attendees and they will all benefit from this further increase.” 

“These families are of course an integral part of the College system and it is on these families that the department’s efforts are largely focused to help the sector in general in financial terms.” 

“The increase I have announced will help families already registered under the department’s scheme as well as of course attract new families into the system – which will greatly help colleges to be able to function productively.”

The package of the daily grant increase, and the start-up grant increase, are together worth approximately €820,000 for accommodation providers.

This is the second increase in the daily grant made this year, after it was upped by €1 back in March.

Headford confirmed as second ‘Smart Villages’ location

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Michael Malone
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galway daily news smart villages headford

Galway Rural Development has confirmed Headford will be its second location for ‘Smart Villages’.

MEP Maria Walsh visited the town on Saturday to confirm the news following a town meeting last week.

All of the main town stakeholders were present at the meeting on the invitation of Galway Rural Development (GRD). 

Across the EU, ‘Smart Villages’ have implemented improvements to the lives of millions of rural dwellers in terms of their economic, social, environmental, and cultural lives.

In Ireland, 16 regions came together last year to develop a national Smart Villages programme.

Led by Galway Rural Development, and with partners in Kilkenny and Cork, the initiative has been described as ‘a game-changer for rural areas.

“Essentially, the Smart Villages concept opens up new opportunities to improve the sustainability of rural areas and it reflects the principles and methods associated with being ‘smart and competitive’,” said CEO of GRD, Steve Dolan. 

“By any measure, Smart Villages Mountbellew has been an unqualified success and we’ve now had a wonderful beginning here in Headford.

“As a start point, Smart Village training has been developed to address the needs of the community and businesses alike.

“This training, beginning this coming Tuesday in Saint Fursa’s Hall at 8pm, will help up-skill the wider Headford community under a number of strategic themes in the areas of food, nature, smart towns, and transport. Everyone in the wider Headford area is welcome to attend.”

MEP Maria Walsh was keen to acknowledge the potential for the initiative in Headford and praised the ambition.

“I’ve seen first-hand the success of the initiative in Mountbellew over the past 12 months and, given my own background in community work, I am intimately familiar with LEADER,” she said.

“Given the evidence of ‘Smart Villages’ successes across the EU, I’m delighted to see it embraced in Headford.”

Ms Walsh said she looked forward to the fruits of the work over the coming months.

“Sharing ideas, sharing experience, and building intercommunity relationships are core concepts of Smart Villages which aims to deliver for communities.

“If we are to build a vibrant rural future for Irish citizens’, then proven initiatives like this must be central to our endeavours and I know how committed the team at GRD are to its goals.”

Councillor Andrew Reddington also warmly welcomed the news.

“Smart Villages is expected to be a major element of the next round of EU Programming, including for LEADER resources.

“When the opportunity came for Headford to be included as part of this initiative, as a community we have grabbed it and we have ambitious plans for what we would like seen achieved. The journey starts here.”

UHG reminds people of delays as Emergency Department moves to new location

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Michael Malone
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galway daily news emergency department uhg waiting room

University Hospital Galway has apologised for disruption and additional delays as the Emergency Department moves to a new location this weekend.

The service began relocating to a temporary Emergency Department at the front of the hospital yesterday.

UHG has requested that people only attend the Emergency Department at the hospital if it is an emergency situation over this weekend.

They are asking that people attend their GP or out of hours service in the first instance if at all possible.

The Roscommon Injury Unit is also open from 8am to 8pm to treat a range of injuries in both adults and children over five years of age.

ATU Galway-Mayo lecturer wins prestigous technology award

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Michael Malone
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galway daily news wayne gibbons

A civil engineering lecturer at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Galway-Mayo has won a prestigious award for creating and developing a suite of Digital Open Badges.

Dr Wayne Gibbons won the Association for Learning Technology Learning Technologist of the Year 2022 award for creating badges to keep students motivated throughout their studies and increase their employability.

He is the first Irish academic to be awarded this international accolade.

The award recognises the positive impact Dr Gibbon’s doctoral study has had on the learning and teaching experience in ATU Galway-Mayo.

He investigated best practice for designing and implementing digital open badges into a module through engaging with students, lecturing staff, institute management and an employer over a three-year research period.

Dr Gibbon’s research finds that since they were implemented into the curriculum digital badges have resulted in an increase in motivation, engagement, confidence, peer learning, attendance and enhanced links to employability.

“The badges are a great way to recognise and reward the types of attitudes and behaviours that are not captured in an exam or a numerical grade,” he said.

“This can include traits such a teamwork, mentoring, attitude to self-improvement and commitment to learning. These are traits that employers are keen to know about, but which can be difficult to provide evidence for.

“The badges are a mechanism for providing this evidence for the students. This allows them to tell the full story about their experience, not just their grades.”

Galway Docklands Festival to celebrate maritime culture

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Michael Malone
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galway daily news docklands festival poster

Galway Docklands Festival will celebrate maritime culture in the city on October 21, 22 and 23 with a number of fun activities lined up.

The three-day event will take place in the Docklands area, comprising the harbour, the commercial Docks, Claddagh and along the shore.

The festival will highlight Galway’s seafood and local beers, introduce people to the city’s iconic Galway Hooker sailing boats and our maritime history as well as lots of family fun and activities.

The festival is being organised by Galway Bay Boat Tours, Galway Hooker Sailing Club and Galway Bay Seafoods.

It will finish with an auction in Claddagh Hall on the Sunday evening, with lots of fun promised throughout the weekend. All funds raised will go to Galway RNLI and LAST (Lost at Sea Tragedies).

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.

For more information, click here.

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