Sonya Lennon (left) Chair of this year’s Good Causes Awards judging panel, pictured along with Gráinne Seoige and Jennifer Crowe, the National Lottery CSR and Good Causes Relationship Manager. Pic: Mac Innes Photography
Two Galway organisations which promote the Irish language have been announced as finalists in this year’s National Lottery Good Causes Awards.
Gaillimh le Gaeilge and Muintearas Teoranta are among 35 shortlisted community groups, sports clubs and organisations that will each receive €1,000 and a hand-crafted trophy.
The groups will now proceed to the grand final, which has seven categories: Arts & Culture, Community, Health & Wellbeing, Heritage, Irish language, Sport and Youth.
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony which takes place on Saturday, 1 October in the Kilashee House Hotel, Co. Kildare, where each of the seven category winners will receive €10,000 and the overall Good Cause of the Year will take home an additional €25,000.
The Awards honour the inspiring work and achievements of thousands of projects, clubs and individuals from all over Ireland who, with the help of National Lottery Good Causes funding, have had an extraordinary impact on their local communities.
Gaillimh le Gaeilge
Gaillimh le Gaeilge was established with the aim of promoting the Irish language, particularly as an economic resource, in the Galway area.
Gaillimh le Gaeilge works in association with Galway City Council, Galway Chamber and other groups to develop and strengthen Galway’s official Bilingual Status.
Good Causes funding through the Irish Language Support Scheme goes towards the hosting of ‘Gradam Sheosaimh Uí Ógartaigh’, which is the longest established bilingual awards of its kind in Ireland.
Muintearas Teoranta
Muintearas Teoranta is a national community-based education and training centre that promotes the Irish language from their hubs in the Gaeltacht regions of Galway, Cork and Donegal.
The Good Causes Irish Language support grant that they received went towards a Youth Project that focuses on encouraging a group of secondary school students to develop new artistic ideas through the medium of music.
The programme started with a group of young artists who came together to rearrange three traditional songs. An organisation, which is engaged in filmmaking, expressed an interest in the song and it will now be accompanied by a video which has since been released.
Gráinne Seoige, who will host the awards for the third consecutive year, said she is looking forward to meeting this year’s fantastic finalists in person.
“Hearing stories of triumph, strength and endurance have stood out as highlights from my previous two experiences of presenting the Awards, and I am certain that this year will be no different,” she said.
“Seeing how communities from all over Ireland help and look out for each other is a truly inspiring part of the night and one that I am looking forward to playing a part in.”
The population of the State has increased by 7.6% to over 5.1 million, the preliminary results of the 2022 Census have revealed.
All counties in the Republic recorded an increase in their populations over the past six years.
The population growth in Co. Galway was smaller than the national average (7.1%) with the county’s population rising to 276,451.
Galway city had 83,456 inhabitants on Census night in early April and Galway county’s population grew to just shy of 193,000.
Housing
Nationally, rental properties accounted for over 20% (35,380 dwellings) of the vacant residential units identified in the census.
This figure included short term lettings and properties that were between lets but may not have been advertised.
Galway City (38%) has the highest proportion of vacant rental properties in the State, while Galway County (17%) had among the lowest proportions of vacant rental units.
In Galway County (24%) and Mayo (24%), properties were most often vacant because the owner was deceased, whereas this was much less common in Galway city (6%).
Properties in the cities were in general less likely to be vacant because the residents had emigrated than for rural dwellings.
Commenting on the release, Cormac Halpin, Senior Statistician in the Census Division, said the preliminary results show a population of 5,123,536 on Census night.
“There were 2,593,600 females and 2,529,936 males recorded, which is an increase of 7.7% and 7.5% respectively,” he said.
“The population increase of 361,671 was made up of a natural increase (births minus deaths) of 171,338 and estimated net inward migration (population change minus natural increase) of 190,333.
“The counties recording the highest population growth were in Leinster. Longford grew by more than 14%, with Meath, Kildare, and Fingal, also growing strongly.
“In contrast to Census 2016, when three counties (Mayo, Sligo, and Donegal) had a fall in their population, the Preliminary Results show that the population of every county has increased since 2016.”
A 24-hour weather warning has been issued for Galway ahead of heavy rain forecast for tomorrow and Saturday.
The status yellow rain warning was issued by Met Éireann this morning, and will begin at 12 midday on Friday.
The forecasters say there will be heavy showers or longer spells of rain, and thundery downpours could lead to spot flooding.
Ten other counties in the south and west are affected by the alert – Clare, Cork, Kerry, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, and Waterford.
The warning is set to be lifted at midday on Saturday.
Further spells of rain and showers are then forecast across the country during Saturday night.
Sunday will see a mix of sunny spells and widespread heavy and possibly thundery showers.
Sunday night will continue much the same, with scattered showers heaviest and most frequent in the west and northwest.
Lowest temperatures will be 8 to 12 degrees with light to moderate south to southwest winds.
Five Galway sailing clubs will take part in Europe’s oldest and longest inland water sailing race this Saturday, 25 June.
The Cong to Galway Sailing Race will feature Galway Hooker Sailing Club, Galway City Sailing Club, Corrib Rowing & Yachting Club, Galway Bay Sailing Club and Spiddal Sailing Club.
Four hookers from Galway Hooker Sailing Club will take to the waters on Saturday, with the traditional vessels lining up alongside modern dinghies in the historic race.
The course – about 30 nautical miles in total – follows the old steamer route from Lisloughrey pier near Cong in Mayo to Galway city. The race start is near Ashford Castle at the northern end of the lake.
It is raced as two legs with the first leg finishing at Kilbeg, where competitors will take a break for lunch and refreshments.
The second leg is via a narrower channel in the lower lake and on to the river, finishing at Corrib Village.
Spectators are invited to watch this race and there are many viewing points along the shores.
Some of the best viewing points are along the river by Dangan and the Quincentennial Bridge where audiences will be able to see many of the sailing dinghies having to capsize to fit under the bridge.
The hookers must also be ready to drop their masts and hoist them again once they are under the bridge.
Údarás na Gaeltachta has announced that international engineering firm Atkins has won a contract to develop an offshore wind energy hub on lands in Ros an Mhíl in Connemara.
The hub could support up to 900 jobs in the Connemara Gaeltacht, serving multiple floating and fixed wind farms off the west coast.
Atkins’ master plan will involve planning the port development, carrying out an economic assessment, detailing the engineering and logistical requirements, and creating a Green Port Development plan with a view of attaining net-zero operations
In recognition of the Gaeltacht status of the area, Atkins have also brought Irish-speaking engineers from the area onboard as core team members of the project.
“The development of Ros an Mhíl as an offshore wind energy hub is likely to have a profound impact, not just on the economy of the Gaeltacht regions of Conamara and the Aran Islands,” said Údarás CEO, Micheál Ó hÉanaigh, “but also on Ireland’s ability to lessen its energy independence.”
Údarás’s initial feasibility study, along with looking at the job creation possibilities, also looked at many different opportunities for economic growth in areas such as construction and assembly which would lead to further revenues and jobs.
In terms of economic impact, the GVA for the Galway Gaeltacht is estimated at €2.38 billion.
A Galway East TD has criticised the HSE for not maintaining a Covid-19 contact tracing centre in the west of Ireland, saying that the Government’s mantra is ‘to hell with Connacht’.
Independent TD Seán Canney said that people in the west of Ireland pay taxes equal to other parts of the country – but they are treated as ‘second class citizens’ when it comes to services.
He said the HSE’s decision to keep Test & Trace centres in Dublin and Cork is yet another decision by a ‘Dublin-centred organisation’, which ignores people in the West.
“I believe that this latest decision is clear evidence that the West does not feature, and we are left with the crumbs from each Government decision,” said Deputy Canney.
“Other examples of this unfair treatment lies in the fact that there is no passport office in the West, yet there is one in Dublin and Cork.
“The Government’s mantra is definitely to hell with Connacht,” he said.
Young aspiring filmmakers in Galway will have a chance to be involved in a trainee film production crew for the 2022 Cross Border Short Film Academy.
The teenagers, aged 15-18 from across the island of Ireland, will be assigned roles on a film crew and must be available on the project dates which are 15 August, 10 September and 11 September.
Cinemagic is looking for committed, talented and creative young people for a series of film masterclasses and pre-production which will culminate in a short film made by the teenagers.
The successful applicants will take part in a compulsory programme of practical training, giving the young filmmakers an invaluable insight into all aspects of filmmaking.
Cinemagic chief Joan Burney Keatings said that with thanks to funding provided by the Department of Education, they are looking forward to offering this valuable skills development programme.
“We are looking forward to meeting and working with young talented and creative teens, who are interested in the film industry and want to share ideas and learn from industry professionals.
“We are looking for young people from all backgrounds to come together on a cross-border project and work on a common goal and illustrate what can be achieved working as a team on this innovative opportunity.”
No previous experience is necessary, but applicants must be able to commit to the programme for its duration.
Interviews will take place Wednesday 29 June 5pm – 6pm, and Friday 1 July 9am – 12 midday.
Staff members Xhulio Myftart, Kathy Staunton, Yvonne Duffy (manager), Chloe Duffy and Shauna Fadian were pictured celebrating after it was announced that the Maxol Service Station on the Newport Road in Westport, Co. Mayo sold Tuesday night’s winning EuroMillions Plus ticket worth €500,000.
A lucky EuroMillions player has become €500,000 richer overnight after scooping the top prize in yesterday evening’s EuroMillions Plus draw.
The winning Quick Pick ticket was bought yesterday in Westport, Co. Mayo, at the Maxol Service Station on the Newport Road.
The shop’s store manager Yvonne Duffy said she was delighted to get the call about the win, saying that it is great news for Westport.
“All of us here in the store – myself, Pauric and the entire team – are thrilled to hear that one of our customers now has a ticket worth €500,000,” she said.
“I am sure the winner must have gotten some surprise – that’s if they have even checked their ticket yet! I’d we will see lots of our customers eager to scan their tickets in-store today. We wish the winner all the very best with their big win!”
The winning numbers for the Tuesday, 21 June EuroMillions Plus draw were: 07, 25, 26, 28, 41.
The West of Ireland winner is advised to sign the back of their ticket, which is now worth €500,000, and keep it safe.
The winner should contact the National Lottery prize claims team on 1800 666 222 or email claims@lottery.ie and arrangements will be made for them to claim their prize.
As there was no winner of the incredible €143,671,414 jackpot on offer in Tuesday night’s draw, Friday’s EuroMillions jackpot is now set to roll towards an estimated €160 million.
NUI Galway has reached a new level in advancing gender equality, with the School of Health Sciences securing the ninth Athena Swan Bronze Award for the University.
The award recognised the commitment to advancing gender equality in health sciences for both staff and students, and in creating cultural change within the University.
It highlights the work which has been done to identify gender equality issues, such as the under-representation of men and understaffing in some areas and the ongoing impacts of the pandemic.
NUI Galway Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Helen Maher, said that they are ‘greatly encouraged’ by the progress the University has made on gender equality, particularly in the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences where all three schools have secured bronze awards.
“This latest award demonstrates that our efforts and our commitment on this unfinished journey are embedding equality, diversity and inclusion in our culture and our collective responsibilities,” she said.
Professor Martin O’Donnell, Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at NUI Galway, congratulated the School of Heath Sciences.
“All three Schools in our College have now attained Bronze Awards, which demonstrates an important but initial step in our commitment to advancing equality, diversity and inclusion in our College and wider community,” said Professor O’Donnell.
Professor Caroline McIntosh, Head of the School of Health Sciences at NUI Galway, said that she is very proud to have the School of Health Sciences awarded the Bronze Athena Swan award.
“I look forward to supporting the implementation of our action plan to foster an environment where all staff feel that they have ample prospects to reach their potential,” said Prof McIntosh.
“Our action plan lays the foundation for embedding equality, inclusion, and support within our School.
“A particular challenge for our School is the extreme gender imbalance – our professions are predominantly female with low male representation, which is clearly reflected in our own academic and student profile.
“Through the implementation of our action plan we aim to work towards greater gender representation in our professions while also addressing the more well-known gender equality issues associated with a predominantly female School.”
Galway Film Fleadh has unveiled the full programme for the 2022 summer film festival, as it returns in full next month.
After two years of being mostly online, Galway Film Fleadh will be filling screens in Galway from July 5-10.
The 34th annual Fleadh features and exciting lineup of home grown and international talent, with an impressive 32 new Irish films, including 18 world premieres and 18 debut features.
These include the world premiere of director Declan Recks’ Tarrac, an intimate character drama set in the Kerry Gaeltacht.
Tarrac follows Aoife Ní Bhraoin who returns home to help her father recover from a heart attack.
Over the course of a summer, Aoife gets pulled back into the competitive world of rowing in Naomhóg boats, and 15 years of suppressed grief, anger, and sadness boil up in the water.
One of the nine nominees for the Fleadh’s Bingham Ray New Talent Award, Éanna Hardwicke (Smother, Normal People) stars in two features this year.
He is joined by multi-hyphenate Ollie West in his feature debut alongside David O’Hara in Michael Kiniron’s drama The Sparrow, the tale of a teenage boy in a remote fishing village, wrestling with the secret of a tragic accident.
The Sparrow
Lakelands
In Lakelands, Hardwicke plays young Gaelic footballer, Cian who struggles to come to terms with a career-ending injury, alongside fellow New Talent Award nominee Danielle Galligan (Shadow and Bone, Game of Thrones).
Renowned Irish artist Aideen Barry will be bringing her debut feature film Klostės to the Fleadh, and imaginative black-and-white film merging early cinematic techniques including stop motion animation.
Klostės was created through collaboration with hundreds of citizens of the inter-war modernist city of Kaunas in Lithuania.
Other less traditional narrative pieces include the World Premieres of experimental filmmaker Dean Kavanagh’s first narrative feature Hole in the Head and visual artist Bryony Dunne’s docu-fiction piece, Surrender Your Horns.
As the full programme for this year’s Fleadh was revealed on Tuesday, Chair of the Board of the Galway Film Fleadh Annie Doona said, “On behalf of myself and the Board of Galway Film Fleadh I am delighted to welcome you all to the Fleadh 2022.”
“It’s wonderful to be back to normal and to meet the industry and friends old and new face to face.”
“The film industry in Ireland is thriving after a difficult few years and I’m so excited to see so many strong and diverse Irish films on show this year alongside some great industry events and panels.”
Exploring the world with Documentary
Documentary fans will have tough choices to make from the Sinéad O’Connor biopic Nothing Compares, the controversial views of pro-nuclear activists in Frankie Fenton’s documentary Atomic Hope: Inside the Pro-Nuclear Movement, and many more.
Atomic Hope
Across the world, China is in the grip of ‘pianomania’ in Gary Lennon’s Piano Dreams, chronicling three young musicians and their families in a competitive world.
Afghan Dreamers from David Greenwald follows an all-girls robotics team from Afghanistan who risk their lives to prove they can have a future as more than just teenage brides.
Working in secret under Taliban rule, the high school-aged team members face immense odds and ever-present danger to change perceptions in their male-dominated culture.
A Global Film Festival
Galway Film Fleadh is not just a showcase for Irish features, but boasts and boosts talent from 30 different countries.
In the Finnish comedy Bad Women, a busload of Russian sex workers seek sanctuary in a traditional parish community hall.
In Finnish director Alli Haapasalo’s Sundance debut Girl Picture, Aamu Milonoff (Netflix’s Deadwind) plays Mimmi, who experiences the earth shattering effects of falling in love with Emma, while her best friend Rönkkö goes on a quest to find something she’s never experienced before: pleasure.
In solidarity with Ireland’s new Ukrainian community, four new features from the still-productive Ukrainian film community present stories and themes that have taken on new resonance in light of the Russian invasion.
The Fleadh will close with Carol of the Bells, a period drama whose story of survival amidst occupation in pre & post-WWII Ukraine takes on new resonance amid the current war.
Carol of the Bells
The film will be presented by director Olesya Morgunets-Isaenko and the lead actor Yana Koroliova, who now lives in Ireland.
This is just a small taste of the world cinema that will be coming to screens in Galway next month.
Of course, nostalgia has been a growing motif in cinema lately, something that is very much in line with the Fleadh’s motif ‘Return to the West’ this year.
To celebrate, the film festival will see a reunion of the cast & crew from the classic Into the West on the 30th anniversary of the award-winning family adventure.
The Fleadh has announced a Sunday matinée of Into the West, followed by a conversation with scriptwriter Jim Sheridan, director Mike Newell, and other key creative cast & crew who brought the film to life.
The Film Fleadh boasts fourteen programmes of short films, comprised of over 100 Irish and International shorts, all competing for the Fleadh’s Oscar® qualifying prizes.
This year also features a late-night shorts programme for the first time, focusing on horror themed shorts, to round out the festival’s genre section.
Rounding out the premieres and Q+A’s are a range of industry events, panel discussions and public interviews.
Four young people were arrested in connection with an arson attack on a home in Claregalway over the weekend.
Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of an incident in Claregalway at approximately 4:15am on Sunday.
A house and car were damaged as a result of this arson, but Gardaí say that no injuries were reported.
Four people were arrested in connection with this incident. Three aged in their mid-teens and were released pending referral to the Youth Diversion Programme.
The fourth individual, aged in their late teens, was released without charge pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In a second incident this week, a house in Doughiska was damaged in an arson attack in the early hours of Tuesday.
Gardaí also confirmed that no-one was injured as a result of this incident, which occurred at approximately 1:20am yesterday.
No arrests have been made, and investigations are ongoing a statement to Galway Daily said.
Anyone with information regarding either incident is asked to contact their local Garda Station.
Parenting small children can be challenging at the best of times. There are hundreds of books out there listing things for parents to do, but what happens when you’re in the real world, and things don’t go as planned?
Finding Victoria, from the Galway based author Kristin Ruane, is Peter Pan meets Mary Poppins…with the science of helping to understanding children.
Finding Victoria is a book for anyone who enjoys a story about connection, compassion, adventure, and magic!
The story follows Victoria, an adorable, yet stubborn child who meets her match when her mother, Valerie, decides to call a behavior analyst.
Kay is an experienced therapist who has been working with families for years, but she’s never met a girl quite like Victoria.
Kay works hard to untangle some of her challenging behaviors, and to teach Victoria her most hated task – writing.
Therapy takes a sudden turn when Kay immerses herself in Victoria’s play world and discovers her secret – she’s magic.
This book is a must have for parents, teachers, behaviour analysts, psychologists, and pretty much anyone who knows children.
Kristin Ruane is originally from New Jersey in the US, but for the past eight years has been living, studying and working in Galway.
Kristin Ruane
Finding Victoria is a training guide for parents based on her expertise as in the field of Applied Behavioural Analysis.
“For a long time, I wrote fairytales. It never occurred to me to write about what I did for a living, until one day, I was talking with a parent that I was working with, and she told me, ‘You need to write about this!’,” Kristin explained.
“It was then that I realised I could combine my love of writing fairytales with my love of psychology, teaching and behaviour analysis. I’m hoping the book will help to increase awareness of the field of ABA, and offer support to parents that need it.”
Kristin moved to Galway, where her grandfather hails from in Mountbellew, to pursue her PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis at NUI Galway.
Over the course of those eight years she has also written, and now self-published this book, which she describes as “informative fiction”, merging elements of the real into the fantastical story.
“I’m fascinated by connection, it’s why my research was what it was, and it’s why I’ve written this book.”
“The world has changed so much, and I think we’re unaware of how much we’re disconnecting from each other, and ourselves.”
“We probably all have a lot to learn about why we do the things we do, and if we’re honest with ourselves, we probably all need a little hope and magic in our lives, too,” Kristin said.
Irish Water needs to improve the way it communicates with customers when issues arise, City Councillor Alan Cheevers has said.
Cllr Cheevers said that when there are Irish Water needs to do better about updating customers when there are outages.
This comes after a “major disruption” to the water supply in parts of Ballybane, Doughiska, and Ballybrit last week.
Cllr Cheevers said that some houses in the east side of the city were without water for up to 48 hours, with the only available information being on their website.
“I rang on few occasions to the help desk and was given varied times when water would resume.”
“It is very confusing, especially for families with young children who need water. Also many elderly may not have access to internet to get messaging,” Alan Cheevers said.
Notifications here will usually have an estimated time when water is expected to be restored, but repairs can at times take significantly longer, and the notification is usually not updated until they are completed.
Cllr Cheevers said that Irish Water needs to look at other methods of messaging their customers.
One man has been arrested in connection with the seizure of more than €30,000 worth of cannabis in Galway on Tuesday.
Gardaí with the Galway Divisional Drugs Unit carried out a search at a home in the Milltown area yesterday evening.
During the course of the search they found cannabis plants worth €22,000, along with a quantity of Cannabis herb valued at €11,000.
A man in his 30’s was arrested at the scene and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 for questioning at the North Western Regional HQ.
He has since been released without charge and a file will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Galway County Council is holding a series of events for a Climate Awareness Day at County Hall today.
The day will see a series of events on topics such as home energy improvements, electric vehicles, protecting biodiversity, and other climate actions people can take.
The Climate Awareness event will run from 10:30am to 2:30pm on Wednesday at Arás an Chontae, Prospect Hill.
Among the events on today will be:
See a working example of an Air to Water Heat Pump
Learn about the council’s Housing Retrofit, Lighting, Active Travel, and Community programmes
Take an Electric Vehicle for a test drive (bring your licence)
Learn about the importance of Biodiversity, and how to protect it
Get advice on Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grants and Deep Energy Retrofits. (Bring heating bills)
The Bristol Bears Joe Joyce has said that he is “very excited” to be joining Connacht, and the opportunity to represent his Galway roots.
Connacht Rugby announced that the 28 year old forward will be joining the province for the start of the 2023/24 season.
Joyce will first complete his 11th season with Bristol, where he has already made over 150 appearances, and had a distinguished and very popular career.
Head Coach Andy Friend said that they are thrilled that Joyce will be making the Sportsground his new home.
“Whilst we know his arrival is still 12 months away, we are already excited by the prospect of what he will bring to Connacht Rugby and his signing represents a key addition to the squad we are looking to build.”
“Joe is a big physical lock, with excellent athletic and footballing ability and so he is a great fit for how we want play.”
“Off the pitch Joe is also the type of player who understands the importance of community and I have no doubt he will make a positive impact in that area, something we as a club place a significant value on.”
In 2017/2018 Joyce was named the Bristol Bears Player of the Season, when he played a leading role in his hometown club’s promotion back to the top flight.
While Joyce has consistently been one of the Bears’ best performers over the last number of years, the 2021/22 season has arguably been his best yet.
Acting as Captain for parts of the campaign, Joyce’s huge contribution both on and off the pitch was recognised when he was named the club’s Forward of the Season, Team Man of the Season and Supporters’ Player of the Season.
The 28 year old is extremely proud of his heritage in the region. His grandparents hail hail from Clonbur here in Galway.
“After many years representing my hometown club I’m very excited about the opportunity to represent my Irish roots and my family name.”
“I’ve been to the West of Ireland and The Sportsground on many occasions to visit family and as a supporter, and I can’t wait to make an impact on and off the field in the province as a Connacht player and make my family proud.”
“After speaking to the coaches, Tim and Willie I’m very excited about the future of Connacht Rugby and can’t wait to be a part of it.”
The Galway Races promise to be back with a flourish this summer, and we recently got a preview of the stylish extravaganza expected this year.
The Connacht Hospitality Group, sponsors of this year’s Ladies Day, couldn’t wait for July, and kicked off the festival of fashion with a night of elegance at the Hyde Bar.
The afternoon fashion showcase was a look at some of the latest looks in Brown Thomas Galway.
Ladies Day Head judge for this year Mandy Maher was joined by fellow judge Kieran O Malley hosting the event. which was attended by a number of well-known fashionistas such as Grainne Seoige, Jennifer Wrynne, Niamh O Donavan, Pam Richardson and many more.
Kieran O’Malley and Mandy Maher
Kieran O’Malley, who is in PR & Digital Marketing for the Connacht Hospitality Group, and of course, the famed Galway Player, said that the style on display was stunning.
“So many fabulous pieces that would definitely turn heads in Ballybrit,” he enthused. “There was a mix of vibrant colours and some classic cuts, the outfits were fun and elegant, the perfect combination for a days racing.”
Jekyll at Hyde has very quickly become recognised as the most photogenic bar space in the city with a whole host of companies using it as a location for photoshoots such as Harper, Or Jewelry and Carraig Donn to name but a few.
Hyde Bar will be the place to be seen this race week with lots of fantastic entertainment lined up for the week including The Ladies Day After party featuring Sax Appeal.
This fashion show was the first of a number of fashion shows taking place in Galway ahead of the races next month, whetting people’s appetites for the socialising, and strutting their stuff.
1 of 3
This will be be the first proper Galway Races to take place since 2019, after two years behind closed doors, and Kieran said that he’s counting down the days.
“The style will be out of this world but what I’m most looking forward to is meeting up with old friends again, that for me is the best part of the festival.”
The Connacht Hospitality Group have come on board as the sponsors of this year’s Ladies Day Best Dressed competition with a prize fund of €13,000.
This includes €10,000 cash for the Best Dressed Prize and €3,000 for the Best Hat.
Mandy Maher and Kieran will have the tough job of picking out the winners from what’s sure to be a spectacular display, as people pull out all the stops for the summer festival.
“It’s hard to say but we are looking for something classic and chic,” Kieran explained, adding, “for me its someone who has put a lot of thought into their outfit, perhaps its upcycled or homemade.”
“I just expect to know when we see that one outfit. The style need to be elegant, classy and show personality for me.”
The 2022 Galway Races will welcome guest back at Ballybrit Racecourse from Monday, July 25, through to Sunday, July 31, with the world renowned Ladies Day taking place on the Thursday.
Galway County Council has given the green light for a residential development of 49 houses in Headford Town, also barring corporate buyers.
Planning permission has been granted to Callanan & Walsh Construction Co. Ltd for a housing estate at Eallagh, on the south side of Headford.
The housing in the new estate would comprise a mix of two and three bedroom bungalows, semi-detached houses, and terraced houses.
The original plans were for 56 homes, but these were amended in consultation with the council.
Condition No. 2 of planning permission also stipulated that a further four houses on the south east and north west corners of the site shall be removed in favour of open space.
Two new entry and exit points for pedestrians and vehicles would be created off the existing Eallagh estate access roads.
A landscaped open green area with a playground would be located in the centre of the new housing estate.
The estate will have 1.5 parking spaces per bungalow, and two parking spaces each for all of the other houses on their sites.
All told, Galway County Council attached 31 conditions to the planning permission for the housing estate.
Among those, the council said that all of the homes shall be reserved for individual buyers, barring corporate entities making bulk purchases.
Mitigation measures outlined in the road safety audit must be implemented, and a further audit carried out after the estate is completed.
The developer must also pay a contribution of €201,157.50 to the county council, towards the provision of public services in the area.
A series of in-person public consultation events on the proposed Galway to Oughterard Greenway are taking place this week.
The Greenway project is currently at the Option Selection stage, and public feedback is being invited on the different route proposals.
As part of this consultation, Galway County Council is holding three day long information events in Moycullen, Oughterard, and Galway City this week.
All three of the public consultation events will run throughout the day, from noon until 9pm in each area.
The schedule of the three events is:
Áras Uillinn, Church Road, Moycullen – Tuesday, June 21
Oughterard Community Centre, Main Street – Wednesday, June 22
Clybaun Hotel, Clybaun Road, Galway City – Thursday. June 23
All of the information about the greenway, including the different route options, can be found online at galwaytooughterardgreenway.ie.
Once completed, the route will form part of the Connemara Greenway between Galway and Clifden.
It will also make up part of the EuroVelo 1 (‘Atlantic Coast’) route, which is an 11,000km long-distance cycling route between Norway and Portugal.
The full statutory public consultation will last until Friday, July 15, with people able to give feedback online through the above link, or send it in via email or post.
Emails should be sent to galwaytooughterardgreenway@aecom.com, and written feeback should be addressed to Connemara Greenway Project, NRPO Office, Galway County Council, Corporate House, City East Business Park, Ballybrit, Galway, H91 KT67.
Galway-based choreographer and performer Magdalena Hylak brings her first full-length ensemble work, RACKET, to the stage at Dance Limerick on September 11 at 7:30pm.
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