Strike action by medical scientists called off

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May 24, 2022

Cork v Galway - TG4 Ladies Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter-Final — Aine McDonagh of Galway. Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile

TG4 has today announced a five-year sponsorship extension of the All-Ireland Ladies Football Championships.

The new deal is set to last until the conclusion of the 2027 season and all games in the 2022 championships will be available to viewers worldwide.

TG4 has been title sponsors of the competition since 2001, and the deal ensures that the LGFA they will work closely together in 2024 to celebrate the association’s 50^th anniversary.

This is the second major sponsorship renewal for the LGFA in 2022, after National League sponsors Lidl committed to a further four years.

TG4 has committed to screening 13 fixtures live during this year’s All-Ireland Championships, beginning on Saturday, June 11, with a double-header from the group stages of the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship.

The summer schedule will run until TG4 All-Ireland Finals day on Sunday, July 31, when the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Championship Finals will be screened exclusively live on TG4.

The Junior Final will get underway at 11.45am, the Intermediate decider will begin at 1.45pm, and the Senior Final will throw in at 4pm.

Peil na mBan Beo will be available to audiences globally on the TG4 Player and on the TG4 Mobile and Smart TV App.

Former Galway star Máire Ní Bhraonáin will lead TG4’s Peil na mBan Beo coverage once again for the forthcoming Championship season and the commentary team will be headed up by Brian Tyers.

They will be joined by expert panellists including former Cork stars Rena Buckley and Rhóna Ní Bhuachalla, ex-Waterford ace Michelle Ryan, former Dublin player Sinéad Finnegan, current TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year and 2021 All-Ireland Senior medallist Vikki Wall from Meath, and current Donegal player Emer Gallagher.

TG4’s coverage will be produced by Waterford-based production company, Nemeton TV.

The LGFA and TG4 have also confirmed that all other games that are not being televised in the TG4 All-Ireland Championships will be available to view via the LGFA’s live-streaming service.

Speaking on behalf of TG4, Director General Alan Esslemont said that in 2000, both Ladies Football and the Irish language were matters deemed to be of very marginal concern in Ireland.

“By standing together as partners for over twenty years, LGFA and TG4 have managed to attain remarkable national success and status, bringing change to those societal views,” he said.

“However, much work remains to be done and I believe that this five-year deal between TG4 and LGFA gives a very clear signal of our joint intent to redouble our efforts to achieve a better parity.

“For TG4 to fully achieve that parity, we need Government to address the TG4 Post-Covid funding strategy which aims to see TG4 moving from the margins of the public service media ecosystem to a place which better reflects the importance of the Irish language in today’s society in Ireland.”

Galway Against Gas protest against planned Tynagh power station

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May 24, 2022

galway daily news tynagh power station protest

Galway Against Gas has held a protest at Tynagh Power Station where a new gas power plant is planned.

Galway County Council have granted initial planning permission for the new fossil fuel plant, however an appeal against their decision has been lodged with An Bord Pleanála.

A spokesperson for Galway Against Gas said that building new fossil fuel infrastructure is totally at odds with what we need to do to deal with the climate emergency.

The organisation, which is an alliance of local environmental activists, believes that new infrastructure like this will ‘lock us into fossil fuel usage for at least another 25-50 years’.

“In the last week, the International Energy Agency have said nearly half of existing fossil fuel production sites need to be shut down early if global heating is to be limited to 1.5C, the internationally agreed goal for avoiding climate catastrophe,” a statement from the group said.

“This comes on the back of a warning by the UN Secretary General that investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure is ‘moral and economic madness’.

“Instead we need urgent investment in renewables, and measures to decrease the enormous energy consumption of things like data centres.”

An appeal has been lodged with An Bord Pleanála and Galway Against Gas is awaiting the outcome, “hoping they will see sense”.

“The last planning application made for a gas plant in the state was eventually rejected, so we are hopeful. Even if this appeal is turned down, we will not give up and will exhaust every possible avenue.”

“People are experiencing an energy cost crisis at the moment. Prolonging our reliance on imported fossil fuels from unstable markets is not a viable response. We should be producing as much of our own energy from renewable sources as we possibly can.”

Galway students triumph at enterprise awards for successful business ideas

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May 24, 2022

galway daily news galway students from moutbellew at the student enterprise awards with their book know your phone — James Donoghue and Paul Mannion from Holy Rosary College in Mountbellew, second place winners in the senior category at the National Student Enterprise Finals

Two Galway students have taken second prize in the Senior category in this year’s Student Enterprise Programme for an intriguing book which helps people to use their smartphones effectively.

James Donoghue and Paul Mannion from Holy Rosary College in Mountbellew were announced as the runners-up at a ceremony in Dublin yesterday for the book titled ‘Know Your Phone’.

The student enterprise has been a rousing success so far, with sales of over €9,000.

Galway students also succeeded in the ‘Creative Business Idea’ competition, which gave students a chance to showcase their most innovative business ideas via a video pitch, without having to produce a product or service.

The winner in the Senior category was ‘Heat the Feet’ by Luis Rauner, a student at Merlin College in Galway city.

The Natasha Lynch Memorial Awards for Excellence in Social Media went to Paddy McGrath and Callum Lally of ‘LMG Sports’ from Presentation College Athenry.

This year, over 24,000 students from almost 500 secondary schools across Ireland took part in the overall programme.

An Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar, who took part in the ceremony, congratulated the winners and everyone who took part in the programme.

“To be able to create an idea, turn that idea into a business and to grow that business, is a remarkable skill that will stand to you no matter what you end up doing in your career later in life,” he said.

“In Ireland we have always shown great fortitude, determination and grit in times of difficulty and if these students are anything to go by, we have not lost that ability – in fact, I’m more positive than ever about the future and the next generation.”

An Tánaiste also gave a special mention to the teachers and parents who helped the students along the way, and said that we will all benefit from their efforts.

Breda Fox, Head of Enterprise at Local Enterprise Office Galway – which supported and helped to deliver the programme – said that it showcases the very best of Irish ingenuity and entrepreneurship.

“This year produced a varied selection of businesses, from agricultural products and homemade gifts to products that were built on our unique ability to tell compelling stories,” she said.

“We see every year that the National Finals are not an end point for our student entrepreneurs, but a stepping stone on the next stage of their entrepreneurial journey. From our class of 21/22 we will see some business leaders and global entrepreneurs of the future emerge.”

Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 300,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business.

The Student Enterprise Programme also has a new range of online resources for 2021/2022 at www.StudentEnterprise.ie.

Cyclist in serious condition following collision involving truck

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May 24, 2022

A cyclist has been hospitalised with serious injuries following a crash north of Tuam on Monday evening.

Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of a collision involving a truck and a bicycle yesterday.

The collision occurred at Russelltown, Milltown, Tuam at approximately 5:30pm on Monday.

The cyclist, a male in his late teens, was taken to University Hospital Galway to be treated for his injuries.

He has since been transferred to Beaumont Hospital, where a garda spokesperson said that his condition is described to be serious.

The road was closed to allow for a technical examination to be conducted by Forensic Collision Investigators. This has since concluded and the road has reopened.

Gardaí in Tuam are appealing for witnesses to come forward and to those with camera footage (including dash-cam) to make it available to them.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Tuam Garda Station on 093 708 40, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

NUI Galway plans to build new Watersports Centre

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May 24, 2022

Galway Daily sports NUI Galway plans to build new Watersports Centre

NUI Galway is seeking planning permission for a new watersports centre for rowing, kayaking, and diving on the River Corrib.

The university has submitted plans to the city council for the new facility on its lands in the north campus, by the Quincentenary Bridge.

This watersports facility would comprise equipment storage facilities, changing rooms, drying room, bathrooms, reception, first aid, café, plant room, and a gym.

It would also contain and ergo training room, function room, kitchenette, mother and baby room, communications room, offices and test room.

Outside a boat storage shed would be built, along with two floating pontoons on the bank of the Corrib for boats to come and go from.

“The proposed Water Sports Centre will cater for the needs of the University Watersports Clubs of Rowing, Kayak, and Sub Aqua,” a cover report with the application states.

“The new centre is designed to provide state of the art training facilities for watersports that NUI Galway has excelled at both national and international level.”

“This Centre will build on these performances, such as the most recent success of an Olympic medal at the Tokyo games.”

This move will see the university’s watersports teams move from their current location beside the weir, to a “more secure” and safer spot for river users.

Site for new Watersports Centre next to the Alice Perry Engineering Building

Along with the specific watersports teams, it is also expected that the centre will be used by athletes in GAA, soccer, rugby, athletics, boxing, and others.

All told, an estimated 350 to 450 athletes will make use of the centre, which does include a gym, with watersports accounting for roughly 150 of these.

A pedestrian and cycling route linking in with the existing riverside walkway are also part of the landscaping plans for the site.

Also part of the landscaping for the site will be the planting of a grove of native ash, alder, birch, and oak tress by the pedestrian tunnel under the bridge, while also relocating existing trees.

There will not be any dedicated car parking for the facility, with parking contained at the existing park & ride car park. The plans do include 30 short-stay bicycle parking spaces.

A Natura Impact Statement and Ecological Impact Assessment reports were submitted with this planning application.

A decision on whether to grant planning permission is due from Galway City Council by July 7 of this year.

Road reopens after HGV fire in Galway City

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May 24, 2022

Galway Daily news missing teen found safe

Gardaí and Emergency Services attended the scene of a vehicle on fire in Galway City this morning.

The fire involving a heavy goods vehicle occurred on the Leitir Burca Road on the west side of the city on Tuesday morning.

A Garda spokesperson said that there have been no injuries reported as a result of this incident.

The road was closed while emergency services dealt with the fire, but has since reopened.

“Gardaí and Emergency Services attended a vehicle fire involving a HGV on the Leitir Burca road. There are no reports of any injuries.”

“The road has since been reopened,” a Garda statement said.

Terryland Forest Park scoops Pride of Place award

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May 24, 2022

Galway Daily news Terryland Forest Park scoops Pride of Place award

Terryland Forest Park has been honoured with a prestigious Pride of Place award for the work the community does in creating this incredible space for people to enjoy.

Tuatha of Terryland Forest Park in the city was the winner of the Creative Place Initiative at the awards this month, which praised its recreational, environmental, and educational value born of the sweat of community activists.

The Forest Park project first began in 1996, and is now Ireland’s largest urban public woodland project, covering an of over 120 acres.

Inside these woods can be found a range of diverse habitats including waterways, woods, meadows, pasture and limestone outcrops.

These provide essential sanctuary and habitats for a wide range of Irish flora and fauna.

The park was founded as a partnership between Galway City Council and representatives from the community, educational, scientific, artistic and environmental sectors to act as a ‘carbon sink’, a biodiversity sanctuary, an outdoor classroom and a recreational facility for Galwegians.

The judges of the Pride of Place awards said, “This group in partnership with their Council has created a bio-diversity sanctuary, that is at once educational, scientific and artistic”.

The judges gushed over the park, calling a “terrific example of how climate change can and is being tackled” in Ireland.

The project really got underway in March of 2000, when thousands of people of all ages came to plant the first trees.

Now the woodlands boasts an estimated 100,000 trees, an is kept in wonderful condition by the ongoing work of locals.

Constant usage and improvements include tree planting, creating wildflower meadows, developing sculpture trails, introducing information signage and providing guided tours.

Brendan Smith of Terryland Forest Park Alliance said that the award, which is for the years 2021 due to COVID-19, honours the people who “kept the spirit of volunteerism alive” during the pandemic.

Writing on facebook he said “I would like to use this opportunity to sincerely thank Galway City Council for nominating our group with special recognition to Tiarnan McCusker and to all of the fantastic hardworking staff in the Parks Department”.

“Namely Stephen Walsh, Lisa Smyth, Kevin Nally, Edward Skehill, Mark Ryan, Pat Callanan and Paula Kearney as well as to the hundreds of volunteers and to the thousands of people who planted trees and flowers over the years.”

The IPB Pride of Place awards were first created in 2003 to recognise and reward the work that people do, coming together to improve their local communities.

It has since grown into the largest national competition honouring community development achievements.

Over two tonnes of rubbish collected in Eglinton Canal & Claddagh Basin

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May 24, 2022

Galway Daily news Over two tonnes of rubbish collected in Eglinton Canal & Claddagh Basin

Over two tonnes of rubbish were collected during a recent Clean Up of the Eglinton Canal and Claddagh Basin.

Galway City Council and Clean coasts held the clean-up event recently as part of the Ocean Conservancy project.

The rubbish gathered included over two tonnes of litter, and material including three bicycles and two tonne bags of glass bottles, drinking glasses and drink cans.

As part of this project the Lower Eglinton Canal and Claddagh Basin were drained and litter removed by a professional contractor.

Tiarnan McCusker, Environmental Awareness Officer with Galway City Council said, ’’ Unfortunately, there has been an environmental cost to the outdoor lifestyles adopted during the pandemic.”

“From the recent clean-up, we took out a huge amount of pint glasses, beer and wine bottles, bikes and even shopping trolleys.”

“We all need to do our bit and use the bins provided in the City and not throw anything into the watercourses. Many thanks to Clean Coasts and the Ocean Conservancy for funding this initiative.’’

Every year during Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup™, hundreds of thousands of volunteers comb lakes, rivers and beaches around the world for litter.

For over three decades, more than 12 million volunteers have collected more than 100 million kg’s of rubbish.

The project aims to tackle the amount of rubbish that ends up in our ocean, threatening ocean wildlife through ingestion and entanglement.

Dara Dever, Clean Coasts Officer with An Taisce, said that this “helps us reach an area we wouldn’t normally be able to clean.”

“This has removed a significant amount of litter from our waterways and stop it breaking down further.”

“It’s very important that we respect the city’s waterways by never dumping litter in them or leaving waste in a position where it will end up in the water.’’

Nurses union warns of retention crisis as hospital pressure continues

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May 24, 2022

Ireland’s largest nurses union has expressed concern about high trolley numbers persisting into the summer, and warned that it could exacerbate a retention crisis.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation called on the government to take action as more than 5,200 patients have been on trolleys since the start of the month.

This represents a 68% increase on the figures for the same period in 2021, the INMO says. Though the health service was more affected by COVID-19 at that time.

General Secretary of the INMO Phil Ní Sheaghdha said that is a “cause of concern” for their members that trolley numbers remain so high at the beginning of summer.

“This type of overcrowding in our hospitals cannot be allowed to continue through the summer and into the winter.”

“Our members have been working in extremely difficult conditions, and are often the ones who have to apologise to patients for the conditions in their workplaces.”

An INMO survey of busy emergency departments found that more than 30% of nurses said that it was likely or very likely that they would leave their job in the next year.

The INMO represents approximately 35,000 nurses and midwives around the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic has piled pressure on front line hospital, as they have had to deal with massively increased workloads, extra challenges created by containing a highly transmissible virus, and staff shortages due to COVID.

“As well as producing a hospital-by-hospital plan to tackle overcrowding, the Government must implement measures that have already been agreed,” Phil Ní Sheaghdha said.

These include implementing the Enhanced Nurse Salary scale and greater access to promotional posts.

The retention of nursing staff is a “major crisis coming down the line”, Phil Ní Sheaghdha warned.

Galway’s Emma Slevin claims trophy at National Gymnastics Championship

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May 24, 2022

Galway Daily sport Galway's Emma Slevin claims trophy National Gymnastics Championship — Emma Slevin at the World Gymnastics Championship in Japan.

Galway’s Emma Slevin won big at a national gymnastics competition over the weekend, taking home the trophy in her discipline.

Slevin was the winner of the Women’s Senior Artistic Series at the National Series FIG All-Around Championships 2022 last Saturday.

In fact, the Women’s Artistic Series was a blowout for Galway, as the top three medalists were Emma Slevin, Kate Molley, and Jane Heffernan, all from Renmore Gymnastics Club.

Kate Molly, Emma Slevin, and Jane Heffernan at the podium. Photo: Gymnastics Ireland

The winner of the Men’s Senior Artistic Series was Domnick Cunningham from the National Gymnastics Training Centre in Dublin.

The National Series FIG All-Around Championships 2022 took place at the National Indoor Arena in Dublin over the weekend.

This Gymnastics Ireland competitive event saw medals awarded in the disciplines of Acrobatics, Men’s Artistic, Women’s Artistic, Rhythmic, Trampoline and Tumbling

More than 800 athletes from around the country took part in the competition, with 1,500 spectators supporting them in the audience.

This event was a qualifying step for the upcoming ‘National Series Super Championships’ which will also be held at the National Indoor Arena on July 9 & 10.

An Bord Pleanála refuses planning permission for ‘Urban Village’

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May 23, 2022

Galway Daily news An Bord Pleanála refuses planning permission for 'Urban Village'

An Bord Pleanála has refused planning permission for the first phase of a new ‘Urban Village’ in Galway City, a large commercial development.

The Bord rejected an appeal by 1 Kingstone Land Limited against the city council’s earlier decision to reject the plans for ‘Kingston Cross’, on the south side of the Western Distributor Road.

The proposal in this planning application was for a supermarket with undercroft car parking totalling 258 spaces and 148 bicycle spaces.

Also in this application was a retail warehouse with 136 spaces of surface car-parking, nine retail units, two medical or community use units, and a café/restaurants.

Other works in the project would have involved landscaping works, including the creation of a civic space with play and exercise areas, a covered sports courts, and a new access route off the Western Distributor Road.

The second phase of the project would have dealt with the residential aspect of Kingston Cross, primarily located at the south end of the site.

In refusing permission last July, the city council criticised the design and layout of the development, and the poor mix of facilities in an area designated as a District Centre.

The council was also highly critical of the proposed civic square, saying that it was limited in size and usage, and dominated by shops, and the public street frontage.

Serious concerns were also raised about the potential traffic hazard created by the new junction onto the Western Distributor Road, which would also interfere with plan in Galway Transport Strategy.

In its appeal against the city council’s decision, the developer rejected criticism of the design, layout and proposed linkages, saying that the council’s reasoning lacked clarity or a proper explanation.

The appeal said that the design is fully compliant with the City Development Plan, providing connectivity between Phases 1 & 2, and surrounding areas, a good and lively frontage onto the Western Distributor Road, and a good mix of smaller and larger unit types.

Criticism of the civic square was also disputed by 1 Kingston Land Limited, saying that it was sufficient in size at 2,710m², with high quality landscaping.

The developer also stated that the junction was ideally located minimise traffic impact, and that infrastructure upgrades in the area in the future would also help with this.

Galway City Council, in response to the appeal, said that it stood by its original assessment of the plans and request that the refusal of permission be upheld.

An Bord Pleanála ultimately refused planning permission on two grounds which echoed the city council’s concerns.

The Bord said that the design was deficient for its lack of smaller retail and service units, lack of community facilities, and the substandard public plaza.

The Bord also said that it was not satisfied that the project wouldn’t create a traffic hazard, or have an adverse impact on the Galway Transport Strategy by obstructing public transport, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Hospital laboratory scientists continuing strike action this week

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May 23, 2022

Galway Daily news Hospital laboratory scientists continuing strike action this week

Medical scientists are set to step up industrial action this week, after a one day strike last week caused disruption in hospitals.

The Medical Laboratory Scientists Association (MLSA), has said that it has to take industrial action over issues such as pay disparity and career development issues.

Two further days of strike action are now scheduled for this Tuesday and Wednesday, May 24-25.

The union has said that no approach has been made to them by the HSE or Department of Health since last week.

The action will again involve the withdrawal of routine laboratory services from 8am to 8pm on both days, affecting routine hospital and GP services across the country.

MLSA Chairperson Kevin O’Boyle said Medical Scientists did not want to be stepping up the action, but he said that severe problems and burn out in the sector are being ignored by the HSE and Department of Health.

The main issues the union is taking include pay disparity, an 8 percent difference with Medical Biochemists when they perform the same work.

Medical Laboratory Aides who report to Medical Scientists start on a higher salary than them.

He also said that there are few career progression opportunities for medical laboratory scientists, despite an ever expanding role and workload.

“All of these issues are leading to a recruitment and retention crisis. 20% of approved hospital posts are unfilled and it is not sustainable to continue like this,” Kevin O’Boyle said.

“We need an effective structure for this profession which can secure the staff needed to do the work that is required. Resolving these issues will benefit patients and the health services they receive.”

The MLSA is an affiliate of SIPTU, which represents over 2,100 members providing laboratory services in the HSE, public and private hospitals, universities, and laboratories.

MLSA General Secretary Terry Casey said that they have been raising the issue of pay disparity with clinical biochemists since 2001, when an expert report recommended parity.

“The then awarded pay parity was lost within months as a result of procedural error in the public service benchmarking awards in June 2002.”

The issue was again renewed in January 2020, but “rounds of proposals and talks” in the two years since have not yielded any results, he added.

Upgrade works to cause water outages in Gort

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May 23, 2022

Galway Daily news Upgrade works to cause water outages in Gort

Water outages are expected in Gort over the next three days as repair works continue on the water treatment plant.

Almost 2,800 homes in the Gort area have been under a boil water notice for the better part of four months due to a failure at the treatment.

Since then, repairs have taken place, and further upgrade works are underway to address the issue.

Filters and pipework at the plant have been replaced, and a new treated water reservoir is being built.

As part of these upgrade works, people living in Gort may experience low pressure or water outages this week from Tuesday to Thursday.

These works will take place from 5am to 12pm midday over those three days.

Irish Water’s Operational Lead, Rónan Daly said “We are delighted to be progressing with the upgrade works for Gort.”

“The upgrade to the existing water treatment plant is necessary to bring an end to the Boil Water Notice that local communities in Gort have experienced over the last number of months.”

“For now, the Boil Water Notice will remain in place until further notice to protect our consumers.”

“We completely understand the community’s frustration and can ensure everyone that we are working tirelessly to resolve the issues affecting the treatment plant.”

Irish Water has said that it will try to minimise disruption caused by the upgrade works over the next three days.

However, low water pressure and outages are more likely to affect homes on the edges of the network, or who live on higher ground.

It may take two to three hours after works are completed each day before affected homes see their full water supply restored.

Updates can be found on Irish Water’s supply and service website page.

Almost 20,000 people in Galway City admit flushing wet wipes

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May 23, 2022

Galway Daily news Almost 20,000 people in Galway City admit flushing wet wipes

Almost 20,000 people living in Galway City regularly flush wet wipes, and other sanitary items, down the toilet, where they clog sewers and ruin beaches.

This was the result of a survey for the ‘Think Before You Flush’ campaign, which aims to help protect Ireland’s sandy beaches, shores and secluded bays.

In Galway, the city council is working with Irish Water and Clean Coasts to try and get people to think about what they are sending down the drain.

“In Galway City our message is simple, only the 3 Ps, pee, poo and paper should be flushed down the toilet,” Louise Dywer, Compliance Specialist with Irish Water said.

“All other items including wet wipes and other sanitary products should go in the bin, even if they are labelled as flushable.”

“The impacts of flushing the wrong things down the toilet and pouring FOGs down the sink are stark, as we are still removing hundreds of sewer blockages from our network every month.”

Removing such blockages is nasty work, with people having to descend into the sewer to hack away at them with shovels, blast them with high pressure water, or employ suction in a way that real doesn’t bear imagining.

“I’ve seen pump blockages that workers have had to literally clear by hand in order to get the pumps up and running again in a race against time to avoid sewage overflows,” Louise Dwyer said.

Mutton Island Wastewater treatment plant, the largest on the west coast, removes almost 100 tonnes of wet wipes and other each items every month.

This, Lousie illustrates, is the equivalent of eight double decker buses, all of garbage that was never meant to go in the toilet.

Galway City Council have been involved with the Think Before You Flush campaign as part of their Sustainable Business Initiative with Galway’s West End Traders Association.

Tiarnan McCusker, the Galway City Environmental Awareness Officer. said: “Galway’s Westend is a thriving business community which is striving to create a more sustainable business neighbourhood.”

“As part of the Green Business initiative, 33 Businesses and 1 School received their Think Before You Flush packs and will be promoting the campaign via social media posts.”

“Galway City Council are delighted to partner with Think Before You Flush and Galways Westend in this campaign’’.

In Galway’s West End the campaign is also encouraging the public and businesses to ‘Think Before You Pour’, and reduce the amount of Fats, Oils and Grease (FOGs) being poured down the sink.

FOGs are liquid when poured, but they cool and harden as they travel along the pipe network and can cause blockages.

When FOGs combine with wipes and other sewage related litter such as hair and dental floss fatbergs can form.

It’s every bit as disgusting as the name implies.

City secondary school recognised by AIB Future Sparks programme

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May 23, 2022

galway daily news educate together school wins future sparks award aib — AIB Future Sparks Programme School Awards, Galway Educate Together Secondary School, Grianach House, Murrough, Galway. Photographed are back row from left principal Sarah Molloy, students Chloe Bourke, Riain Devaney, Patryk Pacak and Callum Devaney. Front row from left Nathan McNulty, Angelina Fiscuci, Akim Mwangi, Caoimhe Conway, Michael Lockett and Ava Leahy. Photograph Liam Burke/Press 22

Galway Educate Together Secondary School has been recognised by the AIB Future Sparks Programme.

The local Educate Together school is one of just sixteen to be recognised by the programme – which has a total of 585 registered schools.

The new skills-based programme is for secondary school students, aimed at supporting 12 to 18-year-olds in learning key life skills.

The programme focuses on themes such as sustainability, financial wellness, health and well-being, globalisation and civic literacy.

It also supports the development of core skills including communications, critical thinking and digital innovation.

Led by Principal Ms Sarah Molloy, health and wellbeing has always been at the forefront of Galway Educate Together Secondary School.

The school found its students were feeling a lack of connectedness during the pandemic.

To combat this, Guidance Counsellor Ms. Ann Marie Greene used a learning approach with her 2nd Year students that mixed different classes together online and tasked them to come up with ways to celebrate culture and diversity – making all students feel welcome when returning to, or joining the school.

Galway Educate Together Secondary School has received a plaque to commemorate its participation, as well as a native Irish tree which will be planted on the grounds of their school.

These trees will contribute to the bank’s commitment to plant 90,000 native Irish trees over the next three years on behalf of new AIB second-level student account holders.

Students were also awarded with individual digital certs to recognise their hard work while supporting biodiversity.

Ms. Ann Marie Greene at Galway Educate Together Secondary School, said that the AIB Future Sparks programme is giving their students valuable life skills.

“Students learn better if they feel safe, connected and a sense of belonging to their school,” she said.

AIB’s Chief People Officer, Geraldine Casey, said: “I would like to congratulate Galway Educate Together Secondary School on their fantastic achievement and indeed all of the students and schools who have participated in the AIB Future Sparks Programme.

“At AIB, we are delighted to play our part in supporting students and teachers with educational resources under this programme to guide skills development and preparedness for life beyond school and the world of work.”

Through the programme, students and teachers have access to over 55 educational videos from more than 45 different business, thought leaders and entrepreneurs.

They also have access to 190 educational resources including case studies, worksheets, lesson plans and exam questions with content tailored to the various age groups throughout second level.

The AIB Future Sparks Programme is free for all teachers and schools to join, and they can register for the programme on AIB’s website.

Croí and NUIG to present inspirational garden during Bloom in the Park

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May 23, 2022

galway daily news croí bloom garden — Pictured from left outside Croí House: Christine Flanagan, Croí’s Fundraising Director; Christine Harnett, Croí Programme Participant; Croí Garden Designer and Project Lead, Dr Derek O’Keeffe – Professor of Medical Device Technology, NUI Galway, and Consultant Physician, Galway University Hospitals; and Mark O’Donnell, Croí’s Head of Foundation and Chief Operations Officer. Photo: Aengus McMahon

Heart and stroke charity Croí and NUI Galway will present an inspirational cardiovascular-themed garden to educate people about heart health this summer.

The #CroiGarden will feature as a show-garden in this year’s Bloom in the Park, Ireland’s annual garden festival in the Phoenix Park, over the June Bank Holiday weekend from Thursday 2 June – Monday 6 June.

The #CroiGarden highlights the importance of the three cardiovascular pillars – blood sugar (diabetes), blood pressure (hypertension) and blood lipid (cholesterol) control.

In addition, the other key trinity of diet, exercise and mental health feature as part of the garden’s theme.

Many garden plants give us the compounds for medications – the French Lilac flower gives us the compounds for diabetes medications such as Glucophage (Metformin) and Willow trees give us cardiovascular medications such as Aspirin.

The garden design incorporates architectural elements of the cardiovascular system such as large vessel-like cylindrical planting spaces and a pulsing water feature, mimicking the heartbeat and bringing movement into the space.

To highlight the global bee population collapse from the climate crisis, NUI Galway and Vodafone will also showcase robotic ‘Drone Bees’ in the garden.

These small, lightweight drones will communicate with sensors in the garden, connected via Vodafone’s IoT network.

The Drone Bees are part of the artificial intelligence research in the NUI Galway’s Hive Lab, based at the School of Medicine.

Project lead and Garden Designer, Professor Derek O’Keeffe, Professor of Medical Device Technology, NUI Galway and Consultant Physician, Galway University Hospitals, said: “The #CroiGarden represents a unique educational opportunity to remind people of the importance of looking after their heart health through blood sugar, blood pressure and blood cholesterol control, while paying attention to diet, exercise and mental health.

“The robotic Drone Bees concept starts an important conversation about planetary health, biodiversity and the current global bee colony collapse and this gives an example of how to help this crisis by leaving a part of the garden wild for insects to flourish.”

Croí’s Chief Operations Officer, Mark O’Donnell, said: “We are thrilled to be involved with this exciting project.

“A huge part of our focus at Croí is educating the public on the risk factors for heart disease and stroke, and preventing disease.

“Our partnership with NUI Galway’s School of Medicine on the #CroiGarden serves as a great educator around the control of risk factors like diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol.”

The #CroiGarden is supported by Diabetes Care West, Novo Nordisk, EireComposites and Vodafone Ireland.

Galway hotels encourage people to check out career in hospitality

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May 23, 2022

Galway daily news Plans for city centre hotel development off Eyre Square

Galway hoteliers have welcomed the launch of the new Works for Me campaign from Fáilte Ireland, aimed at attracting more people to jobs in the wider tourism industry.

With thousands of positions available in hotels across Ireland, local hoteliers are encouraging people of all ages to consider a career in the industry – including parents, people returning to the workforce, retirees and those simply seeking a career change.

Wayne Neilon, Chair of the Galway branch of the IHF, said that now is an ‘ideal time’ to consider a career in tourism, given the wide range of exciting options available for people at every stage of their working lives.

“We know there is an increasing number of people who are seeking greater flexibility in the number of hours they work, particularly those who may be returning to the workforce – and this is something hotels and guesthouses are ideally placed to accommodate,” he said.

“We are encouraging those with an interest in working with people to find out more about the many opportunities and positions available.

“Few sectors provide such a wide range of options for people across a variety of skills levels, backgrounds and interests – offering plenty of opportunities to support professional growth while meeting and working with great people and developing skills.”

The types of positions on offer are spread across a large number of different career choices including areas such as food and beverage, catering, accommodation services, reception, leisure centre and spa facility management, sales and marketing, human resources, IT, management and finance.

A national database of live opportunities in the tourism industry is available at tourismcareers.ie.

Before the pandemic, over 270,000 livelihoods were supported by the tourism and hospitality sector, equating to 1 in 10 of all Irish jobs, with 70% of these jobs located outside Dublin.

These jobs are crucial to communities, especially in many parts of regional Ireland where tourism is the only show in town.

One-off grant needed for all new Men’s Sheds says local TD

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May 23, 2022

Galway Daily news Oranmore Men's Shed hammering out new home

Galway East TD Seán Canney has called for a specific one-off grant for all newly registered Men’s Sheds.

The TD’s comments came after a meeting with the Irish Men’s Sheds Association in Dublin last week.

The association was in the capital to present its pre-budget submission to Oireachtas members.

Canney said he was delighted to meet with CEO Enda Egan, and volunteers Pat Towey and Jonathan King, to discuss a number of issues that are now facing Men’s Sheds.

The Men’s Sheds Association is seeking further support, and Canney said that a Shed Sustainability grant as well as a VAT and commercial rates refund are basic requirements.

“I also believe that a National recruitment campaign is important to ensure that the Men’s Shed Movement can continue to grow and thrive,” said the Independent TD.

“Men’s Sheds are a vital part of the community infrastructure and continues to meet in a supportive, collaborative space, improving the health and wellbeing of members and contributing positively to the communities in which they are based.

“Following on from the COVID-19 lock down Sheds need support to boost the re-opening and give confidence to their Men’s Sheds Movement.”

ATM plans for local Credit Union chain

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May 22, 2022