Galway city loses “clean” status in national litter ranking

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January 4, 2022

Galway Daily weather weather warning for low temperature and ice

Met Éireann’s weather advisory for dangerous driving conditions has been lifted this morning, but it will continue cold across Galway, with some heavy rain expected later in the week.

Today will be dry in many areas, with spells of crisp winter sunshine and any scattered showers of rain or hail will mainly affect north Connacht.

It will be another cold day and highest temperatures will not exceed 4 to 7 degrees in a moderate northwest wind.

Tonight will be dry, cold and clear with a widespread frost developing as temperatures fall to between 0 and -3 degrees.

Frost and icy patches will slowly clear on Wednesday morning, but it will be another cold and dry day with plenty of sunshine.

Highest temperatures on Wednesday will be between 3 and 6 degrees, with a light westerly breeze or near calm conditions.

The rest of this week will be unsettled and generally cold with some heavy showers forecast – falling as hail, sleet and possibly snow on higher levels.

Wednesday night will be become windier, with southerly winds increasing fresh to strong and gusty southerly winds increasing fresh to strong and gusty.

Rain will spread from the west overnight to all areas, briefly falling as sleet on higher ground.

Tuam Intreo centre to be completed by spring

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January 4, 2022

Galway Daily news Calls for upgrades to Tuam roundabouts

The conversion of the old library into an Intreo Centre for Social Welfare services in Tuam is to be completed in the coming months.

Independent Galway TD Seán Canney said that these offices will supplement the social protection offices in Church View which will remain in place.

The East Galway deputy confirmed that Finna Construction from Cong, who are the building contractors, are now at the final stages of construction, and the works are expected to be completed in the coming months.

“The project represents an investment of approximately €3 million in the centre of Tuam and will bring back into use an iconic building in the centre of the town,” said Deputy Canney.

The works will include the conversion of the Library building into offices for the Department of Social Protection as a one stop shop for social welfare services, the installation of a lift to all floors and the complete rewiring and new heating installation to meet modern standards.

The project is being managed by the Office of Public Works on behalf of the Department of Social Protection.

“In my role as Minister of the Office of Public Works, I was delighted to bring forward this project and I am delighted to see the project come to a successful conclusion,” he said.

Over 50 people with COVID in Galway hospitals

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January 4, 2022

Galway Daily news Portiuncula Hospital reports high flu circulation

There are now 52 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Galway’s public hospitals as of Monday night.

The number of people hospitalised nationally with the disease also continues to rise, with 843 people with the virus receiving treatment at 8pm yesterday, up from 758 on Sunday evening.

The latest HSE data shows University Hospital Galway has 36 confirmed cases, while Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe has 16.

Nine of the 52 cases are in ICU – six at UHG and three at Portiuncula Hospital.

There were 10 general beds available at UHG at 8pm on Monday, but none st Portiuncula.

Social welfare weekly payments to increase from this week

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January 3, 2022

Galway Daily news Fewer than 4,000 remain on pandemic unemployment in Galway

All social welfare weekly payments are set to increase this week, affecting about 1.3 million pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and jobseekers.

The maximum weekly rate of pension payments is increasing by €5 per week, with proportionate increases for qualified adults and those in receipt of reduced rates of payment.

This is the first time the rate of payment for pensioners has increased since March 2019 and is expected to benefit 775,000 people nationwide.

The Living Alone Allowance is increasing for the third year in a row and will now be paid at €22 per week.

Many social welfare payment recipients will also have an increase for qualified child dependants.

The rate of payment in respect of a qualified child up to the age of 12 is increasing by €2 per week while the rate of payment is increasing by €3 for children aged 12 years and over.

This means that the increase in some households will be between €8.30 and €9.50 per week.

For households in receipt of two primary payments, such as a contributory pension, the increase will be at least €10.

Minister Humphreys also announced an expansion of the Hot School Meals Programme in the Budget, which will benefit an additional 16,000 pupils.

Announcing the increases to social welfare payments, Minister Humphreys said that the increases will “benefit hundreds of thousands of households and families across the country, including our carers, pensioners, widows, widowers, lone parents, people with disabilities and people on jobseekers payments.”

Minimum pricing on alcohol to be introduced tomorrow

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January 3, 2022

Minimum unit pricing on alcohol will come into effect in Ireland tomorrow, Tuesday.

The minimum price will be 10c per gram, meaning the minimum price for one standard drink, i.e. a small glass of wine, will be €1.

A 500ml can of beer at 4.3% ABV will be at least €1.70 and a bottle of wine (750 ml, 12.5% ABV) will be over €7.40.

A 70cl bottle of spirits at 40% ABV cannot be sold below €22.09 under the new rules.

Prof John Ryan of Beaumont Hospital, Dublin welcomed the introduction of the new pricing rules, saying that it will help to reduce the harm caused by cheap alcohol.

Speaking on Newstalk, Eunan McKinney of Alcohol Action Ireland also welcomed the measure, saying: “As of midnight tonight, minimum unit pricing will be put in place – ensuring there will be a minimum price set for a gram of alcohol. Alcohol will no longer be able to be sold beneath that price.”

“Alcohol has been used as essentially a footfall driver into convenience stores and supermarkets, and has been sold at exceptionally cheap prices.”

“This is endeavouring about trying to bring about a change in that – we know when alcohol is that cheap, it does fuel excessive drinking and especially binge drinking.”

Met Éireann warns of treacherous road conditions overnight

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January 3, 2022

Met Éireann has issued a warning to motorists ahead of wintry conditions expected across the country tonight.

A mix of rain, sleet and snow will clear south over Ireland this evening and early tonight (Monday), with a cold airmass following from the north.

Ice is expected to form in some areas which may lead to treacherous travelling conditions overnight and into Tuesday morning.

Met Éireann’s advisory comes into effect at 8pm this evening and will be in place until 9am on Tuesday.

All counties in the Republic are included in the advisory.

More time sought to complete Kinvara housing estate

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January 3, 2022

Galway daily news Planning refused for huge housing development on Galway City outskirts

An extension of planning permission is being sought for a housing development on the outskirts of Kinvara first approved in 2011.

An Extension of Duration application has been made for an estate on Bothar na Mias Dungory West, Kinvara comprising 46 houses.

This entails 6 four-bed, detached houses; 20 four-bed, semi-detached houses; and 20 three-bed, semi-detached houses.

The estate was first granted planning permission by the county council in November of 2011, and a first extension of this was given in 2016.

Work began on the development in November of 2018, and it is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

To date, 12 of the approved houses have been completed and occupied, the site has been fully connected to the public sewer network in Kinvara, and other site preparation works have been carried out.

“However, construction activities were interrupted by the Covid epidemic and the national restrictions which have arisen, significantly affecting construction activities and supply chain,” the EOD application states.

A further two years beyond the current planning permission, which expired last November, is sought to enable the completion of the scheme.

An Appropriate Assessment Screening Report was submitted with this EOD application.

It said that there is no need for a Natura Impact Statement, as the development will not have any significant effect on any designated protected areas.

Galway County Council is due to make a decision on extending planning permission by January 29.

COVID-19: 16,986 cases reported today, hospitalisations increase

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January 3, 2022

Galway Daily news Galway hospitals see COVID cases double in recent weeks

There have been a further 16,986 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported by the Department of Health today.

As of 8am this morning the number of people hospitalised with the disease stood at 804, and increase of 87 on the previous day.

Of these patients there are 93 who have been admitted to the ICU for treatment, up six on yesterday.

In the past week there have been 236,945 laboratory tests carried out in Ireland, with a 43.4% positivity rate.

As of Saturday there had been 2,171,376 doses of booster vaccine administered in Ireland, including 104,397 for people who are immunocompromised.

The COVID-19 data hub provides information on the key indicators of the disease in the community, including the vaccination campaign.

Officials from the Department of Education are due to meet with teachers unions and management bodies today.

This is to discuss public health measures around the reopening of schools, currently scheduled for Thursday, January 6.

Sharp spike in COVID cases at UHG amid outbreak

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January 3, 2022

There has been a sharp spike in the number of COVID-19 cases at UHG as the hospital deals with an outbreak of the virus.

There were 34 confirmed cases at University Hospital Galway as of Sunday night, ten more than the previous day.

University Hospital Galway announced over the weekend that visiting restrictions were being tightened, and many procedures postponed, due to an outbreak of COVID at the hospital.

Portiuncula hospital has also seen a sharp increase in cases in recent days, with 15 as of Sunday, more than double the level on New Year’s Eve.

There are eight COVID patients in Galway being treated in intensive care units, six at UHG and two at Portiuncula Hospital. This represents an increase of just one on the day before.

Intensive Care capacity is under extreme strain in Galway, with no ICU beds available on Sunday according to HSE figures, and just one free at Portiuncula.

Galway has seen a sharp increase in hospitalisations over the past week as the Omicron wave has swept over the country, with cases at UHG more than doubling from 16 a week prior, and almost tripling from 6 at Portiuncula in the same period.

Tuam Mart postpones first sale of the year due to COVID

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January 3, 2022

Galway Daily news Tuam Mart postpones first sale of the year due to COVID

Tuam Co-Operative Mart has announced that it has postponed its first sale of the year due to COVID-19.

The Mart was due to hold its opening Sheep Sale this Tuesday, Janaury 4.

However, it was announced over the weekend that this has been postponed “in the interest of staff and customer safety”.

The auction will now take place next week on Tuesday, January 11 at 5pm.

The Mart apologised for any inconvenience that this decision has caused.

Ireland has been dealing with a surge in COVID cases over the Christmas and New Year period cause by the Omicron variant.

There were a further 17,071 cases reported yesterday, and even this is down from multiple days over Christmas where there were more than 20,000 cases, setting multiple daily records.

Galway had Ireland’s third highest number of road deaths in 2021

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January 3, 2022

Galway daily news Galway had Ireland's third highest number of road deaths in 2021

Galway had Ireland’s third highest number of road traffic fatalities last year, with 12 deaths on our roads in 2021.

End of year figures from the Road Safety Authority show that of the 133 people killed in collisions last year, the only counties worse affected were Dublin (20) and Meath (14).

Despite this, the RSA has said that road deaths hit a record low overall last year, with 13 fewer fatalities overall compared with 2020. This made it the safest year since road deaths were first recorded in 1959.

Provisional figures also indicate that 1,091 serious injuries were recorded up to December 21 last year, compared to 1,105 in 2020.

Minister of State and Galway TD Hildegarde Naughton said that the reduction in deaths and serious injuries is very welcome news.

“I want to thank road users for making it a safer year, especially after 2020 was such a bad year for road safety.”

“However, I am conscious that this news will come as cold comfort to those who have been injured and the families left grieving the loss of a loved one. It reminds us that one death or serious injury is one too many.”

The number of drivers and motorcyclists killed on the roads last year increased by nine and four respectively according to RSA figures.

But the number of pedestrian deaths was cut almost in half, down from 32 in 2020 to just 18 this year, and the lowest number seen in the past 25 years.

There was also a reduction in the number of passengers and cyclists killed. Deaths among cyclists dropped by three to 7 deaths, while the 17 passengers killed was a reduction of 8 on 2020.

Just three counties went the full year without seeing a single person killed in a crash; Leitrim, Offaly, and Carlow. Counties Wicklow, Waterford, and Sligo each recorded a single road death in 2021.

Liz O’Donnell, Chairperson of the RSA, said “While we never know who these people are, it is important that the road using public know that because of their choices and actions, fewer families had to deal with road trauma in 2021.”

“However, as the past week has shown tragedy on the road can occur in a split second, we all need to be aware of just how fragile our lives are and take extra care on the road.”

“Given that 75% of all road deaths were male, we must continue to target interventions at this group. It is vital that we continue the downward trend across all road user categories in 2022 and beyond.”

Fan favourite striker Wilson Waweru re-signs with Galway United

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January 3, 2022

Galway Daily sport Fan favourite striker Wilson Waweru re-signs with Galway United — Striker Wilson Waweru is has signed on for the next season at Galway United. Photo Credit: Galway United

Galway United has retained yet another key player, as striker Wilson Waweru has resigned with the club for the coming season.

The 21 year old has been playing with United for four years now, first joining the Tribesmen in 2017, after having previously played with Mervue.

Speaking with the club’s media team over the weekend, Waweru said “I’m delighted to sign for Galway United. It feels great, and being here for four years now, hopefully, we do well again this year.”

“I’m trying to improve every year, and last year I got three goals, scored a few more as well, eight goals, so next year hopefully try and get a few more and improve myself as a player, and hopefully it will go well for me.”

John Caulfield is building an impressive line of strikers for United’s next run at climbing back to the Premiere Division, with Jordan Adeyemo signing on just before Christmas.

Wilson Waweru has a strong scoring record with Galway, claiming nine goals in his first season with the underage side.

This year he scored a further eight goals, and earned fans’ appreciation while doing so.

“It was great walking off that pitch with all the supporters cheering us on. The fans chanting our names gives us the drive to push on and to try and win games.”

Repeated call for curtailment of non-emergency hospital care

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January 3, 2022

Galway Daily news Health Officials urge public to stay safe this St. Patrick's weekend

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has repeated its call for hospitals to curtail all non-emergency services amid staff burnout in a COVID surge.

The largest hospital workers union has repeated its demand that the government make use of private hospitals for elective care in order to take some pressure off the public system

“Our fragile health services are being held together at the moment by an exhausted nursing workforce who are experiencing high levels of burnout,” said INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha.

“Annual leave is being cancelled by many in order to fill rosters and many nurses are reporting that they are staying beyond their scheduled work hours to care for patients.”

The public healthcare system simply can’t cope with the demands of emergency services, the COVID pandemic, and elective car all at once, she said.

On Sunday morning there were 717 people in the country hospitalised with the virus, of whom 87 were in the ICU.

The union also said that more needs to be done to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 among hospital staff at work.

“The HSE and political system has a responsibility to an exhausted medical workforce to ensure their workplaces are as safe as they can be.”

“There must be no tolerance for hospital overcrowding while a highly transmissible airborne virus is making its way around our hospitals. Improvements to air quality in our hospitals must be a priority.”

The “normal January patterns” of hospital overcrowding simply cannot be tolerated this year Phil Ní Sheaghdha said.

COVID-19: 17,071 cases reported today

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January 2, 2022

Galway Daily news 25 percent drop in COVID cases in Galway hospitals

A total of 17,071 further cases of COVID-19 have been reported by health officials today.

As of 8am today, 717 people with the disease are hospitalised nationally, of whom 87 are in intensive care units.

As a result of the current high incidence, the daily case number is based on positive results uploaded to the HSE COVID Care Tracker the preceding day, and these data are provisional.

Temperatures to plummet to below freezing this week

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January 2, 2022

Galway Daily weather Met Eireann issues fresh weather warning for Galway

The mild start to the new year is set to be short lived with Met Éireann forecasting much colder weather this week.

Tomorrow, Monday will be bright and breezy at first with sunny spells and scattered showers developing, but southwesterly winds will become more moderate during the day.

Highest temperatures tomorrow will be between 7 and 10 degrees.

It will be dry for most of Tuesday and for daylight hours on Wednesday, but rain and showers are expected most days afterwards.

Tuesday will be noticeably colder than recent days with highest temperatures of just 3 to 6 degrees.

But there will be good spells of sunshine and light to moderate northwesterly winds.

Tuesday night will be dry at first with mostly clear skies.

Nationally, temperatures will be between -4 and 0 degrees with a widespread sharp frost developing in light to moderate westerly or variable breezes.

Wednesday will be cold and frosty to start with good sunny spells developing. Light outbreaks of rain will affect parts of the southwest for a time in the morning, but overall it will be a largely dry day with just some coastal showers.

Highest afternoon temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees are expected, in mostly light breezes.

During the evening, cloud will thicken from the west with rain following behind, extending eastwards across the country overnight along with freshening southerly winds.

The rain will be heavy in places with localised flooding possible. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees are forecast.

E-sports: what it is and why it is gaining more and more popularity

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Thomas O'Brien

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January 2, 2022

In many countries, e-sports is already an official sports discipline, which involves the holding of competitions in computer games. Yes, in the modern world, e-sports can be equated with traditional competitions such as swimming, running, wrestling, etc.

The audience of e-sports fans is growing every day. Hundreds of thousands of people watch broadcasts on the Internet, and many like to bet on their favorite teams on portals like Betwinner.

Today we will try to understand the reasons for such popularity and why computer games have become on a par with traditional sports.

Why it is considered a sport

The e-sports discipline received its status for a reason, according to the assurances of experts, it has all the formal features familiar to most sports competitions:

a large number of spectators and fans;
large-scale competitions and tournaments;
a single set of rules;
the presence of online broadcasts of the largest sporting events;
big cash prizes;
a huge number of sponsors, etc.

Of course, it is possible to argue a long time about whether e-sports is a sport and whether it meets the above criteria, but the fact remains that in many countries it is already considered an official sports discipline.

What games can be considered e-sports

In the previous paragraph, it was mentioned that e-sports, like any other sports discipline, has a clear set of rules, and therefore competitions are held here only for certain games.

The game must meet certain parameters. For example, all players should initially be in equal conditions, and the game itself should be interesting to the mass audience, on whose views, in fact, the rating and popularity of e-sports is based.

Many are perplexed whether it is really interesting to watch someone playing computer games. Naturally, the let’s play format has existed on YouTube for many years, so why can team battles in certain computer games lose in views to some competition in a shot throw or long jump?

The most popular e-sports games today are:

Dota 2 and LoL (League of Legends) are similar team strategies in the MOBA genre, where the main task of the team is to capture the enemy base. Dota 2 The International tournament is probably the most significant event in the world of e-sports with tens of millions of dollars in prize money.
CS:GO is a modified version of the cult classic shooter Counter-Strike. Teams compete 5×5 on different maps. The task of the terrorists is to place a bomb in a certain place; the counter-terrorists are to prevent this.
Hearthstone is a relatively new genre of e-sports games, a card game based on the well-known gaming universe – Warcraft.
FIFA – the well-known football transferred to the digital world. Every year a new version of the game is released, and players compete, playing for the best footballers in the world.
Valorant – a futuristic first-person shooter game.

Reasons for the popularity of e-sports

If you take an unbiased look at e-sports as a sports discipline, then it is quite possible to understand why it has gained such popularity:

Mass character, availability. This sport attracts millions of people because everyone is equal here, and people with disabilities will not be different from the rest. The Internet, the world of games removes almost all physical limitations, whether it is distance, age, gender, etc.
Involvement. With a 99.9% probability, every spectator of an eSports tournament is also an active participant. Surely practically all fans went out on the battlefield themselves, but today they can just watch the game.
Valuable prizes and lucrative contracts. The massiveness and popularity of e-sports attracts investors who are ready to spend impressive sums on the tournament. Here are game developers, advertisers, sponsors, and all they invest money in the promotion of a tournament, a specific product or an entire e-sports team.
Entertainment. Today e-sports tournaments can hardly be distinguished from those of football or hockey. Huge stadiums, thousands of spectators in the stands and millions in front of screens, professional commentators, the intensity of passions and an epic show – all this is a sign of love for this sport.

FAQ about e-sports

Who can take part in e-sports competitions?

This is the advantage of e-sports that anyone who has reached a high level of gaming skills can participate. There are no restrictions on age, physical activity, etc. Usually, e-sports attracts young people, but you can also meet older athletes. Don’t be surprised if you meet 15-year-old and 40-year-old players in a duel.

Can any game be e-sports?

No, there are certain criteria that a game must meet. First, it must have a competitive multiplayer mode. It must also ensure the equality of all participants. And of course, it should be popular with a lot of people.

Where can I watch e-sports broadcasts?

The bulk of the broadcasts takes place on the Internet in the form of streams on sites such as Twitch or YouTube. There are also dedicated e-sports channels that broadcast the competition on TV.

Why Irish Casinos Are Like No Other: The Pros of Online Irish Casinos

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Angela Mc Bride

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January 1, 2022

Ireland is known for many things – The absolutely wondrous rolling hills and countryside, The incomparable hospitality of the locals and hearty food & drink. But one of the surprising things you may find that is an attraction in Ireland are the online casinos.

Many of the Irish sites that have casino games have a great selection of software for people to enjoy – the same style of quality casino entertainment you’d find in the top tourist towns of Cork, Galway and Dublin.

Online betting and online casinos have been a hit in Ireland for two decades, with licensed local casino sites and offshore casinos that people can enjoy. One thing players in Ireland must know before they get down to hitting the felt of the poker tables or having a quick spin on their favourite slot are the laws around gambling.

The whole industry has been heavily regulated since 2013, and the Gaming and Lotteries Act received a facelift in 2019, so that is well worth checking out if you want to get a grip on the basics and whether you can play. One of the most critical aspects of this is to make sure you’re of legal age to gamble in Ireland!

After you’ve checked that out, here are a few pros of playing on an online casino site in Ireland:

So What Makes Irish Online Casinos So Good?

It’s super convenient

Whether you’re an Irish citizen or just visiting one of its many beautiful towns and cities, like Galway, one of the biggest draws for online gaming is the sheer convenience it offers. No matter where in Ireland you’re located – from the bustle of the capital to the middle of nowhere, as long as you’ve got an internet connection, you can play.

If you wanted to go down to a land-based casino, you would have to go to all the effort of getting down there, making sure you’re dressed to any requirements for the casino and then, of course, getting back after your session.

With Irish online casinos, these factors are irrelevant – you’re going to be able to play your favourite online casino game at any time and from the comfort of your own home (or anywhere with an internet connection!)

Your favourite games 24/7… in your hand!

Another great thing about online casinos in Ireland is the fact that many of these casinos are mobile-ready and built on HTML5. This technology means all of your favourite casino games will play silky smooth no matter what device you want to play on or how big the screen is.

Updated games and software

If you were to go into a land-based Irish casino, you’d be hard-pressed to see updated machines at the same pace online casinos can update their offerings. Many online casinos will update their games monthly or even weekly, making it incredibly hard to get bored.

Online casinos will also have a much wider range of different games to be played – you’re going to have thousands of different pieces of software, each with its own bonus rounds and animations.

Big Bonuses

Irish online casinos will also come with big bonuses – from amazing welcome packages that reward you with free spins and bonus money to no deposit style bonuses that give you the chance to win when you sign up.

You’ll also be able to get regular promotions at many casinos, giving you plenty of free spins and bonus money when you top up your account balance.

Next Level Privacy & Security

Finally, you’re going to be playing on a totally secure website. Any online casino in Ireland will be fully licensed by the relevant governing body – including two of the most prestigious in the industry – The UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Authority) and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). These agencies put online casinos through strict measures to make sure that they are both fair and secure, putting the players of these casinos first.

Online casinos will also have SSL or Single Socket Layer encryption. This amazing technology is what is used by almost all of the biggest payment processors, financial institutions and banks in the world to keep their sites safe, and means that any details you enter on the site are kept away from any prying eyes!

As you can see, all of these are great reasons as to why Ireland has some of the best online casinos around and players from The Emerald Isle have access to some of the best entertainment around when it comes to casinos.

29 people with Covid in Galway hospitals on NYE

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January 1, 2022

There were 29 people in Galway’s public hopsitals on New Year’s Eve as the number of people with the disease in ICU also increased.

Twenty-two of the COVID patients are receiving care at UHG while there are seven cases at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.

Of those diagnosed with COVID-19 at UHG, four are in the intensive care unit, and two of the seven cases at Portiuncula Hospital are in ICU.

Tallaght Hospital has the most COVID-19 patients in the State with 55.

The Department of Health provisionally reported 23,281 further cases of COVID-19 this afternoon.

As of 8am today, 656 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised nationally, of whom 85 are in intensive care units.

COVID-19: 23,281 new cases provisionally reported

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January 1, 2022