Aran Islands RNLI lifeboat called to late night medical evacuation

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November 22, 2021

Galway Daily news Disappointment that no occupational injury benefits coming for Long Covid sufferers

Sex offenders shouldn’t be able to scrub evidence of their crimes from the internet, or evade monitoring by changing their names.

That was the view of Galway TD Denis Naughten, speaking in the Daíl on the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2021.

Deputy Naughten said that, while the enhancement of monitoring and risk assessment of offenders is welcomed, there is also a “key inadequacy” in the law.

“The big weakness in this legislation is that it fails to address both analogue and digital rights to be forgotten by convicted sex offenders.”

He said that it is “completely unacceptable” that Google removes court reporting articles on people convicted of sexual offences, including men convicted of possessing child abuse material.

He said that the only standard Google seems to apply when considering requests to be forgotten is the length of time since articles were first published.

“The European Court of Justice decision in 2014 established the right to request that Internet search engines delist links containing information about them that is inadequate, irrelevant, no longer relevant or excessive.”

“I do not believe that information regarding sexual offenders falls under any of those four thresholds. It should not be tolerated.”

Denis Naughten also said that it is a “further abuse” of victims of sex crimes to “airbrush” away their stories.

Sex Offenders Register

The Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2021 is meant to improve the effectiveness of the Sex Offenders Register by strengthening

It reduces the period within which people convicted of sex crimes must notify Gardaí of their name and address, along with any change in their address, down to three days from the current seven day period.

It also gives Gardaí powers to take fingerprints, palm prints and photographs in certain circumstances, provides for risk assessment and management of offenders, as well as electronic monitoring and prohibiting them from working with children and vulnerable persons if needed.

In its current form the register is practically useless Denis Naughten had said recently, as convicted paedophiles can come to Ireland and travel at will without alerting Gardaí unless they are flagged at passport control.

He also raised concerns about criminals legally changing their name to evade monitoring by the police.

“There have been quite extensive reports in the United Kingdom where the use of deed polls has been abused by registered sex offenders to change their names, about which they do not inform the police authorities there or An Garda Síochána here, and they go under the radar again.”

While this is something that offenders are already required to report to the police, the current system doesn’t work, he added.

“As a result, people are literally disappearing off the radar by changing their names by deed poll and not informing An Garda Síochána.”

The Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2021 has passed the second stage Dáil reading, and has now been referred to the Committee stage for further debate and amendment.

Two top healthcare awards for Galway-based Croí

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November 22, 2021

galway daily news croí awards — (Left to Right) Bridget Cheasty, Croí Health Programmes Administrator & Project Coordinator and Annie Costelloe, Croí Patient & Community Engagement Manager.

Galway-based heart and stroke charity Croí won a top award at the 20^th anniversary Irish Healthcare Awards last week at a special ceremony in Dublin.

The National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health (NIPC), established by Croí, also scooped an award for ‘Research Paper of the Year’ – for the third year running.

The Irish Healthcare Awards are the leading awards recognising innovation and excellence in the Irish healthcare sector.

Patient Organisation Project of the Year

Croí’s free telephone support line, Heartlink West, won best Project of the Year in the Patient Organisation category.

Launched in response to the pandemic, Heartlink West provides those living with, or affected by, heart disease and stroke a direct line to Croí’s Cardiovascular Nurse Specialist and expert health team.

The support also extends to online chats, with an expert speaker and different heart health topic each week.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, Croí has been experiencing an ever-increasing demand for information, support and advice from heart and stroke patients and their carers,” said Neil Johnson, Croí’s Chief Executive.

“Our Heartlink West service is here to support those in need, including heart and stroke patients discharged early from hospital, those who had appointments cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic, and general heart health concerns.”

The National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health (NIPC) won Best Research Paper for The Ireland-ASPIRE Study: A Nationally Representative Epidemiologic Study of Coronary Heart Disease Secondary Prevention to Inform Post-COVID #CVD Prevention in Ireland.

The study, conducted by Prof Bill McEvoy, Research and Medical Director, NIPC, is the first nationally representative Irish study of secondary prevention among patients with coronary heart disease.

Over 600 patients were enrolled at nine sites across Ireland, with the results presented at the 2019 Irish Cardiac Society meeting.

Man hospitalised following crash in Galway City

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November 22, 2021

A man was hospitalised following a crash in the Claddagh area of Galway City on Monday morning.

Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of a two vehicle collision in the Claddagh this morning.

The crash between a car and a motorcycle occurred at approximately 7:40am.

A man in his 40s was taken to University Hospital Galway following the incident.

Gardaí say that his injuries are not life-threatening.

Government ignoring impact of restrictions on workers says Galway TD

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November 22, 2021

Galway Daily news Details announced for reopened Pandemic Unemployment scheme

Roscommon-Galway TD Claire Kerrane has hit out at the government for ‘ignoring the impact of public health restrictions’ on workers.

She urged the government to reinstate the Pandemic Unemployment Payment for those who need it, saying thst reduced opening times for hospitality will see workers on reduced hours and reduced income.

Some staff may also be let go during this latest period of restrictions, she said.

“At the very outset of the Covid-19 pandemic the Government were clear that there would be no cliff-edge and that workers would be supported throughout the pandemic. The pandemic is not over,” said Deputy Kerrane.

“Workers in live entertainment, hospitality, nightlife and the tourism industry are all being left high and dry by Government.”

The Sinn Féin TD called on Minister Humphreys to reinstate the Pandemic Unemployment Payment for those who need it.

“We have not seen an update on recipient numbers for the PUP now since November 4th. The Minister should publish the latest figures as more and more people are moved on Jobseekers payments, further worsening their financial situation.”

University Hospital Galway ICU at full capacity for three days running

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November 22, 2021

The ICU at University Hospital Galway has been at full capacity for three days running as the ongoing wave of COVID-19, and regular winter pressure, take their toll.

There were no Intensive Care beds available at UHG in the latest figures from the HSE on Sunday evening, and two ICU beds were available at Portiuncula.

Galway has 32 people hospitalised with COVID-19, two more than the previous day. Of these, 23 are at UHG and 9 are at Portiuncula Hospital.

Five COVID patients in Galway are being treated in the ICU, three at Portiuncula Hospital and two at University Hospital Galway.

Nationwide there are 682 people being treated for COVID in hospital, of whom 125 are in intensive care.

Outside of the ICU there is still heavy pressure on bed availability in Galway’s hospitals.

Counted on Sunday morning, there were just five general beds available at UHG, and four in Ballinasloe.

Week long roadworks to disrupt Headford Road traffic

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November 21, 2021

Galway Daily news Week long roadworks to disrupt Headford Road traffic

Traffic on the Headford Road will be disrupted by a week of roadworks getting underway from Monday

Galway City Council is carrying out resurfacing overlay works on the N84 from Ballinfoyle to the Rescu U garage.

The works are planning to start on Monday, November 22, and last for one week.

Roadworks will take place between 9am and 5pm each day.

A Stop & Go system will be in place to manage traffic on the Headford Road for the duration of the works.

Road users are urged to use alternative routes to avoid delays, and proceed with caution if using the road.

COVID-19: 4,181 new cases reported today

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November 21, 2021

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

The Department of Health has today reported 4,181 new cases of #COVID19.

As of 8am today, 668 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised in the Republic, of whom 125 are in intensive care units.

Health officials say that the daily case numbers may change due to future data validation.

Galway medtech startup crowned Ireland’s most exciting innovators

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November 21, 2021

Galway Daily business Galway medtech startup crowned Ireland's most exciting innovators — Dr Lyn Markey of XTremedy Medical was presented with the “One to Watch Award” at Enterprise Ireland’s Big Ideas showcase. Photo Credit: Maxwell Photography

Galway based medtech startup company XTremedy Medical has been named one of the most exciting new innovators to watch in Ireland.

Xtremedy Medical took home the ‘One to Watch’ Award at Enterprise Ireland’s Big Ideas 2021 showcase, fending off eleven other competitors in cutting edge fields.

The Big Ideas showcase saw investor-ready start-up companies to pitch their new technology solutions to investors in a speed blitz competition.

XTremedy, which is an NUI Galway spinout medtech company, and funded by Enterprise Ireland, took home the prize on the day for their solution tackling the serious problem of deep tissue and bone infections.

They have developed a surgical device that delivers electrical signals through a wound, treating both the surface and below to zap any residual infection, preventing unnecessary amputations.

There are over 300,000 diabetic foot ulcer procedures alone each year, with 20% of patients needing an amputation to control the raging infection.

The Xtremedy platform technology has scope to expand into the wider chronic wounds, trauma and surgical site infection markets, with a total potential market of €2.5 billion in the US.

A “Viewers’ Choice Award” was also presented to Jürgen Osing of PEARlabs, which has developed a device capable of imaging life at a molecular level in real time.

Each start-up had just three minutes to promote their innovations and business propositions to an invited audience made up of the Irish research and business communities.

Other Big Ideas at this year’s event included innovations to prevent chemo-induced hair loss, a change management platform for distributed workforces, wearable therapy to treat COPD, and a way to integrate healthy, purposeful physical movement into kids’ screen time.

Galway Lotto player is Ireland’s newest millionaire!

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November 21, 2021

Galway Daily news Galway Lotto player scoops €54,583 in midweek madness

One lucky punter in Galway got a hell of an early Christmas present this weekend, winning a €1 million Lotto prize.

There was no winner of the record breaking €19 million lotto jackpot on Saturday night, but the evening wasn’t a complete bust.

There were two millionaire winners in Saturday’s draw between the Lotto Plus 1, and the enhanced Match 5 + Bonus prize.

The €1 million Lotto Plus 1 prize was one by a player in Galway, who is advised to sign the back of their ticket, and make contact with the National Lotter.

The winning numbers in the Lotto Plus 1 draw were 05, 08, 12, 26, 40, 41 and the bonus number was 32.

The National Lottery has said that it hopes to reveal the store in Galway where the ticket was bought on Monday.

This is the second big winner in Galway this month, after a Castlegar player scooped over €500k last weekend.

As no additional funds can be added to the capped jackpot, the excess was instead rolled down to the next tier at which there was a winner.

One player in the rebel county matched five numbers and the bonus number in the main draw to win an incredible €996,216.

This lucky winner winner purchased their winning ticket on the day of the draw at the XL Shop on Emmet Street in Fermoy, Co. Cork.

Shop owner Mark Keohane was delighted to hear the good news from the weekend, which came as a nice surprise.

“This is the biggest prize that we have ever sold and with the majority of our customers being local, it’s great that one of them is now almost €1 million richer after last night’s draw.”

“We have a team of 7 here in the shop and we are all delighted for the winner – we wish them all the very best.”

The winning numbers for last night’s Lotto draw were: 09, 14, 22, 32, 38, 42 and the bonus was 05.

Over 184,000 Lotto players nationwide won prizes across the various Saturday night draws.

The Cork and Galway winners should make contact with the prize claims team on 1800 666 222 or email claims@lottery.ie and arrangements will be made for them to claim their prizes.

Nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on all National Lottery games goes back to Good Causes in the areas of sport, youth, health, welfare, education, arts, heritage, and the Irish Language.

Since the National Lottery was established 34 years ago, €6 billion has been raised for Good Causes. In 2020 alone, €254 million was raised for local Good Causes in communities across Ireland

Planning permission for co-working offices in Galway City

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November 21, 2021

Galway Daily news Planning permission for co-working offices in Galway City

Planning permission has been granted for a new office development in Galway City, meant to provide co-working space for startups.

Comhoibriú CLG (Trading as CREW) has received approval for a two storey office block a the Cluain Mhuire GMIT campus on the Wellpark Road.

This development is meant to be a flexible, multi-unit co-working space for startup and fledgling companies.

The office block will be served by 17 car parking spaces, two of which will be outfitted with electric vehicle charging points.

There are 44 trees located on the site, and it is intended that 21 of these will be removed to make way for the office project, 15 of which CREW proposed to replace.

The council stipulated that six native trees beyond what the developer intended to must be planted on the site, and any additional trees taken out of it must be replaced.

Creative Enterprise West (CREW) was established as a joint initiative between partners including GMIT, Galway Film Centre, and Western Development Commission, meant to support the development of digital enterprises in the west of Ireland.

Last year over €6 million in funding was allocated by Enterprise Ireland, GMIT, and other partners for the establishment of a hub for the CREW initiative.

There were no objections or any other third party submissions made to the city council concerning this project.

Planning permission was granted by the city council for the development with a total of 13 standard conditions attached.

Mack delivers a €10,000 ultimatum on Ros na Rún

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November 21, 2021

Galway Daily television Mack delivers a €10,000 ultimatum on Ros na Rún

Mack pulls no punches getting his money back, Briain is now a complete outcast, and Caitríona might just be jealous of Vince in Ros na Rún.

Caitríona despite herself, is bothered that Vince is out socializing, while he is loving her apparent jealousy of his new found freedom, will he regret his brazenness.

Mack delivers a €10,000 ultimatum to Dee, demanding that she return the money she took from him, or suffer the consequences, whatever they may be.

Thanks to Briain, Berni now feels unsafe in her own home and uneasy around men. She even takes a lump out of her friend Laoise when she tries to pull Berni out her slump.

Has Briain gotten the better of her or will Berni find the strength to move forward?

While she doesn’t feel safe in her home, Briain has none of his own after the video of him attacking Sorcha gets out, and contemplates leaving Ros na Rún as he’s now a pariah in the village.

For her part, Caoilfhionn feels desperately guilty about releasing the video, as it may end of costing O’Shea her job.

Hoping she can rectify things. Caoilfhionn admits what she did to O’Shea, and is willing to take full responsibility for her actions. But will O’Shea let her?

Catch up on all the latest in Ros na Rún this week in a double feature omnibus on TG4 this Sunday at 7:30pm.

Five day roadworks to disrupt N17 traffic

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November 20, 2021

Traffic on the N17 in the north of Galway will be disrupted by five days or roadworks taking place next week.

Galway County Council is carrying out work on the N17 between Tuam and Milltown starting next Monday.

The roadworks will take place from 8:30am to 6:30pm each day, Monday – Friday, November 22-26.

A Stop and Go system will be in place to manage traffic during these hours.

Motorists are advised to leave themselves extra time for journeys if travelling on the N17 next week.

Galway United coach departs for high performance FIFA job

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November 20, 2021

Galway Daily sport Galway United coach departs for high performance FIFA job

Galway United has lost an important member of their backroom staff with the departure first team Head Coach, Lisa Fallon for a job at FIFA.

Lisa, who joined United ahead of their highly successful 2021 season, is taking up a post with FIFA in the High Performance department of the Technical Division.

She came to Galway having previously worked with Chelsea FC, Northern Ireland’s men’s national team, Cork City FC, and the Dublin GAA senior men’s footballers.

Speaking to Galway United’s media team, Lisa said that she “loved every minute” of working with the club, and is confident they’ll make it back to the Premiere Division.

Galway placed second in the first division this year, finishing six points behind Shelbourne United on the table.

A 1-0 loss to Bray Wanderers in the playoffs at the start of this month put an end to United’s hopes of getting back into the Premiere Division this year.

“We’re very disappointed that we didn’t achieve that goal this season, despite finishing second, but so much great work has been done by so many people this year and I have no doubt the club has everything it needs to get back to where it belongs.”

“I’m really grateful to John (Caulfield) and the Board for the opportunity to be head coach at this great club and also to all of the management team and the players who have been an absolute pleasure to work with this season,” Lisa added.

She said that the Galway fans “really are a different class” and made a huge difference when they came back to Eamonn Deacy Park to cheer on the team.

“The noise, the passion, the energy they bring is absolutely brilliant and the atmosphere for the last home game will be something that will live long in my memory.”

Manager of Galway United John Caulfield praised Lisa for her work “raising the standards” in the team this season, and said that she, her work ethic, and her expertise will be greatly missed.

“It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team and head coach. We wish her success in the next fantastic challenge in her career.”

COVID-19: Just under 6,000 cases reported today

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November 20, 2021

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

There have been a further 5,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported by the Department of Health today.

As of this morning the number of people hospitalised with the virus has increased to 640 in Ireland.

Of these patients, 121 have been admitted to intensive care units for treatment.

A walk-in vaccination centre at St. Brigid’s in Ballinasloe has been open today for people aged 12 and over.

This comes as Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan had urged the government not to subsidise the use of antigen tests, which are being adopted as a plank of the latest plans to manage this wave of COVID-19.

The CMO reportedly expressed concerns that people would misuse the tests, which are less accurate than the PCR tests that require a lab to process.

Of the more than 200,000 tests by appointment carried out in the past week, more than 15% are now coming back positive.

Appeals lodged against planning permission for Bohermore Hostel

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November 20, 2021

Galway Daily news Fresh plans to replace Bohermore pub with new hotel

Plans to demolish a long-standing bar in Bohermore and replace it with a substantial hostel have been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

Peadar Tonery, owner of Tonery’s Bar in Bohermore, was granted planning permission by the city council to demolish the pub and the adjoining garage.

In its place he planned to build a 163 room hostel and commercial unit, consisting of a building with three floors above ground level, and with a further two storeys below ground level.

The city council approved this development for the most part late last month, aside from ordering the top floor of the hostel removed from the plans.

That decision is now being appealed by Galway Cycling Campaign, which objected to changes to the existing pedestrian connection between Bohermore and Forster Court on the site.

They say that the plans as approved by the council “will damage the convenience, directness, and coherence of the current pedestrian link to Forster Court, and will not be accessible for those using wheelchairs, pushing buggies, walking with bicycles and non-standard cycle, and those with limited mobility.”

They asked for the plans to be redesigned to make them more accessible to avoid people having to take long detours.

A first party appeal has also been lodged by Peader Tonery against Condition No. 3 of the planning permission, requiring the top floor of the building to be removed from the plans.

This says that the new building will only be one storey higher than what it currently there, and will not negatively impact the area.

There was a large number of submissions made to the city council concerning this project, roughly two-thirds of which were letters of support.

Other concerns raised by local residents included possible overflow of cars due to a lack of parking in the proposal, and the loss pedestrian access to Bohermore from Forster Court.

An Bord Pleanála is due to make a ruling on the appeal by March 9 of next year.

GMIT holding virtual Open Day today across all campuses

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November 20, 2021

Galway Daily news ATU Languages Competition for secondary schools returns for 2nd year

GMIT is holding an online open day across all five campuses of the IoT this Saturday, for up to date information on the wide array of courses available.

The event on will focus on the range of CAO programmes offered at GMIT, as well as apprenticeships and part-time, upskilling, Continuing Professional Development, and postgraduate courses.

The event will run from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, November 20 at openday.gmit.ie.

Over the course of this six-hour open day, participants can listen to career experts and engage directly with GMIT staff.

This will allow them to get all the latest information on crucial topics like how to apply to GMIT, employment opportunities for graduates, student supports, career options and student life.

Lorraine Cunningham, GMIT Schools’ Liaison Officer, said “While we would love to all be meeting you on site for our Winter Open Day, the next best thing, considering safety guideline, is that we invite you to join our event through an online platform.”

“We have found this very useful and it has opened many doorways for everyone, allowing greater access for new students both near and afar.”

“With each virtual event we are learning and growing, and this Five Campus Winter Open Day event is set to be even bigger than before.”

There will be two two live-streams running concurrently throughout the day, one focused on focused on general preparation for college, and the other on the many disciplines available.

Topics will be covered in panel talks, and staff, students, and past graduates will also be available for screen chats live for those interested.

“In addition to all the live streams, we have student experience videos, virtual campus tours, giveaways and new to this year’s event we have a selection of virtual booths for further one-to-one text Q&As,” Lorraine Cunningham said.

Along with the school and campus booths covering their respective courses, the many different services at GMIT such as the Students Union, Access & Disability (DARE), Careers Office, Sports, and more will also be on hand.

For those unable to join in today, a recording of the event will also be available online at the same address to browse at your convenience.

GMIT recently received approval to form a technological university together with IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT, which is expected to be created early next year.

Missing person appeal for teenager known to frequent Galway

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November 20, 2021

Galway Daily news Gardaí and family concerned for missing teenager believed to be in Galway

Gardai have issued a missing person appeal for a 16 year old girl who is known to frequent Galway.

Louise Little has been missing from Edgeworthstown, County Longford since Tuesday, November 16.

Louise is described as being approximately 5 foot 4 inches in height, with a slim build, long black hair and blue eyes.

Gardaí say the she is also known to frequent the Ballinasloe area of Galway.

Gardaí are appealing for anyone who may have information that could assist them to come forward.

Anyone with information on Louise’s whereabouts are asked to contact Granard Garda Station on 043 6687660, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

No ICU beds free at University Hospital Galway

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November 20, 2021

The number of COVID-19 cases at Portiuncula Hospital has declined sharply in the past few days, after reaching high levels earlier in the week.

There are just five confirmed cases at Portiuncula in the latest figures from the HSE, less than half the number present just two days before.

At University Hospital Galway case numbers have begun to creep back up after declining steadily in the past week, with 20 people hospitalised with COVID as of Friday night.

The number of COVID-19 patients in the intensive care units in Galway remain low, at two each in Portiuncula at UHG.

But despite this are no ICU beds available at University Hospital Galway in the latest figures, and just one at Portiuncula Hospital.

UHG has 14 regular beds available, but Portiuncula had none as of Friday morning.

The health service has been increasingly struggling with managing another wave of COVID alongside regular hospital services, especially heading into the winter.

Nationwide there were 607 people hospitalised with the virus, of whom 118 have been admitted to intensive care units for treatment.

COVID-19: 3,138 new cases reported today

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November 19, 2021