Plans approved for extension to Bon Secours hospital

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September 15, 2021

Galway Daily news missing teen found safe

Two men in their late teens are due before court today in connection with a €119,000 cocaine, cannabis, and cash seizure in the city last night.

As part of Operation Tara, Gardaí searched multiple locations on the east side of Galway overnight.

During the course of these searches they found €36,500 worth of suspected cocaine, €80,600 worth of suspected cannabis and €2,100 in cash, which were seized.

Two men, both in their late teens, were arrested at separate locations in connection to this seizure.

They were detained at Murrough Garda Station in connection with the incident, and have now been charged.

The two men will now appear before a sitting of Galway District Court today, Wednesday September 15.

Number of PUP payments in Galway falls below 6,000

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September 15, 2021

Galway Daily news Four Galway community groups awarded funding for special transport vehicles

There are now under 6,000 people in Galway in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, the latest figures from the Department of Social Protection show.

A total of 5,977 people in the county have received payments this week, down from 7,399 last week and down from 25,603 at its 2021 peak in February.

The national PUP figures have now fallen by almost 500,000 since the number of workers on the payment peaked at over 600,000 in May 2020.

A total of 114,600 people received the PUP this week, a fall of 25,526 on last week with the Accommodation and Food Services sector seeing the highest number of people return to work.

Commenting today, Minister Heather Humphreys said that throughout the summer months, there has been a continuous steady decrease in the number of people relying on the payment.

“The number of people in receipt of the PUP has now fallen by almost 500,000 since the peak in mid 2020,” said Minister Humphreys.

“The economy is now substantially reopened and it is really encouraging to see businesses actively advertising for and hiring new staff.

“Through the government’s Pathways to Work strategy we want to support people through training, further education and reskilling opportunities to give them the tools and most importantly the confidence to get back to work.”

Galway man and company named on Tax Defaulters list

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September 15, 2021

galway daily news €3 million for funding community facilities in Galway

There are two Galway names featured on the latest tax defaulters list from the Revenue Commissioners released this week.

The Morristown Educational Trust Fund, with an address at Marian Heights, Ballard, Barna, settled with the Revenue for €84,214.

This was in relation to the non-declaration of €47,746 worth of Capital Gains and Income Tax.

Anthony Williams of St. Brendan’s Road, Portumna, who is named as a healthcare service provider trading as Portumna Retirement Village, also made a €45,685 settlement.

This was in relation to a Revenue Audit of €26,952 in under-declared Income Tax.

All of the money owed the Revenue under these two settlement has been paid in full.

There were a total of 18 settlements made by tax defaulters in the second quarter of the year, totalling €3.39 million.

The single largest settlement was for €1.5 million by the medical service provider Venaris Consulting Limited in Newry.

The largest amounts that remained unpaid as of June 30 was €375,151.69, the total settlement amount of Michael Barry, a taxi operator from Graiguenamanagh, Kilkenny.

Mary Barry, a publican at the same address, also owes the Revenue €310,494.19 which was unpaid as of the end of June.

In addition to the settlements made with the Revenue Commissioners, the courts imposed fines totalling €137,750, community service orders, and a suspended prison sentence on 55 tax defaulters.

These included 30 cases of failing to lodge tax returns, 17 cases of misuse of marked mineral oil, five people illegally smuggling or selling tobacco, one gambling case, and two cases of obstructing a Revenue Officer.

UHG remains hospital with second highest number of COVID patients

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September 15, 2021

galway daily news Just one COVID patient in the ICU at University Hospital Galway

UHG remains the hospital with the second highest number of COVID patients in the country, seeing no change in the latest figures.

The most recent data from the HSE shows that there were 27 confirmed cases at UHG as of Tuesday night, second only to 31 patients at Cork UH.

This number has remained relatively unchanged in the past week and a half, after there was a moderate drop from more than 30 cases each day on average.

The number of COVID patients in intensive care at UHG has also remained steady at five in the past few days.

At Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe, where patients levels have also remained steady, there were two confirmed cases as of Tuesday night.

Neither of the two patients at the Ballinasloe hospital is being treated in the ICU.

Nationwide there were 275 people in the country hospitalised with COVID-19, of whom 60 have been admitted to the ICU.

Galway City Council moves towards using fully-electric vehicles

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September 15, 2021

galway daily news electric vehicles galway city council

Galway City Council has this week introduced eight fully-electric vans in Phase 1 of the conversion of the its fleet to electric vehicles.

The eight Nissan e-NV200 vans will replace eight diesel vans that were previously used by the council.

They will be used by staff across different sections in the council, from Community Wardens to Housing Maintenance, from next week.

This initiative forms part of the Galway City Council Climate Action Plan, and is part of a drive towards Zero Emission vehicles.

Speaking about the launch, Brendan McGrath, Chief Executive of Galway City Council, said the 2020 Programme for Government has set out an ambitious target to achieve a 51% reduction in Greenhouse Gases by 2030 and ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050.

“One of the key interventions in achieving this is to increase the number of electric vehicles (EV) on our roads, reducing our reliance on fossil fuel energy consumption and greenhouse gases,” he said.

“Galway City Council recognises the vital role the organisation has to play in relation to Climate Change mitigation and adaptation, as part of the Galway City Council Climate Action Plan.

Brendan McGrath said that the deployment of the eight fully-electric vans is the start of the conversion of the City Council fleet, which we look forward to expanding in the coming years.”

Mayor of Galway City, Cllr. Colette Connolly, also welcomed the move towards electric vehicles.

“Local Government plays a key role in the delivery of Ireland’s National Climate Action ambition, Galway City Council is showing our intent and commitment in aiding to achieve these targets by phase 1 of the conversion of City Council fleet to fully-electric vehicles and making our contribution to the national decarbonisation effort,” said the Mayor.

This initiative is fully funded by Galway City Council, with provision made in the 2021 Budget adopted by Council in November last year.

Galway City Council hopes to proceed with Phase 2 in 2022 and continue this initiative and remove more diesel engines from our city streets.

Gardaí seize €119,000 in drugs and cash in Galway City

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September 15, 2021

Galway Daily news Gardaí seize €119,000 in drugs and cash in Galway City

Gardaí seized €119,000 in suspected drugs and cash during a number of searches which occurred overnight in Galway City.

Gardaí attached to the Galway Divisional Drugs Unit carried out a number of searches in the East of Galway City on Tuesday September 14 and into the early hours of Wednesday.

This intelligence led operation and resulted in €36,500 worth of suspected cocaine, €80,600 worth of suspected cannabis and €2,100 in cash being seized.

The drugs seized are subject to forensic analysis.

Two men, both in their late teens, were arrested at separate locations in connection to this seizure.

They are both currently detained at North Western Regional Headquarters Galway under the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.

This seizure was part of Operation Tara, which aims to disrupt and prosecute drug trafficking networks at local, national, and international levels.

Galway students sought for COVID Tracker app survey

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September 15, 2021

Galway Daily news Galway students sought for COVID Tracker app survey

Students in Galway are being asked to take part in a survey on the effectiveness and engagement with Ireland’s COVID Tracker app.

A research team from NUIG and University of Zaragoza, Spain hope to understand more about the adoption of the app and learnings which could also be applied to other health-related apps in the future.

The study will look at motives for using the app, opinions about the app, promotion of use of the app to others, the extent to which the user checks in using the app, their level of contact with others, and their living/working situation.

The international research team led by Dr Elaine Wallace, Senior Lecturer at NUI Galway, are seeking participants to complete the short five-minute online survey.

Dr Elaine Wallace commented that “Ireland’s Covid Tracker App has been one of the most successful tracker apps in use during the pandemic.”

“With a planned safe return to our workplaces and University campuses, we hope that this survey will raise awareness and remind students and the general public to download and use the app.”

She added that it is also hoped that the study will provide information on how apps such as this could be employed in other wats in the future.

Contact tracing apps were one of the first ideas floated as to how governments could trace and notify people who had been in close contact with people who later tests positive for COVID.

This happened as it quickly became clear that effective contact tracing would be an extremely challenging and labour intensive task.

However, different programmes around the world had vastly different levels of success in developing such apps, and getting people to adopt them.

In many cases, development was plagued by issues surrounding the technical effectiveness of the apps, with issues such as not being able to pinpoint devices precisely enough, or getting devices with apps installed to talk to one another.

Privacy was also a hot button issue, with many concerns raised about potentially handing over locational and health data to governments and private companies.

Ireland’s COVID Tracker app was developed by Waterford company NearForm under contract from the HSE, utilising Google and Apple’s Exposure Notifications System to anonymise users.

The research team at NUIG would like to speak to people who had (or still have) the COVID Tracker app installed on their phone and who are aged 18 years or over.

To complete the short survey and contribute to the study on the COVID Tracker app, simply click on this link to begin: NUI Galway COVID Tracker App Survey

Language Spotlight: Why learning German is a Stellar Idea

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Thomas O'Brien

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September 15, 2021

Learning a new language often looks challenging at first until a basic level of proficiency is attained. From that point on, the new language feels like a shiny toy that the learner just can’t let go of.

Granted, a new language to your speech arsenal is a great idea. But, seeing as one cannot possibly learn all the 7,000+ languages on Planet Earth, it is always a great idea to direct your resources and time to learn new languages that can give you the greatest level of exposure.

The German Language is one such exposure-boosting language. Whether you are a business-oriented person, an academic researcher, a tech geek, a cultural enthusiast, a passionate tourist, or all of them, having a solid grasp of German will make life so much more enjoyable.

How many people speak German?

An estimated 140 million people in Europe and around the world are aware of the significance of the German language. In the European Union, German leads the French language and is the second most spoken language amongst people in Europe — only bested by the English language, understandably. The German language is also the most spoken native language in Europe.

All this is to make the point that, as a language, German is very relevant and is a key tool for succeeding in business, especially in Europe.

Learning to speak German has numerous incentives that can boost a person’s professional standing and global cultural awareness. Some of these incentives include;

Bigger and better business opportunities

Germany has the fourth biggest economy in the world. If you’re a business-oriented person, you already know that that statistic implies that Germany is a fertile ground to explore a myriad of business opportunities.

The ability to speak German will make it easier to assimilate one’s self into the German business environment and greatly improve relations with native business establishments.
It also might come useful even here in Ireland when looking for a job – as seen here.

A large pool of highly-regarded academic institutions

It should come as no surprise that German is especially significant in the academic community, given a large number of award-winning scientists — Einstein, Carl Bosch Ehrlich — from its native nation.

It is, in fact, the second most widely used scientific language. Germany churns out a great number of research-backed studies every year.

One of the reasons for this is that the German book market, behind the Chinese and English publishing sectors, is the world’s third-largest. Because the percentage of these books that are translated into other languages is rather low, you will be able to access them only if you know German.

Germany is also a great place to study basic sciences like Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in high-standard universities. Needless to say, learning to speak German would make for a better study experience in Germany and ultimately, the science world.

International career opportunities

Persons interested in the international market and international organizations are open to far more opportunities when they know how to speak German.

German is recognized as the official national language in six countries — Germany, Austria, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Switzerland German language is also official at some level in Italy, Poland and Slovakia. Countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Romania also have a German-language presence.

Better cultural awareness

For tourists and travelers, learning German unlocks a new planet of cultural treasure. There is enough German presence in many places around the world because Germans love to travel the world.

Learning to speak German will help you appreciate the cultural experiences of Germans no matter where you find them.

On the entertainment side of things, Germans have contributed immensely to literature, music, and art. Creators like Kafka, Mozart, Beethoven, and Goethe were all German and made their original creations in the German language.

When you learn to speak German, it’d be very enjoyable to digest all that creativity in its pure undiluted form.

Wider internet reach

The German language is highly popular on the Internet, staying in the top ten content languages used for websites. There are even reports that indicate that a great chunk of Germans will not make online purchases if there is no German content available.

If you’re interested in penetrating the German market and communicating online with Germans, then it is time to consider speaking German as non-negotiable.

More places to travel

As a German speaker, you can travel to more than ten different countries in Europe and still not feel lost. Because many Germans have occupied and settled in different places including the United States, you’ll have a much easier time communicating with the locals and enjoying your travel experience.

And finally, or und schlussendlich as they say…

If you’re already an English speaker, learning German is a lot easier for you. German and English languages have shared roots and that makes many of the words similar. The alphabet structure is almost the same except for a few additions on the German end.

Learning to speak German offers so many benefits that are guaranteed to give you the professional and personal boost you need. It is quite simply a valuable skill in times like this, where skill equates to value.

Crisis in Homecare sector due to worker shortage Canney says

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September 15, 2021

Galway daily news Day services in Loughrea remain in limbo

A shortage of qualified workers is responsible for a developing crisis in the homecare sector Galway TD Seán Canney has claimed.

The Independent TD said that he has experienced “first hand” where homecare hours are allocated to older people, but the service is not delivered due to a shortage of qualified workers.

Families who do have access to a qualified home caregivers can still find themselves in difficulty when that person might be out sick, he added, and no replacement is available.

“Government rhetoric around Slainte Care and keeping older people in their homes as a choice is falling asunder as we witness the failure of the Department of Health to provide a fully operational service for people who need home help.”

The importance of homecare was never starker than during the lockdowns of the past year and a half, when older people were asked to isolate at home for their own protection from the coronavirus.

Along with the difficulties of the pandemic, the importance of expanding and funding homecare in Ireland has been looming for some time now as the country’s population continues to age.

Providing professional supports for older people who may not have family who can care for them, or are not qualified to meet their needs, is considered essential to keeping older people in their own community instead of a nursing home, or long-term hospitalised.

Last month, the private company Home Instead announced that it was creating 60 new senior care positions in Galway, as part of a move to hire 1,000 more non-medical caregivers around the country.

Home Instead currently has 7,000 customers around the country, and intends to grow that by another 2,000 with these additional caregivers.

COVID-19: 1,181 cases notified today

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September 14, 2021

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

There have been a further 1,181 confirmed cases of COVID-19 notified by the Department of Health today.

As of this morning 309 people in the country are hospitalised with COVID.

Of these patients, 60 have been admitted for treatment in an intensive care unit.

Ireland’s five-day moving average now stands at 1,298 cases per day in the latest figures.

The World Health Organisation has said that vaccine booster shots are not advised for the general population yet.

Ireland is, however, planning to offer booster shots to people over 65 in nursing homes, and over 80 in the community, which will be delivered ‘off-label’ as the vaccines have yet to be approved for this by the European Medicine Agency.

Mother and daughter duo launch sustainable slow fashion brand

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September 14, 2021

Galway mother and daughter duo launch new slow fashion, sustainable brand Mise Tusa

A mother and daughter duo in Galway have launched an exciting, ethical and sustainable new clothing brand, Mise Tusa.

The slow fashion brand was created by designer and creative director Meritta Gorman-Geoghegan and creative marketer Bridget Geoghegan, who is also a human rights activist.

Their collections are designed and created in their Galway studio, combining timeless design, great quality and Irish practicality.

The brand, formerly known as Ail Ruin Design Centre with a design centre based in Clarinbridge, was established by Meritta in 1992.

Mise Tusa embraces Irish wools and tweeds, luxury industry surplus which helps reduce waste within the fashion industry, organic, vintage and recycled materials, something they continue to build on each season.

Meaning ‘me you’ in Irish, Mise Tusa represents connection, and it is Meritta and Bridget’s vision to nourish individuality in all women by creating space, a community and products that promote confidence and connection.

With over 35 years of experience in the fashion industry, Meritta together with her daughter Bridget realised it was time for a change – that women needed more from their clothing.

They wanted to provide a more sustainable and ethical solution for women, in support of the slow fashion movement – encouraging a buy less, buy better mindset.

Meritta Gorman-Geoghegan said: “Like many, Covid has given us the opportunity to hit the pause button and really reflect and evaluate, we now recognise that what we need and want from our clothing and life is very different and our responsibility to people and planet has become clearer than ever.

“That’s why we have pivoted and rebranded our business, we wanted to emerge from all of this re-energised with a renewed focus and purpose.

“Our Local Enterprise Office in Galway have been incredibly supportive over the years, but especially during Covid, it was amazing to see how not only were they supporting businesses in adapting their business for this new time, they have remained forward-thinking and investing in innovation and new ideas, and it was their support and backing that gave us the confidence to pursue our new venture.

“We can’t imagine what it would have been like navigating these unpredictable times without their support.”

As part of the new collection, Mise Tusa has launched ‘The Movement Line’ which is a moveable and comfortable collection of pieces with an elevated design finish, inspired by the slower pace of life brought about by COVID-19.

Bridget Geoghegan said that the idea for the movement line came about because of the slower lifestyle we were leading during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“As we are both qualified yoga teachers as well as running a full-time business, we noticed a gap in the market for pieces that can take you stylishly and comfortably through your day – from your morning yoga flow to your afternoon Zoom meeting, to your evening stroll. Pieces that support your lifestyle and not just for a specific occasion or function.

“While creating this movement, and pivoting the brand we have received great support from our Local Enterprise Office in Galway, who encouraged us to apply for the Business Expansion Grant and supported the launch of our new website through the Online Trading Voucher as well as always being there for us for expert business advice – we couldn’t thank them enough for this support.”

Check out www.misetusa.ie and subscribe to the brand’s YouTube channel here!

Second planning application made for Westside Lidl store

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September 14, 2021

Galway Daily news Green light for new Lidl supermarket in Moycullen

A fresh planning application has been made for the construction of a new Lidl supermarket in the Westside area of Galway City.

Lidle Ireland GmbH is seeking planning permission for the demolition of the former Arch Motors premises on the Seamus Quirke Road, along with workshops and outbuildings to the rear of the site.

In its place Lidl plans to build a single storey supermarket with a total of approximately 1,606sqm of floor space.

This second run at the development also includes plans for another retail/commercial unit with a floor space of 226sqm attached to the supermarket building.

The adjoining Monaghan’s Westside Shop and Filling Station will be left intact, and a small portion of the former Arch Motors premises there will be converted to shop use.

Revisions would also be made to the existing vehicle and pedestrian access points to the site, and to the right turn lane on the Seamus Quirke Road.

The City Council has previously approved plans for a Lidl supermarket here in June of 2020, but that decision was overturned by An Bord Pleanála last November.

In refusing planning permission at that time, the Bord said that due to the C1 zoning objectives of the site, and with other supermarkets already present in the area, it would be against proper planning to give the application the go ahead.

Galway City Council is due to make a decision on this fresh planning application by November 4 of this year.

Unique chance to buy first whiskey produced in Galway for over 100 years

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September 14, 2021

galway daily news micil distillery first galway whiskey in 100 years

Members of the public have been given the unique opportunity to purchase a piece of Irish whiskey history after Galway’s Micil Distillery announced its Síolta Mhicil cask offering.

People will be able to buy one of only 240 handmade 50 litre casks, and to own a share of the first legal whiskey produced in Galway for over a century.

With the choice of three unique recipes and five different cask types, each cask will cost €3,300 prior to VAT and excise duty, yielding approximately 90 bottles of bespoke whiskey.

Síolta Mhicil members will purchase a cask of their chosen spirit which will be distilled and matured for four years by Micil Distillery.

The mature whiskey will then be hand bottled and labelled with a personalised Micil Irish Whiskey label for the member’s own personal enjoyment.

“Síolta Mhicil translates as The Seeds of Micil, though a more poetic translation (and one we prefer) is Micil’s Beginnings,” explained founder Pádraic Ó Griallais.

“We’re extremely proud to be inviting people to join our journey, and to support our growth through ownership of a one-off batch of extraordinary Irish whiskey.”

The Micil family have been crafting exceptional Irish spirits on the shores of Galway Bay for over 170 years, handing down traditions, skills and recipes from generation to generation.

During the 1700s and 1800s Galway had over 22 legal whiskey distilleries, while Connemara was home to the most Irish of all distilling traditions, illicit ‘fuisce’ made in small copper pot stills.

The Micil team is now drawing on these traditions and recipes, creating innovative whiskeys that combine the best of the past with the finest ingredients that our land has to offer.

Micil’s in-house whiskey specialist, Mark McLaughlin, said that every drop of Síolta Mhicil whiskey will be produced here in Galway over the next two years.

“It will be brewed from 100% Irish grain, malted & peated using turf from the Micil family land in Connemara, and double distilled using our single 500L copper pot still,” said Mark McLoughlin.

“Whatever your choice of grains, whiskey style and cask type, you’ll be one of a small number of owners of this exclusive, personalised expression of Micil Irish Whiskey, and will possess a unique drop of Irish distilling history.”

The Síolta Mhicil casks are available to purchase by contacting siolta@micil.ie, and you’ll find more information at http://www.micildistillery.com.

Man charged with possessing over 1,200 images of child pornography

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September 14, 2021

A man in his 60s has been charged with possessing more than 1,200 images of child pornography.

The man, who cannot be named at this time, appeared before Judge Mary Fahy at Galway District Court this week, where evidence was given of him being arrested, charged and cautioned.

The man has been charged with one count of alleged distribution of child pornography under Section 5 of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act of 1998.

He has also been charged with four counts of allegedly possessing child porn under Section 6 of the same act, totalling 1,207 images.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that the case should be tried on indictment.

There was no objection to bail on the conditions that the accused surrender his passport, and sign on at a specified Garda station three times a week.

Bail was set at €1,000 of his own bond, with no cash lodgement required, and free legal aid was awarded to the man.

The case will next come before the District Court on October 18 for the service of a book of evidence, before proceeding to a higher court.

Five Galway students win top prizes in Texaco Children’s Art Competition

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September 14, 2021

galway daily news texaco children's art competition galway student winners — Nicole Spain's artwork

Five Galway students have won top prizes in this year’s 67th Texaco Children’s Art Competition, with the final results having been delayed until now because of the pandemic.

The students were Jessie Colleran (16) from Ardscoil Mhuire in Ballinasloe; Patrick O’Donnell (17) from Coláiste Ghobnait in Inisheer; Luke Iwasaki (13) from Educate Together Secondary School in Morrough; Abby Finnegan (11) from St. Joseph’s National School in Kinvara and Nicole Spain (6) from Mullagh National School, Loughrea.

The Galway students were all winners of Special Merit Awards for artworks which Final Adjudicator Professor Declan McGonagle described as showing “high levels of skill and imagination”.

The Texaco Children’s Art Competition is popularly regarded as the longest-running sponsorship in the history of arts sponsoring in Ireland, with an unbroken history that dates back to the very first Competition held in 1955.

This year it has again been a platform on which young artists from Galway and counties throughout Ireland have had their talents recognised and their creativity commended.

From September 14 to October 2, Drogheda’s Highlanes Municipal Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition of the top 126 winning paintings in this year’s Competition.

Galway woman is leading light for National Women’s Enterprise Day

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September 14, 2021

Galway daily business Galway woman is leading light for National Women's Enterprise Day

Female entrepreneurs and budding businesswomen in Galway are being encouraged to look to the future and register for this year’s National Women’s Enterprise Day next month.

Now in its 15th year, the annual event is organised by the Local Enterprise Office network to connect emerging businesswomen with information to help them flourish, and with a network of their peers.

This year’s free virtual event, titled “Build The Future”, will take place online on October 7, with a lineup featuring some of the best known female entrepreneurs in the country.

Representing LEO Galway at this year’s event is Lorraine Lynch, CEO and Founder of the Child Psychology Institute.

The Child Psychology Institute is an international education technology company which aims to empower parents, healthcare and education staff who work with children using online courses, training and programs.

Established in 2019, Child Psychology Institute aims to be the world’s leading EdTech software platform to holistically enable all learning methodologies, such as training, conferences, online learning programs and knowledge resource sharing, that enable individual self-improvement and professional development.

Lorraine is a client of LEO Galway, having received support for her business website from the TOV scheme which got such a boost in recognition and funding during the pandemic.

“I received the Trading Online Voucher which provided me with the support of an online digital marketing strategy, as well as adding e-commerce functionality on to our website.

She said that the improvements she has made to her business as a result of the TOV funding have helped to increase brand awareness, and gain traction in online commerce.

Traditionally, National Women’s Enterprise Day has taken place locally, with LEO Galway putting on events for female businesswomen across the city and county, and those who may have a business idea they want to get off the ground.

But last year the event went virtual due to COVID-19, and the organisers have decided to continue with that format this year.

‘Build the Future’ will be hosted by founder and broadcaster Aine Kerr, and the lineup of speakers will include the likes of Aimee Connolly of Sculpted by Aimee, Rachel Doyle of The Arboretum and Sharon Keegan of Peachy Lean, who was recently supported on Dragon’s Den UK.

The day’s programme will cover a whole host of areas on how to build the future of a business covering topics like, how to get started, internationalization, finding new markets, trading effectively online, sustainability and innovation.

This will be coupled with breakout rooms for networking and a host of one-to-one advice clinics for any business issues.

New figures from the Local Enterprise Offices show that the number of women engaging in entrepreneurship is one the rise, with 47,000 women making use of training an upskilling from the LEO in 2020, up from 23,466 the year prior.

NWED coordinator at LEO Galway, Valerie Kelly, said “National Women’s Enterprise Day has always been a day of celebration of the very best in female entrepreneurship and highlighting the strength of that community.”

“This year is no different, but we are very much looking forward. How can we help female entrepreneurs in Galway sustain and develop their businesses and ideas going into the future?”

“The last 18 months have created huge problems for businesses all across the city and county but also great opportunities and businesses have to grasp those.”

Two Galway charities in running for share of Coca-Cola Thank You Fund

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September 14, 2021

galway daily news coca-cola fund grants cope galway helplink mental health — Pic: Naoise Culhane

Two Galway charities are in the running to receive a share of this year’s Coca-Cola Thank You Fund, which will give a total of €100,000 in grants to non-profit organisations.

COPE Galway and Helpline Mental Health are among the 23 organisations which could be awarded grants of €5,000 or €10,000 through the fund.

Leaders from the 23 organisations will be invited to attend a special skills and networking workshop, before pitching their project ideas to a panel of judges for the chance to secure a grant.

COPE Galway is seeking funding for a series of art-therapy sessions for young service users to engage participants who would otherwise be reluctant to attend therapy.

Incorporating art will provide participants with a creative outlet to explore emotions, anxiety and self-esteem.

Helplink Mental Health is seeking funding for the development of a series of workshops on mental health and emotional wellbeing for young adults to help them build resilience and reduce stress and anxiety.

Over 280 non-profit organisations applied for the Fund this year under the categories of education and training, diversity and inclusion in young people and taking an innovative approach to sustainability.

Commenting on the announcement of this year’s shortlisted groups, Agnese Filippi, Country Manager, Coca-Cola Ireland, said that the past 18 months have been “truly extraordinary and particularly hard on our young people as they were forced to miss many milestones that we previously took for granted.”

“Established in 2011 to help local community groups support young people, the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund is designed to back leaders in local communities across the island of Ireland working to guide and protect young people at this critical time,” said Agnese.

“We’re really excited about the shortlisted groups and look forward to hearing from them during the pitch phase as they bring their ideas to life.

“To help them with this process this year, with thanks to our partners at Irish Youth Foundation and Youth Action Northern Ireland, we’re inviting each of the 23 groups to a workshop designed to provide them with helpful hints and tips on both presenting their ideas but also on how to maximise the impact of their local efforts, empowering them to continue their vital community work in the weeks, months, and years ahead.”

Culture Night returns with a passion

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September 14, 2021

Galway Daily arts Over the Edge open mic night on Thursday evening

Culture Night is back with a vengeance, promising to kick off the weekend with a load of free music, comedy, art, and more in Galway this Friday.

In Galway, the renowned Quiet Man station in Ballyglunin will host the latest in a series of outdoor concerts that have come to the picturesque site in the past month.

Presented by Three Rings team, the ‘Let’s go outside – art, culture, music at The Quiet Man Station’ event will feature one of Ireland’s most vibrant young bands, the Barcelo Brothers, who will deliver their sydeco style of music infused with R&B. Reggae, soul and funk.

On the other side of the tracks, there will be live comedy at Athenry Heritage Centre with ‘Retreat! Meet the characters’, from the play Retreat by Aoibheann McCann.

“This year we are delighted to have so many events taking place all over the county for Culture Night”, says Galway County Arts Officer Sharon O’Grady.

“The level of interest and enthusiasm has really shown how important it is for our artists and communities to come out and celebrate the importance of arts and culture in our lives.”

“Culture Night is simply not possible without the support of all the groups and arts organisations who put so much effort and inspiration into organising events for the public”.

UNBOUND – a Group 8 Exhibition will happen all day at Ballinasloe Town Hall Theatre, unveiling the work of the members of Group 8 inspired by life with COVID-19.

It will feature something for everyone, with writing, paintings, wood turning, textiles, ceramics, mixed media and sculpture inspired by pandemic experiences.

Loughrea Community Radio presents an evening of on air entertainment and banter with local groups and individuals from all areas of arts and culture.

The final concert series of Bouncing Off The Walls features a special performance by Little John Nee at Athenry Heritage Centre.

Local poet, Bernie Crawford will read a selection of poems from her newly published book ‘Living Water’ at Middlethird Farm in Oranmore.

In Interface Inagh there will be an artist’s talk on Broken Vessels, a site specific, international collaborative arts project curated by South African artist Brent Meistre.

Visit the studio of award winning Galway artist Aideen Monaghan. Experience Aideen’s process of art making. View her paintings, drawings, greeting cards and limited edition prints and discover your own creativity by taking part in an art class.

Culture Shock, an interactive evening of audio visual, spoken word and musical discovery is also happening at Athenry Heritage in addition to a face painting workshop.

This is just a small sample of the events that will bloom across Galway County next Friday for a Culture Night to remember. More details about the many events not mentioned her can be found at https://culturenight.ie.

COVID-19: 1,394 cases reported today

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September 13, 2021