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COVID-19: 589 new cases reported today

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

A total of 589 new cases of COVID-19 were reported this afternoon by health officials.

The number of people with COVID in hospitals across the country now stands at 62, with 17 of those receiving care in ICUs.

As of yesterday evening, there are no COVID-19 patients receiving care in Galway’s public hospitals.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: “Scientific evidence shows that Delta is a much more transmissible variant of COVID-19, now accounting for 80% of the cases reported in Ireland.

“This is a challenge that is facing all of Europe, but we know that the basic public health measures still work against this variant.”

Dr Glynn urged people to avoid crowds, wear a mask, manage their contacts, keep their distance, meet outdoors where possible and if indoors, ensure that the room is well ventilated.

“With incidence of the disease continuing to increase, the rapid identification of cases and outbreaks of COVID-19 is essential,” he added.

“We are asking anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 to work with our contact tracers to identify all of your close contacts so that they, their families and colleagues can be protected.

“If you know you are a close contact of someone with COVID-19, or if you have any symptoms, stay at home and organise a free test as soon as possible.”

Overnight road closure for Kirwan roundabout works

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Galway Daily traffic Call for full report on cost of converting Martin Roundabout

A section of the Headford Road at the Kirwan roundabout junction will be closed overnight due to the ongoing works taking place.

Galway City Council is in the midst of replacing the roundabout with a signalised junction, necessitating traffic management measures throughout July.

A section of the N84 Headford Road will be closed from 7pm on Tuesday evening until 7am tomorrow morning to enable these works.

A traffic management plan will be in operation and signed diversion routes will be in place prior to the works commencing.

Motorists travelling on the Headford Road are advised to expect delays this evening and overnight.

NUIG Mincéirs Whiden Society promotes positive mental health

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galway daily news Members of NUI Galway Mincéirs Whiden Society and public representatives
Members of NUI Galway Mincéirs Whiden Society and public representatives

NUI Galway’s Mincéirs Whiden Society has unveiled a plaque in the shadow of Galway Cathedral to raise awareness of mental health for Irish Travellers.

This event follows the planting of a Tree of Life at the spot on 8 October last year to mark the first National Traveller Mental Health Day.

NUI Galway Master’s student and Traveller man Jason Sherlock said that they gathered for Irish Traveller mental health and for the mental health of all people.

“We are making a stand to show that it is okay to talk about mental health,” he said.

“It is very important we gather as a community to challenge negative mental health. By our actions we are showing that it is okay to talk about our feelings, especially when we are feeling down.”

The plaque is placed at the base of the Tree of Life on a green space overlooked by Galway Cathedral.

The event involved a special blessing by Fr Thomas McCarthy, who works in NUI Galway’s Chaplaincy, a recitation of the Rosary and a prayer service in memory of those who have died by suicide and others who suffer from mental ill health.

Speaking at the event, which was attended by a number of politicians, Mayor Colette Connolly, said: “Mental Health is a very significant issue within the Traveller Community, and I myself have worked with the Traveller Community for over 20 years and this issue is something that has gone under the radar.

“It is great the issue is being highlighted and the devastation that wreaks havoc, not only on the individual family, but also in the wider community.”

Deputy Mayor of Galway City Councillor Martina O’Connor also addressed the event, saying that sadly the statistics show the Traveller suicide rate is very high in Ireland.

“The recent report of standards of living, employment, education, health and life expectancy make for stark reading, but not surprising, unfortunately, for those who are Traveller or their friends and advocates,” she said.

“So much work has to be done to do better, so that another generation of Traveller children do not have to live and grow up as these statistics.

“These statistics are people – men, women and children – living in institutional racism, because that is the only name for systems in a country which keep a people from achieving and living the life they wish and having extra hurdles to overcome at each turn of life.”

Anne Marie Ward, the current chairperson of the Mincéirs Whiden Society and the newly elected Ethnic Minorities Officer of NUI Galway Students’ Union, said: “We have family and friends who love us.

“You do not have to wait until your mental health is so bad that you are at breaking point before you feel like you have to talk.

“It is always better, and when I say better, I mean better for yourself, that you talk about your problems when they arise, as it is easier for you to deal it when they are not built up.”

The event was attended by members of the Mincéirs Whiden Society including Chairperson Anne Maree Ward; Vice-Chairperson, Anna Keane; Secretary Jason Sherlock; and Public Relations Officer, Emma Ward; along with NUI Galway’s Societies Officer Ríona Hughes and Societies Safety Officer Mike O’Halloran.

Also at the event were Mayor Galway City Cllr Colette Connolly, Deputy Mayor Cllr Martina O’Connor, Galway West TD Catherine Connolly, Senator Pauline O’Reilly, Cllr Owen Hanley, and Cllr Alastair McKinstry.

NUI Galway’s Mincéirs Whiden Society thanked staff in Galway City Council who made it possible to plant a Tree of Life and hold the event to raise awareness of Traveller mental health.

New Galway to Dublin bus to begin operating at end of July

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galway daily news aircoach galway to dublin airport route

Private coach operator Aircoach has announced a new route from Galway to Dublin which will begin operating at the end of July.

Aircoach will offer ten services per day, Monday to Sunday, between Galway City and Dublin City and Dublin Airport.

Pick up points will include Galway City, GMIT and Athlone, with a number of services also including pick up points in Ballinasloe and Maynooth.

The coach operator, which was founded in 2001, currently has intercity routes including Cork, Belfast, Dublin City, Dublin Airport, and its suburbs.

Dervla McKay, MD of Aircoach, said that the company is delighted to expand its services to Galway and to commence this new route on July 29.

“Connectivity between our cities is hugely important and we are proud to now offer our services to even more customers,” said Dervla.

“Establishing a Galway – Dublin route was an important next step for us here at Aircoach and we look forward to the months ahead.”

Dervla said that a large section of the public relies on public transport services and they are now seeing passenger numbers continue to build back up with the reopening of the country.

“Pre-pandemic in 2019, Aircoach facilitated over 2.7 million passenger journeys alone and as we look ahead, public transport has an important role to play in the coming years in contributing to Ireland’s Climate Action Plan,” she added.

“We look forward to welcoming our new customers from Galway at this exciting time.”

The announcement of Aircoach’s new Galway route follows the recent unveiling of the company’s brand new look, creating a fresh and modern style in line with its ongoing evolution into a hybrid operator.

In line with Government regulations, Aircoach’s Galway route will initially operate at 75% capacity.

Customers will still be required to wear face masks onboard each service and customers will have the option to pre-book their tickets up to two hours in advance of their journey at aircoach.ie.

No COVID-19 patients at Galway hospitals today

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There are no coronavirus patients receiving treatment at University Hospital Galway or Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe today, HSE data shows.

There are two suspected cases of COVID-19 at UHG, while at Portiuncula Hospital there is one suspected case.

The number of people in hospital with the disease nationally is 60, with Letterkenny University Hospital and Mater Hospital recording the highest number of patients with COVID.

At UHG, there is one intensive care unit bed and six general beds available, and there are two critical care beds available at Portiuncula.

Today marks 500 days since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Ireland.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that we have “come a long way together on this difficult journey and sacrificed much in our collective effort to limit the transmission of this disease.”

“As we approach our 5 millionth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, we have great hope for our future,” he said.

Galway International Arts Festival unveils in-person and digital programme

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Galway Daily arts Galway International Arts Festival unveils in-person and digital programme

Galway International Arts Festival has announced the programme of live and digital events that will bring life to Galway this Autumn.

Due to COVID-19, the arts festival has been pushed back from its usual July dates, and will run from August 28 – September 18 this year.

With the extra time to make things safer, visitors and local will get to enjoy an exciting programme of live events in theatre, music and visual arts, as well as this year’s programme of First Thought Talks.

Building on last year’s festival, which saw everything take place online, there will still be an enhanced digital offering this year, with many events live streaming, or including a view on demand option.

This will allow people to engage with the arts festival in the manner which suits them best, and can even help bring the craic to a wider audience of people that can’t make it to Galway for whatever reason.

John Crumlish, Chief Executive GIAF said, “Despite the many challenges of the last year for everyone, I feel that we at Galway International Arts Festival are very lucky in that we will get to present a festival that we are very excited about.

“It’s indoors and outdoors, it’s city and county, it’s bearla agus gaeilge, and it’s in person and online. We are really looking forward to it and we very much hope that audiences will enjoy it.”

This year’s festival includes ten premieres and special commissions, such as Medicine, a new play from Enda Walsh, a new production of Happy Days performed in the Irish language in the stunning landscape of Inis Oírr and the stately home of the Abbey Theatre, and Seagull [after Chekhov], a VR experience from Brú Theatre and Thomas Kilroy.

Sruth na Teanga will explore the epic history and story of the Irish Language in a truly unique performance that combines live performance, puppetry, animation and an original score.

Embark on an adventure in this immersive theatre show, through worlds where the legendary Fianna, Ireland’s Golden Age, and the Great Famine all come to life.

The Mirror Pavilion will also be returning for the second half of the mesmerising creation of John Gerard, originally commissioned by Galway 2020 Capital of Culture.

Mirror Pavilion, Corn Work was experienced by over 120,000 people when it sat in the Claddagh last Autumn. Now, the second act, Mirror Pavilion, Leaf Work will open the Galway Arts Festival from Derrigimlagh Bog in Connemara on August 28.

The First Thought Talks series is returning with guests including Misha Glenny; Bonnie Greer; Noelle Browne; Sinéad Burke, Fintan O Toole, Peter Lunn and Dr. Teresa Lambe among others.

The 2021 Vinyl Hours series will see guests Philip King, Sinéad Burke, Niamh Regan and Brian Kerr, reveal their most treasured songs in special in-conversation events.

Six artists have also received bursaries from the Galway International Arts Festival for work across both live and digital platforms under the newly created Elevate programme, with works to be presented over this year and next.

Artistic Director Paul Fahy said, “We are thrilled at the prospect of live audiences returning to our theatres, galleries and other venues to experience great work in person from all our wonderful artists in addition to those who will join us remotely.”

“It is such an honour to work with so many brilliant creative artists and colleagues to deliver this programme and we are so grateful to them for their commitment, passion and brilliance.”

The full programme of the 2021 arts festival can be downloaded here.

NUIG staff and students urged to join rapid testing pilot scheme

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

Staff and students at NUIG are being urged to volunteer for a rapid testing pilot programme to track and control COVID-19 in universities.

The UniCoV will conduct a large scale analysis of different testing technologies for COVID-19, such as rapid antigen testing, saliva-based PCR testing, and wastewater surveillance.

The results of this project are meant to help develop early warning systems for any future outbreaks on campuses.

Staff and students can enroll across four universities – NUI Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and University College Cork.

Director of Public Health, HSE West Breda Smyth said “Students in Ireland have shown significant resilience in adapting to the challenges that COVID-19 has created.”

“However, evidence suggests both in Ireland and internationally this is not without adverse effects including reduction in academic performance, social isolation and deteriorating mental health and wellbeing.”

“UniCoV will inform surveillance systems to support the provision of safe campus environments and provide evidence to facilitate return to campus activity for staff and students in further and higher education institutes.”

Testing volunteers will provide saliva samples twice a week and drop them off at on-campus collection points. These samples will go through PCR or LAMP testing.

On the same day, those volunteers will take a self-administered rapid nasal swab antigen test, and upload a photo of their result from their phone to the secure unicov.org website

The UniCoV study will also include wastewater monitoring, with samples taken from the campus system, and analyses for the presence of Sars-Cov-2.

A live dashboard will provide anonymised aggregate information about each campus’ results.

Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said that rapid testing may be an important part of the plan for a safe return to on-campus education at colleges and universities.

“This pilot project will help us learn more about different types of tests, how effective they are and if they can or should be used in higher education settings.”

“None of these replace the public health advice but could be additional weapons in our fight against COVID-19.”

Over 8,000 people are expected to take part in the study, and staff and students are being encouraged to signup.

Galway family’s camping cookbook gains worldwide acclaim

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Galway Daily food Galway family's camping cookbook proves summer sensation
Camping Soul Food, Photo Credit: Julia Dunin Photography

A Galway family has found worldwide fame for their foray into the literary world, with their 64 meal cookbook for campers nominated in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Camping Soul Food, created together by the Buggans family, has been nominated in three categories for the next Gourmand Awards – Family, First Cookbook, and Self Published.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau. Every year, they honour the best food and wine books, printed or digital, as well as food television.

There will be more than 80 countries and regions represented at this year’s awards, including many samplings from world renowned culinary areas.

Since being published in May of this year, Camping Soul Food has sold close to 3,000 copies, and is stocked throughout Ireland at independent retailers.

Malachy “I’m an Author” Duggan of Camping Soul Food, said that the response to the family’s creative endeavor has been amazing.

“For something we only made to create a memento for Easkey to be nominated for three awards with the best in the business as well as representing Ireland, well that’s a dream come through.”

“We’ve just been letting the fact that well we are authors sink in now imagine how much craic we will have telling people we are recognised internationally for our tunes and food pairings! It is the best”.

The book idea was born after countless trips, which started with surviving on burgers and pasta-pesto, Carrie, Mal and Easkey (The Buggans Family) got more experienced and learned so much about cooking hacks with limited space, prioritising the fridge to store beers and refreshments, and how much more enjoyable brilliant tunes are when you’re outdoors with tasty grub.

The Buggans Family. Photo Credit: Julia Dunin Photography

What started out as a random collection of notes and scribbles and promises of “one day, we’ll write a book” has finally come to fruition, due in no small part to the year that 2020 was.

The dishes can be cooked anywhere that your travel and adventure take you. It could be just the back yard or local park.

All this food and music magic has been created by the Buggans family – a little family of three who love exploring in their campervan around Ireland.

To buy your copy of Camping Soul Food, check it out online here: indiegogo.com/projects/camping-soul-food-cookbook#/ or consult your independent bookstore.

Permission refused for Phase 1 of ‘Urban Village’ in Kingston

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Galway Daily news Permission refused for Phase 1 of 'Urban Village' in Kingston

Planning permission has been refused for a large scale commercial development in the Kingston area of Galway city, which was meant as the first phase of a new ‘urban village’.

Plans were submitted by 1 Kingston Land Limited for Phase One of a proposed urban village on the south side of the Western Distributor Road, across from the Gateway Retail Park.

The first phase of the proposed ‘Kingston Cross’ development would have consisted of a licenced supermarket with 258 spaces of undercroft car-parking. A total of  148 bicycle spaces were also included in this application.

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

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

The council said that as the area which is the subject of this application is part of the designated District Centre in Rahoon and Knocknacarra, granting approval for development would be premature until an overall layout of the area is agreed on.

The report by the planning department said that the layout of the site in the application is identical to the one show at a pre-planning meeting, where a number of concerns were expressed and the developer was asked to further liaise with the council.

The proposed design and layout of the development was also criticised by the council, which said that it had “poor urban form”, lacked proper linkages between the two phases, and didn’t have the appropriate mix of uses required for the District Centre.

A lack of proper public open space was also raised, with the proposed communal spaces at the north of the site described as “incidental”, while the civic square would be limited in size and “entirely dominated” by the adjacent commercial units.

Including the play area and covered sports area with the proposed civic square was also unacceptable the city council said.

The other concerns raised by the council were that the project could interfere with future bus corridors, and that the developer hadn’t shown that they had “consent and sufficient legal interest” in lands overlapping with the neighbouring  An Logan estate, which appear to form part of the planning application.

Phase 2 of this development was to focus on delivering the residential element of the urban village, focused along the south end of the site, along with additional open spaces.

Fixer-upper country house with massive grounds

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galway daily news property for auction in loughrea portumna

This spacious rural house between Loughrea and Portumna is an ideal redevelopment opportunity for a family looking to create their own home and garden.

The five bedroom dormer bungalow at Reaghan, Tynagh, Loughrea comes with a site of more than an acre, offering plenty of space to both renovate, and expand this property.

O’Donnellan & Joyce Auctioneers are offering this property for sale at their next nationwide live stream auction on July 23.

Though in need of complete refurbishment and modernisation throughout, there is incredible potential within the house.

The ground floor layout currently consists of a living room and sitting room, where one feature a homeowner might want to hang onto is the large solid fuel stove.

Also located on the ground floor are one of the five bedrooms, a study room, the main bathroom, fitted for a shower and bath, as well as a kitchen, and a utility room.

Upstairs there are the other four bedrooms of the house, a second bathroom, also containing a bath, and an upstairs kitchen.

Though those are the current listings of the rooms, this house is a blank slate waiting for an owner to give it a complete do-over in their desired image.

Along with parking out the front of the house, the property also comes with a very substantial detached garage.

This could be used for additional parking and storage space, or it could be redeveloped into another use, subject to the proper planning permission.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the property, considering the advised starting price, is the size of the grounds that come with it.

There is a very large garden to the side and rear of the house, currently in a wild state, that is a perfect blank canvas for creating your own garden, and also offers an abundance of space for extending the house in the future.

Despite its leafy country setting, the house is far from isolated, being 20 minutes drive from Loughrea, and just 10 away from Portumna.

This puts a wide range of family amenities within easy reach, including local schools, the restaurants and bars of Loughrea, and beautiful sites to visit in Portumna such as Lough Derg and Portumna Castle & Gardens.

To see more of this country home, and the potential for what it could be, see: https://property.odonnjoyce.com/residential/brochure/reaghan-tynagh-loughrea-co-galway/4511085.

This house and grounds will go under the hammer with an Advised Minimum Value of just €75,000.

Live Stream Auction

The next O’Donnellan & Joyce nationwide Live Stream Auction will take place on Friday, July 23 at 12 midday.

Almost 30 homes, businesses, and plots across the west of Ireland have been listed so far.

There are some unique properties up for grabs next month, including two former Garda Stations in Mayo, and a wealth of rural fixer-uppers, for buyers looking to undertake a project in the country.

In order to take part in the auction, bidders must register online, and pay a booking deposit, by Wednesday, July 21.

Only remote bidding will be allowed on the day due to COVID-19 restrictions. You may register to bid via internet, telephone or proxy bid. Further details on the auction process can be obtained by contacting the auction team on 091 564 212 or by emailing info@odj.ie

COVID-19: 600 further cases reported today

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

Another 600 cases of COVID-19 have been reported by the Department of Health today.

As of this morning there were 64 people in Ireland hospitalised with COVID-19, of whom 16 are in the Intensive care unit.

“Tomorrow marks 500 days since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Ireland,” Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer.

“We have come a long way together on this difficult journey and sacrificed much in our collective effort to limit the transmission of this disease.”

“As we approach our 5 millionth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, we have great hope for our future.”

He added that the levels of protection provided by the vaccination programme in the community is increasing daily.

People who are fully vaccinated should take advantage of the ability to increase their social contacts, while still make sensible health choices.

However, Dr Holohan said that the highly transmissible Delta variant is still of great concern, particularly among that cohort who are unvaccinated, or have only gotten on jab.

“We are currently experiencing a worrying increase in incidence in daily case numbers, particularly in the 16-29 age group.”

“If you are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, you need to maintain a high degree of caution in your activities this summer.”

“It is essential for you to avoid crowds, carefully manage your contacts, wear your mask, keep a safe distance from others and take the vaccine when it is offered.”

Three TG4 features to premiere at Galway Film Fleadh

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galway daily news galway film fleadh The Queen v Patrick O’Donnell
The Queen v Patrick O’Donnell

Three features commissioned by TG4 are set to receive their premieres at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh, including the latest Cine4 feature Foscadh.

Produced by Magamedia and based on the book The Thing About December by Dónal Ryan, Foscadh will screen outdoors on Friday 23 July.

It will be the third film presented by Cine4, following on from Finky (2019) and Arracht (2020).

The feature docu-drama The Queen v Patrick O’Donnell will premier online on Thursday 22 July.

Produced by Rosg, it reveals on screen for the first time the true story behind one of the most compelling murder plots in Irish history, a thrilling tale of violence, courtroom drama, romance and political intrigue.

Containing evidence from British Home Office files kept secret for 100 years, it reveals shocking new information about the fate of the quietly-spoken Donegal man who killed the infamous informer James Carey on a ship near South Africa in 1883.

Doineann, a TG4 / Northern Ireland Screen funded film will then premier online on July 25. The Film Fleadh children’s programme will screen Irish language animation Sol, a little boy’s journey through grief.

For the second year, TG4 will sponsor the Short Film awards at the Fleadh, a category which showcases and promotes new emerging talent.

Speaking about this year’s Galway Film Fleadh, TG4’s Commissioning Editor Deirbhile Ní Churraighín said: “TG4 is delighted to premier three films at this year’s Film Fleadh, including the third Cine4 release, which is a partnership between TG4, Screen Ireland and the BAI, to develop original feature films in the Irish language and to bring Irish language drama to Cinema audiences in Ireland and worldwide.

“TG4 is also proud to sponsor the Short Film Awards category which recognises up and coming talent in film.”

All screenings can be booked via Galway Film Fleadh booking office:  https://galwayfilmfleadh.eventive.org/films

Galway mum’s trip to Mexico turns into nightmare after cancer diagnosis

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galway daily news julia mcandrews

A holiday has turned into an ordeal for a woman from Oranmore after she fell ill in Mexico last Christmas.

Julia McAndrew travelled to Mexico with her daughter Eliska at Christmas to spend time with her son Patrick, who had relocated to work in the country.

But her health began to decline rapidly upon arriving in central America, and a wheelchair was needed for Julia to disembark from the plane.

Over the past six months, her health has declined to where she is now too ill to travel back to Ireland.

Julia was initially diagnosed with anaemia and kidney failure and underwent various treatments, including blood transfusions that appeared to be working.

Four weeks ago, however, medics discovered that she had Stage 4 breast cancer. Julia had been diagnosed with cancer a decade ago, but overcame it to become cancer free.

Julia’s medical treatment has had to be sourced privately as medical insurance does not cover the cost of any treatment, and she is facing bills of €34,000 per month.

Over the last six months Julia has lost 24lbs and is very weak. While it is difficult to be so far from home she currently has access to great treatment facilities in Mexico – but she needs help to meet her medical expenses.

The cost of the treatment is $40,000 (€33,000) per month. Her family are hoping to build up her strength enough to endure the long flight home to Ireland but they also need help to build funds to keep treating Julia.

They have launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise €280,000 which will help pay for her treatment, which at the time of writing stands at €60,000 but much more is needed.

To help Julia you can make a donation on her gofundme page at: www.gofundme.com/f/support-julias-stage-4-cancer-treatment             

Galway Camogie star joins RNLI summer water safety campaign

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Galway camogie player Shauna Healy has joined a host of well-known GAA people who have given their backing to the RNLI’s summer water safety campaign.

Healy is one of a number of players from around the country who have created their own home video messages with important water safety advice, in partnership with the RNLI.

Shauna filmed her video on Traught beach in Kinvara near where she lives and where she takes recovery sessions after training or goes for a swim.

Her video message tells people take care when walking near the coast and to stay back from the edges and watch your footing.

Always carry a means of calling for help and know how to raise the alarm if you see someone in trouble, by calling 999 or 112 and asking for the Coast Guard.

“Living in Galway I know how lucky we are to have such a beautiful coastline and the opportunities we have to enjoy the water in a variety of activities,” Shauna said.

“This year many of us will be holidaying close to home and it’s important that we look out for each other. Having some basic water safety advice could save a life.”

“The RNLI/GAA partnership is looking to raise water safety awareness within our communities and to give everyone simple water safety advice.”

“By sharing the videos and hearing the messages we can keep people safe on the water and protect our communities.”

 

The Ardrahan player is joined by former Kilkenny hurler Jackie Tyrrell, Cork footballer Brian Hurley, Dublin footballer Lyndsey Davey, Antrim hurler Neil McManus and former Kerry footballer Killian Young, as well as GAA commentator Marty Morrissey.

Each video features a water safety message and includes the charity’s ‘Float to Live’ message, how to raise the alarm if you see someone in trouble, carrying a means of calling for help, leaving inflatables at home and always telling someone where you are going.

RNLI Head of Water Safety Gareth Morrison said, “In working with well-known people from the GAA we have been able to share life-saving advice with the people we know need to hear it the most.”

“Through this partnership RNLI volunteers have been working with GAA communities locally to share water safety advice.”

“Sharing this advice and information during a busy summer could save a life. We are grateful to our ambassadors who made these videos for us and while we haven’t been able to come together, we have still been able to work together to help save lives.”

Gardai seize €70,000 worth of cannabis in Galway City

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galway daily news Further arrests made in connection with car park brawl

Gardaí seized €70,000 worth of suspected cannabis during the search of a house in Galway City over the weekend.

Shortly after 4pm on Saturday, Gardaí from the Divisional Drugs Unit searched a house in the Doughiska area.

During the course of the search, they found suspected cannabis with a value of €70,000, subject to analysis.

No arrests were made during the search, and Gardaí say that investigations are ongoing.

This search was part of Operation Tara, targeting drug dealing in towns and villages across the  country, which launched at the start of the month.

The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels – international, national, local – involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs.

Burren driving route coming to South Galway in September

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Galway Daily burren trail

The Burren Discovery Trail, a new driving route encouraging visitors to visit the region, is expected to be completed this September, creating a welcome amenity for tourists and locals in South Galway.

Galway East TD Seán Canney said that Fáilte Ireland has confirmed to him that the route is scheduled to be completed this September.

“The potential benefit of this is enormous and will bring additional tourism to South Galway,” Seán Canney said, adding “It is important the unique nature of this tourist attraction is marketed internationally”.

The project involves a €350,000 investment by Fáilte Ireland in a trail which includes 12 locations of interest along its route.

Visitors to the Burren will find information panels at these locations, with stories that match the trail’s themes of ‘Mythology’ and ‘Folklore’.

Fáilte Ireland has been working closely with Galway and Clare county councils on the delivery of this new amenity.

“A promotional map has been developed and will be distributed to hotels and key attractions on the route in Galway and Clare,” Seán Canney said.

Once the trail has been completed it will be promoted on the Discover Ireland website.

Man hospitalised with serious injuries after Tuam assault

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Galway Daily news missing teen found safe

A man has been hospitalised with serious injuries after an assault which occurred in Tuam in the very early hours of the morning on Sunday.

The man, aged in his 40s, was assaulted at approximately 12.05am at Foster Place in Tuam, receiving a number of injuries.

He was taken to Beamont Hospital in Dublin, where he is currently being treated for serious injuries.

No arrests have been made at this time. Gardaí have said that investigations are ongoing.

Gardaí at Tuam are appealing for any witnesses to this assault to come forward to them.

Gardaí are also appealing to any road users who may have camera footage that were travelling in the Tuam town and Foster Place area between the hours of 11.50pm on Saturday, July10 and 12:15am on Sunday, July 11, to make this footage available to Gardaí.

COVID-19: 576 new cases reported today

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

A further 576 cases of COVID-19 have been notified by the Department of Health today.

As of this morning there were 58 people in Ireland hospitalised due to coronavirus, with 16 of them in the intensive care unit.

These figures may change following data review and validation.

7 Best Freelance Writing Tips

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businesses online galway daily scheme website

How often do you hear about the benefits of freelance? The opportunity to work at any time and in a convenient place, high income, etc., looks attractive, doesn’t it? But at the same time, you can often find negative feedback about remote work: high competition on the freelance markets, dishonest customers, and predatory pricing. All this can frighten and even force them to abandon the idea of self-employment. And the fear that you can not force yourself to work and will only procrastinate, lying on the sofa, makes you wonder if the freelance is suitable for you. It’s worth remembering that a copywriter and a writer’s remote work is not just a project in a coursework writing service where you can find where to write my papers for cheap, you can write articles for blogs, posts on social media, email campaigns, content for websites, etc. Today we have prepared tips for you that will make your life easier as a freelance writer. 

Define your niche

First of all, you should find out which direction of copywriting you are most attracted to. Which topics of texts are close to you? It is easier for some people to write about business processes; others write texts on medical issues in simple and accessible language; others do not imagine their life without scientific research, etc.

Try to be a little sleepy while writing

It sounds crazy, but a slightly sleepy state helps reveal creativity. It is not necessary to get out of bed at once to sit down for the big project. You can write an article plan, thesis, headline, and then go back to the procedures that help you wake up.

If you are an owl, try to work in the morning. If you are a lark, you can explore your writing skills at night.

Plan of activities

According to the British Journal of Health Psychology research, people who sign up for training in the gym a week in advance, in 91% of cases, did not refuse to visit. The decisive factor is the fact that the task is set, and we have to accomplish it.

This principle also works with writing. Every night, take the time to make a little plan for tomorrow. Determine the project you will be working on, choose a theme, secondary tasks. You can prescribe all the tasks that you have to accomplish in a day. Then the brain will be looking for a way to optimize actions to accomplish everything planned right from the night. 

Set a timer

Determine the approximate amount of time that it takes to write an article, provided that you do only that — not surfing Facebook or Twitter.

Now, each time you sit down for an article, set a timer for the right amount of time. This way, you will know that time is running out, and you need to finish. In addition, the visualization of time will show how much you spend on social networks.

You should also set a goal for yourself to stop writing after the timer has expired. But what should you do if you have immersed in the topic and you want to continue? If you are working on a series of articles on a single topic, stopping at the timer and ending the article will allow you to leave your thoughts for the next publication.

Cut the writing process

You don’t have to do everything at once. Start by defining the parts of the content. If it’s a blog post, the text will consist of a headline, multiple subtitles, an introduction, the main part, and a final part.

An online shop article is an important offer (action, benefit), a headline, subtitle, tagged list, and a Q&A block (sometimes).

The process of writing is always the same: idea, research, presentation, writing a useless first draft, revision, editing. After that, you can count on a good result.

All these moments can go faster if you initially think not about the whole article, which you want to get, but about each piece of it. Accomplishing short goals will help reduce writing time and keep your thoughts clear and fresh.

Develop your writing ritual

It was noticed two centuries ago: it is easier for a person to do some work if the same action always precedes it. You need to get into the working mood. If you start every day at a different time, interrupt for other things; writing an article will take a long time and will not bring any effect.

Think at what time it is comfortable for you to start. For example, you will be able to work in the morning and daytime:

  1. Turn on your computer;
  2. Make some tea or coffee;
  3. Set the timer;
  4. Start writing, even if you can’t write something decent at first.

But do not perform a ritual that is too complicated. It should not take too long.

Do a 90% workload

You don’t have to squeeze the last drops out of yourself trying to write as much as possible, faster. It’s not going to bring the desired result. Geniuses are born in measured work. Keep thinking about what’s written.

Ironically, not trying to reach a 100%-result, you begin to work better.

NUIG leading international trial on new heart disease treatment

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Galway Daily news NUIG leading international trial on new heart disease treatment

Galway researchers are sponsoring an international effort to break new ground in treating patients with heart disease.

The  PIONEER-IV trial aims to study how the use of a newly patented Healing-Targeted Supreme Stent can improve patients’ quality of life.

This research is a collaboration between NUIG’s CORRIB Research Centre for Advanced Imaging and Core Laboratory, and international medical device company SINOMED.

It will make use of SINOMED’s novel, drug-eluting Healing-Targeted Supreme Stent, which is designed to encourage rapid healing of the treated blood vessel, thereby potentially reducing reliance on some long-term medications such as blood thinners.

Professor Faisal Sharif, head of the trial in Ireland, said “We are delighted to translate novel devices such as HT Supreme stents for Irish patients.”

“The trial will also allow us to perform assessment on blood vessel narrowing with new and safer software that establishes the absolute necessity to treat that coronary artery stenosis.”

“New devices and technologies, like offered in this trial, allow us to constantly improve the standard of care for our patients by making interventions safer with better clinical outcomes.”

Patients will be considered for the trial if they suffer any type of coronary heart disease, including acute heart attack, chronic complaints or blood vessel narrowing.

Deputy chairman of the trial, Professor Yoshi Onuma said “The hope is that this trial will simplify the treatment for patients undergoing stent implantation of diseased blood vessels.”

He added that it could also offer other benefits to patients when coupled with the shorter duration of time they will have to take blood thinners.

Dr Jianhua Sun, Chief Executive of SINOMED said “We are honoured to be working with the prestigious thought leaders at NUI Galway in searching for a better and safer strategy for treating patients.”

“We believe that our HT Supreme, coupled with an optimal treatment strategy can make a big impact in bringing a greater benefit to patients.”