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Plans for 104 houses and apartments in Athenry hit setback

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Galway daily news Knocknacarra social housing

Plans for the construction of 104 homes in Athenry have been delayed as An Bord Pleanála have sent them back for amendment.

Laurem Construction Limited is seeking approval for a Strategic Housing Development consisting of 104 homes at Knockaunglass and Kingsland South in Athenry.

The proposed residential development would consist of 40 houses and 64 apartments, along with the creche required for housing developments over a certain size.

The developer was at the consultation stage with An Bord Pleanála to determine if the plans s submitted, qualified for an SHD application.

The Bord decided this month that they require further consideration/amendment before a full SHD application can be made.

A SHD is a type of planning application created in 2016, which allows for developments consisting of more than 100 residential units or 200 student accommodation bed spaces to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála.

The first step in the process is this pre-application consultation, where the Board and relevant local authority, Galway County Council, will review whether the documentation submitted consists of a reasonable basis for an SHD application.

This application for a Strategic Housing Development consultation was submitted to the Bord last October 28, and the planning authority ruled that they needed further consideration/amendment on March 15.

Call to local writers for the Over the Edge Fiction Slam

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Galway Daily arts & culture Call to local writers for the Over the Edge Fiction Slam

Emerging writers in Galway who want to showcase the work they’ve created in lockdown can have their chance at the Over the Edge Fiction Slam next month.

The 12th annual Fiction Slam from Over the Edge will take place via Zoom on Friday April 9 with featured readers Alvy Carragher and Una Mannion.

Alvy Carragher grew up in rural Ireland and considered herself a writer long before it was appropriate.

She has an MA in Writing from NUI Galway, and her first collection of poems, Falling In Love With Broken Things was published by Salmon Poetry in 2016; her follow up The Men I Keep Under My Bed will be published by Salmon this year.

Her debut novel The Cantankerous Molly Darling was published by Chicken House Books in 2019. A former resident of both Louisiana and South Korea, she is currently holed up in Vancouver where she is tinkering away at a second novel and learning to speak Canadian.

Una Mannion was born in Philadelphia and now lives in County Sligo, Ireland with her husband and three children.

A Crooked Tree is her first novel and was published by Faber & Faber in 2020. Una has an MA in Writing from NUI Galway and was a Featured Reader at the May 2016 Over The Edge: Open Reading and at the 2017 Cúirt / Over The Edge New Writers’ Showcase.

The first twelve fiction writers to text Kevin Higgins on 087-6431748 or email over-the-edge-openreadings@hotmail.com on the evening of Friday, April 9th and register will be guaranteed a place in the slam.

All participating writers should prepare two pieces of their own fiction, as there are two rounds. The time limit in both rounds is five minutes. Extracts from longer stories are admissible. Stories do not have to be memorised.

The Fiction Slam will be judged by a three person jury made up of Alvy Carragher, Una Mannion and an audience member.

Three writers will go through to the second round and the prize for the winner is two bottles of excellent wine, one read, one white, and a most delicious box of chocolates, which will be delivered to you.

Over The Edge is inviting you to the April 2021 Fiction Slam on Zoom. Friday, April 9, 8pm sharp at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7389013549.  Meeting ID: 738 901 3549.

Tips to Create Effective Social Media Posts

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Blogging can go a long way towards helping you grab your target audience’s attention and grow your business online. If you seek to convince your customers to visit your online store and eventually purchase a certain product, you need to give them a reason to stick around. 

If you want to garner more attention from potential customers and draw more traffic to your website, you would be well advised to turn to social media. The content that appears on your Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms is a powerful tool you can use to engage with your audience, promote your brand, and even boost your SEO ranking.

In today’s article, we’re going to discuss some simple yet effective tips that will help you craft compelling and engaging social media posts that will take your business to the next level. 

Keep Your Audience in Mind 

Before you get down to creating your promotional content, you should bear in mind that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all post. Oftentimes, business owners aim to target as many people with one and the same post without even researching their potential customers. No wonder, such posts often end up gathering dust in your feed. 

The first ingredient for a successful post is quite obvious. You need to research those who may take most interest in what you’re selling or offering. Researching your target audience can help you get a better and clearer idea of who your ideal customer is and gather more relevant data on them. You should be aware of their buying habits, goals, and the times when they are most active and eager to engage with your content. Once you obtain all the necessary information about your target audience, you’ll be able to come up with the best content, design, visuals, etc. for your particular post. 

Make it Attractive 

Your post shouldn’t just be promotional or informative. It should be visually appealing and entertaining. Today, you can easily put together an eye-catching poster or collage with the help of dedicated photo editing software. What’s more, you can easily create a Facebook post or Instagram story from scratch using ready-made templates most photo editors offer. And your post can benefit from a little something extra like GIFs, stickers, animated photo frames, and other effects that can make even a boring post pop. That being said, you need to make sure that all the images, videos, and effects you’re using add value to your post and don’t distract your readers from the message you want to convey. 

Format it Properly 

An effective post shouldn’t contain walls of text and illegible fonts. Try to keep it as succinct as possible not to overburden your readers with irrelevant information. Break your text into meaningful paragraphs and use headers. Don’t use more than five sentences in each paragraph. Also, use bulleted lists when possible to make important items stand out from the rest of the text. 

If you follow the aforementioned recommendations, you’ll manage to create a scannable and mobile-friendly post your readers will eagerly engage with and reshare on social media.  

Create Conspicuous Headlines 

A post with an insipid headline is very unlikely to draw the desired amount of attention from your potential customers. The truth is that the vast majority of social media users do judge books by their cover. So, you need to make sure the ‘cover’ of your post is engaging. 

Come up with an intriguing and attention-grabbing headline for your post. You want to opt for short and compelling headlines like ‘Honest Discounts’ or ‘Always Affordable Services.’ Alternatively, you may consider creating a how-to guide, which are very popular with a wide audience, and unobtrusively promote your brand or services in that guide. 

Final Word 

There is no doubt that writing posts remains an integral part of any effective marketing strategy today.  We’ve mentioned only some tips that can be used to spruce up your posts and start attracting more attention to your brand. Over time, you’ll get to know your target audience, understand their buying behavior and goals, manage to format your posts more effectively, and select the right visuals for your promotional content. Hopefully, today’s article will assist you in mastering nuances and subtleties of successful social media blogging and marketing.

Increase in COVID fines issued by Gardaí in Galway

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Galway Daily news Road safety appeal after five deaths on last Bank Holiday weekend

Another 88 on the spot fines have been issued for breaches of COVID-19 regulations by An Garda Síochána in Galway in the past week.

There had been a total of 866 fines issued by Gardaí in Galway as of Thursday, up from 778 in last week’s figures.

Nationwide there have been 16,834 on the spot fines issued across the range of all COVID-19 breaches including travel beyond the 5km limit, organising or attending an event, refusing to wear a mask, or non-essential travel specifically to airports and ports.

There has been a significant uptick in the amount of people being fined €500 for organising house parties, with 102 issued in the past week, bringing the total up to 612 fines.

There have been 2,159 people fined €100 for attending an event to date, which is an increase of 317 on last week. And another 24 people have been fined for not wearing a mask where required.

Breaking the 5km travel limit remains by far the most frequent event for which fines are issued, with 1,264 issued in the past week alone.

The Cork City Garda Division still has the highest number of fines issued, with 1,808 to date, followed by Dublin North (1,504), Dublin West (1,158), and Limerick (1,150).

One quarter of all fines which have been issued by Gardaí remain unpaid as of this week, or have already resulted in a court summons being issued. Just over one third of all fines issued since the system was introduced have been paid in full.

Deputy Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon said, “On behalf of everyone in An Garda Síochána I want to thank the vast majority of people who are helping to protect Gardaí by following public health advice. Your sacrifice and support is very much appreciated. We know it is hard, but please keep it up.”

“Unfortunately, despite the constant public health advice, we are still seeing people attending house parties and other large social gatherings. Going to such gatherings puts yourself, your loved ones, and everyone else you come into contact with after of getting COVID-19.”

“Everyone has a role to play in this. The best way of keeping safe this weekend is to stay home. If you are going out, please stay within your 5km, limit your contacts with others, maintain social distancing, and regularly wash your hands.”

Fantastic programme of events launched for NUIG Students’ Union’s Wind Down Week

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galway daily new WIND DOWN WEEK nui galway students union

NUI Galway Students’ Union has launched their programme of events for Wind Down Week which begins on Monday.

The free online events are open to all of the NUI Galway community and are a chance to relax, unwind, de-stress and breathe.

Events taking place include yoga, fitness, meditation, drawing and pilates classes.

There will also be a Mental Health Workshop with Jigsaw Galway and a talk on how to spot toxic relationships and the psychology behind them.

Online social events will include the Stitch & Bitch knitting group, a table quiz, lunchtime meetups, a movie night and the ever popular Hump Day Hoolie.

Students’ Union President Pádraic Toomey said that they are very excited about the Wind Down Week events which will give everyone the chance to pause and practice some self-care.

“They’re also a great opportunity for us all to connect while apart and have some fun,” said Pádraic.

“The Hump Day Hoolie will see our Hair Raiser charity volunteers showing off their new hair-dos – myself included – in aid of the SU Charities!

“Students have been donating and voting on what colour(s) we dye our hair all month so it’s will be an exciting big reveal!”

Students’ Union Vice-President/Welfare and Equality Officer Róisín Nic Lochlainn added that this has been a hectic semester for NUIG students and staff alike.

“As we head towards the Easter break we are encouraging everyone to take some time out to relax and get in to the habit of taking breaks,” said Róisín.

“We all need to try to find time in our schedules to unwind and avoid burnout.”

Galway motorists caught speeding on National Slow Down Day

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galway daily news Galway driver among worst speeding offences caught over Bank Holiday weekend

A number of people were caught speeding across Galway today as Gardaí clamped down on motorists as part of National Slow Down Day.

Between 7am and 7pm today, speed cameras checked the speed of 137,824 vehicles across Ireland and detected 878 people travelling over the speed limit.

Among those caught speeding was a motorist on the N6 in Ballybrit, who was clocked driving at 118km/h in a 100k zone.

Another vehicle was caught travelling 63km/h in a 50km/h zone near Na Forbacha, while on the R336 at Baile na hAbhann, a motorist was clocked driving 9km/h over the 50km/h speed limit.

A driver in Lackagh Beg in Turloughmore was also caught speeding, after doing 95km/h in a 80km/h zone on the R354.

National Slow Down Day began at 7am this morning and will continue overnight until 7am tomorrow.

Gardaí and the RSA appealed to drivers to increase compliance with speed limits to reduce the number of speed related collisions, to save lives and reduce injuries on the roads.

Chief Superintendent Ray McMahon Roads Policing Bureau thanked those who travel within the speed limits, which is ‘necessary to save lives’.

“While most drivers and riders drive safely and within these limits, there are unfortunately still those who do not. National Slow Down day is about making our roads and our communities safer,” said the Chief Superintendent.

“During the current COVID-19 restrictions we have seen an increase in the number of vulnerable users on our roads. Despite reduced volumes of traffic on our roads the levels of speed has increased.”

In 2020 there were 137 fatal collisions resulting in 148 fatalities on Irish roads.

Weather warning issued ahead of stormy conditions

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Galway daily weather Met Eireann weather warning in force for Galway today

Met Éireann has issued a status yellow wind warning for Galway ahead of strong winds forecast on Saturday evening.

The warning, which affects Galway, Donegal and Mayo, comes into effect at 8.00pm tomorrow, Saturday, and will remain in place for six hours until 2.00am on Sunday.

Met Éireann say that southwest winds will reach mean speads of 50 to 65 km/h, with gusts of up to 100 km/h.

It will turn colder across the county tonight, with some showers falling as hail, sleet and snow on higher ground.

Drier conditions with clear skies will develop by tomorrow morning (Saturday) with a slight risk of frost in sheltered areas and lowest temperatures of 0 to +2 degrees.

The day will start mainly dry with just a few isolated showers and sunny spells.

Cloud will push in from the Atlantic though, bringing outbreaks of rain and drizzle by the afternoon.

COVID-19: 20 deaths and 24 Galway cases today

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

An additional 20 deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported by NPHET today, along with 584 new confirmed cases.

Of today’s cases, 24 are in Galway. The 14-day incidence rate here is now 130.6 cases per 100,000 people, with 337 cases reported in the past two weeks.

Of the deaths notified today 11 occurred in March, 3 happened in February, and 6 occurred in January.

The median age of those who died was 73 years old, and the victims ages ranged from 57 to 91.

As of this morning there were 317 people in Ireland hospitalised with COVID-19, and the number of those in the ICU had fallen to 67.

There have now been a total of 233,327 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland, and 4,651 deaths related to the disease.

Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 15 previously confirmed cases.

Of the cases notified today:

  • 297 are men and 286 are women
  • 72% are under 45 years of age
  • the median age is 34 years old
  • 222 in Dublin, 44 in Kildare, 33 in Offaly, 31 in Meath, 29 in Westmeath and the remaining 225 cases are spread across 19 other counties

The COVID-19 data hub provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of the disease in the community.

Public trust in government soared last year NUIG study finds

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Galway Daily news Public trust in government soared last year NUIG study finds

Public trust in the government soared last year as a result of measures taken to protect people’s income and economic wellbeing during the COVID-19 crisis new research from NUIG claims.

Last year saw public trust in the government reach a high point of 66% during the COVID-19 crisis, with a jump of 14% recorded between 2019 and 2020.

Professor Cathal O’Donoghue, Established Chair in Social and Public Policy at NUIG has been carrying out research into the government’s social policy responses to the financial crisis and recession of 2008-2012, and the current COVID-19 crisis.

Comparing the two, he says that the unprecedented measures such increased funding for social welfare and protection, and other measures to protect people’s spending power, led to increased trust in the government and public health measures in 2020.

Prof. O’Donoghue said “The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Ireland’s economy and public finances has been deeper, faster and more broadly felt than the devastation wreaked by the financial crises that swept Europe from 2008 to 2012.”

“But rapid response and novel initiatives to protect living standards of a large proportion of the population ensured trust in Government and backing for difficult but necessary public health measures.”

Among the measures taken by the government last year to protect the country during the pandemic, the research paper highlights economic measures such as the massive increase in welfare spending, and protections for mortgage holders and renters as key to sustaining public trust and wellbeing.

Unprecedented social welfare programmes were rapidly introduced in 2020 as the COVID-19 crisis shut down the Irish economy, including the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, and Wage Subsidy Scheme.

At the peak of the pandemic’s first wave in May 2020, more than 900,000 people were availing of some COVID-19 welfare payment.

A rent freeze for people economically affected by COVID-19, and protections against evictions, were also introduced by the government to safeguard those in the private rental sector at a time of high unemployment.

Prof O’Donoghue’s research, which has been presented at both the United Nations and the World Health Organisation, was recently published by the Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.

“The extent of the Covid-19 crisis posed significant challenges to Ireland’s welfare state due to the number of people who suddenly became unemployed, the higher share of all family members losing their job and a higher share of middle class families out of work.”

“In an era of volatility in relation to climate change, globalisation and ageing, there is an ongoing need for institutions to protect people from economic swings to provide confidence in future and enhance trust in institutions.”

Two further COVID deaths recorded in Galway

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Galway Daily news Woman (80s) dies following car crash two weeks ago

The number of people who have died after being diagnosed with COVID-19 in Galway since the start of the pandemic has risen to 110, new CSO figures show.

Two deaths among confirmed cases were recorded in the county between March 5 and March 19, as well as 336 new cases of the virus.

The median age of the 110 deaths in Galway is 81, while the median age of the 9,747 cases that have been confirmed here is 31 – the lowest median age of any county in the Republic.

Nationally, the number of cases among those over the age of 65 has been decreasing for a number of weeks as the vaccine roll-out continues.

The percentage of cases in this age group fell from 18% in the week ending 29 January to just 9% in the week ending 19 March.

From the start of the pandemic until last week, the over 65 age category accounted for 56% of all people who were in hospital with the illness.

There were 88 health care workers diagnosed with the virus in the week ending 19 March, which is the lowest weekly figure since the week ending 21 August 2020.

A total of 38 deaths were recorded among confirmed COVID-19 cases in the week ending 19 March.

There were 14 deaths in Dublin during the week, with no other counties recording more than five deaths.

Counties Mayo and Clare had fewer than 25 confirmed cases during the week ending 19 March.

Wind, rain and wintry showers forecast as temperatures plummet

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Galway Daily weather Weather warning for heavy rain and possible flooding now in effect

Cold and unsettled weather is forecast for Galway over the coming days, with some wintry showers possible tonight as temperatures plummet.

This evening and tonight will turn colder as showers continue, possibly falling as hail, sleet and snow on higher ground.

Drier conditions with clear skies will develop by morning with slight risk of frost in sheltered areas with lowest temperatures of 0 to +2 degrees.

Moderate to fresh southwest to west winds, occasionally strong in coastal regions, will ease overnight.

Tomorrow, Saturday, will start mainly dry with just a few isolated showers and sunny spells.

Cloud will push in from the Atlantic though, bringing outbreaks of rain and drizzle by the afternoon.

Rain will turn heavy at times later and highest temperatures will be around 10 or 11 degrees in moderate to fresh southwest winds.

These winds will increase as the day goes on, reaching near gale force in coastal areas.

Saturday night is set to be wet and very windy as the West bears the brunt of the stormy conditions.

And there’s no let up from the miserable weather in sight as Sunday will be another wet and breezy day.

Met Éireann says rain and drizzle will ease for a time in the morning but further outbreaks of rain will spread from the west through the afternoon and evening, later turning heavy over Galway.

It will be warmer on Sunday though, with highest temperatures of 11 to 15 degrees in moderate to fresh and gusty southwest winds.

Galway United hyped for season opener against Shelbourne

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Galway United sports Galway United builds back line with signing of James Finnerty & Mark Russell
Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Galway United are kicking off their 2021 season tonight with a League of Ireland home game against Shelbourne.

United and Shelbourne will meet at Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday evening, with kick-off at 7:45pm.

Manager John Caulfield said that facing Shelbourne at home is a “great opener” to the season, adding that the Drumcondra team have gotten stronger since being relegated from the Premier Division.

“They have invested heavily and arguably they have a better team than they had in the Premier. They need to go straight back up but that’s the ambition of many others.”

All of the teams in the first division have invested in becoming better than last year, Caulfield added, and Galway United was no exception to that.

“We’ve done a lot of work with 12 players added to the squad to augment the retention of half of the one we had. That means a lot of work but the lads have shown a great attitude.”

“Much of what we worked on in training has come off in the pre-season games. Now, we are starting as hot favourites for the First Division and it’s a big test we are looking forward to.”

United have played five pre-season friendlies in recent weeks, resulting in three wins against the Finn Harps, Longford Town and Wexford, along with one draw and one defeat.

After last year saw Galway United enjoy a dramatic turn in fortunes in the latter half of the season, John Caulfield thinks there’s renewed interest sprouting in the city and county.

“Maybe some had switched off because we hadn’t been challenging. Maybe the run at the end of last season got people watching us again. I think we’d have very big crowds and will when we can get them in.

“People are looking out for our results. If we can hit the start running and keep that buzz, we can have full houses in Terryland,” Caulfield said.

Galway United team:

Kevin Horgan, Conor Kearns, Michael Garrihy, Conor O’Keeffe, Stephen Walsh, Gary Boylan, Killian Brouder, Maurice Nugent, Christopher Horgan, Shane Duggan, David Hurley, Shane Doherty, Stephen Christopher, Mikie Rowe, Carlton Ubaezuonu, Caoilfhionn O’Dea, Mikey Place, Conor McCormack, Ronan Manning, Ruairi Keating, Padraic Cunningham, Wilson Waweru, Francely Lomboto, Colin Kelly.

Nigel Carolan departing Connacht Rugby after 25 years

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Galway Daily rugby Nigel Carolan departing Connacht Rugby after 25 years
photo: INPHO/Connacht Rugby

Connacht Rugby has confirmed that Nigel Carolan will be departing at the end of this season after almost 26 years with the province.

Nigel Carolan has contributed a huge amount to Connacht in recent decades, in various roles both on and off the pitch.

Since 2017 the Galway native has held the role of Attack Coach for the club, having previously spent 14 years nurturing the province’s future talent as the Manager of the Connacht Academy, and before that as a player in the late 1990’s.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Carolan said “When I signed my most recent contract over two years ago, I made it clear to Connacht that it would be my last before embarking on a new challenge.

“I have been involved with Connacht Rugby for most of the last 26 years of my life. While I have loved every day of it and I cannot speak highly enough of the people I’ve worked with, the time has come for a new experience in rugby.”

“I’m at the stage of my coaching career where I need to challenge myself in a new environment and gain new perspectives, so I’m excited by what the future holds for Siobhan, Milly, Ben and myself.”

“Andy Friend and Willie Ruane have known of my plans for a long time and have been 100% supportive of me every step of the way,” Carolan said.

“I’d like to sincerely thank them for their support these past few years while I came to this decision, and I’d like to wish them and all the players and coaches every success in the years ahead.”

Andy Friend says Carolan made a big impression in the three years they’ve worked together since he came to Connacht.

As Attack Coach, Carolan kept up the “attractive, exciting brand of attacking” playstyle which is part of the tradition of Connacht Rugby, Friend said, adding that it will continue to be implemented in the years ahead.

“He is an excellent coach who has all the credentials to succeed elsewhere, and I wish him every success wherever he goes.”

In recent years Carolan has served more than just his province, acting as Head Coach for the Irish U20 side from 2014-2017, leading them to the final of the 2016 U20 World Championship.

CEO of Connacht Rugby Willie Ruane paid tribute to Carolan for his many years of dedication to his home province.

“While we are obviously disappointed to see Nigel go, we fully understand and appreciate why he felt the time was right to move on.”

“We’ve been aware of his wish to try something new for some time, and the way he has conducted himself every day since then has been as professional and dedicated as ever.”

“It’s important to also acknowledge Nigel as one of our own, having come through the Connacht pathway both in his playing and coaching careers.”

“He has given his home province a huge amount and on behalf of everyone at Connacht Rugby I’d like to sincerely thank him for the commitment he has shown and for everything he has accomplished during his time here.”

Boil Water Notice lifted for over 900 Connemara households

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Galway Daily news Kinvara Boil Water Notice

A Boil Water notice notice affecting more than 900 homes and businesses in the Lettermore area of Connemara has been lifted after a month.

Irish Water imposed a Boil Water Notice for customers on the Teeranea/Lettermore Pubic Water Supply on February 20 due to issues at the treatment plant.

The notice also affected people on the Lettercallow Group Water Scheme.

The plant experienced operational and mechanical issues which caused a deterioration in water quality, along with capacity problems.

The notice has been lifted as of today, after works to address those problems.

Tim O’Connor of Irish Water said “Irish Water and Galway County Council would like to thank the customers who were affected by this notice for their patience and cooperation while essential works were carried out at the water treatment plant to enable the removal of this notice.

Work has taken place in the last month to improve control of the coagulation and filtration process at the treatment plant.

The notice has now been lifted after the completion of those works, followed by a water sampling process and consultation with the HSE.

Tim O’Connor added “The Tír an Fhía Water Treatment Plant is operating very well at present and producing high quality treated water. Additional improvements to the control of chemical dosing are planned during May and June.”

“Our priority is the provision of safe, clean drinking water and safeguarding that water supply for the future for customers in Tír an Fhía and surrounding areas”.

He acknowledged the impact that this notice has had on homes and businesses affected over the past month. Businesses will receive a 40% rebate for the cost of the water supply to their business, backdated to February 20.

People on the Teeranea/Lettermore Pubic Water Supply had previously been under a Boil Water for almost two months from January to March of 2020 due to elevated turbidity in the water.

Turbidity is a measure of how cloudy water is, caused by a large amount of particles in the water which are invisible to the naked eye.

This notice was also implemented after mechanical and operational difficulties at the same treatment plant.

Funding allocated for hot school meals at two Galway primary schools

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Galway Daily news Hot school meals coming to all primary schools in Ireland

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the Hot Schools Meals programme would continue through the Easter Holidays, this was in error. Funding will continue to support the umbrella School Meals Programme during the holidays.

 

Two primary schools in Galway are among 189 around the country which have been allocated funding under the Hot School Meals Programme this year.

St. Joseph’s Special School in Newcastle, Galway City and Scoil Naisiunta Naomh Treasa in Caiseal are among those included in the 2021 Hot School Meals Programme.

An additional €5.5 million was announced for the extension of the programme in Budget 2021, benefitting approximately 35,000 primary school children.

The programme provides hot food at schools which do not already have a canteen or kitchen.

Galway Senator Aisling Dolan said “Before the Covid-19 pandemic, funding for the School Meals Programme had been confined to the academic year, however the Department of Social Protection has ensured that this support has continued throughout, including during term breaks and school holidays.”

Roughly 40 percent of primary schools expressed an interest in the programme Senator Dolan said, with the 189 chosen based on geographical spread, pupil numbers, and the programme budget.

Each school must identify a supplier who will supply the food in line with the relevant food safety regulations and the Healthy Ireland ‘Nutrition Standards for Hot School Meals’.

Schools will be expected to provide a menu choice of at least two different meals per day plus a vegetarian/vegan option, as well as an option that caters for pupils’ religious and cultural dietary requirements.

Minister Heather Humphreys said “the Hot School Meals Programme is an important initiative in terms of a child’s wellbeing and nutrition. It is also known to facilitate better education outcomes.”

“When the scheme was initially launched as a pilot, it was availed of by 6,600 children in 37 schools.”

“From today, the Hot School Meals Programme will support 35,000 children in 189 schools in every city and county in the country.”

This falls under the umbrella of the broader School Meals Programme, which provides funding for the provision of food to 1,557 schools and organisations benefitting 227,000 children.

The Department has also expanded funding for this umbrella programme to cover primary and secondary schools over the Easter Holidays.

“Before the Pandemic, funding for the School Meals Programme had been confined to the academic year,” Minister Humphreys said.

“However in response to COVID-19, my department has ensured that this vital support has continued throughout, regardless of whether schools were open or not.”

“I want to reassure schools and parents that funding for the Programme will continue during the upcoming Easter break from 29 March to 9 April.”

“Ensuring funding for the School Meals Programme – across both the school terms and holiday periods – offers a security for children who rely on this important support.”

Blackrock coffee truck fight appealed to An Bord Pleanála

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Galway Daily news Blackrock coffee truck fight appealed to An Bord Pleanála

The owners of a modified trick selling coffee and snacks at Blackrock by the Salthill Promenade have gone to An Bord Pleanála seeking approval to continue operating.

McHugh Property Holdings Ltd sought retention permission from Galway City Council to continue selling hot drinks and snacks from an adapted van down at the Promenade.

However, the application was rejected by the city council, which refused retention permission. That rejection has now been appealed to An Bord Pleanála, which is due to rule on the case by July 21.

The appeal argues that the city council treated the application as if it was for permanent rather than temporary retention, arguing that a period of two to three years was being sought.

It also argues that the Board has previously ruled that the restored and extended cottage would be suitable for restaurant and café usage, and therefore it was wrong for the council to say the truck contravened the Residential and Amenity zoning of the land.

McHugh Property Holdings state that a small, mobile, and temporary truck would also not affect the visual amenity or character of the area, and that its function is complementary to how the promenade is used by the public.

“The congregation and presence of the public is entirely because of the attractive amenity of the public spaces at this focal point on the promenade, where the sea swimming and diving board further enhance the amenity.”

“The popularity of the site is as a result of the high quality amenity. The provision of hot drinks and snacks at this site further enhances and complements the public’s use of the amenity.”

“The presence of the public should not be seen as a visual detraction. It simply demonstrates the popularity, value and success of the amenity.”

Galway City Council rejected the application for the retention of the food and coffee truck on February 23.

In refusing approval for the truck to stay, the council said that the use of a coffee truck doesn’t fit the Residential and Amenity usage the land is zoned for, and would also have a negative impact on the amenity of the area.

The council’s Recreation and Amenity Department said that the food truck was not suitable for this location due to its proximity to Blackrock Diving Tower.

“The low quality appearance of this development, particularly adjacent to such an iconic structure and the permanent rather than temporary nature of the application could potentially lead to this becoming a long term feature at this location.”

“It is the intention of the Recreation and Amenity Department to undertake significant repairs to the Blackrock Diving Tower in 2022 and it is considered that this proposed development would detract from this and undermine the public investment in this facility.”

Concerns were also raised by the city council about the potential for crowds to gather in a congested area, which is of particular concern at the moment.

“Furthermore it must be remembered that we are currently in the middle of a global pandemic in which anything that attracts large crowds should be discouraged.”

Gort Lowlands residents urged to have their say on Flood Relief Scheme

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galway daily news Ballinasloe flood relief scheme

East Galway TD Seán Canney and Cllr Geraldine Donohue are calling on residents in the Gort Lowlands area to have their say on the South Galway Flood Relief Scheme.

Galway County Council and the Office for Public Works are currently bringing forward plans to deliver the Flood Relief Scheme in the region.

The scheme aims to develop flood protection measures in the area and reduce the damage caused by extreme flood events.

To inform the final design of the scheme and before submitting the planning application, the county council and the OPW are holding an online public consultation which will close on 3 April 2021.

“If for some reason you are a landowner or resident in any of the affected areas and are unsure what questions to ask or just want to know more about what is proposed it is important that you have your opinion or suggestions on the record,” said Independent TD Seán Canney.

“The website is quite technical, and no one should feel silly for asking even the simplest of a question or highlighting their concerns.

“It is vital that any local knowledge for such a mammoth scheme be recorded and such knowledge is welcomed by all.”

People can have their say by emailing southgalwayfrs@ryanhanley.ie, phoning Ryan Hanley on 091 509 309 or posting to South Galway – Gort Lowlands Flood Relief Scheme, Galway County Council, Áras an Chontae, Prospect Hill, Galway, H91 H6KX.

An online questionnaire is also available on the consultation website for people to submit their views.

Connemara’s COVID rate among lowest in Ireland

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galway daily news connemara lea covid rate

Connemara has among the lowest COVID-19 incidence rates in the country with fewer than five new cases confirmed in both Connemara electoral areas in the two weeks to March 22.

It is the second week that the incidence rate in Conamara North and Conamara South LEAs has been less than five.

Elsewhere, the 14-day rate in Galway City Central, which was recently the worst affected area in Ireland, fell to 161 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. A total of 43 cases were confirmed there over the two-week period.

Galway City West, with a population of over 25,000, recorded just 17 cases in 14 days, bringing the incidence rate there down to 67 cases per 100,000 people.

In Galway City East, the COVID rate increased slightly from 109 to 146.6 cases per 100,000 people. Thirty-nine cases were confirmed in the area in the fortnight to 22 March.

Outside of Connemara, Gort-Kinvara has the lowest rate in the county despite a slight increase in the two-week incidence rate to 46.8, with eleven new cases confirmed in the area in 14 days.

Loughrea and Ballinasloe LEAs recorded rates of 224.1 and 163.7 respectively, while 73 cases were confirmed in Tuam, taking its incidence rate to 219.9.

Athenry-Oranmore LEA had 62 new confirmed cases, with a rate of 188.8 cases per 100,000 people.

The 14-day incidence rate nationally was 158.3 for the two-week period.

COVID-19: 12 new Galway cases & 3 deaths nationally

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

Three further deaths related to COVID-19 and 606 new cases have been reported this evening by the Department of Health.

Of the new cases, 12 are in Galway, where the 14-day incidence rate is now 134.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. A total of 346 additional cases were confirmed in the county in the past fortnight.

75% of the cases reported today are under 45 years of age and the median age is 33 years old.

At 8am today, 312 people diagnosed with COVID were in hospital, of which 75 were in ICU. There have been 24 hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer said that the vast majority of people are making a huge sacrifice and missing time with loved ones in order for us to stay on course with the public health guidance.

“However, we know that in the week ending March 14, approximately one-in-ten people visited another household for social reasons, with most of these visits involving time spent indoors,” said Dr Glynn.

“While this clearly demonstrates that the vast majority of people are sticking with the public health guidance, it does represent a significant change versus January when just one in 20 people were visiting other homes for social reasons.

“Please continue to stick with the public heath advice and avoid visiting other homes at this time – do not give this virus the opportunities it is seeking to spread.”

Galway Lifeboat assists casualty on French fishing vessel

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Galway Daily news Searches continue for missing man reported entering Corrib
Galway Lifeboat was called to a French fishing boat this afternoon to carry out a medical evacuation of a crew member.
The casualty on the French vessel Scombrus was brought on board the Lifeboat and returned to the port.
Ambulance crew assessed patient who was then taken to University Hospital Galway.
The crew member’s injury is not believed to be serious.
David Badger attended the casualty along with Lifeboat crew Olivia Byrne, Cathal Byrne and Joanne Casserly. The DLA on duty was Sean Og Leydon.