COVID-19: Sharp decline in cases at UHG

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February 20, 2021

Galway Daily news Extra train services added for supporters going to Galway v Limerick semi-final

Some disruptions is expected to rail travel between Galway and Dublin this Sunday due to engineering works taking place on the line.

Irish Rail is carrying out engineering works between Hazelhatch and Portarlington which will result in disruptions to Galway to Dublin trains on Sunday.

08:00 Dublin Heuston to Galway will operate as a bus transfer from Dublin to Kildare and Portarlington, with a train the rest of the way.
11:40 Dublin Heuston to Galway train will not stop at Clara.
11:00 Galway to Dublin Heuston will be deferred to 11:35

More significant travel disruptions for Galway rail travel are expected on Saturday and Sunday the following week due to engineering works between Hazelhatch and Sallins.

East Galway GPs and Portiuncula work hand in hand on virtual heart failure clinics

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February 20, 2021

Galway Daily news East Galway GPs and Portiuncula work hand in hand on virtual heart failure clinics

Portiuncula Hospital has been making use of virtual technology to ensure that patients with demanding conditions, like heart failure, can continue to receive a high calibre of care, even when they can’t go to hospital.

Since the end of last year, GPs in East Galway have been able to avail of the virtual clinics being run by the heart failure team at Portiuncula.

Once a week, up to six GPs can discuss individual patient symptoms and treatment with the Heart Failure Team, on a one to one basis, via video conference.

This allows patients to receive expert care while still keeping them out of hospital, a notable goal of Sláintecare even before the pandemic, but more important than ever now.

The service is led by Dr Aidan Flynn, Consultant Cardiologist at Portiuncula Hospital who said, “Over the past year we have expanded our heart failure service to provide additional services to patients in their local primary care centres.”

“The next phase of our expansion of the Heart Failure Service is to support GPs who are seeing more patients being diagnosed with heart failure and living with heart failure.”

It’s estimated that there are more than 90,000 people in Ireland suffering from this disease, with 10,000 new cases being diagnosed each year.

The reason for this rapidly growing number is due to our aging population demographic, as well as the increasing number of people who survive traumatic events such as cardiac arrest, and the rising number of people with diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

Catherine Nolan, candidate Advanced Nurse Practitioner takes part in the virtual heart failure clinics with the GPs and provides a specialist nurse clinic for patients with heart failure in the primary care centres.

“We are developing our service to put patients at the centre of what we do and make sure that we get the right care to the right patients at the right time,” she said.

“GPs can now email us to book a time slot for the virtual clinic and based on the outcome of the discussion with Dr Flynn and myself, we can follow up and arrange for blood tests or a cardiac investigation such as echocardiogram or holter monitoring for the patient, as required.”

“I can also arrange to meet the patient in their nearest primary care centre on the day that they are scheduled for their echocardiogram or holter monitoring to carry out the blood tests and to provide patient and carer education on self-managing the disease.”

All of this helps to empower patients to be more actively involved in the management of their conditions, Catherine Nolan said.

Nearly 400 COVID-19 breaches fines issued in Galway

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February 20, 2021

Just under 400 fines have been issued to people in Galway for breaches of COVID-19 regulations in the latest Garda figures issued.

As of February 18 Gardaí in Galway had issued 393 fines for breaching travel restrictions, attending or organising parties, or for not wearing a mask where required.

In total, Gardaí issued 7,950 fines in Ireland across the who range of COVID offences. The largest reason by far was for non-essential travel, for which 6,297 fines of €100 have been issued.

Another 747 people have been fined for attending a house, and 197 people for organising one.

Gardaí have fined 155 people for not wearing a face covering in a shop or other location where it is required, and 263 fines have been given for non-essential journeys to airports or ports.

Deputy Commissioner of Policing and Security, John Twomey said “This week the tragic milestone of 4,000 COVID-19 deaths was reached.

“That is 4,000 people that were loved. That is 4,000 people that had family, friends and neighbours. That is 4,000 of our fellow citizens.”

“While the vast majority of people are heeding the advice, there are still some who are not complying with public health regulations.

“In doing so, they are putting themselves, those they love, and those they know at risk of catching of a virus that could, unfortunately, result in serious illness or death.”

The Garda Division which has racked up the highest number of fines is Cork City (898), followed by Dublin North (774), and Limerick (702).

More than half of people fined have been between the ages of 18 and 25 (53%), and the offenders are almost overwhelmingly male, accounting for three quarters of all breaches.

Offences also tend to occur more frequently on the weekend, with people being caught on Saturday and Sunday at twice the level as during the week.

To date, 620 court prosecutions in relations to COVID regulations breaches have also been initiated at the direction of the DPP.

Terraced house comes with large back garden in Galway City Centre

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February 19, 2021

Galway Daily property Terraced house comes with large back garden in City Centre

This terraced house in Woodquay comes with a large garden in one of the most central locations in Galway City, which is growing in popularity day by day.

No. 4 Walsh’s Terrace is in a prime location right on the edge of the city’s commercial centre, but situated in a rare spot that still comes with large amounts of green amenity space nearby.

This house will be up for grabs at the next O’Donnellan & Joyce’s next nationwide property auction taking place on Friday, February 26. To take part in this live streamed auction you must register online beforehand.

The terraced townhouse would make a great project for a buyer looking to put their own stamp on a property.

The four bedroom house is in need of refurbishment and modernisation, but has incredible potential either as a family home or an investment in an area where properties don’t come up too often.

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The ground floor consists of the main living area of the house, with carpeted sitting and dining rooms, and a tiled kitchen that features an open fireplace. A guest bathroom is also located on the ground floor.

The house’s four bedrooms, three double and one single, are up on the first floor. One of the bedrooms comes with its own fireplace for cosying up on cold evenings. The main bathroom of the house is also upstairs.

One of the signature features of this house is the rear garden, which is extremely large for a property so central in Galway City.

Though the garden is a little wild in its current state, that just means it is ripe for any green thumbed homeowner to make themselves a little oasis in the heart of the city.

There’s more open space to enjoy than just in your own garden here, as the rear of the property backs directly onto a large park, and is just thirty seconds from some lovely scenic spots along the River Corrib.

The Woodquay neighbourhood is very central in Galway City, just five minutes walk from Eyre Square, the NUI Galway campus, and all the other amenities of the city centre.

To see more of this property check it out on O’Donnellan & Joyce’s website at odonnjoyce.com/residential/brochure/4-walsh-s-terrace-woodquay-city-centre-galway-city/4472908.

A video tour of the property is available below, and to discuss it further please contact O’Donnellan & Joyce at 091 564 212

Live Streamed Auction

The next O’Donnellan & Joyce live streamed nationwide property auction will take place on Friday’ February 26, live streaming across their website and social media platforms from 12 noon.

There are nine homes and plots across the west of Ireland up for grabs at the auction, with properties in Galway, Roscommon, and Leitrim.

To see the entire catalogue of properties going under the hammer go to odonnjoyce.com/auction/properties/4249.

In order to take part in the auction, interested parties must register online and pay a booking deposit by Wednesday, February 12.

COVID-19: 28 deaths and 84 new cases in Galway

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February 19, 2021

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

Health officials have reported 763 new cases of COVID-19 and an additional 28 deaths related to the disease.

Eighty-four of the cases reported this evening are in Galway – the second highest number of any county in the Republic. Today’s increase takes the 14-day incidence rate here to 328.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Of the deaths reported today, 27 occurred in February and the median age was 79, while the ages of those who died were between 32 to 97.

“The past year has been very difficult for people and we still have a way to go. Incidence remains very high and we cannot drop our guard,” said Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer.

“But better days are in sight. People continue to respond to public health advice and act in solidarity with one another.

“We have a dedicated and committed health workforce and we are learning more about this disease all the time. We now have three very safe and effective vaccines being rolled out and supply should increase very substantially over the coming weeks.

“Please continue in your efforts as we seek to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit from vaccination.”

Students and parents urged to attend SUSI grant meeting with Minister Harris

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February 19, 2021

galway daily news aisling dolan simon harris susi

Students and parents are being encouraged to join in an online meeting next Thursday with Minister Simon Harris and Galway Senator Aisling Dolan, to voice their opinions on SUSI grant scheme.

The public consultation meeting will take place on Zoom on Thursday 25 February at 7pm, and and parents of 5^th Year and Leaving Certificate students are especially invited to join the conversation, as well as those in first and second year of college.

Senator Dolan said she planned this event for some time, having worked in the Third Level education sector herself and being very mindful of the needs of families.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for students and their families to give direct feedback on the SUSI programme at the most senior level with Minister Simon Harris,” said Senator Dolan.

“SUSI gives students support as they continue their studies after secondary schools. We have many areas of disadvantage and families who are struggling to ensure students can get by in college.

“We also have more single parent families who are facing additional challenges. Now is the time to see that the SUSI support programme is fit for purpose.”

Minister Simon Harris said he was looking forward to speaking to families and students in the Galway area.

He said that the student grant scheme opens the door for many people to access further and higher education.

“However, the scheme has remained static despite significant changes in Irish society in recent years,” said Minister Harris.

“We are likely to see an increase in grant holders next year as a result of the pandemic.

“It is timely to now review the scheme administered by SUSI and, having received the approval of Government to undertake this, we are now moving to consult with stakeholders.

“I want this review to consider the current challenges facing students and to find out what we can do better.

“The review’s terms of reference include examining the value of the maintenance grants and income thresholds, the availability of grants for part-time students, adjacent and non-adjacent rates, supports for postgraduates and how Ireland compares against other jurisdictions.”

The review will report back to the Minister this summer and will help inform decisions in the context of Budget 2022.

“In the meantime we want to hear from you and I am delighted to be joining Senator Aisling Dolan at an online event she has organised to seek the feedback of her constituents,” added Minister Harris.

Senator Dolan encouraged all parents and students to attend the meeting on Zoom. There is also an option to dial for those who have limited or no access Wi-Fi.

Modular outpatient department to open at Portiuncula Hospital next month

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February 19, 2021

Galway Daily news Massive backlog after bone scanner at Portiuncula Hospital broken for 2 years

A new modular outpatient and emergency department building for Portiuncula Hospital is expected to open in the middle of next month.

In response to a query raised in the Dáil on Thursday, Galway TD Denis Naughten received confirmation that a 14 bed prefab building is expected to be open by March 15.

Minister of State for Public Health Frankie Feighan confirmed that construction on a modular department is expected to be completed by the end of the first week in March.

It will then be commissioned for occupation in the following week, and is expected that it will be open fully as an outpatient department on march 15.

“The modular building proposed will provide for 14 temporary Covid-19 emergency department, ED, minor injuries treatment and assessment rooms, with associated support facilities.

“The unit will have a residual value for the displacement of outpatient accommodation after the Covid-19 emergency,” Minister Feighan added.

This is being done to ease the pressure on beds at the Ballinasloe Hospital, which lost 10% of its bed capacity due to reconfigurations needed for COVID-19 safety purposes.

Denis Naughten pointed out that after being reduced to just 13 single rooms, management at Portiuncula Hospital forwarded a proposal to the HSE for a modular building to take the outpatient department out of the hospital, so that it could be converted into single rooms.

“While funding has been forthcoming for the modular building for the outpatient department, refurbishment work has not taken place in the old outpatient department,” the Independent TD said.

In the same debate Minister Feighan also stated that the HSE intends to advertise for tenders for the construction of a the long awaited new 50 bed ward for Portiuncula Hospital in the first quarter of this year.

After this it is hoped that construction of the new ward block will begin in the summer of 2021, subject to funding.

Aki, Dillane, and Heffernan return from Irish squad for Connacht v Cardiff

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February 19, 2021

Galway Daily rugby Ultan Dillane departing Connacht after 10 years — Photo credit: Connacht Rugby/INPHO

Bundee Aki, Ultan Dillane and Dave Heffernan have returned from the Irish International side to start for Connacht against the Cardiff Blues on Saturday.

The Cardiff Blues are coming to Galway to face Connacht at the Sportsground tomorrow, with kick-off at 7:35pm.

Connacht and Cardiff are currently placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in Conference B of the Guinness PRO14, with six points separating them.

Jared Butler will be captaining once again, while prop Jordan Duggan is making his first starting appearance in seven games.

“It’s great to welcome Dave, Ultan and Bundee back into the fold, and they’re re-joining an already healthy group of players,” Head Coach Andy Friend said of the team selection.

“We had tough news for Quinn Roux and Peter Robb this week but overall we’re in a good spot and that’s allowed us to pick a squad based on form.”

“We have a great opportunity to keep the pressure on Munster at the top while opening some daylight between ourselves and the chasing pack.

“We know our home form isn’t where it should be so this is our opportunity to put that right”.

Connacht has had a rough run at the Sportground so far this year, with three successive losses at their home field, one two the Ospreys and two against Munster.

However, their last match in the PRO14 went better, with a 30-20 win over the Dragon’s at Rodney Field.

CONNACHT MATCHDAY 23 VS CARDIFF BLUES
Saturday 20th February, The Sportsground, k/o 7.35pm

Name/Number/Caps
15. John Porch (31)
14. Alex Wootton (13)
13. Tom Daly (38)
12. Bundee Aki (106)
11. Matt Healy (144)
10. Jack Carty (150)
9. Caolin Blade (122)
1. Jordan Duggan (7)
2. Dave Heffernan (137)
3. Finlay Bealham (150)
4. Ultan Dillane (107)
5. Gavin Thornbury (50)
6. Eoghan Masterson (102)
7. Jarrad Butler (66) (C)
8. Paul Boyle (50)

Replacements
16. Shane Delahunt (90)
17. Denis Buckley (192)
18. Jack Aungier (10)
19. Oisin Dowling (1)
20. Abraham Papali’i (6)
21. Kieran Marmion (176)
22. Sean O’Brien (Acad) (3)
23. Tiernan O’Halloran (187)

Celebrate national Love Your Pet Day with free treats for furry companions

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February 19, 2021

Galway Daily life & style Celebrate national Love Your Pet Day with free treats for furry companions

Pets are an incredible source of comfort and joy to many in the best of times, and have been even more so during the enforced isolation of recent lockdowns.

This Saturday is the perfect opportunity to shower your pet with appreciation in ‘National Love Your Pet Day’, which encourages a little extra pampering for those companions who brighten up our lives.

Jackie & Peadar Dolan’s Treat Cafés have been catering to a lot of locals stopping in for a takeaway coffee while out walking with their dogs in recent times.

This Saturday, to celebrate ‘National Love Your Pet Day’ Treat Cafés will be giving out free dog treats at their three locations in Lackagh and Claregalway.

Stop by any of the three cafés after 10am to pick up a special treat for your pup.

Keep up to date with the latest news by following Treat Café and restaurants on social at @TreatCafes.

NUIG astronomer tuning radio telescopes to hunt for alien life

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February 19, 2021

Galway Daily news NUIG astronomer tuning radio telescopes to hunt for alien life

An astronomer at NUI Galway is leading a new project looking into the future of how we can search for alien civilisation using radio telescopes.

Dr Evan Keane of NUIG’s Centre for Astronomy has received funding for a project to examine how the next generation Very Large Array radio telescope can be designed to identify signatures of extra-terrestrial intelligence.

Radio telescopes are particularly well suited for identifying signatures of technology associated with life and advanced civilisation by hunting radio waves from deep space.

Radio waves can be transmitted and detected over greater distances than other forms of light, and can also be encoded with large bandwidths of information, an extremely useful technological property.

Currently in the design stages, the next generation Very Large Array will be the largest radio telescope in the Northern Hemisphere, consisting of hundreds of radio dishes, spread over 8,000 kilometres in North America working in tandem together.

The design of this array is still being debated and investigated worldwide, and Dr Keane job’s will be to look at how this array could maximise its ability to search for technosignatures of extra-terrestrial life, while also simultaneously performing all the other cutting edge astrophysics studies that the observatory will do.

Dr Keane’s work will include looking at how the dishes should be spaced, what frequency bands should be used, what search algorithms should be deployed and what supercomputing backend capabilities do these require

Dr Keane said: “I am very excited to be investigating how to tackle perhaps the most difficult challenge there is in science. These searches for technosignatures are also now happening on Irish soil too.”

Working with partners in Berkley University in the U.S., and others here in Ireland, a search system is being developed on the Irish Low Frequency Array station in Birr, Co. Offaly.

“This is a great opportunity for upcoming Irish scientists to tackle these questions at home,” Dr Keane said.

Time to kiss goodbye to kissing gates, says Galway Cycling Campaign

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February 19, 2021

galway daily news kissing gates galway news

Galway Cycling Campaign has welcomed the announcement of scrambler and quad regulation by the Minister for Transport, which the campaign says will allow for the removal of kissing gates.

Neasa Bheilbigh of Galway Cycling Campaign and Galway CycleBus said that the campaign has no affection for kissing gates, which were installed to prevent access by scramblers and quads.

“Now there’s no more excuses for these barriers. Local authorities must now ensure green spaces are safe and accessible to all,” said Neasa.

“Parks often form part of quiet routes to school.

“Removing kissing gates and barriers will make better access to public spaces for people walking, people with mobility challenges, parents with buggies and those cycling on standard and non-standard bikes.

“It’s time to kiss the kissing gates goodbye.”

Galway City Centre records highest COVID rate in Ireland

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February 19, 2021

Galway City Centre LEA has the highest COVID rate in the state in new data released yesterday evening.

The 14-day incidence rate in the city centre now stands at 951.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with 254 cases confirmed between 2 and 15 February.

The rate in Galway city centre is more than three times the national average, which stood at 269.3 when the data was recorded.

Elsewhere in Galway, Conamara North has a 14-day incidence rate of just 87.3 cases per 100,000 people after only 15 cases were recorded in the fortnight to 15 February.

Galway City West and Galway City East also have much lower COVID rates than Galway City Central, at 208.9 and 579.1 cases per 100,000 population respectively.

Tuam LEA, which had the highest rate in the county for three weeks in January, now has a rate of 361.5 with a total of 120 new cases confirmed in the area in 14 days.

Conamara South’s COVID rate is now 313.9, while it is 241.9 in Ballinasloe, 185.2 in Loughrea, 195.7 in Gort-Kinvara, and 149.2 in Athenry-Oranmore.

Slight increase in COVID cases at Galway hospitals

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February 19, 2021

The number of people with Covid-19 at Galway hospitals increased yesterday by five, but the total number of Covid patients in ICU decreased by one.

University Hospital Galway is now treating 37 people with Covid-19, while Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinalsoe has three patients with the virus.

The overall hospital situation remained relatively steady this week, with ten people now receiving care in ICU across the two hospitals. Nine of the confirmed cases in ICU are at UHG.

Portiuncula has just three general beds available, but UHG has a total of 53 free beds, according to the latest HSE data.

There were 771 confirmed Covid cases in hospitals across the state this morning.

There were 47 further deaths related to COVID-19 reported by health officials yesterday, along with 901 new confirmed cases.

Galway had 43 new cases reported yesterday, the third highest level in the country.

Knocknacarra Lidl gets green light from An Bord Pleanala

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February 19, 2021

Galway Daily news Knocknacarra Lidl gets green light from An Bord Pleanala

An Bord Pleanála has given its backing for a new Lidl commercial development in Knocknacarra that has bounced back and forth from the board and city council.

Lidl Ireland submitted plans for a two-storey supermarket on land at the junction of Bothar Stiofáin and the Western Distributor Road.

This would encompass a Lidl store with off-licence, along with four other commercial units: a café/restaurant, a barbers, a nail salon, and a physiotherapy clinic.

The Lidl store alone would create 20-25 full time jobs the application states, with further jobs from the other units.

The development will have 87 car parking spaces serving the site, with vehicle access via a link road to the north of the site, connecting with Bothar Stiofáin.

This is the second time that the matter has come before An Bord Pleanála, which shot down the first attempt.

Lidl’s plans for a similar development on the site were approved by the city council, but rejected by An Bord Pleanála in May of 2019 on appeal by the Retail Grocery Dairy & Allied Trades Association.

RGDATA also appealed these plans, which were approved by the city council last September, but this time An Bord Pleanála upheld the approval.

In appealing the development, RGDATA said that it was concerned about the proliferation of discount stores in Galway City suburbs, and the “cumulative effect” they might have on the viability of the city centre.

“If left unchecked, the high growth rate of discount stores is likely to result in a significant adverse retail impact on the city centre and existing centres,” the appeal stated.

Lidl had sought to assuage the board’s concerns about the original design’s “horizontal emphasis”, “limited height”, and “blank facade” being out of character with the area, representing a “monolithic and poor quality” development.

The new plans submitted to the city council and An Bord Pleanála have been increased in height by 10.2m at the roundabout corner, extending along the eastern edge of the building, to help create a “landmark building”.

An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission with 18 conditions attached. Before work begins a landscaping plan must be submitted with proposed boundary treatments and the locations of indigenous plants and trees to be planted.

COVID-19: 47 deaths and 43 Galway cases today

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February 18, 2021

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

There have been 47 further deaths related to COVID-19 reported by health officials today, along with 901 new confirmed cases.

Galway reports 43 new cases today, the third highest level in the country. There have been 796 cases in Galway over the past two weeks, and the 14-day incidence rate is now 308.5 per 100,000 people.

Of the deaths notified today, 44 were in February, one occurred in January, and the last was in December.

These deaths were in people aged from 51 to 99 years old, and the median age of those who died was 81.

There were 771 people hospitalised with COVID-19 in Ireland as of this afternoon, of whom 151 were in Intensive Care.

There have now been a total of 4,082 COVID-19 related deaths in the country, out of 212,647 cases since the start of the pandemic.

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

City Council awarded €606k for social housing energy efficiency upgrades

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February 18, 2021

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

Galway City Council will receive over €600,000 for the purpose of retrofitting social housing to make them more energy efficient.

The government has today announced €45 million in funding under the 2021 Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme for Social Housing.

Of that package €35 million has been divided between local authorities, with a goal of retrofitting a total of 1,293 homes.

Galway City Council will receive €606,998 of that, with a target of carrying out energy efficiency improvements

A further €10 million will be held back for those councils which are able to spend their full allocation this year, and could undertake additional work.

Of the funding package announced today €5.45 million of it was already allocated to eight councils in the Midlands for a pilot scheme in 2020.

That pilot scheme included €631,439 for Galway County Council, targeting 23 homes for retrofitting.

Minister for Housing and Local Government Darragh O’Brien said that the 2021 programme will see a “significant upscaling” of the work being done on the homes compared with past years, aiming to carry out deeper retrofitting works.

“We are being realistic in our initial allocation and taking account of the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the works which can take place.

“We are taking an equitable approach ensuring that allocations are calculated on the basis of the number of social housing units each local authority has, as a percentage of the overall national stock.”

The amount allocated to each council has also been determined by their ability to carry out works and draw down all funding this year.

Roughly 40% of Ireland’s energy-related carbon emissions come from buildings, and the government’s programme has set a target of retrofitting half a million home by 2030.of which it is expected that approximately 36,500 of those will be social housing.

Minister of State Peter Burke added that retrofitting is labour intensive work, and will help create “high-quality, sustainable jobs” in communities.

JP McMahon announces 8-week cookery course for kids

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February 18, 2021

galway daily news food jp mcmahon kids cookery class

Michelin-starred Aniar Restaurant owner and chef JP McMahon has today announced he will host an eight-week cookery course for kids aged 8 to 15 starting on 10 April.

The course will teach children some crowd-pleasing and family-friendly food such as lasagna, pancakes, bread and roast chicken.

The classes will be held virtually via Zoom each Saturday morning.

Budding young chefs can pre-book to attend the full course, priced at €250 or choose to attend individual classes for €35 per session with ingredients list and required tools shared in advance.

Students will also have the option of cooking along with JP, or tuning into the class later and putting their newly acquired skills into practice on their own when it has finished.

As parental supervision is advised for kids under 12, the classes also offer parents the chance to bond with their kids over everyone’s favourite talking point – food!

“We are really excited to introduce our virtual cookery course for kids. As a dad myself, I know just how important it is for kids to learn new skills and for us as parents to encourage passions and talents,” JP McMahon.

“Lockdown has made it all the more difficult to ensure our kids are reaching their potential so our 8-week course is a fantastic opportunity to teach a life-long skill in a fun way.

“We have made sure that the classes offer variety when it comes to recipes but also that each class is suitable for a variety of abilities.

“As a chef, my own personal ethos is to harness traditional methods and local produce, so I will also share some of my own beliefs and passions in hopes I can open our attendees’ eyes to the world of food around them too.”

JP has also launched a 10-week virtual cookery course which starts on 2 March, with a limited number of spaces available.

The course will deliver the content from his highly popular 6-week cooking class that would usually take place in Aniar.

The course will guide food lovers through a different culinary cornerstone each week, going beyond the basics of at-home cooking.

“I try to make the experience as inclusive and diverse and informative as possible,” added JP McMahon.

“Students will learn so much about food preparation and cooking methods, for example, ‘Beef Week’ will also focus on different cuts as well as sauce making and ‘Pork Week’ will focus on pork dishes plus the skill of pickling.”

A must-attend for any food lovers cost €495 for the course and €55 per class with themes including bread, beef, pork, fish, vegetables and desserts.

Concerns about rat-run traffic on road to Merlin Park Hospital

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February 18, 2021

Galway Daily news Concerns about rat-run traffic on road to Merlin Park Hospital

Concerns have been raised about an important access road for Merlin Park Hospital being used as a rat-run by cars coming into the city.

Councillor Alan Cheevers said that the traffic issues on Merlin Park Lane are a serious concern for the hospital, and a safety issue for residents along the road.

The Fianna Fáil said that people are being practically “barricaded into their homes” in the morning by cars travelling down the Lane at high speeds, which is going to cause an accident eventually.

“This has become a serious health and safety issue not only for residents but also for pedestrians and cyclists who use Merlin lane as a route to Merlin woods.”

The road should only be used for residents and hospital staff Councillor Cheevers said, adding that barriers should be installed at the gates of the hospitals that are only accessible by staff.

“I have brought this issue to attention to Galway City Council I am now asking them to speak with Merlin Park Management and the residents of Merlin Lane to resolve this issue,” Alan Cheevers said.

“Furthermore I am asking Galway City council also to take the proposed bus corridor for Merlin lane off the transport plan. It would be insane even to contemplate this proposal with traffic and the width of the road.”

New drones to deliver food to Just Eat customers in Oranmore!

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February 18, 2021