NUI Galway Mincéirs Whiden Society honours founding member

-

February 13, 2021

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

Gardaí have issued almost 300 fines in Galway for breaches of COVID-19 regulations as of this week.

There have been 294 fines issued in Galway for non-essential travel, organising or attending house parties, or not wearing a mask while required.

An Garda Síochána has now issued approximately 6,550 fines across a range of COVID-19 breaches.

These include:

4,911 €100 fines for non-essential travel
132 €500 fines for non-essential journeys to airports/ports
the total number of €100 and €500 fines for non-essential journeys to airports/ports is in excess of 500
116 €500 fines for organising a house party
498 €150 fines for attending a house party
127 fines of €80 each for not wearing a face covering

Deputy Commissioner John Twomey said, “The vast majority of people are doing the right things. They are staying home. Making only essential journeys. Limiting their contacts.

“We know it is hard. We know it has meant huge sacrifices. We thank them for this and ask people to continue to do the right things.”

“Unfortunately, there are still people in this society who are prepared to put themselves, their families, their friends and their colleagues at risk of getting COVID-19.

“Everybody in this society has an individual and collective responsibility to play their part in reducing the spread of COVID-19.”

“Everybody in this society has an individual and collective responsibility to play their part in saving lives and reducing serious illness. It is long past time for those who are not playing their part to do so.”

Two crashes reported on N6/M6 this morning

By

-

February 13, 2021

Motorists are being urged to take care on the M6 this morning with two separate collisions taking place on the route.

There was a collision on the N6/M6 westbound between J13 Athlone West and J14 Ballinasloe East in the right lane.

Nearby on the M6, there is a crash on the eastbound carriageway between J16 Loughrea and J15 Ballinasloe West.

Gardaí are currently at the scene of these incidents but neither collision is understood to be serious in nature.

Slush and snow are affecting routes in the area and gardaí have reminded people to exercise caution if travelling on the M6 route east and west of J16 Loughrea.

More to follow…

COVID-19: Number of cases at Galway hospitals continues to fall

By

-

February 13, 2021

There has been a further decrease in the overall number of confirmed coronavirus cases at Galway hospitals, despite a slight increase in the number of cases in ICU.

There are now 30 patients with COVID-19 at UHG and four at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe, down from 32 and six cases respectively the day before.

There are six people with COVID in the critical care unit at University Hosptial Galway as of 8pm yesterday evening, and one person Portiuncula’s ICU.

Across the two hospitals, there are six ICU beds available, five of which are at UHG, according to the latest HSE data.

As of 8am this morning, there are 959 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state.

A further 32 cases were reported in Galway yesterday by the Department of Health, where the 14 day incidence rate is now 303.8 per 100,000 people. In the past two weeks Galway has had 784 new cases.

Risk of severe gusts and coastal flooding this weekend

By

-

February 13, 2021

Galway Daily news Storm Bram road closures

A status yellow weather warning for wind will come into effect tomorrow, Sunday, with severe gusts possible in parts of the West.

The warning begins at 6am tomorrow, and will remain in place throughout the day until 6pm.

Met Éireann said that it will be very windy with strong to gale force southerly winds veering southwesterly.

There is also a risk of coastal flooding around high tide and more severe gusts are possible for a time.

The Valentines’ Day weather warning, which starts less than 24 hours after the current warning is lifted, was issued for Galway and fourteen other counties.

The current wind warning in place will be lifted at 9am this morning.

COVID-19: 23 deaths today and 32 Galway cases

By

-

February 12, 2021

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

There have been 23 additional deaths related to COVID-19 reported by the Department of Health today, along with 921 new cases.

There have been 32 cases reported in Galway, where the 14 day incidence rate is now 303.8 per 100,000 people. In the past two weeks Galway has had 784 new cases.

Of the deaths notified today, 21 were in February and 2 took place in January. They victims ranged from 57 to 95 years old, and the median age of those who died was 84.

There have now been a total of 3,865 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland, and a total of 207,720 cases here since the start of the pandemic.

Validation of data by the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of four deaths and two previously confirmed cases.

As of 8am today, 959 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of whom 173 are in ICU. 53 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer said “We have made progress in Ireland over recent weeks, but the rate of transmission of the disease is still extremely high and the risks COVID-19 poses to our vulnerable loved ones have not changed.”

“Everyone is working hard to drive down COVID-19 infection in the community, and we must all continue to limit the number of daily contacts we have.

“The only way to limit the spread of COVID-19 is to limit our social contacts and follow the public health advice, wash our hands, maintain a social distance, wear a face covering where appropriate, work from home and stay at home.”

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

€20,000 in drugs bound for Galway seized at Shannon Airport

By

-

February 12, 2021

Galway Daily crime €20,000 in drugs bound for Galway seized at Shannon Airport

The Revenue Commissioners seized 1kg of illegal drugs at Shannon Airport this week which were bound for an address in Galway.

On Tuesday, 1kg of Kratom was discovered at the airport in a package originating from an address in the Netherlands.

The parcel in questions had been labelled as ‘moringa extract’, a herbal remedy from trees native to the Indian subcontinent.

The drugs have an estimated street value of €20,000 according to the Revenue, and were meant for Galway.

Investigations are ongoing.

Oughterard lotto player scoops €27,310 Euromillions prize

By

-

February 12, 2021

Lotto players in the Oughterard area are being urged to check their tickets after one player scooped a €27,310 prize in the Euromillions this week.

One player in the Oughterard area matched five numbers in Tuesday night’s draw. They were just two lucky star numbers away from winning the incredible €145,042,671 jackpot.

The winning Quick Pick ticket was sold on February 6 in the Day Today store on Bridge Street in Oughterard.

The winning EuroMillions numbers for last night’s draw were: 05, 10, 24, 31, 37 and lucky stars 09 and 10.

The winning ticket holder is advised to sign the back of their ticket and to get in touch with the National Lottery claims team on 1800 666 222 or email claims@lottery.ie and arrangements will be made for them to claim their prize.

There were 77,000 players in Ireland who won prizes in Tuesday’s Euromillions draw, but the but the grand jackpot went unclaimed.

That has now rolled over to Friday evening’s draw, where a whopping €165,000,000 will be up for grabs.

This marks the second big Lotto win in Galway in less than a week as another lucky local who bought their Quick Pick ticket in O’Toole’s on Bishop Street in Tuam won the €500,000 EuroMillions Plus jackpot last week.

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

In total more than €5.8 Billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery was established 33 years ago. In 2020 alone, €254 million was raised for local Good Causes in communities across Ireland.

Heavy snow causes mechanical issues at Letterfrack water treatment plant

By

-

February 12, 2021

Galway Daily news Latest EPA report shows one Galway public water supply deemed "at-risk"

Heavy snow this week are affecting the water supply for people in the Letterfrack area after causing issues with the local water treatment plant.

Irish Water and Galway County Council have said that work is being undertaken to resolve issues at the treatment plant caused by heavy snow and adverse weather.

In the meantime water has been diverted into the area from the Tully Water Treatment Plant.

However, some people may still experience low water pressure or water outages while repairs are being carried out on the treatment plant.

Tim O’Connor from Irish Water said, “technical staff are working at the Letterfrack Water Treatment Plant to carry out repairs to the inlet valve which was damaged as a result of recent heavy snow and adverse weather.”

“We would like to apologise to customers who are experiencing lower pressure and/or outages and are working as quickly as we can to rectify the problem.”

No estimated time has yet been given for the completion of these works.

COVID-19: significant drop in ICU cases at UHG

By

-

February 12, 2021

There has been a major drop in the number of COVID-19 patients in the Intensive Care Unit at UHG in the latest HSE figures.

There were just five confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the ICU at University Hospital Galway as of 8pm on Thursday, down from 11 the day before.

Portiuncula Hospital also remains at a very low level, with just one critically ill patient in the ICU.

University Hospital Galway had the highest available ICU capacity of any acute hospital in the country, with 7 critical care beds available.

Overall there were 38 confirmed cases in Galway’s hospitals, 32 at UHG and 6 at Portiuncula.

Test results were awaited on a further 3 suspected cases in hospital, two in Galway and one in Ballinasloe.

Nationwide there were x COVID-19 patients hospitalised in Ireland as of Thursday night, of whom 167 were in the ICU.

There was one death recorded among Intensive Care patients with the disease in the 24 hours prior, while 119 patients were on ventilators.

Connacht v Munster: full squad named

By

-

February 12, 2021

Galway Daily sport Connacht squad named for Edinburgh trip — photo credit: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

The Connacht Eagles are preparing for their Interpro friendly against Munster at the Sportsground this afternoon, coming home after a solid win against the Dragons last week.

The full side named for Connacht v Munster includes a mixture of Pro and Academy players who will be eager to pick up some game-time heading into an important part of the campaign.

Last Friday Connacht beat the Welsh Dragons 30 – 20 at Rodney field, a welcome boost after two successive defeats on their home turf.

Connacht v Munster kicks off at 1pm on Friday afternoon at the Sportsground.

The full Connacht side named for the match is:

15. Conor Dean
14. Diarmuid Kilgallen
13. Shane Jennings
12. Cathal Forde
11. Oran McNulty
10. Conor Fitzgerald
9. Colm Reilly

1. Paddy McAllister
2. Dylan Tierney-Martin
3. Dominic Robertson-McCoy
4. Cian Prendergast
5. Darragh Murray
6. Sean O’Brien
7. Ciaran Booth
8. Sean Masterson

Replacements from: Eoin de Buitlear, Charlie Ward, Conor Kenny, Hubert Costello, Oisin McCormack, Matthew Devine, Donnacha Byrne, Tiernan O’Halloran, Declan Adamson, Joshua Dunne, Diarmuid McCormack

image credit: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Disruptions expected to Galway – Dublin rail travel this weekend

By

-

February 12, 2021

Rail travel between Galway and Dublin will be disrupted by engineering works taking place on the train line on Saturday and Sunday.

Line improvement works on Saturday will see multiple services disrupted, with bus transfers operating from the late afternoon, and one train cancelled in the evening.

Saturday, February 13

19:35 Dublin Heuston to Galway is cancelled

The following trains will operate as bus transfers between Dublin Heuston and Athlone, followed by a train from Athlone to Galway on Saturday;

16:30 Dublin Heuston to Galway
17:30 Dublin Heuston to Galway; bus from Dublin Heuston to Athlone will call additionally at Tullamore, a second bus transfer will operate from Dublin Heuston to Clara and Athlone with a third bus transfer from Portarlington to Tullamore and Athlone
18:30 Dublin Heuston to Galway; bus from Dublin Heuston to Athlone will call additionally at Tullamore, a second bus transfer will operate from Dublin Heuston to Clara and Athlone with a third bus transfer from Monasterevin to Portarlington, Tullamore and Athlone, train from Athlone to Galway will call additionally at Woodlawn
15:05 Galway to Dublin Heuston; second bus transfer will operate from Athlone to Clara, Tullamore, Portarlington, Kildare, Newbridge and Dublin Heuston
17:20 Galway to Dublin Heuston; second bus transfer will operate from Athlone to Tullamore, Portarlington, Kildare, Newbridge and Dublin Heuston
19:20 Galway to Dublin Heuston; service deferred to 19:35 and a second bus transfer will operate from Athlone to Clara, Tullamore, Portarlington, Monasterevin, Kildare, Newbridge, Sallins and Dublin Heuston

There will be smaller scale disruptions to rail services on Sunday, with three trains in the morning seeing some delays and bus transfers.

Sunday, February 14

08:00 Dublin Heuston to Galway will be bus transfers from Dublin Heuston to Kildare and Portarlington, followed by a train at 09:15 from Portarlington to Galway
11:40 Dublin Heuston to Galway will not serve Clara
11:00 Galway to Dublin Heuston is deferred to 11:35

COVID-19: 63 new Galway cases and 52 more deaths nationally

By

-

February 11, 2021

A total of 866 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported by health officials this evening as well as 52 further deaths related to the disease.

Thirty-three of the deaths occurred in February, 12 in January, six in December or earlier and one is still under investigation.

Of the cases reported today, 63 are in Galway which is the second highest number of new cases in the state after Dublin.

There were 31 people in hospital with COVID-19 in Galway as of Wednesday night, of whom nine were in ICU.

The latest figures from the HSE show that University Hospital Galway is treating 27 COVID-19 patients, and there are another four confirmed cases at Portiuncula Hospital.

Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said that they are are cautiously optimistic about the epidemiological situation across the country.

“This positive momentum has been achieved through the dedication of people across the country in recent weeks,” he said.

“However, incidence and mortality rates are still very high, and the significant risk of community transmission of the virus remains, especially for those most vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.

“It is of vital importance that people continue to stay at home and to work from home where at all possible.”

Of the cases notified today:

401 are men and 463 are women
65% are under 45 years of age
the median age is 35 years old

Fidelity Investments’ announcement of 60 new Galway jobs welcomed

By

-

February 11, 2021

Galway Daily business US software company creating 25 jobs in Galway

The creation of 90 new jobs in Ireland, of which 60 will be in Galway, by US fintech company Fidelity Investments has been broadly welcomed.

Fidelity Investments announced today that it plans to hire 60 software engineers in Galway, and 30 in Dublin.

The company said that recruitment has already started to fill those positions, and that it expects all the jobs to be filled by the middle of 2021.

Martin Shanahan, the Chief Executive of IDA Ireland said that Ireland is a “strategic hub” for companies innovating in fintech.

“World leading companies such as Fidelity Investments are developing new products and services from Ireland for global markets.”

“I wish to congratulate the Fidelity team on reaching 25 years in Ireland and for creating 90 new key technology roles despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Fidelity Investments Ireland opened its Galway branch in 2002, following on from the Boston based company’s establishment of its first international office in Dublin in 1996.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar also welcomed the announcement of the new jobs for Galway and Dublin.

“Ireland is a really attractive destination for technology companies, due in large part to our strong pool of talent and expertise in the sector. I wish Fidelity Investments and the team here continued success in Ireland.”

Almost 5,000 learner drivers waiting for test in Galway

By

-

February 11, 2021

galway daily news learner drivers test galway

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has been urged to take decisive action after figures revealed that there are 4,881 learner drivers waiting for a test in County Galway.

The RSA confirmed to Sinn Féin that over 92,000 people across the state are waiting for their driving test, and the party has called on the Minister to tackle the backlog.

East Galway Sinn Féin’s Louis O’Hara says that a number of people have contacted him who have been waiting several months for a test date in the local testing centres.

“Throughout 2020 we called on Minister Shane Ross and the new Minister Eamon Ryan TD, to address the worsening crisis. Neither took the problem seriously and the situation has now greatly worsened,” said Mr O’Hara.

“In fact, the number of people waiting for a test has increased by 70% since June of this year.

“With public transport down to 25% capacity and sharing of lifts not feasible due to Covid, this is causing massive problems for people who need a licence to get to work.”

Louis O’Hara says that it is a huge issue for people in rural Ireland, where ‘public transport simply isn’t an option’.

“There is a clear need for additional driving instructors and testers. Likewise, longer opening hours and weekend tests would go some way to address the lengthening backlog.

“The Minister needs to urgently consult with instructors, testers and their unions to find a way forward to accelerate the number of tests that can be carried out safely over the coming months.

“In addition, the driver theory test is still suspended, causing further delays for those learning to drive.”

The Sinn Féin representative says that his party has also called for online driver theory tests to be extended to all categories of learner drivers, to help deal with the growing backlog of those learning to drive.

“The Driver Theory Test Service are currently providing remote theory tests for bus, truck, CPC and ADI categories. This is a welcome development, but it is essential this is now expanded to those learning to drive a car.”

Treacherous conditions on N59 between Moycullen & Clifden

By

-

February 11, 2021

For live updates, click HERE

Galway Daily news Snow and Ice warning in effect for Galway this evening

Snow has caused treacherous conditions on the N59 between Moycullen and Clifden this afternoon.

The route is almost impassable at Ballynahinch just west of Recess and Gardaí have advised motorists to avoid this stretch if possible.

Elsewhere in Galway, Gardaí in Loughrea have reported snow on a number of routes.

Motorists are also being urged to be extra careful on Furnace Road (R336) in Camus due to snow.

AA Roadwatch has reminded those making essential journeys today to allow extra time for essential travel, and drive at a reduced speed in affected areas.

Met Éireann warns of more snow on Friday night

By

-

February 11, 2021

Galway Daily news snow and ice weather warning

A fresh weather warning for snow has been issued for County Galway, with 5cm of snow possible across much of Ireland on Friday night and Saturday morning.

Met Éireann’s latest yellow warning will begin tomorrow (Friday) night at 2am and will remain in place until midday on Saturday.

It comes into effect just 18 hours after the two current weather warnings for wind and snow expire.

Snow accumulations of 5 centimetres with more on higher ground will be accompanied by fresh to strong southeast winds, Met Éireann has said.

Nineteen other counties are included in the latest weather warning.

Two status weather warnings are currently in place in Galway which will be lifted tomorrow morning at 8am.

Repair works causing water outages Kilconnell area

By

-

February 11, 2021

Galway Daily news Water outages in Moycullen

People living in the Kilconnell area will be without a water supply until later on Thursday afternoon due to repair works taking place.

Irish Water is carrying out valve repair works on the water network in the area.

Galway County Council has said this will cause water outages to premises in Kilconnell, Ballyglass, Aughrim Road and along Callow Lake Road.

A traffic management plan will also be in place for the duration of these works in Kilconnell.

It is expected that work will be completed by 4pm this afternoon.

It may take 2 – 3 hours after this point for a full water supply to be restored to homes as the network refills.

Walking and cycling projects in Galway city get €12 million funding boost

By

-

February 11, 2021

galway daily news galway city nta funding

Walking and cycling projects in Galway city are set to benefit from almost €12 million in funding from the National Transport Authority.

Among the 33 projects being funded in Galway are the Eglinton Canal and Ballyloughane Road cycle schemes and Greenways from Moycullen to the city and from the city to Barna.

The Ardaun Transport Study focusing on the Martin Junction and the Galway Cross City Link have been allocated €1m and €750,000 respectively.

The €11,865,000 in funding comes as part of €240m which was announced for 468 sustainable transport projects across the country.

Fifteen of the 33 projects to receive funding in Galway are entirely new.

The NTA is also helping to realise the ambition of the Galway Transport Strategy with money allocated to works on the Tuam Road to Moneghisha Junction and on Wolftone Bridge.

This year’s allocations have increased by just over €130m as compared to last year’s and will support the addition of 233 new projects to the NTA’s investment programme in 2021.

Other general plans include the reallocation of overall road space which will include segregated cycling lanes and widened footpaths, cyclist parking, raised pedestrian crossings and reducing road width at crossing points.

“Today’s allocation increase marks a massive step forward in providing green sustainable transport options to our cities, suburbs and hinterlands,” said Minister Eamon Ryan.

“I truly believe commutes via cycling and walking represent the best way for people in Galway to get to where they want to go.

“Since Covid we have seen an increase in cycling and walking, and a reconnection to our local areas. Improving our active infrastructure represents cleaner, shorter and healthier journeys for all.”

A full list of projects in Galway to be funded under this allocation can be found here.

Snow affecting roads across Galway

By

-

February 11, 2021