A status yellow weather warning has been issued for Galway and ten other counties in the West and Midlands ahead of heavy rain on Monday night and Tuesday.
Met Éireann says heavy rainfall will lead to accumulations of 30 to 50mm, with higher accumulations in mountainous areas, bringing a risk of some river and localised flooding.
The rainfall warning will come into effect at 9pm on Monday evening, and remain in place for 24 hours until 9pm on Tuesday.
The warning extends to Cavan, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo, and Westmeath.
Check out the full Galway Weather forecast for this week HERE.
Thirteen further deaths related to Covid-19 have been reported this evening, bringing the number of Covid-related deaths in the State since the start of the pandemic to 2,608.
The Department of Health also reported a total of 2,944 new cases of Covid-19, of which 181 are in Galway.
Galway has the third highest number of new cases after Dublin and Cork today, and the 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 people in the county is now 1095.9.
The median age of the deaths reported today is 83 years and the age range is 66 to 97 years.
Of the new cases, 57% are under 45 years of age and the median age of the new cases reported today is 40.
Dr Tony Holohan said that they are seeing people of all ages being admitted to hospital and being taken into intensive care units.
“The levels of infection are such that your chances of transmitting or getting Covid-19 are very high, and we know that a proportion of those cases will lead to serious illness and mortality,” said the Chief Medical Officer.
“There is no group who should feel the public health advice does not apply to them. It is only if we act together that we can keep ourselves, our loved ones, and health and social care facilities safe.”
A total of 172,726 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the country since the start of the pandemic.
As of 2pm today, 1,928 Covid patients are hospitalised – of which 195 are in ICU. There have been 68 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the globe in early 2020, online betting was going up, thanks to the advent of the smartphone and rapid technological advancements. The pandemic sort of sped up this ascension. With most brick and mortar betting establishments closed in line with lockdown rules, players turned to online gambling platforms to stay in the game.
With all these drivers, the size of the online gambling segment is expected to expand from $58.96 billion (as reported in 2019) to the north of $92 billion in 2023. The projected rate of growth is 12.0 percent. The market is projected to then expand to over $113 billion in 2025 – that’s a CAGR of 10.4 percent (https://bit.ly/2KhVmyw).
If you are a fan of LeBron James, you would be more convinced to bet on the Lakers with the sheer presence of him in the squad. If you are a fan of Messi or Ronaldo, you are more likely to be tempted to start betting on their teams if you see them in the lineup. Millions of people follow Floyd Mayweather on Instagram and would bet on him if he were to hit the ring with a less accomplished boxer.
Sporting superstars have been around for a long time, but fans are closer to them today than any other time before. Sports like football (referred to as ‘soccer’ in some places) has become so popular even in some of the most remote parts of the planet, thanks to the internet, smartphone, and the more relatable sporting superstars
People actively look for rewards
Virtually everyone feels thrilled when they receive rewards. Betting is one of those activities that secretes the dopamine hormone in your brain. It gives you a feeling of thrill and improves your sporting experience. Think about it – instant gains can be very satisfying and fulfilling especially when you get them without any remarkable effort.
With more betting adverts on TV, social media, and the general internet more today, more and more people are being sucked into the addictive world of betting. This has brought forth one undesirable product – gambling addiction.
Recreational activity?
Gambling has risen to become more of a recreational activity in some countries. More and more people are hopping on board for the recreational value rather than as a money-making avenue. In countries like Great Britain, for example, gambling has been a recreational activity for centuries and it has only gotten better. Horse Racing alone has been a top theme in the kingdom for more than three centuries. However, as more people discover the thrill part of it and bring more money, the government is starting to feel the need to regulate it and make it harder for underage players as well as addicted punters to access it. While the British gambling scene is one of the most heavily regulated on the planet – probably worse than that of elsewhere in the world – the GGY (gross gambling yield) in the country has increased from roughly £ 8 billion (British pounds) in 2010 to approximately £ 14.4 billion in 2018. Historically a big part of the opposition came from social reformers and evangelical Protestants, but the resistance has toned down considerably over the years.
Internet, smartphone, and everything technology
When it comes to the spectacular rise of online gambling among millennials, it is hard to give credit to anything besides the internet and the smartphone. For them, gambling on online casino games isn’t that different than conventional gaming. And now, with deep penetration of fast internet even in the most remote parts of the world, more leading vendors and betting houses are investing in developing fast and lightweight mobile apps that can work seamlessly across many different digital devices. Better yet, the implementation of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies offer online casinos much better opportunities to provide immersive gambling experiences that make gambling exceptionally attractive to the young tech-savvy punters.
The old schooled players that still cherish a gambling experience similar to that you would find in a traditional casino can use live casinos from the comfort of their homes. Basically, the casino and bookmaker house is now accessible from where you are.
On the flipside, legislation for sports betting and online gambling plays a big role in the growth and expansion of online gambling. In the U.S., for example, more online gambling establishments are starting to adopt more diverse sport betting options following the legalization of sports betting in the Supreme Court in the spring of 2018.
Met Éireann has warned that wintry showers and ice could return to parts of the country this week as temperatures fall once to below zero once again.
Tomorrow, Monday will start bright, but any sunshine will become dull and overcast with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle, turning heavy in places in the afternoon. Temperatures will reach 6 to 9 degrees on Monday afternoon, in light southerly breezes.
Monday night will be wet and misty and some heavy falls of rain are possible.
Tuesday looks set to be the most miserable day of the week, with heavy spells of rain and low cloud and mist. It will be a very wet day across Ireland, with spot flooding possible.
Scattered outbreaks of rain after dark will occur on Tuesday after dark, with localised wintry showers possible.
Wednesday will see further outbreaks of rain, possibly turning to sleet and snow at times, in moderate northeast winds. It will be cold, with highest temperatures of only 2 to 4 degrees Celsius across most of the country.
Met Éireann’s early forecast for Thursday and Friday is much the same, but Thursday looks like it will be much brighter after what will have been another unpleasant week. It will be cold though, and some scattered wintry showers are still possible.
There will be an added wind chill factor by day with frost and possible ice developing after dark.
29 November 2020; The scoreboard shows the two teams involved in the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Limerick and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Nine Galway players have made the cut as nominees for the 2020 PwC Hurling and Football All-Stars announced this week.
Seven Galway GAA hurling players have been nominated for the awards, as have two football players.
Daithí Burke, Aidan Harte, Pádraic Mannion Brian Concannon, Joe Canning, Conor Whelan, Cathal Mannion were nominated in hurling while Shane Walsh and Paul Conroy were nominated in football.
There are eight counties represented in the list of hurling nominees, dominated by Limerick who have 14 nominees, with Galway third in strength on the list behind Waterford.
In football the list is made up of players from ten counties, and it’s no surprise the six-in-a-row champions head up the list with 13 nominees.
The nominations were chosen by a panel of Gaelic Games correspondents from across, print, radio, TV and digital media, chaired by Uachtarán CLG John Horan.
Congratulating the nominees, John Horan said “I want to acknowledge all of those who have been chosen among this list of nominees for the PwC All-Stars.
“The 2020 season will go down in history for the backdrop against which it was played, and all of our players deserve great credit for producing the levels of skill and enjoyment we witnessed. Our thanks to PwC for helping ensure those heroics are recognised here.”
The exemption for over 70s from presenting a medical report when applying for or renewing a driving licence has been extended due to the COVID surge.
Galway West TD and Minister of State in the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton announced that the exemption has been extended to June due to recent surge in COVID-19 cases, and to ease the burden on medical services.
People over 70 will not have to submit a medical report unless they have an identified or specified illness, or are applying for a truck or bus licence.
Hildegarde Naughton said “This extended measure will eliminate the need for our drivers over the age of 70 from having to make an unnecessary journey to their GP, or to the NDLS centre, as we continue to work to minimise social interactions in our efforts to tackle COVID-19.”
All drivers over the age of 70 will be contact by the National Driver Licence Service with an application pack for making their driving licence application by post in the coming weeks.
This will include a partially completed application form that the customer must complete. Those applying online can do so at www.ndls.ie.
“Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to ask all motorists, not just those aged 70 or over, to take the utmost care while driving,” Deputy Naughton said.
“In these challenging times it can be all too easy to be distracted on the road. Take care. Stay apart. Stay safe.”
A Loughrea man was sentenced to six years in prison, of which he will serve at least four and half years, for a pair of assaults on two unrelated men which left them both with life-changing injuries in Galway City Centre.
David Bannerton (45), of An Crannog, Loughrea was sentenced this week after previously pleading guilty to one count each of Assault Causing Harm and Assault Causing Serious Harm at Galway Circuit Court.
The assaults happened in the very early hours of June 15, 2016 in Galway City, when Bannerton attacked two men within a few minutes of one another on Eglinton street.
After hearing from the defence in mitigation last December, Judge Rory McCabe indicated that a sentence of two years for the Assault Causing Harm and six years for the Assault Causing Serious Harm would be appropriate.
The judge said that “nothing less would be in the interest of justice”, but that he needed more time to consider the reports before the court before finalising the sentence for the assaults.
The defence had presented the court with a psychiatric report on Bannerton’s mental health history and addiction issues, as well as reports from the Probation Services and the prison governor.
Mr Conal McCarthy BL, barrister for the defence, said in mitigation that his client has a long history of serious mental health difficulties, which were combined with alcohol addiction problems.
He had extended period’s of sobriety, including seven years clean before 2011, but had unfortunately relapsed shortly before this happened Mr McCarthy said.
The assaults before the court occurred at the end of a night out, where Bannerton was on the town with his then partner and their friends.
The alcohol consumed also formed a “potent, and for the unfortunate victims of these events, devastating mix” with the medication he was on for his psychiatric difficulties.
Mr McCarthy said that Bannerton is “deeply remorseful” and ashamed of his conduct that night, adding that it was not an “inherent disposal towards criminality” that brought him before the court.
He asked to court to take into account the early plea entered on in July of last year, and to consider the prospect of rehabilitation. He added that Banerton is eager to engage with addiction counselling.
At the final hearing this week Judge McCabe said that nothing in the reports would dissuade him from the sentence he had previously indicated.
The judge imposed the six and two year sentences, to run concurrent to one another, but suspended the final 18 months of the six year sentence for a period of five years.
The court previously heard of the life changing effects of the injuries suffered by the two men who were attacked.
Detective Garda Bernard McLoughlin also outlined the facts of what happened that night for the court at a hearing on November 5 of last year.
One victim, a 70 year old man, was attacked at the corner of Williamsgate Street and Eglinton Street, seemingly without provocation, at 1:42am while he was on his way to Eyre Square to get a taxi after meeting friends that evening.
While he happened to be standing next to Bannerton’s partner he was punched in the face repeatedly, and kicked to the ground before other people managed to intervene and get him to safety.
In a victim impact statement, he told the court that the enduring pain and damage caused by this attack his made it much harder for him to enjoy his retirement, as he is no longer able to do many physical activities he previously enjoyed.
The more seriously injured of the two men, and the second one assaulted, was in a taxi passing by on Eglinton Street less than five minutes later when he saw Bannerton in an argument with his partner that was turning physical.
He stopped the taxi to get out and try and intervene, and ended up being struck in the face at least three times, knocking him unconscious in the middle of the street, and causing him to strike his head hard on the tarmac.
Bannerton was arrested by police in Woodquay a short time later after fleeing the area. When questioned by police he said that he didn’t remember being on Eglinton street that night.
The injured man suffered skull and orbital bone fractures, along with haemorrhaging. He spent several weeks at the ICU in Galway before being transferred to Craigavon Hospital closer to home.
In an emotional written statement which was read to the court by Garda McLoughlin, the victim’s wife detailed the serious ongoing effect these injuries had on him and their family, including their two young children.
There have been 60 additional deaths related to COVID-19 reported by the Department of Health today, one of which occurred in December, and the remainder of which were this month.
Galway has 132 new cases, out of 3,231 new confirmed cases nationwide notified today.
As of 2pm today, 1,854 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised of whom 191 are in ICU. There have been 119 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours
The median of the people in the deaths reported today is 85 years old, while the age range of the people who died is between 65 and 100 years.
There have now been a total of 2,595 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland, and 169,780 confirmed cases since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Validation of data by the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of one death and seven previously confirmed cases.
“This virus has taken root in every single part of the country. A significant percentage of the population – in excess of 1 in 10 in some counties – is currently either a case or a close contact,” said Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer.
“This is a huge burden of infection. When you consider that a significant percentage of our daily cases will directly lead to hospitalisation and mortality, the urgency with which we need to act becomes clear.”
“By staying at home, you are protecting our health and social care services as they struggle against the enormous burden of infection that many weeks with thousands of daily cases of COVID-19 represents.”
While there are some early indications that cases may be levelling off, the level of infection is still far too high Dr Holohan said, also cautioning that too many people are still not complying with restrictions as much as is needed.
Dr Cillian De Gascun, Medical Virologist and Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, said that it is inevitable that the UK variant of the coronavirus will become the dominant strain here.
“The UK variant has adapted to us: simply put, it is better at moving from person to person when we come into contact. So what we must do is reduce its opportunities to spread by cutting out socialising.”
The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community
The January Over the Edge Open reading will take place next week for lovers of poetry and prose to get a nice booster shot of local art during lockdown.
The reading will take place on Zoom on Thursday, January 21 at the usual time of 6:30pm to 8pm, with featured readers Stephen McNulty, Kathryn Slattery, and Ciaran O’Rourke.
This reading celebrates the eighteenth anniversary of the first Over The Edge reading in Galway City Library and there will be an online birthday party throughout, even possible a birthday cake to celebrate the fact that Over The Edge is now old enough to legally drink alcohol
Stephen McNulty is a radiographer at Galway University Hospital who scribbles poetry whenever he is not forcing a member of the public into a CT scanner.
A regular attendee of the Galway Arts Centre poetry workshops, his poems have appeared in Boyne Berries, Drawn to the Light, ROPES and Vox Galvia. He is, for his many sins in both this life and his past lives, an avid Mayo GAA fan.
Kathryn Slattery was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up just across the state line in Mississippi.
A graduate of Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, she now lives in the West of Ireland with her husband and an ever-increasing amount of rescue pets.
Her poetry and prose have been published in Ropes Literary Journal, Nightingale and Sparrow, The Siren’s Call, Three Drops from a Cauldron, Planet in Peril Anthology, and many more.
She was shortlisted for the 2019 Nightingale and Sparrow Chapbook Competition. Most recently she received a special mention in the 2020 Desmond O’Grady Poetry Competition.
Her debut poetry collection will be published by Hedgehog Poetry Press in September 2021.
Ciaran O’Rourke, a Leitrim man,has won the Cúirt New Irish Writing Award, the Westport Poetry Prize, and the Fish Poetry Prize.
His first collection, The Buried Breath, was published by Irish Pages Press in 2018 to considerable acclaim, and his second collection is due in 2021.
As usual there will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always particularly welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.
GMIT has announced the creation of four new scholarships for PhD students studying marine science and biodiversity conservation in the west of Ireland.
The Cullen PhD Scholarships are being undertaken with the support of the Marine Institute and are funded under the Marine Research Programme 2014-2020 by the Irish Government.
The four Cullen PhD scholars will be supported by academics in the GMIT Marine and Freshwater Research Centre (MFRC) at the Galway campus.
Practical training will be carried out using the Marine Institute laboratory facilities, historical datasets, equipment and infrastructures including access to the national marine research vessels.
Dr Rick Officer, GMIT Vice President for Research and Innovation, said that the IoT is delighted to deepen its partnership with the Marine Institute through this scholarship programme.
“Together we are committed to training Ireland’s next generation of marine scientists and to realising the goals of the National Marine Research and Innovation Strategy”.
The four Cullen PhD Scholarships titles are:
“Biodiversity conservation and restoration in the Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park (Mayo)” – this project aims to assess terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna within the park and evaluate key interactions which define the wilderness area providing a strong scientific bases for nature conservation and biodiversity enhancement activities. The MFRC’s Dr Heather Lally leads this project.
“Biological changes in key commercially exploited fish in the light of Climate & Ocean Change” – working with the ClimFish project team, an established GMIT/Marine Institute collaboration, the aim is to build understanding of how climate change impacts life history traits in commercial fish species using survey data and historical otolith (fish earstone) collections. The MFRC leader associated with this project is Dr Deirdre Brophy, Centre Leader of the MFRC.
“Improving fishing survey indices though the use of spatiotemporal models” – understanding how to appropriately apply spatiotemporal models to improve indices is a key scientific question to be addressed in this project. The MFRC leader associated with this project is Dr Cóilín Minto.
“Machine Learning assisted detection and prediction of climate change related anomalous events in complex marine systems” – the project aims to utilise deep learning approaches to enable online short-term prediction of anomalous and/or extreme marine events which may impact the commercial aquaculture sector. The MFRC’s Dr Olga Lyashevska leads this project.
Plans have been submitted to the county council for a new museum building on Inishbofin to replace the existing, aging premises.
Marie Coyne is seeking planning permission for the construction of a museum with a display area, photographic exhibition room, restoration workshop, archive storage and gift shop with coffee dock at Middlequarter, Inishbofin.
The Inishbofin Heritage Museum was established in 1998 in what was originally a marine storage building adjacent to the old pier.
It houses contents from traditional island homes such as fishing, farming, and trades tools, along with more than 200 photos of local people, and a large archive of written material.
The current building is in “disrepair and totally unsuitable” for properly maintaining and safeguarding this collection of “old and even ancient” cultural objects from Inishbofin and Inishark the application states.
“The small building the applicant is currently using is totally inadequate and undersized for the large collection of valuable objects that have been donated and in some cases saved from destruction.”
“Objects are as diverse as cannons, marine objects, musket balls, manuscripts, 18th century manuscripts, farming implements, early 19th century photographs of inhabitants of both islands, hand written archives”.
The site has also been flooded and damaged by storms repeatedly in recent years, threatening the integrity of the collected items.
“The proposed museum will also house a collection of items from the nearby abandoned island of Inishark where the last inhabitants left in 1968.”
A Natura Impact Statement was submitted with this planning application.
Galway County Council is due to make a decision on whether to grant planning permission for this museum by February 9.
There have been 50 further deaths related to COVID-19 reported by the Department of Health today, along with 187 cases in Galway.
Nationwide there have been 3,498 new cases of COVID-19 notified today. The median age of the people who died was 82 years old. None of the deaths were among people under 30.
There are 1,850 patients hospitalised with the disease in Ireland as of this afternoon, of whom 184 are in the ICU.
There have now been a total of 166,548 confirmed cases in Ireland, and 2,536 COVID-19 related deaths in the state.
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, said “New variants of COVID-19 have recently been identified in Brazil, and in travellers to Japan from Brazil. There is no evidence of these variants in Ireland.”
“Anyone who has travelled from Brazil in the last 14 days is advised to self-isolate for 14 days, from the date of arrival, and identify themselves, through a GP, for testing as soon as possible.”
“It is essential that anyone arriving from Brazil self-isolate for 14 days from the date of arrival before entering/re-entering the workplace. We are particularly appealing to employers to enable their employees to protect each other by staying at home for the full 14 days.”
A further risk assessment on the new variants is expected from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in the coming week.
Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said that the number of close contacts per confirmed case has dropped from a peak of six in recent weeks, down to 2.3.
This is the reason why we are beginning to see case numbers fall once again he added.
“We know that it is extremely difficult to keep our close contacts to a minimum, particularly over an extended period of time.
“But this is the main way we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from COVID-19. Again today, we are reporting the highest number of people with COVID-19 to date in our hospitals. We must stay home to protect ourselves and each other.”
The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.
Betting is one of the activities most people find fun and enjoyable, given that you don’t lose every time you bet. However, when it comes to online betting, the question of whether the site used is trustworthy keeps ringing in the mind of every gambler because money is involved. However, I can confidently say that most online betting sites are safe, secure, and, most importantly, trustworthy. In an estimate, for the 999 times you will use these sites to bet, you won’t encounter any problem at all. You will realize that your personal and financial details are well secured, your winning bets are paid upfront, and in full, and in case of any issue, the team resolves it fast and efficiently. However, because it is human nature to be more cautious about their hard-earned money, we have recommended six betting sites for you because we believe they are safe and trustworthy.
Megapari
This is one of the biggest bookmakers in the CIS countries, offering their new customers an impressive welcome offer of about £100. The site offers you everything you need in the gambling world under one roof, such as financial markets, casino games, and sports betting. Megapari another thing that makes this site trustworthy is that it allows the users to deposit as little as £1 or the same in another currency. For the keen and betting enthusiast, they will understand that most casino games cannot accept a low deposit or even under £10 for a start. The site is known for offering sports betting and an opportunity to chat with fellow fans and get advice and recommendations from professionals.
Pros
You can deposit as low as £1
It is found in many countries
It supports a lot of games and sports events, and therefore you can never miss your favourite sport
Cons
It offers few casino bonuses
It has an offshore license
Bet365
This bookie is the world’s favourite online sports betting sites, and this is because the company was able to raise gross revenue of about £3 billion. Worldwide, the site has about 45 million betting accounts, a factor that shows that this site is the world’s famous site. Factors that make this the best for you in terms of trustworthiness include;
Licensing
Software security
Fairness
Responsible gaming
Ladbrokes
We know that most people have heard that this betting site is the leading among all but what most people do not know is that this site partners with the Coral site. The two merged in 2016, and therefore anything that is mentioned about the reliability and security of the Coral site will automatically apply to Ladbroke and vice versa.
Features
Licensing
Software security
Responsible gaming
Fairness
The company is licensed and regulated by well-respected bodies, and it takes all the security and safety responsibilities seriously.
Coral
Coral is more similar to Bet365 in terms of trustworthiness and reliability. The company is of UK origin, but unlike Bet365, it is much older, having its roots going back to the 1920s. Below are the sites reliability factors;
Betway
This bookmaker ticks all the boxes everyone is looking for when it comes to reliability and security in areas that matter the most. Betway has made history in making clean records such that only positive and good things can be heard from it. All the reliability factors such as fairness, licensing, responsible gaming, and software security are checked. The company has robust security and verification protocols complying with the regulations set in place by the European economic area. The use of top-level encryption makes it possible for the protection of personal and financial data.
Unibet
This is a global online betting site with all the right boxes in check, just like the other betting sites on this list. This site’s origin is Scandic but still accepts customers from all over the world, making it a site with many licensing and commitments. The company operates different brands in different areas of betting. This company’s licensing is 90% legitimate, and software security is also top with 90% assurance of protection. Responsible gaming is analyzed to be 88%, and finally, fairness is at 100%. This means that these four essential boxes are all in check and the right position. Given the fact that the company originates from Scandia, Scandinavian ethos such as trust, fair play, and integrity remain to be its center play.
To sum up, the famous dating phrase “There is plenty of fish in the sea” applies to the case of the online sports betting world. Similarly, one has to wade in a lot of trash in the sea to find gold; a sports enthusiast has to go through many trouble figuring out which the best sports betting site is. Luckily for these individuals, we have many gaming providers that offer high-quality services for online sports betting. The list above includes some but not all legitimate and trustworthy online betting sites but contains the best of the best. You can never go wrong with any of the above betting sites in terms of safety and trustworthiness.
Workers across Ireland will be given more freedom to work from home under a new government plan to make requesting remote working a legal right for employees.
Under the new Remote Work Strategy launched by An Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, workers will be given the right to ask their employer to allow them work remotely – from home or from a shared co-working space.
Welcoming the publication of the Strategy today, Minister Heather Humphreys said that remote working will be a feature of the world of work in the future.
The Minister said that remote working, from home or in co-working spaces, will open up new possibilities for people living in rural Ireland.
“My Department is developing a national network of remote co-working spaces which will support companies and workers who want to access serviced remote working facilities across the country,” said Minister Humphreys.
“We are also developing an app which will enable workers to book a desk in any of the hubs in the network through a common booking engine.
“The Government has invested significantly in remote working hubs and enterprise spaces over the last number of years, including through my Department, and the Remote Working Strategy includes a commitment to make further significant investment in remote working infrastructure.”
As Group General Manager, I represent the interests of the Connacht Hospitality Group, a local family owned company. The Group operates 5 hospitality businesses in Galway. There is no hiding from the devastation that the Covid-19 pandemic has visited upon the Hospitality Industry, there is no escaping the headlines and the reports. The headlines portray the impact on the wider Hospitality Industry in Ireland, and the adjectives used to describe the outlook are worsening by the week.
On 17th March 2020, we all sat enthralled in front of our TV’s as our then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, addressed the nation. We applauded his Statesman like performance and his use of the Seamus Heaney quote struck a chord with the nation and we all played our part.
Little did we know that 10 months on, we would still be in the depths of our own Winter of discontent, with no Summer in sight. Would our industry still applaud the performance of our Government?
The intention of this article is not to undermine the seriousness of this pandemic or to diminish the scale of the challenge facing our health service professionals. The escalation in numbers in recent days is truly worrying. There is acceptance that Public Health guidance may necessitate further lockdowns, nobody can predict with any degree of certainty the trajectory of this pandemic. I am writing this to portray the reality for our business. A story which I believe will resonate with many.
Where we were:
In 2019, we had 400 employees and our intention was to grow this number in 2020. We were operating 4 very well established businesses in Galway and had recently acquired the Galway Bay Golf Resort (November 2019). We had planning permission to develop a 4 star resort style property in Galway Bay, and were due to start this development in April 2020. The timeline was to have this property open by May 2021 with the creation of a further 175 Hospitality jobs. The construction phase of this development would also have supported approximately 100 jobs.
Galway Bay Resort artist’s depiction
Connacht Hospitality Group’s contribution to Galway’s Economy:
€10M annual payroll generated in local community, we were on target to increase to €15M by 2021.
€4.5M in Food & Beverage Supplies, majority of which supported local suppliers.
€5.8M in Departmental & Undistributed expenses, which supported local enterprise.
Preparing to start €20M Hotel development in Rinville, Oranmore.
Completed €1M refurbishment project in The Connacht Hotel (January 2020), with a further €7.5M spent on Capital Investment projects since 2017.
Our hotel rooms accommodated over 200,000 visitors to Galway in 2019, generating further auxiliary revenue in the local community.
Similar contributions to local economies are replicated by Hospitality businesses across the country. We started 2020 in a growth mindset; we were focused on performance management & brand alignment. We were going to develop our business and invest in the development of our teams. Finance may fuel business, but people drive them!
Where we are:
It is fair to say, that like many Hospitality businesses, our focus has switched from performance management to crisis management, it is all about survival. Our employee numbers have reduced to 75, and we are in a state of uncertainty. The last 9 months and the roller coaster of lockdowns & restrictions has taken its toll on our business and on our teams.
As a business and an Industry, we were compliant and we will continue to be, we followed the guidelines. It is too disrespectful to those that work in the frontline of our health service not to. There were opportunities to take on more business, the pent up demand was there. We turned away a significant amount because it did not meet the spirit of the guidance.
1 of 4
The Connacht Cruiser
The Connacht Hotel
The Residence Hotel
We are looking to the future with positivity, we are committed to growing back better. We are resilient and we will grow again, but the scale of the crisis is deepening, and our Government now need to stop the piecemeal approach and put in place a sustainable sector specific support package to show that there is a viable future on the horizon. Recovery will only come after acceptance of the scale of the crisis that we all face. The time for real Political leadership has arrived, the time to put the Country first!
Government Supports:
The Government supports to date have been crucial, and if it were not for these supports, many businesses would already have closed permanently, supports included:
EWSS and PUP schemes
Warehousing of tax facility from Revenue
Waiving of Commercial rates
Access to emergency Funding (€2 Billion pandemic recovery fund)
CRSS scheme
The headlines deal in big numbers, make great sound bites for our politicians, and possibly even score points for them. The reality for business is that they are not always as they appear. The headlines do not always match the reality!
I know our application to the pandemic recovery fund was not a satisfactory experience, even with a feasible business plan and the appointment of an experienced third party professional to facilitate the application. It was especially disappointing as our application supported the creation of 175 more jobs in Galway. If this is the experience of other Hospitality businesses, then that may explain the low take up numbers reported last week.
Our application to some of the other liquidity supports were not always met kindly, one of the main banks did not engage, but then they are in the middle of their own crisis.
We applied for the much heralded double payments of CRSS, only to find we did not match the criteria.
The EWSS still incurs a considerable additional cost on businesses to protect employment, a cost that is extremely difficult to bear when the doors are closed. Subsidies need to be maintained at higher levels for all of 2021 and reviewed in October’s Budget for 2022.
The “Stay & Spend” scheme, the less said about this one the better. This scheme was widely flagged from the outset that it was doomed to failure by those in the industry, another example of where direct consultation with shareholders could have led to a more successful scheme. The money allocated for this needs to be repurposed for a simplified end user voucher scheme to support Hospitality businesses. It made a good headline though.
The reduction in VAT was broadly welcomed by all in the Industry, but the benefit will only be realised when we return to a better trading environment, not when our doors are closed. The reduction of VAT should be guaranteed for minimum 5 years post pandemic.
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1520 Bar
An Pucan garden
Hyde Bar
Active Fitness Gym
There have been many reports submitted to Government on what a support package should include for Industry. Proposals that have been submitted by many Federations & Associations, with input from many Industry experts. We support these proposals, and we believe that the current supports need to go further.
It will take a lot more than an additional bank holiday to help our beleaguered Industry.
What next?
Our country faces a significant mountain to climb, the main issues of the General Election in 2020 still loom large in the background. Our Health Service, Housing & Climate change challenges still need to be solved and to do so will require significant investment. The Health Service is knee deep in this crisis but the true costs of the missed diagnoses of serious illness will only be recognised when COVID-19 has passed.
The Billions involved in the NON-bailout of the banking sector (another December headline that might not match the reality), will not meet the stimulus that will be required to position us, as a country, for recovery. An unprecedented situation will require an unprecedented response. There are reports that the Government can access so called “cheap money”, if this is true, then they should do so at their earliest convenience and put in place an Emergency Budget.
The vaccines bring hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. Government need to prioritise the introduction of a cohesive strategy for the procurement and roll out the vaccines. Mobilise and fund the troops to support the speed and effectiveness of the roll out. Protect the most vulnerable in our society and allow us to hope again.
There are worrying reports of the potential impact of new strains of the virus, these are imported. Is it not time for Government to introduce imposed quarantined on arrivals into the country like the Australian model? I am sure you have all seen the updates on social media of Rob Kearney’s experience recently in Australia. Unfortunately, there will be no problem finding availability in hotels.
Tourism to be put at the top table of Irish Politics through the introduction of a Senior Minister position with responsibility for Tourism & Hospitality Industry specifically, the current portfolio is too broad for one Minister.
Introduction of an immediate Amnesty for tax liabilities arising to PAYE employees because of utilising wage subsidy schemes or accessing PUP, an Amnesty, not a delayed payment facility.
Access to Financial injection at favourable interest rates, with amount available commensurate with the size and viability of each business, not a one size fits all approach. Even with supports in place, there has been considerable cash burn in businesses, Working Capital will be essential to stimulate recovery.
Our Aviation Industry needs to be protected, we are an Island nation and rely on international visitors to support our tourism product.
The support package introduced should include the provision of funding to allow Ireland to compete on a strong footing for International business post Covid-19.
There should be a provision for Training & Development Initiatives that will ensure our Industry attracts talent into the future, consideration should be given to the re-introduction of a CERT style training model for people that would like to explore careers in the Hospitality Industry.
Insurance Reform must be tackled once and for all. Operating in recent times has become more difficult due to persisting claim culture and Insurance premium hikes. If current practices persist, the trading environment will remain challenging for many.
In Conclusion:
Do not forsake our Industry, we are entwined into the fabric of Irish Society & the economy of each of our communities. Do not repeat the mistakes of past economic crises and leave an Industry on its’ knees and easy pickings for Vultures to swoop. If you do, then what have the supports to date truly been worth?
We are an Industry that can play a vital role in economic recovery and would support a sustainable “living with COVID-19” plan. We need to protect our “Ceád mile Fáilte” and all that contribute to making Ireland a great destination, if we do, then our appeal will shine even brighter in a post COVID-19 world.
I am speaking out because I want to be able to look my team in the eye and say I stood up for our interests & our livelihoods, as we are all in this together.
Traffic disruption is expected on the M17/M18 Gort to Tuam motorway next week due to rolling lane closures in order to install new signage.
Galway County Council has said that there will be lane closures on the northbound and southbound lanes from Monday to Thursday in order to install permanent Variable Message Signs.
On Monday the M17 southbound will be closed at Junction 20 Kilmore (Tuam) from 9:30am – 3:30pm.
Diverted traffic will be signposted back to Junction 19 Annagh Hill to rejoin the M17 Southbound motorway.
On Tuesday, January 19 Junction 20 will be closed once again, and Junction 19 Annagh Hill will also be closed from 9:30am to 3:30pm.
Traffic will be diverted through Claregalway on the N83 and onto Oranmore, taking the M6 back to the M17 M18 Junction at Rathmorrisey.
On Wednesday the M18 northbound will be closed at Junction 16 Gort from 9:30am to 3:30pm. Traffic will be diverted via Ardrahan to rejoin the motorway at Junction 17 Kiltiernan.
The final day of closures on Thursday will see the M18 closed at junctions 16 and 17 for the same time period.
Diverted traffic will go through Kilcolgan and Clarinbridge, onto the M6, and reconnect with the M17/M18 at Rathmorrisey.
Full diversion routes will be signposted, and the the closed junctions will be manned by ALIS TM Technicians.
Fishing communities on the coast of Galway will be severely hampered by new restrictions on where UK fishing trawlers can land their catch in Ireland Senator Sean Kyne has said.
After Brexit, UK trawlers are only allowed to land their fishing catch at two ports in Ireland, at Killybegs (Donegal) and Castletownbere (Cork).
Senator Kyne said that these restrictions are making the already fraught Brexit situation even more challenging for coastal communities, in particular those involved in seafood processing.
“This is unacceptable and places jobs and livelihoods at other ports around our coast, such as Ros a Mhil in Connemara and Greencastle in Donegal, at risk. Every effort needs to be made to change this rule so that UK trawlers can land catches at other ports.”
The restriction is due to regulations which state that fishing vessels from third party countries may only land at international ports.
“Of further concern is the decision to only include registered ‘Producer Organisation boats’ from fishing in UK waters, agreed under a list supplied by Irish Authorities as part of the final Brexit deal.”
“I understand from Minister McConalogue that a list had to be agreed quickly in the context of securing a Brexit agreement but that further lists are being prepared by his Department to include other boats.”
“There can be no delay in these new lists being prepared so that as many Irish boats as possible, from the fishing communities around our coasts, can fish in UK waters.”
“It is vital not only for the Irish trawlers and fishers but also for the local companies in the sea-food processing sector.”
The taboo of gambling overshadows pretty much everything, even putting the word gamble into any text still comes with hesitation because the taboo makes for uncomfortable reading. So, given this is all about gambling and the laws surrounding it, here in Ireland, best not to shy away from the fact and like a band-aid, the quicker we pull it off and tackle the honest subject, the less painful it will be to read about it.
Do You Gamble and are You Aware of the Laws that Allow it?
It would be a fair assumption to presume that not many people know of the laws that dictate how they are able to gamble and gamble online, more specifically. If it is legal, then that is all there is to know, and so be it.
Another assumption would be to conclude that not many players actually know where their online casino is based. If you’re guessing right now that it is the UK, then you’re incorrect. In fact, many of the casinos you see online or advertised on the telly are virtually based in Europe! With Ireland still being part of the EU, this allows them to remain tied with the markets that will benefit the players from Ireland wishing to remain in their registered casino.
Now, there are two gambling markets that influence Ireland: its own law, and the EU laws. So, how do they compare and who benefits?
Irish Gambling Laws
Currently, players in Ireland are backed by the gambling laws that date back to 1931 with the Betting Act and later in 1956, the Gaming and Lottery Act 1956.
Each legislation since has been updated with the times, from gaming permits to licensing, the fundamentals of the laws have moved with the times. The Irish laws are there solely for Irish business, looking after bookmakers, remote firms and intermediary firms that place bets on the behalf of other people, i.e., the lottery.
With EU law, Ireland is bracketed with all other nations, regarding a unilateral law that oversees the same freedoms of play for all nationalities under the Commission’s EU policy. This covers the eligibility to access all of Europe’s online casinos and have the same expected laws on money laundering.
This total freedom as a country to control its own laws and to be part of the wider EU community puts players in a very enviable position. If we look at the example of India, where there is no freedom. The Indian gambling laws started in 1867 when under the occupation of British rule. Prior to that, gambling was a popular thing, but once the British came and went, their degrading opinion of gambling remained.
Compare the situation to India, where Indian players can only gamble at online ‘foriegn’ casinos using sites like https://www.casinos-india.in/, which act as a gateway to a variety of casinos that are accessible to Indian players. Happily, the Indian gambling law makes no reference to online services, other than they are banned from advertising their products. Without this window into foreign casinos, there would be no online gambling movement in one of the world’s most populated countries.
Ireland was once like India, but the progression to modernise was more proactive in its efforts, sure it took its time to happen and during the course of this it could have improved, but where Ireland is now compared to the 1800s, a clear progression of thought and understanding of what the public wants has been adhered to.
Players can freely gamble in land-based casinos in Ireland, as well as within the regulated EU sites.
Sports Betting Features
One of the great Irish passions is, without a doubt, sports betting.
Sports betting has the longest history in Ireland. For this reason, the country’s first gambling legislation focused on this activity. The Gambling Act of 1931 governed all sports betting until 2015. Sports betting, especially horse-racing, was the most common form of gambling among Irish citizens. The 1931 law was eventually updated with the latest and most relevant modern gambling law, known as the Gambling Act (Amendment Act) in 2015. This law was enacted to provide resources for informal sporting events. The bill was to make betting ranges and exchanges part of Irish licensing policy and tax requirements. The law fundamentally changed the standard betting licenses to include long term limited betting with income restrictions. This law prohibits online gambling companies from offering their services to Irish citizens without first obtaining a gambling company or a bookmaker’s license. Specific licensing requirements and procedures were set out in the Gaming (Amendments) Act 2015.
Overseas Online Casinos
Overseas casinos recently recorded their highest numbers as more casinos claimed their online license from the regulators, leading to more options appeared on the web. The high street interest in Galway’s casinos understandable depleted with Caesars Palace, Eglington Casino and Claudes Casinos temporarily shutting down. If you pursue an interest, then take advantage of the opportunities you have with Ireland and Galway remaining in the EU markets. Hundreds upon hundreds of options are available to pick from, giving you the choice of casino gaming, sports betting and much more.
