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Woman killed in hit and run incident

By
Michael Malone
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0
Galway daily news

A woman in her 50s was killed in a hit and run on the R336 Barna to Spiddal Road on Wednesday evening.

Gardaí attended the scene in Furbo shortly after 7.30pm where a female pedestrian was discovered with serious injuries.

It is believed she was struck by a vehicle which failed to remain at the scene.

The woman was then taken to Galway University Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

A post-mortem is set to place at a later date.

The road remained closed overnight and a technical examination by Forensic Collision Investigators will take place this morning (Thursday).

Gardaí at Salthill are appealing for any witnesses or for anyone with information to come forward.

Gardaí are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) who were travelling in the Furbo area between 7pm – 7.30pm to make this footage available to Gardaí.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Salthill Garda Station on 091 514720, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Top Tips for a Healthy Christmas

By
Aisling Harris
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0
Galway Daily life & style Top Tips for a Healthy Christmas

While Christmas doesn’t have a reputation for being the healthiest time of the year, there are a few ways that you can make it that bit healthier and maintain some healthy habits over the festive season.

Aisling Harris, Dietician for Galway based Heart and Stroke Charity Croí, has compiled some simple tips for enjoying Christmas while stile keeping an eye on your health.

Firstly, try not to stress if your exercise or healthy eating routine goes out the window. It’s 2 weeks out of 52 in the year and after the year we’ve had, it’s time for a bit of a celebration! However, be mindful that the celebration doesn’t stretch out to a month or more..

Be wary of how early you stock up on your favourite boxes of Christmas chocolates, biscuits and sweets. While we may have the best intentions of leaving them unopened until Christmas week, does that ever really happen?

And with us all likely having a lot less visitors and guests calling to our houses over the festive period, we probably don’t need to have as many treats in stock ‘for the guests’…

Watch out for the high levels of salt and saturated fat in common finger foods such as pastries, sausage rolls, quiches, spring rolls, mini pizzas, cheeses and cured meats.

If in doubt, use Croí’s handy traffic light card to read your food labels or have a look at our healthier canapé suggestions. 

Excess salt in our diet can lead to raised blood pressure while high intakes of saturated fat lead to raised cholesterol levels and weight gain.

Be mindful of how much alcohol you consume. Alcohol can negatively affect our physical and mental health and can impact on our relationships.

With Christmas 2020 bound to be a different one for many reasons, be mindful of how much alcohol you are having and how it affects you. Why not try some of the many alcohol free beers, wines, spirits and sparkling wine that are available in most supermarkets now or try some of these tasty mocktail recipes?

Try to keep some sort of routine. Whether that be sticking to a healthy breakfast rather than the leftovers from the selection box, getting out for a daily walk or scheduling in a quick home workout, make sure you have some structure to your day and take some time out to focus on you. Why not have a look at some our Croí at home workouts.

While Christmas generally isn’t the ideal time for focusing on a healthy diet, there are some ways you can ensure that you maintaining healthy habits and nourishing your body.

For example, make sure you include some fruit and vegetables every day. Why not add some lovely winter berries or fruit salad to your breakfast or have a fruit based dessert.

Make the most of the lovely in season vegetables on offer this time of year. Not sure what’s in season? See here from Bord Bia.

Be mindful of your portion sizes. Because there are so many tasty foods on offer during Christmas, it can be hard to resist sampling a bit of everything.

A simple way of being able to have a bit of what you fancy but still being mindful of your waistline is to watch your portion sizes.

This goes for everything from the portion size of your dinner, to the amount of chocolates you have while watching your favourite Christmas movie to the glass of wine you have in the evening.

Try to be mindful of your portion sizes and your hunger levels – check out our feature on mindful eating here.

We hope you have a Healthy and Happy Christmas!

From the Team at Croí

www.croi.ie

Council grants planning approval for Ballybrit medical centre

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Plans submitted for new Galway City Primary Care Centre

Approval has been given to open a new medical centre in Ballybrit by converting a vacant gym in Briarhill.

Planning permission was granted by Galway City Council for the change of use with seven standard conditions attached.

The 400sqm premises is on the second floor of Briarhill Shopping Centre  just off the N6.

The proposed medical centre usage is compatible with the CI ‘Community Infrastructure’ zoning for the land the city planning department said.

It was also noted that this function is compatible with the designation of the shopping centre as a District Centre, the role of which is to “provide a range of retail and non-retail service functions”.

City Councillor calls for COVID-19 vaccine programme booklet

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Covid-19 vaccine booklet cheevers

The government should publish a booklet with information about the COVID-19 vaccine programme and planned rollout to ensure people are informed a Galway City Councillor says.

Councillor Alan Cheevers said that HSE West should publish such and information booklet for “vulnerable and elderly” people who may not have access to technology to understand where, when, and how they can get the vaccine.

There are at least two vaccines for COVID-19 which are expected to begin rolling out in early 2021 in Ireland, subject to approval by the European Medicines Agency.

The government has agreed on provisional plans for the allocation of the initial vaccine doses when they become available, based on the vulnerability of certain groups, and the essential employment of others.

The provisional rollout order approved by the Cabinet is:

1 People aged 65 years and older who are residents of long-term care facilities (likely to include all staff and residents on site)
2 Frontline healthcare workers
3 People aged 70 and older
4 Other healthcare workers not in direct patient contact
5 People aged 65-69
6 Key workers
7 People aged 18-64 with certain medical conditions
8 Residents of long-term care facilities aged 18-64
9 People aged 18-64 living or working in crowded settings
10 Key workers in essential jobs who cannot avoid a high risk of exposure
11 People working in education sector
12 People aged 55-64
13 Other workers in occupations important to the functioning of society
14 Other people aged 18-54
15 People aged under 18 and pregnant women

 

Before the wider rollout of the vaccine in the new year, HSE West should prepare and distribute a booklet with guidelines and key information for people to understand when it will be available to them, and if it can be got through their local GP, pharmacy,

Coronavirus: 9 new cases in Galway and 431 nationwide as stark warning issued ahead of Christmas

By
Michael Malone
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Galway Daily news 25 percent drop in COVID cases in Galway hospitals

The Department of Health has reported 431 new cases of Covid-19 and six further deaths related to the disease.

Of the cases reported by health officials this evening, nine are in County Galway, increasing the 14-day incidence rate in the county to 50 cases per 100,000 population.

Dublin has the highest number of new cases with 134, followed by Donegal (53), Cavan (25), Louth (24) and Mayo (22).

67% are under 45 years of age and the median age of the cases is 35 years old, while 185 are men and 244 are women.

There are currently five people in University Hospital Galway with Covid-19 and there is one confirmed case at Portiuncula hospital in Ballinalsoe.

None of the six cases in hospital in the county are in ICU, and there are no ICU beds available at either hospital, according to the latest HSE data.

Dr Tony Holohan issued a stark warning ahead of Christmas. “We are seeing significant and concerning indicators that this disease in moving in the wrong direction, including an increase in positivity rates, and 7 day and 14 day incidence, and our 5 day average has now increased to 339 cases,” said the Chief Medical Officer.

“These trends are all the more troubling because of the delicate and precarious situation we are in – as a country, we are heading into a period of potential widespread inter-household and inter-generational mixing.”

Minister Donnelly must ‘correct statement’ about Covid outbreak at Galway nursing home

By
Michael Malone
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galway daily news nightingale nursing home ballinalsoe

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD has called on the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly to correct a statement he made about a Covid-19 outbreak in a nursing home in Galway in October.

Deputy Tóibín said that Aontú has obtained a number of documents under the Freedom of Information Act from the HSE regarding nursing homes which “paint a bleak picture of communication standards” within the HSE.

On 22 October, the Claire Byrne Show reported that the majority of staff and residents at a nursing home in Galway had tested positive for Covid-19 and had been left without any assistance from the HSE.

Deputy Tóibín raised the matter in the Dáil that same day to see if the government could ensure that this nursing home was offered assistance.

“In the middle of my contribution Minister Donnelly turned around and accused me of telling lies – “that’s a flat out lie” were his exact words,” said the Aontú TD.

“This statement from the Minister did not just call into question the credibility of me, but also the integrity of the doctor who raised the concerns and the researchers and producers of the Claire Byrne Show.

“Under Freedom of Information I’ve now gotten my hands on an email which was sent to Minister Donnelly shortly before that particular Dáil debate.

“This email was from the office of the CEO of the HSE – Paul Reid – and it says; ‘the HSE has been trying to source staff to support the nursing home since Monday… despite contacting all agencies yesterday the HSE has been unable to source any agency nursing staff’.

“Given that the Minister received this email from the HSE in the early afternoon of the 22nd October, I am asking that he now make a statement before the Dáil and withdraw his remarks which questioned the veracity of this story.”

Peadar Tóibín TD said that there are ‘serious questions’ to be asked when we look at these documents – as ‘there seems to be a massive breakdown of communication in the HSE’ when it comes to nursing homes.

“The first case of Covid 19 was detected in the Nightingale Nursing Home in Galway on 19th October. Over the ensuing days two staff members were left looking after all the residents and begged the HSE to help.

“When the Claire Byrne Show broke the story, when I raised it in the Dáil and the local GP began to tweet about it, only then did the hierarchy within the HSE become aware of the issue, some four days later.

“They began frantically sending links to the GP’s tweets among themselves. In one email Dr Daly in Ballygar is referenced, and an official in the HSE says ‘I think that’s in Galway’.

“An astonishing statement. If a nursing home say nearly all its patients have tested positive for this killer virus, surely the matter should have been brought straight to the top of the HSE,” he said.

Deputy Tóibin added that on 19 October, the Minister for Older Persons, Mary Butler sent an important letter to Mr Reid regarding the escalating situation in nursing homes.

“Astonishingly a full month elapsed before Mr Reid decided to write back to Minister Butler on November 16th,” said Deputy Tóibín.

“Now we’d understand if I sent a letter and didn’t get a response, but a government Minister should not be left waiting a month for a response to an urgent letter she sends to the HSE. Communication within the HSE needs serious improvement.

“It is clear that the HSE head quarters is not communicating effectively with their teams on the ground, with HIQA and even with the government. They need to urgently improve their communication channels.

“On a day of such a huge scandal in a nursing home, a grave situation, they only learned about it four days later through the opposition TDs, the media and tweets from a local doctor. Nursing homes need serious support from the HSE, and is disappointing that no lessons appear to have been learned from the first wave.”

Still time to sign up for ‘Swim Where You Are’ for COPE Galway

By
Michael Malone
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andy friend galway daily news cope galway christmas swim

There is still time to sign up for “Swim Where You Are” (21 – 30 December), COPE Galway’s reimagined Christmas Swim to comply with pandemic restrictions.

The charity is appealing to people connected to Galway at home and abroad to register online at www.copegalway.ie/swim. Those who sign up will receive a t-shirt by post along with safety information, and they are invited to swim wherever they are between 21 and 30 December.

The funds raised directly support COPE Galway’s services for people affected by homelessness, women and children experiencing domestic abuse and older people at risk of social and nutritional isolation in Galway.

To avoid crowds and for best social distancing practice, there will not be a Christmas Day event at Blackrock in Salthill this year, breaking a three-decade tradition.

But although people can’t be all together in Salthill on Christmas morning, taking part in “Swim Where You Are” means you can continue your Christmas Swim tradition wherever you are, creating memories and raising funds – while staying connected to Galway this Christmas.

To register and for further information please visit www.copegalway.ie/swim

University Hospital Galway reports extreme crowding today

By
Briain Kelly
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0

University Hospital Galway is extremely busy today, with limited bed capacity and long waits at the A&E Saolta has said.

“We regret that patients are currently experiencing long waiting times to be admitted from the Emergency Department to an acute bed in the hospital.”

“We have a high number of patients waiting for admission on trollies in the ED and in both the Acute Medical Unit and Acute Surgical Unit, which we apologise for.”

“We know these delays are very difficult for our patients and their families,” a statement from the Saolta Hospital Group said.

People should only visit the Emergency Department in the event of real emergencies, and that people should contact their GP or the WestDoc GP out if hours service in the first instance.

“We would like to remind our patients that the Injury Unit in Roscommon University Hospital is open from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to treat a range of injuries in both adults and children over five years of age.”

Due to COVID-19 social distancing rules, people are also being asked to wait alone at the A&E at University Hospital Galway. A companion will be allowed in extraordinary circumstances.

“We are committed to treating everyone who presents at our ED but we do so strictly in order of medical priority and apologise for the long wait times.”

Galway TD says IDA must help develop Ballinasloe after job losses

By
Briain Kelly
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0

The government and IDA must work to ensure that Ballinasloe is properly promoted and developed following the loss of jobs at the Aptar plant in the town a Galway TD has said.

Deputy Denis Naughten said that a recent visit by Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar to discuss the situation Ballinasloe must be followed by a multi-agency effort to develop the town, in particular the IDA site in town.

The Tánaiste met with West Regional Enterprise Plan steering committee last week to discuss development in Ballinasloe.

Deputy Naughten said that while it’s welcome that the meeting happened, it should have taken place months ago, when the announcement was first made.

“Such a meeting is normally standard practice following significant job losses and, as I pointed out to the Tánaiste last month, the Aptar closure in Ballinasloe with the loss of 115 jobs is the equivalent of 1,380 jobs going overnight in the city of Galway.”

After the meeting, Tánaiste Varadkar responded to a parliamentary question by Deputy Naughten to say that the IDA is working with Aptar to market the site to potential investors.

“IDA Ireland has introduced a number of companies that are interested in the Ballinasloe facility to the Aptar management team and has arranged visits to the site.”

“These discussions are ongoing. In the meantime, IDA Ireland continues to market the site to both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland clients.”

There are currently 19 of the original staff still employed at the plant, and the Tánaiste said that another 60 of the former employees have found similar employment in the region.

“While the announcement of job losses at Aptar is very disappointing, I assure the Deputy that the Government and its agencies are working to create employment opportunities in the west and across all of our regions.”

Deputy Naughten welcomed the briefing on the meeting provided by the Tánaiste, and said that he hopes it will be followed by action.

Man fined for assault outside city bar

By
Briain Kelly
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0
Galway Daily courts Man charged with possessing images of child sex abuse
credit: Robert Linsdell CC BY 2.0 'The Courthouse, Courthouse Square, Galway'

A man was fined for a incident outside a bar in Galway City that left one young woman with a broken nose, and another with a mild concussion.

Gerard O’Brien (45), of Kingston Hall in Knocknacarra, was convicted of two charges of Assault Causing Harm at a special sitting of Galway District Court.

The court heard that the incident happened in the very early hours of April 18, 2019, on Dominick Street after the pubs had closed.

After a night out at the Roisín Dubh, two young women were approached by Mr O’Brien, who made an unwanted sexual comment to a woman named Emma.

The other woman, Francesca then told him to “f**k off”, pushing him away, and following after him to hit him with her handbag repeatedly while Emma tried to break them up.

O’Brien then struck Francesca in the side of the head with an open hand. There was some dispute between the sides whether this blow knocked her head into her friend’s face, or whether his fist connected directly with Emma. But she ended up with a broken nose as a result.

The broken nose required surgery to correct, while Francesca was informed by a doctor that she had a concussion after feeling dizzy at work the following day.

She was also charged with simple assault for attacking Mr O’Brien, for which she received an adult caution.

CCTV footage of the incident was captured from multiple premises on Dominick Street, and played for the judge.

Mr Colin Lynch BL, defending, said that his client had been defending himself after being attacked, and had tried to retreat from the encounter before he “drunkenly responded”.

Inspector Des Beirne said that his actions were not proportional to being hit with a handbag. “There was no harm done to him, there was no threat of harm being done to him”.

Judge Marie Keane said the cctv clearly showed the young women were “quite sober”, while O’Brien was drunk and pacing up and down the street, adding that this only happened because he made inappropriate comments.

The judge added that self-defence did not apply as there was no force to the blows against him, but that he “lashed out” with abandon.

Mr Lynch said that his client was very sorry for the harm he caused. He has no previous criminal convictions, and this event was out of character for him.

He could also get €2,000 in compensation that day for the two injured parties.

Judge Keane fined O’Brien €800 in total for the two assault charges, and ordered him to pay €1,500 to contribute to the medical expenses of Emma, and pay over €500 to Francesca.

 

image: Robert Linsdell CC BY 2.0 ‘The Courthouse, Courthouse Square, Galway’

City Council awards grants for 11 minority sports groups

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily sports NUI Galway plans to build new Watersports Centre

Galway City Council has awarded €22,000 in grants to eleven clubs and groups in the city supporting less well known sports.

The funding under the Minority Sport and Activity Fund is designed to support physical activity in those sports that people are interested in but may not have the ability to delivery new programmes to new people.

Fitting for a seaside town, there were multiple boating groups supported, with others receiving backing including Tennis, Hockey, and Athletics.

Other groups that enable the delivery of smaller sports and activities included the Menlo Scouts and Ballinfoile Community Centre.

The programme is delivered by the city council working together with Galway Sports Partnership.

The full list of grants awarded under the Minority Sport and Activity Fund in Galway City is:

Clubs Grant
Merlin Woods Tennis Club  € 1,000
Ballinfoile Community Centre  € 1,200
Galway Rowing Club  € 2,500
Renmore Hockey Club  € 1,000
Castlegar Athletics Club  € 2,500
Galway City Sailing Club  € 2,500
Row To Recovery  € 2,900
Menlo Scouts  € 2,000
Galway Kayak Club  € 2,500
Community Sports Hub  € 2,300
Foroige Ballybane  € 1,600
Total:  € 22,000

Orders flow in for 93-year-old’s beautiful hand-knitted baby & children’s wear!

By
Michael Malone
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galway daily news helen griffen knits snugglz umbrella eile cardigans
When Helen Griffen joined local online shop Umbrella Eile, the last thing she expected was to feature as the ‘poster girl’ for their Christmas marketing campaign!

The 93-year-old, who first came to work in Galway when she was just 18, is part of Snugglz – a local hand-knit and crochet group which makes unique children’s and baby wear.

And as orders flow in from near and far, the grandmother of ten – who also has six great-grandchildren – is happily knitting away to keep up with demand.

Helen came to work in Galway’s Imperial Hotel many years ago years old before falling in love with a Gort man, whose brother married Helen’s sister!

snugglz cardigan umbrella eile
A beautiful jumper and cardigan available at Snugglz store on Umbrella Eile!

Since March this year, Helen has been cocooning with her daughter Yvonne.

While isolation has been difficult for many older people particularly this year, being part of this project has proved to be very beneficial, and she shares the proceeds from her sales with the Alice Leahy Trust – a befriending and social health service for the homeless.

Umbrella Eile

Galway City Mayor Mike Cubbard launched Galway’s online marketplace in October and said he was delighted that the community of talented craftspeople has continued to grow steadily since.

With over 45 local businesses and small enterprises in the group, ‘Umbrella Eile’ welcomes members from both Galway City and the County.

“At a time of such uncertainty for local business Umbrella Eile proves that thinking outside the box and supporting one another new avenues will open up,” said the Mayor.

“Local traders and businesses are the backbone of our economy and Umbrella Eile is quickly becoming a one stop shop for all your Christmas gifts.”

Jewellers, chocolate candle and hat makers, fashion designers writers and artists have all come together on this Galway site making it easy for customers to shop locally and buy Irish this Christmas.

Like many marketeers, Umbrella Eile hopes to make their presence felt in a physical space before Christmas and into the New Year.

Check out their website HERE to find out more.

What Does The Future Hold For The Sportsground Greyhound Track?

By
Angela Mc Bride
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0

The Sportsground, which is also known as the Galway Greyhound Stadium and the Galway Sportsgrounds is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Galway, Ireland. The stadium opened its doors to the public in 1927 with a football match marking the historic opening. 

Since then, the Sportsground has been used as the host for Connacht Rugby and greyhound racing events. Currently, it is used as a training ground by Connacht Rugby, which also happens to be the same place where all level Rugby matches are held. 

The ground is also home to greyhound racing every Friday and Saturday evenings during which spectators are treated to a spectacle of greyhound dogs racing for the top prize. Back in 2018, Connacht Rugby announced the historic redevelopment of the Sportsground.

This is in an effort to make it more modern and fit for present-day rugby matches and greyhound racing. With the redevelopment underway, greyhound racing, which is among the sports that will benefit from the changes, already has a promising future as explained below.

Increased Popularity

Connacht Rugby is growing in popular with each year that passes by. And it holds most of its activities at the Sportsground Greyhound track, the same venue for numerous greyhound racing events. With greyhound sharing the same venue with a famous team, it goes without saying that its popularity will increase.

Now that the team is under the process of redeveloping the stadium, the event’s popularity will increase even further. Once the process is over, the Sportsground will have a capacity of 12,000 spectators, which means there will be enough space to accommodate more people. 

The proposed reparation will deliver state-of-the-art facilities in the stadium and this will enhance the experience of spectators. In addition to this, the revamped facilities will benefit dog breeders and owners as well as make the ground more ideal and friendly to the dogs.

 Developed facilities are more likely to attract people to a particular place and this will be no different for the Sportsground whose development will increase the number of people visiting the facility. In turn, this will reciprocate to more people being interested in greyhound racing. 

More Betting Opportunities

While greyhound racing has been taking place for quite some time now, its popularity in betting sites is still limited. Partially, this is because the sport is not present in many countries. It is only legal in the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, Vietnam, Mexico, and Ireland.

Even in some of these localities, it is in the decline. In some jurisdictions like Ireland, greyhound racing is on the rise and moving into the future, punters can look forward to more thrilling action during greyhound events. 

Just like football or horse racing which is common in almost every other bookmaker, greyhound racing will soon become available in many casinos with time. Already the number of sites that offer greyhound betting is on an upward trend. 

While the sport may not enjoy the same popularity enjoyed by leading international sports like cricket and football, punters can rest assured that it will not be hard to find a good online casino that offers greyhound betting. 

If you are looking for some online bookmaker greyhound betting bonuses, check the casino listed over on GreyhoundBetting.co.uk. The sites are safe, licensed and feature exclusive bonuses for new and loyal customers. They have exemplary customer support and the payment options are vast. 

Bookmakers may also come up with more greyhound bet types since the available ones are a bit limited. With the track where the sport is held gaining popularity, it is fair that bettors are given broad bet options to consider. This will make betting on the sport more interesting. 

Economic Growth

The Sportsground is primarily famous for Connacht Rugby and greyhound racing. Even after the development phase is over, the two will remain the main events in this stadium. In the future, the stadium will be open to other sporting events and fixtures whenever demand arises.

Making the Sportsground a modern stadium with world-class facilities will attract additional sporting events. The capacity is also big enough for local events, which makes it an ideal venue for other activities besides rugby and greyhound racing.

The stadium is also strategically placed, which further increases the ideality of the Sportsground. As a multi-use facility, the stadium will have the capability of acting as the region’s beacon for development and an excellent driver for social and economic growth. 

The stadium will be commercially viable and a well-regulated greyhound breeding and racing track with a value-led and exciting entertainment experience. By delivering this, the number of spectators at the stadium will increase, helping the track gain more popularity. 

The increase will contribute to more revenue collection from the sale of tickets and other activities. Again, once the development of the facility is over, the stadium will create additional job opportunities, making it a significant employer in Ireland. 

More personnel will be required to help with ticket sales, managing the huge crowds, offering health services and attending to other duties around the stadium. Such activities will create employment positions for more people. 

The stadium will also have enough capacity to accommodate additional dog breeders or owners, enabling those interested in the sport to take part without the fear of overcrowding.Additional participants will reciprocate to higher revenue. 

Conclusion

Greyhound racing is a popular sport in Ireland that is gradually gaining popularity in online casinos as more sites include it as part of their sports betting offerings. Greyhound races are mainly held in the Sportsground, a stadium that is currently being redeveloped.

The reparation will give the facility a more modern and befitting appeal. Once complete, the stadium will offer an impressive entertaining experience to spectators and dog owners. The track will be friendlier to the greyhound dogs taking part in the races. 

The track’s future is a bright one considering that its redevelopment announcement made its popularity widely known. The addition of greyhound betting in online casino also promises a more successful future for the Sportsground. 

Coronavirus: Fewer than 5 new cases in Galway as incidence rate falls below 50

By
Michael Malone
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0
Galway Daily news Galway hospitals see COVID cases double in recent weeks

Health officials have reported eight further deaths related to Covid-19 today and 329 new cases of the disease.

Galway has fewer than five of the 329 the new cases, while  86 are in Dublin, 41 in Louth, 34 in Donegal, 25 in Limerick and 17 in Kildare.

The 14-day incidence rate in Galway has now fallen to 48.4 cases per 100,000 population, with just 125 new cases reported in the city and county over the past fortnight.

Of the cases reported today, 64% are under 45 years of age and the median age is 37 years old.

As of 2pm, 196 people with Covid-19 are hospitalised, of which 31 are in ICU. There have been 13 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

There has now been a total of 76,776 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state.

 

Omniplex Cinemas releases emotional tribute to cinema in 2020

By
Michael Malone
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omniplex cinemas galway daily news cinema tribute 2020 film salthill cinema

Omniplex Cinemas have released an emotional tribute to cinema in 2020 with a video and poem called ‘We’ll Save You a Seat’.

 

The cinema industry has been significantly impacted and changed this year, and with projectors powering up this month we’ll once again get a chance to escape to the movies over Christmas.

“Like a lot of industries, we’ve had to adapt to ‘new normal’ this year and we’re delighted to have our doors open so we can enjoy a safe cinema trip this festive period.

“Cinema has always been a place where we can escape; where we can feel normal, feel emotional, and feel a sense of community.

“Things are different now, but that magical moment when the lights go down to bring you on an adventure is just the same, and maybe, even a little sweeter than it was before.”

Omniplex Cinemas have a diverse line up to keep us entertained this December including Wonder Woman 1984, Pixie, Wolfwalkers, Elf and of course Home Alone coming soon!

The cinema group has also launched their ‘Collect’ service nationwide that allows you to pre-book your cinema treats in advance so you can simply scan your QR code, collect your snacks and get settled in your seats with ease.

Work to improve facilities at Portiuncula University Hospital continues

By
Michael Malone
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0
Galway Daily news Portiuncula Hospital reports high flu circulation

A number of important projects are being carried out at Portiuncula University Hospital which will significantly improve the facilities at the hospital for patients.

Work has been underway over the last year to prepare the site for a new ward block which will provide 50 single en-suite rooms, meeting the highest infection control standards.

“It is a hugely significant project for Portiuncula University Hospital and we expect that construction work will begin on this 50 bed facility in the middle of next year,” said James Keane, Hospital Manager.

“We have been working on improving our radiology services and building works are due to be completed by late February next year.

“This project will allow us add to the radiology services we provide and will include a new Fluoroscopy Suite which will enable the hospital provide additional radiology procedures in gynaecology, urology and paediatrics.

“The upgrade of this radiology room will also include upgrading our existing radiology and diagnostic equipment.”

The hospital is also moving its outpatients department to a new facility which is currently in progress.

This will be a modular building and the works necessary on site to put it in place are nearly finished.

James Keane said that they expect delivery of the modular building later this month and it will be fitted out early in the New Year and will be operational by the end of February.

“This new modular building will be located at the rear of the hospital and will provide us with clinical space to see our outpatients,” he said.

“Moving our outpatient clinics to this new facility will allow us develop 12 new single en-suite rooms in the former outpatient area.

“These new rooms will meet the highest infection control standards and enable us to isolate patients if necessary.

“It will also allow us provide single room accommodation for patients who are receiving end of life care and provide them with privacy and dignity. Subject to funding, we hope to have the new 12 beds in place by the middle of next year.”

Telcom and ESB plan Gigabit fibre broadband for Galway

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily business Telcom gigabit fibre broadband galway
Pic l-r: Shane Tully, chief commercial officer, Telcom, Sylvester Cullen, sales and marketing manager, ESB Telecoms and Liam Tully Jnr., CTO, Telcom

Irish based ISP Telcom are partnering with the ESB to offer Gigabit Fibre broadband in Galway and other urban areas.

In a partnership announced this morning, Telcom and the ESB plan to bring high speed fibre Internet, with up to 1Gb speeds, to 13 urban areas, initially focusing on Galway, Cork, and Dublin.

Commenting on the launch, Shane Tully, chief commercial officer with Telcom said that the pace of digital transformation is accelerating at businesses.

“As the business reliance on cloud-based applications and services grows, it’s critical that organisations of all sizes, can access a high-speed, cost effective and enterprise-class fibre service, which supports the digital requirements of their business operations day-to-day.”

“In the current environment, it’s vital for business to partner with strong and stable vendors.”

“ESB Telecoms ticked all the boxes for us, in having a national wholly-owned, fibre-optic network that is aligned with connections to SIRO and which can scale now, and into the future.”

The partnership with ESB is expected to make up to 1Gb spped fibre broadband available to 16,000 businesses around the country.

Telecom has also said that this network will be as much as 50% cheaper than existing 1Gb broadband services.

Managing Director of ESB Telecoms, Rory McGowan said that Irish businesses are increasingly reliant on cloub based solutions, which comes with different infrastructure needs.

“Our new wholesale service provides the underlying foundation that enables this technical evolution – providing Telecom Operators the opportunity to migrate their customers  to a more suitable, faster and efficient cloud capable platform.”

“We are delighted to work with Telcom and assist them in delivering for their customers.”

Image: l-r: Shane Tully, chief commercial officer, Telcom, Sylvester Cullen, sales and marketing manager, ESB Telecoms and Liam Tully Jnr., CTO, Telcom

Christmas comes early for Gort shopper after ‘dashing’ through the store!

By
Michael Malone
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galway daily news lidl shop gort tubber
Dashing through the store! Photo: Andrew Downes, xposure

The festive season is off to a dashing start for a Gort shopper who beat 166 other shoppers across Ireland to win this year’s Lidl Trolley Dash competition.

In a frantic rush around the Lidl store in Gort, Enda Scanlon from Tubber was able to grab more than €365 worth of Christmas shopping from the shelves.

Each of the 167 participants had just two minutes to collect as many goodies as possible in their trolleys in the Supermarket Sweep style contest.

Sinead, James and Eoin with Enda after the competition! Photo:Andrew Downes, xposure

From 16 to 29 November, Trolley Dash tickets were sold for €1 in Lidl stores across the country, raising a total of €310,000 for Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health. Over €13,500 was raised in Co. Galway alone this year.

With fundraisets compromised this year due to the pandemic, money raised from initiatives such as the trolley dash are paramount to charities and their service users.

Since its creation in 2006, Jigsaw has directly supported over 38,000 young people and offered supports to over 250,000 in schools, communities, workplaces, clubs and more across Ireland.

More information on Jigsaw is available HERE.

New public engagement plan launched for Galway Hospitals

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news New public engagement plan launched for Galway Hospitals

The Saolta Group has this week launched its new public and patient engagement strategy for improving communication with families and involving patients in their own care at Galway hospitals.

The group wide Patient and Public Engagement Strategy 2020-2023 is meant to build on work which has taken place at individual Saolta hospitals in recent years.

It focuses on three main areas of: Communications; Working with others; and Working in partnership with patients, families and carers, with projects to enable them in the next three years.

Some of the initiatives already underway include the rollout of the national communications programme for clinical teams and optimising the use of technology and eHealth initiatives to enhance patient communication.

CEO of the Saolta Group Tony Canavan said that they are committed to improving their “culture of engagement” with patients and families.

“We know that listening and learning from our patients’ experience enables us to deliver better care and improves health outcomes.”

Paul Hooton, the new Saolta Group Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery added, “We know our patients and their carers want to be engaged in decisions about their health, and those who are more engaged generally experience better outcomes.

“Over the next three years through the implementation of this Strategy our intention is to build on work already underway.”

“This will include ensuring patients are involved in decisions about their own care and seeking patient feedback about their experiences.”

“This work will be led by the Directors of Nursing on each of our hospital sites and I look forward to supporting them.”

The development of the strategy was led by former Director of Nursing and Midwifery Jean Kelly, who said that getting patiently actively involved in their own care is more crucial than even as people are living longer, often with multiple chronic conditions.

“A key focus of Sláintecare is keeping people well in their own homes and shifting the focus of care to the community.”

“Key to that is the development of active partnerships between patients, their health providers and the wider community.”

Copies of the Patient and Public Engagement Strategy 2020-2023 are available to download here.

Farrell questions procurement process for €14.1m spent on ventilators left unused

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Call to save Mervue bus stop for sake of older residents

Galway West TD Mairéad Farrell has said that the government needs to clarify its procurement process after reports that millions was spent on ventilators that have never been used.

It was reported by the Irish Examiner that the HSE paid €14.1 million to an Irish events management company for ventilators that have not been deployed due to issues with their quality.

Roqu Media International Limited, owned by Westmeath man Robert Quirke, imported five flights of medical equipment from China in April as part of a contract with the HSE, but none of the ventilators have since been deployed in a clinical setting.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on public expenditure Deputy Farrell said that the reports are “highly alarming” and raise questions about the management of the procurement process.

During the initial days of the coronavirus pandemic the Irish government scrambled to source huge amounts of medical equipment including masks and other PPE, but also testing kits and more expensive equipment such as ventilators, out of fears that hospitals would be overwhelmed by a wave of cases.

Deals were often conducted quickly, as Ireland was competing with other countries for what were very limited supplies earlier this year.

“The sums of public money involved here are huge and the Government has a duty to ensure public money is not mishandled or misspent in any way,” Mairéad Farrell said.

“The Government now must urgently clarify what has happened here, how the procurement process was handled and on what basis this public money was spent.”

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