The 14-day rate of Covid-19 has fallen in Galway city again this week with just 37 cases reported in the city’s three Local Electoral Areas over the past 14 days.
New data released this evening shows that Loughrea LEA, which already had the highest 14-day rate in the county, now has 133.5 cases per 100,000 population, with 31 cases in two weeks.
Tuam LEA and Ballinasloe LEA also saw an increase in their 14-day incidence rate since last week.
Tuam has gone from being the LEA with the third lowest rate in Galway last week to now having the second highest. The rate there doubled in seven days, and the LEA now has 75.3 cases per 100,000 (25 cases in 14 days).
Ballinasloe LEA now has 67.6 cases per 100,000 people (19 cases in 14 days) but both LEAs in Conamara recorded fewer than five cases in the fourteen days to 7 December.
There was a decrease in the 14-day incidence rate in Gort, Athenry-Oranmore, Galway City Central and Galway City West LEAs, while Galway City East saw a slight increase in its rate.
There have been 15 additional deaths related to COVID-19 reported by the Department of Health today, along with 310 new cases.
Of the cases notified today, 13 are in Galway, where the 14-day incidence rate of the virus is 60.1 cases per 100,000 population. There have been 155 new cases reported in Galway in the past two weeks.
There have now been more than 75,000 confirmed cases in the state, and Ireland has seen 2,117 COVID related deaths.
Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 7 confirmed cases.
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer said “Tomorrow marks 14 days to Christmas Day. To ensure the safest possible interaction with your family over Christmas, consider restricting your movements now.”
“Risk assess the environments you plan to be in over the next two weeks; are they compliant with public health measures? Can you keep a two metre distance? Are people wearing face coverings?”
“Now is the time to make decisions about what interactions are necessary and pose the lowest risk to you, your family and friends over Christmas.”
As of 2pm today there are 202 people in Ireland hospitalised with COVID-19, of whom 36 are in the ICU. There have been 15 people hospitalised in the past 24 hours.
The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.
Of the cases notified today:
162 are men and 148 are women
61% are under 45 years of age
the median age is 39 years old
80 in Dublin, 27 in Donegal, 25 in Louth, 15 in Kilkenny, 15 in Waterford, 15 in Tipperary, 15 in Meath and the remaining 118 cases are spread across 16 other counties
Dr. Ronan Glynn said that the prospect of a vaccine being rolled out next year should not distract people from what they need to do in order to stay safe this month.
“A vaccine will have no positive impact on the trajectory of this disease over the coming weeks and does not give immunity to people over the Christmas period.”
“We must not allow COVID-19 to spread through our communities now, after all the efforts we have made throughout 2020 and how close we are to beginning to vaccinate.”
A Galway student had double cause for celebration at her Hilbernia College graduation ceremony, when in addition to her Master’s qualification she received an award for being amongst the top students in her class.
Mary Collins from Glenamaddy received the medal for Best Research Project which is awarded to one student in each cohort who achieves the highest grade in research on the College’s Primary programme.
She was amongst 840 graduates from across Ireland to graduate with Primary or Post-Primary teaching qualifications at a virtual online ceremony recently that coincided with celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the College’s foundation.
Addressing them and other graduates, Dr Mary Kelly, Head of the School of Education at Hibernia College, reminded graduates of their unique position as teachers to shape the future through each and every one of their students.
Recognising the impact that COVID-19 has had, and the obligation it has imposed on the College to confer its degrees online, Dr Kelly expressed gratitude to ‘the many graduates who worked on the frontline during that time, in hospitals, nursing homes, supermarkets and caring for elderly’.
Aldi plans to create up to 60 new jobs in Galway with the opening of two new stores in Ballybrit, Galway City and in Tuam.
The discount supermarket has said it intends to lodge a planning application with Galway City Council this week for a new store on the Old Monivea Road in Ballybrit.
Construction work on a store in Tuam is also due to get underway next year. Planning permission for that supermarket on the Ballygaddy Road was upheld by An Bord Pleanála earlier this summer.
Aldi currently operates nine stores in Co. Galway. In 2021, the retailer also intends to revamp its West City Centre Retail Park and Headford Road stores.
The new store in Ballybrit will have a floor space of 1,254 m², and will be 100% powered by renewable energy through solar panels on the roof the company said.
There will be 80 car parking spaces available for customers in addition to 12 bike parking spaces,.along with four free to use electric vehicle charging stations.
Each store will create roughly 30 permanent jobs when complete Aldi says, with the Tuam store expected to open in 2022.
Commenting, Colin Breslin, Aldi Regional Managing Director said: “We are working to bring our unbelievable prices and value to more families in Galway.
“Galway is an important market for Aldi and we have plans to open two more stores in the near future.”
“Our commitment to our customers is that we will never be beaten on price and will always provide the best value.”
“Our Swap & Save campaign reminds shoppers about the saving that can be generated by swapping their weekly shop to Aldi.”
Aldi’s Galway stores participate in its national partnership with FoodCloud, donating surplus food to local charities daily. The Galway stores have donated over 48,000 meals to charity to date.
Each store is also part of Aldi’s Community Grants network, with East Galway and Midlands Cancer Support, Burren Animal Rescue, and Ability West availing of a bursary grant in recent times.
Local charitable initiative Helping Haircuts is hosting its first ever fundraising event next week, in aid of Galway Simon Community.
Helping Haircuts, a non-profit, youth-led initiative based in the city, is asking people to ‘Suit Up for Simon’ between the 16 and 18 December and donate to the group’s Just Giving page.
The fundraising event will see people getting dressed up in smart-casual wear to enjoy a safe night in with their friends and family, while adhering to Covid-19 guidelines.
Raffles will also be held during the event with vouchers from local businesses, and Helping Haircuts is urging everyone to get involved.
The inclusion of tax relief for farmers buying essential farm safety equipment in the finance bill for tax provisions in budget 2021 has been welcomed.
Galway East TD Seán Canney said that including this tax incentive in the bill will help make farmers safe by offsetting the cost of purchasing essential upgrades.
“The farm is a very dangerous work environment and these measures will help farmers overcome the cost of providing essential safety equipment”.
Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe added the “Acceleration of wear and tear allowances for farm safety equipment” amendment to the Finance Bill 2020 which is currently before the Dáil.
This scheme will incentivise farmers to purchase safety equipment by enabling 50% of the cost of certain equipment to be deducted from their tax bill.
This is an increase from the current capital allowance of 12.5% for farm equipment in general.
The equipment and upgrade works that qualify for tax relief under the scheme includes:
Hydraulic linkage arms mounted tractor jacking systems
Big bag lifter systems
Chemical storage cabinets
Animal anti-backing gates for cattle crush
Quick hitch mechanisms for tractors
Provision of access lift
Hoist or integrated ramp to farm vehicles and wheelchair restraints
Wheelchair docking station
Modified controls
Modified seating
Additional steps for easier access
Farm vehicle and machinery controls
Hydraulically controlled linkage arms
Almost 50% of workplace deaths occur in the agriculture, fishing and forestry sector Minister Donohue said, with 214 fatal accidents taking place on farms between 2010 and 2019.
This increased capital allowance should incentivise the purchase of new safety equipment, and the replacement of equipment that is old or outdated.
The scheme will have a cap of €5 million in equipment costs per annum, and will be administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
“The measure is also designed to assist farmers who have a disability to continue work, with certain adaptive equipment also eligible for the scheme,” Minister Donohue said.
Bus Éireann will begin replacing its Galway city fleet in the coming months with new double-deckers which are more environmentally friendly.
The first of 100 electric hybrid buses arrived in Ireland this week and people can expect to see the new green and yellow buses on the roads early in the new year.
The buses will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30% and they are fully accessible, with a wide front entrance doorway fitted with a twin-leaf door and a motorised wheelchair ramp.
They also have dedicated wheelchair space, a space reserved for use by a buggy and distinctive priority seating.
They are also the first buses brought in by the National Transport Authority to be outfitted with an induction loop system to assist the hard-of-hearing and a passenger information display within the wheelchair space.
“The NTA is committed to the transition to zero and low emission public transport vehicles, and with these new ADL buses, we are taking a significant step towards a more sustainable bus fleet,” said Anne Graham, said NTA Chief Executive Officer.
“These vehicles will also add some badly-needed extra capacity to our city fleets in Dublin and Galway.
“While public transport passenger numbers have fallen as a result of Covid 19 restrictions this year, we believe that they will return to something approaching pre-pandemic within the next 18 to 24 months.
“As passenger numbers pick up we will continue to invest in capacity across all our services. We’re also excited to see the new livery on these buses, and look forward to its roll-out across the fleet.”
With Christmas fast approaching, people are starting to think about buying gifts for friends, family, and more. One of the refrains we’ve been hearing most often lately is that people need to shop local as much as possible this holiday season to support local retail.
A new Galway startup is making it easy for people to get a gift hamper that is perfectly suited for their needs, whether buying for a friend they can’t visit in person, or sending a seasonal thank you to staff after a hard year, and is also helping to support business in Galway.
Launching this week gift-hampers.ie will make an excellent one stop shop for people who are looking for the perfect hampers for the holiday season, and for a whole plethora of occasions beyond.
While it’s launching just in time for the holiday season, there are gift hampers available for every occasion, whether it’s a traditional food and drink ensemble, a lifeline of childcare products thrown for people who have just had a baby, or specialist choices like a Cuban cigar with a bottle of Jack Daniels for some quality indulgence.
Over 50 different hampers for Christmas and beyond are planned for the online catalogue, with options starting from less than €20.
Founded by local Galway entrepreneurs John Shields and Jason Gallagher, gift-hampers.ie was born out of the circumstances impised by the COVID-19 lockdown, and how people and companies responded.
John Shields, co-founder of gift-hampers.ie
They already had another business, whatsfordinner.ie, providing an online ordering service for dozens of restaurants around Galway to offer people locally owned and operated alternatives to giants like JustEat or UberEats.
While this was going strong, around May they were approached by a number of medical and tech companies in Galway who wanted to send appreciation baskets to their scores of employees now working from home.
Many of these would be for hundreds of gift hampers, with orders coming on almost a weekly basis, which had to be delivered all over the county to homes in Westport, Cork, and more, and even as far afield as France.
“We were doing that in the background without anybody really knowing about it. It just came in through our contacts,” John Shields explains, adding that this experience over the summer has gotten them used to operating at a large scale before launching their online store.
Research into the market showed them that there is a strong appetite for “bespoke” gift hampers that go beyond the traditional food and drink offerings, and that while you can find companies that provide a hamper for a specific occasion, the one-stop-shop choice was missing.
“You can go online and you can find a company that specialises in gifts for newborn babies, or you can go to a different company and find hampers for the beauty industry. But if you’re looking for one company that does all that, I felt that option was kind of lacking.”
As much as possible, John and Jason have worked with local suppliers to fulfil orders, working with retail outlets here in Galway to source their food, drink and more.
They are also constantly on the lookout for artisanal suppliers, something that are always in abundance on the west coast, to help create unique hampers that support small local businesses, and help them find a new niche for their products.
John explains that it’s their policy to “reach out to businesses around Galway to find comparable local products to things that we know sell well in the hamper industry.”
“These small artisans and local companies, they will have a loyal local following. But we would hope to be able to help them in terms of bringing their products across the country.”
For deliveries within Galway gift-hampers.ie uses their team of local drivers, already well accustomed to delivering within Galway, as well as
Despite launching a new business that is part of the massive spike in online shopping that has occurred this year, John is still encouraging people to get out on the high street and support local stores as the lockdown is lifting this month.
“I’ve got many friends and acquaintances that own and operate local stores that are closed right now. And I hope the Galway public get behind them and do as much shopping on the High Street as they can.”
Though there are set hampers advertised on the website, people shouldn’t feel bound by what is simply listed there online.
John emphasises that anyone who wants to put together a special gift hamper of their own should simply contact them through the chat on their website if they want to ask “hey look, can you put this together for me? Can you source that?”, and they will put something together in a matter of days.
Though this is launching in time to catch the Christmas shopping period, and while John certainly hopes this will give them a strong launch, this is by no means meant to be a seasonal operation.
“We’re looking ahead, this is a year long business,” John states, “There’s a demand for quality products online, sourced locally where possible, throughout the course of the year.”
Plans for the construction of a Primary Care Centre in Oranmore have gone up to An Bord Pleanála as the county council’s decision to grant permission for the project has been appealed.
Galway County Council granted approval for the construction of a Primary Care Centre at the east of Oranmore in early November.
That decision has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála by local residents concerned about the impact it would have on the neighbouring estate, which is on the same road.
The proposed Primary Care Centre will consist of a part 2-storey, part 3-storey, part 4-storey building with a total floor space of 5,109.4 sqm with associated medical consulting & treatment rooms at the east end of Oranmore.
These include a GP suite, public pharmacy, public physiotherapy suite, ambulance deployment point, storage, waste disposal area and a foul pump station.
The plans include 116 surface car parking spaces along with ambulance spaces and 44 bicycle spaces.
The HSE intends for the Primary Care Centre to serve as a one-stop-shop for services including public health, schools, and community nursing, physiotherapy, occupational and speech therapy, x-ray services, counselling, and more in the Oranmore area.
The centre will operate from 9-5 Monday to Friday, with an ambulance deployment point on site which will be accessible 24/7.
It is also proposed to carry out upgrade works at the Clochóg Road/Main Street junction in Oranmore, as well as at the junction of Main Street and the N67.
At the centre of the appeal is access to the Primary Care Centre, which would be via the Clochog Road, a private access road to to Clochóg estate.
Residents have expressed concerns that this will lead to a massive increase in traffic through the estate, posing a road safety to children and others in the estate.
An Bord Pleanála is due to make a decision on this planning appeal by April 13 of next year.
Sperm whales, one of the largest species of marine mammals in the world, live in abundance in the deep waters off the west coast of Ireland a study by GMIT has found.
There are an estimated 380 sperm whales living in waters deeper than 300m off the west of Ireland recently published recently
The study, jointly carried out by GMIT and the Scotland-based Sea Mammal Research Unit Consulting (SMRU Consulting), relied on acoustic technology to count whale populations in a way that would not have been possible before.
The deep diving nature of sperm whales means that they are difficult to observe at sea at the best of times.
During a single dive, sperm whales can spend nearly an hour at depths in excess of 300m, with only short periods at the surface.
Sperm Whale surfacing image credit: Simon Berrow
The research published recently in the Journal of Cetacean Research and Management was the result of six research voyages between May and October during 2015 and 2016.
The surveys aboard the Marine Institute’s RV Celtic Voyagerand the yacht Song of the Whalesaw the research count, and even pinpoint the location of individual whales using an underwater microphone array.
“The survey team spent a total of 45 days at sea, covering an area of some 120,000 km2 in weather conditions that make the hardiest of seamen queasy,” said Dr Simon Berrow of GMIT.
“With high sea states and towering swell, the study relied purely on being able to detect the distinctive powerful click trains of sperm whales using a streamlined towed hydrophone array.”
The limited time sperm whales spend at the sea surface combined with the wild weather that prevailed throughout the surveys meant that they were lucky to be working with the hydrophone.
More than 70% of the time the team spent looking for whales was during 3m swells and strong winds, so that they only ended up visually sighting 11 animals.
The ability of hydrophones to record sperm whale vocalizations, however, is not impacted by weather and surveys can continue through the night 24/7.
Deploying the hydrophone array on the Celtic Explorer
Dr Berrow remarked that it’s amazing that they could accurately count the number of sperm whales in offshore Irish waters in spite of seeing just a few actual whales.
“This type of acoustic monitoring is a very powerful survey tool, especially in the wild Atlantic waters off the west coast of Ireland as we can survey during the day and night in high sea-states.”
“Each whale was pinpointed by comparing the exact time that each click arrived at each hydrophone in the array and then triangulating bearings from sequential clicks over extended encounters.”
Acoustic techniques provide an excellent method of monitoring sperm whales, and this first abundance estimate can be used as a baseline for Irish offshore waters.
Sperm whale populations are still thought to be recovering after years of over-exploitation. Clearly Ireland provides very good habitats for sperm whales, the largest toothed animals in the world’s oceans.
Local group S.O.S Congolese Youth Galway is the running to get a share of this year’s Coca-Cola Thank You Fund along with 22 other shortlisted groups across Ireland.
The shortlisted groups will continue to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges, competing for grants of €10,000 or €5,000 from a pot of €100,000.
This year’s 10th anniversary fund focused on those most impacted by COVID-19, receiving a record number of applications from all 32 counties.
Due to the level of demand and the escalating pressures facing young people across Ireland as the impact of the pandemic is realised, the fund was increased from €50,000 to €100,000.
The deadline for applications was also extended to give more community leaders working directly with vulnerable young people the chance to benefit.
“We could never have anticipated the significance of this year’s anniversary Fund as we mark a decade of support for community leaders, non-profit organisations and local youth groups at a time when they need it the most,” said Petre Sandru, Country Manager, Coca-Cola Ireland.
“While we were prepared for an increase in demand, we were overwhelmed by the reaction and delighted to have been in a position to increase the Fund, giving more groups the opportunity to apply and avail of this support.
“The Coca-Cola Thank You Fund is an all-island initiative, with projects from all 32 counties submitted this year – which is a first for the Fund and a marker of the impact this pandemic is having on our young people and the fundraising streams of those working in the non-profit sector.”
He added that shortlisting this group from a record number of applications has been an impossible task for the judging panel, as the need greatly outweighed the resources available.
“While 23 groups have been shortlisted today, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank and indeed congratulate the hundreds of local champions on the frontline who have worked so hard to identify real solutions to the immediate need of those young people in their local area.
“Since 2011, the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund has donated over €1,055,000 to 95 non-profit organisations and we hope that this year’s Fund will allow the recipient youth groups maintain their vital service to the community and realise their goals of building resilience, meeting the education gaps and tackling the mental health challenges of our young people over the coming weeks, months and even years. ”
Organisations shortlisted
Breen Centre; Armoy (Radio Station), Antrim
Dreamscheme; Belfast (Outer East), Antrim
Greysteel Community Enterprises, Derry
Enactus Ireland, Dublin
Down Syndrome Tipperary, Tipperary
Purple House Cancer Support, Wicklow
Roscommon Young Carers Project via Vita House, Roscommon
Belmullet Swimming Club, Mayo
Willowfield; East Belfast (Inner), Antrim
Shankil Women’s Centre; Belfast (West), Antrim
Buddy Bench Ireland, Kilkenny
BeLonG To Youth Services, Nationwide
Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, Nationwide
Dublin City Farm and Ecology Centre, Dublin
Akina Dada Wa Afrika (AkiDwA) (Sister from Africa), Dublin
Ireland remains the most generous country in the world on the fundraising website GoFundMe after having highest number of donations per capita for the third year running.
And Galway was the most generous city in the Republic followed by Dublin and then Limerick.
Nearly 1.5 million donations were made across the country in 2020 which is over three times more than the previous year.
One in four campaigns created during 2020 were related to Covid-19 including those to feed healthcare workers, support for charity campaigns which have been cancelled and support for the various industries that have been impacted during this time such as the arts community.
April 21st was the busiest day for donations in Ireland, when 25,000 donations were made to campaigns.
“From the front line of the fight against Covid-19 to rallying round poorly kids and everything in between, the compassion shown across Ireland in 2020 has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said John Coventry, GoFundMe’s senior international director.
“We love seeing Ireland top the generosity tables year after year, and while in many ways 2020 has been a year to forget, I hope the solidarity, kindness and generosity that shone through across Ireland and around the world remains in our collective memory.”
Five further deaths related to Covid-19 and 227 new cases of the disease have been reported by the Department of Health today.
Ten of the 227 new cases are in Galway, while 70 are in Dublin, 26 in Donegal, 19 in Limerick,14 in Louth and 14 in Kilkenny.
64% of the cases are under 45 years of age and the median age is 37 years old.
There are five people at UHG with Covid-19, one of whom is in ICU. There is one confirmed cases at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.
Dr Tony Holohan said: “Today we have seen 8 new admissions to ICU, the most in a 24 hour period since the spring time.
“COVID-19 is still an extremely infectious disease which has the potential to lead to hospitalisation and even ICU admissions.
“If we do not continue to suppress the disease through the actions we have learned over recent months, we will very quickly see a surge in infections leading to an increase in hospitalisations, ICU admissions and, tragically, deaths.”
A man in Galway city has been arrested after gardaí seized €125,000 worth of cannabis herb and cash at a house yesterday evening.
The arrest was made after the Divisional Drugs Unit searched a house in the Renmore area at 7pm on Tuesday.
During the search, they found a large quantity of cannabis herb (pending analysis) which they say is worth around €90,000. Gardaí also seized more than €34,500 in cash at the house.
One man in his late 20s was arrested at the scene in connection with the seizure, and was detained at the North Western Regional Garda Headquarters in Galway under the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.
He has since been released from custody and a file is now being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions in this matter.
A Galway West TD has welcomed cross-party support of legislation brought forward by Sinn Féin which would provide for paid leave for victims of domestic violence.
Speaking today, Mairéad Farrell TD said that despite the significant increase in demand for services during the pandemic, domestic violence and abuse continues to be under-reported due to stigma, shame and fear.
“Domestic violence and abuse do not stop when victims leave their homes and often follows them into their place of work,” said the Galway West TD.
“Legislation has a role to play in protecting women in the workplace and to ensure that victims’ rights and entitlements as employees are enhanced and protected.
“The legislation, which Sinn Féin brought forward to the Dáil this week, provides for a statutory annual entitlement of up to 10 days’ domestic violence paid leave.”
The Sinn Féin TD said that the provision would enable victims take the necessary time off work they need to seek support, find accommodation or attend court in a structured and supported environment.
It also addresses unpredictable absenteeism and reduced productivity for employers.
“New Zealand, Australia and provinces in Canada have all introduced forms of paid leave,” added Deputy Farrell.
“Ireland’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention and enactment of supporting legislation were important landmarks that must now be built on. ICTU recently called on the government to ratify ILO Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.
“Article 18 of the accompanying recommendation identifies the provision of paid leave for the victims of domestic violence, flexible work arrangements and awareness-raising about the effects of domestic violence as appropriate measures to mitigate the impacts of domestic violence in the world of work.
“This legislation would be important addition to existing workplace rights and critically it would give victims the time to secure the support they need in the knowledge that their employment is secure.
“I welcome that the Government will not be opposing this important piece of legislation and I hope to see it enacted as soon as possible.”
Ronnie O'Gorman founder of The Galway Advertiser Newspaper. Photo: Mike Shaughnessy
NUI Galway has announced the fourteen people who will be conferred with Honorary Degrees in 2021, which include the founder of the Galway Advertiser, the first female conductor at the Oscars, and the man who spearheaded the global Covid-19 response.
Ronnie O’Gorman, the founder and owner of the Galway Advertiser, is a renowned historian and key to the restoration of Coole Park/Thoor Ballylee. Ronnie has been at the heart of the development of Galway through his promotion of the west and the region culturally and historically.
Galway-born composer Eímear Noone made history at the Oscars last February when she led the orchestra which performed the music of composers shortlisted for Best Original Score.
Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organisation (WHO), has steered responses to lethal disease outbreaks around the world, including Covid-19, and worked in some of the world’s trouble spots, including Iraq where he was taken hostage.
Others included in NUI Galway’s 2021 Honorary Conferring span the world of arts, media, academia, healthcare and business.
The full list includes:
Dick Byrne – Architect by profession and life-long contributor to the arts in Galway.
Professor David Harper – Professor of Palaeontology at Durham University and leading international expert on palaeontology and evolution.
Jean Kelly – Retired Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Saolta University Health Care Group, University Hospital Galway.
Professor Hubert McDermott – Former Professor of English at NUI Galway and former Governing Authority member.
Dr Martina Newell-McGloughlin – Director of International Biotechnology, University of California, Davis.
Eímear Noone – Renowned musical conductor and composer.
Máirtín O’Connor – Renowned traditional musician and composer.
Ronnie O’Gorman – Founder and owner of Galway Advertiser.
Mary O’Malley – Renowned poet and member of Aosdána.
Evelyn O’Toole – Founder and CEO of Complete Laboratory Solutions (CLS).
Bob Quinn – Film-maker, director, photographer, writer, editor and member of Aosdána.
Dr Mike Ryan – Executive Director, Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organisation (WHO).
Dr Jerome Sheahan – Retired statistician/mathematician, NUI Galway.
Ailbhe Smyth – Irish academic and activist.
Speaking about the conferrals, President of NUI Galway Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said that the University is fortunate to be associated with many outstanding honorary graduates throughout its history and those being honoured this year form a particularly distinguished group.
“Each one has made an excellent and distinctive contribution to public life, the betterment of society and the interests of humanity,” he said.
“NUI Galway is very pleased to be in a position to respect and recognise these exceptional individuals.
“Each of those we honour also have a special bond with our region – drawing on the unique experiences, strengths and challenges with which we as a University also engage – our values of Respect, Openness, Sustainability, and Excellence; our profile on human rights, and our emphasis on excellence, creativity and innovation.
“In honouring these exceptional individuals, we also signal what we value in areas that matter to us and to our society.”
The University aims to hold the Honorary Conferring ceremony next summer in line with public health guidelines.
Senator Aisling Dolan has welcomed a funding boost for swimming pools in Roscommon and East Galway.
Roscommon Leisure Centre will receive €10,997 while Abbey Health & Fitness will be funded to the tune of €6,357, Shear Fitness will receive €6,615 and Coral Leisure Centre in Ballinasloe will get €10,738.
“I welcome this funding to support swimming pool operators to continue to provide an essential service,” said Senator Aisling Dolan.
“Swimming is for all ages and abilities and it’s so crucial for community health and wellbeing especially during level five Covid-19 restrictions.”
The Fine Gael senator previously raised the issue of funding for Local Authorities to keep swimming pools open as income has been severely impacted for operators due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The local pools will benefit from an overall €2.5 million funding package for swimming pool operators across the country.
“While it is appreciated that this is a difficult time for swimming pool operators across the country,” said Minister Catherine Martin.
“The funding will provide financial stability to the sector in the uncertain months ahead.
“Earlier this year, I announced a significant increase in the budget for sport in 2021, which will provide further resilience to the sport sector as we look to emerge from the current crisis.”
Plans have been submitted to the city council to open a new gym in Doughiska at Merlin Commercial Centre.
A planning application has been made for the amalgamation and change of use of Units 1 & 2 of Merlin Commercial Centre in Doughiska.
The project would involve the change of permitted use of the two units from warehouse/light manufacturing to a sports recreational facility in order to house a gym.
Other works in the project would involve the expansion of the mezzanine area of Unit 2, and the creation of internal access between the two units.
The applicant, Conor Mullen, is the owner of Hustle Fitness in Ennis, and hopes to open an even larger facility in Galway.
“Our aim is to create a world class facility and to bring a vital and much needed amenity to the Doughiska community,” the application states.
“The spend on the project will exceed €350,000 and will lead to the creation of approximately 12 new jobs for local Galwegian people.”
“We genuinely feel we would bring a great addition to the people of Galway City East by opening a facility that caters for people of all differing fitness backgrounds.”
“Our Ethos has always been affordable fitness. We hope to run and operate one of Ireland’s premier gyms but with cost effective membership rates.”
A decision on this planning application is due from Galway City Council by January 26 of 2021.
Residents in multiple areas across North Galway are experiencing water outages which will last until this evening due to a burst water mains.
Repairs to a burst water main may cause supply disruptions to Headford, Kilconly, Ratesh, Shrule, Liss, Logawannia, Rockwood, Shrule Road, Ballyfruit, Cloghanower, Keekill and surrounding areas in Galway.
Repairs are taking place to the main between Carheens and Caltra Cross, and are currently expected to be completed by 7pm on Wednesday evening Irish Water has said.
People affected by these water outages are advised that it may take 2 – 3 hours after work is completed for their full water supply to be restored.
Updates on both situations can be found on Irish Water’s Supply and Service website page, or by contacting Irish Water’s twitter account @IWCare.
