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Beautifully refurbished stone cottage offers luxury and style

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily property Beautifully refurbished stone cottage offers luxury and style

This outward appearance of this stunning stone cottage home at Caherdaly, Ardrahan belies the luxury and comfort of its modern, mint condition interior, beautifully refurbished by its owners.

Formerly known as Ardrahan Railway Station, O’Donnellan & Joyce are offering people the chance to own a piece of history at public auction this month, and get a peerless home for themselves in the bargain.

The Railway Station at Ardrahan first opened on September 15, 1869, and carried passengers for more than a century after that. The passenger part of the service closed down in April 1976, and the line shut altogether a few years later in June 1983. 

Beautifully refurbished stone cottage offers luxury and style

Then, in 1992, this spacious cottage was converted into a home for the first time. Inside it retains all the charm of its past history, but with no evidence of wear, tear, or neglect. Extensive and tastefully conducted refurbishments have outfitted the house with high quality modern amenities that highlight, rather than overshadow, the history of the building.

Downstairs the entrance hall leads into a plush lounge oozing warmth from its brick stone fireplace with stove, and the parquet timber flooring. The large kitchen is also a perfect place for a family to gather and relax, with mint condition fittings, a tiled floor for easy cleaning, and above all, lots of space.

Beautifully refurbished stone cottage offers luxury and style

The remainder of the first floor consists of two double bedrooms with built in wardrobes, one of which comes with a ensuite with shower. The tiled main bathroom is outfitted with both a bath and shower, and a window that lets in an abundance of light.

There’s lot’s more room upstairs, including two more double bedrooms with built in wardrobes and velux windows. A spindle staircase leads from here to the Mezzanine floor of the cottage.

Beautifully refurbished stone cottage offers luxury and style

The surprisingly spacious interior of the cottage is matched by an abundance of outdoor space on its 0.5 acre plot, just enough to appreciate, without being difficult to maintain. The large garden areas offer stunning views of the surrounding countryside, and the old railway line still running next to the house.

There’s no worry about being isolated either, as this home is located just off the M18 Galway-Limerick motorway, and with quick access to the M6 Galway-Dublin motorway. This makes getting in and out of Galway City, or travelling elsewhere in the country, a matter of ease.

This property will be going on sale by public auction at the Harbour Hotel, New Dock Road on July 24 at 12pm.

For more information before then, check it out on O’Donnellan & Joyce’s website at odonnjoyce.com/residential/brochure/station-house-caherdaly-ardrahan-galway/4417207.

Auction & Home Viewings

The next open property auction for O’Donnellan & Joyce will take place on July 24 at the Harbour Hotel on New Dock Road in Galway City at 12pm.

There are 37 properties up for grabs by interested parties, 21 of which are in Galway City and County. These include a modern city penthouse, homes in Tuam, Ballinasloe, Athenry, and more, a Gala store and Petrol Station in Renvyle, and 16 acres of agricultural land at Kilconnell.

See the full list of properties going on auction later this month on O’Donnellan & Joyce’s website here: http://property.odonnjoyce.com/auction/properties/3784.

Viewings are available for each of the auction properties by appointment on Wednesdays and Saturdays at different times. 

4 Priory Road: Viewing Wednesdays & Saturdays 2.00 to 3.00 strictly by appointment. Please Call to Book.

70 Grattan Park: Viewing Wednesdays & Saturdays 3.30 to 4.30 strictly by appointment. Please Call to Book.

4 McHugh Avenue: Viewing Wednesdays & Saturdays 5.00 to 6.00 strictly by appointment. Please Call to Book.

3 Saint Johns Place: Viewing Wednesdays & Saturdays 12.30 to 1.30 strictly by appointment. Please Call to Book.

24 Dangan Heights: Viewing Wednesdays & Saturdays 11.00 to 12.00 strictly by appointment. Please Call to Book.

29 Bridgewater Court: Viewing Wednesdays & Saturdays 3.30 to 4.30 strictly by appointment. Please Call to Book.

16 Aran Court: Viewing Wednesdays & Saturdays 5.00 to 6.00 strictly by appointment. Please Call to Book.

Ryehill, Monivea: Viewing Wednesdays & Saturdays 1.00 to 2.00 strictly by appointment. Please Call to Book.

Station House, Caherdaly: Viewing Wednesdays & Saturdays 12.30 to 1.30 strictly by appointment. Please Call to Book.

Clareview, Convent Road: Viewing Wednesdays & Saturdays 11.00 to 12.00 strictly by appointment. Please Call to Book.

16 Waterslade Place: Viewing Wednesdays & Saturdays 11.00 to 12.00 strictly by appointment. Please Call to Book.

To book a viewing or for more information about this property auction, please call O’Donnellan & Joyce’s office at 091-564212.

Three days roadworks underway between Athenry and Tuam

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily transport Three days roadworks underway between Athenry and Tuam

Roadworks between Athenry and Tuam got underway today and are expected to continue for the rest of the working week.

Galway County Council is carrying out work on the R347 Athenry – Tuam road at Laragh.

The work started today and is expected to continue for three days until Friday, July 17.

Diversions will be in place for HGVs, and motorists are being advised to expect minor delays.

Roadworks are also being carried out for the next three days on a local road outside of Caltra.

Harrington Concrete & Quarries is carrying out resurfacing overlay works on the L-7406 Road at Eskerballycahill.

In order to facilitate these works, the road in question will be detoured during the hours of 8am & 6pm from Wednesday to Friday.

As a consequence, users of this road should allow additional time for their journeys.

Water outages in north Galway today due to burst main

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Water outages in multiple areas of Galway due to burst mains

A burst water main is causing water outages to multiple townlands and group water schemes in north Galway today.

Galway County Council has said that areas surrounding Headford town and to the east of it will be without water on Wednesday due to a burst mains between Carheens and Caltra Cross.

The areas affected by these water outages include Kilconly, Ratesh, Shrule, Liss, Gurraun, Logawannia, Rockwood, Bally Fruit Group Water Scheme, Cloghanower GWS and Keekill GWS.

The burst pipe disrupting the water supply in north Galway was first reported by Irish water shortly before midnight on Tuesday.

Irish Water is carrying out repair works, which are currently expected to be completed by 6pm this evening.

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

People in the affected areas are advised that it may take 2 – 3 hours after repairs are complete before full supply is restored.

Updates can be found on Irish Water’s Supply and Service page

Tech company Globalization Partners to create 100 jobs in Galway

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily business Tech company Globalization Partners to create 100 jobs in Galway

Tech company Globalization Partners has announced that it will be creating 100 new jobs in Galway as it sets up its European Headquarters here.

The jobs, all of which are to be filled over the next three years, will include 25 technology positions to be filled immediately.

These newly created jobs will include software engineers, technology leads, help centre support, DevOps engineers, UI/UX designers and others to be located in Galway.

The technology team in Galway is headed up by Ciaran O’Toole who joined Globalization Partners in June 2020 as Senior Director, Software Engineering.

O’Toole, a veteran of the technology market in Galway, previously leadership positions with SmartBear and Synchronoss Technologies, where he established and scaled engineering teams.

He will be reporting directly to Gerard Keating, Chief Technology Officer of Globalization Partners.

“This is an ideal time to join our team in Galway as we develop new and emerging technology that is transforming how companies hire talent around the globe,” Keating said.

“We are in an exciting period as a company in which we are shifting our solution to automate and scale. Ciaran’s team is critical as we map our technology to our long-term business plan.”

Globalization Partners helps companies operate on a global level by enabling them to hire and retain personnel in over 180 countries without having to set up local subsidiaries.

The company is establishing its European headquarters here in Galway, in a project that is backed by IDA Ireland.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar said that the company will be investing tens of millions in establishing this new technology centre in Galway.

CEO of IDA Ireland Martin Shanahan said this move will “accelerate Ireland’s reputation as a location to manage EMEA operations in the Global Employer of Record and workforce management space.”

“This investment is a great win for Galway and the West Region which boasts a rich and diverse talent pool.”

 

image credit: IDA West Region via Twitter

Criticism levelled at housing proposals in Sandy Road development plans

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Criticism levelled at housing proposals in Sandy Road development plans

Plans for the redevelopment of a 21 acre site on the Sandy Road in Galway City have been criticised for allegedly not giving sufficient weight to the housing crisis in Galway, or including enough social housing.

The Land Development Agency and Galway City Council are in the early planning stages of the redevelopment of the Sandy Road site, which aims to create a new urban quarter for the city.

The LDA commissioned the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland to undertake a Design Review for the site and to provide architectural proposals that could inform future decisions.

This process has produced proposals from five different RIAI registered architects, who have put forward different proposals on how to develop the land.

The different options put forward by the five RIAI architects would deliver between 564 and 1,352 housing units for the site, alongside commercial and amenity space for the new urban quarter.

The Vision Statement for the regeneration project which was given to the five architects said that the plan is to create a “new sustainable neighbourhood” in Galway City.

The statement also said that “A strong residential bias is being sought” for the plans.

People Before Profit have criticised the RIAI proposals for not including enough mention of social housing, noting that only one of the draft proposals includes any mention of social housing.

John McKenna’s ‘Urban Arboretum’ style proposal for the neighbourhood suggested two possibilities delivering either 932 or 1095 housing units, and noted that “10% social housing is also assumed” when discussing different housing models.

PBP Galway spokesperson Cian Mortimer said that the Design Review plans are a “step in the right direction” in terms of sustainable urban development.

But they “need to go further in terms of providing much needed social housing for the city,” he added calling on the city council to recognise this moving forward.

Galway West TD Catherine Connolly has also been highly critical of the proposals and the vision statement for the project from the Land Development Agency for not giving sufficient mention to the housing crisis in Galway.

The Independent TD has said she is “intensely worried” by the role of the Land Development Agency in the redevelopment plans.

Speaking in the Dáil last week, Deputy Connolly said that the call for a “residential bias” in the design proposals was an “afterthought”, not sufficient for when building on “public land, by and large”.

“They are looking at that Sandy Road site in Galway. Before I came down here, I looked again at what has happened.”

“The Land Development Agency used public money to engage five architects to come up with their vision.”

“Does the Minister know what the video presentation of one of those architects said? It called the site a place to live well by accident. We are paying taxpayers’ money for this.”

“There is no mention of a housing crisis or the housing task force that was set up under pressure because of the enormity of the housing problem in Galway.”

“There is no vision and no master plan and the Land Development Agency is pursuing developer-led development.”

The Design Review Draft with the five proposals is available online on the city council website here, and the council is taking public feedback on the proposals until July 31.

The draft Design Review Report, Executive Summary and an accompanying short film are available on the LDA and RIAI websites.

After this feedback, a final Design Review Report will be issued by the RIAI.

Chief Executive of Galway City Council Brendan McGrath has said that “if done well, this regeneration project will afford Galway the opportunity to plan and develop major infrastructure which will benefit the city for generations to come”.

Coronavirus: No deaths and 32 new COVID-19 cases in Ireland

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

There were no deaths related to COVID-19 reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre today, but the HPSC has been notified of 32 new cases.

There have been no new cases reported in Galway today, where the city and county total remains at 489 cases.

There have now been a total of 25,670 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland, and this pandemic has claimed a total of 1,746 lives in the state.

Over the past week, 49,264 tests were carried out, of which 157 tests were positive, giving a positivity rate of 0.3%.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ronan Glynn said that crucial to containing this disease is knowing the symptoms, and getting in touch with your GP.

“Symptoms associated with COVID-19 can be similar to other common ailments,” Dr. Glynn said.

“I would urge anyone experiencing symptoms to assume it is COVID-19, in the first instance, until a GP or test tells you otherwise.

Breathtaking images of comet Neowise over Galway City

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Breathtaking images of comet Neowise over Galway City
Neowise over Galway City credit: Felix Sproll Photography

Comet Neowise has been tracing a brilliant path through the skies over Ireland in recent days, and will continue to do so for more nights to come over the rest of July.

Local photographer Felix Sproll captured the stunning pictures seen here from Mutton Island last Friday, rewarded for heading out in the wee hours with amazing pictures of the comet lit up in the skies over Galway.

Comet Neowise over Mutton Island lighthouse credit: Felix Sproll Photography

“At the start it only became visible just before sunrise, but now its visible the whole night round,” Felix says.

“There’s no difference really from once it gets dark at like half 11 till it starts getting bright again.”

The pictures taken from Mutton Island include two showing the comet over the city, and another Disney perfect moment of it tracing the sky over the lighthouse.

Felix also captured the jaw dropping sight of the comet over Pine Island on Derryclare Lough in Connemara, with the Twelve Bens reaching up for it in the background, which you can see on his website at felixsproll.com. Or check him out on Instagram @felix.sproll for more incredible nature photography of Galway.

Neowise was first discovered by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer in March.

On July 3 it passed the closest point of its orbit to the sun, known as the perihelion, at just 44 million kilometres from the star, a stage that many comets do not survive, but Neowise did.

Galway daily news Breathtaking images of comet Neowise over Galway City
Neowise over Galway City credit: Felix Sproll Photography

For anyone interested in doing a bit of comet watching themselves, conditions are pretty easy to see it right now he says, as long as the skies are clear.

“Keep an eye on the weather, that’s probably the main thing in Ireland. You need a clear night. If you look north, you have a good chance of seeing it.”

You don’t even have to have an expensive camera to grab yourself a picture of Neowise right now because it’s “just so bright” in the sky Felix adds.

Breathtaking images of comet Neowise over Galway City
Comet Neowise over the Long Walk credit: Felix Sproll Photography

From tonight onwards the comet will be visible in the sky over Ireland for the next fortnight.

Neowise will be closest to Earth on July 23, passing 103 million kilometres from the planet. You can see it with your naked eye, but astronomers recommend using binoculars for a really good view.

Unlike some comets such as Halley, which return on a semi-regular basis, Neowise won’t be seen again for a long time once it completes its passage in the next few weeks.

The next stage of its 6,800 year orbit will take it back out to the far edges of the solar system for a long, deep freeze before it graces our skies again millennia from now.

image credit: Felix Sproll – @felix.sproll – felixsproll.com

Two Galway schools claim top prizes in national healthy eating and growing project

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily food & drink Two Galway schools claim top prizes in national healthy eating and growing project

Two Schools in Galway have been named as the overall winners of Agri Aware’s Incredible Edibles healthy eating and fruit & vegetable growing project.

The project saw over 25,000 students from over 1,000 schools participate in the agriculture and food education body’s popular primary school programme.

Despite school closures in March, teachers continued to take part in the project by sending their students videos of their vegetable and herb plants progress, as well as students cooking and eating their 7-a-day from home.

Ms Helena Hyland’s 3rd class from Boys National School, Athenry, Co Galway were crowned first place winners of the project and will receive a prize of a growing sun-bubble dome for the whole school.

 

Mr Jarlath Conboy’s 1st and 2nd class from St Patrick’s Boys and Girls Primary School, Galway City took home second prize, claiming a double win for the county. They will receive a greenhouse for their school.

 

Agri-Aware was created in 1996 by partners including Bord Bia, FBD, the Irish Dairy Board, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and the Irish Farmers’ Journal to educate the public on the importance of food and agriculture to the country and its economy.

Incredible Edibles is a healthy eating initiative from Agri-Aware that aims to get primary school kids around the country growing fruits and vegetables to increase their knowledge of the origins and quality of the food they eat.

It also highlights the important role that fresh, Irish produce plays in a healthy balanced diet and the importance of consuming at least five to seven portions of fruit and vegetables each day.

With one-third of all Irish primary schools taking part in the project, the Galway winners showed great resilience and creativity throughout the challenging period of school closures.

With the seeds and everything needed to grow the food provided in a pack by Agri-Aware, Boys National School, Athenry and St Patrick’s Boys and Girls Primary School were both praised for successfully continuing to grow, cook and eat the healthy vegetables they produced.

Agri Aware Chairman, Alan Jagoe praised the winners of Incredible Edibles project for their efforts and thanked both teachers and families for continuing to make the project an ongoing success.

“We are delighted to have received so many entries for the Incredible Edibles school project this year.

“Irish teachers have showed true resilience in keeping the project ongoing, despite these difficult past few months of school closures and limited accessibility within teaching”.

“Students continued to grow and cook their vegetables from home, while sharing their experience with their teachers using modern technology.”

“We commend all who stayed proactive within the project, and in learning to adapt to a new way of teaching and learning through these challenging times”.

Tourists Arriving in Droves – A Disservice to Our Sacrifice

By
James Dorrian
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On 12 March, the government shut all schools, colleges, childcare facilities and cultural institutions, and advised cancelling large gatherings. A few days later, the country went into a deep lockdown which saw businesses close their doors in an unprecedented moment for Irish citizens.

The vast majority of people obeyed the government guidelines and regulations, and after a few weeks, we saw the infection rate fall dramatically. At its peak, Ireland had almost 1,000 new cases per day, down to less than 30 per day last week. An amazing achievement for the Irish people and the government.

COVID-19 has taken the lives of over 1,746 of our citizens, hospitalised 3,330 and infected 25,638 as of today (July 14th 2020).

The government recently introduced a regulation to enforce the use of masks on public transport across the country. The image above shows a member of An Garda Síochána enforcing the new regulations.

And yet, despite the measure being placed on our citizens, the government are still allowing hundreds of people into the country from the United States each day, at a time when it has seen as many as 66,000 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 per day last week.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said that between 200 and 250 people are arriving in Ireland from the United States a day, though many of those are not tourists, but Irish people travelling home.

But Coveney also said that there are now 4,500 people in total arriving into the state each day.

And while tourists arriving in the country are required to fill out a locator form, and quarantine for 14 days on arrival, there has been widespread frustration that Ireland remains the only country in the EU which has not banned flights from the United States.

The question that arises out of this, one that has been voiced by many members of the public, as well as elected officials in the Dail such as Labour Transport spokesperson Duncan Smith and Social Democrats co-leader Roisín Shorthall is whether the government should suspend travel from high risk countries like the United States or Brazil.

According to information from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre on Monday evening, there have been 165 new cases confirmed in Ireland in the past two weeks.

Of those, 12% have been travel related, many times higher than the overall number of cases related to travel abroad, which stands at 2.4% of all the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ireland.

This shows that even as community transmission has fallen in Ireland, travel is accounting for a greater share of the new cases in the country, and poses a growing risk of keeping the virus alive, and exacerbating

America alone has 3.43 million CONFIRMED cases, meaning that almost 1% of its entire population have been infected by the virus.

Using this logic, if 200 Americans board a plane to Ireland with a 1% infection rate, are we welcoming 2 new cases per day into the country? And is it not more realistic that after a long-haul flight the infection rate would be in the double digits?

Irish users of Reddit have taken to /r/Ireland to express their outrage.

At this stage, I’m wondering why this is allowed to continue and how can we stop it?

Galway TD calls for €15,000 grant for people to buy vacant homes

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Disappointment that no occupational injury benefits coming for Long Covid sufferers

A Galway TD is proposing that first time buyers who purchase existing vacant homes in areas suffering from depopulation should receive a grant of €15,000.

Galway-Roscommon TD Denis Naughten says that a once off Regional Home Regeneration Grant would help address a regional imbalance in population growth by encouraging people to move to towns and villages with high residential vacancy rates.

Deputy Naughten was speaking in the Dáil during a debate on an affordable housing motion brought forward by Deputy Eoin Ó Broin.

The Independent TD said that in addressing the housing crisis in Ireland, the government should bring families into communities “where the taxpayer has already paid for infrastructure such as schools, roads, water and sewerage treatment facilities.”

“Infrastructure like schools is already in place in many parts of our country but we still have a problem in locations because of depopulation. We need to address that imbalance.”

It costs the Department of Housing €30,714 to put infrastructure in place for every new serviced site in this country, Deputy Naughten said, at a time when there are roughly 50,000 vacant homes in the country.

“The reality is that there are quite a number of rural villages around Ireland that have access to 1,000 Mbps high-speed broadband and that also have vacant houses while struggling to maintain student numbers in local primary schools.”

“Surely, it would make sense to spend just half of this €30,000 to bring life back into vacant homes while taking some of the pressure off the housing, road and water infrastructure in Dublin and our other cities”.

He suggested that this €15,000 grant could be offset against mortgage deposit requirements.

This deposit requirement can often be a significant impediment for first time buyers seeking a mortgage from a bank.

Galway United resuming season with home game this month

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily soccer Galway United resuming season with home game this month

Galway United will get back on the field for the 2020 Airtricity League with a home game against Cabinteely at the end of this month.

Fixture of the remainder of the League of Ireland were released on Monday, with the season set to resume on July 31 after months of cancellations due to COVID-19.

In the First Division of the SSE Airtricity League, Galway United will have their first match against Cabinteely at Eamon Deacy Park on July 31, kicking off at 7:45pm.

That will be followed just a few days later with another home game against Athlone Town on Monday, August 3, the same day Longford Town will face the Bray Wanderers at Bishopsgate statium.

Galway will then face the Cobh Ramblers that Saturday, August 8 at St. Coleman’s Park for their first away game.

Then it’s back home for a match against Longford on Friday, August 14, followed by Drogheda on their turf the Monday after, and finish the month with a match up against UCD in Dublin.

The full list of fixtures, including the remaining nine games to be played from the start of September through to late October, can be found here.

The First Division play-off semi-finals will take place on Tuesday, October 27, followed by the final that Saturday, October 31.

The Promotion/Relegation play-off final for the is scheduled for Sunday, November 8.

Massive expansion plans for Cúirt na Coirive student accommodation

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily property Massive expansion plans for Cúirt na Coirive student accommodation complex

Plans have been submitted for a massive expansion of the Cúirt na Coiribe student accommodation complex in Terryland, adding hundreds of new bed spaces.

Exeter Property Limited has made a Strategic Housing Application directly to An Bord Pleanála for this student accommodation development.

The project would involve demolishing a two storey building at the entrance to the site, towards the eastern boundary, as well as removing the top, fifth, floor of the main building.

The main building building will then be expanded with horizontal and vertical expansions.

These will contain a total of 920 student bed spaces spread among 868 bedrooms, an increase of 515 bed spaces on what is currently there.

The new building will also contain a ” gym/fitness studio, games room, library/study spaces, multi-functional spaces, café/restaurant, and student lounge spaces”.

All of this will be provided in a single building made of nine interlinking blocks ranging from two to six storeys in height.

The developer also proposes a total of 59 car parking spaces, 43 basement and 16 surface spaces, as well as 656 bicycle spaces and 5 motorcycle spaces.

This would reduce the car parking provision across the site by 92 spaces across the site, by converting most of the underground parking area to bicycle spaces.

The application notes that this site is just 1.3km from Eyre Square, and 1km from the NUI Galway campus, and is close to existing and planned bus routes.

“There is a significant number of students who avail of active modes of transport to reach their campus or to access other parts of the city.”

“This is a sustainable and healthy alternative to car use, which at such short distances would be unrealistic for most able-bodied residents.”

Along with 398 bed spaces in the main student accommodation building, Exeter also proposes to retain ‘Scotty’s Steakhouse’ restaurant on the ground floor of the main building.

The new design would include a greater amount of space for students to “congregate socially” than in the existing student accommodation through internal courtyards and other indoor social areas.

“These social spaces are recognised as a key benefit for mental health and thus have a important role to play in the scheme.”

“There will also be a provision of multiple quiet study/library spaces to allow students study, with these spaces becoming increasingly important as nearby universities expand their student populations in the coming years.”

Public submissions related to this project can be made to An Bord Pleanála until July 21, and a decision is due on this planning application by October 6.

Coronavirus: No COVID-19 deaths or Galway cases

By
Briain Kelly
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0
Galway Daily news 25 percent drop in COVID cases in Galway hospitals

There were no deaths related to COVID-19 reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre today, but 11 new cases have been confirmed.

Once again there were no new cases of COVID-19 reported in Galway today, where the total for the city and county remains at 489 cases.

The total number of cases in the Republic of Ireland now stands at 25,638, and the pandemic has claimed a total of 1,746 lives here.

Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 1 confirmed case.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ronan Glynn said that more than a third of the population now believes that the worst of the pandemic is still ahead of us.

“This does not have to be the case. Simple measures like hand washing, physical distancing, face coverings in appropriate settings, cough and sneeze etiquette and watching out for symptoms are the crucial elements in suppressing COVID-19.”

The government has now made it mandatory for people on public transport, with people who don’t obey facing a fine a fine of up €2,500 or as much as six months in jail from today.

Research conducted on behalf of the Department of Health shows 55% of the population now self-report to wearing face coverings.

The nationally representative sample of 1,900 people conducted on behalf of the Department of Health today reveals:

  • 81% of people who use public transport say they wear a face covering every time with 13% saying they wear a face most of the time
  • 26% of people say they wear a face covering every time they are shopping and 29% say they wear a face covering most of the time when shopping
  • more than three quarters (78%) think that there will be a second wave – up 30% since June
  • 38% of the population now believe the worst of the pandemic is ahead of us with 33% believing that is behind us

The HSE’s COVID Tracker contact tracing app has now been downloaded by 1.25 million people in Ireland, representing 34% of the country’s population.

“This has already served as a support to contact tracers,” said Rachel Kenna, Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Health, who urged people who have not already done so to download the app.

Leak repairs to affect Rahoon water supply on Tuesday

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Water outages in Moycullen

Repairs the water network taking place in Highfield Park, Rahoon on Tuesday may affect the water supply in the area, as well as cause traffic disruptions.

Leak repairs being carried out by Irish Water may cause disruptions to Highfield Park and surrounding areas of the city.

The work is currently scheduled to be carried out from 10am until 3pm on Tuesday, July 14.

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

People affected by this are reminded that it may take 2 -3 hours after repairs have been completed for their full water supply to be restored.

Updates can be found on Irish Water’s Supply and Service page.

Pandemic Unemployment claimants in Galway drop below 20,000

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Number on Pandemic Unemployment in Galway drops below 20,000

The number of people on COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment has fallen below 20,000 after a massive decline in the past week.

There are 18,800 people in Galway receiving the Pandemic Unemployment payment this week, a decline of 4,000 on July 7.

Nationwide there has been a drop of 67,300 people receiving the payment, the largest single week decline recorded so far.

The Department of Social Protection says that it is currently making payments valued at €106.8m to 345,600 people in the country.

Minister for Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, Heather Humphreys said that it is “heartening” and “reassuring for employees, businesses and communities” as they show people getting back to work.

A further 44,400 people have closed their Pandemic Unemployment claims in the past week, of whom 36,600 have said they are returning to work.

“I am particularly pleased to see that the number of employees in the Accommodation and Food service area who are back in work again being supported by the Government’s Temporary Wage Subsidy scheme.

As well as those availing of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, there are now over 66,900 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme.

They are supporting an estimated 405,000 employees through the scheme. In the Accommodation and Food services sector, the number of employees in the Wage Subsidy Scheme climbed from 8,100 last week, to 22,000 this week.

The above payments are in addition to the 220,900 people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of June.

Minister Humphreys says that the government is finalising the July Economic stimulus package to assist in the economic recovery from COVID-19.

“I am confident this will help the thousands of workers and businesses who were badly impacted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Galway has Ireland’s second highest number of pubs that remain shut

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Briain Kelly
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galway daily news Galway publicans express disappointment with ongoing closure of wet pubs

Galway has the second highest number of pubs in the country that have yet to reopen according to the Vintners Federation of Ireland, which is calling for greater clarity on reopening guidelines.

Pubs are currently due to be able to reopen with customers having to order a “substantial meal” on July 20, but that could be pushed back, as a final decision is due from the Cabinet this week.

The Vintners Federation of Ireland says that the ongoing closure of 3,499 pubs is badly affecting rural areas, with the west of Ireland hit disproportionately hard.

Galway has the second highest amount of pubs in the country which remain closed at 273, trailing behind Cork (473), and ahead of Tipperary (223), Kerry (221), Mayo (Mayo 218) and Donegal (180).

Publican Joe Sheridan, who owns Walsh’s Bar in Dunmore and is also a county councillor for the Tuam area, says he and his staff remain in limbo until the reopening guidelines are published.

“I’m completely in the dark about how we should prepare the pub for reopening,” he says.

“The guidelines are critically important for publicans who urgently need information about what work needs to be completed before we open.”

His staff want to know if and when they’ll be getting back to work Joe adds, describing the situation as “ludicrous and completely unfair” to both bar staff, and the communities they serve.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said last week on 96FM that the planned July 20 reopening date could be pushed back if regulations are not adhered to.

In total there are 3,499 pubs in the country which remain closed due to COVID-19 restrictions according to the Vintners Federation of Ireland.

The VFI says that many of these rural pubs serve as the only place to gather or socialise in the community, but businesses still don’t have government guidelines on how to adapt to comply with regulations when they’re allowed to reopen.

“For most rural areas, the pub is far more than a place to have a drink, it’s where local communities come together,” Joe Sheridan said.

“This delay is placing so much of our local life in jeopardy and leaves many villages without lights.”

Harvey Norman opening in Knocknacarra with 40 new jobs

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily business Harvey Norman opening in Knocknacarra with 40 new jobs

Harvey Norman Ireland are opening their newest store the country in Knocknacarra next week with 40 new jobs created for the city.

Located in Gateway Retail Park, the 60,000sq ft furniture, bedding, appliances and technology retailer is the anchor tenant of the retail park.

Peter Hearn, CEO of Harvey Norman Ireland said that they are proud to open this new Galway store, and showcase their large range of Irish made bedding and furniture.

“We’ve installed a huge kitchen display area, a games hub, a Wonder Photo Shop and more. The biggest global brands highlighted by the latest store fit design plus safe shopping measures are all in place for our Galway customers.”

“We believe in creating a superb shopping environment both in-store and online. Harvey Norman remains committed to investing in Ireland and Irish retail, our Knocknacarra store is a testament to that commitment.”

The new store is opening on Wednesday, July 22, with safe shopping measures including social distancing markings, hand sanitizers plus monitoring of in-store numbers are all in place for opening day and beyond.

Mayor of Galway City Mike Cubbard added “Many of us in Galway have anticipated the opening of Harvey Norman.

“With over 40 jobs created, Harvey Norman is committed to our local community and we look forward to supporting them.”

Undercover Martians transport you to a bar room gig with Wandering Eye

By
Jake Tiernan
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Galway Daily music Undercover Martians transport you to a bar room gig with Wandering Eye

This new weekly series aims to highlight both up and coming and established Galway artists. Each week I will be selecting a local track which is deserving of more attention, be it a fresh new release or a forgotten classic. 

This week it’s Wandering Eye, the latest release from Undercover Martians. Formed in the north, this four-piece cut their teeth on the Galway live scene.

During the academic year you’ll frequently find them on stage in the Róisín Dubh or the Blue Note bar. Wandering Eye is the band’s third release after 2019’s Francesca and Angels Call.

The track opens with the rapid strumming of an acoustic guitar, but this proves to be a decoy as the band erupt into driving power chords and welting toms and they never look back.

The fuzzy guitars and lo-fidelity drums evoke those first two Kings of Leon albums, not to mention the wrecking-bar blues chord progressions. 

Lead singer and lyricist, Dáithí McGloin, says the band made a conscious effort to explore more relatable themes on this release: “We touched on some heavy topics in the last year, particularly on Angels Call.”

“I thought it was important to perhaps make the new single about something that people our age can relate to.”

“Wandering Eye, in a sense, is partially about growing up and the confusion that comes with relationships and those sorts of learning experiences.”

It’s a song that’s crying out to be played live to a room full of gleefully drunk students, but sadly, there’s no timeline for when that moment might come just yet.

Thankfully, Undercover Martians have managed to capture the spirit of such scenes in the studio. When the time comes for us to pack out bars on a Tuesday night, this one is sure to go off.

Undercover Martians will be announcing the follow up single to Wandering Eye in the coming weeks. Check out their social media to stay up to date on that release and more via their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Galway Daily is now on Instagram to share the best of West!

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Galway Daily is now on Instagram

Building a direct connection with your audience is an important part of a modern media organisation, which is why Galway Daily is now on Instagram to make it easier than ever to let people engage with our content, have their own conversations surrounding news in Galway, and to promote all the incredible things about the best county in Ireland.

Join us on our new Galway Daily Instagram page for a daily look back at some of the most popular and engaging news of the day, check in on events happening around Galway City and County, and get a peek at some of the incredible up and coming artists in the west.

Now more than ever, people need to feel connected to one another, and reminded that even if we can’t see each other as often or as freely as we’d like, we’re still living in the same great county together, enjoying the same views, and sharing so many of the same experiences.

In the days ahead we’ll be asking people to share stories of how they’re getting their lives back to a semblance of normalcy, and enjoying the fruits of Galway as it opens back up.

Galway’s arts scene has always had strong grassroots, with budding musicians and more gaining recognition through appealing directly to audiences.

While it may be some time before Galway’s musicians will be able to get back to their normal gig scenes, we’ll be proving a platform for exciting new music in Galway.

Our new music writer Jake Tiernan will be spotlighting a Song of the Week on Instagram and our main site to showcase amazing who’ve built themselves up playing for the finely tuned ears of Galway.

Check in with us regularly to see more incredible news, events, music and more happening right here in Galway.

“Worrying” increase in missing or stolen dogs in Galway county

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news "Unprecedented pressure" on dog rescue and kennel services

There has been a worrying increase in the number of dogs gone missing or suspected to be stolen in Galway County in recent months.

The County Council says that their Dog Warden Service has seen a worrying increase in the number of reports of pets missing, as well as suspected dog thefts.

“The demand for pet dogs have increased during the Covid 19 pandemic and we are appealing to members of the public to be extra vigilant in caring for your pet during this period.”

Just recently a litter of Foxhound puppies was stolen from a family home in Craughwell during the night of June 21, only to be recovered along with multiple other dogs during a cross-border police operation in Belfast on their way to a ferry.

In another example of how stolen pets can travel long distances, Galway Gardaí last week recovered a Jack Russell Terrier which had been stolen from a family home in Youghal, Co. Cork.

The county council is reminding people that it is a legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped in Ireland, which must be registered with your up to date contact details on an approved government database.

“A microchip provides secure, reliable, and permanent identification, which greatly increases the likelihood that your pet, if lost, will be returned home to you.”

If a dog is missing/stolen, it’s important that you act quickly;
– Immediately report to the Gardaí, Galway County Council’s dog warden service and your vet.
– Spread the word on social media – post clear photos and detailed descriptions of the dog and encourage people to share the post.
– It should also be posted on missing animal websites and selling pages should be monitored to see if there are dogs for sale matching your dog’s description.
Environment Department – Tel.: 091-509510 or email dogwardens@galwaycoco.ie
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