Aisling Dolan says she’ll fight for East Galway from the Seanad

-

June 30, 2020

Galway Daily news City Council opens funding applications for upgrades to community centres

Two community centres and multiple other community and sports amenities across Galway City are reopening this week as lockdown restrictions ease further.

The city council ordered the three community centres it operates, and multiple other recreational facilities, shut in mid March due to the coronavirus.

The centres at Knocknacarra and Westside will be reopening this week on a restricted basis from Friday, July 3.

However Renmore Community Centre will remain closed for the time being.

Also reopening on Friday are the dressing rooms at Bohermore, Ballybane, Crestwood, Westside, and South Park, as well as Westside Boxing Gym.

The council has said that safety protocols will be issued to Clubs, other groups, and all other users of these facilities ahead of their reopening.

Ireland is now in Phase 3 of the accelerated roadmap out of the COVID-19 lockdown, with many more businesses and other amenities allowed to reopen.

-Westside Boxing Gym
-South Park Dressing Rooms.

Safety Protocols will be issued to all Clubs and other groups and users in advance. Renmore Community Centre will remain closed until further notice.
(2/2)

— Galway City Council (@GalwayCityCo) June 29, 2020

1,500 people come off Pandemic Unemployment in Galway

By

-

June 30, 2020

Galway Daily news Fewer than 4,000 remain on pandemic unemployment in Galway

There are 1,500 fewer people in receipt of pandemic unemployment payments in Galway this week according to the latest government figures.

24,200 people in Galway received Pandemic Unemployment today, down from 25,700 on June 23 the latest data from the Department of Social Protection and Employment Affairs shows.

In total, the government is now making payments of €153.6 million a week to 439,000 people, a weekly decrease of 26,900 people.

Approximately 14,000 people are receiving their final payment under the scheme today.

There are now also 63,500 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Wage Subsidy Scheme.

This scheme allows employers to keep their staff on the payroll by having the government pay up to 80% the value of their wage.

The scheme is currently supporting an estimated 405,000 employees at businesses around the country.

These payments are in addition to the 225,600 people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of May.

Newly appointed Minister with responsibility for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said that she is taking over this role at “the most challenging time in our State’s history” when the government is managing unprecedented emergency payments.

“At the outset, I want to acknowledge the work of the Department and its officials in developing two new schemes to meet the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and in continuing to steer them through.”

The Minister said that she is looking forward to working to help people “get back into employment” as quickly as possible.

Monday saw the beginning of Phase 3 of the roadmap for ending COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, with many more businesses allowed to reopen, including the bulk of those in the hospitality sector.

Emergency roadworks underway on the N84

By

-

June 30, 2020

Galway Daily news Traffic disruption expected from five day N67 roadworks

Emergency roadworks on the N84 which began today will affect traffic in the area for four days this week.

Galway County Council is carrying out emergency works on the N84 between Luimnagh and Balrobuckbeg this week.

The work is getting underway today and is expected to continue until Friday, July 3.

Temporary traffic lights are in place to enforce a Stop & Go system for managing traffic while work is taking place.

Restrictions causing water outages in Glenamaddy today

By

-

June 30, 2020

Galway Daily news Ballyconneelly water outages

Water restrictions will cause water outages to homes and businesses in the Glenamaddy area until Tuesday afternoon.

The outages are affecting businesses and private residences on the Glenamaddy Public Supply and surrounding areas, including the Knockmascahill Group Water Scheme.

The restrictions and outages have been ongoing since Monday evening, due to works which got underway at 8pm yesterday.

According to Irish Water the work is scheduled to be completed by 3pm this afternoon.

People affected by this are advised that it may take two to three hours after that point for their full water supply to be restored as the system fill up again.

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

Coronavirus: No deaths reported today & no new Galway cases

By

-

June 29, 2020

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

There were no deaths reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team today, but 24 more people have tested positive for the coronavirus.

This takes the number of confirmed cases to 25,462 while the number of deaths still stands at 1,735.

Galway’s number of confirmed cases stays the same at 485 after no new coronavirus cases were reported yet again in the county.

Cases in Galway account for just 1.9% of the total number of cases in the country, and there have been nine confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the county.

Despite the positive news that no deaths were reported today, Dr Tony Holohan said that we are “starting to see a worrying trend” with the number of reported cases increasing, and some new clusters.

“As restrictions are lifted and people move about more, it’s important that we use the tools that have helped us suppress the virus to date,” he said.

“Hand washing, physical distancing, cough/sneeze hygiene and wearing face coverings are important personal behaviours that mean, as we go about our daily lives, that we are doing everything we can to avoid contracting the virus and spreading it to those we love.”

Online information hub launched for planned Salmon Weir Pedestrian Bridge

By

-

June 29, 2020

Galway Daily news Budget 2022: Greenway and pedestrian projects in Galway

Galway City Council has launched a new online portal for people to learn more about the planned Salmon Weir Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge.

The city council submitted plans for a new pedestrian bridge across the Corrib on the Newtownsmith side of the Salmon Weir bridge earlier this month.

The project has already secured €3.5 million in funding from the government, which has been allocated under the Designated Urban Centres grant scheme.

Projects like this are normally accompanied by public information sessions, which would obviously take place in a public setting.

However due to the COVID-19 crisis, and the need to maintain social distancing, the design team for the project have developed a ‘virtual information room’ where anyone can look up information on the pedestrian bridge.

The virtual walk through of the project includes project documentation, live models and virtual fly throughs.

The site for this virtual information session went live today, and can be accessed at virtualengage.arup.com/salmon-weir.

Learner driver permits extended by four more months

By

-

June 29, 2020

galway daily l plate learner drivers permits

Learner driver permits which are due to expire between 1 July and 31 October will be valid for another four months, it has been announced.

The extension also applies to those which have already been extended, and is designed to allow some learner drivers to take a test without having to renew their permit.

Minister Ciarán Cannon has welcomed the announcement, and said that work is underway to ensure that testing can return earlier than expected.

The Fine Gael TD said that the extension means that “any learner permit which hadn’t benefited from the original extension, but whose expiry now falls in the normal way during the period 1 July to 31 October 2020, will also have an extension period of four months applied to it.”

“As an instance, a learner permit which expired on 5^th March and was extended by four months to 5^th July 2020 will now be further extended to 5^th November 2020,” he said.

Learner permits are issued to learner drivers and enables them to learn to drive and to apply for a driving test at the same time.

It replaced the provisional licence, which is no longer issued.

Anger at “mindless” criminal damage to Moylough Sportsfield facilities

By

-

June 29, 2020

Galway Daily news Anger at "mindless" criminal damage to Moylough Sportsfield facilities

There has been an outpouring of anger at severe criminal damage done to local GAA facilities in Moylough which saw a lot of damage in the stand and dressing rooms.

Gardaí are investigating the criminal damage incident at Moylough Sportsfield, which is believed to between 9am on Saturday, and 8:15pm on Sunday.

The Moylough Sportsfield Committee is urging anyone who might have information on this to report it to the gardaí.

“This is a Community Sportsfield and playground. It is paid for, maintained and run by our community.

“The committee are currently levelling and re-seeding the pitches at huge expense so the members of our community have top class facilities to play sports on.

“It is unbelievable that a person or persons would carry out such a mindless act on Community facilities.”

Some of the images of the destruction in the stands shared by Mountbellew Moylough GAA Club also seem to show that people had been drinking there.

DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPORT TO THE GARDAÍ IF YOU KNOW WHO MIGHT BE RESPONSIBLE. THIS IS YOUR COMMUNITY…PROTECT…

Posted by Mountbellew Moylough GAA Club on Sunday, June 28, 2020

No arrests have yet been made in this investigation a garda spokesperson said.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact gardaí in Mountbellew at 090 967 9292, any Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

Three day roadworks near Laurencetown start Tuesday

By

-

June 29, 2020

Galway Daily news Traffic disruption expected from Galway City centre roadworks

Roadworks taking place near Laurencetown and Kiltormer will disrupt traffic in the area for three days starting from Tuesday.

Galway County Council is carrying out resurfacing overlay works on the L-8713 road at Crowsnest.

The works will get underway tomorrow, and are expected to take three days to complete.

In order to facilitate this work, the section of road in question will be closed on Tuesday and Thursday between 8am and 6pm.

A detour will be in place during these times, and as a consequence, users of this road should allow additional time for journeys.

Three young filmmakers win prizes in National Science Video Competition

By

-

June 29, 2020

galway daily nui galway young scientist film award

Three one-minute films have been selected as the best science videos produced at home by young filmmakers in NUI Galway’s ReelLIFE SCIENCE @ HOME competition.

More than 130 films were submitted by young science enthusiasts representing 80 primary schools, secondary schools and youth groups across Ireland.

A shortlist was selected by a team of 40 NUIG staff and students, and a the public’s winner was Max Kamalarajah, who won €1,000 for his school, Wallace High School, in Lisburn, Co. Antrim.

Max used his kitchen sink and food from his cupboards to create a memorable demonstration of how the body recruits cells and proteins during Blood Clotting.

NUI Galway’s Dr Enda O’Connell noted: “This really creative use of everyday items to explain a complicated situation captured the ‘at home’ aspect of ReelLIFE SCIENCE @ HOME and it is a fantastic and novel depiction of the science of coagulation that certainly supported learning in an engaging and accessible way.”

In second place, Naas Community College Transition Year student Enya O’Reilly Huerta, won €500 for her school by producing a superbly animated and scientifically relevant video about the power of the Immune System to fight outside invaders.

In third place, Sixth Class student William Stokes won €250 for Baltydaniel National School, Co. Cork, with his short video featuring four ‘Germbusting Heroes’, Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister and Alexander Fleming.

Based in NUI Galway and supported by the Science Foundation Ireland Discover programme, ReelLIFE SCIENCE challenges Irish schools and youth groups to communicate science and technology via engaging and educational short videos.

Since being launched in 2013 by Dr Enda O’Connell and a team of volunteer scientists, this challenge has been met by more than 14,000 participants in 450 schools and groups around Ireland.

The videos will be screened for the public at the 2020 Galway Science and Technology Festival.

Contractor appointed for eight Galway broadband hubs

By

-

June 29, 2020

Galway Daily news Contractor appointed for eight Galway broadband hubs

Vodafone Ireland has been chosen as the contractor to provide services at public broadband hubs in rural areas around the country, including eight in Galway.

Broadband Connections Points (BCBs) will be the first locations hooked up with high speed internet connections in public facilities under the National Broadband Plan.

National Broadband Ireland, the consortium with the contract for the NBP, will bring the connectivity to these locations, which are chosen for being public facilities such as sports clubs and community centres.

Vodafone will install and manage the equipment allowing for the public internet connections.

Galway’s BCPs include Leitrim Community Centre, Kylebrack; Cortoon Lavally Community Centre; the Old Secondary School, Glenamaddy; Comhar Chuigéal Teo, Lettermullan; the Community Development Office, Inishbofin; Comhar na Noileán, Inir Oirr; Killeany, Inis Mór; and Oifig Phoist Shraith Salach, Lissoughter.

“The dependency on quality broadband services for people of all ages for work, education and leisure is there for all to see,” Galway East TD Seán Canney said, welcoming the news.

The Independent TD claimed that this “vindicates” the decision last Autumn to sign a contract for the National Broadband Plan, despite many enduring concerns.

The county council is seeking to identify more connection points around the county which could use BCPs Canney said.

BCPs will provide wireless internet connections with up to 150mbps speeds for a period of three years, or until a permanent connection is installed under the NBP.

The first of these are expected to be connected within two weeks, with 200 BCPs to be up and running by the end of the year, and another 100 to follow in early 2021.

“The BCPs are a springboard for remote working, digital skills training and online study,” Canney said

“I strongly encourage local communities to grasp the opportunity to make sure that the connection points are used to their best advantage.”

Ok Who’s Next? Galway company providing hairdressers with free booking software

By

-

June 29, 2020

Galway Daily business Galway has among Ireland's lowest rates of 'ghosting' salon appointments

There’s a lot shaggy Irish heads in dire need of shearing right now, and hairdressers are going to be run off their feet from next week to meet this need.

But just because the doors are open again, doesn’t mean things go back to the way they were, and for the foreseeable future hairdressers, salons, and barbers are going to be operating by appointment only.

And while many salons are used to operating by appointment, but a lot of barbers are used to having people walk in off the street and wait for their turn in the chair.

To help them out the Galway based software company OK Who’s Next is making their booking software free to all appointments based businesses until September.

Founder and Managing Director of OK Who’s Next Martin Flynn says “Many appointment-based businesses such as Hairdressers, Beauticians, Wellbeing and Fitness need a boost to kickstart their businesses post lockdown.

“Unfortunately, many will not survive the lockdown but with our free software many will be able to re-engage with their clients, safeguard employee jobs and get back to profitability”.

OK Who’s Next provides affordable easy to use appointment management software which allows clients to book appointments in seconds on the free to use apps.

This ‘one stop shop’ makes it easy for clients to book a range of appointments, while enabling service-providers schedule appointments safely in line with capacity and staff numbers.

Businesses simply promote the time slots they have available, and customers are able to pick them out from the platform quick and easy, with no fuss.

“With the current challenges facing businesses it is more important than ever for local businesses to prepare for what they do best, providing excellent service to their clients while giving clients the easiest way to book those services,” Flynn said.

OK Who’s Next has been listed by the Irish Hairdressing Council and HABIC – Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation as a resource for its members to prepare for the new normal starting this week.

For more information go to www.okwhosnext.com.

Control your holiday with the Connacht Cruiser motorhome from the Connacht Hotel

By

-

June 29, 2020

Galway Daily life & style Control your holiday with the Connacht Cruiser motorhome from the Connacht Hotel

Galway’s Connacht Hotel has broken new ground in the self-catering tourism market with the launch of the ‘Connacht Cruiser’ luxury motorhome.

The Connacht Hotel is known for providing some of the best family holidays in the west of Ireland, and already has a wide range of accommodation options, including their self-catering apartments, family bunk-bed rooms, and two-bedroom suites.

The Connacht Cruiser is the newest addition to that lineup, offering all the luxury and independence of a self-catering apartment, but with more freedom from having your own indoor and outdoor space.

The state of the art luxury motorhome is as far from a cramped caravan as you could imagine, able to accommodate eight people in style, with all the amenities of a high end hotel.

The Connacht Cruiser is now available to book for this coming July and August for people who are eager to get back to holidaying after so long stuck at home.

But a little more on what makes this such a special way to spend you holidays.

The Cruiser is outfitted with six flat-screen TVs including an Exterior 39″ LED TV with a bluetooth sound bar, so you’re never going to be stuck fighting over what to watch.

The Master Bedroom comes with a luxurious Denver Mattress King size bed, with a tilt-a-view bed inclining mechanism to help watch TV in bed, or just get the most comfortable sleeping position, and power drop-down hide-away overhead bunk with a Cotton Cloud mattress.

And of course the Master Room has it’s own en-suite bathroom, so be such to call dibs first.

Two sleep pods are ideal for the kids to kick back in on holidays so they can have their own space, and the Cruiser has another two doubled beds stored snugly in the Living Area.

The Kitchen Is equipped with an electric induction cooktop, full sized Fridge freezer, washer & dryer, and a stainless steel over-the-range convection microwave oven so you’ll never be left unable to have the food you want.

Whether you’re planning a one night stay or a fortnight’s getaway to the west coast, Galway’s many enthralling sights and experiences and the incredible hospitality sector here can make this experience special for any type of holidaymaker.

Start your staycation with a difference this summer by using the Connacht Cruiser as your base to explore Galway from, and enjoy all the facilities and amenities of the newly refurbished Connacht Hotel to go with it.

The Connacht Cruiser must be booked for a minimum of two nights, and is stationary at the Connacht Hotel until September 2020.

Visit www.theconnacht.ie to book your staycation now.

Coronavirus: 1 death and 3 cases in the Republic

By

-

June 28, 2020

Galway Daily news 25 percent drop in COVID cases in Galway hospitals

One further COVID-19 related death was confirmed in today’s update from the Department of Health.

The total number of COVID-19 deaths in the Republic now stands at 1,735.

Three more cases were also confirmed today, taking the total number of positive test results in the country to 25,439.

The figure of 25,439 confirmed cases reflects the denotification of one case.

The HSE says it is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.

Ballinasloe Fair not going ahead this year

By

-

June 28, 2020

galway daily news Athenry Agricultural Show returns after long absence

The world renowned Ballinasloe Fair will not be going ahead later this year due to the ongoing concerns of COVID-19, and preventing a second wave of the pandemic.

The annual horse trading fair has been around for centuries, and draws thousands of visitors to Galway in October each year.

The organising committee announced this week that the 2020 show will not be going ahead in the interest of public safety.

Fortunately, the government announced in late May that cancelled agricultural shows will be allowed to keep their government funding awarded for 2020 shows for next year.

The full announced from the festival’s organisers reads:

“It is with great regret that the Ballinasloe Fair and Festival Co-ordinating Committee has cancelled the fair for 2020. The decision was reached due to the continuing impact and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19.”

“The Committee made the decision in the interests of Public Health & Safety and has agreed to meet in December 2020 to prepare for the return of the Ballinasloe Fair and Festival in 2021 and make advanced plans to celebrate the 300th anniversary in 2022.”

“The Co-ordinating Committee would like to thank the local community, sponsors, and all associations involved for their ongoing commitment and support.”

The Committee concluded by saying it looks forward to welcoming everyone back next year.

World Cup of Galway Restaurants Quarter Final 3

By

-

June 28, 2020

galway daily food World Cup of Galway Restaurants - Final 16

Vinnie’s on Dominick Street and BóTown have made it through to the Semi-Finals, but who will join them?

Vote in our Facebook poll below to vote for your favourite!

And don’t forget to check out our fantastic Restaurants Page which features your favourite restaurants across Galway.

It's Quarter Final #3 and it's Cookes Restaurant and Wine Bar Galway vs Bun Bros Galway! 🏆Who is joining Vinnie's and…

Posted by Galway Daily on Sunday, June 28, 2020

COPE Galway warns of “ageist” attitudes in COVID-19 crisis

By

-

June 28, 2020

The COVID-19 crisis has put a spotlight on “ageist” attitudes and language COPE Galway warned ahead of the launch of its annual report for 2019 on Monday.

The annual report from COPE showed that it supported 2,984 people in Galway in 2019, for issues ranging from homelessness and domestic abuse, to older people in need of social and nutritional support.

This marks a 20% increase in the demand for COPE’s services from the year before.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the report tomorrow, COPE Galway CEO Jacqui Horan said “Today, we want to highlight the valuable contribution older people offer our communities when, too often, old age can be seen as a burden.”

“While COVID-19 has been important in prioritising safety, there have been some consequential effects we hadn’t anticipated and need to address”.

Research from NUIG cited concerning evidence that older people are being viewed as “mass consumers” of resources

“This devalues the status of older people as equal citizens and the perceived value that we place on their contributions, and their lives, in our society,” Jacqui Horan said.

Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights emphasised that human rights do not diminish as we get older.

“She acknowledged how COPE Galway has brought attention to the specific needs and rights of older people, while at the same time affirming an older person’s autonomy and dignity.”

This is evident in the number of older people who volunteer with COPE she added, with 31% of volunteers being over-65 and 18% over-70.

COPE helped over 700 older people to live independent lives last year through providing vital nutritional, social and practical supports through their senior support service.

The determinants of healthy ageing are many and varied and relate to individuals and environments,” Jacqui added.

“Achieving equal access to healthy ageing requires concerted global, national and local action – and a decisive end to ageist attitudes.”

correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the report was launched on Sunday, not Monday.

Galway’s Lotto Winning Streak Goes On

By

Thomas O'Brien

-

June 28, 2020

Galway Daily news Galway player wins over €600k lotto prize.

There are early signs that 2020 could be a year when Galway’s Lotto players meet, or even exceed, the successes of 2018 when over €15 million worth of prizes were won in the county.

In that year, the biggest win was for a syndicate from Loughrea who shared an incredible €8,549,067 between them, thanks to a golden ticket purchased at the Corrib Oil Service Station. Understandably, the members of the syndicate chose to remain anonymous, but we can be fairly sure that they’ve been enjoying their new-found wealth since then.

Looking at the results history for the Irish Lotto for this year so far there haven’t been any wins to equal that one, but at the beginning of May, a lucky Galway player suddenly found themselves richer to the tune of half a million Euros. This was the first prize in the Lotto Daily Millions Plus draw, and tension developed when the winner didn’t claim the prize straight away.

As soon as the winning numbers were drawn, it was quickly established that the ticket had been bought from Joyce’s Service Station in Athenry. An appeal was put out for anyone who had been there to check if it was theirs that had won. Fortunately, the anonymous winner soon came forward to claim their money.

The win also started a rumour that Joyce’s was a lucky place to buy tickets as, only a year before, a €4 million ticket was also bought at the family’s supermarket in Doughiska.

“Irish National Lottery Scratchcard” (CC BY 2.0) by Sean MacEntee

Around a month after the €500,000 win, another Galway player was given a very good reason to celebrate when they found themselves winning €250,000 in the Lotto Plus 2 Draw. In this instance, the ticket was bought online which meant there was no difficulty in finding the fortunate player and sharing the good news with them.

Back in 2018, it was calculated that Galway was the fourth most successful county in Ireland in terms of lottery wins with the leading area, not surprisingly, being Dublin with Waterford and Donegal in second and third places.

Dublin is also the city which has recorded the biggest ever single win in Ireland when an individual, who chose to remain anonymous, won a truly life-changing prize of €175 million. This was the fifth-highest amount ever won by a single ticket, and the ninth highest jackpot in EuroMillions history.

Before then, there had been not one but two wins of €115 million in Ireland. The very first was by Limerick mother of six Dolores MacNamara in 2005 and, more recently, County Down couple, Pat and Frances Connolly saw in 2019 in style by winning New Year’s Day draw.

So, when it comes to beating the all-time records, Galway still has quite a long way to go. However, the wide publicity of the recent wins should mean that more and more people are choosing to play – and expect to find plenty of them queueing at Joyce’s service station and supermarket for their tickets!

Status Yellow weather warning issued for Galway

By

-

June 28, 2020