Only three ‘games’ (or polls) remain in the Last 16 before the Quarter Finals kick off this weekend. But first, it’s time for Lolo’s vs. Falguni!
Vote below – and check out the Galway Daily Restaurants Page to find out more about these restaurants and many others across Galway (and order online with the click of a button).
Affordable homes for less than €230,000 could be purchased in Galway City by households with gross incomes between 45,000 and 75,000 per year, under a new proposed scheme by Sinn Féin.
Homes would be also be available to rent between €700 and €900 per month depending on household size and income, under the draft affordable housing scheme.
In other towns and rural areas across County Galway, affordable homes for €220,000 or less would be delivered.
Galway West TD Mairéad Farrell welcomed her colleague Eoin Ó Broin’s draft circular – and said affordable housing was the single biggest issue across Galway in February’s general election.
Deputy Farrell said that it outlines how local authorities, approved housing bodies and community housing trusts will all be able to provide affordable homes to rent and buy – and it also outlines who would be able to access such homes.
However, the plans have been criticised by Fianna Fáil’s Housing Spokesperson Darragh O’Brien, who accused Eoin Ó Broin of ‘imitation’.
In a Tweet aimed at the Sinn Féin TD, he said: “Glad to see at last you’ve come around to the idea of affordable housing, having voted against it in the last Dáil.”
He also referenced an older Tweet in which he accused Sinn Féin and Fine Gael of ‘cozying up to each other again’.
But Deputy Farrell claimed that for the last four years, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael failed to deliver a single affordable home to rent or to buy, and neither party has published a detailed affordable housing scheme.
“The circular published by us is a response to the growing frustration among local authorities and approved housing bodies that no affordable housing scheme has been delivered by government.
“The absence of such a scheme lies at the heart of disagreements around public housing delivery between Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party in their government formation discussions.
“The Land Development Agency, as it is currently set up, will not deliver genuinely affordable homes to rent or to buy. Our scheme provides the clarity that local authorities, approved housing bodies and community housing trusts need to deliver affordable rental and purchase homes.
“This week the ESRI have called on the incoming government to focus their economic stimulus package on investment in affordable housing.
“We have put our draft circular out to consultation to all local authorities, approved housing bodies and other stakeholders and we are looking forward to receiving feedback,” added the Galway West TD.
The creak of chairs, clink of glasses, and the screeching where overly enthusiastic cutlery meets protesting plates might be absent from the main floor of Gourmet Food Parlour, but the kitchen is still bustling as the restaurant stays open with a new takeaway service.
Like so many restaurants, cafés and other businesses in the hospitality sector, collection and delivery service has been an essential lifeline for Gourmet Food Parlour to “keep the spark alive” as founder Lorraine Heskin puts it.
Gourmet Food Parlour first came on the scene in Galway in the summer of 2018, making it younger by far than many of the restaurants that have stood in Salthill for so long they’ve become part of the landscape.
But Lorraine says the local community has been incredibly supportive of them in that time, including both the public and The Village Salthill business group.
“Even though our Galway restaurant has been there for a year and a half, we feel like it’s been there for a lot longer than that, we’ve settled so well into Salthill, it’s been wonderful.”
Before the current crisis there was a kind of mental separation between restaurant and takeaway food. One is either the kind of cooking you could never do at home, or else home-style cooking taken to that same level, while the other tended towards the terrible-for-you-but-it’s-sooo-good end of the spectrum.
But this lockdown has changed things somewhat, and after more than two months without being able to go out, people are craving something different, which Gourmet Food Parlour can more than cater for.
“We offer burgers and wings, and they are extremely popular. But from our restaurant in Salthill we also make a beautiful Fisherman’s Pie which you can get to take away, we’ve got a gorgeous selection of salads.”
“We’ve got a wide variety of different meals that are not just fried food. Like, our chicken quesadillas are our best seller”.
“What we did was, we designed a new menu based on our bestsellers and what our customers would say are their favourite Gourmet Food Parlour meals or dishes”.
In the weeks since reopening that menu has been tinkered with to add bespoke meal options like a Couple’s Night Out with two starters, two mains, and a bottle of wine, perfect for a night out without the ‘out’ part. Or Brunch boxes for people that want a big breakfast without the hassle of getting up early for it.
Lorraine is a Galway woman herself, from Barna just ten minutes drive from Salthill. On a good traffic day that is.
After establishing several branches of GFP in Dublin, the prospect of opening a restaurant in her home town was a huge draw to her when the Salthill restaurant opened in 2018, and the people of Galway have been just as enthusiastic.
But even before restaurants were ordered to shut in late March of this year, Lorraine had started to see that the reality of the coronavirus pandemic was starting to settle on people’s minds.
“The two weeks prior to the Taoiseach’s announcement there was a sense of nervousness. But also sales started to drop. Not significantly, but steadily. That steady flow you were accustomed to wasn’t there.”
“I just felt on Sunday March 15 that it was the right decision to close down the restaurant and the catering business.”
After that came a period of intense cleaning, which from what I understand from friends who’ve worked in hospitality, is pretty much the default activity when you don’t have anything else to do, along with “donating what we could, freezing what we could” of the leftover stock.
Before the Salthill restaurant could reopen around four weeks ago there was a lot of work to be done in retraining the staff, and putting together a new menu, along with a myriad of other challenges that came with the shift in focus at the business..
“It’s a very different focus with takeaway and delivery, it’s very different to regular restaurant trade.”
“We started small and then we’ve expanded week to week by adding new things or taking away things that might not be working.
With the run of good weather lately, GFP has focused on adding seafood to the menu, always a welcome staple on the west coast, along with iced coffees and smoothies that make a welcome cool treat for people enjoying the sun down in Salthill.
In the early days of the pandemic there was a rush of panic buying at stores that looks even more embarrassing now than it did then, as people were convinced that supplies of certain goods would dry up.
For her part, Lorraine says there was some “marginal” difficulty in securing a few things in April, but that supply changes have improved dramatically in the past month.
There was no capacity for takeout or delivery service of any kind at Gourmet Food Parlour before the pandemic hit. But that said, Lorraine had always intended to make that step when the time came, but didn’t expect it to come until at least the end of 2021.
“So Covid-19 forced us to do that a lot sooner than we had planned, maybe two years sooner. But the difference it has made to our ability to expand the people of Salthill, it has been wonderful to be able to do that.”
“I just felt like we had to fight to keep it going, to keep the spark of Gourmet Food Parlour alive, and fight for jobs and fight for the business”.
When the restaurant first closed on March 15, all of the staff had to be temporarily let go, a scene repeated in many businesses.
Since opening the takeaway service Lorraine has hired back 12 staff at the Salthill restaurant, around half of the full workforce there, and hopes to bring back to the remainder by June 29, when they can start the laborious process of becoming a full service restaurant again.
“That’s the goal, to bring everyone back,” Lorraine states. But there won’t be a simple turning point, where everything goes back to the way it was.
Even with the takeaway option, trade is still considerably lower than it was before the pandemic, and Lorraine acknowledges that they’ve been “decimated” by its impact, like so many in the hospitality industry, and other sectors besides.
Restaurants will still be operating under strict social distancing requirements that will seriously cut into their floor space. Which is why, with bills and staff to pay, she doesn’t see the takeaway service going anywhere soon.
“And I say that in a positive way because I think it has brought a positive element into the business, and we’re enjoying the customer reaction to that.”
“So we’ll keep the deliveries going, and we’ll keep the online going, and we’ll keep it all going.”
And while there will no doubt be more challenges going into the future, many of which will require government support to weather, there is plenty people can do to support business in their area with their own buying power.
“Support your local favourite restaurants and cafés. Give us your support and spread the good word. Word of mouth can be better than any social media post you can ask for.”
To read more about Gourmet Food Parlour, check them out on our Galway Daily restaurants page at https://tinyurl.com/y8au2wjr, where you can order on the Just Eat app, or on just-eat.ie.
One of the biggest villain’s in Ros na Rún, Andy was doing well defending himself in court until Berni took the stand to speak about the brother she’s always known.
Now the jury is back with a verdict, but will Andy finally have to face the music, or will his lies carry him through again.
Poor Nathan has been taken for a ride by his estranged father, but has finally come to see Andy for what he is.
But it may be too late for Nathan, as Sorcha’s selfish actions has cost him his relationship with Berni and Bobbi Lee. Can the broken Nathan find his way back to the people that care for him.
Sorcha faces a moment of truth of her own, will she face up to the lies she has spun in the town? And will contemplating admitting her actions put her in the crosshairs of the manipulative Briain, who hides his true nature behind a sombre mask?
The Daly family are broken, the run down Katy has tried everything to show her father how sister Dee has lied, manipulated, and all but broken her, and comes to a desperate decision.
Caitríona has been digging herself deeper and deeper into debt and crime as she struggles to stay ahead of her woes.
Now, with Frances onto the fact that the Ionad Pobail’s credit card has been stolen, Caitríona will stop at nothing to cover her tracks.
The season finale of Ros na Rún brings to the forefront the extent to which narcissism and coercive control can destroy lives, and delivers a satisfying payoff to the many holes our characters have dug for themselves.
Though they may be in lockdown right now, the writers of the premiere Irish Language soap opera are already at bringing in newcomers to the small town, and creating new twists for returning faces.
The show is set to resume filming in August for season 25, with new guidelines for shooting a television show in the age of COVID-19 social distancing.
This Autumn also marks a huge milestone for Ros na Rún, as the show will be celebrating its 25th anniversary on Irish airwaves.
But before all that catch the 24th season finale on TG4 this Thursday at 8:30pm, followed by an omnibus double feature on Sunday.
There was a 5% jump in traffic levels on the N6 Bothar na dTreabh on Monday compared with the week before according to the data from the TII.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland counted 2,594 cars on Bothar na dTreabh between 7am and 10am on Monday as part of its daily tall of traffic levels during the current crisis.
This increase is based on estimated car figures for June 1. It is also still 45% below the same day in 2019.
Monday saw Ireland enter Phase 2 of the reconfigured roadmap for lifting Covid-19 restrictions.
There were a number of changes made this week which would influence the number of cars on the road.
The 5km travel limit was raised to the entire county you are in, much higher than the 20km limit previously planned.
All retail stores were also allowed to reopen, meaning more people travelling to and from work, and more people driving in to shop.
Galway’s increase in traffic was the lowest recorded by TII anywhere in the country on Monday.
The biggest jump was in the border region, where traffic on the M1 motorway at Jonesboro was up 24% on last week.
The current level of travel restriction will last until the end of June, when all limits are to be lifted in Phase 3.
There have been four further deaths related to COVID-19 in the Republic of Ireland, the NPHET has confirmed, which brings the total number of deaths related to the virus in the State to 1,683.
There are now 25,207 cases after it was confirmed that an additional nine people tested positive.
Speaking this evening, Dr Tony Holohan said: “It has been 100 days since we reported our first case of COVID-19.
“Since then, it has been the collective effort of our health service and general public that has limited the spread of the virus.
“As we enter Phase 2, it is vital to keep up a compliance with public health advice.”
Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said: “Last week there were 16 clusters notified in private houses.
“If you or someone in your household experiences ‘flu like symptoms – a cough, temperature, shortness of breath or a change in taste in smell – please do not adopt a wait and see approach – isolate and contact your GP without delay.”
The nationally representative sample of 1,800 conducted by the Department of Health reveals a fall in the percentage of adults ‘staying at home rather than going out’ – which is now at 73% compared to 92% at the beginning of April.
It also showed a growing use of hand sanitiser, now at 88%, up from 63% in mid-March.
The system allows schools to enter data on Leaving Certificate students’ estimated percentage marks and class rankings.
The online system went live at midday and will remain open until close of business on Friday 19 June.
Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD said: “The opening of the online system for schools to upload data for Leaving Certificate Calculated Grades is another important stage in the process.
“I want to acknowledge the work of teachers, principals and school staff who are collaborating at this time to ensure that students’ estimated marks and class rankings are compiled and uploaded to the system before the deadline of Friday 19 June.”
The Minister also thanked students once again for registering with the system.
Schools have been provided with a detailed guidance document Calculated Grades Data Collection Guide for Data Entry Users and Approvers on use of this system.
Schools have also been provided with a matrix document showing students and their subjects and levels.
A dedicated helpline and email address are available to support schools during the process.
Over 60,150 Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied students have registered on the Calculated Grades Student Portal since it opened.
CEO of Galway Rural Development, Steve Dolan is one of 34 COVID-19 Community Champions who have been deployed across Ireland as part of COVID-19 Community Outreach.
Steve, and the other the Community Champions, are working closely with local authorities and local community and voluntary groups to make sure that people who need help get it from trusted, experienced sources.
In the letter, President Higgins wrote: “You, and all who have been working with you in COVID-19 Community Outreach over the past weeks and months have answered the call of your communities.
“You have made an enormous difference and are continuing to perform a vital service as we slowly emerge from the dark of the pandemic and into the light of a better, shared future.”
President Higgins also recorded a message thanking the Champions and all volunteers and organisations who have come together at this time to ensure no one is excluded.
Deirdre Garvey, CEO of The Wheel, called on people who need assistance in their homes to contact their local Community Champion: “It is the role of the Community Champions to ‘join the dots’ and ensure that every person, regardless of where they live in the country, is connected to the necessary help and supports to meet their needs at this time,” said Deirdre Garvey.
The hosepipe ban follows on from earlier pleas to conserve water by not using powerwashers. It will be in place from Tuesday, June 9 until July 21.
Parts of Galway have already been been under water restrictions due to low supplies.
Inis Oírr and Inis Mór of the Aran Islands remain under restriction which were first imposed on April 20.
The Ballinasloe area was also temporarily under nightly water restrictions at the end of May due to low reservoir levels.
May 2020 was the driest since 1850, Met Eireann has confirmed. Their data shows that temperatures were above average in nearly all areas and rainfall totals in every county were below average for the season.
Monitoring carried out on lakes, rivers, and other drinking water sources by Irish Water since March has confirmed that this has impacted the national supply.
Of Irish Water’s 900 drinking water schemes, 27 currently are in drought and 50 are at risk of going into drought.
The weather forecast is for a continuation of drier than normal conditions which will further exacerbate the situation.
Niall Gleeson, Managing Director of Irish Water, says that their priority is preserving supply for homes and businesses, with the added demand of “essential sanitation” due to COVID-19.
“As demand continues to outstrip supply and the dry weather looks set to continue, Irish Water has taken the extra step of implementing a Water Conservation Order.”
While the good weather tends to bring adults and children alike into the garden, using a hosepipe for one hour is the equivalent of an entire family’s daily water usage.
“During this time we are supporting and advising our commercial large water users on their conservation efforts and we are grateful for all of the measures they have taken so far.”
“We are also working with our Local Authority partners and others to ramp up leak detection and repair, particularly in water stressed areas.”
The key message behind the ban is to leave the hosepipe and the power washer in the shed, he said, adding that people should also take shorter showers, and reuse household water for the garden.
“Safeguarding the supply of water is essential at this time when handwashing and hygiene is of critical importance. We are calling on everyone to play their part.”
A man in his mid- 70s has died following a farm accident involving a tractor in Kilconly, Tuam, which took place on Sunday
The farm accident occurred at approximately 6.30pm on Sunday and Gardaí attended the scene.
The man was removed to University Hospital Galway where he was pronounced dead.
An Garda Síochána is liaising with the HSA, and a file is to be prepared for the County Coroner.
Minister Ciarán Cannon welcomed the movement into Phase 2 – and encouraged people to shop local, as they keep revenue circulating in communities through the jobs they support.
Most retailers are reopening today, with some notable exceptions including Penneys, which will not begin reopening stores until Friday. Shopping centres can only reopen from 15 June.
Speaking today, Minister Cannon said: “I’m delighted that many more of our region’s businesses can now reopen and I wish to acknowledge the major efforts that business owners have put into implementing social distancing measures.”
The emergency has been an extraordinarily difficult time for businesses, the Fine Gael TD said.
Despite this, “we have seen innovation and progression in the face of national economic adversity with new initiatives in East Galway such as the opening of an Asian Fusion Restaurant for takeaways at Jody’s Spar in Craughwell and the launch of a new farm shop by Kylemore Farmhouse Cheese near Portumna.”
“Our retail sector employs more people than any other sector with some 65% of the workforce employed by small and medium enterprises and this next crucial phase of the reopening of our society is an opportunity to support our local businesses.
“Small businesses are at the heart of every community and keep revenue circulating in communities through the jobs they support.
“I encourage people to ensure that as we make this move towards normal business, they ensure they support the businesses near their own doorsteps and which play such a vital role in the local economy,” added Minister Cannon.
While this decrease is small, Galway Simon Community has said that it is a ‘very welcome reversal of the relentless increase’ in numbers over recent years.
But despite the decrease, the charity says that the figures remain far too high with 537 people – including 214 children – with no place to call home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Karen Golden, CEO of Galway Simon Community said: “For those at risk of or experiencing homelessness, the Coronavirus is a crisis on top of a crisis.
“It is impossible to follow national guidance to ‘stay at home’ when you have no home.
“Leo Varadkar’s announcement last Friday easing the restrictions is most definitely welcomed, however it does not change the circumstances of those living in Emergency Accommodation and Homeless Services across the country.”
Galway Simon expressed deep disappointment that family homelessness in the West is still increasing year on year, while nationally there has been a 23% decrease in the number of families in Emergency Accommodation since April 2019.
It is well documented that the experience of Emergency Accommodation can be deeply traumatic for families, and for children in particular – this trauma is compounded at present, with families in Emergency Accommodation having no access to schools or other outlets.
“New housing which was due to come on stream over the last couple of months has been delayed because of the lockdown,” Karen added.
“While there was significant hope that the decrease in demand for short term lets for visitors to Galway, Mayo and Roscommon would see an increase in the availability of affordable housing in the private rental market, our frontline services are not seeing evidence of this on the ground.”
The charity is also extremely concerned about the increase in the number of young adults in Emergency Accommodation.
The West saw an 18% increase in the number of 18-24 year olds in Emergency Accommodation in the last year, while nationally this figure decreased by 17%.
“Galway Simon has seen a spike in the number of young people seeking help from our dedicated Youth Service.
“With many support services curtailed or closed at present, an increasing number of young people are finding themselves in crisis and at risk of homelessness.
“Our frontline staff and volunteers have been working with young people throughout the pandemic, to try to ensure they don’t fall into a cycle of homelessness”, Karen said.
“The outbreak of Covid-19 has had a huge impact on those at risk of or experiencing homelessness and is putting so many already vulnerable people at increased risk. Galway Simon’s services have continued to operate throughout the crisis.
“Our committed staff and volunteer teams on the frontline are doing whatever it takes to ensure that people can remain safe, and in their own homes where possible.”
In late March Bank of Ireland closed 101 branches around the country in response to the growing danger from the coronavirus pandemic.
Throughout the crisis, Bank of Ireland kept 161 banks open nationwide, including 11 in Galway.
The Galway banks which will be reopening are Oughterard, which will have counter and self services, as well as advice; along with Ballygar, Dunmore, and Mainguard st in the city, which will only have advice and self-service banking.
Oughterard and Headford will be open from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, while the other two will only operate from 10am to 1pm, five days a week.
A number of changes have been
Gavin Kelly, CEO of Retail Ireland at Bank of Ireland said they have been “monitoring and adapting” operations through the COVID-19 crisis to reflect customer needs and public health advice.
“As the economy starts to reopen, which is critically important for families and businesses across Ireland, we are updating our operations over the coming weeks.”
Along with the return of regular banking services and ATMs, Bank of Ireland says it will continue to offer its dedicated COVID-19 services.
Dedicated supports were brought in for over 65s, carers and healthcare workers during this crisis.
The bank has also said that personal and business customers who are on a three month payment break will be offered another three months payment free if needed.
“As a leading lender to Irish businesses, and the largest lender to the agri sector, supporting our small business customers is a top priority for Bank of Ireland.
“As well as payment breaks and other support for customers, we are fast-tracking payments to our SME suppliers for the remainder of 2020 to help ease the cash flow pressures on businesses.”
“We continue to see steady demand for support from our SME customers, as well as increasing enquiries about the State supports which are planned to be introduced.
“As businesses start to reopen they are keen to access these supports. We are preparing our operations and resources to ensure that as soon as the full range of State supports are ready to be rolled out we can process applications for customers without delay.
COVID-19 has created immense difficulties for universities, both in being forced to close early and the disruption the followed, and the challenges that will come with the new year.
Issues that are frequent topics of discussion include how to proceed with teaching while abiding by social distancing, when the past format has relied on lecture halls with potentially hundreds of students.
The financial position of institutions is under threat due to reliance on international students to fund the system and reduced income generally.
At the same time, NUIG is keen to point out the role that universities have played in producing vital research in the pandemic.
The seminar, ‘Universities and the COVID-19 Crisis: Problems, Prospects and Pathways’ involves the leaders of four major universities: NUI Galway; University of Bristol, UK; University of St. Andrews, Scotland; and Uppsala University, Sweden, to discuss these challenges.
It is a rare opportunity to hear from people in charge of diverse institutions about their approaches and the way forward for higher education during the crisis and its aftermath.
The session features contributions from internationally recognised authorities:
Professor Daniel Carey, Director of the Moore Institute at NUI Galway, has convened the session which will address university staff members, students, alumni and the public.
Speaking about the importance of the occasion, Professor Carey said “This is a unique moment for higher education, with huge risks but also the chance to make a difference and to find new ways to teach, research, and address social challenges.
“Leaders based in four different countries will provide perspectives on problems and pathways during the current crisis.”
The seminar will take place on Thursday, June 11 at 4:30pm online at facebook.com/nuigalway/live/.
Harrington Concrete & Quarries, acting on behalf of the county council, is carrying out resurfacing overlay roadworks on the L-2318 Creggs – Glinsk road.
The road will be closed between 8am and 6pm each day while work is taking place on Monday and Tuesday.
Separately, another set of two day roadworks are taking place outside Loughrea from today.
The county council is also carrying out resurfacing works on the L4211 at Newtowndaly.
This will involve closing a section of the road in question from 7:30am to 7pm today and tomorrow.
Motorists in both areas are advised to expect delays and give themselves more time to complete journeys.
Under the revised roadmap for reopening the country, hairdressers won’t be allowed to reopen until Phase 4 starting on July 20.
This is due it being considered a ‘high-risk engagement’ with a lot of face to face contact over an extended period.
But the IHF has developed a set of guidelines with over 100 specific safety measures which it hopes will allow the sector to reopen in Stage 3.
Among the main recommendations are:
Commenting on the publication of the guidelines, IHF President Danielle Kennedy said; “Our guidelines go above and beyond the Government’s advice on what to do, and will enable hairdressers and barber shops to reopen safely in Phase 3 rather than Phase 4.
“We have spent the past six weeks working with experts, the HSA, and all parties in the hair and beauty sector to develop these guidelines.”
“We have taken the advice of health & safety experts, microbiology experts the HSE, the HSA and the WHO in preparing the document.”
The Irish Hairdressers Federation is the trade association for Irish hairdressers and represents over 400 salon owners nationwide, who in turn employ over 5,000 stylists.
Danielle Kennedy described the full document as an “extremely safe and cautious” set of guidelines” for staff and client safety.
“There are 25,000 people employed in our sector and we want to ensure they can come back to work safely.”
“If we wait any longer to reopen, hundreds of small businesses will go bust and thousands of people will lose their jobs.”
The total death toll from the coronavirus pandemic in Ireland now stands at 1,670 Covid-19 related deaths.
An additional 25 confirmed cases were reported to the HPSC today, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 25,201.
Validation of data by the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 7 previously confirmed cases.
Today’s data from the HPSC, as of midnight, Friday 5 June (25,176 cases), reveals:
Minister Ciarán Cannon will take part in the online event to raise funds for the Centre this Thursday along with the likes of Niall Horan, Imelda May, Dara Ó Briain and Dermot O’Leary.
Minister Cannon said that the Centre has been at the heart of the Irish community in London for almost 70 years and thanked “the generations of staff of the LIC for the amazing work they have done since the Centre’s foundation”.
“As Minister for the Diaspora, I know how much the London Irish Centre means to the Irish community in the UK’s capital city and how much it has contributed to looking out for their health and wellbeing in addition to providing a critical cultural link and building friendships,” he said.
The Fine Gael TD said he was delighted to be involved in the event which was organised to help raise money for the LIC following its closure on 18 March due to the pandemic.
“The London Irish Centre has been at the heart of the local Irish community for almost 70 years and this bringing together of a broad range of performance will, I have no doubt, help the Centre further through this challenging time in continuing to deliver critical services to the Irish abroad.
“I wish to take this opportunity to thank the generations of staff of the LIC for the amazing work they have done since the Centre’s foundation on behalf of the Irish community, work which will continue far beyond the time this pandemic has stolen from people.
“For outstretching the hand of friendship to many an emigrant lonely for home; for comforting those whose loved ones had died at home; for keeping people in touch with their Irish culture – for these and other good works too numerous to list, we owe the London Irish Centre great thanks, next week’s performances and much more,” added Minister Cannon.
Four new offices have been unveiled by the Real Estate Alliance this week in Galway City, Limerick City, Newcastle West and Donnybrook.
Real Estate Alliance (REA) is Ireland’s leading property group of Chartered Surveyors, with 55 branches, comprising many of the country’s longest-established auctioneers and estate agents.
“This expansion is a positive step for REA at a challenging time for the industry, and we are sure that our new members will benefit from the synergies that come from being a member of the alliance,” said REA Chairman Anthony McGee.
“We are delighted to have these new members on board as they represent the type of firm which REA is proud to be associated with – experienced, professional and qualified.”
“The combination of business being distributed to REA agents from central office, together with the requirement that all agents must be licensed and qualified, with many being Chartered Surveyors, is proving a major attraction to new members.”
embers enjoy the fact that REA is different from other property groups and they can tap-in to the wealth of knowledge within the group which is particularly useful in valuation work.”
REA Halnon McKenna has opened offices in Donnybrook and Galway City after a superb first year in Gorey Co Wexford.
Winston Halnon has teamed up with former Hooke & MacDonald colleague, Alan McKenna, with the latter heading up the company’s thriving business in lettings and property management.
“We have a fantastic team across three offices, who have already benefited from the REA approach in our sales, lettings and management business,” said Mr Halnon, who is marking 15 years in the property industry
Roscommon-Galway TD Denis Naughten is encouraging people to “think outside the box” when picking destinations to spend their time from next week after massive crowds caused social distancing issues at Salthill recently.
“We don’t want the population of County Galway flocking to Salthill, because this will undermine the heroic efforts by every citizen in this State to stop the spread of this virus.”
“Should people congregate around the most popular attractions we risk a second wave of infection which in this instance could be concentrated in counties.”
The Independent TD welcomed the change in plans for Phase 2 of easing lockdown restrictions to expand the travel limit.
In the original roadmap it was intended to raise the current travel limit to 20km on Monday, but this has now been expanded to the entire county you are in.
All travel limits will be lifted at the end of June in the accelerated reopening plans.
Deputy Naughten welcomed this change, saying that it “allows people travel within their own county will allow the public to benefit from local amenities and explore their own local county; so let’s do just that.”
“I have already contacted Fáilte Ireland asking that they help support a social media campaign to promote local attractions.”
“I would actively encourage communities to promote their local amenities by using the hashtag #Hidden followed by their county such as #HiddenRoscommon or #HiddenGalway.”
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