Students camp out at NUIG in protest against rent increase

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February 27, 2020

Galway Daily news four arrested over Galway City robbery

A man who pleaded to a large number of thefts and burglary at businesses around the city received a total sentence of 17 months in prison at Galway District Court.

Martin Barrett (41), with an address at Quinn Terrace Bohermore, pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft, two of criminal damage, and one burglary committed between October 7 of 2019 and February 8 of this year.

The two most serious charges were a burglary at Fat Freddy’s restaurant on Quay Street and another incident where Barrett broke into a woman’s car, stealing her phone, tablet, and cash.

Galway District Court heard that last December 9, at the Train Station Gym on Munster Avenue, Martin smashed the window of a car while the owner was at the gym.

An iphone 5 worth €200, a Samsung tablet valued at €500, €200 in cash and a handbag worth €100 were stolen from inside the car.

This year, on February 8, gardaí said that Barrett went into Fat Freddy’s restaurant and stole a debit card from the staff locker room on the 3rd floor.

He was disturbed by the owner of the card as he was leaving, and the suspicious man followed him from the restaurant to a nearby newsagents where he used the card before getting caught.

Judge Fahy said that she was sure Barrett would have used the card more “only for the man spotted him”, since he went straight to the shop.

On the same day as the burglary at Fat Freddy’s he also stole two bottles of perfume worth €179 from Matt O’Flaherty Chemists on William Street which were not recovered.

Barrett was identified as the thief on cctv footage from the store.

Other theft charges before the court included a €120 hair straightener taken from Boots in Galway Shopping Centre, a €22 jumper from Penny’s in Roscam, €52 worth of clothing from Dunnes Stores in Westside, as well as a bag of coal and briquettes stolen from outside Spar in Roscam.

On January 13 Barrett stole two pairs of headphones with a total value of €338 from Curry’s at Galway Retail Park.

Gardaí said that he brought one pair of the headphones to CeX second hand electronic goods store in Eyre Square and tried to sell them, where he was caught by gardaí.

Only that pair of headphones, worth €120, was recovered from this theft.

The final matter before the court happened at Woodie’s in Galway Retail Park, where Barrett opened the packet of a set of pliers in the store, and used them to cut the security tag off a high end power washer.

He moved the power washer around the store over the next two days trying to get it out, but never managed to actually steal it.

All of the injured parties in these cases were canvassed by gardaí and said they didn’t want to get involved in the court proceedings.

“It’s a way of life for this man,” Judge Mary Fahy said of Mr Barrett’s record of 55 previous convictions.

Solicitor for the defence Olivia Traynor said that her client has a serious drug addiction which he steals to feed.

She added that he held his hands up to everything from the first instance, sparing the state the need to gather their evidence.

Judge Fahy imposed eight month consecutive prison sentences each for the burglary at Fat Freddy’s and for breaking into the woman’s car outside the gym.

She added one month consecutive to that for the theft from Curry’s, while the remaining charges all merited one month sentences which will be served concurrently.

Gambling addiction counselling service launches in Galway

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February 27, 2020

Galway Daily news Gambling addiction counselling service

A new national counselling service for people with a gambling addiction was launched in Galway city this week.

Helplink Mental Health, a registered charity, has joined with the Gambling Awareness Trust to provide a free gambling addiction counselling service for people aged 16 years and over.

The new service was launched by Mayor of Galway Mike Cubbard at the Portershed on Monday.

It will provide free counselling seven days a week and out of hours. And while it is open to anyone over 16, people under the age of 18 will require written permission from a parent or guardian to make use of it.

Each client is assigned a minimum of six free appointments in a 12-month period. If your Counsellor feels you may need more and you are in agreement, then they can allot a further three or six free appointments.

Studies of the gambling industry have found that 30-35% of the industry’s revenue comes from people who have some level of addiction.

This has been further exacerbated by the rise of online gambling, which makes it harder to tell when someone has a problem.

According to the Ruthland Centre the number of betting shops in Ireland dropped from 1,365 in 2008 to 948 in 2015.

Bookies Paddy Power have reported that 77% of their income now comes from the online side of the business.

Lochlann Scott, CEO of Helplink said that for more than seven years they have been providing counselling services in the west of Ireland, nationally, and to Irish people around the world which includes addiction counselling.

“However it wasn’t until we partnered with the Gambling Awareness Trust that we were able to start providing gambling addiction counselling for free.”

“This is huge for us and our clients because of our main aims is take down barriers for engaging with counselling – finance is one of those barriers,” he explained.

Lochlann continues to explain that lack of accessible services are often another barrier and that Helplink overcomes this by “by providing our services 7 days a week and out-of-hours and also providing these services online so people can get their support at home or in other private settings”.

Helplink‘s vision is to be Ireland’s leading provider of accessible, free or low-cost mental health services locally in the West of Ireland, nationally and internationally.

The three types of services that Helplink provides are: Counselling, Information Provision and Education.

Opening hours, for this and its other counselling services, are from 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday and 12 to 6pm Saturday and Sunday (Closed on Bank Holidays and Christmas/New Year’s Eve).

The service is available through online counselling (like Skype but more secure) or by phone nationwide.

Contact by emailing gamblingsupport@helplink.ie or by phone to 0818 998880 to arrange an appointment.

To get more information go to their website helplink.ie.

Status Orange weather warning issued for Galway

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February 27, 2020

Galway Daily weather Rough weekend forecast as weather warning issued by Met Eireann

The brief spell of good weather Galway have been enjoying today will come to an end this weekend, with a Status Orange weather warning issued.

A Status Orange weather warning for high winds has been issued by Met Eireann for Galway, Mayo, Clare, and Kerry this Saturday.

According to Met Eireann some severe winds are expected during Saturday associated with Storm Jorge.

Southwest quickly veering west and later northwest will reach mean speeds of 65 to 80km/hr with gusts reaching up to 130km/hr, possibly stronger in exposed areas.

There is also an elevated risk of coastal flooding due to the strong winds expected.

This warning will be in place from 6am on Saturday until 3am on Sunday.

A separate Orange weather warning for stormy conditions has been issued for Donegal, Leitrim, and Sligo which will be in force from noon on Saturday until 3am on Sunday.

Galway can also expected to get battered by heavy rain again this weekend, as a status yellow rain warning will be in place from midnight tonight until midnight Saturday.

During that time up to 30mm of rain is expected to accumulate, with a continuing risk of flooding due to already saturated ground and elevated river levels.

This status yellow warning has been issued for all of Connacht, Munster, and Donegal.

The final weather warning associated with Storm Jorge is a status yellow wind alert covering all of Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.

This forecasts average winds of 50-65km/hr with gusts reaching up to 110km/hr between 9am Saturday and 3am on Sunday.

Call for Corrib Great Southern to be demolished before anyone dies

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February 27, 2020

Galway Daily news Corrib Great Souther must be demolished

The derelict Corrib Great Southern Hotel needs to be demolished before anyone is killed there insists one Galway City Councillor.

Fianna Fáil city councillor Alan Cheevers said that its time for the owners of the Corrib Great Southern to act and indicate plans for the property after a fire at the former hotel on Monday.

The hotel has been subject to multiple arson incidents in the years it has been abandoned.

The most recent incident occurred on Monday, when emergency services were called to a fire on the third floor of the hotel.

Gardaí have said that they are treating the fire as suspicious.

The Corrib Great Southern is owner by the billionaire Galway brothers Luke and Brian Comer.

Last year they held talks with the city council, during which they indicated intentions to redevelop the city with apartments, student accommodation, and retail space.

Councillor Cheevers said that in the short term the derelict hotel needs to be demolished, as “we can’t risk any fatalities”.

This is very possible with the property in its current condition he suggested, be it either a member of the public or emergency services who have come to deal with an issue.

“The residents in surrounding areas of Woodhaven and Lurgen Park, as well as Renmore, are very concerned with the property in its current condition,” Alan Cheevers said.

“I believe the local authority also needs to look at how they deal with long term vacant properties”.

“I don’t believe they are implementing the vacant site levy as effectively as they should be and we also need to look at compulsory purchase orders on these properties that a long term vacant as they have in Limerick County Council.”

Councillor Cheevers concluded by saying that the derelict hotel has become an eyesore, and is not a welcoming structure for the 2020 Capital of Culture.

Full capacity protocol enacted at University Hospital Galway

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February 26, 2020

Full Capacity Protocol has been enacted at University Hospital Galway today amidst extreme overcrowding at the A&E.

People are being encouraged to avoid coming to the A&E at University Hospital Galway unless it is a real emergency, and to first contact their GP or out of hours service.

There were 53 patients in trolleys at University Hospital Galway today according to the INMO’s Trolley/Ward Watch, making it the second most overcrowded hospital in the country.

In a statement to Galway Daily the Saolta Group said that Emergency Department has been extremely busy today, and that it regrets patients have been left waiting.

All elective, non-urgent procedures have been deferred as Full Capacity Protocol has been enacted.

Saolta said that all efforts are currently being made to identify all patient who are suitable for discharge to help with the overcrowding.

“Hospital management apologises for the inconvenience and distress that these delays and deferrals are causing patients and their families.”

Patients are bring prioritised based on “those in most need of care and this may lead to delays for less urgent patients,” Saolta’s statement said.

Connacht Hotel achieves milestone in green hospitality services

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February 26, 2020

Galway Daily business Connacht Hotel Green Hospitality silver award

The Connacht Hotel has achieved a major milestone in its push for sustainability, achieving Silver status in the internationally recognised Green Hospitality programme.

Green Hospitality is the only Irish developed environmental certification standard for the hospitality sector, with awards recognised around the country, and the world.

The accreditation and guidance allow hotels and other businesses in the hospitality sector to improve their environmental performance.

The Connacht Hotel formed its Green Team in November 2018 to look at the changes it could make within its own business, with a committee team drawn from all departments.

The success of the programme can be seen in the numbers, with overall waste from the hotel dropping by 40% in the next year.

Overall recycling levels have also gone up by 34% in the same period, and a big effort has been made with glass waste in particular, with 41% more now getting recycled.

Based on this improvement, and many more initiatives, the Connacht Hotel recently took him the Green Hospitality Silver Award for introducing an Environmental Action Plan focusing on Energy, Waste & Water Management.

“We have a lot of work done but we are all aware this is a Journey but we are committed to making the most sustainable choices in all aspects of our business and we have seen the benefits across our business,” said Eveanna Ryan, Group Sales and Marketing Manager at the Connacht Group.

“We live by the statement, ‘it’s not about one person doing it perfectly but a collective doing their best and making daily changes’,” Eveanna added.

Good green business practices have been a big concern for tourists in recent years, with people looking for places to go that embrace environmental sustainability.

This accreditation allow tourists to choose “Greener” hospitality businesses knowing that defined criteria are being implemented and monitored.

Other initiatives such as a “carbon neutral day” was initiated in November 2019, where on the day staff took public transport or carpooled to work, eliminated all unnecessary printing and the team were served meat free meals in the staff restaurant.

This served to inform and form new habits and enough carbon was saved on the day to service a return flight for one person from Dublin to New York.

Tuam man pleads guilty to building homemade gun

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February 26, 2020

Galway Daily courts man pleads guilty to building homemade gun

A man accused of illegally manufacturing a gun and possessing guns and ammunition has pleaded guilty to the charges at Galway Circuit Court.

Lorcan Hughes (28), with an address at 12 Parkmore Estate, Tuam was charged with the unlawful manufacture of a gun for building an improvised .22 caliber pistol.

It was alleged that he built it at his home on a date between July 1 and December 10 of 2017.

He was also charged with two counts of possessing a firearm in suspicious circumstances for having the homemade pistol, and an improvised ‘slam-bang’ shotgun.

The final charge Hughes pleaded to was possessing ammunition in suspicious circumstances for having 11 .22 caliber bullets on December 10, 2017.

The Circuit Court heard that he has no previous convictions.

Sentencing was set for November 4, and the case was adjourned to that date.

The defence asked that a probation report be prepared for the sentencing hearing.

Hughes was remanded to that date on continuing terms.

Irish Traveller elected to NUI Galway governing body for first time

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February 26, 2020

Galway Daily news Mayoral Reception to honour Owen Ward for breaking down barriers to education

An Irish Traveller has been elected to NUI Galway’s Údarás na hOllscoile for the first time.

Owen Ward, a Professional Master of Education student, was elected by postgraduate students at the university, and is the first Traveller to be elected to a university’s governing body in Ireland.

At 16, Owen left school without a Junior or Leaving Certificate.

Instead, he returned to education on an Access programme at NUI Galway, where he successfully completed the course, secured his place in university and graduated with an Honour’s degree.

He is the first in his family to go to University and at present, he is in the final months of completing a Professional Master of Education.

He also mentors students from disadvantaged backgrounds at NUI Galway to be successful within higher education.

Speaking about his appointment to the Governing Body Owen said: “As an Irish Traveller who has overcome many barriers, this successful outcome demonstrates how open and respectful NUI Galway has become.

“This reflects the values of the current strategic plan at NUI Galway. I plan to bring a proactive postgraduate voice to this forum and to represent the diversity of issues that affect postgraduates on campus.”

Last summer Owen was elected on the University Societies Coordinating Group the Cultural and Social Representative.

Within the role he aims to work hard to ensure an enhanced positive student experience for all students within the cultural and social constituency including international students, students with disabilities, LGBT+ and ethnic minorities.

Additionally, he was a co-founder of the Mincéirs Whiden Society with fellow Traveller students at NUI Galway and the Galway Traveller Movement.

The first Traveller student society in higher education in Ireland. ‘Mincéir Whiden’ means ‘Travellers Talking’ in the Cant language, which is spoken by the Irish Travelling community.

He has worked alongside the Students’ Union, senior university staff and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to ensure a stronger student voice and better outcomes for all students – and in particular those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Owen is also the coordinator of NUI Galway Schools of Sanctuary programme. The NUI Galway Schools of Sanctuary programme is an outreach component of the National University of Ireland Galway University of Sanctuary initiative and NUI Galway Access Centre.

Schools of Sanctuary promote the welcoming of refugees, asylum seekers, Irish Travellers and other migrants into educational communities in meaningful ways. While highlighting pathways into higher education.

Also, he sits on the University of Sanctuary steering committee which introduced University of Sanctuary Scholarships Programme for International Protection Applicants, refugees, vulnerable migrants and Irish Travellers.

NUI Galway is the first Third level institute in Ireland to offer scholarships to members of the travelling community.

The Hon Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness, Chair of Údarás na hOllscoile, said: “I would like to welcome Owen to Údarás na hOllscoile and it is great to have him join.

“I am delighted to see NUI Galway lead the way in this area and the University has a proud tradition of welcoming members of the Travelling community as students.

“It is great to see Owen take on such a senior leadership role within the University. I look forward to having the benefits of his experience and insights on Údarás na hOllscoile.”

Irish Water budget cuts would leave rural towns to suffer – Fitzmaurice

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February 26, 2020

Galway Daily news Latest EPA report shows one Galway public water supply deemed "at-risk"

Cuts to the budget of Irish Water will have long lasting consequences for rural towns and villages Galway TD Michael Fizmaurice warned.

The Independent TD said that any budget cuts to Irish Water will have a significant impact on rural areas where upgrade works were to be carried out or where new sewerage systems were to be put in place.

“There are countless projects around the country which require attention; but without adequate funding, these projects will continue to be kicked down the road.

“The Government talks about climate action and water quality, as well as cleaner lakes and turloughs – while at the same time Irish Water is ordered to cut costs by a straight €100 million.”

Last year the Commission for Regulation of Utilities proposed that Irish Water cut its costs by €100 million over the next five years after finding it operates far more inefficiently that its UK counterpart.

These kind of cuts would put a number of schemes back by years Michael Fitzmaurice warned, leaving small towns without critical infrastructure.

This will further hamper the growth of small towns which are already seeing a population drain to more urban areas.

“If you take a closer look at what is going on at the moment, you will notice that some larger towns are being prioritised as a result of pressure being imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency”.

“In past Government announcements, there was great fanfare around the level of investment that was going to be put aside for water and sewerage infrastructure.”

“But cuts to the Irish Water budget are likely as a result of the massive budget overruns witnessed in the National Children’s Hospital, the impacts of which we will probably be feeling for some time.”

With climate change and water quality such hot topics of discussion lately, any cuts to Irish Water’s budget would be an example of Ireland “talking out of both sides of our mouth” he said.

“You have to put the investment in to make Ireland a better place. But there doesn’t seem to a commitment there among the acting Government to help small, rural towns and villages to prosper and increase the number of houses in the area”

“The only places which seem to be getting prioritisation is the larger cities, particularly when the EPA is applying pressure,” he concluded.

Two people taken to hospital after Ballinasloe traffic collision

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February 26, 2020

Two people were taken to hospital yesterday after a three car traffic collision on the M6 motorway near Ballinasloe yesterday.

Gardaí and other emergency services attended the scene of the three car collision which occurred at 2:15pm on Tuesday.

The accident happened when the first car struck a barrier on the motorway, and the second car was rear ended by another after the driver stopped to provide help to the people in the first car.

Neither of the two vehicles involved in the rear end collision ever touched the first to crash gardaí said.

The driver of the first car, a man in his 30s, was taken to Midlands Regional Hospital as a precaution.

A passenger in that car, a woman in her 30s, was also taken to Midlands with non-life threatening injuries.

The eastbound lane of the M6 between Junctions 13 an 14 near Ballinasloe was closed to traffic for a time yesterday while emergency services dealt with the accident.

Today’s Galway weather forecast

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February 26, 2020

Galway Daily weather weather warning for low temperature and ice

Another cold day awaits – but snow showers are unlikely in most parts of Galway.

The cold and bright morning will make way for thicker cloud in the mid afternoon.

And any frost, ice and patchy snow on the ground will thaw as the day goes on.

Scattered showers will continue to occur though, mainly in the evening.

Some of these will be of hail and sleet, with snow showers possible on higher ground.

There is also a continued risk of thunder.

The highest temperatures will be between 4 to 6 degrees.

TONIGHT AND TOMORROW MORNING

Mostly cloudy at first tonight with further showers, some of them wintry.

Clear spells will develop overnight, which will allow temperatures to fall to between -1 and +1 degrees with frost and icy patches forming by dawn.

Winds will be mainly light and tomorrow will begin bright and sunny.

Incredible health scientist shortlisted for European Young Researcher Award

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February 25, 2020

Galway Daily Science European Young researcher award shortlist

NUIG’s Elaine Toomey, a scientist dedicated to improving the quality of health research, has been shortlisted for the Euroscience European Young Researcher Award

Since 2010 EuroScience has been awarding the European Young Researchers Award to the most talented young European researchers engaged in PhD projects and Postdoc projects.

This award is for young people who have not only made incredible contributions to their fields as a researcher, but who have helped maximise the positive impact their work has on society.

Dr Toomey is the Associate Director of Cochrane Ireland, based in the School of Nursing and Midwifery in NUI Galway.

Her work focuses on Open Science and Health Research Transparency, where she aims to improve the scientific methods and processes used in health research.

This helps to ensure that medical science and other health research has a larger overall impact on the good of society.

As someone who spends so much time working on transparency, a big part of Dr Toomey’s work is public outreach and disseminating her work so others can learn from it and use it.

Speaking on the shortlisting announcement, Dr Toomey said she was honoured to be considered for this award, and wanted to thank all her colleagues at NUIG.

In particular she singled out her mentors Professor Declan Devane and Professor Molly Byrne “for their wonderful support and encouragement.”

Professor Declan Devane, Director of Cochrane Ireland and Evidence Synthesis Ireland, said Elaine’s nomination is “testament to the quality and relevance of her work on an international platform.

“It reflects well on NUI Galway, but I am particularly pleased for Elaine herself who has worked hard for many years on her research. I wish her well for the award.”

The overall winners of the European Young Researcher Awards will be announced at the EuroScience Open Forum in Trieste, Italy, from July 5 – 9.

Finalists will also have a chance to compete for the Popular Prize which will be decided by an audience vote at the event.

More information on the European Young Researchers Award can be found at https://bit.ly/2HVa5KW.

Organised spree of burglaries prompts public safety meeting in Tuam

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February 25, 2020

A public meeting is being held in Tuam next week for local people to hear from Gardaí and air their concern about organised burglaries in the area.

The meeting is being organised by county councillor Donagh Mark Killilea after a spree of burglaries in the town this month.

Councillor Killilea said that four masked people had come to Tuam to “plunder” the town.

Four houses were burgled during this spree, and criminals attempted entry into five more.

“It has to be the most frightening experience for people to face and deal with,” Councillor Killilea said.

We have no Superintendent in Tuam Garda Station, we don’t have enough Gardai in Galway East, np overtime for Garda who want to work extra hours.

“How can our communities feel safe? We can only stand together and watch out for each other.”

He encouraged all community alert and neighbourhood watch groups to come along, as well as anyone interested in setting up such a group.

Speakers coming include Inspector John Dunne from Tuam Garda Station and Sgt M. Walsh from the Crime Prevention Office.

The meeting will take place at the Correlea Court Hotel in Tuam next Monday, March 2 from 8pm to 9:30pm

Man accused of rape sent to trial at the Central Criminal Court

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February 25, 2020

A man has been sent forward to trial for the alleged rape of a woman in Galway City last year.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with the rape of a woman in Galway City on August 17 of last year.

He appeared before Galway District Court this week for the service of the Book of Evidence

Testimony was given by Gardaí that the book had been served on the accused that morning.

The DPP consented to the case being sent forward to trial, and Judge Mary Fahy ordered it to the current sitting of the Central Criminal Court.

The accused man was remanded on continuing bail with the he must sign on at a garda station once a week and have no contact with any witnesses.

Judge Fahy also gave the man an alibi warning, telling him that if he intends to present an alibi in his defence, the state must be informed of it before the trial.

Sinn Féin to hold major public meeting in Galway

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February 25, 2020

Prominent Sinn Féin TDs will be in Galway next week for a public meeting designed to rally support for a government for change.

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald, Pearse Doherty and Eoin Ó Broin will be at the rally, which will take place on Friday, 6 March.

Last night, a large crowd gathered in Cork for a similar rally, and the party is hoping that there will be also be a large turnout next week.

However, the public meetings have attracted criticism from both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

Leo Varadkar has described the meetings as an ‘affront to democracy’, while one Fianna Fail TD described them as ‘right out of the Trump playbook’.

The Sinn Fein leader has said that their reaction has been ‘ridiculous’ and completely over the top.

Instead of being an affront to democracy, the party says it is putting the people at the heart of government negotiations.

The event in Galway will take place on March 6 at 19:30 in the Galway Bay Hotel.

We have always said we want ordinary people's voices heard in the corridors of power.

No amount of hysterics from FF/FG will stop us talking to and listening to ordinary members of the public.

Come along to one of our public meetings and see for yourself @PearseDoherty pic.twitter.com/7NuNkZ6uDN
— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) February 24, 2020

GMIT unveils unified sports identity the Falcons

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February 25, 2020

Though it might be spread across different counties, GMIT has launched a new brand to bring all its sports activities under one identity, the Falcons.

The new brand forms part of an overall sports strategy which has been rolled out by GMIT over the past number of years.

This has involved building partnerships with different sports club near all of GMIT’s campuses.

The Institute of Technology has also been developing its own facilities, with planning permission secured for a multi-purpose sports and educational services building at the main Galway campus.

Plans are also progressing for more sports and recreational facilities on GMIT owned lands near the Dublin Road campus.

Speaking at the launch of the Falcons, Dr Michael Hannon, Acting President of GMIT said he was pleased to ring in a new identity for sports at the IT.

“Nelson Mandela spoke of the power of sport uniting a country. We all know the place of sport in local communities in this country, and here in GMIT we are a community of those communities – of several thousand people from diverse backgrounds and interests.”

“Sport is often viewed as an analogy for life in general. When you read famous quotes from world renowned sports stars, you would not be surprised to see themes like motivation, effort, hard work, practice.

“Many speak of failure or defeat as ingredients which are just as important to reach the pinnacle,” Dr Hannon said.

“For those who participate in sport, they can especially relate to this, but the messages are equally germane to everybody.”

The GMIT Falcons, and the new kit for different sports teams, was formally unveiled at a special function attended by students, staff and representatives from sports organisations across the region.

The new identity is meant to convey agility, grace, speed and ferocity while the predominant shades of blue echo the traditional blue of the Connacht coat of arms.

Student teams have been wearing the new kit since January and it is planned to extend the range to leisure wear and other branded accessories.

Aaron Burke, President of the GMIT Students Union, said, “We are delighted to see the launch of this new identity which is attractive to all students not only those who represent GMIT in sports events and competitions.”

Bus transfers running on all Galway-Limerick rail services today

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February 25, 2020

Rail services between Galway and Limerick will be operating as bus transfers today during to flooding on the tracks.

Due to water on the tracks at Kiltartin, Iriah Rail announced yesterday that the first services of the day going either way on the line would operate as bus transfers.

With water levels on the tracks expected to rise overnight a decision on later services was deferred to today.

This morning, Irish Rail confirmed that all services will he making use of bus transfers until further notice.

Passengers travelling between Galway and Limerick will get the train as normal between Galway and Athenry, as well as Limerick and Gort.

Replacement buses will operate between Athenry and Gort where the flooding blocks the line.

All scheduled services are running as normal, but conditions on the road could cause delays, so passengers are advised to give themselves time to make journeys.

Galway has experienced severe flooding in the past week due to heavy rain after two big storms.

A status yellow weather warning for snow and ice is in place today, and will remain in force until 9am on Wednesday.

Where to get FREE delicious crêpes until 12pm today

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February 25, 2020

Gino’s Gelato is celebrating Pancake Tuesday by giving away free traditional crêpes to all customers until 12pm.

The gelato experts offer an extensive range of crêpes from the conventional to the extraordinary.

Favourites include Gino’s Chocolate Oreo Crêpe – Crushed Oreos, white chocolate sauce, fresh cream and Gino’s melted Oreo Variegato.

Gino’s Special – Nutella, sliced banana and chopped strawberries and the Traditional – topped with lemon, butter and sugar – are also popular.

The difference between pancakes and crêpes?

The main difference is that pancake batter has a raising agent in it, such as baking powder or baking soda, and crêpe batter doesn’t.

This means that pancakes are thicker and fluffy while crêpes are thin and flat.

Generally, pancakes are associated with being ‘American-style’ while crêpes are the European take on the breakfast favourite.

Gino’s Gelato has 17 locations nationwide including Galway, Waterford, Cork and Newbridge as well as 11 stores across Dublin.

McDonald’s selling breakfast pancakes all day today

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February 25, 2020