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Gardaí seize ketamine, cocaine, MDMA, valium, and ecstasy in city drugs raids

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Gardaí seize multiple drugs in city raids

Gardaí seized quantities of multiple drugs with a combined value of €8,000 in two separate seizures in Galway city in the past week.

The drugs seized in included sizable quantities of Ketamine, and smaller deals of MDMA, cocaine, ecstasy and Valium, all believed to be destined for distribution in Galway City this week.

They were found during two separate seizures in Rahoon and Ballybane which saw properties searched on Friday, February 7 and this Tuesday, February 11.

The intelligence led searches were carried out by members of the Garda Divisional Drugs Unit in Galway.

Chief Superintendent Tom Curley of the Galway Garda Division said, “We believe these drugs were destined for sale and supply in Galway City this week, and as a result of this good detection, they have now been removed from circulation”.

One man was arrested following the seizures and has since been released without charge.

A file is now being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions on this matter.

A garda spokesperson said that investigations into the sale and supply of these drugs are ongoing.

Fresh snow and ice warning issued for Galway

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Briain Kelly
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galway daily weather snow and ice warning issued for Galway

The week of weather alerts just keeps coming as yet another status yellow weather warning has been issued for snow and ice in Galway.

The weather is expected to be icy tonight, with accumulations of snow in some areas before morning, mainly on higher ground.

This follows on from a different yellow warning for snow and ice which was in place across Ireland on Monday and Tuesday in the aftermath of Storm Ciara.

The weather warning has been issued today for all of Connacht, as well as Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Dublin, Louth and Wicklow.

It will come into force at 8pm tonight, and remain in place overnight until 10am on Thursday morning.

Two marine alerts have also been issued by Met Eireann, with a status yellow gale alert forecasting variable cyclonic winds reaching up to force 9 tonight on all Irish coastal waters.

A small craft warning also states that before this westerly veering southwesterly will reach force 6 at times today on all Irish coastal waters.

Connacht Hotel wins accommodation service award for third year running

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Connacht Hotel award for accommodation services

Galway’s Connacht Hotel has taken home the a prestigious industry award for its accommodation services for the third year running.

Accommodation staff are the unsung heroes of the hospitality industry, ensuring that hotel guests get the most out of their experience.

The Connacht Hotel has recently been awarded the Irish Accommodation Service Institute’s Gold Medal for the third year in a row for its commitment to customer service at their annual awards.

“The role is vital and is it great to see this hard-working department recognised for the superb work that they do,” a spokesperson for the Connacht Hotel said.

The Irish Accommodation Services Institute is a national body representing the professional interests of the accommodation industry in Ireland.

The IASI provides a networking forum for its members, as well as promoting best practices and standards in the industry through a suite of training and development programmes.

Over 320 accommodation managers and assistants, hospitality leaders and suppliers attended the gala awards event after the IASI annual conference.

Delegates at the conference were addressed by Kate O Donoghue who spoke about “Raising our Resilience”.

The guest of honour at the black-tie event was former politician Mary O Rourke who spoke talked about growing up in the heart of the hospitality industry. 

Congratulation to the accommodation team at the Connacht Hotel who’s enthusiasm and attention to detail has won them this prestigious accolade for another year. 

NUIG launches nationwide survey on students sexual experiences

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news USI sexual experiences survey

NUI Galway Active Consent and the Union of Students of Ireland have teamed up for a nationwide survey on students sexual experiences.

The Sexual Experiences Survey is a key part of the Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance (SHAG) campaign running until February 14.

It is designed to gain an insight on students’ experiences of sexual violence, attitudes towards consent, and perceptions of HEI supports and responses to sexual misconduct.

The survey will be carried out on the campuses of all higher education institutes associated with the USI, and its results will be published in a report later this year.

Dr Pádraig MacNeela of NUIG, head of the Active Consent programme, is leading the implementation of the survey, saying that sexual violence and harassment can only be tackled by everyone working together.

“Each of us brings important strengths, and through collaboration with third level colleges we aim to get a full picture of positive and negative student experiences.”

“Once we know that information we can use it to help target sexual health education and supports”.

During the SHAG campaign this week the USI will be distributing 30,000 ‘SHAG Packs’ and providing information on sexual health to students.

The theme of this year’s campaign is sexual empowerment, and USI President Lorna Fitzpatrick says it’s important to promote positive attitudes towards sex and raise awareness of sexual health.

“In Ireland, talking about sex can still be considered a taboo subject and USI believes it is important to break through these barriers and encourage people to practice safer sex and to look after their sexual health.”

In Ireland, people don’t receive adequate education about sex and relationships before coming to college, she said.

Lorna added that the USI continues to lobby for a more inclusive and evidence-based RSE programme for primary and secondary schools to prepare young people.

“This campaign allows us to directly reach 30,000 students with information about masturbation, consent, abortion information and sexual transmitted infections.”

Dr Lorraine Burke, who is leading the sexual experiences survey from NUIG, said that the information it provides will help support goals identified in the Department of Education’s Consent Framework.

“The Sexual Experiences Survey will make sure we get comprehensive, up to date information on our students’ awareness of services, the prevalence of negative experiences, and the positive role of students in supporting a culture of respect”.  

Local snail farmer wins coveted Teagasc award

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Local snail farmer nets national prize

A local Galway farmer who took the bold decision to add snail farmer to his resume has taken home a prestigious prize from Teagasc for his highly successful business.

Steven Ryan from Tuam took home the 2019 NEWBIE farm entrant prize for taking the step to add snail farming to the traditional beef and sheep on the farm.

He first started this curious brand of livestock management in 2014, and Steven’s farm now produces more than 4,000kg of snails for export each year.

Speaking after receiving his award, Steven spoke passionately about the ability of snail farming to produce “a good income from a small piece of ground” to put a little extra in a farmer’s back pocket.

As a farming practice, it’s easy to work around the other seasons on the farm, he added, emphasising the potential there is in Ireland.

“We started out using Google and YouTube for information and through trial and error developed a system that suits the Irish climate,” Stephen said.

He is part of plans to develop a processing facility right here in Ireland, which its hoped will help kickstart a market right here at home.

John Moriarty, NEWBIE project advisor with Teagasc, said that Steven’s story could serve as an example to farmers considering diversifying their business.

“Steven has identified an enterprise that complimented the existing enterprises while maintaining a quality work-life balance,” John said.

he NEWBIE Network is an EU Horizon 2020 funded project with 10 European partners which aims to encourage the growth of sustainable farm businesses.

New entrants are defined in the Newbie network as anyone who starts a new farm business, or becomes involved in an existing farm business at any stage of their lives.

People getting into agriculture can face barriers in the form of access to land, capital, knowledge and labour, which the NEWBIE Network also aims to help people overcome.

The prize includes €500 towards training or an international farm visit, costs associated with the making of a farm video, a plaque for display on-farm, and the opportunity to attend a NEWBIE conference with other national winners from across Europe.

Galway Bay Resort hotel reopening with major expansion

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Galway Bay Resort hotel reopening with expansion

The former Galway Bay Resort Hotel, closed for over a decade will be both reopening and expanding after getting the go ahead for a large scale revamp.

Connacht Accommodations Ltd has secured planning permission for major renovations to the existing apart hotel which will expand its guest space and new leisure facilities.

Among the work being undertaken as part of the revamp to the scenic resort at Renville West, Oranmore, the developer is doing away with the apartment side of the apart hotel.

These apartment rooms will be converted into regular guest bedrooms, bringing their total number up from 92 to 145.

The ground floor of the building will also be expanded to accommodate a new bar and leisure centre, which will be equipped with a 20m long swimming pool, gym, and a spa.

Connacht Accommodation said that reopening the hotel will provide and economic boost for the area, not least by linking with the existing Galway Bay Golf Resort to improve both their offerings.

To help with that a link between the hotel and golf club buildings will be constructed over two levels.

First granted planning permission in 1995, the hotel finally ceased operations and shut down in 2007.

“The applicants now wish to bring the derelict building back into use by reopening the hotel, with the addition of new facilities, including a leisure centre, which will ensure its long term survival,” the planning application states.

The design of the new extension was deliberately chosen to be a “contemporary treatment” which will contrast visually with the existing buildings.

“A limited palate of materials is proposed for the new elements, with a combination of natural timber (cedar) vertical cladding, warm cut limestone (Portuguese, Jura or similar), aluminium curtain walling and green living walls, which will blend the new extension into the landscape”.

The hotel is on the same site as the Galway Bay Golf Resort, and it is intended that vehicular entry and exit with be via the existing access roads.

The hotel itself currently has 135 carparking spaces, less than 145 required, but the developer argued that with an additional 198 spaces at the golf club, there is more than sufficient room.

No submissions were made to the council by members of the public either supporting or objecting to this project.

Galway County Council granted planning permission with a total of 15 conditions attached.

Among those, no music may be played at the hotel between the hours of 8am and 10pm which exceeds the background noise level by more than five decibels.

And before any work commences on site, the developer must pay €28,886 to the council as a contribution towards public amenities serving the hotel.

Donegal Tuesday brings massive crowds to Eyre Street for day long drinking

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Donegal Tuesday brings massive crowds to Eyre Street

Donegal Tuesday, the ‘highlight’ of the unofficial Rag Week for students in the city, is back again with big crowds at the Hole in the Wall.

Students have turned out in massive numbers on Eyre Street today, as they do every year for Donegal Tuesday, filling the street with Donegal jerseys as they wait to get into the pub.

Extra security staff are out on the street to manage the crowds, which stretch down the street from the entrance to the Hole in the Wall and around the corner towards the junction with Eglinton Street.

The Hole in the Wall pub has long been the central feature of Donegal Tuesday for students, and this year it is under new management after closing in 2019.

Both NUIG and GMIT banned the official version of Rag Week in 2011 after previous years had seen escalating anti-social behaviour.

However it has continued as a tradition among students with the colleges involvement purely as a week of drinking throughout the city.

Last week an email was sent round to students at NUIG from the Dean of Students Professor Michelle Miller and President of the Students Union Clare Austick.

This highlighted the role of clubs, societies, and public events such as the health orientated SHAG week in social and community life at the university.

While this email did not specifically refer to Rag Week, it did say that “While acknowledging the many positive achievements, there are occasions when the University receives complaints about student behaviour.”

“You should be aware that all such complaints are followed up by the University, and in cases where our Student Code of Conduct has been breached, then sanctions or disciplinary procedures are put in place.”

Extra gardaí have been allocated to Galway City this week to help deal with any antisocial behaviour or extreme public drunkenness that occurs.

City Council refuses to allocate €2.5 million more to Galway 2020

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Call for further transparency on Galway 2020 finances

Galway City Council rejected a call to allocate an additional €2.5 million in funding to Galway 2020 in a council meeting on Monday night.

Galway 2020 had made a request for the additional funding last month, but the council deferred any decision at that meeting.

At a contentious meeting of the city council on Monday night the request was defeated by 11 votes to five the Irish Times reports.

It was planned that the additional funding would be provided by paying €1.25 million out of the city budgets for 2021 and 2022.

The council deferred its decision last month due to a perceived lack of transparency around what specifically the money was for.

Galway 2020 had also requested that the money already pledged to the event be front loaded to deliver as quickly as possible.

If it had passed, this motion would have brought the total level of funding provided by the city council to the Capital of Culture project to €8.5 million.

Chief Executive Brendan McGrath supported the motion, saying Galway 2020 would deliver strong economic returns for the city.

However, it is reported in the Times that there was concern from councillors about transparency and how money is being spent on the project.

CEO of Galway 2020 Patricia Philbin said that some of the events planned for the year may have to be cancelled or scaled down as a result of funding issues.

However she said that all of the events included in the original bid book will proceed in some form.

The opening ceremony for Galway 2020, which was meant to take place last Saturday, was also raised at the meeting.

The ceremony had to be called off due to an Status Orange weather warning in place that day, prompting some to ask why the exposed South Park area in the Claddagh was ever chosen.

Patricia Philbin said that they are looking into recouping some of the costs of the cancelled ceremony via the event’s insurance policy.

Power issues cut off water supply to Inis Meain

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Briain Kelly
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Galway city news Water outages in Salthill due to burst mains today

As Galway deals with ongoing power problems to due to stormy weather, residents of Inis Meain are also having to deal with water supply issues.

Irish Water has said that it is currently unable to pump new water into the supply on Inis Meain due to an island wide power outage.

The power outage which occurred as a result of current storm conditions has stopped water from being pumped to the reservoir.

The ESB is currently working on restoring power, but those repairs are currently not expected to be completed until 4pm on Wednesday.

In the meantime Irish Water is encouraging customers to conserve water by not running taps, taking showers instead of baths and refraining from using dishwashers and washing machines.

Tim O’Connor of Irish Water said “The reservoir level is very low and water restrictions have been imposed to prevent us running out of water this morning.”

“Once the power is restored it will take the reservoir approximately half a day to fill to a level that can supply the network.”

Water will be supplied to the network on Inis Meain between 4pm and 8pm this evening, but will be turned off again overnight.

This is being done to conserve what limited water supply remains for tomorrow morning.

Air locking in the network might become an issue as reservoir levels drop further Tim O’Connor added.

“We understand that this is very inconvenient for people on the island and we would like to thank them for their patience and cooperation.”

Ongoing power outages affecting over 800 homes in Galway

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news More than 15,000 properties in Galway without power after Storm Ellen

Multiple power outages across Galway caused by ongoing stormy conditions have left 838 homes and businesses without electricity today.

The single largest power outage is in Screeb, where a fault has left 483 ESB customers without electricity this afternoon.

An outage affecting customers island wide on Inis Meain is causing problems for more than just home electricity.

While an issue caused by stormy conditions at Carraroe has cut the electricity supply to 107 homes on the island, it has also affected their water supply, making it impossible to pump from the reservoir.

This means that residents of Inis Meain will be without a regular water supply until the fault is repaired, with work expected to continue into tomorrow.

There are also currently 113 properties without power in Headford, along with another 46 in Claregalway and 89 in Curra.

While the bulk of these outages are currently expected to be repaired before 1pm, the ESB estimates that it will take until 4pm on Wednesday before Inis Meain’s issues are resolved.

Two weather warnings remain in force for Galway today

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

The worst of Storm Ciara has passed by without major flooding or other damage to Galway, but two weather warnings remain in force today.

Two status yellow weather warnings have been issued by Met Eireann which cover Galway today, one for wind, and one for snow and ice.

Throughout the weekend Galway was under multiple Status Orange alerts for heavy winds gusting up to 130km/hr, with a strong risk of coastal flooding.

The last of those weather warnings expired at 8pm on Monday, but Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare and Kerry are still covered by a status yellow wind warning which will remain in force until 8pm tonight.

Winds reaching average speeds of 50-65km/hr are expected throughout the day, with gusts reaching up to 110km/hr, strongest in coastal areas.

A separate snow/ice weather warning is in place across Ireland today. It came into effect on Monday and will remain in place until midnight tonight.

More wintry showers are expected throughout the day, with further accumulations of snow expected according to Met Eireann, especially in the west and north.

Galway was battered by frequent heavy showers of rain and hail yesterday, with further showers expected today, mixed with sunny spells.

Temperatures will reach lows of 2 degrees Celsius in Galway tonight, with showers of snow forecast in some inland parts of the county.

A Status Orange marine warning is also in place today, with westerly winds to reach gale force 8 or strong gale 9 today on all Irish coastal waters and on the Irish Sea, occasionally touching storm force 10.

Galway West: Hildegarde Naughton holds the final seat as Kyne out

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Galway West Hildegarde Naughton takes the final seat

The race has run its course in Galway West, and Hildegarde Naughton has become the final TD elected in Galway.

The Fine Gael TD took the final seat in Galway West on the 13th count, defeating her party colleague Seán Kyne in the final run, with Kyne now losing his seat.

There’s little surprise in this final outcome, as Naughton already held a 1,500 vote lead on Kyne going into this count.

With the only transfers up for grabs being the roughly 2,400 surplus of Catherine Connolly, it would have take a near miracle to turn that outcome around.

Naughton ultimately finished with 9,519 votes, below the quota but well ahead of Kyne’s 7,574 as she received almost twice as many transfers from Connolly.

This means that four of Galway West’s five TDs have been re-elected to their seats, with the only new addition being Mairéad Farrell of Sinn Féin.

Farrell performed extremely well for her first run, especially after losing her city council seat in 2016, coming in second place.

Also returned to their seats were Eamon Ó Cuív (FF), Noel Grealish (Ind), and Catherine Connolly (Ind).

Galway West was the final constituency in Galway to report its results, with Galway East finishing among the fastest in the country yesterday, and Roscommon-Galway winding up earlier this afternoon.

Flooding blocks local road outside Tuam

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily weather Weather warning for heavy rain in Galway tonight

Flooding caused by heavy wind and rainfall from Storm Ciara has caused the blockage of a local road outside Tuam today.

Galway County Council reports that the L6113 at Castlemoyle Bridge to the east of Tuam is currently closed due to flooding.

Diversions have been put in place for motorists travelling in the area.

Galway is currently under two weather warnings issued by Met Eireann, a Status Orange wind warning which will remain in force until 8pm this evening.

During that time winds of up to 80km/hr and gusts reaching 130km/hr can be expected, with a risk of coastal flooding as well due to stormy conditions and Spring Tides.

A snow/ice weather warning has also been issued and will remain in force throughout Ireland until midnight on Thursday.

Widespread wintry showers are expected today and tomorrow, with some accumulations of snowfall in the west Met Eireann has said.

As soon as the status orange warning expires this evening it will be replaced with a status yellow wind warning for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare and Kerry.

During this time sustained winds of 65km/hr and gusts reaching 110km/hr can be expected overnight and into Tuesday.

The warning will remain in force for the western counties until 8pm on Tuesday.

On top of heavy winds Galway has also experienced frequent heavy showers of rain today, along with some sleet and hail.

More of this is expected to follow tonight and into tomorrow, with a cold, icy start to the day where there is already snowfall in places.

Galway West: Catherine Connolly elected on 12th count

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Catherine Connolly named first female Leas Cheann Comhairle in Dáil's history

Catherine Connolly has become the latest candidate to be returned in Galway West as counting begins to wind down.

The Independent TD was re-elected on the 12th count, surging past the quota in Galway West with 12,486 votes after picking up more than 3,500 from Niall Ó Tnuthail.

This leaves just one seat open in the constituency, a competition between sitting Fine TDs Hildegarde Naughton and Seán Kyne.

Naughton is almost certain be returned to the final seat as she hold a 1,500 vote lead over Kyne with 8,536 votes, though she has yet to reach the quota.

Catherine Connolly’s surplus votes will now be redistributed for the final count, but the result is all but foregone in the 13th count.

Kyne, the government Chief Whip, will be the only sitting TD in Galway West who was not returned to their seat after Sinn Féin Mairéad Farrell pushed her way to second place in the polling.

Ros na Rún: Nathan is almost ready to come clean

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily arts culture Ros na Rún episode 47 billing

This week on Ros na Rún, Pádraig and Katy clash over award recognition, while Nathan is almost ready to reveal everything to Bobbi Lee.

With Gaudi winning a prestigious award, Pádraig feels blindsided by Katy, believing he was instrumental in this achievement and that he should be recognised accordingly. 

Katy, however does not see his point of view. When she refuses to grant him a reference Pádraig makes a drastic decision.

Is he finally going to leave Ros na Rún behind and start a new life elsewhere? 

Bobbi Lee is playing Florence Nightingale, mothering poor Nathan back to health while languishing in her life saving efforts. 

Nathan sees such a maternal exterior in Bobbi Lee, that he decides, once and for all to reveal all. Will Bobbi Lee be receiving a Mothers Day card from her son this year?

Meanwhile, Berni makes a shocking discovery that could alter her life forever.  

Máire suffers a severe rash on her face, believing that it came from Caitríona’s lotion.

When Máire takes to expressing her dissatisfaction on her Vlog, Caitríona is incensed. 

Catch all of this and more on TG4 at 8:30pm on Tuesday, with the fallout from all this still to come later in the week.

More than 2,500 properties without power in Galway

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Storm Isha: Over 6,000 properties without power in Galway this morning

More than 2,500 homes and businesses in Galway city and county are being affected by multiple power outages in the wake of poor weather conditions.

ESB crews are dealing with fifteen separate power outages across Galway with severe weather still coming in the aftermath of Storm Clair.

A Status Orange wind warning remains in force in Galway until 8pm this evening, with winds gusting up to 130km/hr cautioned by Met Eireann.

The single largest outage in Galway is in Headford, where 1,349 properties are currently without electricity.

Claregalway is experiencing four separate power outages which are affecting a combined total of 542 homes and businesses.

Other outages are affecting 10 premises in Ballinrobe, 20 in Curra, 117 in Athenry, 141 properties in Glenamaddy, and 148 homes and businesses in Clifden.

In Galway City the issues are divided between a fault in the Salthill area which is only affecting 30 homes, and multiple outages in Ballybrit Business Park affecting 182 properties.

Roscommon-Galway: Claire Kerrane of Sinn Féin takes final seat

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Galway TD calls for full restoration of Pandemic Unemployment Payment

All three seats have been filled in Roscommon-Galway on the sixth count, with Claire Kerrane of Sinn Féin taking the third spot.

The Sinn Féin candidate was deemed elected without reaching the quota in Roscommon-Galway, finishing with 10,545 votes after the redistribution of Denis Naughten’s surplus.

Naughten was elected on the fifth count, well after fellow Independent Michael Fitzmaurice sailed over the quota on the first count.

Eugene Murphy of Fianna Fáil failed to hold onto his seat, finishing with 9,204 votes.

Counting in Roscommon-Galway was delayed overnight due to a power outage, only getting back underway at 12pm today.

The constituency has made history after Murphy’s loss, with no candidate from either Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil elected.

This also marks Sinn Féin’s second TD in Galway, and their first in the constituency in more than a century.

Galway West: Ó Cuiv, Farrell, and Grealish elected as three seats filled

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news EU elections hustings

The first three seats have been filled in Galway West as Eamon Ó Cuív and Noel Grealish were re-elected, and Mairéad Farrell took a seat for Sinn Féin.

Eamon Ó Cuív topped the polls for Fianna Fáil in Galway West, coming away with 14.1% of 1st preference votes and finishing with 11,910 votes.

He was followed in second place by Mairéad Farrell, who took a seat for Sinn Féin on her first run after losing her seat on the city council last year.

Farrell finished with 10,340 votes having taken 14% of 1st preferences.

Noel Grealish has also been returned as an Independent candidate with 10,393 votes after coming in third with 13.3% of 1st preferences.

These three made it over the quota after the redistribution of Ollie Crowe’s votes after the seventh count, ending Fianna Fáil ambitions of holding two seats in the constituency.

The race is now on for the final two seats, after the distribution of their surplus votes in the night count.

Independent Catherine Connolly looks likely to retain her seats, picking up 633 transfers from those three to put her at 8,772.

The real toss up is between which of the two outgoing Fine Gael candidates will retain their seats, Seán Kyne or Hildegarde Naughton.

Naughton currently holds a substantial lead with almost a thousand votes more than Kyne at 7,366.

But that could change as Niall Ó Tuathaill of the Social Democrats next up to be eliminated and his 6,000 plus votes redistributed.

Either way, the final look of Galway West is likely to look very similar to 2016, with the addition of Mairead Farrell the only change.

Up to 10,000 pilgrims expected for Galway Novena

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news
The Novena at Galway Cathedral.

The annual Galway Solemn Novena is returning to the city next week, with up to 10,000 pilgrims expected in Galway

The annual Novena will take place from Monday, Februrary 17 through to Tuesday, February 25 at Galway Cathedral.

Over 300 volunteers will be involved in coordinating this week long event, along with a Redemptorist team of 12 people and Cathedral staff.

Now in its 39th year, this year’s Novena has taken its theme from a letter written by Pope Francis in 2018 entitled ‘Rejoice and be Glad, on the Call to Holiness in today’s World, Called to be Saints, Living the Beatitudes’.

In it the Pope expressed that people are called to be holy in their life’s journey, referring specifically to the living of the Beatitudes as a way of achieving holiness.

On the first day of the novena the reflection will address the theme of holiness in a general way. On each of the remaining eight days the reflection will be based on one of the beatitudes and how it can be a means to grow in holiness.

The preachers this year are Clare Gilmore who graduated in theology in 2000. She has worked in youth ministry, hospital chaplaincy and adult faith development.

She preaches parish missions and novenas and is currently working in Drumalis Retreat Centre, Co. Antrim.

Ordained in 1991, Fr Denis Luddy has preached parish missions and novenas throughout the country, and is currently based in the Redemptorist Community in Esker, Athenry.

Fr Brendan Callanan has worked for 33 years in South America and is currently superior of the Redemptorist Community in Esker, Athenry.

Novena schedule

There are six sessions scheduled each day, on weekdays the times are 7:30am, 11am, 1:10pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm and 9pm.

On Sunday the times are 9am, 10:30am, 12:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm and 8pm.

On Thursday, February 20 there are three sessions (7.30am, 1.10pm and 9.00pm) dedicated to the theme of Reconciliation.

While on Saturday, February 22 the 11am session will include the Anointing of the Sick, and a blessing of the babies will take place after each of the six sessions the following Sunday.

The early morning weekday masses will begin at 7:30am for the early risers and those that wish to take in the Novena before beginning their day.

Candle Light meditation sessions will take place at 10pm on Fenbruary 19 and 24, and last about an hour.

This year’s Solemn Novena features 62 hymns which will be performed by Galway Cathedral Organists and cantors from the Redemptorist Novena team.

At each of the two late night sessions there will be live music and reflections which lends to a very relaxing and quiet time within.

Gardaí identify body found in Barna in 2014

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news

Gardaí have managed to formally identify the body of a man found in Barna back in September 2014 thanks to new information.

The man’s body was found in Rusheen Bay Woods, Barna on September 27, 2014 by a man walking his dog.

His death was treated as a personal tragedy, however as no form of identification was found with the deceased and he had very few items in his possession, it was not possible to establish his identity.

Despite extensive investigations, with dental records and fingerprints taken, and both national and international databases of missing persons queried, Gardaí were unable to identify the man.

A facial reconstruction was also carried out by Dr Christopher Rynn from the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee, in Scotland.

Public appeals for information have been issued by Gardaí in the media in the months and years, leading to new information coming to light in recent weeks.

Two Polish individuals contacted the gardaí to say that a Polish man had been living with them in a house in Galway for a brief period in late September 2014 and had advised them to rent his room out after a certain period of time if he did not return.

One of the items found on the deceased man was a silver key, which was found to match the old locking mechanism in that house.

Based on this line of inquiry a DNA comparison was conducted via Interpol in Poland recently, which confirmed that the man was a Polish national.

Gardaí understand that the man travelled to the United States in the early 1990s from Poland and in 2014 travelled to Ireland within weeks of being found in Barna.

Superintendent Patrick McHugh said, “Great credit is due to the dedicated Gardaí who have been working this case to establish the identity of this man since 2014.”

“The circumstances of this case are both sad and tragic. The family and An Garda Síochána are grateful to the individuals who came forward to provide us with the key to solving this matter.”

“Taking the crucial step of contacting the Gardaí has ensured that this man’s family are now aware of the whereabouts of their loved one”.

At the time he was buried in Bohermore cemetery due to a lack of formal identification.

The man’s relatives have been contacted and a file will now be prepared for the County Coroner.

Although this man’s death was treated as a personal tragedy An Garda Síochána in Salthill did not close the investigation into the identity of this man and this has ensured that his family now have some closure.

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