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Mayor Mike Cubbard to stand in the general election

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Ring out the year with a cheer for frontline workers in Christmas convoy

Mayor of Galway City Mike Cubbard has announced that he will stand in the coming general election as an Independent candidate.

The next general election will take place on Saturday, February 8 it was announced this week, with the President formally dissolving the Dáil yesterday at the request of the Taoiseach.

Mike Cubbard was first elected to the city council in 2014, and after the local elections last year the Westside native was chosen as Mayor.

Mayor Cubbard said that with six years of experience in local politics under his belt, he believes that he’s ready to represent Galway at Dáil Éireann.

“I ask that you give me a chance to show I can bring my work rate and passion for Galway to the Dáil,” Mike Cubbard said.

“Housing is in a crisis, record numbers are on trollies in our hospitals, children are waiting 12 months for surgery, mental health supports are non existent from Government, our defence forces work for below minimum wage in poor conditions and people such as carers and those with disabilities are forgotten about.”

Mayor Cubbard said that climate change and environmental protection are also key issues for him.

He added that while he will be campaigning on these issues, he won’t try to “sell you a manifesto”, also saying that he will not be using any election posters for his campaign.

This will be the first time since 1918 that an election will take place on a Saturday, and it’s expected that the new Dáil will be convened on Thursday, February 20.

Galway issued its third weather warning this week

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily weather Met Eireann weather warning in force for Galway today

Before our current weather warning has even expired, Met Eireann has issued yet another Status Yellow alert for Galway.

There is currently a status yellow weather warning for high winds in effect in Galway which will expire at 6pm this evening.

But don’t get too comfortable or plan any long walks by the cliffs, as another wind warning for Galway, Donegal, and Mayo will be in place from 3am on Thursday morning until 8pm that evening.

This too warns of sustained westerly winds of 50-65km/hr and gusts reaching up to 110km/hr which will be strongest on coasts and hills.

This is one of four status yellow wind warnings which Met Eireann has issued for Thursday, all of which forecast similar strength winds.

One alert has been issued just for Kerry from midnight tonight to noon on Thursday, another will be in effect in Wicklow from 6am to 4pm tomorrow, while the last covers Wexford, Waterford, and Cork from 2am to 2pm.

Galway has had three weather warnings so far this week, the first of which was a Status Orange warning issued for Storm Brendan on Monday, which saw late flooding in Salthill.

Temperatures in Galway tomorrow while this warning is in effect are expected to range from

Man fined for assault that left victim needing six stitches

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily courts Man charged with possessing images of child sex abuse
credit: Robert Linsdell CC BY 2.0 'The Courthouse, Courthouse Square, Galway'

A surprise assault in Oranmore left the victim needing six stitches after getting punched in the head and kicked in the forecourt of a Centra.

Eoghan Nalty, with an address at Cuirt na hAbhainn in Claregalway, pleaded guilty to one count of Assault Causing Harm at Galway District Court this week.

The court heard that on December 1 of last year Mr Nalty had been drinking at an 18th birthday party in Oranmore, and some time later was at Texaco/Centra on Main Street queuing to get food.

There was a significant number of people in the queue, and some shoving ensued. When the victim went to leave, Nalty followed him into the forecourt and punched him in the side of the face, knocking him to the ground.

While on the ground Nalty kicked him twice, and Garda McWalter told the court that the victim briefly lost consciousness.

As a result of this incident Mr Fee was first taken to the A&E, and then got six stitches from his GP.

Solicitor for the accused Sean Acton said that his client was immediately distraught by his actions, and Garda McWalter agreed that he was “visibly upset” in cctv footage from the forecourt.

On December 18 the 19 year old man voluntarily came to the garda station to be interviewed, where he was fully cooperative and admitted his actions.

Mr Acton said that his client, who has no previous criminal convictions, wanted to publicly apologise for his actions, for which he is “deeply ashamed”.

The man who was assaulted said that he would know Mr Nalty to see him as they’re both from Claregalway, but that they’d never had any issues beforehand.

He had been out drinking with work colleagues and was at Centra that evening to get a bottle of water prior the assault.

When asked by Judge Mary Fahy how this incident had affected him he said that while he wasn’t great at the time, he’s since gotten over it.

He told the judge that wasn’t interested in compensation of any kind, and said that he just wanted this over with.

Judge Fahy fined Eoghan Nalty €750 for this assault and gave him six months to pay.

Galway football team named for FBD final

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily sport Planning refused again for Oughterard sports facilities

The Galway football team which will face Roscommon in the FBD Insurance League Final this Saturday has been named.

The FBD football final will take place at Hyde Park this Saturday with throw-in at 2pm.

Galway secured their place in the final after beating Mayo at Elverys McHale Park last Saturday.

It was a close run match, with both sides tied at 1-17 apiece at full time, but Galway came out on top 3-2 in the penalty shoot out.

Roscommon qualified for the final earlier the same day after triumphing over Leitrim at Pairc Sean MacDiarmada.

A number of changes have been made to the lineup from the semi-final side, with the full team as follows:

1-Ronan Ó Beolain

2-Conor Campbell

3-Sean Mulkerrin

4-Johnny Duane

5-Eamon Brannigan

6-John Daly

7-Cillian McDaid

8-Tom Flynn

9-Cein D’Arcy

10-Sean Kelly

11-Michael Daly

12-Mikey Boyle

13-Robert Finnerty

14-Shane Walsh (Capt)

15-Adrian Varley

City bar raises €2,385 for Australian firefighters with table quiz

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news City bar raises €2,385 for Australian firefighters with pub quiz

A local bar has joined the worldwide efforts in support of Australia’s firefighters, raising €2,385 with a table quiz and raffle.

1520 Bar in the city’s Latin Quarter held a fundraising table quiz and raffle this week to support the firefighters grappling with raging wildfires of unprecedented scale and severity in Australia.

Thirty seven teams took part in the table quiz, raising €2,385 which has been donated directly to the cause.

The very successful raffle included a signed Connacht Rugby jersey singed by captain Jarad Butler, and prizes from companies such as Medasthetics, Active Fitness, Hyde Bar, The Clayton Hotel, Hendricks, Richmond Marketing and lots more.

General Manager of 1520 James O’Neill said they were completely blown away by the response to the event, adding that it shows just how much people have been touched by this tragedy, even on the far side of the world.

“We were hoping for 20-25 tables but the teams just kept coming, people were so accommodating as every available space was taken up with teams.”

“It was a truly special night and we were delighted to be able to play our part in raising funds for this heart-breaking situation.”

Wildfires raging across multiple provinces and islands in Australia have already killed at least 28 people including multiple firefighters, and that death toll is expected to rise as more people become accounted for.

Thousands more have been displaced as their homes have been destroyed by fires.

The fires, which are the worst endured by Australia in decades, have put the country’s system of volunteer firefighters in the spotlight, as the blazes continue to rage and many go months away from work.

A number of other fundraisers are due to take place in the city including a barbeque in The Universal, a Table Quiz in Darcy’s Bar with the Skeff Bar and Kinlay Hostel also raising much-needed funds to support the cause.

GMIT open evening for further education options and mature students

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Free GMIT food entrepreneurship course course returns

GMIT are hosting an open day at their Galway campus next week for Further Education, PLC and mature students interested in third-level education.

The “Pathways to GMIT” event will provide information about full-time CAO courses, part-time and online courses on offer in all GMIT’s campuses in Galway and Mayo.

There will be talks for graduates of further education courses and mature students on how to apply to GMIT, as well as an intro to the part-time and online courses on offer, student supports, and a careers’ talk, with careers advisors also available for individual consultations throughout the evening.

Lorraine Cunningham, GMIT Schools Liaison Officer, says students who have completed a Level 5 or 6 course and have laid a “fantastic foundation” for continuing to the next stage of third level study.

“An advantage of having FE/PLC course prior to attending third level is that it teaches students the importance of planning, preparation, good communication and working to deadlines.”

Mature students also tend to have developed these self same skills due to their life experience, Lorraine Cunningham added.

Emily King, GMIT’s Graduate and Professional Development Office, says “We offer a focused range of life-long learning opportunities to allow people to upskill and respond to the challenges of the modern workplace.”

“Opportunities include a host of Springboard+, part-time and online courses that combine the most up-to-date industry-aligned theory with essential practical skills.”

A list of GMIT courses available in Galway can be found here, while those available at their Mayo campus can be seen here.

The open evening will take place next Wednesday, January 22 from 5pm to 7pm, register for your place online at Eventbrite.

This year Galway-Mayo IT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT are working towards becoming a Technological University for the west and northwest of Ireland under the banner of the Connacht-Ulster Alliance.

UHG is the most overcrowded hospital in the country today

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Briain Kelly
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UHG has claimed an ignoble crown as the single most overcrowded hospital in Ireland today figures from the INMO show.

There are a staggering 63 patients without a proper bed at UHG this morning, 20 more than yesterday and almost double Monday’s figure as overcrowding has jumped in the midweek.

There are a further 10 patients on trolleys or packed into overcrowded wards at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe today, more than twice the number from Tuesday.

According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s daily Trolley/Ward Watch there are a total of 527 patients without a bed in public hospitals today.

After UHG come the usual offenders of Cork University Hospital with 54 patients without a bed, and University Hospital Limerick, which is having a slightly better than average day with 45 patients on trolleys.

Hospital overcrowding has gotten worse than ever in the new year, with the first week of 2020 the worst week seen since records began.

For two consecutive days there were 760 people on trolleys in January, the worst single day figure ever seen by a significant margin.

Galway’s Westend launches plant based reusable water bottle

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news westend reusable water bottle

Dong their part for the environment, Galway’s Westend have launched a corn starch plant based reusable water bottle to cut down on plastic waste.

This reusable bottle water bottle initiative is a directive from the Westend Traders Association aims to encourage all traders and people who eat, drink or just socialise in the area to curb their single plastic usage.

An estimated 183 million litres of water were bought in the Republic of Ireland in 2017 according to Drinks Industry Ireland.

When thinking about that amount, it’s also worth keeping in mind that bottled water requires up to 2,000 times the energy used to produce tap water.

The association has been campaigning for a public water refill station to be installed in the area since early 2019.

Now, however, they have taken action themselves together with the Train Station Gym and installed a filtered water refill station at the Gym’s reception on Munster Avenue.

“As we are still awaiting local government to make a public water refill station a reality, we needed to find a home for a refill water station on private property,” explained Lisa Reagan.

She added that the gym was a perfect choice since it lets people fill up from the early morning until late in the evening, and also because a gym typically sees a lot of single use water bottle usage.

“This new refill station will give no excuses for anyone not having a refill bottle and using the filtered water refill station there to hydrate themselves”.

Ronan Kennedy of the Train Station said that after speaking with Lisa he was delighted to take part in the water bottle initiative.

“We are determined to have single use water bottles banned entirely from the gym by the end of January, and with the New Year and all the resolutions that come with it, what better time than now?”

The Galways Westend plant-based water reusable bottles are available at The Train Station Gym, Massimo Galway, Botown or Greens and Co. and are priced at €10.

Simon Heaslip Chairman of Westend Traders Association said that they have been working on this initiative since last September, with the source of the bottles being a key focus.

“Working together in this area is the reason why we can get things done and across the line. It is really for the greater good of our area and the environment,” he added.

The area is also part of the national Refill.ie campaign and businesses within the area with a Refill.ie Sticker allow you to refill your bottle at their location. This can be viewed on the Tap Map on www.refill.ie.

Fresh weather warning issued for Galway

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily weather Wind Warning in effect as crappy day ahead for Galway

A Status Yellow weather warning for high winds will be in place in Galway tonight, just a day after Storm Brendan passed through.

A weather warning for Galway, Mayo, and Donegal has been issued by Met Eireann, forecasting winds of 50 – 65km/hr and gusts reaching up to 100km/hr.

The alert will be in place from 10pm on Tuesday night, lasting through the night until 6pm on Wednesday.

There is also a risk of coastal flooding around the period of high tides.

This latest weather warning comes just a day after a Status Orange warning for Storm Brendan which, at its worst, saw over 7,500 homes in Galway lose power.

Last night Salthill was flooded on the evening tide as Storm Brendan picked up strength towards its end, causing overtopping down at the Prom.

The weather in Galway has been unsettled throughout the day, with scattered showers getting heavy at times.

Two status yellow marine warnings have also been issued by Met Eireann this evening, a gale warning and a small craft warning.

The gale warning forecasts Southwest gales developing this evening and tonight on coasts from Loop Head to Erris Head to Fair Head and on the North Irish Sea, with winds increasing to strong gale force at times from Erris Head to Malin Head.

The small craft warning states that Southwest winds will reach force 6 or more today, tonight and tomorrow on coasts from Fair Head to Carlingford Lough to Howth Head.

Temperatures in Galway this evening are expected to range between 4 and 7 degrees celcius.

Conor Burke named Solidarity election candidate for Galway West – South Mayo

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Conor Burke solidarity election candidate

Solidarity has named Conor Burke as their candidate to stand in the Galway West – South Mayo constituency in the upcoming election.

It was announced by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar today that the next general election will take place on Saturday, February 8.

Mr Burke has been nominated to stand in for Solidarity as one of their founding members with a history of activism in relation to housing, the environment, water charges, the 8th amendment, and marriage equality.

Mr Burke said that in the current climate, many young workers, students and families are struggling to make ends meet.

“Massive increases in rents, insurance costs and the general cost of living are contributing to the deprivation of many people,” he said.

“The so called economic recovery has largely bypassed many low and middle income people leading to a situation of massively increased inequality within our society.”

He warned that some are predicting another global economic downturn, which he said would have a “catastrophic” impact on Ireland as a small, open economy.

“Fundamental weaknesses” in our economic system will “come back to haunt us sooner or later” Burke said, dismissing any praise for Fine Gael’s governance.

“Our national debt has actually more than doubled since the bank bailouts in 2008, which isn’t as much of a problem when the economy is growing but if another harsh recession is immanent we will be back to looking at our debt to GDP ratio and the likely spectre of more crippling austerity.”

In fact the national debt now stands at €215 billion, many times larger than in 2008 when the figure was €43 billion.

Conor Burke said that people need to go into this election with their eyes open and keeping these financial realities in mind.

“In that context we need strong left wing and socialist voices in the Dail that will fight in the interests of low paid and middle income workers, while also tackling the housing and health crises,” he concluded.

Joe Loughnane named PBP candidate for general election in Galway West

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Joe Loughnane suspended from PBP

People Before Profit have announced that their local candidate for the general election next month will be Joe Loughnane, running in Galway West.

It was announced by the Taoiseach this morning that the next general election will take place on Saturday, February 8 as the

Adrian Curran, a branch spokesperson, said that Loughnane is an ideal candidate for them because he is not a career politician, but an activist.

“He has campaigned for public housing, environmental issues and worked extensively for the pro-choice movement in the city. He has also been working very closely with various groups in an anti-racist capacity.”

Loughnane is the founder of the Galway Anti-Racism Network and the Galway branch of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and has also been heavily involved in student activism, housing protests, and the Yes campaign last year.

As well as his history of speaking out against discrimination against minorities, PBP Galway said that they believe Loughnane would bring principled, socialist solutions to the Dáil that would benefit working people.

“It isn’t enough for modern socialists to just point the finger at problems. You have to bring solutions to the table,” Joe Loughnane said.

“And whether it’s around housing, transport or the environment, we believe People Before Profit have the policies that will give Galway the best chance of turning the tide on these issues.”

Other issues which Loughnane said he will be campaigning on include environmentalism, public transport fares, waste management, and supporting the arts in Galway.

Orla Leyden added to Fianna Fáil ticket in Roscommon-Galway for general election

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Orla Leyden Roscommon Galway Fianna Fáil general election

Roscommon County Councillor Orla Leyden has been added to the Fianna Fáil ticket in Roscommon-Galway for the coming general election.

She will contest Roscommon-Galway in the general election next month along with her party colleague Eugene Murphy who is looking to retain his seat.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced this morning after meeting with the Cabinet that the election will be held on Saturday, February 8.

Cllr. Orla Leyden was first elected to Roscommon County Council in 2004 and has been returned to a seat on the council on four separate occasions.

She said that it is an honour to now contest for a seat in the Dáil on behalf of Fianna Fáil, and pointed to her extensive experience in local government as a strength.

“Having served on our local authority since 2004 I want the opportunity to effect greater change for individuals and families and to make things happen for our towns, villages, rural areas and communities on a national level.”

“I bring experience, commitment and determination and a great understanding of politics and community development, working on projects in Roscommon-Galway throughout my life.”

Councillor Leyden said that health and housing policies have been a failure under successive Fine Gael governments, adding that home ownership is an “unattainable ambition” for many people.

She pledged to run a poster free campaign “in the interest of the environment and local amenities”. The environmental impact of political campaign posters was a hot button issue during the local elections last year.

The Fianna Fáil councillor concluded by saying that the coming election will be “critical to the futures of many” and that she looks forward to working with Eugene Murphy for the coming campaign.

Share your love of science with FameLab Galway

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily science Share your love of science at FameLab Galway

NUIG is once again calling for scientists and science enthusiasts to share their love of any topic with audiences at FameLab Galway.

FameLab is the world’s largest science communication competition, taking place in 30 countries, where people are challenged to explain a complex topic quickly and in a plain speak.

With science becoming increasingly specialised, those working in the field can struggle to explain their projects to colleagues let alone the general public.

And explaining what it is you’re doing and what you hope to learn is a pretty important part of science, whether you’re begging for fund, trying to explain why your results are a big deal, or convincing the angry mob that you’re not a witch.

The FameLab competition, an initiative of the Cheltenham Science Festival, recognises this and challenges up and coming scientists, engineers and mathematicians to explain a complex idea in a straightforward and engaging way.

For the fifth year running NUIG is holding one of four regional heats for FameLab here in Galway, this year taking place on February 19.

Using just a small number of props people will have three minutes to explain their chosen topic to the judges and the crowd.

Expect to hear anything from why men have nipples to how 3D glasses work, and is nuclear energy a good or bad thing.

Presentations will then be judged according to FameLab’s “3 Cs”: Content, Clarity and Charisma.

The competition is open to people who apply STEM subjects in their work, in the armed forces or for the government, academics, and students.

Winning contestants from FameLab Galway will attend an all-expenses paid two-day communication masterclass over a weekend in March, and participate in the All-Ireland final held in Cork on Wednesday, April 15.

The winner will represent Ireland at the FameLab international finals at the Cheltenham Science Festival with representatives from organisations like NASA and CERN.

Training for FameLab Galway entrants will take place in Galway on Wednesday, 29 January, with the Regional heat scheduled for Wednesday, 19 February in An Taibhdhearc.

To register for this training event please fill out the online form here, and to take part in the regional heat in Galway next month, register here by Friday, February 8.

New study looking for people who have experienced medical error at GP

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Michael Malone
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Galway Daily news Plans submitted for new Galway City Primary Care Centre

Researchers at NUI Galway are looking for participants for a study on medical errors in General Practice.

The research team from the School of Medicine at the University is currently recruiting people who have experienced a medical error.

Those who are willing to take part will be interviewed briefly about their experience either over the phone, or in person.

The overall aim of the study is to find out about problems that commonly arise in general practice and how they can be avoided in the future.

It will allow the researchers to identify a number of contributory factors to errors in general practice, which will enable the design and implementation of future safety strategies to reduce patient harm.

Medical errors could include events like a missed or delayed diagnosis, incorrect drug dosage, inappropriate medication prescribed, a referral error, or a lapse in communication with the practice.

The study will benefit both GPs and patients.

Caoimhe Madden, a PhD researcher in the School of Medicine at NUI Galway, who is leading the study, said: “Unfortunately the patient perspective is often overlooked in patient safety research. However, we believe that patient stories can provide us with a valuable insight, and enable our understanding of what areas need to be improved upon in general practice.”

Professor Andrew Murphy, GP and Professor of General Practice at NUI Galway, said: “Patient safety is a real priority for all general practitioners. It is important that the patient voice is also heard in this vital area.”

For more information or to participate in the ASPIRE study, contact Caoimhe Madden, School of Medicine, NUI Galway at caoimhe.madden@nuigalway.ie or 091 495205.

Man jailed for threatening and abusive behaviour in Eyre Square

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily Controversial plans to rename Galway City landmarks

A man was given a six month jail sentence for repeated threatening and abusive behaviour in Eyre Square, which included menacing people with an umbrella.

Thomas Ward (25), with addresses at Glimartin Road, Tuam and Fairgreen Hostel in Galway, appeared before Galway District Court on a multitude of public order charges for public drunkenness as well as threatening and abusive behaviour.

Ward was charged with three counts of threatening or abusive behaviour under Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, and three of public intoxication under Section 4 of the same act.

He was also charged with one count of failing to appear at a court date while on bail on July 29 of last year, and handling stolen cider last September 8.

Mr Ward pleaded guilty to all of the charges before Galway District Court.

In one of the instances of threatening or abusive behaviour the court heard that Mr Ward was fighting in Eyre Square, and swinging an umbrella at a group of people.

Solicitor for the defence Sean Acton said that his client has severe alcohol addiction and frequently finds himself homeless.

Three bench warrants were issued for Mr Ward as this case moved through the courts after he failed to show up for court dates.

Judge Mary Fahy said that this limited her options as “He’s not going to do community service, he’s not going to show up for [probation] appointments”.

On the three charges of threatening or abusive behaviour Judge Fahy sentenced Ward to a total of five months in prison. Two of the public intoxication charges were taken into consideration on his plea, while a €100 fine was imposed on the third.

For the Failure to Appear and Handling charges the court imposed one month and two month sentences respectively, both of which will be served concurrently to the other sentences.

Local jobs are key issue in rural constituencies – Naughten

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news State more focused on defending litigation then protecting children Naughten says

Sustaining and growing local jobs will be a key election issue in rural constituencies on Roscommon-Galway TD has said.

Independent TD Denis Naughten said that rural areas are losing jobs every week in favour of cities, something which will be a crucial issued in the upcoming general election.

The economy is close to full employment now, but people in rural areas still “leave their homes early in the morning, sit in traffic and arrive home late in the evening because they are unable to work locally,” Naughten said.

Deputy Naughten acknowledged that there has been significant investment in infrastructure particularly in our towns and rural areas over the last four years, in sport, recreation and tourism facilities, digital hubs, broadband and enterprise centres.

This infrastructure must now be leveraged to ” convert this into local work opportunities, by relocating existing jobs from our cities as well as creating new jobs.”

“And this is not just in new technology, it’s also about supporting and growing our farming and food sectors with the focus on making our family farms financially viable by improving prices and supports.”

An announcement on the next general election could be made as soon as today. An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that he would make no announcement before meeting with the Cabinet to discuss a date this morning.

The Taoiseach also said that he will speak with the leader of the opposition, and the Dáil will reconvene as planned on Wednesday after the Christmas and New Year’s recess.

Denis Naughten said that there was little investment in rural areas in 2016, claiming that as the only independent rural minister he was determined to turn this around and was a key supporter of creating a new department to handle rural affairs as well as other investment initiatives in rural areas.

“But this investment now needs to be converted into local jobs right across Ireland which will not only help to support our local towns, schools & villages but it will also take huge pressure off our congested cities, like Dublin & Galway, which are struggling to cope,” concluded Denis Naughten.

It was previously believed that the next general election might take place in April or May, but an early February election now seems more likely with a no-confidence motion in Simon Harris due to come before the Dáil on February.

The government only narrowly won a vote of confidence on Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy with the support of independents, and its probable the Taoiseach will want to avoid this ever coming to the floor.

Taoiseach confirms February General Election date

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Michael Malone
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Galway Daily news Taoiseach Varadkar meeting with local businesses in Ballinasloe visit

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has confirmed that the General Election will take place on Saturday 8 February.

The Taoiseach told RTE at the weekend that he had made a decision about the date and confirmed to his cabinet today that the election will be held in 25 days.

It will be the first general election to take place on a Saturday since the first Irish general election in 1918.

This morning’s announcement comes just hours after pictures emerged online of Leo Varadkar’s team putting up posters in his constituency in Dublin.

Fine Gael is emphasising looking forward in its General Election slogan – ‘A Future to Look Forward to’.

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Sinn Fein has appointed Pearse Doherty as Director of Elections.

More to follow.

Galway village to get brand new AstroTurf pitch

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Michael Malone
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astroturf pitch galway daily

A new, full-sized AstroTurf pitch is to be developed in the east Galway village of New Inn.

The pitch will be the first of its kind in Co. Galway and will be developed by the New Inn Community Development Company.

This has been announced following the announcement of a €750,000 grant from the government’s Regional Sports Capital Fund.

This new development, a short distance from the M6, will be available for all sports and will serve a wide area across Galway and Roscommon.

The only other full-sized astro pitch in the region is near Ballyhaunis in Co Mayo.

Welcoming the news, Minister Ciaran Cannon said that the investment is not only wonderful news for New Inn, but also for the West of Ireland.

“This is a really strong commitment from our government to the development of healthy communities by providing state of the art community sports facilities that are available to all and it follows on from previous Sports Capital Grants which have supported the development of other excellent sports facilities at New Inn,” said the Galway East TD.

The €750,000 investment will also see the development of a walking circuit and a smaller Multi Use Games Area suitable for use by young children and people with special needs.

“I want to congratulate Chairman Paul Donohue, Secretary Michael Finnerty,

“Treasurer Aidan Donohue and Development Officer Padraic Kelly, the four directors of the New Inn Community Development Company who have shown real vision and ambition in seeking to develop this facility.

“I also want to thank my colleague Sports Minister Brendan Griffin, who also hails from a small rural community and understands the impact of this kind of investment in a rural region,” concluded Minister Cannon.

Ros na Rún: David wears out his welcome and Sorcha blows up at Cóilí Jackie

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily arts culture Ros na Rún episode 39 billing

Tensions come to a head this week in Ros na Rún as David wears out his welcome, while Sorcha and Cóilí Jackie have it out.

Mo and Colm have had just about enough of David as a third wheel in their home in Ros na Rún.

Tensions are raised further when Mo discovers that Tony’s goldfish is dead, and that David, unbeknownst to them, had been feeding it.

Will they show David the door for his indiscretions?

Cóilí Jackie is raging with Sorcha, and wants her to pay dearly for what she did to him. 

Sorcha tells him why she did it and if anybody should feel ashamed, it should be him.

Will this anger Cóilí Jackie further or help him find his cool?

Caitríona boasts about how many followers she has gained but Bobbi Lee accuses her of buying them.

Vince asks Caitríona if this is truth, a notion that Caitríona, but is she telling the truth?

To catch all of this and more watch Ros na Rún, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30pm on TG4.

Just two power outages remain in Galway after Storm Brendan

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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

Only two power outages remain in Galway this morning as the ESB has almost completely repaired damage caused by Storm Brendan yesterday.

The two power outages have left 154 homes and businesses without electricity, only a tiny fraction of more than 7,500 properties affected at the height of Storm Brendan yesterday.

A fault at Carraroe is causing an outage on Inis Mór affecting 92 homes. It was first reported at 1:30pm on Monday, and the ESB have given a repair time of 2:15pm this afternoon.

The second power outage remaining is at Creagh, and is affecting the electricity supply to 62 properties.  According to the ESB this outage will be repaired by 2pm this afternoon at the latest.

Galway escaped heavy damage from Storm Brendan for most of yesterday, which saw winds gusting up to 122km/hr at Mace Head weather station last night.

The worst of the damage in Galway city came last night, when Salthill was flooded on the evening tide after escaping any serious overtopping during the morning.

Despite warnings from the local councils, gardaí, and coast guard for people to stay away from exposed coasts, one person was filmed swimming at Blackrock during the height of the storm.

The weather remains unsettled today, with scattered rain expected throughout the morning and afternoon before clearing.

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