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NUIG’s Centre for Pain Research wins multiple awards for groundbreaking work

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news NUIG Centre for Pain Research wins multiple awards for groundbreaking research

The Centre for Pain Research at NUIG had a clean sweep of awards at the annual meeting of the Irish Pain Society, winning prizes in every category.

Researchers from the Centre for Pain Research won five awards in competitions judged by a panel of international experts who commended the high quality of their work.

Orla Mannion won Best Presentation at the Irish Pain Research Network short oral data blitz in work supervised by Professor David Finn and Professor Brian McGuire.

Her presentation showed that drugs which boost levels of the body’s own marijuana-like cannabinoids have the potential to be used as a treatment following groin hernia repair.

Rachel Humphrey won the Society’s Preclinical Research Medal for her poster showing that changes in how the brain processes pain could be a feature of being on the autism spectrum.

Her work also identified the regions of the brain which may be implicated in this process, and was supervised by Dr Michelle Roche and Professor David Finn.

Mehnaz Ferdousi won second prize in the preclinical poster category for her research on the effects of novel opioid drugs on pain, anxiety and depression related behaviour.

Her work was supervised by Professor David Finn, Dr Michelle Roche and Professor John Kelly.

Monika Pilch won the Clinical Research Medal for her poster showing how perspective taking influences what we pay attention to when evaluating facial expressions of pain.

Her work was carried out with Dr Denis O’Hora and Professor Brian McGuire.

And the final award won by the Centre for Pain Research was second prize in the clinical poster category won by Nessa Sweeney.

Her work, supervised by Dr Caroline Heary and Professor Brian McGuire, was on  examining the experience of young Irish mentors supporting adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

The two Directors of the Centre at NUIG, Professors Briain McGuire and David Finn, also took part in the 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society, delivering keynote addresses to an audience of scientists and healthcare practitioners from around the world.

Marking the Global Year against Pain in the Most Vulnerable, the meeting heard about challenges and opportunities in identifying and treating pain, and new and innovative approaches in research and clinical practice.

Man smashed taxi windscreen in Eyre Square by jumping on it

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Briain Kelly
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A young man from Westmeath was convicted of criminal damage in his absence this week for smashing the windscreen of a taxi in Eyre Square.

Robert Donoghue (27), of O’Connell Terrace in Mullingar, was due for a hearing on charges of criminal damage to a Nissan taxi at Galway District Court this week.

He failed to appear for his hearing, but the case proceeded in his absence and a bench warrant was issued for sentencing at its conclusion.

Garda Mary Kilcommons told the District Court that on September 27 of 2018 she had started her shift at 6:45am when she received a call about a taxi driver who said that a man had jumped on his windshield and smashed it.

The garda controller told her that the young man in question had been captured on cctv on Eglinton Street before getting in a car at Woodquay and going out the Headford road.

Gardaí followed the car and stopped it on Bothar na dTreabh with males inside. One of the men, Robert Donoghue, matched the description given by the taxi driver and garda controller and was subsequently arrested.

The taxi driver in question gave evidence in court about this incident. He said that he was on the start of his shift in Eyre Square when two young men approached his car.

Robert Donoghue stood at the front of the car while the other approached and asked for a lighter. When he told them he didn’t have one Donoghue became aggressive he said.

The driver said that he took out his phone to call gardaí, which was when Donoghue jumped on his windscreen, causing severe damage, before running away.

The driver said that he followed them on foot to Eglinton Street and called gardaí when he saw them go inside a business there.

The garda he spoke with on the phone said that they could see the entire incident on cctv.

Damages came to €400 the court was told. This included several days where the driver was out of work while a replacement windscreen was shipped in, as the required model wasn’t in stock at the time.

Gardaí told Judge Mary Fahy that the entire incident had been captured on cctv, but as the accused was not in court to challenge their evidence Judge Fahy said there was no need to play it.

The Pixies get an extra night at GIAF 2020 due to popular demand

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily arts & culture The Pixies GIAF tickets sell out in two hours

The Pixies will be playing for an additional date at the Heineken Big Top at next summer’s Galway International Arts Festival due to popular demand.

Rock legends The Pixies were previously announced to be playing the Big Top next July 17, and tickets for their show were completely sold out withing two hours of becoming available.

The Pixies will now also be taking to the stage the day beforehand on July 16. Tickets are priced at €52.5o and will go on sale at giaf.ie on Friday, December 6 at 9am.

That means one more opportunity to hear such hits as “Where is my Mind” and “Gigantic” live.

Demand for tickets is expected to be very strong so don’t miss the chance to experience one of the most influential bands of the last 30 years Live at the Heineken Big Top.

Galway International Arts Festival 2020 will run from July 13 – 26, with multiple headline acts already confirmed for the Big Top.

Celebrated electronic musician John Hopkins will play on July 25, and before him The Flaming Lips will make a much-anticipated return to the festival on July 18.

Local artists The Stunning will follow them on stage the very next night.

More acts will be announced in the weeks to come ahead of the full programme release in May 2020.

Galway International Arts Festival would like to acknowledge the support of its principal funding agencies the Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland, its Drinks Partner Heineken® and Education Partner NUI Galway.

Permission refused for broadband infrastructure on historic Clifden church

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Plans for broadband antennae on a Clfiden Church rejected again

Planning permission has been refused to install broadband infrastructure onto the tower of an historic church in Clifden.

Cignal Infrastructure sought approval to install six antennae and two transmission dishes on poles at Christ Church on Church Hill in Clifden to improve local broadband coverage.

The broadband equipment would have been installed in the tower room of the church. The Church of Ireland, owners of the building in question, sent a letter to the county council giving their approval for the development.

The project was meant to provide infrastructure for eir Mobile to improve their broadband and telecommunications coverage in the area, as well as one other future broadband provider.

Cignal proposed to mount the dishes and antennae to the outside of the bell tower of the church, with associated cabling and equipment kept in the upper floor of the tower.

“The antennae and dish equipment will be mounted onto supporting steel brackets that will be chemically anchored into the external stonework on the church bell tower”.

With the other equipment hidden from view “This configuration meets network coverage requirements for the area as well as creating minimal and reversible physical impact to the building itself”.

In refusing permission the county council said that the considering the historical nature of the building on site and the scale of the development it would “detract from the visual setting and integrity of the Christ Church”.

The nature of the broadband development proposed contravenes numerous areas of the Clifden Local Area Plan the council said.

“To grant the proposed development would detract from the visual amenity of the area, would militate against the preservation of the setting of the protected structure, would set an undesirable precedent for future similar development in the area, potentially depreciate the value of property in the vicinity of the site and therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development in the area.”

Galway city awarded €77,000 to protect Built Heritage

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Galway Novena returns with traffic disruption expected

Galway City Council has been awarded €77,000 under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme for small scale works on historic structures.

This fund aims to conserve the built heritage in which is part of what attracts tourists to visit Galway City, creating direct and indirect gains for the local economy and sustaining traditional skills.

By providing grants of between €2,500 and €15,000, with applicants required to provide a minimum of 50% of the total costs, this scheme is meant to encourage private capital investment in labour intensive work on historic structures.

It also supports the employment of skilled and experienced conservation professionals, craft workers and tradespeople.

Structures eligible to apply for funding from this scheme must either be included in the Register of Protected Structures, of which there are 619 in the city.

Or they must be part of and contribute to the character of an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) of which there are eleven areas in the city.

Application forms are available from the city council website and must be submitted no later than 4pm on Friday, January 24 to Caroline Phelan, Senior Planner at the City Council planning department.

This Scheme will be running throughout 2020, with €2.5 million granted to local authorities around the country by the Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht.

Applications made under this scheme will be assessed by their value for money, the quality of the works proposed, and the employment opportunities they create.

The Department has said that no more than 20% of the funds being provided may be used on buildings owned by the city council or otherwise in public ownership.

Roadworks outside Tuam to disrupt traffic this week

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Traffic disruption expected from five day N67 roadworks

Roadworks on the R332 Ballinrobe Road near Tuam will disrupt traffic for the remainder of the week when they get underway tomorrow.

Galway County Council is carrying out roadworks on the westbound lane of Ballinrobe road between Kilbannon and Foxhall.

Work commences on Tuesday, December 3 and will be ongoing until the end of this week.

A stop and go system will be in place to manage traffic in the Tuam area during these works.

Water outages in Athenry due to burst watermain

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Water outages in multiple areas of Galway due to burst mains

Homes and businesses in Athenry are experiencing water outages this evening due to a burst water main by the Raheen Woods Hotel.

Irish Water and the County Council have said that a burst mains is causing water outages in Ballygurrane and surrounding areas of Athenry.

Repair works are underway and currently have an estimated time of completion of 6pm.

A traffic management plan is in place in the area while work is underway.

“Galway County Council working in partnership with Irish Water wish to apologise for any inconvenience that may be caused by these emergency works,” a statement from the council said.

People affected by this are advised that it may take 2 – 3 hours after repairs are completed before full water supply is restored.

Anyone affected by this can find updates through Irish Water’s Supply and Service page or by contacting the Twitter account @IWCare.

Connacht Hotel honoured for 50th anniversary campaign at Galway Chamber Business Awards

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily business Connacht Hotel Galway Chamber of Commerce Business Awards

Galway’s Connacht Hotel was honoured at the recent Galway Chamber Business Awards 2019, taking home the prize for their 50th anniversary campaign.

The Connacht Hotel won the award for Best Marketing Including Social and Digital Media, which is sponsored by Galway City Council, for the year long efforts which have gone into celebrating half a century of service.

The Connacht was founded in 1969 as the Galway Ryan Hotel with an ethos of keeping at the forefront of what tourists were looking for in a holiday.

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration the Connacht has been wearing that past proudly this year, gathering stories from the many guests that have stayed there down the years to showcase the experiences created here.

The 50th anniversary celebrations started with a January sale and promotion which reached over two million people across different social channels.

The stories from past guests and employees, including many prominent media and celebrity figures, were also shared, a generated an incredible response of their own from people recollecting their own time at the hotel.

Eveanna Ryan, Group sales and Marketing Manager with the Connacht Hospitality Group said that they are thrilled to have been recognised in such prestigious company.

“Our 50th Anniversary Campaign for the Connacht Hotel was an opportunity to celebrate our history, our loyal customers and our long serving team.”

“Without them we would not have had a story to tell. And winning this award is the icing on the cake for our landmark year.”

The Connacht was nominated by Galway Chamber of Commerce alongside Hero Recruitment and BV Commercial Real Estate Advisors.

The President’s Award on the night went to Professor John Breslin of NUI Galway for the contributions he has made to the startup community in the region.

The 2019 Overall Business of the Year Award went to local heating oil suppliers Sweeney Oil.

The Galway Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, now in their 16th year, bring together the business community in Galway and throughout the western region to promote economic growth that benefits everyone.

Kenny Deery, CEO of the Galway Chamber, said that “Now more than ever it is crucial that the business community explore opportunities to work together to drive business for the West of Ireland and ensure that Government , through its Project Ireland 2040 plans, delivers on its promises to drive 75% of growth in regions outside of Dublin.”

image credit: Connacht Hotel/Murtography

Relationships are tested and wisdom dispensed in Ros na Rún

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Briain Kelly
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Personal drama of every stripe abounds in Ros na Rún this week as relationships are tested, wisdom is dispensed, and tempers are soothed.

Mo has one drink too many at her hen, and ends up in a smooch, but it’s not with her fiancé. Who has Mo kissed.

Tadhg is trying his best to make up with Áine. Áine softens and agrees to play camogie again, but on one condition. What is this condition?

John Joe is angry at Mo’s betrayal after she attends Pádraig’s pop up night.

A word of warning from another makes John Joe realise he needs to stop pushing people away; it’s not going to get Katy out any sooner. But who offers John Joe these words of wisdom?

Laoise puts on a happy façade but Micheál knows she is not herself.

Bobbi Lee questions Laoise on what is wrong and Laoise opens up. What advice will Bobbi Lee give Laoise?

Ros na Rún broadcasts at 8:30pm on TG4 each Tuesday and Thursday, with a double feature omnibus on Sundays.

First groups of students finish semester living and studying in the Gaeltacht

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Increased funding for Gaeltacht summer college accommodation providers

The first group of college students to take advantage of a new programme to immerse themselves in Irish have completed their semester living and studying in the gaeltacht.

Galway West TD and Minister for the Gaeltacht and Irish Language Seán Kyne approved €250,000 funding for the ‘Seimeastar na Gaeltachta’ initiative run by NUIG’s ‘Acadamh na hOllscolaíocht’ back in May.

Under the programme, College students are given the opportunity to attend a semester in the Gaeltacht, either in Carna or Gaoth Dobhair in Donegal.

The first group of students to take part in this groundbreaking programme to help preserve the Irish Language completed their time of study in Carna at the end of November.

It was open to students who have Irish as a core subject in their degree or require a high level of competency in Irish for their career choice.

Minister Kyne met the students in question to hear about their positive experiences with the programme after their time in Connemara.

As well as improving the Irish skills of the students themselves the project has also helped benefit the local economy.

The students taking part in the programme stayed with local families, each of which received €17 per household per day.

The positive experiences of the students, staff at Acadamh na hOllscolaíocht, and the local community show the value of this programme, Sean Kyne said.

City event to celebrate International Day of Disabled People

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news IWA launching Disability Action Group in Tuam

A free public event will take place in Galway city tomorrow to celebrate International Day of Disabled People.

The Galway Activism Group is holding a picnic event to encourage equality and inclusiveness for disabled people living in Galway.

The free event will take place at the Galmont Hotel on December 3 from 7pm – 9pm.

The aim of the event according to the Galway Activism Group is to “look at how we can all work together to ensure inclusion, participation and true equality for all Galway people.”

“A specific focus of the evening will be how we can work with our political representatives to protect our rights and ensure we all have the necessary supports to fully integrate into our Galway communities.”

“Join us for this important celebration of all things disability on our International Day of Disabled People.”

This free event will be accompanied by music, as any good celebration in Galway should be, with Christmas refreshments provided.

For more information on the evening please contact galwayactivism@gmail.com or call Susan on 0861712648.

Headford GAA club raises €7,200 for two local charities

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Headford GAA club raises €7200 for two local charities

Headford GAA club recently presented cheques for €7,200 to Galway Hospice and Cancer Care West, money raised by the club for these local charities.

The two charities each received €3,600 from Headford GAA Club which was raised through fundraising efforts at the inaugural TJ Keady Parish League Tournament last Christmas.

“We would like to thank Thomas Conneally and Pat Joyce as the two main sponsors of last years event and to all the local businesses who generously contributed to help two charities doing Trojan work in our local community,” a spokesperson for the club said.

“Finally a massive THANK YOU to the people of our parish who turned out in such big numbers to support the event and contribute so generously on the day itself. Hopefully this year’s event can be as successful.”

Details on this year’s tournament and the charities it will benefit are expected to be announced by the club shortly.

Galway Hospice is the primary provider of palliative care in Galway city, and is almost entirely reliant on donations to keep running services caring for the most vulnerable people in our society.

Cancer is a difficult diagnosis for anyone to receive and cope with, and Cancer Care West is about making sure that no-one has to deal with this alone.

They provide free practical and emotional support services for anyone who has been affected by cancer.

image credit: Headford GAA club/via Facebook

UHG is Ireland’s third most overcrowded hospital today

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Cardiac care investment in Galway

UHG is the third most overcrowded hospital in Ireland again today with 41 patients on trolleys according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

Worse affected than UHG by the overcrowding crisis today are the usual suspects University Hospital Limerick with 64 people with a proper bed, and Cork University Hospital where 55 people are on trolleys.

All told there are 522 patients without a proper bed in Ireland’s public hospitals today according to the INMO’s daily Trolley/Ward Watch.

Fortunately the situation is not as bad at Portiuncula Hospital where there is only one person on a trolley this morning.

UHG consultant honoured for his work with NASA and drones

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news UHG consultant honoured for work with NASA and drones

Professor Derek O’Keefe, consultant endocrinologist at Galway University Hospitals, has won the inaugural St. Luke’s Medal for his work on the future of medicine.

Prof O’Keeffe was chosen for the award because of his prior Telemedicine work with NASA as a consultant and the recent successful Diabetes Drone mission, which delivered insulin by unmanned aerial vehicle to the Aran Islands and returned with a patient’s blood sample.

He has also done significant public outreach activities around his clinical-academic work including a TEDx Talk ‘Digital Doctors: The Future of Medicine’ and an RTÉ documentary ‘Bittersweet – The Rise of Diabetes’, which documents the lives of patients with diabetes and how technology is improving care.

As well as his work with GUH, Prof O’Keefe is also a Professor of Medical Device Technology at NUI Galway.

He was granted this award by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland at the annual St. Luke’s Symposium recently.

As part of the St. Luke’s award, Prof O’Keeffe delivered a lecture titled ‘The Future of Medicine is the Patient’ which focused on the following themes:

  • Digital Technology is ubiquitous in society but only recently has been adopted in medicine;
  • Wearable sensors coupled with the Internet of Things offer unprecedented health data gathering potential;
  • This big data coupled with artificial intelligence algorithms has the potential to have as powerful an impact on human health as antibiotics, vaccines and understanding hygiene;
  • Technology fundamentally empowers the patient who is at the digital heart of this new paradigm in medical care; and
  • Examples from Prof O’Keeffe’s own research showing what this new future looks like.

Man in his 60s dead after alleged assault in Connemara

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Missing 17 year old teenager found safe and well

Gardaí from Salthill are investigating the death of a man after an alleged assault at Ballinahown in Connemara this morning.

Gardaí were called to a residence in Ballinahown shortly after 9am this morning where a man in his 60s was being treated by ambulance personnel after the alleged assault.

The injured man was taken to University Hospital Galway by ambulance, where he later passed away.

Another man in his 70s was arrested by gardaí after this incident and is currently being detained at Galway garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

Gardaí can hold him for questioning for up to 24 hours.

The scene of this incident is being preserved for examination by the Garda Technical Bureau.

The local coroner has been notified and the State Pathologist’s services have been requested.

A post-mortem examination will be arranged, the results of which will determine the course of this investigation

Galway GAA launch their 2020 Football Season Ticket Plus

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily GAA 2020 season ticket football

Galway GAA has launched their Season Ticket Plus  this week for football fans who don’t want to miss out on anything in 2020.

Just to start with, the Season Ticket gives access to all of Galway’s Allianz League games including the play-offs and finals.

“With four big matches at home in division one including games against Mayo and All-Ireland champions Dublin having your season ticket plus will be hugely beneficial with a stand ticket guaranteed for all four“, said Kevin Clancy, Football Chairperson on Galway County Board.

Galway also play Monaghan and Tyrone at home with big games away to Kerry, Donegal and Meath.

The season ticket plus also gets you into all Galway club matches in 2020 including the All-Ireland Finals at Croke Park in January.

As well as all that you get a ticket to the Connacht semi-final should Galway see off New York in early May and access to buy a stand ticket for all of Galway’s other championship games.

You’ll also have access to buying a ticket for the All-Ireland Senior Football Final if Galway qualify.

“Its incredible value for an entire season of football. I hope every Galway GAA fan will join us on our journey,” said Padraic Joyce, Galway Senior Football Manager.

The Season Ticket costs €200 and can be purchased online at www.seasonticket.gaa.ie.

Paul Conroy, Galway Senior Footballer, said that this ticket “removes all the worry and all that hassle in people trying to get tickets for matches every year”.

As well as match tickets, buying the season ticket will see you entered into a draw for two adults and two children to enjoy an incredible experience withe senior football team.

This includes getting to attend a private training session with the team ahead of a game.

On match day you’ll get the opportunity to enjoy breakfast with the team on the day of the match, travel on the team bus and get 4 VIP tickets for the match itself.

The prize also includes a visit to the Galway dressing-room after the match and a jersey signed by the senior football team.

Galway’s GoBus named best intercity coach operator in Ireland

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily business GoBus named best intercity coach operator in Ireland

Galway’s GoBus has picked up a prestigious transport award, winning Coach Operator of the year 2020 – Intercity at the recent Fleet Bus & Coach Awards.

GoBus, which is celebrating its tenth birthday this year, is locally owned by Corofin native Jim Burke, along with his sons Dara, the company’s Transport Manager, and Donal, the Fleet Engineer.

The Galway city based company provides non-stop services between Galway, Dublin City, and Dublin Airport. As well as another route between Cork, Dublin, and the Airport.

This year GoBus also introduced its first Regional Connect Route between Ballina, Castlebar, Claremorris, Tuam and Galway City.

Jim Burke said that they are thrilled to won this accolade, adding “The entire GoBus.ie team work extremely hard on making sure our passengers have the most comfortable and convenient trip possible.

“We update our fleet every year so when travelling GoBus.ie, a passenger can be assured of every modern convenience whether they want to work or relax while on board.”

The Fleet Bus & Coach Awards take place every two years and is organised by Fleet Publications, the largest publisher of transport-orientated magazines in Ireland.

This year, the awards were held in the 4 Star Johnstown Estate in Enfield, Co. Meath with the key decision makers of Irish Passenger Transport Industry in attendance.

Mark Geary + The Strawhall House Band return to Galway

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily arts Over the Edge open mic night on Thursday evening

After an extremely successful Irish tour in October, Mark Geary + The Strawhall House Band are returning to Galway this month with a gig in Monroes.

Mark Geary rose to prominence playing alongside the likes of Jeff Buckley, Sinead O’Connor and Katell Keineg at the famous Sin é Bar in New York’s East Village.

Over the last 20 years hw has toured all over Europe, the US and Australia, sharingg the stage with performers such as The Swell Season, Glen Hansard, The Frames, Josh Ritter, Bell X1, Coldplay, Elvis Costello, The Pretenders and Joe Strummer.

The Strawhall House Band features Fiacre Gaffney, Jack Maher, Vinny Kilcullen and Mark Penny. The band formed from the long running Monday night session at the iconic Strawberry Hall Pub on the Strawberry Beds Road in Dublin.

Alongside original songs from their debut album Six Days in May, released in May 2017 on Plateau Records, the band’s repertoire includes covers by great songwriters such as Lowell George, Ry Cooder, John Hiatt and Guy Clarke.

“Playing with The Strawhall House Band is an incredible experience,” Mark Geary said.

The idea that I know before I even play a note that every choice they make is going to be appropriate for the song is astonishing.”

“For me as a singer, that doesn’t just happen. But with these guys, it happened overnight. ”

Strawhall House Band frontman Fiacre Gaffney added “There’s a wonderful thing that happens when you’re playing and you don’t have to think about what the other people should be doing.”

“It’s total trust. You meet somebody for the first time and you know you’re on the same wavelength.”

This gig is on at Monroe’s on Dominick Street on Thurdsday, December 12, doors at 8pm. Tickets cost €13 and can be purchased online here.

Bus Eireann finally rolls out nighttime Connemara services

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Two Galway - Castlebar bus services cancelled today

More than a year after they were first announced Bus Eireann and the National Transport Authority are finally rolling out evening and nighttime services to Connemara.

Buses travelling on Route 424 between Galway, Carraroe, Lettermullen, and Carna had only run until 6pm in the evening, but multiple later bus services have now been added.

These include three evening services and two new morning runs. Departing from Galway the 7:30pm service will travel as far as Lettermullen, while the 9pm an 11pm services will go to Carraroe.

For people travelling to Galway city in the morning, a 6:30am bus from Carraroe and 7:30am service from Lettermullen have also been added.

In addition to the new services in the evening and nighttime the frequency of buses during the day will also be increased by a third, while Sunday services will be increased by 50 percent.

As well as Route 424 Bus Eireann is also adding more services on Route 419: Galway – Oughterard – Clifden.

These include two buses from Galway to Oughterard at 8:15pm and 10:15pm, and two from Oughterard to Galway at 9pm and 11pm.

These new Bus Eireann services are running from today, December 1, onwards.

Brian Connolly, Bus Éireann, Regional Operations Manager (West) said “These changes on the Route 424 and 419 represent a major enhancement for our Galway customers and our new evening services will provide much more flexibility and choice”

Man caught with stolen phones looking for bus out of Galway

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily c

A man charged with criminal handling was caught by gardai with multiple stolen phones while looking up buses out of Galway.

Cosmin Stroescu (34), with an address at the North Circular Road in Dublin, pleaded guilty to four counts of criminal handling of six stolen phones at Galway District Court.

Detective Sergeant Fergus Gaughan said that on August 5 of 2018 he was patrolling in Eyre Square when he observed Stroescu behaving suspiciously.

He approached the defendant, asking him for ID and asking if he had any property on him that didn’t belong to him.

Stroescu then took six phones out from inside his jacket the garda said, all of which were turned off and had their SIM cards removed.

Gardaí had already received reports that night of multiple phones being stolen from bars around the city.

The garda also said that when he approached Stroescu he was looking up directions to the bus station, and buses to Dublin.

He told the District Court that this was a joint enterprise, and that Stroescu was given the role of holding the stolen phones after the fact.

When interviewed by gardaí he made full admissions to the criminal handling.

The total value of the stolen phones was roughly €3,000 and all were successfully returned to their owners.

Mr Stroescu’s solicitor said that he had debts at the time and felt pressured.

He added that his client was deeply remorseful and didn’t want to find himself in court again.

The judge accepted his remorse, but added that the amount of charges and the sheer value of the stolen goods made this more serious.

He imposed a six month prison sentence and suspended it in its entirety for a year.

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