UHG has 49 people on trolleys today

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November 27, 2019

Galway Daily news Galway has third highest level of callouts for rodents

Galway is the county with the third highest level of callouts to deal with rodents as the number of infestations has shot up by 94% percent this year.

Pest Control experts Rentokil have said that Galway accounts for 5.1% of callouts to deal with rodents like rats and mice, following only Dublin (29%), and Cork (10.41%).

After Galway the next worst affected counties are Kerry (5.25%) and Kildare (4.78%), which account for over one in ten infestations between them.

The company is warning homeowners and businesses to beware of rodents at this time of year, along with other pests common to the Winter such as cockroaches and fleas.

Richard Faulkner, Advanced Technical Field Consultant for Rentokil said “Rodents can be a serious issue for home and business owners, as they can spread diseases, damage property and contaminate food.

“They can also introduce disease carrying parasites like fleas, lice and ticks into a premises,” he said.

He added that while winter-time is when indoors infestations are most common, the company has noticed pests moving inside earlier in the year and in greater numbers.

“We believe that this could be due to extreme weather conditions as a result of climate change,” Richard Faulkner said.

Rentokil is advising people to keep an eye out for signs of rats and mice in their homes such as the presence of droppings, scratching from inside walls or under floorboards, and smear marks on walls.

There are a number of ways that people can try to avoid attracting rodents into their premises such as:

Keep foodstuffs in metal or glass containers with tight fitting lids.
Tidy inside the house and around the garden – less clutter means fewer places to hide.
Put outdoor rubbish bags in metal bins with securely fitted lids to stop rodents feeding from contents.
Clean up pet food and bird seed debris, and store pet food in robust containers with fitted lids, preferably above ground level.
Keep gardens free from debris

Laya opening health and wellbeing clinic in Galway city

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November 27, 2019

Galway Daily news People in Galway urged to know their healthcare options for Bank Holiday

Health insurance company Laya will be opening a Health and Wellbeing Clinic in Briarhill in January of 2020 to treat minor injuries and illnesses.

The Laya Health and Wellbeing Clinic will offer walk-in urgent care for minor fractures, dislocations and sports injuries along with a wide range of illnesses including high fever and vomiting, infections and rashes, allergies, minor eye and ear injuries, minor head injuries, cuts and wound care, minor burns, insects and animal bites.

The clinic in Briarhill will be the second to open in a nationwide network of five clinics to open by 2022.

The clinic at Cherrywood in Dublin will be the first to open in December, followed by Briarhill next year and Limerick next Summer.

It’s expected that these three clinics will create 45 jobs between them, with another 30 to follow at two more clinics to open by 2022.

Dónal Clancy, Managing Director of Laya healthcare said, “Ensuring our members can access healthcare at the lowest level of complexity that promotes the best medical outcome for their needs is the reason why we’re creating our own nationwide network”.

“In the short-term, we expect our Laya Health and Wellbeing Clinics will quickly relieve some of the pressure in acute hospital settings and allow people to be seen more quickly 365 days a year.”

“While providing urgent care is a key offering, our Clinics will be equally focused on the areas of preventative health and wellbeing, with screening services and experts in place to focus on health promotion, health protection and disease prevention that support our members’ physical and mental wellbeing.”

“Right now, there is no other single destination you can go to that will look after your urgent care needs alongside your wellbeing needs, so our Clinics will break new ground in this regard,” Clancy added.

Laya has said that this clinic will be accessible to everyone, regardless of whether they are Laya customers or have health insurance at all.

In addition to urgent care, services will include the delivery of minor surgical procedures and treatments, specialist Consultant outpatient services, vaccinations and flu management services, face-to-face Counselling services (by appointment), Chronic Disease Management and Homecare support services including IV and infusion services.

NUIG spin out company takes home two national healthcare awards

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November 27, 2019

Galway Daily news NUIG spinout wins two national healthcare awards — Irish Healthcare Awards 2019 Karl Hussey Photography 2019.

Galway based company and NUIG spin out Qpercom took home two prestigious prizes at the recent Irish Healthcare Awards for their educational assessment.

Qpercom, founded by its Dutch CEO Dr Thomas Kropmans and Irish co-founder David Cunningham was nominated for two awards for Best Use of IT and Excellence in Healthcare Management at the 2019 Irish Healthcare Awards.

The Galway-based team won the Excellence in Healthcare Management category and to their delight went on to receive An Duais Mhór, the overall outstanding project award.

This award is a non-entry award, chosen by the judges as the ultimate award of the night representing outstanding work in Irish Healthcare in 2019.

Hosted by the Irish Medical Times, the Irish Healthcare Awards celebrates its 18th year as Ireland’s leading medical awards.

The awards recognise projects, individuals and organisations that excel in the Irish healthcare sector.

Qpercom won for leading a Europe wide research study involving eight universities with medical schools in Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK.

This study involved a comparison and analysis of the quality assurance of their clinical skills exams to enhance educational decision making about who should pass or fail.

The paper, titled “Cross-institutional OSCE Quality Assurance as part of an EU assessment strategy; are we equipped for it?” was submitted by Qpercom on behalf of NUIG and its co-authors.

Dr Thomas Kropmans, CEO of Qpercom said that winning these awards is acknowledgement of the value of enhanced assessment in educational decision making.

“We are not there yet and this is a great encouragement to continue our research and push quality standards in assessment.”

Qpercom’s software solutions digitalised the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and Multi-Mini Interviews (MMI).

These assessments are used in healthcare education, recruitment and selection to assess competence of undergraduate and postgraduate clinicians.

Before Qpercom’s automated solutions, used in institutions around the world, correction and analysis of OSCEs and MMIs was a time consuming and costly endeavor.

avid Cunningham, COO of Qpercom stated, “We could not have achieved such highly esteemed accolades without the valuable feedback we received from our loyal customers over the years”.

He also thanked the school of Medicine, Nursing, and Midwifery at NUIG as an early adopter of their work for its support.

“We strive to develop the best software tools and to help develop quality standards in medical education assessment, admission interviews, and beyond to determine the best clinicians.”

“Our mission is to advance assessment in medical education and decision making while continuing to pay close attention to research trends in assessment and the needs of our customers and end users.”

Qpercom spun out from the School of Medicine at NUI Galway in 2008. It provides advanced assessment software solutions to universities globally, including the University of Dundee, Karolinska Institute and the National University of Singapore.

image credit: Kate Hussey photography

Tuam bypass closing for maintenance roadworks this week

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November 26, 2019

The N17 Tuam Bypass will be closing overnight for two days this week for maintenance roadworks.

Galway County Council has said that contractors CRJV will be closing the bypass between its junctions with the with the N83 at either end on behalf of Transport Infrastructure Ireland in order to facilitate roadworks.

The closure will be in effect from 8pm on Wednesday to 6am the next morning, and then again overnight from 8pm on Thursday until 6am on Friday.

During this time traffic will be diverted through Tuam via Milltown and Galway Road.

The council has said that the works are being carried out at in order to minimise traffic disruption.

40 Galway schools to benefit from 2020 Summer Works Scheme

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November 26, 2019

Galway Daily news craughwell national school

Forty schools in Galway will benefit from upgrades to their external environments and life safety systems such as fire alarms under the Summer Works Scheme.

Of the schools approved for works in Galway in 2020, eight are secondary level and the remainder receiving upgrades are primary level.

The Summer Works Scheme from 2020 onwards awards funding under ten different priority categories.

All of the schools in Galway which are part of the scheme have been approved funding under Category 1, Life Safety Systems, and Category 10, External Environment Projects.

Life Safety Systems include measures such as fire alarms and detectors or emergency lighting, while External Environment Projects are measures such as playgrounds or car parks.

Galway East TD Sean Canney said that this scheme is focused on specialist improvements with a particular emphasis on Climate Action.

“These awards will make a significant difference to the schools involved,” the Independent TD said.

“Climate Action is a priority for all generations so it is entirely appropriate that schools show us the way and become champions for change.”

Deputy Canney said that any school improving play areas or car parks will be required to identify a charging point for electrical vehicles and include ducting for cables to avoid any future need to dig up car parks.

Nationwide Minister for Education Joe McHugh announced that a total of 405 schools have been approved for upgrade works under the Summer Works Scheme.

This includes 324 at primary level and 81 at post primary, with a strong view towards ensuring they “future proof” themselves for electrical vehicles.

Minister McHugh said: “The climate action element of next year’s summer works is a sensible plan for the future.”

“More and more electric charging points are coming on stream and it is symbolic that schools will be demonstrating how important initiatives like this are.”

“I am confident that school authorities will be able to achieve best value for money on prices for jobs and I’m urging school authorities to ensure that they get the maximum benefit for their schools.”

Patient Experience Survey results published for UHG and Portiuncula Hospital

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November 26, 2019

Both University Hospital Galway and Portincula University Hospital have said that they are happy with the results of a patient experience survey published yesterday.

The majority of patients at both hospitals reported positive overall experiences.

The survey was carried out in May and 86% of 183 patients who had been treated in Portiuncula University Hospital said they had a positive experience.

At UHG the percentage was almost the same, with 85% of 922 patients saying they had a ‘good’ or ‘very good’ experience.

The hospitals scored above the national average on the overall experience, and Portinucula Hospital also scored high in cleanliness and hospital food.

However, UHG scored below the national average for hospital food – just 63% of patients at the hospital said the food was ‘good’ or ‘very good’.

UHG patients were also unhappy with waiting times before being admitted to a ward.

But the patient rating for their experience of being discharged or transferred from UHG was higher than the previous year and patients were happy with their experiences dealing with doctors at the hospital.

Ms Chris Kane, General Manager, Galway University Hospitals said: “There were three areas specifically where patients had a positive experience: patients stated that they were given enough time to discuss their care and treatment with their doctor and said they received answers they could understand when they had questions.

“They also felt they had sufficient opportunities for their families to talk to a doctor.”

In relation to the food, Ms Kane said the menu choices have been increased with input from patients, and the hospital has added the calorific count to improve food and nutrition.

James Keane, General Manager at Portiuncula University Hospital, said that they are very pleased that the majority of participants from Portiuncula University Hospital reported positive experiences in hospital.

“There were a number of areas related to participants’ overall experience where the hospital scored above-average ratings.

“For example, patients said that the wards and bathrooms were very clean. Also patients also gave positive ratings of the hospital food. This reflected the work we carried out based on feedback from patients about their experience of hospital food and nutrition at the hospital.

“We reassessed the choice of food for patients and now have a wider range of options available for the evening meal.

“One area identified in the survey as needing improvement, where the hospital scored below the national average, was the lack of written information for patients when they leave hospital. We are currently working on a range of patient information leaflets on various medical conditions that can be given to patients and we are going to ensure that before going home, every patient will be given a discharge booklet which outlines what they should do after they leave hospital.

Ends

CCTV catches burglary at Subway store twice in a week

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November 26, 2019

Galway Daily courts Man receives jail sentence for racial abuse

A Galway city man was caught on CCTV committing burglary at the same Subway store on two separate occasions within a week.

Jonathan Cronin (26), with an address at the McDara Road in Shantalla, pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and and two unrelated theft charges at Galway District Court this week.

The court heard that Cronin broke in Subway on the Seamus Quirke Road through a rear window on July 17 and 23.

During these burglaries he stole and ipad and cash in both occasions.

CCTV cameras in the store captured the incidents and gardai were able to identify him from the footage.

Gardai also told the District Court that on July 20 Cronin was seen on CCTV at Lifestyle Sports on Shop Street stealing a pair of Nike runners worth €28.

The second theft incident took place at The Chili Shack on Abbeygate Street Upper on September 18 shortly before 3pm.

Cronin entered the restaurant with another man and stole a tip jar with roughly €60 inside when staff weren’t looking.

Solicitor for the defence Olivia Traynor said she couldn’t get away from the seriousness of the charges, but said that her client had been dealing with serious addiction issues at the time.

His clear recognition of the need to sort out his issues can be seen in the fact that bail was granted in the High Court in October she added, but Cronin decided not to take bail, choosing to remain in custody to get clean.

The court heard that Cronin has two young kids and a partner who is trying to help him get his life back on track.

The Judge asked if Cronin would consider doing community service to avoid a prison sentence.

On the first burglary charge he ordered Cronin to perform 100 hours of community service if deemed suitable by probation services.

For the second Subway burglary the judge imposed a sentence of six months in prison and suspended the sentence units entirety for one year.

The two theft charges were taken into consideration by the judge.

Colm Callanan announces his retirement after 13 years

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November 26, 2019

Galway Daily sports Colm Callanan retires

Colm Callanan has announced that he is retiring from inter county hurling after 13 years in goals wearing the maroon and white.

The 37 year old Callanan announced his retirement with statement released by Galway GAA this week.

“It’s a massive privilege to play for your county and I feel honoured and proud that I got to play for Galway for as long as I did. I was lucky enough to win everything on offer at least once

“I was blessed to have shared a dressing room with such brilliant people throughout my career, which enabled me to forge friendships that will last a lifetime,” Callanan said.

“It was an honour to go into battle with all of those Galway players, while it was also a privilege to get the opportunity to play against the very best players from other counties.”

Callanan thanked all of the managers, coaches, and backroom team members who have supported him through his years with Galway.

He gave a special shout out to the managers he’s played under, Ger Loughnane, John McIntyre, Anthony Cunningham and Micheal Donoghue, as well as Christy O’Connor, who was his goalkeeping coach before he even started playing for Galway in 2007.

“Christy opened my mind as to what was required at the top level, and he really lifted my standards,” said Callanan.

’m indebted to my club Kinvara for all their support and loyalty over the years. I want to pay tribute to all the coaches that helped me improve my game, which enabled me progress and go on and play for Galway.

I’d also like to thank the various county board members which looked after us over the years.

“Most of all though, I’d like to thank my family. My wife Jen has always provided the amazing support which allowed me to chase my dream for so long.”

“Her patience and understanding facilitated the longevity of my career, especially with our two young kids at home, Ciara and Daniel. I hope I made ye all proud.”

“I’d also like to pay a special thanks to my parents, Mary & Gerry and my sisters, Colleen and Roisin. It was the best feeling ever to share some of those golden moments with them after matches.”

Callanan said that at the end of the day his is content that he gave all that he could to Galway for 13 years.

“I’ve loved every minute of my journey and to have played in front of its dedicated and passionate supporters has allowed me to make memories that I will cherish forever.”

“I’d also like to thank Shane O’Neill for his understanding and support of my decision. I’m also delighted that the transition will be made easier after accepting a coaching role in Shane’s new backroom team.”

“Let the next chapter begin! Up Galway! “

COPE’s #GalwayGirl domestic abuse campaign marks 16 Days of Action on Violence against Women

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November 26, 2019

Galway Daily news COPE Galway's Modh Eile wins national community housing award

COPE Galway has launched a new community campaign #GalwayGirl to help raise funds to complete Modh Eile House, the charity’s new domestic abuse refuge.

This local domestic abuse initiative by COPE complements the annual global awareness campaign, 16 days of Action on Violence against Women.

This 16 day campaign began on Monday, the International Day Opposing Violence against Women, and ends on December 10, International Human Rights Day.

Over a dozen projects are taking place around Galway City and County that embrace the #GalwayGirl campaign, with schools, businesses and local organisations coming together to spread the word and raise the final €400,000 in funds to help COPE Galway make Modh Eile House a reality.

“The Galway Community has shown incredible support and interest in helping us build this domestic abuse service and refuge for women and children in the western region who need our help”, said Dr. Carol Baumann, Manager of COPE Galway’s Domestic Abuse Service.

“We are looking forward to opening this new state-of-the-art facility early in 2020, where we can provide the very best care to the women and children who come to us in search of refuge and support.”

“We also look forward to enhancing our outreach services, parenting supports and support groups, along with a significantly enhanced service for children.”

“It will also be a base from which we continue to work with schools, colleges, and professional services to inform and increase awareness around domestic abuse in all its forms”.

Sharon Fitzpatrick, COPE Galway’s Head of Development said that Modh Eile has been a significant undertaking for them.

It has been more than 10 years since the charity first began looking for a new location to replace the current refuge at Waterside House, and Modh Eile is finally expected to open early next year.

“Construction at the site is almost finished and I am delighted to say that we have raised 90% of the funds required to complete the construction phase of this project.”

“We now urgently need to deliver just over €400,000 to complete the project so we can open Modh Eile’s doors early in 2020”.

As part of the #GalwayGirl campaign, COPE Galway is posting videos and updates from members of the community on how you can support the Modh Eile development project and show solidarity for the 1 in 5 women in our community who will experience domestic abuse.

The campaign includes blogs and a series of support messages from people across Galway who have got behind the campaign, ranging from the Galway Ladies Footballers to the Modh Eile site renovation team.

Even Ed Sheeran has offered his support for the #GalwayGirl campaign, calling it a “very worthy cause” and allowing us use his famous song for the campaign”.

To find out how you can support #GalwayGirl and help raise the final funds to help Modh Eile House open its doors early in 2020, visit COPE Galways’ facebook page or www.copegalway.ie/galwaygirl

Restaurant in Galway included on new 50 Best Discovery website

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November 25, 2019

aniar restaurant galway daily restaurants list

Michelin star Aniar Restaurant in Galway has been included on the new 50 Best Discovery website this week.

The online platform was launched this month by the people behind the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants List.

The website invites visitors to ‘explore the best restaurants and bars around the world’, and the list of outstanding venues is compiled through the The World’s 50 Best annual global voting process from their international network of experts.

The Galway restaurant was honoured alongside other Irish restaurants Chapter One, Patrick Guilbaud, The Greenhouse, Ballymaloe House, Ichigo Ichie, Ox and James St.

JP McMahon, chef-patron of Aniar, said: “We are delighted to be included in the 50 Best Discovery. We pride ourselves on being an international destination for contemporary Irish food in Galway.

“While our food has evolved over the years, our dedication and resolve remains constant – we are passionate about producing a unique experience for our guests and advocating for food from the West of Ireland.

“Well done to all of the other Irish restaurants that are included. It is a great achievement for our little food island.”

Do Not Use notice issued for Liobain Industrial Estate water over broken sewer

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November 25, 2019

Galway Daily news Ballyconneelly water outages

Irish Water has issued a Do Not Use notice to part of Liosbain Industrial Estate in the city as broken sewer pipes may have contaminated the water.

After consultation with the HSE the Do Not Use notice was issued for all customers in the Kilkerrin Park section because there has been a break in a sewer and watermain in close proximity to each other.

Bottled water is being provided in the industrial estate Irish Water has said.

“Irish Water’s drinking water compliance and operational experts are working with colleagues in the Galway City Council to resolve this situation as soon as possible,” a statement from Irish Water said.

No timeline has been given for when this could be, and the Do Not Use Notice will remain in place until further notice.

Two men sentenced over €35,697 drugs seizure

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November 25, 2019

Galway Daily news "You don’t know what you’re taking" - Gardaí make drugs appeal to students before Freshers Week

Two men were sentenced at Galway Circuit Court in connection with the seizure of over €35,000 worth of drugs at a premises in Ballybane in 2017.

Oshane Malcolm (21) and Ismail Abukhadir (23) were charged under Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act in connection with €35,697 worth of drugs, mostly ecstasy tablets, found by gardaí during a home search.

The two men had previously pleaded guilty to the offences before Galway Circuit Court in July and were back in front of the court this month for sentencing.

Oshane Malcom with an address at Clareview Park, Ballybane, received a five year prison sentence with the final two and half years suspended, as his role was deemed more serious.

Ismail Abukhadir was given a two year suspended sentence, as he was deemed to have only been used to hold the drugs.

The court heard that on June 23 of 2017 Gardai carrying out a surveillance operation in Gortcam, Ballybane and observed Malcolm get in a taxi and head to Eyre Square.

In Eyre Square he was stopped and searched by gardaí, who found 25 tablets of ecstasy on him. Several more tablets were found during a second search at the garda station.

Acting from this gardaí search a premises in Gortcam where Ismail Abukhadir was also resident. They found a large quantity of cannabis and ecstasy in a rucksack in Abukhadir’s room. More cannabis was also found in Malcolm’s room.

The total value of the drugs seized by gardaí was €35,697. Of this, €330 worth was cannabis and the remainder was ecstasy.

Gardaí said that Ismail Abukhadir was not making any money from this and was at the bottom rung of the operation.

The barrister for Ismail Abukhadir said that his client had essentially agreed to hold the drugs in his room in exchange for a place to stay.

He was 21 at the time and had been homeless for nearly three years beforehand, which had a serious impact on him the defence said.

In the time since this incident he has been staying at Bridge House supported housing, which has had a “stabilising effect” on his life. He has also stopped using drugs since then the court heard.

Judge Rory McCabe said Ismail Abukhadir was a “bit player” in the drugs operation and had a lower level of culpability than his co-accused.

He was given a two year prison sentence which was suspended in its entirety, with one year of supervision by probation services.

When first interviewed by gardaí Oshane Malcolm said that the ecstasy he was found with was for his friends at a nightclub, and denied handling the drugs in the apartment.

However when his fingerprints were found on the packets he admitted to packaging the drugs, saying that he had been pressured to do by others involved in this operation.

His barrister said that Malcolm was under threat from others, but wasn’t able to get out of his situation, so he reluctantly complied.

He asked the judge not to impose the mandatory minimum for Possession for the Purpose of Sale or Supply, noting that Malcolm pleaded guilty and there was a positive probation report.

The court was also told that Malcolm had a drug problem at the time, which he has since taken steps to address, and that he feels deep shame and remorse for his actions.

Judge McCabe said that he made admissions to gardaí “but they did not extend to admitting the real extent of his role”.

The judge imposed a five year prison sentence, but suspended half of it. The sentence was backdated to April of this year when he first went into custody.

Online resource for teachers and parents of gifted children launched by Galway TD

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November 25, 2019

computer online resource gifted children EU ERASMUS Galway daily

A new online resource for the parents and teachers of gifted children across the EU has been launched by Galway East TD Ciaran Cannon.

The resource, called EGIFT, provides appropriate educational opportunities for gifted students at school level and supports this by increasing the skills of educators in the classroom.

Minister Ciaran Cannon said he was delighted to visit DCU to launch EGIFT, as ‘it is vital that our education system caters for the specific educational requirements of all students’ .

“It is important that gifted children be provided with the right academic challenges as the curriculum does not always answer to their needs or add to their capabilities and it is also vital that they feel valued the education system.

“This Erasmus+ funded project seeks to address that and does so by providing appropriate educational opportunities for students at school level, supporting this aim by increasing the skills of educators in the classroom in the field of gifted and talented education.

“This is an EU-wide programme and I would encourage teachers in Galway who wish to know more about how it can help them to cater for the educational needs of gifted children to find out more about it at https://highability.eu/”.

Another huge act announced for Galway International Arts Festival 2020

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November 25, 2019

flaming lips huge act galway international arts festival 2020

Another huge band has been announced for for the Heineken Big Top at Galway International Arts Festival in 2020.

Known as one of the best live acts in the world, The Flaming Lips will join legendary band Pixies and celebrated musician Jon Hopkins at the festival in July.

The band played the Big Top in Galway in 2018 in what was one of the most talked about gigs of the year.

Colourful balloons rained down to the familiar opening chords of hit song Do You Realize?? and at one point in the evening, lead singer Wayne Coyne parted the crowd on top of a unicorn.

Nominated for six Grammy Awards, the American band has won three – and they were nominated for a Brit Award for Best International Group in 2017.

Tomorrow Is, a song composed for SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical was nominated for the 2018 Tony Award for Best Original Score and won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Score.

Heineken Big Top audiences can look forward to a long list of hits from the band’s illustrious career. Formed in 1983, highlights of their award-winning discography include albums like The Soft Bulletin (1999), Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002), and Embryonic (2009). Their 15th studio album, the ‘playful, melodic, cinematic’ King’s Mouth, was released in July 2019.

The Flaming Lips will play the Heineken Big Top on Saturday 18 July 2020. Tickets, priced at €49.50, will be available for purchase HERE this Friday 29 November at 9am.

Aran Islands Lifeboat rescues three people stranded on a jet ski

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November 25, 2019

The Aran Islands RNLI lifeboat came to the rescue of the three people who found themselves stranded on a jet ski off Inis Oirr last weekend.

The all weather lifeboat from the Aran Islands RNLI station was launched in response to a call from the Coast Guard at 3:39pm on Saturday.

A jet ski with three people aboard had been reported in difficulty off the southwest coast of Inis Oirr.

The lifeboat David Kirkaldy #17-06 launched under Coxswain John O’Donnell and a full crew.

Weather conditions at the time of launching were good with a slight swell and a north west force 4 wind.

When they arrived on the scene the people were found to be uninjured, but the jet ski had broken down.

The people were brought aboard the lifeboat and the jet ski was towed to the island.

At Inis Oirr pier the crew helped find and repair the fault in the jet ski, and once it was working properly escorted the three back to Doolin pier.

Speaking after the call out Aran Islands RNLI Coxswain John O’Donnell said: ‘The volunteer crew members responded quickly and thankfully a successful rescue was carried out, with three people being brought safely ashore.

“For anyone planning a trip to sea,always wear a lifejacket, always carry means of communication and let someone ashore know where you are going and when you are due back.”

“Should you get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.”

Image credit: RNLI/Lena O’Connell

Tuam girl wins national Soapbox championship

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November 25, 2019

A student from Presentation College Tuam is the winner of the grand final of the Europe Direct National Soapbox Competition 2019.

Johanna Lane, from Bishop Street in Tuam, was the winner of the 18 and Under section of the Soapbox competition national finals which took place at the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin.

The Europe Direct National Soapbox Competition is organised by libraries around the country with competitors given three minutes to make a speech for of against the motion.

The theme for this year’s competition was ‘Climate Change is Not My Problem’.

Galway East TD Sean Canney congratulated Johanna on her win and praised the competition itself, saying that it “provides citizens from every European country an opportunity to have their say about European Union affairs”.

Eight libraries around Ireland host Europe Direct Information Centres, which offer citizens a direct link to the activities of the European Commission.

The Europe Direct Centre in Galway is located in Ballinasloe library.

“I was honoured to give a keynote address on the importance of libraries to our communities and the way in which they have become hubs for a whole range of services.”

Pictured above with Deputy Canney are Una Kelly of Ballinasloe Library, Siobhán Lane, Rebecca Lane and Johanna Lane.

GMIT engineering students win coveted national building challenge

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November 25, 2019

Galway Daily education GMIT students win National building challenge

A team of building and civil engineering students in GMIT have won the coveted All Ireland Chartered Institute of Building Student Challenge 2019.

The multi-disciplinary team won the nationwide competition for developing the best detailed proposals for a complex building heritage project on a busy commercial site in inner city Dublin.

Their team was made of young people from across the west: Adam Brennan (Construction Management) from Bundoran, Co Donegal, Ali Al-Windi (Architectural Technology) from William St, Galway city, Declan Coll (Civil Engineering) from Falcarragh, Co Donegal and Liam Flatley (Quantity Surveying) from Belcarra, Castlebar, Co Mayo.

They beat off stiff competition from ITs and universities’ teams across the country to win the challenge which took place in the Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin earlier this month.

The students’ project was a 1770s Georgian building in poor and unstable condition, needing both internal and external restoration.

Next to was a newer office building scheduled for demolition, with an ESB substation which powered the neighbouring restaurant.

The team developed plans to replace the sub-station whilst also creating a temporary advertising façade to ensure the restaurant remained appealing to customers and could stay open during the build.

With building regulations having become more onerous in recent years, they also drew up plans to ensure the entire project would be up to code while maintaining public safety during construction.

Following completion of the written planning, the teams were involved in two rounds of presentations of their plans to a panel of leading expert judges from industry and the professions.

The teams were firstly whittled down to a final three who were then further questioned by the judges in a second round of detailed evaluation.

GMIT lecturers and competition mentors John Hanahoe and Dr Martin Taggart paid tribute to the GMIT team, saying: “This is a fantastic achievement by our students.”

“They performed to a very professional standard and really impressed the industry judges,” they added.

“The competition itself is a great opportunity for the students to engage in real life interdisciplinary practice, as well as it being an enjoyable and sociable experience.”

Tuam Stadium awarded €90,000 for ongoing renovations

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November 24, 2019

Galway Daily sport Tuam Stadium awarded €90,000 under sports capital grants

Almost €90,000 has been awarded to assist with the ongoing renovations of Tuam Stadium under the regional allocation of Sports Capital Grants.

This brings Sports Capital Grant funding for Tuam stadium to more than €200,000 following a grant of €111,500 in 2017.

Galway East TD Seán Canney said that this has been a great result for the rejuvenation of the stadium, which has been moved along by public and private funding.

“Tuam Stadium is the centre of football in Galway and the fantastic atmosphere generated in the recent County final and replay, along with the Connacht championship match against Ballintubber, underlines its importance.”

“These grants are vital in order to ensure we have the best facilities possible to host intercounty matches,” Sean Canney said, adding that he was delighted to help with this.

“The re-roofing of the stand is being progressed and I want to acknowledge the support for this part of the project from the late Joe O’Toole.”

The Independent TD also thanked the Varden family for providing seating for the new terraces.

Minister for Transport, Tourism, and Sport Shane Ross announced that €2.58 million in Sports Capital Grants has been allocated to 15 projects.

The €89,717 awarded to the Galway County Board is for Referee’s Facilities at Tuam Stadium.

Appeal against Athenry battery energy storage facility rejected

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November 24, 2019