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Quiet Man station awarded €100,000 to develop visitor attraction

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news €100,000 awarded for developing visitor attraction at Quiet Man station

Ballyglunin railway station, better known as the Quiet Man station, has been awarded €100,000 to develop the area as a visitor attraction.

The money for development of the Quiet Man station was awarded under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

Local activists have been working on restoring Ballyglunin Train Station to its former glory as a local tourist attraction since 2004.

A charity was officially formed towards this effort in 2012, and the next year planning permission was received from the county council for restoration works.

Progress has taken a number of years due to the historical nature of the site and because the efforts are voluntary led with the majority of funding provided by donations.

Galway East TD and Minister of State for Community Affairs Seán Canney said that he was delighted that Ballyglunin has received funding from his department.

A spokesperson for the restoration efforts said that they are incredibly grateful for the endorsement of their work inherent in this funding.

The station’s main claim to fame is from the 1952 John Ford film The Quiet Man which shot its opening scene of John Wayne arriving back home in his character’s native Ireland after time away in America there.

Significant work has already been achieved in this project including restoring the old signal tower and store house at the station.

Work has also been underway on the main station itself this year to develop community facilities, which hopefully this funding will go a long way towards helping achieve.

In total €15 million in funding for 156 rural towns and villages around the country was announced by Minister Michael Ring for the Town and Village Renewal Scheme this year.

COPE Galway launches Cold Weather Response

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news COPE

COPE Galway has made an additional 23 beds available for people sleeping on the street as part of its annual Cold Weather Response.

The annual Cold Weather Response, co-organised by COPE Galway and Galway City Council is starting today, three weeks earlier than in previous winters.

The additional 23 beds for rough sleepers are being provided at the site of the COPE Galway Day Centre for Homeless on Seamus Quirke Road.

“These additional beds are specifically for people sleeping rough in Galway and will be available over the coldest and most inclement weeks and months of the year,” explained Martin O’Connor of COPE Galway.

“The main aim is to provide a warm and safe place for people to be off the streets in the evening and night time, safeguarding them against the risk of harm associated with sleeping rough.”

“We also aim to work with and support individuals to identify long term solutions to their situation focusing on helping them secure accommodation and housing”.

The Cold Weather Response operates from 5.30pm each evening, providing night time sleeping accommodation along with access to a hot meal, shower and laundry facilities.

Access to medical care and support is also provided with the help of the HSE.

During the day, those using the service will have access to supports through the COPE Galway operated Day Centre service.

The Cold Weather Response will remain in place until April 24, 2020.

Last winter, during its 22 weeks of operation, the Cold Weather Response project accommodated 199 people ranging in age from 18 to over 80 years.

COPE Galway is asking the Galway public for their assistance to help spread the word about the availability of these additional beds and to also let the organisation know details of locations where people are rough sleeping.

You can phone 085 8009641 and 085 8009709 to contact the Cold Weather Response team during the evening and night time.

You can also make contact during daytime hours, Monday to Saturday, by telephoning 091 525259.

Expansion plans for Joyce’s Supermarket Knocknacarra

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Tesco announce take over of Joyce's supermarkets

Plans have been submitted to the city council for an expansion of Joyce’s Supermarket, Knocknacarra which includes two new businesses.

The proposed extension does not involve any new construction, but consists of the use of a previously unused area of the shopping centre for an extension to the existing supermarket, a café, and a doctor’s surgery.

Along with a supermarket, the shopping centre at Shangort, Knocknacarra currently consists of a dentist, a chemist, hairdresser/beauty salon, launderette, coffee shop, and rooms for community use on the first floor.

The new development will also include the provision of additional car/bicycle parking, signage, an outdoor seating area associated with the café and all other associated site development and servicing works.

In total 194 car parking spaces and 40 bicycle spaces would be provided as part of this development.

“The rationale behind this extension is to enhance the customer experience at Joyce’s Supermarket and make the shopping experience a more comfortable experience for existing clientele,” the planning application states.

The new space would be used to widen existing aisles and reshaping the retail space to be more attractive to customers it is added.

There will be no change to the building’s footprint as part of this project, and no work will be done on the first floor of the building.

“It is considered that this development will make use of a vacant and underutilised part of the building and improve access to local facilities, particularly for those without access to private transport”.

Galway City Council is due to make a decision on this planning application by November 27.

Chinese export approval for 14 meat factories “must bear fruit for farmers” – Fitzmaurice

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Galway TD condemns pause in COVID-19 screening at meat plants

The recent announcement that 14 additional Irish meat factories have been granted approval to export to the Chinese market must also benefit farmers Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice has said.

Minister for Agriculture Michael Ring announced recently that 14 meat factories and two coldstores have been given approval to export to China after a two week audit by Chinese inspectors in September.

Speaking about the recent approvals, Deputy Fitzmaurice said that while the news should be welcomed, farmers need to start seeing the benefits of these markets.

“The importance of the Chinese market has been underlined consistently by the Department of Agriculture, Bord Bia and Meat Industry Ireland.

“We now have over 20 factories in this country which are allowed to export beef to China, which is a vast market.

“While it is a good news story, farmers need to start seeing a real benefit coming from the growing presence of Irish beef in the Chinese market.

“They need to start seeing extra value. Hopefully this will be the start of the beef price in Ireland beginning on an upward trajectory, as beef farmers have been forced to survive on their knees for far too long,” Michael Fitzmaurice concluded.”

The Irish beef export market has benefited from a growing appetite for prime beef in China in recent years.

Within the last 30 years Chinese demand for meat has quadrupled, and the country now consumes one quarter of the world’s meat supply.

On average an individual in China consumes 4kg of beef per year, still much less than 19kg per capita a year in Ireland.

The 14 new approvals brings to 21 the total number of Irish meat factories allowed access to the Chinese market after seven plants were granted approval last year.

 

Endangered turtle washed from Canaries to Galway flies home commercial

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Briain Kelly
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An endangered turtle carried from the Canary Islands to the beaches of Connemara by Atlantic storms is flying home commercial today.

The Irish Examiner reports that the Loggerhead turtle, affectionately known as Mara, was found in severe distress on Dolan’s Beach in Roundstone by local woman Linda Hederman.

The female turtle was brought by the concerned woman to Western Veterinary in Clifden where she was treated for hyothermia overnight before heading to Dingle Oceanworld to recuperate.

After a seven week recovery the hard shelled turtle took flight home today on an early morning Ryanair flight Cork airport to Gran Canaria.

image credit: Oceanworld Aquarium Dingle

During the four hour flight Mara will be coated in vaseline to keep her hydrated the Examiner says, and kept in an aerated box.

On the flight accompanying her will be two staff from Dingle Oceanworld and vet Shónagh O’Sullivan who volunteered to make the trip to ensure her good health.

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is the world’s largest species of hard-shelled turtle. Full grown adults average about 350kg in weight, and some specimens have been found up to 450kg.

They are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean, but need warm water in order to survive which is what made Mara’s predicament so precarious.

The Loggerhead is considered an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, with the greatest threat to their survival being loss of nesting habitats to coastal development.

In poor health when initially found, Mara put on about a kilo in weight under the care of Dingle Oceanworld, and now weighs a healthy 3kg.

Before boarding her flight Mara needed a health certificate and her own specially issued passport to travel.

Upon arriving in the Canaries she will be brought directly to the Gran Canaria Turtle Hospital to get checked over before being released back into the water.

UHG is Ireland’s most overcrowded hospital again today

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Almost 1,000 patients on trolleys at UHG in February

UHG is the most overcrowded hospital in Ireland once again with a staggering 71 patients on trolleys.

This is the second time in November that the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said that UHG has had the highest number of patients on trolleys in a poor start to November.

There are 595 patients who are without a proper bed in Ireland’s public hospitals according to the INMO’s daily Trolley/Ward Watch.

Since 2006 the INMO has kept a daily tally of patients without a proper bed on trolleys in the Emergency Departmemt or overcrowded wards.

After University Hospital Galway the worst affected are Cork UH (49), UH Limerick (46), and Letterkenny UH (46).

There are also an additional 15 people on trolleys at Portiuncula, far more than are usually seen at the Ballinasloe Hospital.

The INMO has said there were 11,452 patients without a bed in public hospitals last month amid mounting nursing vacancies in the public health service.

“There is no doubt that this situation will worsen as winter bites, unless staffing becomes a top priority for the government,” said INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha.

She added that services are suffering as a result of a recruitment freeze in the health service.

Honey Show & Fair to showcase the sweet art of beekeeping

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Briain Kelly
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Galwy Daily life & style Honey Fair & Show showing the sweet success of beekeeping

Galway Beekeepers’ Association is bringing together people new to the art of beekeeping with seasoned veterans for a public fair this month.

On Saturday, November 17 the GBKA is holding a Hone Show & Fair in Galway City with lectures and competitions for beekeepers, and an exhibition on beekeeping and the products of the hive that’s free and open to the public.

The Honey Show & Fair will take place at St. Patrick’s School Hall on Market Street, kicking off at 10am with guest lectures for beekeepers and honey judging for 10 classes of hive products.

The public fair and exhibition, free and open to all, will follow that afternoon at 2:30pm.

smart

In recent times public awareness of the central role that bees play in pollinating so many of the plants that we rely on for our food has grown massively.

The Galway Beekeepers’ Association are trying to contribute to furthering this knowledge by showing the public what is involved in beekeeping and the products that come of it.

Honey is no doubt the first thing that springs to mind when you ask yourself what bees make. But that is only the start of it.

Wax products such as polishes, balms, and candles will also be on display. A topical subject, as they can be ideal stocking fillers coming up to Christmas.

If you are thinking of getting into beekeeping, what better way to see the in’s and out’s of the craft than going along to see the processes and meet the people with the experience.

Beekeepers are always happy to meet and share their experiences and encourage as many as possible to get involved.

Bees cluster up inside their hives at this time of year to keep their queen warm.  So there will not be any live bees at the exhibition.

Galway Beekeepers run beginner’s courses every Autumn and Spring as demand requires.  The Autumn course is entering its final weeks already but slots are available for a Spring delivery. The course is limited to 20 participants.

For more information, email secretary@galwaybeekeepers.com or pop along on Saturday 16th November.

City centre street closed for two weeks from today

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news road closure

Middle Street in Galway City Centre will be closed for the next two weeks from this morning in order to allow works to take place.

Galway City Council has ordered the city centre street closed in order to allow the carriageway to be excavated so that a 90mm gas main can be laid down.

The road will be shut between its junctions with Cross Street and Abbeygate street until 6pm on Sunday, November 17.

Some traffic disruption is expected and alternative routes will be signposted for the duration of these works.

While work is underway the direction of traffic on the adjacent St. Augustine Street will be reversed.

Archbishop of Tuam calls for transparency and charity on Achill Island refugee accommodation plans

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Archbishop of Tuam calls for transparency and charity on Achill Island refugee accommodation plans

Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary has said that it is important for plans to house refugees on Achill Island to be carried out with full public transparency, adding that welcoming less fortunate strangers is a Christian duty.

This week the Department of Justice has made public its plans to house 38 refugees at the Achill Head Hotel on Achill Island for a period of three months.

The refugees would consist of 13 single women, and 25 people from families due to arrive in the coming weeks.

There has been controversy lately with some local residents protesting outside the hotel over the lack of public consultation on these plans, though they have said they are not against refugees.

Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary released a statement today saying that it’s known around Ireland and the world that: “Achill people are a welcoming people and, in the past, Achill has accepted people from communities from around the world.”

Archbishop Neary said that Christians have a moral obligation to welcome strangers, and that with Ireland moving from austerity to greater prosperity, to help the less fortunate as much as circumstances will allow.

“We should also be particularly alert to those who are experiencing serious upheaval and a crisis of hope in their lives.”

“Critically, we also have a moral obligation to serve the common good by preventing the exploitation of sensitive situations concerning vulnerable people by those who trade in hatred and fear.”

“Most Irish families know only too well that feeling of fear and trepidation that accompanies emigration. Let our faith, and our own lived-experience, be a model of generosity to others.”

The Archbishop added that it is important for any effective advance planning to house refugees on Achill Island to include full transparency and consultation with local people.

This, he said, should help allay people’s fears and correct misunderstandings while allowing this initiative to work sustainably for the community.

Griffin’s Bar in Clifden officially has the best pub roast in Ireland

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily life & style Griffin's Bar in Clifden has the best pub roast in Ireland

Griffin’s Bar in Clifden is the place to be if you’re looking for a hearty meal to go with your pint, as it has been named or having the best pub roast in all of Ireland.

Griffin’s was one of two winners announced in the Knorr Professional Ireland’s Great Roast Competition, taking home the Best Pub Roast Award while the Best Hotel Roast went to the Limerick Strand Hotel.

“It’s great to have our roast recognised, it just means a great deal to all of us here,” said Lisa Coohill, Bar Manager at Griffin’s Bar.

“We keep things simple and we use a lot of local produce, and we put a lot of effort into it. We have a big local trade that comes in to us and we try to make sure that everything is nice and fresh for them.”

Margaret McCann O’Malley, Chef at Griffin’s, added what she thinks makes a great pub meal, “I think value for money for one,” she said.

“It’s always a home cooked meal. We’re not one that has it running all day or all morning, we do a certain length of time.”

“And when we serve it we try to serve it to the best of my ability anyhow. So that it is nice and hot and there’s plenty of it.”

Lisa Coohill added that everyone at Griffin’s is “absolutely delighted” to receive this award, saying that it is a great honour.

Griffin’s Bar is the oldest continuously owned family pub in Clifden, with a reputation for a warm and inviting atmosphere, great homemade food, and incredible live music featuring everything from traditional Irish to Country to straight-ahead Rock.

Griffin’s was one of nine pubs shortlisted for the Best Pub Roast Award, and also nominated in Connacht was the Galleon in Salthill.

 

image credit: Griffin’s Bar/via Facebook

Fundraiser takes in almost €10,000 for Down Syndrome Galway

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Fundraiser takes in almost €10,000 for Down Syndrome Galway

A recent fundraiser at The Auld Traingle in Loughrea, supported by the Loughrea Darts Club and more, raised almost €10k for Down Syndrome Galway.

Down Syndrome Galway provides a wide variety of supports for children and young people with Down Syndrome and their families.

This includes different streams of communications training including the Little Owls Early Communication Group for toddlers up to three years, Speech and Language Therapy for kids aged 3 and over, and sign language training courses for professional staff working with kids.

Project Voices at DSGalway currently employs three Speech & Language Therapists and caters for up to 80 people.

The group also provides education support, support for new parents, a football club for kids aged 6 to 16 and numerous social opportunities.

To help support all this good work a fundraiser night took place at the Auld Triangle pub in Loughrea in mid October with a raffle, darts competition, and  a barbecue.

All told the night took in €9,457 to fund the ongoing work of DSG.

“Thanks a million to Aidan Callanan, Manager of The Auld Triangle, Loughrea. To Mike & his sons, to Joe Kenny & all involved in the Loughrea Darts club and one of our parents, Breda Regan,” Down Syndrome Galway said on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/DownSyndromeGal/status/1190937535549231104

Galway nurse wins Red Cross’ highest honour for work in Iraqi prisons

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Galway nurse wins red cross Florence Nightingale medal

A Galway nurse has received the highest honour the Red Cross can give for nursing, the Florence Nightingale Medal, for her work in Iraqi prisons.

Loughrea native Vivien Lusted trained as a nurse in Beaumont Hospital, and up to last year spent the better part of 14 years overseas with the Red Cross responding to crises in some of the most dangerous and deprived parts of the world.

She served in 13 missions with the Red Cross during some of the most infamous armed conflicts in recent history in Somalia, Sudan, Myanmar, Israel and Liberia to name but a few.

But it was her work in Iraq, where she spent 18 months serving as a nurse for prisoners in detention, that earned her the Florence Nightingale Medal.

Proving compassionate and comprehensive healthcare in prisons is no easy feat under the best of conditions, and these were far from the best of conditions.

Despite this Vivien persevered in not just treating the injuries and illnesses that came before her, but advocated for better conditions which saw an improvement in sanitation facilities and in detainee nutrition during her time as a nurse there.

Lusted received her medal from President Michael D. Higgins after she was chosen for this honour by a commission comprised of the ICRC, the IFRC and the International Council of Nurses.

She is one of just five Irish nurses to receive the Florence Nightingale Medal since it was first created in 1912.

In the words of Vivien’s colleagues in Iraq; “her voice became the voice of the detained who often cannot speak for themselves, or whose voices no one wants to hear.

“The needs were huge, and at times overwhelming. Vivien however remained resolutely positive, bringing her personal cheer to guards, detainees and ICRC teams alike.”

Loughrea gardai up patrols after multiple burglaries

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Galway had Ireland's third highest number of road deaths in 2021

Gardai in Loughrea are increasing their number of patrols in the area after a number of burglaries in the area.

In response to recent burglaries in the New Inn and Kiltullagh areas gardai will be running additional Crime Patrols.

Members of the public are being urged to remain alert and report any suspicious activity.

“If you notice anything suspicious please ring your local Gardai,” a garda spokesperson said.

“We’d prefer to get a false alarm than no call at all.”

GMIT researcher wins Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals for Brazilian Ju-Jitsu and Judo

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily sport GMIT researcher wins gold, silver, and bronze for Ju-Jitsu and Judo

Dr Olga Lyashevska of GMIT’s Marine and Freshwater Research Centre in Galway has had an incredibly successful year outside of the lab, taking home gold, silver, and bronze medals at international Judo and Ju-Jitsu competitions.

Dr Lyashevska’s latest success came  at the World Judo Championship in Morocco where she won the bronze medal this October.

This follows on from earlier in the year where she was a gold medallist at the European Brazilian Jiu Jitsu championships in Barcelona before scooping the silver medal in August at the World Masters Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Las Vegas.

Olga joined GMIT four years ago as an ecological statistician. She writes the code that finds interesting patterns in vast heaps of raw data.

Her analyses and models at the MFRC caught the attention of GMIT’s Medical and Engineering Technologies (MET) Gateway where she has developed an additional role as senior researcher in data analytics.

Originally from Crimea, Olga started training 15 years ago when she was a postgraduate student in Holland and earned her black belt in Judo after only five years of training.

After another five years Olga won a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, building a reputation as a serious opponent in European competitions.

Finding jiu-jitsu and judo was pure luck,” Olga said, adding that “I don’t know how my life would be without it.”

“It all started when I was a masters student in Environmental Sciences at Wageningen University.  I had a self-study week, meaning there were no regular classes, just preparation for the exams, so there was more time for sports.”

“Out of curiosity I picked a random activity at the university sport centre and decided to give it a try. The first class was scary but fun and I haven’t stopped training since”.

Her involvement in martial arts doesn’t stop at competing.  For the last three and a half years she has taught two classes a week in women’s self-defence and Jiu Jitsu at Galway’s Point Blank Submissions martial arts gym.

Being an instructor as well as a practitioner of judo and ju-jitsu has taught Olga two things she says.

“First, you do not know whether you like a sport until you actually do it yourself and, second, the first time can be intimidating but don’t give up.”

“I enjoy teaching classes which allows me to build connections with the students, see their progress and help them to get better in sport and become more confident in life.”

If you’re reading this and you’d like to join one of Olga’s classes her message is: “Please come along, we would love to have you!”.  When not competing and teaching Olga referees at European and World championship competitions.

Tenders issued for Inishbofin ferry service

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Over €100,000 funding announced for Inishbofin

The tender process has gotten underway for a contract to provide a ferry service between Inishbofin and the mainland from the new year.

Galway West TD and Minister of State for the Islands Seán Kyne confirmed that it is intended that a passenger ferry service will between Cleggan and Inishbofin twice daily.

It’s intended that this new contact will come into effect from January 1, 2020 and last for the next five years. Though that is of course subject to tenders being received and evaluated as up to scratch.

“As part of the process, my department, in conjunction with the Inishbofin Development Company, consulted with the community to ensure that the tender process will deliver a scheduled and reliable ferry service for local people and visitors alike.”

“Connectivity is essential for the sustainability and prosperity of all island communities and this process will provide certainty for Inishbofin over the next five years,” Seán Kyne concluded.

 

Cheevers suggests return-reward pilot scheme to encourage recycling

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Green light for new Gort recycling centre

City councillor Alan Cheevers has said a return-reward scheme for plastic bottles, glass bottles and aluminium cans could help encourage recycling.

The Fianna Fáil councillor pointed to reverse vending machines, which give people money in exchange for depositing bottles and cans, as an easy and positive way to encourage recycling.

He suggested that the city council should consider a pilot scheme with these machines in order to gauge whether it would help tackle the amount of litter on our streets.

“I think it could work,” Cllr Alan Cheevers said, “I have seen it work in other countries such as in the States. People get 3 cents or 5 cents back on a bottle and 2 cents back on a can.”

“It would be great to get local shops on board. I think the scheme would make a huge difference to the amount of litter we see in the city and go some way to meeting our climate action targets.”

Councillor Cheevers said that the city council needs to take a more proactive approach towards encouraging recycling, and that he will be raising the prospect of a trial scheme for this at the next council meeting.

Ó Cuiv and Crowe to stand for Fianna Fáil in Galway West in the next general election

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Briain Kelly
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Gal;way Daily news Councillor Ollie Crowe elected to Seanad seat

Fianna Fáil have chosen city councillor Ollie Crowe and current Galway West TD Eamon Ó Cuív to contest the Galway West – South Mayo constituency in the next general election.

The two were chosen to contest the next general election, which is expected in mid 2020, at a selection convention in the Galway Bay Hotel on Thursday evening.

Councillor Crowe said that he is “honoured and humbled” to have been nominated by Fianna Fáil to stand in the next election.

He thanked his Fianna Fáil colleagues on the city council for their support and endorsement, adding that he looks forward to working with Eamon Ó Cuiv in the coming months.

 

image credit: Ollie Crowe/ via Facebook

Week long roadworks in Oranmore begin Monday

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Roadworks to disrupt traffic near Portumna on Tuesday

Roadworks on the Craughwell exit of the Oranbeg roundabout in Oranmore will cause traffic disruptions when they get underway on Monday.

The roadworks on the roundabout were meant to take place in October, but had to be rescheduled due to other roadworks taking place in Oranmore.

According to the county council these works are expected to take one week to complete.

“During the daytime there will be generally two way traffic on the R446 Craughwell road, with short term stop and go to facilitate reinstatement of the trench this will be done outside of peak flows,” a council spokesperson said.

A traffic management plan will be in place for the duration of the works.

Yet another weather warning issued for heavy rain Galway

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Weather warning for continued heavy rain in Galway

Heavy rain is expected today as a status yellow weather warning has been put back in place for Galway and the west of Ireland.

Met Eireann had issued a weather warning for heavy rainfall which encompassed yesterday, but lifted it just for Galway.

A new warning was issued this morning at 8am for Galway, Mayo, Clare, Kerry and Limerick which will remain in place until midnight tonight.

“Spells of rain during Saturday with further accumulations of up to 20mm possible, especially in upland areas,” it states.

A small craft warning has also been issued for the west coast warning of Northwesterly winds will reach force 6 or 7 this afternoon.

Northwesterly gale force winds reaching force 8 at times this afternoon have also been forecast by Met Eireann in western coastal waters.

Oranmore opera soprano is bringing down the house in aid of St Vincent de Paul

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily arts culture Oranmore opera Soprano charity concert

Galway is home to music of all stripes including opera, as the extraordinary Soprano talents of Oranmore singer Helen Hancock will give voice to at a charity concert in aid of St. Vincent de Paul.

Helen will dazzle audiences with a beautiful evening of singing and music to suit all tastes, including opera arias, songs, and musical theatre.

The ‘A Night in November’ charity concert will take place at Keane’s Music Venue in Oranmore on Friday, November 8 from 8pm.

Accompanied by Mark Keane on piano the programme for the night will include everything from Handel and Mozart opera for a bit of classical drama, to French song and Kurt Weill.

Helen has just completed two summer schools in singing performance abroad – Abingdon Summer School for Solo Singers in the UK and “The Singer as Artist” in France and is in her 5th year of vocal studies with Owen Gilhooly.

On top of her solo singing career Helen is also the Choral Director of The Marine Singers from Oranmore, a choir from the Marine Institute.

The Marine Singers Oranmore

They will perform a varied programme of on the evening with everything from Simon and Garfunkel to Billy Joel to sacred choral music.

“I and the choir both sang in the opening ceremony of the Oranmore Arts festival in May in Keanes Oranmore so this concert is a natural progression from that,” Helen said.

“It is great to be able to stage a concert locally for a local charity.  Mark Keane and I performed together in August in The Yeats Tower Thoor Ballylee in Gort for Heritage Week which was a great success and we are excited about another performance together.”

On the same weekend in 2018, Helen gave her very successful debut evening concert “Awakening” for the St Vincent de Paul in the Augustinian Church Galway which raised well needed funds and she has been performing frequently in Galway and Limerick since then.

Admission to this charity concert is €15 for adults and €10 concession. Tickets can be purchased from Vincents Shop, Oranmore, McHugh’s Spar, Oranmore and on the door on the night.

See Helen Hancock Soprano on Facebook for more information.

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