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Free event to help businesses get Brexit ready

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news EU treaty rights for UK citizens in Ireland post-Brexit

The British Irish Chamber of Commerce and Ulster Bank are holding a free event in Galway for businesses looking beyond the Brexit at the end of this month and wondering how they’ll have to change their game.

The ‘Supporting Business in a Post Brexit World’ event will take place at the Connacht Hotel next Tuesday, October 22 from 8am to 10am.

This event will be the first of the #BusinessBeyondBrexit series which will look at the impact of Brexit, its eventual outcome and the business landscape beyond it.

It aims to both look at what the broader economic shifts will be after, or if, Britain leaves the EU, combined with a regional focus on the issues specific to local businesses.

The event will feature an economic overview from Ulster Bank, as well as a case study presentation from a local business followed by a panel discussion.

Speakers at the event include Simon Barry, Chief Economist at Ulster Bank; Katie Daughen, Head of Brexit Policy for the British Irish Chamber of Commerce; Breda Fox, Head of Enterprise for the Galway LEO; and John O’Loughlin, Head of Investment for the Department of International Trade from the British Embassy.

Attendance is free for this event at the Connact Hotel, but place must be registered online in advance. Registration will be at 7:30am before the day kicks off at 8.

NUI Galway seeks 5,000 people for massive migraine study

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Chronic pain treatment SFI prize

Psychologists at NUIG are trying to discover what psychological factor might contribute a migraine, and they’re seeking the help of 5,000 adults across the UK and Ireland to help them find out.

There’s an estimated 600,000 to 900,000 people in Ireland affected by migraine, and as many as 1 billion worldwide according to the latest date from the World Health Organisation.

And while almost everyone gets headaches from time to time they are not comparable to the level of pain and stress that migraines can inflict on people.

The School of Psychology at NUI Galway wants to determine how factors such as attachment style, childhood experiences, dissociation, current stress, anxiety and mood can influence this problem.

They aim to carry out a large online survey seeking responses from adults in Ireland and the United Kingdom who have been diagnosed with migraine.

“There is a growing awareness of the impact of migraine in Ireland,” said Dr Ian Mays, one of the three researchers leading this study along with Dr Jonathan Egan and Professor Brian McGuire.

Dr Mays said that this growth in public awareness has been seen multiple times this year with the publishing of a Quick Reference Guide for migraines by the Irish College of General Practitioners in February, and Brain and Migraine Awareness weeks which took place in March and September.

“Stressful life events in childhood may predispose people to developing chronic health conditions including migraines and we want to research whether this is true in a large sample of people experiencing migraine in Ireland,” added Dr Egan.

He also said that those psychological factors might also influence how people manage migraines on top of how likely they are to develop the issue, as well as whether they feel they can access support or not.

Anyone who would like to take part in the online survey can do so here.

Galway University Hospitals welcomes new Consultant Vascular Surgeon

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news New Consultant Vascular surgeon at Galway University Hospitals

Galway University Hospitals have welcomed a new addition to their ranks of surgical specialists with the appointment of dr Mahmoud Alawy as a Consultant Vascular Surgeon.

Dr Alawy was appointed as a consultant surgeon at GUH last month after working as a Vascular Surgery Registrar here from 2012 – 2015, in Tallaght University Hospital from 2015 – 2016, and St James’s Hospital from 2016-2018.

From August 2018 he worked as a Senior Clinical Fellow at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London for one year.

Prior to coming to Ireland Dr Alawy spent seven years in Ain Shams University Hospitals and Wadi El-Neel Hospital in Cairo for his Vascular Surgery training.

Speaking about his appointment and the specialist work he has researched extensively Dr Alawy said “Thanks to modern technology and minimally invasive surgery many advances have been made in the past decade in the treatment of aortic diseases, particular the treatment of aortic aneurysm.

“An aneurysm occurs in the wall of a blood vessel due to weakness or degeneration of the artery wall and as it enlarges, it compromises the artery wall’s ability to stretch and risks rupturing.”

“I have a special interest in minimally invasive surgery techniques to treat aneurysms and other aortic problems.”

He added that he is delighted to bring this expertise to Galway where he will be treating patients from across GUH’s wide catchment area.

Dr Alawy studied at the Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt with qualifications including an MBBCH in Surgery and Medicine (2004), Master of Science in General Surgery (2008) and an MD in General Surgery/Vascular Surgery subspecialty (2011).

In 2017 Dr Alawy graduated as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and in the same years achieved honours in the Fellow of the European Board of Vascular Surgery awarded by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS).

Last year he joined the Specialist Register of the Irish Medical Council (IMC) in the specialty of Vascular Surgery which has been recognised as a new surgical specialty by the IMC due to an increase in the volume and complexity of vascular conditions and the development of new minimally invasive techniques.

Ms Chris Kane, General Manager of Galway University Hospitals said “We are very happy to welcome Mr Alawy back to Galway and to add his skills and experience to our Vascular Surgery Department where we see an increasing number of patients presenting with complex conditions requiring treatment.”

Connacht gearing up to face the Cheetahs this month

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily sport Connacht v The Cheetahs

Connacht are gearing up for a showdown with the Conference A leaders The Cheetahs from South Africa in the Sportsground towards the end of the month.

The Cheetahs and Connacht are playing here in Galway on Saturday, October 26 with kick off at 5:35pm.

The South African side have had a strong run in the Guinness PRO14 season so far, scoring 151 points so far, the latest crop of which came from a 40 – 16

However this is their first away game of the season and Connacht fans always have a great turn out when supporting their lads at home.

Both sides will also be keeping in mind the record of their last two games which both went Connacht’s way.

They last met in February when Connacht came out on top 25 – 17 with captain Jarrad Butler scoring a critical last minute try.

The Cheetahs only other recent visit to the Sportsground also went against them when they lost to Connacht 23 – 15 in the previous season.

The Connacht management team will announce their squad at 12pm the day before the game.

A small number of seated tickets at the Grant Thornton Stand are still available to purchase, with more open at the Bohermore and College Road ends.

 

image credit: INPHO/Connacht Rugby

Get your Game-A-Thon for Cancer Care West

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily life & style Get your game-a-thon for Cancer Care West

The annual Game-A-Thon at Dungeons and Donuts is returning for its fifth year supporting Cancer Care West.

In the past four years Dungeons and Donuts have helped raise almost €30,000 for Cancer Care West with their annual 25 hour marathon of gaming and other fun activities.

The theme for this year’s event taking place on October 26 is ‘undead or alive’, so dust off your best zombie, ghost, ghoul, mummy, or vampire costume and get ready to raise some hell for a good cause.

“We are looking for volunteers who would like to spend the whole 25 hours gaming and are willing to seek sponsorship for this great charity, so contact us in store via all the usual ways and we can send you out a sponsorship form,” explained Ronan Murphy of Dungeons and Donuts.

“If you don’t feel like you’re up to gaming for 25 hours that’s no problem we have plenty of fun games to play and planned activities to win some cool prizes and of course you can just come on in and donate to the cause.”

Some of the activities on the day will include Dead of winter colony vs colony, a Zombie dice tournament, A undead table quiz, and a Late night fancy dress Mysterium.

And of course the GoNuts for Gaming podcast will be recording, with an opportunity for people to take on Jerry and Mark in your chosen gaming subject and win vouchers, games and more.

To get involved and help break through that €30k ceiling check out Dungeons and Donuts on Facebook or check out the event here.

Galway’s Dáil Bar has the best cocktails in the world

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily life & style cocktails at the Dáil Bar are the best in the world

Galway’s Dáil Bar has been declared to have the best cocktails of any Irish pub in the world at the recent Irish Hospitality Global Awards.

Cocktails at the Dáil Bar are clearly something special as the city centre pub won the ‘Best Cocktail Experience’ award, not just for Ireland, but for the entire world.

The finals of the Irish Hospitality Global Awards took place at the Mansion House in Dublin last week after over 20,000 votes were cast for the shortlist online.

Aside from cocktails, winners were crowned in ten categories including best chef, best marketing campaign, and of course Pub of the Year, for Ireland; the Americas; Europe; Asia, Africa, the Middle East & Pacific; and the Global awards for the best of the best.

The Dáil Bar said that they are “beyond happy and excited” to have been found to have the best cocktails in the world.

The overall winner of Pub of the Year in Ireland was Doheny & Nesbitt, Dublin, and O’Casey’s at The Hague was declared to simply be the best Irish Pub in the world.

Other standouts from around the globe included Seumus’ Irish Bar in Picton New Zealand and The Celt in Texas.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was also presented to Mr John Teeling of Teeling Whiskey.

Sarah Murphy, CEO of Irish Hospitality Global, commended all of this year’s winner, “It is fantastic to see so many publicans from around the world join us to recognise and celebrate excellence within the industry.

“We must embrace and champion our success stories as we look for opportunities and new trends to offset rising challenges within the sector.”

The full list of winners from the night is:

Ireland

Best Marketing Campaign
Café en Seine, Dublin

Best Bar Person
Roland Dunphy of The Laurels, Perrystown

Best Chef
Ciaran Kavanagh of The Gravediggers, Dublin

Best Sports Experience
Slattery’s, Dublin 4

Best Entertainment Experience
Devitt’s, Dublin 2

Best Cocktail Experience
The Dáil, Galway

Best Whiskey Experience
Toners, Dublin

Best Irish Community Pub
John Mikes, Limerick

Best Food Experience
Hayes Bar, Glandore

Irish Pub of the Year
Doheny & Nesbitt, Dublin

Europe

Best Marketing Campaign
The Three Sisters, Edinburgh

Best Bar Person
Tanya Cregan of Temple Bar, Bolzano

Best Chef
Trish Erasmus of O’Shea’s, Eindhoven

Best Sports Experience
Fleetenkieker Irish Pub, Hamburg

Best Entertainment Experience
McNulty’s, La Rochelle

Best Cocktail Experience
Connolly’s, Glasgow

Best Whiskey Experience
Tir na N’og, Aarhus

Best Irish Community Pub
Sheridan’s, Zagreb

Best Food Experience
O’Shea’s, Manchester

Irish Pub of the Year
O’Casey’s, The Hague

The Americas

Best Marketing Campaign
Pub 32, Florida

Best Bar Person
Cara Power of Tir na Nog, Times Square

Best Chef
Gary Beynon of Doc Magilligan’s, Niagara Falls

Best Sports Experience
Egan & Sons, Montclair

Best Entertainment Experience
Hennessy’s, Mexico

Best Cocktail Experience
RiRa Georgetown

Best Whiskey Experience
Galway Bay, Annapolis

Best Irish Community Pub
The Peddler’s Daughter, Haverhill

Best Food Experience
Durty Nellys, Halifax

Irish Pub of the Year
The Celt, Texas

Asia, Africa, Middle East & Pacific

Best Marketing Campaign
Finn McCool’s, Brisbane

Best Bar Person
Katherine of Paddy O’Shea’s, Beijing

Best Chef
Josamme Barbadillo of D’arcy Arms, Surfer’s Paradise

Best Sports Experience
Shenanigan’s, Bangkok

Best Entertainment Experience
The Irish Village, Dubai

Best Cocktail Experience
Finn McCool’s, Surfer’s Paradise

Best Whiskey Experience
Scruffy Murphy’s, Bangkok

Best Irish Community Pub
Seumus’ Irish Bar, Picton

Best Food Experience
Murphy’s, Mandurah

Irish Pub of the Year
Seumus’ Irish Bar, Picton

Global

Best Marketing Campaign
The Three Sisters

Best Bar Person
Cara Power of Tir na Nog, Times Square

Best Chef
Ciaran Kavanagh of The Gravediggers, Dublin

Best Sports Experience
Fleetenkieker Irish Pub, Hamburg

Best Entertainment Experience
Hennessy’s, Mexico

Best Cocktail Experience
The Dáil Bar, Galway

Best Whiskey Experience
Toners, Dublin

Best Irish Community Pub
Seumus’ Irish Bar, Picton

Best Food Experience
Murphy’s, Mandurah

Irish Pub of the Year
O’Casey’s, The Hague

Lifetime Achievement Award 2019
Mr. John Teeling

 

image credit: Irish Hospitality Global Awards

Galway 2020 snags €1.5 million Melina Mercouri prize

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

Galway 2020 has secured a welcome boost in funding with an official recommendation that it receive the EU’s €1.5 million Melina Mercouri prize.

The recommendation was made by the European Capital of Culture Monitoring and Advisory panel during their third and final monitoring meeting with Galway 2020 this week.

The meeting took place on Monday at the Marine Institute in Oranmore, and marks the first time that a recommendation for this prize has been made from the host city.

The Croatian port city of Rijeka, which will share the European Capital of Culture title with Galway next year, has also been recommended to receive the prize along with Galway.

Chair of the Panel Beatriz Garcia “Today we congratulate Galway and Rijeka as they embark on the final preparations for their year as European Capitals of Culture 2020.

“Today we wish to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work of each of the teams and wish them every success in this endeavour. The panel is pleased to recommend that both cities receive the Melina Mercouri Prize.”

The Melina Mercouri prize is a €1.5M award made by the European Commission to qualifying capitals of culture.

The European Capital of Culture is a national designation and the European initiative, which began in 1985, has developed into one of the most ambitious cultural projects in Europe.

The designation is made four years in advance so host cities will have time to plan and prepare for their year in the spotlight.

The monitoring and advisory panel keeps track of the progress made in these preparations in the run up to the year, along with recommendations about areas where improvements could be made.

At the end of that monitoring period a recommendation is made on whether the European Commission should award the Melina Mercouri prize.

CEO of Galway 2020 Patricia Philbin said “We are honoured to welcome the European Capital of Culture Monitoring and Advisory panel, representatives from the European Commission and from Rijeka European Capital of Culture team to Galway this week.

And we are very grateful that the panel has recommended the awarding of the Melina Mercouri prize to Galway 2020.

“We are now just four months from the opening ceremony of Galway 2020 and there is a real sense of momentum building, not just here in Galway, but right around the country for the year ahead.

“Today is another incredibly important milestone on our journey,” Patricia Philbin concluded.

Galway 2020 will kick off next February, with over 1,900 events taking place across the city and county throughout the year.

It will involve 170 partnerships and collaborations with local, national, European and international artists and cultural organisations from over 30 different countries.

Chair of Galway 2020 Arthur Lappin said “At their core European Capitals of Culture highlight the richness of Europe’s cultural diversity and allow us to take a fresh look at our shared history and heritage.”

“Today as we gather with our friends from Rijeka to celebrate this really important recommendation there is a growing understanding of how the language of creativity opens Europe to cultures from across the world.”

“We wish to thank the panel for this recommendation, for their guidance and support and we look forward to delivering a tremendous year for Galway, Ireland and Europe.”

Man jailed for theft and burglary at city centre businesses

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily courts Man sent to trial charged with pulling knife on Garda

A man has been sentenced to serve five months in jail for theft and burglary at two city centre businesses late last year.

Martin Ward (37), with an address at Gilmartin Road, Tuam, pleaded guilty to one count each of burglary and theft at Flanagan’s Dancewear, and Tribes on William street.

Galway District Court heard that on November 7 of last year the owner of Flanagan’s Dancewear reported that the store had been burgled overnight.

She had locked up the business at 5:30pm the evening before, and when she opened up the next morning at 8:30am an Apple iPad worth €350 was missing.

The next month, on December 3, a student who was working at Tribes had left a rucksack containing her phone, student card, purse, and €30 in cash behind the counter while she dealt with a customer.

The student later noticed that the rucksack was gone. And while a member of the public turned it in to the police after finding it discarded some days later, all the property in it was gone.

In both instances Ward was captured on cctv footage committing these crimes.

The court heard that Mr Ward has a total of 86 previous convictions including 12 for burglary and 8 for theft, and is currently serving a 14 month prison sentence for multiple thefts.

€250 in compensation for the lost iPad was brought into court to be paid over to the victim of the burglary by the defence.

Judge Mary Fahy noted that students who take jobs on top of their time in college are working hard, often for minimum wage “Whereas people like Mr Ward just take, take, take, and give nothing back.”

She suggested that he should try to “get back into the community and work, like that student had to do”.

Judge Fahy gave Ward a five month prison sentence for the burglary at Flanagan’s Dancewear, which will begin after the conclusion of his current sentence, and a four month concurrent sentence for the theft at Tribes.

Over €4 million funding for Group Water Schemes in Galway

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Ballyconneelly water outages

Group Water Schemes in Galway will benefit from over €4 million in funding announced this week.

Galway East TD and Minister of State Seán Canney said that 72 projects involving Group Water Schemes in Galway have been approved for funding under different strands of the Multi Annual Water Programme.

The largest allocation was €1.8 million under Measure 3 of the programme for the enhancement of existing schemes, including water conservation upgrades.

The next largest strand of funding comes under Measure 5, Transition of Existing Schemes, for which Galway was awarded €897,299; followed by €698,600 under Measure 4 for new Schemes.

Under Measure 2: Public Health Compliance, Galway will benefit to the amount of €435,437, and Galway will receive €196,350 under Measure 6 for Community Connection Networks.

The final two allocations are €50,000 funding for Measure 1: Source Protection, and €36,000 for Innovation and Research in Measure 7.

Deputy Canney welcomed news of the investment, saying that Group Water Schemes provide a basic utility in rural Ireland.

“It is imperative that we continue to invest in water to ensure a quality supply to all our citizens,” Seán Canney said.

Inis Oírr bed and breakfast seeks approval for expansion

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Plans for city centre hotel development off Eyre Square

A Bed and Breakfast on Inis Oírr is seeking planning permission for an extension to the existing building to serve more guests.

Ciaran Ó Chonghaile runs a bed and breakfast from a residential property at West Village Inis Oírr and is seeking approval from the council to expand the business.

The plans submitted to the county council are for a four bedroom, two storey extension to the existing house with a total floor area of 202.8sqm.

Comhar Caomhán Teo, the representative development company for Inis Oírr, gave its full throated support for the plans in a letter submitted to the council.

“Ciaran Ó Chonghaile is a native islander who has settled here and is raising his young family on the island.”

“The maintenance of a stable population is of paramount importance to Comhar Caomhán Teo and furthermore, as we are preparing a language plan for the next seven years, it more important to maintain our native Irish speakers in this community and those who are raising their children through Irish.”

The development company said that this expansion would “enhance, support, and is crucial to, his efforts to eke out a living on the island and continue living on the island.

A Natura Impact Statement was submitted with this planning application and Mr Ó Chonghaile stated that he intends to return approximately 100sqm of grassland on his property to limestone pavement to make up for the small amount that will be lost for this development.

Galway County Council is due to make a decision on this planning application by November 26.

Beach cleanup highlights risks from flushing wet wipes

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Beach cleanup highlights risk of flushin wet wipes

A recent beach clean up event at Claddagh highlighted the problems that come from people flushing wet wipes and other sanitary products down the drain.

Irish Water staff along with transition year students from Coláiste Iognáid and councillor Niall McNelis gathered up multiple bags of wet wipes and other sanitary products from the beach, even though it had recently been scoured by local clean coasts groups.

Sanitary products such as wet wipes and cotton bud sticks are a serious problem for sewage systems, as they frequently get flushed rather than put in the bin, even though they are not meant to be.

This can cause massive blockages in sewers, causing waste to flow back and flood homes and gardens.

Even when they do pass through the sewers this waste gathers on beaches where it poses a threat to wildlife as seabirds often ingest plastic and sewage related litter, mistaking it for food.

Speaking after the event Councillor McNelis said “Wet wipes cause blockages of pipes in peoples’ homes and in the public sewerage network. They can also end up in the marine environment and pollute our beaches.

We are asking the people of Galway to ‘Think Before They Flush’, and to stop flushing wet wipes down their toilets.

“There are myths that these wet wipes are coming from the wastewater treatment plant in Mutton Island. I recently visited the treatment plant and have seen at first hand the screens that remove 16-18 tonnes of wet wipes, and other none flushable items every month.”

“I can confirm that they do not come from Mutton Island, but from people’s toilets,” he concluded.

Shay Walsh, Regional Wastewater Lead for Galway added “It was great to see the transition year students from Coláiste Iognáid out in force to help with the beach clean.”

“We are sure that they will share the message asking people to ‘Think Before They Flush’. We need to work together as a community to protect our local environment.”

Man jailed for attacking and choking woman on the Wolfe Tone Bridge

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news four arrested over Galway City robbery

A woman was subject to a vicious assault in Galway city without explanation when a she was attacked and choked by a man while crossing the Wolfe Tone Bridge.

Galway District Court heard that on November 16 a woman was walking across the Wolfe Tone Bridge while on the phone with her son when she was attacked by Parvez Ahmed (36) for no apparent reason.

Mr Ahmed, with an address at St. Helen’s Street Galway pleaded guilty to Assault under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act as well as Threatening, Abusive or Insulting Behaviour under the Public Order Act.

He forced her against the railing of the bridge and placed her in a chokehold for several seconds.

The woman’s son was apparently so alarmed by the yelling he heard over the phone that he called someone else that he knew was nearby.

Shortly after the assault the woman was able to point Ahmed out to gardaí on Shop Street, and the incident was also captured on cctv footage which was shown to him during his interview.

Nothing was stolen from the woman during this assault, but her shoes were destroyed as a result.

When asked by gardaí whether she wished to come to court to say how this assault had affected her, the woman said that she was reluctant, but was afraid that not coming would negatively affect the case.

Gardaí assured her that it would have no impact on the prosecution if she chose not to come, and that a victim impact statement was about protecting her rights.

She told gardaí that the events left her “very distraught” and that she has been afraid to return to Galway city ever since.

Mr Ahmed offered no explanation for his actions in court, saying through his solicitor Briain Gilmartin that he has no memory of that night.

Mr Gilmartin said that the only explanation his client could suggest was that he had been drinking that day, though he was not a regular drinker.

Judge Mary Fahy wondered whether it was a coincidence that he had chosen to attack a woman, noting “You didn’t pick on a man and push him up on the bridge”.

The judge added that this has clearly affected the woman “psychologically, personally, and in every way.

For the Section 2 Assault Parvez Ahmed was given a four month prison sentence, with a one month concurrent sentence for the public order charge.

Embrace the rain with Galway 2020’s Bad Weather Play Day

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily life & style Bad weather play day

Anyone who has lived in Galway for longer than a week knows that escaping from the bad weather is a fool’s errand, so why not embrace it with the Bad Weather Play Day.

Children and Families across Galway city and county are being invited out for a day of outdoor fun that celebrates the bad weather which is a part of life here.

The joint project from Galway 2020 and Hope It Rains will feature rain-painting, bingo, mud kitchens, adventure-play with Venture Out, kite flying, weather wanders, puddle-jumping, build your own water-blaster, and much more.

Learn from play experts, artists and activists about how we can create more outdoor play opportunities for children in Galway.

Patricia Philbin, Chief Executive of Galway 2020 said “We are delighted to be partnering with this project that will effect a change in our relationship with Galway’s weather – that we will celebrate that it rains”.

This free event will take place at Renville Park in Oranmore on Bank Holiday Monday, October 28 from 11am to 4pm.

Register for the day here, take out the wellies and hope that it rains for once in your life.

 

image credit: Paul Kinsella

South Galway Flood Relief Scheme faces months more delays

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Funding for Flood Mitigation works at three Galway towns

The long awaited and already frequently delayed South Galway Flood Relief Scheme is facing further delays of up to six months.

A feasibility study for phase 1 of the South Galway- Gort Lowlands Flood Relief Project has already been delayed by more than a year past its initial date.

But it has recently emerged that the project has been set back by a further 4 – 6 months for reasons which are not immediately clear.

This means that an earlier prediction that serious ground work would commence in early 2020 is now considered to be impossible to meet.

David Murray of the South Galway Flood Relief Scheme Committee said that it is unclear what the reason for this latest delay is, and that they are seeking further clarification.

“We know that the delay of one year was due to getting an accurate computer models of the topology and underground channel estimates, as well as additional work from the Public consultation process”.

“This means that the delay is more than likely in the solution exploration,” he suggested.

“This is where you trial different sizes of channels, culverts etc, to maintain recommended maximum levels of the Turloughs”.

The SGFRSC has reached out to Minister for Public Works Kevin Boxer Moran as well as Ministers Ciaran Cannon and Seán Canney and Galway East TD Anne Rabbitte, but has said that so far only Sean Canney has responded to them.

Galway County Council is due to meet with representatives of SGFLSC in November to discuss where the project is now, its future outlook, and the reason for the delays which have plagued it.

“Credibility is rapidly diminishing on this project. If we remember, ‘Diggers on the Ground in 2020’ was the mantra at the start of this scheme and now it’s looking more likely that the only thing delivered in 2020 will be yet another report.

“This is disastrous for South Galway which will more than likely suffer yet another flooding crisis this winter,” David Murray said.

Man charged with assault on security guard at bookies

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

A trip to the bookies ended with a little more action than most races, with one man charged with assault on a security guard at Boyle Sports.

Godfrey Okucha, pleaded guilty at Galway District Court to assault against a member of staff at Boyle Sports on the Headford road on March 5 of 2018.

The court heard that Mr Okucha, formerly of the Great Western but now receiving the assistance of COPE, struck the security guard several times around the head.

Gardaí were able to identify Mr Okucha off of cctv footage taken from Boyle Sports.

The victim of this assault declined to attend court or provide a victim impact statement.

Solicitor for the defence John Martin said that this incident was the result of a disagreement between his client and the staff member, and also claimed that two other people were involved.

He said that his client is an asylum seeker who is taking a course to work in the medical devices industry, and had previously dealt with alcoholism issues from working as a bartender.

Judge Mary Fahy said that at the end of the day he went into a store and assaulted staff there, adding that “in his own mind he doesn’t agree that he did anything wrong”.

Judge Fahy adjourned sentencing to March 23 of 2020 for a full probation report and garda behavioural report before she would consider community service.

The judge added that if Mr Okucha is keeping company that is getting him involved in trouble, he should stay away from them.

Kilconnell boil water notice lifted after 16 months

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Kinvara Boil Water Notice

The people of Kilconnell can finally enjoy a glass of water straight from the tap as a boil water notice has been lifted after 16 months in place.

The Boil Water notice was first imposed by Irish Water on June 18, 2018 due to elevated levels of turbidity in the water supply for roughly 250 people.

Turbidity is a measurement of how cloudy or hazy water is, caused by a large amount of particles in the water individually invisible to the naked eye.

For more than a year now Irish Water has been looking for a new water supply for the Kilconnell area. Initial efforts to drill new boreholes were unsuccessful.

In recent months a connection was laid to the Cappataggle Group Water Scheme, with a new pipeline linking it to the Kilconnell water network.

The boil water notice has now been lifted following on from advice from the HSE after extensive mains flushing resulted in clean water quality samples being returned.

Tim O Connor, Irish Water Operations Lead Engineer for Galway, said “I’d like to acknowledge the impact and disruption that the Boil Water Notice has had on the residents of Kilconnell, and to thank the local community for their cooperation and patience whilst we resolved this issue.

“I would also like to thank the community of Cappatagle for facilitating a connection to their water supply which has led to the boil water notice being lifted.”

“Irish Water’s priority is the provision of safe clean drinking water and safeguarding that water supply for the future is a vital focus.”

More than 50 local producers lined up for the Food, Craft, and Gift Fair

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Briain Kelly
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Photo Martina Regan

Over 50 local makers of artisan food, drinks, art, jewellery and more will descend on Galway City this month for the annual Food, Craft and Gift Fair.

The two day Food, Craft and Gift Fair is an incredible opportunity to browse a wide range of jams, jellies, chutneys, cakes, cheeses, vegan foods, juices, and microbrews for people looking to sample some artisan wares over the weekend.

Craft makers will also display their beautiful creations including handmade ceramics, leather goods, wooden products, household items, gifts, jewellery and much more.

The two day fair organised by the Local Enterprise Office will take place over November 30 – December 1 at the Black Box Theatre.

Admission is free to this charming event that takes a proud place among the packed calendar of festivals, fairs, and events in Galway City.

There will be lots of activities to make this the perfect event for all the family. There will be refreshments on-site and entertainment for the kids.

The idea for the Food, Craft  and Gift fair began in 2011 when the Galway LEO created a network to engage with local food producers, craft makers and designers.

There was no existing large scale event where they could showcase their work, engage with customers, and build their brand awareness here in Galway.

This is a great opportunity for people who cannot afford to open their own store to sell their wares and get feedback from customers.

Opening hours for this craft fair are Saturday 10am – 6pm and Sunday 11am – 5pm at the Black Box Theatre, Dyke Road, Galway.

Not enough done for older people in Budget 2020 says COPE

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Day services in Loughrea remain in limbo

COPE Galway have welcomed the gains for older people announced in Budget 2020, but says that the government has failed to address many immediate needs.

The recently announced Budget 2020 includes a €5 per week increase in the Living Alone Allowance, the allocation of 56,000 extra medical cards for people over 70 years old and the one million additional home help.

COPE welcomed all of these measures announced, but said that it is disappointed the government isn’t doing more to address the immediate needs of older people and shape future policy.

With an aging population, how to meet the needs of a growing demographic of older people with the resources available to the government is going to be a pressing issue in years to come.

“The announcement of additional home help hours, while welcome, does not go far enough in our view in progressing the government’s own stated policy of supporting older people to live in their own homes with dignity and independence for as long as possible,” said Martin O’Connor of COPE Galway.

“In a submission we made to Minister Donohoe in advance of Budget 2020 we proposed a number of measures including the development of an adequate range and supply of mixed accommodation.”

“This would help ensure that older people have an option to downsize in the area where they currently live and where they have the most community, family and social support.”

“This would also allow older people to live in their own home with dignity and independence for as long as possible”.

Last year COPE Galway worked with 730 older people at risk of isolation, as well as producing and delivering 59,053 meals to their older clients.

Some of the missed opportunities in Budget 2020 to support older people that COPE recommended include €9 per week increase in the pension rate, a more substantial increase in the fuel allowance, and proposals to meet future housing needs.

The financial benefits of tying the knot

By
Joe Bruen
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Romance and commitment are all well and good when deciding to tie the knot with your partner, but what are the financial advantages of getting married?

Besides the obvious desire to spend your life with someone else, getting married has huge financial implications for everyone involved, and a great many benefits.

I tend to congratulate the happy couple at any weddings I attend with the usual “it’s such a special day” and “take some time to yourselves to take it all in”.

But in the back of my mind I’m thinking “wonder do they realise that they can now avail of the generous tax benefits that are only open to married couples?”

It’s an important thing to have in mind planning a life together, so let’s take a look at these less romantic, but nonetheless equally important, aspects of marriage.

Income tax

The Revenue treats married couples much more favorably if there is a gap between the couple’s respective incomes.

If a married couple has only one income or one spouse earns less than €34,550 and the other more, the tax saving is up to €3,450 a year compared to a single person!

The Home Carer tax credit

This credit is given only to jointly assessed married couples, where one spouse works in the home caring for a dependent person (older relative or child).

It is worth €1,200 per year if the stay-at-home spouse earns less than €7,200 per annum.

Succession rights on death

The Succession Act 1965 automatically kicks-in on the death of a married person, irrespective of a will or the deceased person’s wishes, and gives their spouse a ‘legal right share’ to one third of their estate.

Again, with co-habiting couples there is no automatic entitlement to a share of their partners estate. And even if they’re named in a will there could be a tax on their bequest.

Capital acquisitions tax/ Capital gains tax advantages

It is essential to remember that cohabiting couples are treated as “strangers” from a revenue point of view.

When it comes to inheritances, they are only allowed a tax free threshold of €16,250 with anything in excess of this being charged at a staggering 33%!

There is no such limit between married spouses and all of their assets (including their home) and money can be left to their husband or wife without Revenue getting involved.

There are also capital gains tax advantages unique to married couples where profits or losses can be swapped indefinitely between spouses.

Life insurance

We see this regularly in our business. Couples who aren’t married can take out life insurance on each other.

Most commonly this would be a requirement from a lender in order to pay off a mortgage.

Unmarried couples are unaware that it can still leave the remaining partner with a huge tax bill on pay-out.

We’ve said it before, but once you’re married there is no tax paid if your spouse leaves you anything.

Beyoncé said it best “If you like it then you should’ve put a ring on it!!”

Galway Simon Sleep Out raises over €70,000 to fight homelessness

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Galway Simon Sleep Out raises over €70,000 to fight homelessness

The most recent Galway Simon Community Sleep Out was a huge success, with over €70,000 raised to help prevent homelessness across Galway.

Earlier this month 162 people spent 12 hours sleeping out at five locations in the city and county to raise funds in Galway Simon’s most high profile event to fund its homelessness services.

This year saw two new locations added for the 4th annual sleep out in Salthill and Moycullen as the number of people in the community taking part continues to grow.

Amy Lavelle of Galway Simon said she felt humbled by the support shown by both participants and the general public on the night.

“We are absolutely blown away by the level of support shown by each host community for this year’s Sleep Out.”

“We’re particularly grateful to our local team leaders for rallying this support and for helping to showcase the true sense of community that we have here in Galway.”

Karen Golden, CEO of Galway Simon paid a visit to each of the Sleep Out locations on October 4 to thank everyone who came out to kip on the street for them.

She said that with the rising number of people in homelessness in Galway who need their assistance, events like this are more important than ever.

“The most recent figures released by the Department of Housing show that there are now 551 people in emergency accommodation in the West of Ireland, including 200 children.”

“Ensuring that we can continue to fund our Homelessness Prevention Services is vital.”

“Those who slept out on October 4th have not only helped to raise crucial funds to extend these services, they have also created an increased level of awareness around the current homelessness crisis we are facing’’. Karen said.

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