Two young men from Galway were among those honoured with awards at the recent World Skills Championship in Russia.
The World Skills Championship, sometimes known as the Skills Olympics, highlights the importance of apprenticeships and skills training.
Jack O’Donnell from Lettermore and Ruairi Grealish from the city both took home Medallions of Excellence as part of team Ireland.
They were among 17 young Irish apprentices, trainees and students taking part in the event in Kazan, Russia last week.
Galway East TD Seán Canney offered his congratulations to Jack and Ruairi, saying “I firmly believe that school leavers should consider learning a skill or trade because it is something that will stand to them for the rest of their lives.”
Jack was recognised for Excellence in Plumbing, while Ruairi won his medallion for Excellence in Restaurant Service.
In all, 1,600 competitors from 63 countries took part in 56 skills categories, with team Ireland taking home four gold medals and one bronze.
Minister for Training and Skills John Halligan welcomed the team home by saying “In itself it is such an incredible achievement to have competed at Worldskills but to be able to also bring home medals, really highlights this team’s individual dedication and commitment to their crafts.”
“It also bodes well for their future, and no doubt successful careers but also Ireland’s future.”
NUI Galway has officially launched a new SFI Centre for Research Training in Genomics Data Science this week which promises to train young people in data based healthcare research.
The university has received €13 million in funding from Science Foundation Ireland to train 115 PhD students in genomics data science over the next seven years.
The new Centre is one of six Science Foundation Ireland Centres for Research Training and is the first with a whole-island remit, working cross-border to benefit healthcare on the entire island of Ireland.
Students trained here will learn to analyse big genomic data sets enabling them to take up future high-skills careers in the healthcare sector.
Professor Cathal Seoighe, director of the new research centre, said there is a lot of excitement about the Centre for Research Training in Genomics Data Science, not just at NUIG but expresses by visiting experts at the launch conference.
“The enthusiasm shown by these experts and the many other partners and collaborators involved, both in Ireland and internationally, is a testament to the importance of this initiative,” he added.
Genomics Data Science is a field which applies statistics and data science to the human genome.
The human genome contains approximately three billion DNA base pairs that encode the information required to build the human body.
However, the size of a genome doesn’t reflect the complexity of the organism that it makes. For example, the genome of an onion is about six times bigger than the human genome.
This means that it’s not just the size of the genome that is important but also its structure and organisation and how the information that is there is used.
Genomics Data science is about teaching students to analyse and interpret the information contained in the genome, and applying that knowledge to a wide range of healthcare issues.
In health, genomics is already beginning to be used to diagnose rare genetic disorders. For example, around 30% of children with early onset epilepsy can now receive a precision diagnosis through genomic sequencing.
It can also predict the risk of common, complex disorders, such as obesity and Type II Diabetes, in which lifestyle plays a role, raising the possibility of interventions targeted towards at-risk individuals.
New cancer therapies now target specific genomic mutations found in cancer cells, particularly in the case of lung, colorectal, skin, breast and some blood cancers.
By sequencing the genome of the cancer cells, these treatments can be tailored to individual patients.
“The Human Genome Project, established almost 30 years ago, involved many laboratories and required billions of dollars and over a decade of work to complete,” Professor Seoige added.
“Today, a human genome can be sequenced in a few days for less than a thousand dollars. This revolution, driven by new technologies, generates data on an enormous scale and promises to increase scientific understanding and drive innovation.”
“But data on this scale carries many challenges. Highly trained data scientists with the skills to turn genomics data into useful insights are urgently needed.”
The new NUIG research centre was launched at a conference attended by genomics researchers from around Ireland and the world.
Speakers presented work on the areas of research being opened up by genomics data science including in diverse areas such as cancer, rare diseases, gut health and agrigenomics.
The 2019 Baboró International Arts Festival takes place in Galway from 14-20 October. A varied international programme will feature ten theatre and dance productions from Australia, Belgium, France, Scotland and the Netherlands including Tiger Tale from Barrowland Ballet in Scotland, featuring captivating dance and a pulsing soundtrack, which sees everything change for the better when a troubled family’s world is turned upside down when a tiger invades. Photo: Brian Hartley
With 50 events specifically for children throughout the week across music, theatre, art, dance, and just plain fun, Baboró International Arts Festival for Children is putting on a bigger and better show than ever this year.
The Baboró launched the full programme of events for the coming 2019 Children’s Arts Festival this week, with a promise of world-class, enthralling and thought-provoking work for audiences ranging from tots to teens, created by amazing artists the world over.
Ireland’s flagship festival devoted exclusively to children and families, the 23rd annual Baboró Festival will be coming to Galway for seven days from October 14 – 20.
Artists from Australia, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Scotland and Ireland will present a feast of over 50 events across Galway city and county during the week-long arts festival.
After establishing itself as the creative delight for children aged 0-12, Baboró is taking a step towards a new audience with productions for pre-teens and teens.
Just some of the events taking place include a new world premiere dance show from CoisCéim, a co-production with Music for Galway, theatre and dance shows from Ireland and all around the world, creative workshops for children and families and a rainbow in a box at Galway’s landmark Spanish Arch.
Determined not to cluster events into just a few locations, Baboró will be spreading the fun across Galway city in a variety of venues including theatres and libraries.
Out in the county people can expect to catch great shows and other events in towns including Clifden, Ballinasloe, Tuam, Cleggan and Inishbofin.
There are also free events for families and schools including exhibitions, installations, and workshops as well as readings in libraries.
Commenting on the 2019 festival programme, Executive Artistic Director, Aislinn Ó hEocha says, “We’re delighted to share our 2019 programme with children, families and schools, and are very excited to bring extraordinary creative experiences from all across the world to curious young minds this October.”
“We look forward to welcoming artists from as far afield as Adelaide and as close to home as Salthill,” she added.
Aislinn Ó hEocha went on to say that she hopes the programme will “enthrall, excite and delight while filling our hearts with stories from near and far.”
“We’re very grateful for the support of our main funders The Arts Council and Galway City & County Council. We’d also like to thank our premier sponsor Medtronic, our Major Sponsor TG4 and the business community, for their generous support.”
An arts festival for everyone
Baboró is putting on a huge array of events this year which includes productions in theatre, dance, music, visual arts, literature, film, puppetry and creative workshops for children and families.
This year Irish work includes the world premiere of a new dance show from CoisCéim which celebrates individuality, Francis Footwork.
Francis Footwork, Baboró Arts Festival for Children, photo credit: Hugo Glendinning
This show (6+) tells an empowering tale of an extraordinary dancer and is the company’s second show for young audiences following on from the world premiere of The Wolf and Peter at the 2015 Baboró festival.
Music for Galway and Baboró come together for the first time to present a music show based on Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns, one of the most popular pieces of classical music ever composed.
From world artists, Galway will host No Man Is An Island (all ages), a dance duet from Arch8 in The Netherlands is an exquisite play on the children’s game of walking on paving slabs, stumps or furniture, without falling into the ‘sea’.
While Stick By Me from Andy Manley and Red Bridge Arts (ages 3-6) in Scotland is a beautifully crafted, hilarious and joyful show about friendship, invention, play and the importance of treasuring the little things.
Stick By Me, Baboró Arts Festival for Children. photo credit: Mihela Bodlovic
For the Visual Arts programme Baboró has been thinking well outside the picture frame and is offering young people the chance to walk inside a rainbow.
This will come when the festival presents Cathal McCarthy’s Rainbow in a Box, fresh from its premiere at Dublin Fringe Festiva
In film there will be a screening for ages 8+ of Academy Award-winning Spirited Away, from the much loved master of Japanese anime, Hayao Miyazaki, and for ages 4 to 7 years there’s a screening of Is Mise… a TG4 TV series following four young presenters.
There are plenty of practical workshops for children that explore where science and art meet including a Robotics Workshop by Designer Minds, or the Creative Connections stand sponsored by Medtronic.
There are also a number of events being staged for the adults accompanying their manic children such an aspiring writers workshop with authors Patricia Forde and Dave Rudden, a dance workshop, and more.
For a better look at all the fun which will be taking place throughout Galway this October or to book tickets check out the full programme online here.
Connacht Rugby have announced a new marketing partnership with Knock Airport to boost their images to visitors.
Knock Airport is the main international travel hub for people throughout the West and North West of the country with a total of over 800,000 people expected to pass through its doors in 2019.
Under this new partnership visitors will be greeted at Knock with the newly refreshed Connacht brand identity which will be increasingly visible throughout the airport in the coming months.
Announcing the partnership, Brian Mahony Head of Commercial and Marketing at Connacht Rugby said that they have two strong West of Ireland brands that make an impact on the international stage.
“Ireland West have opened up an international gateway for the people of the entire region. Similarly, Connacht Rugby has been making an impact on the international stage over the past number of years through our progression both on and off the field.”
He added that the partnership will benefit both visitors travelling through the airport and supporters of the club.
Throughout the upcoming season of Champions Cup and PRO14 action in the Sportsground, Ireland West Airport will provide free flights to a host of European destinations to two lucky fans for each home game.
The winners of each pair of tickets will have the opportunity to select from routes such as Barcelona, Cologne, Faro, Milan, Liverpool, Bristol, Nottingham and Edinburgh.
Donal Healy, Head of Marketing, Ireland West Airport added that the two groups have “a shared vision on our roles in the Connacht region and the community focus of both organisations means a strategic partnership such as this made complete sense.”
“We will never forget that historic night in 2016 when the Connacht team arrived home into Ireland West Airport as Pro12 champions and were greeted by 5,000 fans,” he said.
“It’s an occasion that will live long in the memory and this partnership will aim to build on the long standing relationship we have had with Connacht Rugby.”
Galway 2020 will be launching the programme of events for the European Capital of Culture year in Eyre Square this month.
On Wednesday, September 18 Galway 2020 will hold a launch event open to the public in Eyre Square from 6pm t0 6:45pm.
Speaking ahead of the launch Helen Marriage, Creative Director of Galway 2020, said “Programme launches usually take place behind closed doors. We wanted to make it a special moment that the people of Galway could share.”
“It’s incredibly exciting to be at this stage when we can start to tell everyone about what is planned for the year.
“And this is just the beginning, a taste of what’s to come during a year in which Galway will be Ireland’s mirror to the world. Let’s hope the weather is kind to us!”
Chairperson Arthur Lapping will be joined by Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan on stage for the official launch.
There was a blunder earlier in the organisation of the launch event that limited the guest capacity in Eyre Square.
It was originally intended that the launch night would secure an event licence, which would allow up to 8,000 people to attend.
However it was reportedly left too late to apply, and instead 5,000 people will be able to attend under the event permit instead.
Over 100 volunteers will be on hand on the night to assist the audience and distribute copies of the programme.
There will be opportunities for people to get further information about becoming a volunteer Wave Maker and how to sign up.
A security guard at a local pub was the subject of a surprise assault by a man who had been ejected shortly beforehand.
Plunkett McVeigh (43), of Casltecomerford, Co. Tyrone pleaded guilty to section 2 assault before Galway District Court this week.
The court heard that on August 4 of this year Gardaí were patrolling on High Street in the city when they saw a man being restrained outside the King’s Head pub.
They also witnessed one doorman sitting on the ground and holding his jaw, having just been assaulted.
McVeigh was visiting Galway with his wife at a joint hen and stag do that day defence solicitor Olivia Traynor said.
After being ejected from the King’s Head, he returned and punched one of the doormen who had removed him.
The doorman told the court that he was sent upstairs in the pub to reports that someone was “roaring and shouting”.
Security escorted McVeigh out of the pub, and shortly afterwards the victim was texting his supervisor when he was attacked.
He told the court that the punch “came out of nowhere”.
Gardaí told the District Court that the doorman suffered a stiff neck, swollen jaw, and headaches after the assault, though the latter have eased off recently he said.
McVeigh apologised to the doorman through his solicitor Olivia Traynor, which was accepted by the victim.
He also brought €1,000 in compensation, as well as being offering his lodged bail money over, which was also accepted.
Judge Mary Fahy said that it was a shame that a man in his 40s couldn’t go out without behaving himself.
McVeigh, who has no previous convictions, received a fine of €750, as well as all compensation monies being handed over.
Homes, businesses, and more in Galway will share in over €7.5 million sustainability grants for upgrading buildings’ energy ratings.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has awarded €25 million to fund 57 projects that will promote sustainability by reducing emissions from buildings.
The 17 projects that include homes and businesses in Galway have been awarded a total of €7,631,760 in grant funding.
The largest of these is a €973,361 for a project spanning 14 counties which has a total value of €2,267,898.
While the smallest project in the scheme is a €24,604 grant for a heat pump, solar panels,and new doors and windows at Cómhar Caomhán Teo on Inis Oírr.
It’s expected that in total this scheme will help 700 homes carry out energy upgrades, along with 570 community and commercial buildings.
The SEAI claims that the cumulative benefits of these upgrades will eliminate 34,676 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, the equivalent of taking 11,000 cars off the road.
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton said that we need to “scale up our ambition” when it comes to reducing emissions from buildings.
“Upgrading our homes and businesses with improved insulation and energy efficiency measures can greatly reduce our impact on our environment,” Minister Bruton said.
“These grants will support communities to drive projects which will deliver significant upgrades to groups of homes and businesses in their local area.”
“Not only will these upgrades help us deliver on our climate commitments, but they will result in cleaner, healthier, warmer homes and businesses and cheaper energy bills.”
Jim Gannon, CEO of the SEAI said that communities have a central role to play in achieving climate action ambitions.
“SEAI is working with hundreds of energy communities across the country, providing them with the knowledge and the means to both plan their own low carbon pathway and to deliver on their ambitions.”
He added that government grants are a crucial support for communities ready to invest in energy efficient and renewable energy for their needs.
“The collective achievements of these communities can be replicated, drawing more and more citizens into Ireland’s clean energy transition.”
Father daughter relationships are complicated things under perfect circumstances, and Anna Sheuls-McNamee captures the added opportunities for awkwardness who one can see and one can’t in My Dad’s Blind.
Centering on the dysfunction father-daughter relationship, My Dad’s Blind uses audio recordings, irreverent comedy and real life memories to explore the all the awkward, embarrassing and ridiculous ways they struggle to navigate a sighted world with a guide dog that’s just had a stroke.
The winner of Best Production at the Dublin Fringe Festival Awards in 2018, My Dad’s Blind is coming to Galway next week as part of a national tour.
Sheils said that she wrote this play in response to her own personal life “Growing up people told me my Dad was “amazing”, which didn’t make any sense to me.
“He’s pretty boring – he works a 9-5 and watches Coronation Street in the evenings. I soon realised they were only saying this because he was blind. I wrote this play in response to that.”
However don’t be alarmed if you think this is going to be a boring look at family life, as McNamee says the tone is closer to the Catherine Tate Show than a TED Talk.
The production stars Steve Blount (Game of Thrones , Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope, Minding Frankie) and Anna Sheils-McNamee (Vikings , TheImportance of Nothing) and is Directed by Gemma Aked-Priestley
My Dad’s Blind is coming to Galway for one night only at the Town Hall Theatre on Wednesday, September 11. Tickets cost €18/€16 and can be booked online or at the theatre.
For the first time ever, Audio Description will be available at every performance on the tour. Audio Description on the national tour is sponsored by Fighting Blindness.
Fighting Blindness fund world-leading research into treatments and cures for blindness, while caring for people and families through counselling and peer to peer support services.
Galway City Councillor Alan Cheevers has called for a review of the city traffic lights amid claims they are making congestion worse.
The city east councillor has said that many traffic lights in the city “are not sequenced properly, or working to their full capacity”.
“I have seen in my own area, it has become chaos at peak times especially at the junction at Roscam and Doughiska onto Dublin road where the traffic is backed up because of lights interchange time from green to red is not working to its capacity.”
He added that this can result in a “Short time for cars on green, letting maybe three to four cars through, then delays on red. This seems to be the case on many areas of city.”
The Fianna Fáil councillor said that there needs to be a person on Traffic Control in Galway City Centre at all times to
Looking to the future councillor Cheevesr said that with “the outer ring roads many years away let’s get traffic lights working to their full capacity.”
Irish writer-director Ivan Kavanagh’s Connemara shot, California set revisionist Western Never Grow Old may not take the viewer to places they’ve never been before, but thanks to strong performances, evocative production design and timely themes it manages to be a lean, mean and worthy addition to the canon of modern day Westerns.
In the 1840’s western frontier town of Garlow, Irish immigrant Patrick (Emile Hirsch) and his wife Audrey (Deborah Francois) are busy trying to raise a new family, while just about getting by on the proceeds of Patrick’s work as the small town’s resident undertaker and carpenter.
Into this fledgling puritan community – which is ruled over by a preacher who has banned all the traditional vices that helped make the West Wild – rides Dutch Albert (John Cusack). Albert soon takes over and proceeds to turn the tiny town upside down, filling the once peaceful air with that familiar frontier action of drinkin’, gamblin’ and a whole heap of killing.
Soon, business is booming for Patrick, who can scarcely get all those new coffins hammered together in time to meet demand, but, as we know, there’s eventually going to come a point when a man has gotta stand up for what he believes in…
By and large, Never Grow Old plays it pretty straight and there aren’t too many detours off the well trodden path of the archetypal Western. But what definitely gives the film a certain something is the performance of Cusack as the black hatted Dutch Albert.
Cusack has a had few lean years of late, slumming it in Direct-to-Streaming tripe that would make even Nicholas Cage blush, but here he leaves a strong impression as the villain of the piece.
Dutch Albert is an evil man, but he’s very relaxed about it. Cusack plays him with a weary arrogance, which makes him hard to root for, but impossible to truly dislike. Emile Hirsch provides able support as Patrick, even if some of his hapless attempts at an Irish accent may occasionally curl your toes.
There is an attempt on the part of the movie to provide a bit of commentary on the current political situation in The United States. It’s hard not to read Albert as an intentional Trumpian surrogate, who rides into town and starts to do what he feels like to who he feels like doing it to, but the film isn’t too heavy handed about it.
You don’t get battered over the head with subtext. Mainly this is just a solidly made Western genre film, that wants to tell a familiar story well and with an admirable commitment to blood and guts and taking itself seriously.
Credit is also due to the quality of production design of the picture, which elevates the lived in feel of the interiors and exterior sets of the film, which is no small feat because it was clearly all shot on a minuscule budget.
The cinematography also is above expectations; the colour and tone of the environment on screen may not always look quite like California, but it sure as hell doesn’t look like Connemara either, aside from all that on screen rain, which can give proceedings an umistakably soggy feeling of being close to home. I guess there’s some things in life that just can’t be avoided.
A swimming ban at Grattan road beach in place since last Thursday has been lifted, but another one has been imposed at Ballyloughane.
The swimming ban at Grattan Road beach has been lifted after the results of water quality tests carried out on Monday.
After previously testing positive for e-coli last week after heavy rain, Monday’s tests showed improved water quality.
However another swimming ban has been imposed at Ballyloughane due to elevated bacteria levels.
Tests were also carried out at Ballyloughane on Monday, the results of which were received today.
“Galway City Council, in consultation with the HSE, has put in place a ‘Bathing Prohibition Notice’ at Ballyloughane Beach with immediate effect until further notice,” a statement from the city council said.
A warning was put out at Ballyloughane over the weekend in anticipation of potential contamination from expected heavy rains.
GMIT is holding an open evening at its Galway campus this week to highlight the wide range of part-time, Springboard+ and flexible courses available at the Institute of Technology.
Anyone interested in upskilling or further education cam come along to GMIT on Thursday, September 5
from 6-8pm and hear about a wide range of contemporary, industry informed courses.
These include Accounting; Climate Resilience for Business; Cybersecurity; Digital Media & Marketing;
Human Resource Management; Manufacturing Engineering; Marine Science; Media and Creative Arts;
Quality for Industry; Quality and Safety for Healthcare and Social Care; Procedural Sedation; Software
Development and Data Analytics; Supervisory Management and Teaching and Learning.
This year also sees the launch of the new post-graduate courses in Sports and Exercise Nutrition and in Palliative and End of Life Care.
Dónal Loftus, Director, Graduate and Professional Development, GMIT Galway campus, says: “We are delighted to offer these new courses which have been designed following collaboration with local, national and international industries.”
He added that this collaborative approach will “ensure our offerings provide our students with the skills
they need to succeed in the workplace. Our flexible modes of teaching also accommodate the increasing
demands on our students’ time”.
Career advisors will be available for consultation on the day by those interested in taking a course or exploring their options for future career paths.
The Galway event on this week will be followed by another Open Evening on GMIT’s Mayo campus in Castlebar on Thursday, September 12 from 5-8pm.
Dr Deirdre Garvey, Senior Lecturer at the Mayo campus said in building their offerings “We have worked closely with the Regional Skills Forum also in understanding the needs of employers in the region.”
“We hope that the blended mode of delivery will also provide flexibility to individuals in managing their
commitments and developing their skills”.
Tech company Xperi is creating 50 new engineering jobs in Galway with the opening of a new research and development hub in the city.
The new jobs were announced this morning at the office opening by company representatives along with Galway West TD and Minister Seán Kyne.
They will be engineering positions working on things like premium audio, computational imaging, computer vision, and machine learning capabilities for Xperi’s FotoNation brand.
It’s expected that the 50 new jobs will be filled at the research centre over the next several years.
Seán Kyne said that he was delighted Xperi has chosen Galway for their new development hub, adding that it solidifies their presence in the west of Ireland.
“Xperi’s decision to expand in Galway is a further boost to the ICT cluster that we have and enhances Galway’s reputation as a global hub for the development of some of the most exciting and innovative technological products and services.”
He added that the proximity of NUI Galway and GMIT proves “vital in the decision to establish or expand in the West”.
Through subsidiary brands such as FotoNation, DTS, HD Radio, Invensas, and Tessera, Xperi creates technological solutions for smart devices.
A DTS subsidiary in Limerick employs 15 people, and Xperi acquired its second Irish location with the purchase of FotoNation in 2008.
It is now opening a second office in Galway to serve as an innovation.
This will include supporting the development of FotoNation’s driver and in-cabin monitoring solutions and its participation in a 11-partner consortium working on autonomous vehicles technologies.
The project recently secured Horizon2020 approval for a project related to infrared technologies.
Speaking at the office opening, Xperi’s CEO Jon Kirchner said they are proud of their innovative presence in Ireland.
“With the creation of an innovation hub in Galway, we are investing in the future to fuel our competitive and innovative edge.”
This development was supported by IDA Ireland, with Executive Director Mary Buckley saying that it is an “endorsement of the talented workforce here.”
Work is to begin this week on a footpath for the old railway line crossing at Vicar Street in Tuam.
It was announced in June that Irish Rail was giving the county council permission to use a piece of land along the railway to install a footpath at the crossing after concerns from local parents about road
safety.
Galway East TD Seán Canney has said that the county council has now confirmed all the agreements with Irish Rail over the land and is ready to begin work this week.
“I am delighted that this work is going ahead following concerns about safety for those crossing the line,” Deputy Canney said.
“It means there will be a new footpath from the Galway Road side into Tuam town centre, providing safe access for pedestrians and students attending the new Gaelscoil.”
He added that it would also provide improved lines of sight for traffic at the junction of Vicar Street and Liam Mellows Street.
Galway University Hospitals End of Life Care Committee will hold their annual Ecumenical Memorial Service this month to acknowledge loss, bereavement, and memories of loved ones.
‘Memories’ are the theme of this year’s memorial service, and invited back for it is guest speaker Dr Helen Greally, Director of Psychology and Support Services at Cancer Care West.
The service will be led by hospital staff with representation from Church of Ireland, Methodist and Islamic as well at the Catholic Faiths.
“As staff we welcome the opportunity to acknowledge the loss for the bereaved family together with honouring and remembering the special people whom have died in our care,” said Claire McHugh, Clinical Nurse Manager, Corrib Ward.
“The aim of the service is to provide a spiritual space to support families in the grief they are experiencing in a supportive and empathetic environment.”
The memorial service will take place at 7pm on Thursday, September 12 in the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill.
Tea and coffee will be served after the service to provide families with an opportunity to meet with staff who cared for their relatives as well as to share their experience with other bereaved families.
For further information or to confirm attendance, please contact one of the following:
Angela O’Grady, Social Work Department 091 544089
Anne McKeown, Bereavement Liaison Officer 091 524222 Bleep 615 or direct line 091 544823
Ger Kilkelly or James Geoghegan, Patient Advice Liaison Service 091 543210
The Galway based Connolly Motor Group has expanded its presence in Galway with the acquisition of the Hyundai dealership in Ballybrit.
With the addition of the dealership and a Hyundai service station in Oranmore, the Irish Times writes that the Connolly Motor Group now employs 280 people.
Connolly Motor Group is run by brothers Kevin and Neil Connolly, and is one of the largest of its kind in Ireland.
Operating dealerships across the west of Ireland, it sells over 5,000 cars a year to customers in Galway, Mayo, and Sligo.
Kevin Connolly said that this was a strategic acquisition, which would further strengthen their offering to customers in the west by building a new relationship with Hyundai.
Managing director of Hyundai Ireland Stephen Gleeson said there is a strong pairing between their companies in terms of ambition and expansion.
Galway’s Senior Football Manager Kevin Walsh has announced that he is stepping down after five years leading the team.
Walsh has today confirmed to the Chairman of the Galway County Board, Pat Kearney and the Chairman of the Galway Football Committee, Kevin Clancy that he and the Senior Football Management Team will not be seeking a sixth term.
Galway GAA praised Walsh for the many successes Galway Senior Footballhas had under his leadership include promotion to Division 1.
His departure comes after a week long review process, after which Walsh decided not to continue as Galway Senior Football Manager.
Walsh said of his time with the team that “It was both an honour and a privilege to manage our County to two Connacht titles, promotion to Division 1, and maintaining that status.”
“When we took over in 2015, we sought to introduce structures to achieve the 2 core objectives of making Galway football more competitive and leaving Galway football in a better position.”
“Over 25 players have made their Senior Championship debuts for Galway since then, and the commitment of the players over the years, has been one of the key factors in achieving those objectives. We would like to thank them for their dedication and friendship.”
“We wish to acknowledge the substantial contribution of the Backroom Team, in putting in place, the systems and processes, that have been the foundation of what was built over the past few years.”
“In many ways, the forgotten heroes of the modern game are our families, without their understanding, support and commitment, none of this would be possible.”
He also thanked Pat and Una McDonagh, saying that their support for Galway GAA “in general is the envy of counties throughout the country”, as well as local media coverage and the County Board.
“Finally, we would like to thank the genuine Galway Football supporters. Your passion for the maroon and white never went unnoticed.”
“I am honoured to have been given my chance to leave Galway football in a better place and I wish the players and new management team every success in the future.”
UHG is the second most overcrowded hospital in Ireland today, with 48 patients who do not have a proper bed.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation keeps track of patients on trolleys or packed into overcrowded wards at University Hospital Galway and other public hospitals.
Today there are 484 patients on trolleys or without a proper bed in Irish hospitals according to the Trolley/Ward Watch.
The worst affected is University Hospital Limerick (71), followed by UHG (48) and Cork University Hospital (47).
The INMO has said that last month was the worst August on record for overcrowding, with the average daily number of people on trolleys 28% higher than over the same period last year.
In total Irish hospitals saw 9,562 patients, including 48 children, on trolleys last month. Of those 655 were at University Hospital Galway.
INMO General Secretary said that seeing almost 10,000 people on trolleys during a summer month signals “an even more dangerous winter”
“At the core of the problem is staffing, as there are well over 1,300 nursing and midwifery vacancies across the This is no time for recruitment bans.”
“Vacancies need to be filled so that patients get the care they need. The HSE’s recruitment ban has got to go.”
A woman appeared before Galway District Court this week charged with biting a taxi driver on the neck while she was his passenger back in 2014.
Alexandra Kruzal (30), pleaded guilty to section 2 assault on her taxi driver from an incident on the Seamus Quirke Road on March 23, 2014.
The court heard that at around 1:30am a taxi driver came into Galway Garda Station to report that he had just been assaulted by a passenger.
He had collected his passenger outside Carbon Nightclub and was driving her to her home when, on the Seamus Quirke Road, she leaned forward and bit him on the side of the neck, holding on for a good thirty seconds.
Afterwards she sat back in her seat, laughing. The prosecuting Sergeant added that in his statement the taxi driver claimed the woman said “I am a vampire and I love blood”.
Afterwards the driver dropped Kruzal off at her home, where she was received by a housemate, before going straight to the garda station to report the incident.
While she has an address on court documents at Cuan na Coille on the Bishop O’Donnell road in the city, Kruzal said through her solicitor that she has been living and working in Germany for the past five years.
Solicitor Valerie Corcoran said that her client was very drunk at the time and did not mean any “hurt or harm” by her actions.
Though the taxi driver had behaved completely professionally Ms Corcoran said, and the two had not spoken while she was in his car, Kruzal thought he liked her and meant her actions affectionately.
This was a “completely inappropriate” misinterpretation of the circumstances Ms. Corcoran said, adding that she would like to think it was out of character for her client.
The prosecuting Sergeant told the District Court that the driver was in total shock and didn’t know what to do about the assault.
Kruzal had no previous convictions, and has not come to any police attention since the time of this incident.
Judge Mary Fahy sentenced Kruzal to three months imprisonment, with the sentence suspended for one year.
The Judge said that “one could see that it would be very upsetting” for the taxi driver, who did not wish to be in court, adding that it would certainly make someone more “wary”.
