Connacht Rugby gets final approval for €30 million Sportsground development

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May 17, 2019

Galway Daily news Joe Loughnane suspended from PBP

Investment in Galway city’s public, pedestrian, and cycling transport infrastructure must not neglect the city centre outskirts said Galway city council candidate Joe Loughnane.

The People Before Profit candidate for the city council’s central ward said that the Galway Transport Strategy, which is going for planning in September after a public consultation this summer, is a “welcome and much-needed development” for the city centre.

The strategy aims to take the majority of private cars and other vehicles out of the city centre by prioritising public transport, pedestrians, and cyclists along an area covering University Road, the Salmon Weir Bridge, Eglinton Street, Eyre Square, Forster Street and College Road.

The Salmon Weir Bridge in particular will be closed to private vehicle traffic and the majority of pedestrian traffic across the Corrib at that point will be via a new footbridge to be constructed.

However Joe Loughnane has said that while the council is developing this area, parts of the city central ward further out which are in “dire need” of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure must not be neglected.

He said that speaking with residents in the outskirts of the the city central district around Ballindooley, Menlo, Circular Road and Rahoon Road, the “sudden drop off” in the quality and availability of footpaths and cycling lanes is “stark”.

“In a lot of cases, residents feel like they’ve been left out of developments that the city centre benefits from, despite being part of the same ward.”

“This can lead to communities feeling disconnected from the wider community and the sense that local politicians aren’t really paying any attention to their needs.”

According to Joe Loughnane improving infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists in those areas would not only help reengage them with the community, but would have strong knock-on environmental benefits.

“With proper improvements to the cycling infrastructure from areas like Rahoon and the Circular Road, we could reduce the number of private cars on the road and start making progress towards lowering Galway’s transport emissions.”

Luxury Irish tour company given over €7,000 to set up office in Loughrea

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May 17, 2019

galway daily news loughrea councillors sean canney hse meeting day care centre

An Irish travel start-up has been given over €7,000 through the LEADER programme to establish an office in Loughrea.

The allocation comes under the heading of ‘rural tourism’ and will see Executive Premier Travel Ltd (Luxury Irish Tours) open an office at Gurtymadden, Loughrea.

Minister Ciaran Cannon welcomed the funding, saying: “I’m delighted with confirmation from Minister Ring that €7,013 has been allocated under the LEADER programme to establish dedicated office-space for a start-up business, Executive Premier Travel Ltd (Luxury Irish Tours) at Gurtymadden, Loughrea.”

The Minister said that this is indicative of the Government`s commitment to growing visitor numbers to rural regions in Ireland.

“Minister Ring has now announced almost €68 million in funding for 1,989 LEADER projects and this increase reflects a significant expansion of activity over the last 21 months since the introduction of a range of measures to make the programme work better for both potential applicants and for the LEADER Local Action Groups which deliver the programme on the ground,” he added.

People with severe mental illness denied essential physical healthcare services

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May 17, 2019

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

People with severe mental ilness in Ireland are being denied access to essential physical healthcare services, a new report has found.

The report was published today by the Mental Health Commission, which said this is both discriminatory and a breach of human rights.

Authored by the Inspector of Mental Health Services, Dr Susan Finnerty, the report – titled ‘Physical Health of People with Severe Mental Illness’ – focuses on the physical healthcare and access to essential healthcare for people in long-term care in mental health in-patient units.

The report found that some patients with severe mental illness were being discriminated against as they were being denied access to essential physical healthcare services such as physiotherapy, dietetics, speech and language therapy, and seating assessments.

“This is utterly unacceptable and a breach of human rights,” said Dr Finnerty. “I found a significant number of residents who had been assessed as needing these services but had no access to them.”

Dr Finnerty stated that people with severe mental illness deserve the same rights as everyone else, and to live healthier and longer lives.

She added healthcare professionals have a vital role to play in helping to achieve this, and need to set the standard in raising aspirations for severe mentally ill people and in challenging discrimination.

The report also found that physical health monitoring for people with severe mental illness fell below international best practice standards.

Of those surveyed, just nine per cent had their waist circumference measured; only 25 per cent had a Body Mass Index (BMI) rate recorded; monitoring of blood lipids and electrocardiograms (ECGs) was only carried out in two thirds of residents; and while some physical health needs were outlined in some of the residents’ individual care plans, these did not include annual monitoring.

“These findings are of serious concern and show that residents in long-term care in mental health in-patient units are not adequately monitored for serious physical illness which they have a higher risk of developing than the general population,” Dr Finnerty stated.

As part of her report, the Inspector explained that people with a severe mental illness may die between 15 and 20 years earlier than the rest of the population, while research in the United Kingdom has estimated that 40,000 deaths could be avoided each year if individuals with serious mental illness were afforded the same amount of physical healthcare as the general population. The equivalent number of deaths annually based on Ireland’s population would be almost 3,000.

Dr Finnerty added that the findings of her report were particularly concerning as many of those who live or reside in continuing care mental health units are vulnerable, elderly, have poor communication abilities and are at high risk of cardiac disease and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of the most dangerous heart attack risk factors).

The Chief Executive of the Mental Health Commission, Mr John Farrelly, said that the findings of the Inspector raise safety and quality issues in relation to the physical healthcare provided to people suffering from severe mental illness.

“This report demonstrates a blatant disregard for the welfare of some of the most vulnerable members of our society,” he said. “If we are talking seriously about creating a culture of respect for human rights in this country, then we must start by working to improve the quality and standards of our mental health services, and ensuring that we eliminate all instances of discrimination.

“We must commit to move now to implement procedures that will address the concerns in this report and radically improve the physical healthcare and monitoring of mentally ill people in Ireland to ensure that they do not continue to suffer unnecessarily.”

Controversial Whitestrand filling station expansion approved

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May 17, 2019

Galway daily news Appeal lodged against controversial filling station expansion

Permission has been granted for a controversial expansion to the Maxol filling station in Whitestrand over local objections.

Maxol Ltd sought planning permission to demolish outbuildings at the filling station on the corner of the Lower Salthill and Fr Griffin roads and to build a single storey expansion to the existing building in their place.

The planned extension includes a food preparation area, new deli franchise with seating and a new off licence, with other works including alterations to the existing store layout, new aluminium glazed shopfronts, rendered wall covering and corporate branding.

The filling station’s access point off the Lower Salthill Road will also be realigned and its boundary wall extended.

The other main aspect of the development, and one of the main sources of objections, is the plan to replace the current car wash and relocate it from facing onto the Fr Griffin road to the north east corner of the station.

The total cost of all the work involved in this expansion is expected to come to just over €300,000.

A total of 23 submissions were made to the city council with different objections to these expansion plans that focused on traffic, parking, noise issues, and potential anti-social problems.

Several residents said that there was not sufficient parking space for the increased traffic that would come as a result of the seated deli, and that the proposed realignment of the station’s access point would also hinder traffic.

The increased traffic posed a road safety risk it was said, due to large number of children walking and cycling to several schools in the area.

Concerns were also expressed that the new off licence would increase anti-social behaviour in the area.

The developer objected to this characterisation to the city council, saying that the off licence would be small in size and unobtrusively placed to the rear of the store.

The final area of objection for multiple residents were the plans for a new car wash to replace the one already present. Several submissions were made to the city council arguing that the noise is detrimental to local residents.

The developer said that the new car wash would be a quieter model which would be housed with a noise attenuation enclosure, and that it would not operate any later than 10pm.

A Noise Impact Assessment was submitted with this planning application which said that the noise generated would be “negligible and acceptable” alongside daily background noise. However, several of the objectors disputed the methodology behind the NIA.

Galway city council granted planning permission with ten conditions attached.

LGBT+ community still doesn’t have equal rights in Ireland

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May 17, 2019

SIXTEEN countries have ranked above Ireland in the annual Rainbow Europe report on LGBT+ people’s human rights.

The Rainbow Europe gives Ireland an overall score of 47 per cent in achieving LGBT+ rights.

This places us behind Portugal, the United Kingdom, France and Spain, amongst others.

Malta received the highest score of all European countries, at 90 per cent.

European election candidate Dominic Hannigan highlighted the ranking yesterday, saying Ireland still has “some way to go before LGBT+ people enjoy equal rights”.

Dominic Hannigan – who is the Labour Party’s European candidate in the Midlands North West constituency – was one of the first two openly gay TDs elected to the Dáil.

Commenting on the Rainbow Europe report today, he said: “This report shows Ireland still has a considerable way to go in achieving full equality for the LGBT+ community.

“Post-marriage equality, we like to think we are international leaders in affording full and equal rights to all people, no matter what their sexual orientation. But this is clearly not the case.

“The Rainbow Europe report highlights that, while we have made massive strides with marriage equality and legal gender recognition, we cannot afford to sit back and become complacent.

“Areas for improvement highlighted in the report included services provided to transgender people; tackling hate crime and speech; and discrimination.”

Today is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, but the Labour Party candidate says we have a long way to go to tackle discrimination.

“Discrimination and stigma still exist for LGBT+ people in Ireland,” said Hannigan. “It didn’t just disappear once the Marriage Equality referendum passed.

“I came out publicly in 2006 and, at the time, my sexuality was called a ‘perversion’, and gay marriage an ‘abnormality’ in a letter to the editor of my local newspaper.

“There were subsequent public letters – all referring to my sexuality, something I never felt was a topic for public debate. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen way in the past – it was little more than a decade ago.

“We are seeing human rights being rowed back in other European countries and across the world at present. We need to make sure that LGBT+ rights continue to be preserved and progressed in Ireland.”

In the Rainbow Europe report, Ireland scored:

13 per cent for tackling hate crime and hate speech;
17 per cent for supporting the rights of LGBT+ asylum-seekers;
24 per cent for equality and non-discrimination;
69 per cent in the “Legal gender recognition and bodily integrity” category;
76 per cent for marriage equality and the rights of LGBT+ families; and
100 per cent for ‘Civil Society Space’.

City Council candidate wants to inject council with modern way of thinking

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Paul Kelly

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May 17, 2019

Galway daily news Councillor Eddie Hoare pledges to be a presence on the ground

Young blood is needed in Galway City Council to inject the chamber with a more modern way of thinking,

That’s what first-time Fine Gael candidate Eddie Hoare told Galway Daily this week, as the local election campaigns enter their final phase.

Hoare is running in the Galway City Central Ward and has been involved with Fine Gael for all of his adult life, canvassing for former TD Pádraic McCormack and current TDs Hildegarde Naughton and Sean Kyne.

The fresh-faced contender for the Council is firmly embedded in the local community through his dedication to the local St Michael’s GAA Club.

In speaking to Galway Daily, Eddie Hoare outlined his main priority areas and policy ideas.

Sport/Recreation

Eddie Hoare emphasised the importance sport and recreation play in people’s lives, stressing the role that sport plays in both personal and community development.

Eddie has seen the significant impact of sport through his long active background in Gaelic Football.

The St. Michael’s clubman described how participation in team sport leads to positive mental health and wellbeing.

He vowed to do his upmost to promote and encourage the active involvement of people in community sports, clubs and societies, and promised to campaign to increase investment in facilities around Galway City.

These facilities would be beneficial to those active in sport, clubs and societies.

Business

Eddie Hoare alluded to his experience of being a chartered accountant in Galway City.

He claimed this experience provides him with a thorough insight into the needs facing local businesses in Galway.

The Fine Gael candidate is a member of various business groups and is keen to support business around the city.

He highlighted the important contribution of businesses within the city when it comes to the budget.

He listed the positive effects of local business in creating employment and generating taxes for the exchequer which cannot be overstated.

He referenced the seriousness of maintaining an encouraging and supportive environment for businesses to thrive in the city.

A particular example of how Eddie Hoare would hope to achieve this would be through his efforts to remove the Sunday parking levy.

The Fine Gael candidate was adamant that we should not be deterring anyone from coming into Galway City to avail of the services of local businesses.

Housing

Eddie Hoare pointed out that big business won’t invest in Galway if their staff can’t buy houses.

He promised to be a proponent of increased investment in social and affordable housing.

He claimed the lack of investment in affordable housing leads to a lack of supply which increases prices.

He remarked that a solution to alleviate the ongoing housing crisis would be found through an increased investment in affordable housing schemes in the City.

This could be particularly useful for first time buyers or the “squezzed middle” as he referred to them.

Young couples are paying massive amounts on rent. While these couples have shown an ability to meet large monthly repayments their ability to raise a mortgage is restricted by Central Bank lending guidelines.

Should more affordable housing schemes be introduced more rental accommodation could be freed up which would drive down rental prices.

Traffic

Alleviating the ongoing traffic crisis around Galway City is a consistent priority for a lot of City Council candidates and Eddie Hoare is no exception.

The Fine Gael candidate declared his intention to help dampen down the crisis which plagues commuters around Galway on a daily basis.

Eddie stated that he was conscious of the role the traffic crisis plays in the ‘curtailment of other multi nationals entering Galway”.

He expressed his support for the Galway City Centre Traffic Management Plan labelling it as a ‘welcome investment’.

Despite it being a beneficial investment, Eddie Hoare emphasized the need for this plan to be delivered in a timely manner and within budget.

He referenced his background in accounting as being a useful tool to help scrutinize and analyse council projects to ensure they are within budget and rolled out as efficiently as possible.

Health

The Fine Gael candidate praised the Government’s efforts to construct a new elective hospital in Galway.

To add to this, he promised to use his position in the Council to encourage and push for increased investment in the Accident and Emergency Department in University Hospital Galway.

If elected, Eddie Hoare pledged to ensure that Galway gets its fair share out of the €116 billion Ireland 2040 plan.

Vision and Philosophy

All in all Eddie Hoare is firmly of the opinion that young fresh blood is needed in Galway City Council.

The first-time candidate described himself as approachable, accessible, here to work hard and enthusiastic to work for the people of Galway City.

He declared that his financial experience will be of huge value when it comes to examining budgets at council level.

If elected, Eddie promised to bring a positive element to the Council looking at solutions-based policies rather than relegating himself to the sidelines only to criticize.

NUIG Prof leads global debate on using aspirin to fight heart disease

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May 17, 2019

Galway Daily news NUIG recruiting GPs for study on managing multiple long term conditions

Bill McEvoy, an expert in heart disease prevention and Professor of Preventive Cardiology at NUIG is facing off with another international expert on the benefits of aspirin in preventing heart disease and stroke.

Aspirin is still a widely used medication for the treatment of pain, but has also been used as a preventative medicine to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.

However, recently three clinical trials conducted in 2018 suggested that the medicine is less effective in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease than had been previously thought.

Older trials conducted in the late 20th century described it much more favourably for people at high risk, but that was at a time when smoking was more common and treatments for high blood pressure and cholesterol weren’t as good as today.

It has been argued that with other risk factors improved in this day and age, people should stop using aspirin as a preventative medicine for cardiovascular disease since it causes increased bleeding, especially in the stomache.

However, Professor McEvoy, who reviewed evidence for another trial published in march of this year insists that aspirin still has a role to play.

Looking at those three trials he points to the end results of two which showed that there was a reduction in non-fatal heart attacks with aspirin use.

Dr McEvoy, who is a consultant cardiologist at Galway University Hospitals, also pointed to the fact that a quarter of patients in those trials didn’t take their medication as prescribed, whereas past trials had people be more diligent.

Arguing against him is Professor Sigrun Halvorsen from the University of Oslo in Norway who says that the use of aspirin is simply no longer justifiable from a medical standpoint.

Both agree that aspirin should be continued in those who have already suffered a clinical heart attack or stroke, in order to reduce the chances of a recurrence.

Ultimately, McEvoy feels the ball should be in the patient’s court after discussing the options and risks with their doctor.

They can decide for themselves whether they prefer to carry the risk of heart disease or a bleeding episode.

This debate is important because aspirin is so widely used and because it will also be published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the premier international medical publication, which is widely read by doctors around the world.

“As an Irish physician, its great to be invited to lead this international debate among physicians around the world,” Professor McEvoy said.

I’m proud that Galway and Ireland are flying the flag of heart disease and stroke prevention and this article is great exposure for the research we are carrying out at NUI Galway and the National Institute of Preventive Cardiology.”

Talented young Galwegians take home top prizes at coding competition

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May 17, 2019

LERO Scratch Finals 0095 — The National Scratch Coding Competition which was held at the University of Limerick as part of Tech Week 2019. Abdul-Marteen Ojo from Confey College, Leixlip, Co. Kildare won the top prize for his entry 'Magic Wizard' at the National Scratch Coding Competition which was held at the University of Limerick as part of Tech Week 2019. The winners were selected from over 500 entries nationwide and judged to be the best in their respective categories. Scratch is a visual programming language that makes it easy for young people to create their own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art – and share their creations on the web. Using Scratch allows students to develop creative and critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills as they work collaboratively or individually on Scratch projects. Pic Sean Curtin True Media.

Four teams of talented young coders from Galway took home top prizes from the National Scratch Coding Competition at the University of Limerick as part of Tech Week 2019.

The winners include Cian Mangan from Cloghan Hill National School in Tuam who won Best Technical Sophistication for his project ‘Beat Darth Vadar’ and Ewan Fitzgerald, also from Cloghans Hill National School, who won the Special Scratch Award for his project ‘Autism Facts’.

Coder Dojo Kinvara also took home two awards with Cathal Costello in the 2nd to 4th class afterschool category for his project ‘Colman’s Monastery’ and Klaudia Giersz in the 1st year to 3rd year afterschool category with her entry ‘Learn English for Kids’.

The winners were selected from over 500 entries nationwide and judged to be the best in their respective categories.

Scratch is a visual programming language that makes it easy for young people to create their own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art – and share their creations on the web.

Using Scratch allows students to develop creative and critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills as they work together or individually on Scratch projects.

Now in its ninth year, the National Scratch Competition has established itself among both teachers and students as a leading platform and showcase for Ireland’s aspiring digital creators.

The competition is run by the ICS Foundation, the social enterprise arm of the Irish Computer Society and supported by Lero, the Irish Software Research Centre.

Tech Week provides hands-on opportunities to learn about how computing and related technology are shaping every area of life.

The aim is to stimulate thinking around future opportunities for study and careers in technology, through learning in the wider areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

Jim Friars, CEO, Irish Computer Society said: “Events such as this help inspire Ireland’s next generation of digital creators.

“It’s becoming ever-more critical that we develop more interactive and engaging ways for the young students to learn about technology and how it interactives with every part of our lives.

“We need to open their minds to careers in technology and today’s finals show that we’re on the right path. I want to congratulate Abdul-Marteen and Confey College and all the other students who took part in the final.”

Clare McInerney, Education and Outreach Manager in Lero said: “The standard for this year’s competition has been fantastic and I want to say a huge congratulations to everyone involved.

“This unique and highly engaging event provides young students with real, hands-on coding experience and highlights how important it is our everyday lives.”

Mike Beary, AWS Ireland Country Manager said: “Competitions like Scratch foster curiosity, and provide students with hands-on opportunities to learn the digital skills they need to succeed in today’s technology-focused, innovation-driven economy.

“Connecting educational experiences to real-life opportunities is an effective way to get young students excited about what they’re learning. The projects this year were truly exceptional, congratulations to all involved.”

Galway city rents have almost doubled since 2012

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May 17, 2019

galway daily news average rent in galway rooms for rent in galway city price

Rents in Galway City have almost doubled in the past seven years since their lowest point in 2012 according to Daft.ie

The latest rental report from Daft shows that average rents in Galway city were €1,260 in the first quarter of this year, 91.4 percent higher than their lowest levels in 2012.

Galway County has also seen a startling increase of 77.5 percent in the cost of private rental accommodation in the past seven years, currently standing at an average of €906.

Compared with their highest level in in the past 10 years, the cost of rent in Galway city is still nearly 50 percent higher than at the beginning of 2008, while the county is.

The latest daft rental report showed that rent in Galway went up by 2 percent in the first three months of this year, with a year on year increase of 11.4 percent in the city and 16.6 percent in Galway county.

Economist Ronan Lyons who complied this report said that the Irish rental sector remains “starved of supply” and that this is driving up prices.

On May 1 there were just 2,700 rental properties available in Ireland according to Daft.ie, the lowest number since the beginning of 2006.

“This is the lowest ever figure for stock on the market, in a series that goes back to the start of 2006,” said economist Ronan Lyons who compiled this report.

“The length of this series allows us to put the current rental shortage into perspective. During the Celtic Tiger period, rental stock bottomed out at just under 4,400 in early 2007.”

Nationwide the average cost to rent is now €1,366, up by 1.5 percent this year, with the highest costs in South County Dublin at €2,190.

Outside of the capital the most expensive places to rent are Wexford (€1,383), Cork City (€1,331), Kildare (€1,314) and Meath (€1,299).

An Pucán is one of Ireland’s top ten pubs according to Instagram

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May 17, 2019

An Púcán is one of the top ten most popular pubs in Ireland according to Instagram

Overland Ireland compiled a list of where the most popular pubs in Ireland are going by how many photos are geotagged there on Instagram, and Galway’s award winning An Púcán made it into the top ten.

An Púcán is known for its snazzy beer garden tucked away out back which earned it the Best Outdoor Space of any pub in Ireland at the Bar of the Year Awards in 2018.

It’s also a great spot to catch some live sports on match nights, as testified by being declared the Best Sports Bar in Ireland at the Irish Pubs Global Awards last year as well.

According to Overland Ireland An Púcán has been geotagged in 8,276 photos on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

Big night of Champions League football tonite! Why not watch it in the Garden this evening #pub #bar #beer #drinks #galway #party #music #food #cocktails #drink #friends #instagood #nightlife #cocktail #photooftheday #drinking #foodporn #drinkup #alcohol #pubg #bartender #thirsty #wine #yummy #restaurant #liquor #livemusic #fun #yum

A post shared by An Pucan (@anpucan) on Apr 16, 2019 at 9:29am PDT

The rest of the top ten list from the top down are.

The Temple Bar, Dublin

Sitting right in the heart of Dublin’s Temple Bar District, this pub may trace its history back to the 1840s but the bright and flowery exterior seems made for social media.

The Temple Bar might just be the most iconic spot in Ireland’s biggest nightlife scene.

And Instagram would certainly agrees with a staggering 520,313 photos of this pub.

View this post on Instagram

Wednesday night vibes are best served here 😍😍🍺🍺🎻🎻🎤🎤🥃🥃🍸🍸 . . . . . #lovinthetemplebarpub #templebar #dublin #pub #whiskey #pints #cocktails #irishmusic #tradmusic #irish #craic #fun

A post shared by The Temple Bar Pub (@thetemplebarpub) on May 8, 2019 at 3:54pm PDT

Café En Seine, Dublin

Another Dublin hotspot, Café En Seine boast multiple bars, dining areas, and event spaces sprawled across three floors on Dawson Street.

A multi million euro do over that includes an indoor Parisian street garden and an elegant glass ceiling has made this a snazzy spot to snap a pic for 39,358 Instagram users.

View this post on Instagram

dublin isn’t the worst

A post shared by natalie. (@natalieckelly) on May 12, 2019 at 9:49am PDT

The Bernard Shaw, Dublin

For a more artsy crowd the Bernard Shaw features layers of colourful graffiti decorating the walls of the outdoor area appealling to Instagram crowd.

And the decadent Eatyard, including offerings from Galway’s own Handsome Burger and a busy live music venue at the Big Blues Bus at the Bodytonic bar round this spot out for a wild night.

Some 25,198 people have caught a photo of themselves and other enjoying the vibes at this spot.

View this post on Instagram

Pride is 10 days in counting, and we have a cheeky surprise in the mix. First of though we’ll welcome the king of messers back to the gaff for Where Good Friends Meet X Pride party❤️🧡💛💚💙

A post shared by The Bernard Shaw (@thebernardshaw) on Jun 20, 2018 at 11:01am PDT

Lusty Beg Island, Fermanagh

Not all pubs need to cater to an ultra-modern design. Lusty Beg Island is one of those hidden gems that’s not so hidden with a traditonal Irish pub contained on the resort at Boa Island on Lough Erne.

Enjoy a pint in an old school Irish pub looking out over some spectacular views and you can imagine why people are so quick to reach for the phone 12,157 times over.

View this post on Instagram

“No good story ever happened after a glass of water” The pub on Lusty Beg Island 🌴 ✨ ✨ ✨ #LoughErne #Fermanagh #NorthernIreland #ireland #pub #pubsofinstagram #pubsofireland #irishfood #irelandtravel #barsofinstagram #thatchedcottage #Guinness #thecraic #family #weekendaway #countryside #rural_love #visitnorthernireland #visitireland #lustybegisland

A post shared by Suzanne Campbell (@campbellsuz) on May 6, 2019 at 1:43pm PDT

The Oliver Plunkett, Cork

A hugely popular tourist bar in downtown Cork city, The Oliver Plunkett goes on everyone list of spots to hit in the south.

Keeping things old school in the 21st century, the Oliver Plunkett puts a huge emphasis on its Traditional Irish Dinner & Show experience at the Frisky Whiskey bar upstairs.

Visitors can choose from a selection of traditional Irish meals while being entertained by the finest trad musicians and Irish dancers in Cork in an experience that’s garnered 11,889 Instagram photos.

View this post on Instagram

What a lovely photo from @lovingcork 😍😍 Do you think you could do better? Send us your picture of our Christmas Tree and the best pic gets a €50 voucher!! . www.TheOliverPlunkett.com #beautifulphoto #corkcity #christmas #decorations #competition

A post shared by The Oliver Plunkett Bar (@theoliverplunkettbar) on Nov 19, 2018 at 4:47am PST

The Porterhouse, Temple Bar, Dublin

For all the beer lovers out there, the Porterhouse blends an old fashioned look and feel with a large selection of craft beers, courtesy of the Porterhouse brewery.

For people who want to do just more than buy a drink, the Porterhouse is always happy to teach people howto do their own brewing through its Beer Academy.

The second spot in Temple Bar to make this list, the instagram quality of the Porterhouse is seen in the 9,681 photos of it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvi18sAAxoK/

The Stag’s Head, Dublin

A tradition Irish bar on Dame Street, the Stag’s Head is beloved by Instagram users for its comedy gigs three nights a week and live music shows.

Between the food, the shows and the welcoming environment, Instagram users have posted 8,902 photos of the Stag’s Head.

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Who's excited for the #BankHolidayWeekend?🎉😊 Pop into The Stags Head Dublin, enjoy Live Music, tasty food and a lively atmosphere all weekend 🍻🍲 . . . . . #stagshead #stagsheaddublin #dublin #pub #traditionalpub #Halloween #HalloweenWeekend

A post shared by Stags Head Pub (@stags_head_dublin) on Oct 25, 2018 at 3:55am PDT

Zozimus, Dublin

How could such a bright, and eclectically decorated place not be popular with Instagram?

And that’s before you get into the award winning cocktails, the buzzing vibe, and the asian cuisine that set it apart from so many Irish pubs.

Instagram sure does love Zozimus with people tagging the umbrella covered cocktail bar 8,644 times.

View this post on Instagram

An exquisite #ZozimusPresentsMak dining experience awaits… 👌🏽 Open Tuesday – Sunday from 5pm.

A post shared by Zozimus Bar (@zozimusbar) on Apr 30, 2019 at 10:56am PDT

Panti Bar, Dublin

Home to Ireland’s most famous drag queen Panti Blis, people can expect to have a great time and catch some amazing shows at this iconic spot.

The stylish, neon lit interior has featured in 8,312 Instagram photos over the past decade.

View this post on Instagram

The stage is set for our weekend of entertainment, @stephendowling1 on the decks from 9p, Saturday you will find @missbunnyohare doing her thing and DJing from 9pm and #sundayshenanigans with @dizzydyin4it and @_arianagrindr from 6pm. Lots to choose from #pantibardublin #pantibar #pantispaleale #cocktails #bestgaybar #drag #dublindrag #hotbarmen #hotfellas🔥

A post shared by Pantibar (@pantibardublin) on May 10, 2019 at 9:15am PDT

The full list of how all the top spots in Ireland rated on Instagram can be read here.

Galway county receives three EU grants for free public wifi

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May 17, 2019

Galway County has secured three EU vouchers worth a total of €45,000 to install free public wifi hotspots.

Under the Wifi4EU initiative each local authority is able to apply for up to four vouchers worth €15,000 apiece to install free public wifi in spaces such as parks, squares, libraries and other public areas.

Galway county council will now have 18 months to select the location for their wifi hotspots and install it for public use.

Under the guidelines of the programme they must be ‘centres of public life’ where no other free WiFi service is already available.

The service will be free of charge, free of advertising and free from commercial re-use of data.

Ireland was awarded 22 vouchers worth a total of vouchers in this round of the Wifi4EU programme worth a total of €330,000.

Last year Galway city received the maximum level of funding under round 1 of Wifi4EU of €60,000 and Galway county received €15,000.

Each local authority can only receive four vouchers in the lifetime of the programme which Galway has now maxed out.

Ireland was awarded 62 vouchers, amounting to €930,000, in 2018 under the Wifi4EU initiative.

Galway TD and Minister of State for Digital Development Seán Canney said “Today’s announcement by the European Commission means that €1.26M has been awarded to Irish Local Authorities so far through the Wifi4EU initiative.”

“This is a great opportunity for communities and will be a tremendous help in providing a state of the art network of free WiFi hotspots in public spaces.”

The overall budget for the WiFi4EU scheme is €120 million between 2018 and 2020. €42 million was allocated to the first call and €51M to the second call.

With this second round, 17 local authorities in Ireland have secured all of the funding open to them, and the other are in the process of collecting the rest of theirs.

Deputy Canney said that the success of this programme in Ireland has been the work of Local Authority Broadband Officers “who approached the scheme with great enthusiasm and energy”.

“Since their appointment three years ago, Broadband Officers have continually shown the benefit of their roles and this is just one example of how they are working together to improve connectivity in their communities.”

Ahascragh native named Deputy Principal of Educate Together Secondary School

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May 16, 2019

Galway Daily news Ahascragh native named Deputy Principal of Educate Together secondary school

Louise Judge from Ahascragh has been appointed the Deputy Principal of the new Educate Together Secondary School in Galway city opening in September.

Louise is coming back to Galway to teach at the Educate Together secondary school after working as Deputy Principal of S. Kevin’s College co-educational school in Crumlin.

The Ahascragh native began her teaching career in 2011 after previously working in retail.

A graduate of NUIG, Louise first taught Geography, Business and Maths in two large secondary schools in the UK before returning to Ireland and taking up a post at St. Kevin’s under the patronage of CDETB.

“I am so excited to be returning to my home county and joining an already strong Galway team,” said Louise of her new position.

“I am looking forward to working with parents, students and colleagues to establish an innovative school where all students can develop and where all types of achievements are celebrated”.

The Department of Education is still looking for a site for the new secondary school, which is scheduled to open in time for the school year starting next September.

When completed its intended that the school will be able to cater for 1,000 pupils in Galway.

Sarah Molloy, who was announced as the school’s principal in January said that she was delighted to welcome Louise to the growing team at Galway ETSS.

“She brings a wealth of experience, energy and enthusiasm which I know will impact greatly on the development of our new learning community.”

Galway ETSS is currently recruiting teachers for the upcoming school year across a wide range of subjects.

Anyone interested in a position can apply online at www.galwayetss.ie.

Memorial ball for young Cillian Cooney raises over €30,000 for Galway Hospice

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May 16, 2019

Galway daily news Memorial ball raises over €30,000 for Galway hospice

Cillian’s Rainbow Ball raised over €30,000 for Galway Hospice at the annual event in memory of young Cillian Cooney.

This ball, which commemorates 5-year old Cillian, raised tens of thousands in aid for Galway Hospice and Aoibheann’s Pink Tie, a national charity supporting children battling cancer.

The hospice offered their sincere thanks to the Cillian’s family and everyone involved in making this happen in a facebook post today.

All told the event took in over €60,000, with Galway Hospice and Aoibheann’s Pink Tie each receiving €30,976.

Pictured above are Cillian’s Aunt Karen, Mom Aisling, Grandmother Mary, Grandfather Richard, Aunt Michelle and Uncle Adrian presenting the cheque to Aisling and Jane from Galway Hospice.

The memorial ball drew huge support from the community without individuals and companies all making a huge effort to pitch in.

Mike Shaughs Photographer and Johnny Greaney of Greaney Coaches Cloonboo donated their proceeds from the night, contributing €700 between them.

The Declan Regan Memorial added to its usual fundraising for Cancer Care West by raising an additional €1,000 for this event, Corofin AC pitched in another €680, and the people of McSharry’s Pharmacy in Terryland, Westside and Knocknacarra raised €1563.26.

These are just a few of the generous souls who contributed to these two worthy causes on the night.

Ballygar N.S students are keeping the roads safe as the best Junior School Wardens in Galway

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May 16, 2019

Galway Daily news Ballygar NS students are the winners of the Junior School Wardens competition

The students of Ballygar National School are keeping pedestrians safe on the roads as the winners of Galway’s Junior School Wardens competition.

This year celebrates the 50th anniversary since the inception of the Junior School Wardens Scheme in 1969.

Since it began the School Warden Scheme has proven a highly successful road safety project, with school children ensuring the safe crossing of all pupils to and from their schools each day.

The Junior School Wardens competition took place at Presentation College, Tuam on Tuesday with four schools competing: Presentation Primary School, Tuam, Ballygar National School, Scoil Náisiúnta Naomh Pádraig, Moylough and St. Mary’s National School, Mountbellew.

This is a collaborative project that involves many groups in the community working together to make road safer for young people going to and from school.

There’s the young wardens themselves, the parents, the teachers, the local Gardai who train the pupils, Galway Co. Council’s Road Safety Officer who co-ordinates the scheme and the Road Safety Authority who co-fund the scheme.

In 50 years there has not been a single incident involving the scheme according to Galway County Council, a safety record that’s second to none.

Broadband plan leaves rural communities waiting years for results say Murphy

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May 16, 2019

Galway daily news Eugene Murphy elected to the Seanad

The €3 billion National Broadband Plan is a disappointment to rural communities as it will take years longer to connect rural areas than hoped, and at three times the original price Eugene Murphy has said.

The National Broadband Plan will connect 135,118 premises with high speed fibre internet at a price tag of just under €3 billion, up from €1 billion when the plan was first conceived.

Galway TD Eugene Murphy said that “For many of us, particularly in the rural areas, we have been waiting indefinitely for the provision of high-speed broadband. Now, we have another ten years before this project is completed.”

The government recently announced recently that it had chosen a preferred bidder in the National Broadband Ireland consortium led by Granahan McCourt.

However, the final contract is not yet ready and isn’t expected to be signed until Autumn, with work hopefully commencing this year. Once it does, the Department of Communications has given a cautious outline of seven years to connect every home.

“It is taking three times longer and costing six times the original price,” Deputy Murphy said “On top of that, the State will not own the network built and paid for by the taxpayer.”

There was outrage from many sides at the recent news that the private bidder will only contribute €220 million to the cost of the national broadband infrastructure, far below the €974 million level mentioned previously.

But the government has said that if there is any delay in the rollout of the plan the company will have to put up more equity for it.

Eugene Murphy said that people should be “rightly sceptical” about the government’s timeline for broadband connection “given the fact that every other timeline on this project has been missed.”

NBI will also retain ownership of the infrastructure once the project is completed, something which has sparked furious reactions from the opposition in the past week.

The Department of Public Expenditure “strongly recommended” against the government signing off on this deal, considering it bad value for money.

Others are more optimistic about the broadband plan, with Galway TD and former Minister for Communications Denis Naughten calling the recent announcement a “historic day” which marks a “turning point for the revitalisation of rural Ireland”.

Deputy Murphy acknowledged that fibre broadband will be welcome in rural areas once the project is completed.

“Yet, how we got to this point, and the next ten years as the service is slowly rolled out, is massively disappointing for those of us in rural Ireland”.

City Council calls for urgent review of parking permits

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May 16, 2019

Galway daily news Salthill car parks reopen after run of bad weather

Galway city council has called for the executive to conduct an urgent review of the implementation of the city’s parking control bylaws, in particular the issue of parking permits.

Councillor Ollie Crowe tabled a motion at a recent meeting of the city council backed by Cllr Peter Keane saying that there needed to be a review of how the executive was issuing parking permits in the city.

Cllr Crowe said that residents had contacted him to say they were being denied the permits they were entitled to under the bylaws, and said that there are “gross inconsistencies” in the manner in which the bylaws are being implemented by the executive.

He said that there has been a substantial reduction of 120 permits issued in recent years.

Cllr Peter Keane said that there has been a very “loose interpretation” of the parking control bylaws by the council executive. He also said that in the past four years there have been five different sets of application forms for a parking permit.

Councillor Mark Lohan agreed with councillors Keane and Crowe, saying that the implementation of the bylaws has been “quite arbitrary”.

The motion had initially proposed to immediately suspend Parts Three and Four of the Parking Control Bylaws governing parking permits while the review was taking place.

However, City Manager Brendan McGrath told the council that it was not legally permissible to simply suspend sections of bylaws.

He said that he had no problem carrying out a review for councillors, but that bylaws can only be changed by going through the statutory process.

Mayor of Galway Cllr Niall McNelis suggested that the motion proceed but that the section suspending the bylaws while awaiting a review be removed.

Cllr Keane said that he wanted a commitment from the executive that the bylaws wouldn’t be interpreted as loosely by the executive as before while the council awaits a the review.

The motion was carried by 14 councillors with Brendan McGrath committing to bringing a review of the bylaws before the next council after the election.

Druid Theatre devoting this year solely to new plays

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May 16, 2019

Galway Daily news Mairead Ní Chroinín is the new Druid Artist in Residence at NUIG

Galway’s Druid Theatre has said that it is devoting this year solely to the production of new plays with the announcement of its 2019 programme.

This year Druid Theatre will be bringing two new productions to life for audiences at the Galway International Arts Festival and Dublin Theatre Festival, and three scripts which were sent into the theatre group will have stages readings at the Mick Lally Theatre.

Garry Hynes will direct the world premiere of Epiphany by Brian Watkins at the 2019 GIAF, premiering at the Town Hall Theatre this July in his debut collaboration with the Druid.

Epiphany is a tale of old anxieties and recollections that bubble up when a cheery host gathers a group of old friends to try and revive a holiday tradition and things go awry.

Before premiering in Galway it will preview at at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire on July 12 & 13.

Tickets for Epiphany are on sale now at www.giaf.ie.

Later this year the Druid will produce The Beacon, a new play by Nancy Harris in a co-production with the Gate Theatre for Dublin Theatre Festival.

The Beacon will premiere at the Town Hall Theatre from September 20-28 before heading to The Gate for a run from October 2-26.

Druid have also announced that during the run, Stage Left, an exhibition of Epiphany rehearsal sketches by Brian Bourke will be on display at the Town Hall Theatre.

“The literary text has been and always will be paramount for Druid, from John Millington Synge to Tom Murphy to Sonya Kelly. The origin of everything lies with the writer” says Artistic Director, Garry Hynes.

“We develop new work in many different ways, and we are delighted with the strength of the new work coming through over the past few years. This has allowed us to commit ourselves to doing all new plays this year.”

On top of those major premieres Druid Debuts will stage readings of three chosen scripts out of over 200 scripts received during the New Writing submission window in 2018.

Three selected plays will be presented as Druid Debuts in the Mick Lally Theatre on Druid Lane as part of GIAF.

Caoimhe, Carl, and the Great Tapir in the Sky by Sionnán Ní Nualláin will be staged on July 19 at 3pm.

And Shin-Aid by Eamann Breen and Narcissus by William Dunleavy will show on July 26 from 3pm.

Submissions for the 2019 New Writing programme are now be accepted and the window will remain open until September 30.

Alongside the main programme of activities the Druid has said it is committed to continuing artist development through FUEL artist residencies and the Marie Mullen Bursary for female artists.

Connacht Rugby sign Australian Sevens winger John Porch

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May 16, 2019

Galway daily sport Connacht Rugby signs Australian Sevens star John Porch

Connacht Rugby announced this week that they have signed Australian winger John Porch ahead of the 2019/2020 season.

John Porch has personal ties to the Connacht Rugby crew going back to when Andy Friend recruited him into the Austrial sevens back when Friend was head coach of the Australian team in 2016.

Playing for Australia, Porch racked up 96 point in his first nine appearances and secured himself a slot at the Rio Olympics, which he followed up with another 28 tries in the 2017/18 World Series.

Commenting on the signing Andy Friend said that he was “extremely impressed” with Porch’s performance when he first saw him play in the Australian Sevens.

“He was a hugely impressive player at sevens level, and I believe that he will suit the style of play and culture in Connacht as we prepare for the season ahead”.

For his part Porch said that he was excited about signing for Connacht and working with Friend again, “I obviously know Andy from his time with the Australia Sevens programme and he gave me my debut in 2016”.

“The possibility of playing Champions Cup rugby in the Sportsground next season is an opportunity I just couldn’t turn down.”

“I’m looking forward to getting over to Ireland now and linking up with the squad,” he added.

Following the latest signing Friend said that a large number of contract extensions and new members of the squad have brought depth to the Connacht side.

“We have already announced the signing of Paddy McAllister, Tom Daly, Stephen Fitzgerald, Angus Lloyd and Rory Burke in addition to Paul Boyle, Conor Fitzgerald, Matthew Burke, Conor Kenny and Stephen Kerins who have graduated from our Academy this season.”

“We have also had a huge focus on retaining our existing talent with contract renewals for many of our internationals and more senior players in the squad”.

Early bid tickets for the 2019/2020 season are now on sale from Connacht Rugby with savings of more than 50 percent available.

Site chosen for new building of Ballinasloe special needs school facing closure

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May 16, 2019