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Galway film companies get backing from multi-million fund

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news 40,000sqft film studio at Galway Airport could create 200 jobs

Three film and television production companies in Galway have received backing from a €2 million fund backing creators in the west.

The Western Region Audiovisual Producer’s Fund was established to encourage the film, television drama, animation and gaming sectors in the West of Ireland.

The Galway city based company Moetion Films has received funding for its animated featured film ‘Ooops! Back In The Deep End’.

The fund is also backing ‘St. John’s’, a series being developed by Danú Media and Dearg Films and written by Brian Reddin, as well as ‘Trace’ a film by local company Magamedia and written by Mayo man Ray Lawlor.

In addition Cohen Productions DAC/Port Pictures film ‘Death of a Ladies Man’ will begin shooting across Galway this month.

These projects are in addition to the previously-announced Calm With Horses, which was shot in Clare and across Galway city and county and is currently in post-production.

Tomás Ó Síochain CEO of the WDC said developing the audiovisual sector as part of the ‘Creative Economy’ is a key goal of the WDC’s five year strategy.

“As the lead agency for the Creative Economy under the Government’s West Regional Enterprise Plan, we already see the benefits a dedicated fund such as the WRAP fund can bring to a region.”

He praised the work being backed by the WRAP Fund as “high-caliber projects adding €4m extra spend to the local economy together with invaluable training and experience for local talent interested in working in this industry.”

The WRAP Fund was created in a partnership between the Western Development Commission (WDC) and the Galway Film Centre.

Its aim is to support local talent and increase the economic impact of the industry in the region working with local councils and Údaras na Gaeltachta.

The WRAP Fund is also the only project funding in the Republic of Ireland which is open to the games sector.

It is anticipated that the projects backed by WRAP funding so far will generate in excess of €4m spend in the western region.

Sarah Dillon, Production Manager of the WRAP Fund said they have been pleased by the calibre of projects seeking funding so far.

“This is reflective of the general standard over the last few years in Irish film, television and animation with Irish talent making its mark on a global stage.”

She concluded by saying that this fund is a great way “to give a platform to local talent telling stories.”

Gaelic games on the big screen – Hollywood and Irish sports

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news

While Gaelic games, football, hurling, camogie etc, are the biggest realm of sports in Ireland, people might be surprised at the long relationship they have with cinema.

A new book Gaelic Games on Film: From silent films to Hollywood hurling, horror and the emergence of Irish cinema from Dr Seán Crosson at NUIG’s Huston School of Film & Digital Media examines the history of Irish sports on the big screen.

As early as 1901 the Irish Animated Photo Company filmed a Cullen’s Challenge Cup hurling game between ‘Rovers’ and ‘Grocers’ played at Jones’ Road – now Croke Park – on Sunday, December 8.

This was screened as a film the following Wednesday as part of a ‘Grand Gaelic Night’ at the Rotunda on Parnell Street.

In all the years since then filmmakers have used different Gaelic games as a recurring motif to represent Irish identity in all its complicated and problematic glory.

“Perhaps the most extraordinary and fascinating aspect of this story is the enduring relationship between hurling and Hollywood,” Dr Crosson said.

Most of the major Hollywood studios, including MGM, Paramount, and Warner Bros, have produced films that focus on Irish sports at some point in their history he said, though this hasn’t been without issues of its own.

In 1936, MGM released a short, simply titled Hurling as part of their highly-popular ‘Pete Smith Specialities series’.

“This extraordinary depiction described hurling as Ireland’s ‘game of assault and battery’ and drew heavily on established and problematic stereotypes concerning Ireland and Irish people at the time.”

“The peak for Hollywood short films on hurling came in 1955 when the ‘Paramount Topper’, Three Kisses, was nominated for an Oscar.”

While these international depictions of Gaelic games provide revealing insights into the depiction of Ireland and Irish culture often from afar, the emergence of an indigenous film culture is inextricably linked to the representation of Gaelic games.

The earliest surviving depictions we have of Gaelic games are a 1914 actuality of the All-Ireland football final replay of that year between Kerry and Wexford, and a sequence in the 1918 feature film Knocknagow.

These were brought to light by the efforts of pioneering companies and individuals in the story of Irish cinema, including the Irish Animated Picture Company (the first indigenous film producer and distributor) and the Film Company of Ireland, Ireland’s first producer of feature films.

In the aftermath of World War II, an Irish Film culture began to coalesce around the efforts of the National Film Institute of Ireland and subsequently Gael Linn.

Both institutes were deeply concerned with the film depiction of Gaelic games and featured among their most popular productions Gael Linn’s coaching films Peil (1962) and Christy Ring(1964).

Dr Crosson Co-Director of the MA Sports Journalism and Communication and Director of Graduate Research and Teaching at the Huston School of Film & Digital Media at NUIG.

He published widely on film, focusing in particular in recent years on the representation of sport in film including the award-winning Sport and Film, (as co-editor) Sport, Representation and Evolving Identities in Europe, and a special issue of Media History journal on ‘Sport and the Media in Ireland’.

Gaelic Games on Film: From silent films to Hollywood hurling, horror and the emergence of Irish cinema will be launched at Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar, Dublin on Wednesday, May 15, followed by screenings of rarely seen films featuring Gaelic games, including Rooney (1958).

Athenry quarry seeks permission to retain concrete mixing plant

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Planning approval sought to reopen quarry near Tuam

A quarry outside Athenry is seeking permission to retain a concrete batching plant.

Coshla Quarry at Barrettspark, Athenry is seeking retention permission for an extension to its existing batching plant which does have planning permission.

A batching plant is the name given to equipment which combines ingredients to create large quantities of concrete.

An Appropriate Assessment Screening Report was submitted as part of this planning application which stated that the plant has no impact on any designated EU conservation site.

Planning permission was originally granted for the main concrete batching plant in 2009.

Coshla Quarries Limited are requesting permission to retain an extension which was built “to provide an alternative batching plant for use during any breakdown of the permitted plant”.

According to the developer it is not intended for the extra plant to expand on the quarry’s capacity in any way, but just to serve as a backup.

The plant in question consists of two cement silos, mixing tanks, a control room, ramps, and offices.

Galway county council is due to make a decision on this planning application by June 2.

Alcock and Brown return to Clifden where they first dropped out of the sky

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Cleggan airstrip approved for use in Alcock and Brown centenary celebrations

The famous Alcock and Brown statue commemorating the first non-stop transatlantic flight has been moved to Clifden for the 100th anniversary celebration.

John Alcock and Arthur Brown made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in a modified WWI bomber in June 1919.

They set off from Newfoundland, Canada at 1:45pm on June 14, braving fog, rain, snow and ice as they made their way across the ocean, before crash landing in Derrygilmleigh outside Clifden at 8:40am on June 15.

On the centenary celebration of their groundbreaking achievement a statue immortalising their success is moving from its home at Heathrow Academy to Clifden where it will be on display for the next eight weeks.

The limestone sculpture of the two pilots was commissioned by the British government from artist William McMillen and unveiled to the public in 1954.

it is on display at the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel in Clifden as part of the 100 year anniversary of this milestone in aviation history up to June 25.

Clifden already commemorates their flight with two monuments close to the landing site. One is a white cairn at the spot where they radioed their success to London from a nearby Marconi radio station, and the other is a sculpture of the plane’s tail fin at Errislannan Hill two kilometres away.

The two pilots were greeted as heroes upon their return to London, claiming the £10,000 prize offered by the Daily Mail newspaper which sparked the whole endeavor.

On top of that King George V knighted the pair within a week of their return.

The centenary celebrations will include a memorial coin, stamp and a reenactment of the landing by the Air Corps, though hopefully a bit more smoothly done.

Two new walking trails open for nature lovers in North Galway

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily life & style Two new walking trails open for nature lovers in north Galway

Nature lovers who like to go for a stroll away from the towns will get the chance to try out two new walking trails which have opened at Knockma Wood in north Galway.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service have an additional 1.3 km to add to the existing walking trails at the wood in Caherlistrane with the 1km Finvarra’s Trail 300m and Queen Maeve Trail.

These two new trails add to the existing 4km Green Forest Loop and 2km Avenue Loop at Knockma Wood.

Following the transferral of the Woodland to the NPWS in 1988, work began on the construction of a pathway around it in 1996.

In the years since the NPWS has worked with Caherlistrane Kilcoona Community Council to provide more accessibility to the public and now more than 100,000 people visit the woods every year.

Caherlistrane Kilcoona Community Council received €80,000 for this project from the Department of Rural and Community Development with work beginning in early 2018.

As well as creating the trails themselves this project involved creating new car park facilities and other works.

The area offers breathtaking views around the whole region from Connemara and Lough Corrib to Galway Bay and Clare, then across towards Abbeyknockmoy and East Galway.

Knockma Hill itself is steeped in history. Maeve, the legendary Queen of Connacht is reputedly buried atop the hill and Finvarra the mythological king of the fairies in Connacht was also said to hold court there.

Speaking at the opening Seán Canney, Galway TD and Minister of state for rural and community development said this resource is important to the local community and surrounding Tuam area.

He added that it would act as “an additional recreational amenity to bring direct benefits to visitors for their health and wellbeing.”

“This project will ensure that Tuam and North Galway are included as a destination of choice under Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.”

Nine year prison sentence for manslaughter of Oughterard publican John Kenny

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

Marian Lingurar Jr (24) has been handed down a nine year prison sentence today for the manslaughter of Oughterard publican John Kenny in 2011.

Linguar was convicted of manslaughter by a jury at Galway Circuit Court in January of this year.

Today, Judge Rory McCabe imposed a nine year sentence for the senseless crime according to RTÉ.

John Kenny was a well like publican of Kenny’s Bar in Oughterard and a beloved local teacher.

He was found dead by his wife, Kathleen, and daughter Gillian on the floor of the ladies’ bathroom of his pub on the morning of September 25, 2011.

He had been tied up and brutally beaten, and left on the bathroom floor with a jacket around his head.

At the time of the death Lingurar was 16 years old and worked as a doorman at the pub. He had an address at Leoghgeorge, Claregalway.

In a victim impact statement delivered to the court Kathleen Kennedy said that this “atrocity” had a terrible impact on their family, RTÉ reports.

She described John Kenny as a wonderful and loving person who made everyone feel special.

Throughout his trial in January Lingurar denied any role in the publican’s manslaughter.

During the trial the court heard evidence that Lingurar was one of several men who came back to the pub in the early hours of the morning after closing time with the intention of robbing it.

Lingurar, who was 16 at the time of the offence, fled the country in the intervening years before returning to Cork where he was later arrested.

Labour candidates welcome revenge porn and cyberbullying laws

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news GNECB warns of advance fee loan fraud

Labour Party candidates for city council welcomed the news this week that new legislation tackling revenge porn and cyberbullying is progressing.

The government has agreed to progress the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill proposed by the Labour Party to create new offences for revenge porn and online harassment.

These come out of two years of work by the Labour Party following the publication of recommendations by the law Reform Commission in 2016.

Free speech should remain just that,” stresses Mayor Niall McNelis candidate for the City West “But harassment, stalking, and aggravated online bullying are not expressions of freedom – they are attacks on it.”

He added that he hopes that with amendments to the bill finally ready that it will become law by the end of summer.

“Women are also too often the targets of online abuse,” notes Marian Spelman candidate for the Athenry-Oranmore county council district, speaking in particular about the menace of ‘revenge porn’.

Revenge porn is the name given to the particularly vile practice of people posting nude or pornographic images of someone online without their consent.

Often these are intimate images taken during a relationship, and are posted by disgusting people when that relationship collapses

“Labour’s Bill moves to protect against so-called ‘revenge porn’ by creating a new offence of distributing an intimate image without consent,” said Marian Spelman.

“This has proven effective in countries like the UK where such legislation already exists, with the British Crown Prosecution Service reporting more than 200 convictions across 2015/16.”

This Bill proposes a six month prison sentence for posting intimate images of someone without their consent, as well as for the practice of ‘upskirting’, secretly filming someone’s private areas.

Online harassment and cyberbullying are tragically commonplace occurrences that can have terrible consequences, with studies showing that online bullying puts children at far greater risk of harming themselves.

“This is an issue of great concern to parents who can be left powerless to help their children facing cyberbullying over messenger apps,” said John McDonagh who is standing in the city’s central ward.

He said that this bill seeks to modernise regulations by broadening the legal definition of communications to include all electronic, written and spoken word.

“For example, an iMessage, Whatsapp or Facebook message, and a tweet or social media post,” explains McDonagh.

“It seeks to protect against online harassment by covering against the persistent communication about someone as well as directly to that person, which is often the case when it comes to cyber-bullying.”

Liam Boyle, running in Galway city East said that Labour has identified these as an issue that they wanted to tackle.

“This legislation, proposed by Brendan Howlin which the government has agreed to progress this week, will finally update our outdated laws covering online harassment.”

He concluded by saying that for too long online harassment has not been taken seriously.

Strong local objections to plans for expansion of Whitestrand filling station

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Appeal lodged against controversial filling station expansion

The Maxol filling station on the Lower Salthill Road intends to expand its premises with the addition of a new seated deli and an off licence but there are strong local objections to the plans.

Planning permission is being sought to demolish several existing outbuildings on the site and build a one storey extension to the filling station in its place.

The planned extension would include a food preparation area, new deli franchise with seating and a new off licence.

Other work involved in the development would include 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 would also be realigned and its boundary wall extended.

Maxol also plans to remove the current car wash facility facing onto the Fr Griffin Griffin road and replace it with a less noisy alternative at the north east of the station.

A Noise Impact Assessment was submitted to the council as part of this planning application which said that the noise levels would be “negligible and acceptable” alongside daily background noise.

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 the increase in traffic this expansion would bring to the junction would be a danger to road safety with several schools in the area and large numbers of children walking and cycling to school.

It was also said that the expansion, especially the deli with seating, would increase the number of cars parking in the area for which there is already insufficient parking space.

Locals are also very concerned about the plans for a new off licence which they say will lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour in the area.

The developer submitted further information to the council disputing that assertion, arguing that alcohol will be displayed in unobtrusive area of the store and will be of minor size and scale.

The final main area of concern raised in the submissions is noise impact of the filling station car wash, with some objectors disputing the methodology of the Noise Impact Assessment.

The developer responded that the new car wash would be located inside a noise attenuation enclosure to stop noise from spilling off the site.

Galway city council is due to make a decision on the application by May 15.

Poor sewage systems linked to antibiotic resistance

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Study finds Public sanitation linked to antibiotic resistance

A new study of sewage systems in cities across the world has found that poor public sanitation may be linked to antibiotic resistance.

Researchers from an international team including NUIG mapped out the level of antibiotic resistance in bacteria found in sewage samples from 74 cities in 60 countries worldwide.

This study found that the regions with poorer sanitation had far higher levels of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in sewage samples.

The World Health Organisation describes antimicrobial resistance as the ability of a microorganism like bacteria, viruses, and some parasites to stop an antimicrobial such as antibiotics from working against it.

The increasing resistance of bacteria and other infections to antibiotics has been a subject of great alarm among medical circles and has serious implications for public health.

This study was led by The National Food Institute at Technical University of Denmark, with the participation of Prof Martin Cormican, Dr Dearbháile Morris and Dr Louise O’Connor from the School of Medicine at NUIG.

It showed that North America, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand generally have the lowest levels of antimicrobial resistance, while Asia, Africa and South America have the highest levels.

Brazil, India and Vietnam have the greatest diversity in resistance genes, while Australia and New Zealand have the lowest.

The study was published in the in the highly regarded scientific journal Nature Communications.

Dr Dearbháile Morris said that this study is an important step towards, “the development of a global model for surveillance of all disease causing organisms, not just antimicrobial resistance.”

The project lead, Prof Frank Aarestrup of the Technical University of Denmark said that the results show that  concerted effort to improve sanitary conditions could be a crucial step towards reducing antibiotic resistance.

The goal of the institutes taking part in this project is to create a global network that can easily monitor the spread of antibiotic resistant and disease causing microorganisms.

This could be used to manage diseases that threaten to spread beyond a country’s borders and develop into pandemics, such as Ebola, measles, polio or cholera.

Prof added that analysing sewage can be done quickly and cheaply to show exactly what bacteria are common in an area.

He concluded by saying that it help that “collecting and analysing sewage does not require ethical approval, as the material cannot be traced back to individuals.”

Gardaí investigating alleged rape of visiting student in Connemara

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Missing 17 year old teenager found safe and well

Gardaí are investigating the alleged rape of a US student out in Tully Cross, Connemara.

It’s understood that a 19 year old girl is in Ireland with other students from her university in the United States.

She was with a group of students attending the Connemara Mussel Festival over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The girl reported to gardaí that she had been raped while out socialising in Tully Cross on Sunday morning.

Gardaí said in a statement that an investigation was taking place into the alleged rape.

“Gardaí in Clifden are investigating an alleged sexual assault on a female (19 years) in the village of Tully Cross, Co Galway, in the early hours of Sunday morning”.

“No arrests have been made to date. Investigating gardaí are following a number of lines of enquiry.”

“Owing to the nature of the incident we will not be commenting further at this time.”

Explore the flora and fauna of Merlin Woods this Biodiversity week

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily life & style Explore the flora and fauna of Merlin Woods this Biodiversity week

Biodiversity Week is coming up and the Friends of Merlin Woods are inviting people to join them and explore the flora and fauna that call our local woodlands home.

To mark the beginning of Biodiversity Week starting on Sunday, May 19 Friends of Merlin Woods are launching their new 22 page booklet ‘A Guide to the Flora and Fauna of Merlin Woods’ at Merlin Woods Community Garden.

“Seven years of recording, photographing and learning about the species and the habitats of Merlin Woods has been brought together to provide the user with an easy guide to take with them on adventures of discovery throughout the woodland habitats,” a statement from the group read.

There is no charge for the booklet but a donation of €2 is suggested so more copes of the booklet can be printed.

A Guide to the Flora and Fauna of Merlin Woods

National Biodiversity Week is all about connecting people with nature. It’s about communicating the importance of biodiversity and motivating people to play their part in protecting it.

It’s also about entertaining them, showing the fun and wonder that can be found in nature, and inspiring people to learn more, see more, do more.

Throughout the week different groups will be holding events all around Merlin Park and Woods exploring the wide variety of life that thrives there.

Galway Bat Group will be leading a nighttime walk on Monday, May 20 from 9:30pm to go in search of our nocturnal friends as they fly and forage among the trails and around the castle.

Then on Tuesday pay a visit to the SAP Green Team in Parkmore for a talk and presentation on the local flora and fauna here in Merlin Woods.

John Lusby from Birdwatch Ireland will lead a walk for the Dusk Chorus identifying our birdlife by sight and sound at from 7-9pm on Wednesday, May 22.

And then relax and draw some of the beautiful wildflowers in Galway in Botanical Art with Debbie Reilly from 7-8:30pm in Thursday.

On Friday the students of Merlin College will be walking the trails as they go on a journey through the woodlands exploring the wildlife all around us.

Saturday will feature a great family event to hear about butterflies, hoverflies, bees, and dragonflies; where they live and how they survive from 12-2pm in Butterflies and Nature with Colin Stanley.

And rounding out the week is a relaxing session of yoga surrounded by the noises of wildlife from 9:30-10:30pm on Sunday, May 26 with Yoga Stretch. Suggested donation €5.

All public events meet at Merlin Woods Community Garden just past the playground in Doughiska.

For more information contact friendsofmerlinwoods@gmail.com or 0852484380.

Government approves €3 billion National Broadband Plan

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Work underway to deliver fibre broadband for 2,500 homes in East Galway

The government has today signed off on the National Broadband Plan expected to cost in the region of €3 billion with the appointment of the Broadband Ireland Consortium as the preferred bidder.

The Consortium led by businessman David McCourt was the only bidder still in the running for the National Broadband Plan after Eir and Siro dropped out of the process.

The announcement of a preferred bidder came after extensive cabinet meetings today.

The cost of the plan has ballooned from €1 billion when first announced to an expected price tag of €3 billion today.

The majority of this will be paid out in the first ten years of a 25 year contract with Broadband Ireland.

Work on the plan will commence by the end of this year with the first homes projected to get their internet connection by next year, and an estimated timeline to connect everyone within seven years.

In Galway 135,118 premises will be connected to fibre broadband under the plan.

The majority of broadband connections will be delivered through 144,000km of high-speed fibre optic cable.

“Access to broadband affects many parts of Ireland & it requires a national solution. So that we can connect with the world, with family members, with businesses, with new ideas and new ways of doing things,” said Minister for Communications Richard Bruton announcing the plan’s progression today.

The Minister said that the plan guarantees a level playing field for 540,000 homes and businesses which cannot access high speed broadband.

He went on to say that this is the largest investment being made in rural Ireland since the electrification of rural area.

The Department of Public Expenditure has expressed doubts that this plan will deliver good value for money, but the government has said that its projections are based on the most pessimistic outcome.

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said “As Taoiseach, it’s my job to imagine the future and think about what it’s going to look like.”

“Already some multi-nationals employ a quarter of their staff from home. They require high-speed broadband and secure connections. At the moment, many people living in Rural Ireland are excluded.

“I have seen students in small rural and island schools being able to study subjects like physics by video-link to a larger school. This will be even more common in the future.”

“Access to broadband affects many parts of Ireland, and it requires a national solution. So that we can connect with the world, with family members, with businesses, with new ideas and new ways of doing things.”

Galway TD and former Minister for Communications Denis Naughten said that this was a “historic day” which marks a “turning point for the revitalisation of rural Ireland”.

“Just as roads came, and then electricity, broadband will now be delivered to every townland in Ireland and it will leave as lasting a legacy throughout our Country”.

“When I left Government this complex procurement procedure was completed and all that remained was to obtain Government approval for the project.  Today’s announcement completes this process”.

Deputy Naughten was forced to leave the government over controversy surrounding the National Broadband Plan and meetings he had with David McCourt.

In total the National Broadband Plan aims to connect 1.1 million people who currently lack good internet.

The contract is expected to be finalised by this Autumn, with work to begin immediately afterwards.

Leak repairs to cause two day disruption to Portumna water network

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Water outages in multiple areas of Galway due to burst mains

People living in the Portumna area will experience disruptions to their water supply for two days week as work is carried out on the local network.

Irish Water will be carrying out leak detection works in Portumna on Wednesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 9.

Work will take place from 10am to 4pm each day and may cause water outages in multiple neighbourhoods.

Homes and businesses in Kilimor, Heathlawn, Ballynaheskeragh, Cooldorragha, Capira, Derradda South, Thornfiels, Ballynew, Curraghmore, Cloghatanna, Deer Park, Attigara and Portumna may lose their water supply during the day.

The Gortnanummera Group Water Scheme will also be affected Irish Water have said.

Affected homes and businesses are advised it may take 2 – 3 hours after work finishes before the full supply is restored.

Further updates on the situation will be available through Irish Water’s Supply and Service page, or people affected can call 1850 278278.

Plans submitted for two blocks of apartments on the Clybaun road

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Plans submitted for two blocks of apartments on the Clybaun road

Plans have been lodged for a residential development in the west side of Galway city consisting of 47 apartments.

Oak Ventures Ltd is seeking planning permission for two blocks of apartments ranging from two to four storeys tall on the Clybaun road.

The development would mainly consist of one and two bedroom apartments across the two blocks on either side of the road.

The initial planing application was made on May 18 of last year, and on July 11 the city council made a request for further information from the developer.

The council said that the unit density in the plans is nearly double what comes under the guidelines of the city development plan for this site.

It was also said that the height and overall scale of the proposed development is considered “grossly excessive” for this point on the Clybaun road and would negatively impact existing residential developments to the south.

Several local residents have made submissions to the city council with concerns about privacy and overshadowing due to the scale of the proposed development.

The developer was requested to submit an up to date traffic and transport assessment, including an assessment of the parking provision and its proximity to neighbouring properties, public transport availability, and sightlines.

Galway city council also ordered to the developer to redesign the open spaces on the properties to be more centrally located.

This information was due to be submitted to the council by January 11, but the developer requested an additional three months to fulfill this request.

A Road Safety Audit carried out by CST Chartered Engineers was submitted as part of this planning application.

Under the current plans its intended that five units in the development will be set aside for social or affordable housing to meet the developer’s Part V planning requirements.

Make Europe Day a paid holiday, says European election candidate

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Michael Malone
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Aire Stáit Joe McHugh ag moladh do cainteoirí Gaeilge iarratais a chur isteach ar poist Aistritheoir Gaeilge - Galway Daily

A European election candidate has said that if elected, she will make it her priority to garner support for celebrating Europe Day as national holiday across the European Union.

MEP candidate Fidelma Healy Eames argued that if we are truly citizens of Europe, then it’s time to celebrate the day on May 9th.

She believes that not only should Europe Day be celebrated, but that the Friday or Monday closest to May 9th should be designated paid holiday leave and a European-wide bank holiday.

The celebration is on the anniversary of when the European Coal and Steel Community was first proposed by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman in 1950.

NUI Galway Professor elected to Irish Academy of Engineering

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Michael Malone
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iae galway daily nui galway professor
Engineering Dept portraits Photograph by Aengus McMahon

An NUI Galway Professor has said it is ‘an honour’ to have been elected to Fellowship of the Irish Academy of Engineering (IAE).

County Mayo native Peter McHugh is the Established Professor of Biomedical Engineering and former Dean of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway.

He has been hugely influential in the development of biomedical engineering research and education at NUI Galway over the last 20 years.

This distinction has been given to Professor McHugh by the IAE in recognition of his ‘exceptional career and contribution to the advancement of engineering and economic and social progress in Ireland’.

Speaking about his Fellowship, Professor Peter McHugh, NUI Galway, said: “To be elected to the Irish Academy of Engineering is indeed an honour, and I hope to be able to build on this to further enhance the impact of engineering at NUI Galway and the west of Ireland on the national and international stage.”

The Irish Academy of Engineering is an all-island body with a mission to advance the wellbeing of the country by marshalling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to policy makers on matters involving engineering and technology.

Fellowship of the Academy recognises outstanding distinction in engineering in Ireland and overseas, covering academia, public sector, industry and engineering consultancy, with a current membership of 146.

President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “On behalf of colleagues at NUI Galway, I extend warmest congratulations to Peter on this recognition by the Irish Academy of Engineering.

“His election to Fellowship signals the immense and continuing contribution which Peter continues to make to the field of engineering in Ireland, in particular to the area of biomedical engineering.

“As an educator, researcher and an academic leader at NUI Galway, Peter has demonstrated his personal talent and his commitment to the advancement of engineering in Irish society. I’m delighted to see his achievements so justly recognised by the Academy in this way.”

Galway’s Best Young Entrepreneurs advance to the regional final

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily business Galway's best young entrepreneurs named by Local Enterprise Office
Photo Martina Regan

The Best Young Entrepreneurs in Galway who are pushing forward with innovative business visions were named recently by the Local Enterprise Office.

The awards for the county level of the Irish Best Young Entrepreneurs competition took place at the Portershed off Eyre Square.

Galway’s Local Enterprise Office had €50,000 in investment prizes to award to winners and runners up for the Best New Idea, Best Start-Up Business, Best Established Business among Galway’s young businesspeople.

Elizabeth McGloughlin, founder of Tympany Medical in Galway City won €7,000 for the Best Business Idea.

She is developing a visualisation device to enable surgeons to ‘see around the corners’ of the ear canal, enabling minimally invasive surgery.

The runner-up award and €3,000 investment fund went to Liam McMorrow of Adelie PenPal in the city.

The winner of the ‘Best Start-Up Business’ category and the €15,000 investment fund was Keith Lofus aged 25, founder of All About Kombucha.

Kombucha is a type of fermented tea considered a healthier alternative to your fizzy drink and Keith and co. are brewing their own brand out in Moycullen.

The runner-up was Cáit Ni Mháille of Go Study Ireland who took home €5,000.

Meanwhile, the title of ‘Best Established Business’, with an investment fund of €15,000, went to Barry Flannery of Xerotech.

Xerotech is an electrification provider who design and manufacture advanced automotive grade lithium-ion battery packs and battery management systems for OEMs.

The runner-up in this category, scooping a €5,000 investment fund, was Donal Reilly of Thermosol.

Barry Flannery was also awarded the overall title of ‘Best Young Entrepreneur’ for Galway.

Now in its fifth year, the Irish Best Young Entrepreneurs competition awards €2 million in investment funding to young businesspeople agaed 18 to 35.

These three will now progress on to compete at the Regional level later this summer, with the national finals  taking place on September 15.

LGBT+ activists and tattoo artists holding charity tattoo event for Teach Solais

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily life & style Local tattoo artists help raise €3,400 to help save Teach Solais

Local tattoo parlour AWOL Tattoos and Piercing are holding a day long tattooing event this month in support of Teach Solais LGBT+ resource centre.

The ‘Big Gay Charity Flash Day’  on May 17 is being organised by AWOL and Dublin based tattoo artist Ciaran O’Brien with all proceeds going to Teach Solais.

Teach Solais is in the midst of a funding crisis that could force it to close its doors by November and deprive the LGBT+ community in the west of Ireland of an important community hub.

Amach! LGBT charity runs the community centre which is used for many essential health and peer services in Galway.

It serves as a hub for activities like the Galway branch of the national LGBT helpline, peer support groups like the GOSSIP transgender group, and many health related events like free HIV testing from AIDS West and meditation or wellness session.

Recent Health Galway funding has allowed the centre to expand on the various health initiatives that run out of Teach Solais for the benefit of the physical and mental health of the LGBT+ community.

A crowdfunding campaign ‘Save Our Teach Solais’ has so far raised over €7,000 out of a goal of €10,000 to try and keep services running, but more help is needed.

Ciaran O’Brien said on Instagram that he began organising this event when looking for an LGBT charity to support and heard about the incredible work that Teach Solais was doing when he last visited AWOL.

He had originally planned on doing something by himself to help break the stigma against HIV positive people getting tattoos, but after hearing his plan and talking about Teach Solais, the team at AWOL were all in.

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

“Teach Solais LGBT+ Resource Centre is the first of its kind in the west of Ireland, and is a vital safe space for the LGBT+ Community.”

He praised the resource centre as a “great hub of activities, support, education, resources, information and events for the LGBT+ community in Galway city and the west”.

“Teach solais will sadly have to close its doors if they don’t reach their 18k goal. As they receive NO GOVERNMENT FUNDING !!! Leaving many many people who rely on its services with nowhere to go!”

People can come to AWOL Tattoos in Newtownsmith on May 17 and choose from a wide range of tattoo designs for €50 with all proceeds going directly to Teach Solais.

“Teach Solais is very close to our heart here in AWOL, so many of our wonderful customers benefit from their amazing support and we want to do anything that can help them prevent closing their doors,” AWOL Tattoo and Piercing said on Facebook.

“They are a vital resource for the LGBT+ community here in the West so show them your support and come get tattooed on the 17th May”.

Government accused of abandoning farmers on Fair Deal Scheme contributions

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Farmers getting €13.4 million basic payment scheme refunds

The government has been accused of abandoning the farming community in making changes to the Fair Deal scheme to protect farmlands.

New guidelines are being published by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission which will clamp down on additional charges which nursing homes can levy on elderly residents for services outside of their Fair Deal payments.

However, Galway TD Eugene Murphy is accusing the government of forgetting promises to the farmers to make broader changes to the Fair Deal Scheme to protect family farms.

Under the scheme nursing home residents are are required to pay 7.5% of the value of any assets, including farmland, per year to fund their place in the nursing home.

It was proposed last year to cap that contribution at three years if there is still a family member working on the farm.

But the Fianna Fáil TD said that no progress has been made on making changes to the scheme since it was proposed last year.

“Heads of Bill have still not been published despite much anticipation in the farming community,” Eugene Murphy said.

“This delay is unacceptable and will mean that farm families across the country are losing out on the benefits of this scheme.”

“This has been a bug-bear for farming families for years, and these changes are desperately needed to make the scheme fairer and to ensure that older farmers can access the care they need.”

Deputy Murphy warned that farmers who spend a significant amount of time in a nursing home could end up seeing their farm chipped away if changes are not made.

“Farmers spending a considerable amount of time in a nursing home could lose significant portions of their farm due to the 7.5% contribution charge on assets.”

He concluded by saying that the farming community are “rightly up in arms” over this issue as Brexit and its potential impact on Irish farmers,

Loughrea Supervalu gets approval for roof mounted solar panels

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Planning permission sought for south Galway solar farm

Supervalu in Loughrea has been given approval to install rooftop solar panels as we head into the summer, and hopefully a few rays of sun.

Blue Silver Merchants sought planning permission for 192.02kW worth of solar panels on top of Loughrea Shopping Centre on the Athenry road for Supervalu’s use.

The supermarket said that installation is for the purposes of “generating on-site green electricity to reduce the applicant’s energy consumption”.

UK based Kingspan Energy was consulted about installing the photovaltic panels.

They estimated that it would take eight weeks to complete the installation once a final order has been placed, subject to ESB approval.

Galway county council granted planning permission with four conditions attached.

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