An Púcán is feeling romantic this Valentine’s season, so the award winning bar has joined Tinder to meet up with people looking to have a great evening in the city.
Match with An Púcán on Tinder then swipe right, and you’ll receive a message from the city hotspot.
Show that to bar staff and in return you’ll get a delicious Bosford Pink Gin and Tonic.
An Púcan is reaching out to singletons to give them a little something during this season of romance.
The offer has already received a huge response with lots of people matching with the bar.
Just goes to show that some relationships are meant to be.
This offer runs up to Valentine’s Day so get swiping to enjoy your Bosford Pink Gin and Tonic.
NUI Galway is offering its female engineering students a unique opportunity to improve their skills and make connections with people from around the world at an International Summer Academy.
Scholarship applications are open for undergraduate woman studying engineering at NUIG to challenge themselves at the Summer Academy at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria.
The Academy brings together 30 female engineering students from 15 different countries for an intense two and half week course that combines theory with hands-on practical experience in engineering, informatics and natural sciences.
Mary Dempsey, Senior Lecturer at the School of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway said this is an incredible opportunity for young female students in science and engineering.
“Those interested in pursuing a career or further studies in this area get a unique chance to broaden their technical and scientific knowledge, to develop international contacts and to experience learning in a creative and fun way.”
The Academy bases the work these young engineers will be undertaking around broad topics covering Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technology, and Computer Sciences and Informatics.
It promises to look at the cutting edge questions and research taking place within these fields.
Ideas like the promises and dangers to society from synthetic biology, molecular biology, forensic DNA profiling and its computational analysis, and what computer science can learn from nature.
Other hot topic issues that will be examined include the ongoing question of online privacy, and evolving human computer interactions.
Six NUI Galway students have secured scholarships from the University to attend the Academy since 2017.
One of those was Biomedical student Aoife Fitzgerald who said she loved her time there.
“Coming from a biomedical background I learnt a lot about the field of engineering that I didn’t know before.”
“I met girls from all over the world, learning about loads of different types of cultures.”
It is an experience I will never forget,” Aoife said, adding “We visited so many different places here that I would love to return to again one day.”
More time has been granted to complete an extension to a mosque in Ballybrit to serve the local community.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association of Ireland had previously secured permission to add a meeting space to the rear of the mosque and cultural centre on the Monivea Road, Ballybrit.
An Extension of Duration to complete that work was granted by Galway city council.
This extends the period planning permission up to 2023, though its expected that the extension will be complete and ready for the community to use by 2020.
The Masjid Maryam (The Mosque of Mary) opened in 2014, the first ever purpose built Mosque to serve the Muslin community in Galway.
According to the extension of duration order, the reason why the extension was not completed within the timeframe of the original grant of permission was die to financial reasons.
In granting the extension the council said “The applicant has applied for a five year extension period, whilst it also stated that the project is expected to be completed by 2020.”
“Given the nature of the development there is no particular urgency for the development to be completed, unlike a housing or commercial development.”
Plans for a new, modern pedestrian bridge adjacent to the historic Salmon Weir Bridge are progressing well with over €7 million already on the table for the project.
Plans for a new pedestrian bridge crossing the river at the Cathedral are intended to be submitted with An Bord Pleanála by the end of this year.
The Salmon Weir Bridge is over 200 years old and creates a serious hazard for the vast number of pedestrians crossing it daily because of how narrow the paths are.
Its narrowness also makes it a source of serious traffic congestion during the day.
The plans for the bridge were presented to Galway city council this week with a preliminary timeframe for its construction.
Councillor Padraig Conneelly remarked that with those conditions it’s a miracle no-one has been killed on the Salmon Weir
This has been something that has long been identified as a necessary project for improving how pedestrians and cyclists move through the city centre.
The bridge will connect the city’s commercial centre side from Newtownsmith over to the other side of the city home to the university, library, and major tourism hub.
The project is currently in its design stage and is expected to cost in the region of €10 million all told, including work that needs to be done to accommodate the pedestrian bridge on either side.
Crucial to advancing this project has been €3.5 million from the European Regional Development Fund which was redirected to this project.
The money was originally meant for the creation of a new Galway Library and Cultural Centre on the Headford Road.
But Galway city council said that it would not be able to advance this project within the required EU timeframe to make use of the grant.
After consultations with the Northern and Western Regional Assembly it was decided the money would go in total to the Salmon Weir pedestrian bridge.
The National Transport Authority has also agreed to provide matching funding of a further €3.68 million for the project.
Senior Engineer with the city council Uinsinn Finn said that its hoped that construction on the new pedestrian bridge will begin before the end of 2020, with a view towards opening in 2022.
As the homelessness crisis in Galway continues unabated, one local family teeters on the edge in Ballybane.
Estera Iakab doesn’t know where to turn.
She and her family – her husband Petru and their two kids, nine-year-old Alissa and six-year-old Giuliano – are one of Galway’s many ‘hidden’ homeless.
They are just one step away from sleeping on the streets.
“I don’t know what to do,” she says. “I am thinking of going somewhere else to find help.”
The Iakabs are currently staying in one room of Petru’s parents’ house in Ballybane.
All four of them share one double bed.
“We have no privacy at all,” Estera says.
And she’s afraid she’s been trespassing on the kindness of Petru’s parents for too long.
Her in-laws are older and sometimes need time away from the children.
Their own teenage daughter also lives with them, completely filling their three-bedroom house.
It gets very crowded with a whole family crammed into the extra bedroom.
“The space is small,” explains Estera. “I had to bring some stuff to my sister’s.”
The Iakab family: Alissa (9), Giuliano (6), and parents Estera and Petru
Evicted
Until 2016 Estera and her family had been living in a house in Cluain Riocaird, off the Headford road.
But then the landlord put the rent up from €750 a month to €1000, an increase of 33%.
The young family were unable to afford the new rent, so the landlord told them to be out within three months.
So they moved in with Petru’s family.
With so many people in the house, even regular chores like washing their clothes can be a struggle.
“We switch houses,” Estera says. “Sometimes we need to stay with my sister and brother as well, just to help us manage washing clothes.”
Their housing nightmare is all too common in Galway these days.
Like many in Galway, the Iakabs are currently on the waiting list for a council house.
Yet they have no idea how many years it might take.
After more than a year of searching for a house, Estera has all but given up.
She has found nothing affordable – even in more rural areas.
Estera has lived in Galway for over 12 years. It’s the only home her kids know.
But she doesn’t know if she can stay here in these conditions.
“One day my daughter came back from school and showed me a picture with a family and a house. I asked her why…and she told me ‘look Mommy, this family is happy because they have a house, but we don’t.’
“I was shocked how my daughter was affected.”
Estera has gone to Galway Simon as well as the Galway City Council several times, to no avail.
She says the council told her that they couldn’t do anything for her.
“It’s stressful.
“I just want a place that’s safe and cosy for my kids.”
Anyone who knows of any clean, affordable accommodation or who would like to help in another way can email Estera at estera.v@yahoo.com or contact her through her Facebook page.
A sobering exhibition on how our society still too often blames victims of sexual assault and rape for being attacked will open in Galway this weekend.
‘Not Consent’ is being organised by Ruth Maxwell and features the clothing worn by victims of sexual assault and rape when they were attacked, donated for this powerful piece.
Ruth was the victim of a horrendous attack while walking home from work in Dublin in 2016.
She suffered gruesome injuries when she was attacked in broad daylight by a knife wielding attacker, and cable ties and duct tape were found at the scene.
Her attacker was convicted last year of attacking Ruth and two other women, both of whom he sexually assaulted.
The ‘Not Consent’ exhibition will be the opening event of this year’s Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance week NUI Galway
Students’ Union Vice-President/Welfare and Equality Officer Clare Austick said, “We are delighted to be working with Ruth Maxwell to bring the amazing “Not Consent” exhibition to NUIG.
“Students’ Unions and Universities need to take a strong lead in ending the culture of victim blaming as sexual violence and harassment are still prevalent issues in today’s world,” she added.
“How somebody is dressed is not consent. Consent is Ongoing, Mutual and Freely Given – this is the core message of the NUIG Smart Consent courses.”
The exhibition will be open 2pm-6pm at the O’Donghue Centre this Saturday, February 9.
Representatives from Galway Rape Crisis Centre, Stop Domestic Violence in Ireland, Survivors Side by Side and NUI Galway Students’ Union speaking at the event along with performances from well-known musicians.
SU President Megan Reilly said “We hope that our SHAG week events will encourage our students to take a responsible attitude to sexual health and healthy relationships.”
“We still have a long way to go in Irish society in terms of breaking down the taboo of talking about sex. We want our students to be educated about their sexual safety.”
The search for missing Galway man Robert Murray has come to an end after a body was discovered this week.
Gardaí have said that foul play is not suspected at this time and that a file is being prepared for the coroner.
Robert Murray (26) of Whitestrand Avenue hadn’t been seen since Friday, January 8 when he was seen on cctv near Shop Street.
Over the past several weeks a huge effort has been underway as people volunteered their time to search the area around Galway to try and bring Robert home.
A body was discovered at Ballyloughane beach near Renmore at approximately 8pm on Monday.
Three new consultants have recently been appointed to Galway University Hospitals to expand on the multidisciplinary care teams available in the city.
The hospitals group welcomed the appointments of Prof Derek O’Keeffe, Consultant Endocrinologist; Dr Andrew Smyth, Consultant Physician; and Dr John William McEvoy, Consultant Physician.
Derek O’Keefe is a Professor of Medical Devices at NUI Galway with a focus on clinical innovation for patients with diabetes.
His focus will be developing technological solutions in his clinical practice.
Prof O’Keeffe previously worked with NASA as a flight surgeon for their NEEMO mission and placing an astronaut health experiment on board the International Space Station.
Dr Andrew Smith is an Associate Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at NUIG where he focuses on the epidemiology, predictors and treatments for people with chronic kidney disease.
As a consultant with GUH he will be focusing on patients with hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney disease including kidney failure, dialysis and transplantation.
And finally Dr John William McEvoy is also a Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at NUIG.
His field of medical expertise focuses on the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cardiac imaging, and cardiovascular epidemiology.
Chris Kane General Manager of Galway University Hospitals said, “We are delighted to welcome three experienced healthcare professionals to our team here in Galway.
“We are committed to recruiting, retaining and developing highly-skilled multidisciplinary teams to deliver the best possible care and services to our patients as one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country.”
“These appointments will enable us not only to support and enhance existing services but to develop additional clinical services.”
Galway’s native fast food chain Supermac’s is to create hundreds of new jobs around Ireland.
Pat McDonagh’s fast food giant is set to create 200 jobs at new outlets in Wexford, Waterford, and Kinnegad.
The Irish Independent reports that construction has already begun on the Kinnegad branch and will begin shortly on the outlets in Waterford and Wexford, which will be the first Supermac’s located in the country.
Planning permission is also being sought for four more stores at Letterkenny, Longford, Ennis and Portlaoise.
Supermac’s has been undergoing a period of rapid expansion as Pat McDonagh seeks to build many more motorway plazas similar to the Barack Obama plaza at Moneygall.
The new outlets in Portlaoise, Longford, and Ennis are all part of major motorway plaza projects, though the Ennis project became bogged down after a scandal involving forged public submissions to Clare County Council.
The fast food giant has also cleared a major hurdle to expanding its footprint outside of Ireland after winning a long running trademark battle with its rival McDonald’s.
It;s request to cancel McDonald’s ‘big mac’ trademark was recently granted by the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
McDonald’s had previously used trademark conflicts to block moves by McDonagh to open Supermac’s outlets in the UK and Europe.
The Galway Council of Trade Unions has expressed its support for nurses striking this week.
In a statement released today, Geri Slevin, Vice President of the Galway Council of Trade Unions, said trade union members voted for strike as a last resort.
Nurses in Galway and around Ireland have so far carried out two days of work stoppages to protest pay and working conditions, with another planned for Thursday and more to follow next week.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation will continue protests at UHG tomorrow, and on the strikes from February 12-14 they will be joined by the Psychiatric Nurses Association.
So far no progress has been made on finding a resolution to this dispute, with the government unwilling to discuss pay issues which nurses have highlighted as central to staffing problems.
“Nurses have been working for years in overcrowded hospitals with pay conditions not fit for purpose,” Geri Slevins said.
“Over the years they have aired their concerns for the welfare of patients in our hospitals but they haven’t been listened to.”
“As a trade union member myself, I know that when members take the decision to strike, it is almost always as a last resort.”
Ms Slevin finished by saying that she hopes the public will be patient and supportive of INMO members as their actions will be better for patient safety in the long run.
The Students’ Union at NUI Galway has condemned an “unprecedented” increase in rent at Student Accommodation at Menlo Park Apartments in Galway city.
Students applying for student accommodation at Menlo Park Apartments for the year 2019/2020 will pay €1,390 more for a single room with an ensuite than last year according to the application packs from Menlo.
That’s 25 percent more than what students were paying for the same room last year.
The cost of other rooms at Menlo have also gone up dramatically for 2019/2020.
A twin room is €730 more than it was in 2018, and a double room has gone up by more than €1,400.
Megan Reilly, President of the Students’ Union at NUI Galway said, “It is beyond frustrating that a year after our efforts protesting the accommodation price rise in Cúirt na Coiribe, we are facing yet another such increase in one of our accommodation providers.
“These kind of rent increases not captured by the Residential Tenancies Act exploit students in a time of an accommodation crisis, and they must not go unchallenged.”
The rent increase becomes more pronounced when calculated without taking into account the student deposit.
Next year students staying at Menlo Park Apartments will pay a €900 deposit that is broken down into thirds.
One third is the refundable security deposit, one third covers electricity, and the remaining third covers bins and utilities.
This deposit has only increased marginally from €875 for the year 2018/2019.
When looking at the prices for Accommodation Only given by Menlo Park Apartments, the average cost has increased by 18 – 30 percent this year depending on the room type.
Last July the government proposed that it would introduce legislation to extend rent caps to private student accommodation, which are exempt from the 4% rule, but nothing has come of that yet.
Galway is a designated Rent Pressure Zone where private landlords are only legally permitted to raise rents by 4% a year to try and create a stable rental market.
The failure of the government to advance last year’s proposals means that rent increases at student accommodation continue to go unregulated Megan Reilly said.
“Soaring Accommodation prices continue to be one of the biggest barriers to securing a Third Level education, with parents now being faced with paying the increase, or students having to work extra hours to afford to live in Galway.”
The deadline has been extended for local supplier and contractors in Galway to sign up for the Minor Building Works Framework (Residential).
The Minor Building Works Frameworks (Residential) will help contractors secure public sector contracts.
Applicants may indicate which services, county, or region they wish to apply for.
Once registered with the framework contractors will be notified when public contracts are tendered in the field and area they’ve chosen.
The work will be advertised by the local authority or other body issuing the contract via www.supplygov.ie
Contracts tendered for residential work under the framework will be worth an average of €50,000.
The deadline for contractors and suppliers to register for the Minor Building Works Framework has been extended to 3pm on Monday, February 11 according to Galway City Council.
Local businesses who want to compete for these contracts must register for admittance to the framework at www.etenders.gov.ie.
Between the Residential and Commercial sides, the Minor Building Works Framework aims to deliver €100 million in publicly funded construction around Ireland to small businesses.
A tractor run in aid of local children’s cancer charity Hand in Hand is expected to be the biggest event in its three-year history.
Last year’s event was a huge success despite extremely snowy conditions and this year, on 17 February, the organisers are expecting an even greater turnout.
The event will begin at the Athenry Mart where tractors can register between 11.30am and 12.30.
The tractors will then leave Athenry Mart at 1.00pm.
An entry fee of €20 per tractor is required and all proceeds will go to Hand in Hand, the children’s cancer charity.
Ruairi Gallagher, organiser of the East Galway Tractor Run commented: “With this year being the third year in a row that we have organised this event we are expecting it to be bigger than ever.
“Last year the event was a huge success even in the snow! So far, we’ve raised almost €5,000 for Hand in Hand, the local Children’s Cancer Charity.”
Laura Bromley, Fundraiser at Hand in Hand added: “We are so pleased these incredible lads have chosen to support Hand in Hand again this year and organise this mammoth event.
“All the money raised by this event goes directly towards helping families with a child undergoing cancer treatment.
“Last year, this event was a huge success and it even made the front page of the Irish Times! So many of the local community come out to support the organisers and this event on the day– Ruairi Gallagher, Cormac Hurney, Michael Buckley and Michael O’Connell. It really is a great day out for all with or without snow!”
Hand in Hand works alongside professional services suppliers across the country to provide practical supports with childcare, domestic cleaning, household laundry, and family meals.
The aim is to allow families to spend precious time with their child who is undergoing cancer treatment through the provision of these essential support services.
The HSE has issued a medical alert about measles to students at NUI Galway.
The Department of Public Health at Merlin Park Hospital has said there is a confirmed case of measles at the NUIG and is issuing advice to students.
Measles is a potentially very serious, though extremely preventable viral infection which is usually spread from person to person.
Early symptoms include a runny nose, red eyes, a hacking cough and a high fever that comes and goes.
The most widely known symptom is he rash which usually develops at around four days after the first symptoms.
The rash starts on the forehead and spreads downwards, over the face, neck and body, with red or brown blotches that last up to seven days.
Symptoms usually begin to appears about 14 days after the person is infected.
A person with measles will themselves be most infectious to others in the period four days before and after the rash appears.
Though once extremely widespread, measles has been all but eradicated in Ireland due to the widespread adoption of the MMR vaccine.
If someone believes they have measles they should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, especially vulnerable individuals like babies or the elderly.
Contact your GP by phone and follow their instructions on how to get tested without potentially exposing others.
The best defence against this virus is the MMR vaccine introduced in Ireland in 1988.
Since then the number of annual infections has plummeted from over 100,000 in 1985 to just 25 cases in 2017.
Children are offered the MMR injection at 12 months of age and again at 4 to 5 years of age.
The Galway based manufacturing company C&F Tooling had a very successful year, recording a 27 percent increase in profits to €2.279 million in 2017.
According to newly filed accounts, the C&F Tooling saw in increase in profitability despite overall revenue falling by 4 percent that year to €87.46 million.
The decline in revenue was attributed to the decision to close and automotive subsidiary in Germany in August of 2017 by the company’s directors.
The Irish Times reports that C&F Tooling expects to report another profitable year in 2018 with “forecast earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) for the year close to 9 per cent.”
The C&F Group are global manufacturers of industrial equipment and tools.
Headquartered in Athenry, the company is controlled by John and Christina Flaherty.
It employs 1,156 as of 2017, a slight decrease on 1,174 reported before.
Staff costs declined in line with that from €33 million to €28.9 million.
Pre-tax losses also declined in 2017 to €383,025, an 11 percent improvement on a pre-tax loss of €431,268 recorded in 2016.
John Crumlish, CEO of Galway International Arts Festival, received a Special Recognition Award at the Galway Hospitality Ball this week for his work making Galway known the world over for the arts.
The annual Galway Hospitality Ball took place at the Galmont Hotel on Monday to celebrate the work of everyone involved in the hospitality industry here in Galway for what they do to make Galway such an incredible place to visit.
The guest of honour at this year’s Ball organised by the Irish Hotel Federation was Mr John Crumlish who was recognised for the years of work he has put into the Galway International Arts Festival.
John Crumlish has been the CEO of the GIAF since 2002 and has seen the festival go from strength to strength, drawing artists, musicians, and of course visitors from every corner of the world.
Each year the arts festival brings over a quarter of a million people to Galway as the linchpin of the festival season each summer.
The exciting cultural events put on by the festival each year was one of the factors that had National Geographic declare Galway to be one of the best destinations in the world for 2019.
Accepting the award John Crumlish said that that the Galway Arts Festival wouldn’t be possible if not for the dedicated work of countless people.
“Right now there’s six of us, by the time we start there will be 110 people working for the festival, and a thousand volunteers.”
“So, it is a big, big effort rather than just being about me,” he finished.
He also thanked all the private sponsors which help to make the festival happen each year like NUI Galway, Heineken, and Ulster Bank.
“I’m always amazed when we walk into the room and we basically say to them ‘we have the magic beans, all you have to do is give us the cow,” John said.
“And invariably they do, and we’re very, very grateful.”
Galwegians are being ‘forced to dump their rubbish illegally’ due to bin companies holding customers at ransom with increased rates.
That is the view of local election candidate Joe Loughnane, who says that disposing of rubbish correctly is becoming a privilege.
Mr Loughnane says that the city’s refuse services must be brought back into public control and ownership as it’s no coincidence that the rise in fly-tipping and illegal dumping correlates to the privatisation of bin services.
Joe Loughnane commented: “The practice of disposing of your rubbish ‘correctly’ is becoming a privilege. Private refuse companies are holding customers at ransom with increased rates.
“More and more Galwegians are being forced to dump their rubbish illegally.
“We need a rake of changes at Council level to deal with this crisis.
“The first step would be to bring the service back under the full control of the Council.
“We needs more public bins installed across the city to stop unsightly overflowing and we should directly employ Park Wardens to maintain the upkeep of our public parks which are often used as dumping grounds.”
