Man convicted of manslaughter of Oughterard publican John Kenny

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January 31, 2019

Galway Daily news Plans submitted for community nursing unit at Merlin Park Hospital

The backlog of patients waiting for orthopaedic surgery at Merlin Park Hospital is piling up with 1,500 people awaiting complex surgery.

The ongoing closure of orthopaedic surgery theatres at Merlin Park has left huge number of people uncertain when they’ll get in for joint replacements, spinal surgery, and foot, ankle or shoulder surgery.

That’s from a letter sent to Health Minister Simon Harris from a consultant surgeon at the hospital and copied to local TDs which lays out an alarming state of affairs.

In September 2017 two othopaedic operating theatres were forced to closed because of leaks in the roof.

Since then Galway West TD Catherine Connolly says she has “lost count of the number of times I have raised this issue in the Dáil.”

The Saolta Hospital Group confirmed that one theatre had reopened on March 21 last year, and that further services would be address through modular theatres.

These were originally supposed to be in place last October to start taking patients, but have been hit with constant delays.

According to Catherine Connolly, she was told last October 26 that contract documents had only been exchanged to begin work.

“However no explanation was given as to why the theatre was not up and I am now informed that it would be mid-2019 before the new theatre building would open.”

Plans for the new modular theatre building have only been lodged with the city council by the HSE this month, to the extreme displeasure of the Regional Health Forum which branded the delays “unacceptable”.

As a result of the closures Saolta has confirmed that less than a third of elective procedures have taken place at Merlin Park Hospital.

When completed the modular building will have two theatre suites that will be able to accommodate 20 sessions a week.

Saolta have said it’s hoped this will be up and running in the first half of 2019, but worries persist after nearly 18 months of issues.

“It is completely unacceptable that no progress appears to have been made in the provision of modular theatres almost a year and a half after the initial closure,” Deputy Connolly said.

“I welcome the fact that the surgeons have spoken out on behalf of their suffering patients.”

Inconvenience caused by Athenry road closure ‘small price to pay’ for safety

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January 31, 2019

Any inconvenience caused by the road closure in Athenry is a ‘small price to pay’ for safe pedestrian access into the town centre.

That’s according to Minister Ciaran Cannon, who welcomed works to install new footpaths from the Monivea Road onto the New Line Road in Athenry.

The works began last Monday, and will continue throughout February.

During the closure, motorists who use the New Line Road are advised to use an alternative route by diverting onto the Monivea Road via the R347, or alternatively, diverting from the Monivea Road onto the New Line Road via the R347.

Minister Cannon said that any inconvenience that is caused will be worth it when the works are completed.

“Any inconvenience arising from the road closure is a small price to pay for safe pedestrian access into the town-centre of Athenry for shoppers and leisure walkers and I look forward to the completion of the works and the opening of another section of infrastructure for local pedestrians.

“This development will add significantly to the attractiveness of Athenry as a town to live and work in,” said the Fine Gael TD.

Temperatures to plunge to -6 degrees tonight with more snow forecast

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January 31, 2019

Galway daily weather Two weather warnings in place for Galway this morning

Temperatures could drop to -6 degrees Celcius tonight in parts of Galway leading to ‘treacherous conditions’, Met Éireann has said.

Tonight will see the coldest temperatures so far this year but the weather experts say that temperatures could drop even further over the weekend.

Outbreaks of rain will occur throughout today, turning to sleet and snow at times.

It will become dry this evening and tonight, but frost and icy conditions are forecast along with freezing fog, resulting in treacherous conditions.

A status Yellow weather warning for snow and ice remains in place until Saturday across the country.

Tomorrow will be mostly dry and clear but scattered wintry showers are expected.

It will remain extremely cold with a widespread severe frost and ice, in a light northwest breeze.

Lowest temperatures will be between temperatures -2 to -5 degrees Celsius, but it will be even colder over lying snow.

As for the weekend, Saturday night could see temperatures as low as -7 degrees after a mostly sunny day.

However, the early indications are that next week will be drier and much milder than this week.

AA Roadwatch have warned motorists that it can take ‘up to 10 times longer’ to stop on an icy road and urged

Crisis deepens with almost 300 homeless adults in Galway last month

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January 31, 2019

Galway Daily news Homelessness increases

There were nearly 300 homeless adults in Galway in December as the number of people in emergency accommodation or sleeping on the street continues to climb.

According to the latest figures from the Department of Housing there were 284 homeless adults in Galway last month, up from 261 in November.

The number of homeless families in the west of Ireland declined by just one, leaving 81 families with 179 dependents living in hotels and other environments that are not meant for raising kids.

These figures highlight the ongoing failure to tackle homelessness amid a housing crisis that is being felt particularly hard in the west.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy pointed to an overall reduction 215 homeless people nationally, and 111 families with 256 dependents moving out of emergency accommodation.

While the Minister was quick to say that the number of families accessing emergency accommodation has declined in Dublin for the five month running, the number of homeless adults in the capital went up by 46 in December.

There are deep concerns for people sleeping rough this week as a weather warning is in place until Saturday with forecasts of temperatures plummeting as low as -7°c.

“Following consultations last weekend with MET Éireann concerning this week’s cold weather alerts, I issued instructions to all local authorities to ensure that shelter is available for all those at risk of sleeping rough,” Minister Murphy said.

Amid this poor weather COPE Galway is making people aware that it has additional beds available at the Day Centre in Westside House on the Seamus Quirke Road.

The extra beds are part of the national Emergency Cold Weather Response and will be available each night through to April.

Martial arts studio in Athenry gets the nod

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January 31, 2019

Galway daily news Martial arts studio in Athenry gets planning permission

Residents of Athenry will have the opportunity to relax and learn to kick people in the face as permission has been granted to convert an old shop into a martial arts dojo.

A planning application was submitted to Galway Council by Kevin Moran last November to convert a former gift shop at Bridgewater Shopping Centre in Athenry in a martial arts and wellness studio.

The former Cards & Gifts store opposite Joyce’s Supermarket in Athenry was sold over the summer after being advertised for €115,000.

The total floor space to be converted at Unit D in the shopping centre is 100.5sq metres.

No submissions were made to the council regarding this development.

Galway county council gave permission for the new martial arts studio with three conditions.

Galway taxi driver suffers horrific racist abuse in city

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January 31, 2019

Galway Daily crime Assault and car jacking after taxi drive attacked in Barna

A taxi man who has been living in Galway for over 18 years was the victim of an onslaught of racist abuse last week in the city.

The passenger used an array of racist slurs against the driver and grabbed him by the neck before the passenger was dragged out of the car by three others.

The taxi driver collected the man along with a woman and two children from Galway city after midnight.

The passengers were going to a location just outside the city and didn’t interact with the driver until the man asked where the driver was from.

After the taxi driver responded, the passenger began to shout at the driver, using numerous racial slurs and gestures.

The woman and the two other passengers attempted to stop the man but couldn’t.

Eventually, they asked the driver to pull over and let them out.

Upon leaving the car, the man then grabbed the driver by the neck and shirt and had to be pulled off the driver by the woman and two young adults.

The Galway Anti Racism Network says that the man has given a full report to the Gardaí.

Galway renters and homeowners sought for exciting new TV series

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January 30, 2019

Kite Entertainment is looking for young renters and older homeowners in Galway for a new feel-good series on Virgin Media Television.

The new inter-generational living series will see newly-paired households living together for two weeks, spending some time together every day, sharing their lives and getting the chance to see things from a new perspective.

Kite Entertainment – which is behind Ireland’s Fittest Family and Ireland’s Got Talent – is looking for homeowners over the age of 65 and renters over 21 for the exciting experiment which will capture a snapshot of what life is like for people at the two ends of the housing spectrum.

For the Homeowner, it’s a chance to combat the everyday loneliness of living in an empty house, and for the Renter, it’s a chance to live rent free in return for their time and helping with some chores.

At the end of the two-week experiment, they will each decide if they’d be willing to give it a go long term!

People interested in finding out more can email Kite Entertainment at casting@kiteentertainment.com or call them on 01 5611 692 or 085 826 3439.

Shot by the Sea film competition wants to capture the beauty of the coast

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January 30, 2019

Galway Daily life & style film competition to capture the beauty of the coast

A new film competition from Galway Film Centre wants aspiring filmmakers of every stripe to create a short that captures the beauty of the coast.

The Shot by the Sea film competition is an exciting collaboration between Galway 2020 and Galway Film Centre to create short films that feature beautiful coastal locations.

During the month of March, filmmakers are invited to make a five minute short film of any genre as part of Galway 2020’s Small Towns Big Ideas project.

With so make iconic spots along the Atlantic coast, and such a pool of wonderful local talent, this is a great opportunity for people to show off their local community.

The Village Salthill, representing businesses and communities along the coast of Galway city bay, is supporting this project.

International filmmakers are also invited show off their coasts far from Ireland.

Galway Film Centre plans to screen all Shot by the Sea submissions in Salthill on April 18 throughout the day with a special select few shown at the gala awards event in the evening.

You can submit your film through FilmFreeway (wwww.filmfreeway.com) or with a secure link to shotbythesea@gmail.com.

Full rules and guidelines for filmmakers are available at www.shotbythesea.ie.

Galway is among the most infested counties by skin eating bugs

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January 30, 2019

Galway daily news Stockpiling food increases risk of infestations

Galway is the fourth most Silverfish infested county in Ireland according to pest control experts Rentokil.

Silverfish, named for their silvery blue colour and the wriggling movements that resemble a fish, are a household pest whose infestations are known for the destruction they cause.

Thriving in humid conditions, silverfish are drawn to warm, damp environments like kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.

Rentokil is warning that there has been a massive increase in the number of infestations recently, with the company recording a 32% increase in callouts.

Dublin say a massive explosion in infestations from these critters, accounting for more than half of all callouts.

After Dublin the counties with the largest number of infestations were Kildare, Meath, and Galway.

Silverfish can lay up to 20 eggs a day are their dietary habits can play havoc on a house.

They are known for eating dead skin, wallpaper, books, and curtains and other items with starch, cellulose, and sugar through their eight year lifespan.

Some tricks for dealing with these nasty little critters include dusting and vacuuming regularly to managing debris and deny them food.

You should also ensure that food containers are tightly sealed, open doors and windows to stop any build up of humidity, and make sure to tackle and leaky pipes causing damp.

Nurses and Midwives strike at UHG for better pay

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January 30, 2019

Galway daily news Nurses and midwives strike at UHG over pay

Nurses and Midwives and protesting outside University Hospital Galway today as part of a nationwide strike against pay issues.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Oraganisation is leading 37,000 nurses on a nationwide strike that’s planned to be followed by several more.

https://www.facebook.com/galwaydaily/videos/398346807593784/

Drivers passing the protesters on the junction of the Newcastle and Seamus Quirke roads honked loudly and frequently in support of the nurses.

Five more strike days are planned for February 5, 7, and 12-14.

This is only the second time in its 100 year history that the INMO has led its members on a nationwide strike.

Patients should avoid going to UHG today unless absolutely necessary, especially the emergency department, as nurses will only be providing essential lifesaving care.

On Tuesday the Labour Court declined to become formally involved in the dispute after eight hours of meeting late into Monday night.

The INMO is striking over pay parity issues which they say has lead to serious issues with retaining nurses.

Health Minister Simon Harris has refused to consider pay increases to nurses that fall outside of the general Public Sector pay agreement.

He said the Department of Public Expenditure would consider the issue of applying sanctions against INMO in the coming weeks.

Pubs refusing to serve Travellers discussed at anti-racism meeting

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January 30, 2019

galway anti-racism network headford galway daily news

A Galway Anti-Racism Network meeting in Headford last night has been hailed as a ‘massive success’ after more than sixty people flocked to the first meeting to be held in the county.

Among the issues raised was the presence of a ‘fascist-sympathiser’ in the area, whose pro-Lega meeting was strongly condemned by much of the local community and Italians living in Galway.

People sat in a circle for an hour and discussed issues that the community raised including anti-Traveller racism and how some pubs refuse to serve Travellers.

They also touched on resettlement programmes for refugees and new direct provision centres and how a community can help to welcome new arrivals.

Commenting on the meeting, GARN Chairperson Joe Loughnane said: “We’ve decided to hold a large community event on St Patrick’s Day that celebrates diversity with music and food.

“We will work with existing community and arts groups in the area as well as the Galway Traveller Movement and Italians in Ireland against Racism.

“The plan is also to unveil a mural or banner on the same day that marks Headford out as a town with a strong spirit of anti-racism.

“We will come back to Headford in a fortnight to see how plans are going and to help form a group out of those who are organising the above events, who will focus on promoting equality in the town.”

Athenry road closed for the next month

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January 30, 2019

Galway daily news Athenry road closed for a month for roadworks

A section of road in Athenry town will be closed for the next month while roadworks are taking place.

The county council has made an order closing a section of the New Line Road in Athenry until February 28 to facilitate the roadworks.

Work being involves putting in new footpaths from the Monivea Road onto the New Line Road.

The road will be closed to traffic while work is being carried out, but pedestrian access will be maintained.

Motorists who travel on the New Line Road are advised to use an alternative route diverting onto the Monivea Road via the R347. Alternatively, divert from the Monivea Road onto the New Line Road via the R347.

Over 3,000 patients at UHG on a waiting list for over two years to see a specialist

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January 30, 2019

Galway Daily news Outpatient waiting list at UHG grows by 4,500 people

There are 3,135 patients at University Hospitals Galway who have been waiting more than two years for an outpatient appointment.

From among these 453 have been waiting for between three and four years, and shockingly 71 people have been forced to spend more than four years on a waiting list to be seen at UHG.

Portinucula Hospital has slightly less alarming figures, with 82 patients waiting between two and three years for a specialist, still an alarming length.

These figures were provided by the National Treatment Purchase Fund in response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil health spokesperson Stephen Donnelly about the length of outpatient waiting lists.

The full breakdown of the figures shows that there is a totally unacceptable 788 people at Irish public hospitals who are on a waiting list for over four years for an outpatient appointment.

Of those 788 people, 50 are children, the majority of whom are on a waiting list at Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

All told there are 48,813 people on a waiting list for an outpatient appointment for more than two years as of December 2018.

Responding to these colossal figures health Minister Simon Harris said that the government was committed to improving access to hospital treatment.

“Budget 2019 announced a funding increase from €55 million to €75 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to provide treatment for patients.”

“In this regard, the NTPF and the HSE will continue to work closely with Hospital Groups, inviting proposals to improve access for patients waiting for either Inpatient/Daycase or Outpatient procedures.”

Local Oughterard grocer will offer more fresh goods with new bakery

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January 30, 2019

Galway Daily news Oughterard grocery granted permission for new bakery

A local grocery in Oughterard has been given permission to construct a small bakery so they can sell freshly baked goods in the shop.

Sullivan’s Country Grocer applied for planning permission from the county county for a modular building to use a bakery kitchen.

The new kitchen will be built behind the existing grocery building at Cregg, Oughterard.

Sullivan’s is well known in the area for their fresh, locally sourced produce, and this new bakery is meant to add to the stock of fresh goods the shop provides, particularly bread.

This additional capacity Sullivan’s sought will help to improve the services available at Oughterard town centre its claimed.

Last August, according to the application, the county council gave permission to change the use of part of the side shop to a community information hub.

The council gave permission for this baking kitchen with five conditions attached.

Searchers haven’t given up effort to find missing Salthill man Robert Murray

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January 29, 2019

Galway daily news Searchers continue efforts to locate missing Robert Murray

Volunteers are continuing their efforts to find the missing Robert Murray with further searches along the Galway shore on Wednesday.

The Oranmore Maree Coastal Search Unit will be leading efforts from Galway Bay Sailing Club in Renville, Oranmore from 1:45pm on Wednesday, January 30.

Robert Murray (25) has been missing since January 8 when was last seen near Shop Street at 10:15pm.

He is described as being 6ft with a broad build and brown hair.

When last seen Robert was wearing black trousers and a khaki green coloured jacket.

Volunteers have made huge efforts to locate Robert in the weeks since he has gone missing with a massive online reaction.

The incident sparked an online petition calling for better safety measures along the river Corrib which has garnered almost 25,000 signatures.

Anyone who wants to join the search tomorrow is advised to bring a hi-viz jacket and weather appropriate clothing as there is a poor forecast for this week.

Meanwhile a second Galway native has also been reported missing in Malaysia.

Police in Kuala Lumpar are trying to find the whereabouts of Stephen Warde (32) from Kinvara, who’s family have not heard from him since the new year.

Most recently reports have emerged that he may have been spotted alive at an area 15km outside of the city.

Malaysian police investigating his whereabouts traveled to Daiau Kaco today to carry out inquires in the area after a Moroccan man reported seeing Stephen in a laundry shop.

Police chief Assistant Commissioner for the Dang Wangi district Shaharuddin Abdullah said they believe Mr Warde to still be in Malaysia as his passport has not been used to leave the country.

Stephen is described as being a quiet an placid man, his family are extremely worried because it is not like him to be out of contact for so long.

Galway Daily news Malaysian policing investigating possible sighting of Stephen Warde this week — Stephen Warde

His mother, Mary Morrissey, and two sisters are in the country to look for him and are receiving assistance from the Irish embassy.

“We definitely believe Stephen is still alive and we will find him,” Shaharuddin Abdullah added.

Learn the old art of sean-nós singing with Tomás Ó Neachtain

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January 29, 2019

Galway daily life & style Sean-nós workshops at NUI Galway

Tomás Ó Neachtain, one of long family line of sean-nós singers, will be offering people the chance to learn this ancient Irish art next month.

Sean-nós singing is an ancient form if Irish singing, known for being entirely as Gaeilge and highly ornamented, that’s been kept alive and passed down through the generations in gaeltachts like Connemara.

Beyond just singing, each song tells a story, to record important local events, accompany work inside and outside the home, and to express the many emotions of daily existence.

As the Sean-Nós Singer-in-Residence at NUI Galway this year, Tomás will be leading a series of free workshops to teach anyone interested this classic Irish art form.

Born and raised in Coilleach, An Spidéal, Tomás is part of a family which has a long and rich tradition of sean-nós singing.

He learned it from his father Tomás, who learned it from his father before him, and carrying on the tradition is his son Seosamh, a renowned sean-nós dancer and musician.

Seosamh was appointed as the first Sean-nós Dancer in Residence at the Centre for Irish Studies in 2009.

This series of free singing workshops will start from Tuesday, February 5 at 7pm in the Centre for Irish Studies.

For further information about these workshops, anyone interested can contact Samantha Williams at 091-492051 or samantha.williams@nuigalway.ie.

This project is funded by Ealaín na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta and An Chomhairle Ealaíon in association with the Centre for Irish Studies at NUI Galway.

Galway medtech start-up raises €3 million for next gen stroke treatment

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January 29, 2019

Galway Daily news Chronic pain treatment SFI prize

The Galway based medtech start-up Perfuze has secured €3 million in investment funding to develop a next generation technology to treat acute ischemic stroke.

According to the World health Organisation, stroke is the second leading cause of death globally, and the leading cause of disability.

An acute ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked by a clot, which Perfuze are finding a new way to tackle through their Millipede technology.

Millipede is highly flexible catheter system which aims to deliver better clinical outcomes with shorter procedures.

This fundraising round was led by the European venture capital investor Earlybird to further develop Perfuze’s Millipede platform.

Earlybird invested from its Health Tech Fund and was joined by MedFocus, investing from its HBM-MedFocus Fund.

Perfuze also secured financial support from Enterprise Ireland a syndicate of Irish medical device sector veterans and physicians.

“Perfuze has a technology with the potential to significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients,” says John Yianni, Partner at Earlybird.

“We are delighted to offer our financial and commercial support in helping this exciting company grow and get its life-saving technology to market.”

Perfuze was founded in 2018 by Wayne Allen and Liam Mullins, who have 30 years of experience in the medtech sector between them.

The company is currently based at the Business Innovation Centre at NUI Galway and is in the process of moving to new headquarters at the IDA Business Park in Dangan.

CEO of Perfuze Wayne Allen says, “We are delighted to have completed our seed round financing with such reputable investors and look forward to working together to accelerate the growth and value of Perfuze.”

Centralised cancer unit significantly improved survival rates in Galway

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January 29, 2019

Galway Daily news Cancer survival rates significantly higher in centralised unit in Galway

Survival rates for people with cancer in Galway are significantly higher at the specialised cancer centre than elsewhere according to report due to be released this week.

The report by the National Cancer Registry found that the survival of patients with cancer was far better at eight designated cancer centres in public hospitals including at University Hospital Galway, than in private hospitals.

The report, which is due to be released on Thursday, found that the prognosis for patients in public and private hospitals depended on the type of cancer they had.

Looking at record from 1994 to 2015, it was found that for rectal, breast and prostate cancers patients had a far better chance of surviving if they were treated at a private hospital.

But the overall survival rate was much better for patients who were first seen at one of the eight specialised units than other public hospitals.

This is shown to be true even after accounting for differences in patient’s age, gender, and the progression of their condition.

Director of the NCR Professor Kerri Clough-Gorr told the Irish Times that the report shows that centralising services in public hospitals to specialist units in 2007 is working.

She added that centralisation has taken place against the background of continued improvements to treatments in the past decade which have also improved patient’s chances.

The cancer treatment center at University Hospital that’s currently in use first opened in 2005.

A €30 million state-of-the-art unit to replace it was first scheduled for 2015, but has been continuously pushed back due to funding delays.

The HSE has published tenders for the construction of the new oncology unit, and the National Association of General Practitioners has said that any further delays would be unacceptable.

Amazing contribution by local volunteers praised at launch of Mayor’s Awards

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January 29, 2019