The number of new homes granted planning permission this year has grown massively in Galway city, but plummeted in the county.
CSO figures available for the first three quarters of 2018 show that from January to September, planning permission was obtained for 803 new housing units in the city.
That’s a massive increase on just 149 homes which got the go ahead from planning authorities over the same period last year.
But the news for construction out in the county was less productive this year, with a massive drop in the number of units getting planning permission in Q1 – Q3 this year.
In the first three quarters of this year 181 homes were granted planning permission in Galway county, down nearly two thirds from 538 units in 2017.
Galway has been going through a massive housing crisis in recent years, with the amount of housing simply not keeping pace with population needs, and prices going through the roof.
In Galway county there has been a significant shift in the nature of housing developments which are receiving planning permission in the past year.
In this period in 2017, permission was granted for 175 houses which were part of multi-unit developments, but 321 one-off houses got the go ahead from the county council.
This year saw a shift in ratio as of the houses which received planning permission, 98 were part of multi-unit projects and just 24 were one-off developments.
There is also a growing number of apartments being built in the county, with 59 getting approval this year compared with 28 in 2017.
In the city more focus has been put on developments with a larger number of units.
The city council gave approval for 411 houses in multi-unit developments and 61 apartments in the first three quarters of this year, compared with 331 one-off houses.
The number of apartments which have received the go ahead in the city in the first nine months of this year is nearly triple the 21 which got approval in 2017.
Seven animal welfare groups in Galway got a welcome Christmas present of €82,000 funding from the government.
The animal welfare funding was announced by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed on Christmas Eve, to be paid with immediate effect.
Over one hundred different animal welfare groups around the country received total funding of €2,751,000.
Minister Creed said “We are very fortunate in Ireland in having a voluntary sector dedicated to animal welfare.”
“The organisations in receipt of today’s funding, together with their staff and volunteers, provide great support and commitment to protecting surrendered, abandoned and at-risk animals.
The following groups in Galway were recipients of the announced funding.
Fellenberg Foundation Ireland – Flesk, Woodford: €4,000
Changes have been made to the legislation governing animal protections in recent years, with the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 replacing laws that dated back over a century.
A draft strategy was also launched at the Animal Welfare Conference in September which aims to help groups working in animal welfare to coordinate their efforts.
The Minister acknowledged the ISPCA in enforcing animal welfare regulations as regards domestic animals.
“While this high profile work gets a lot of attention, that should not diminish the work being done everyday by smaller rescue organisations.
“Everyone in the rescue sector is contributing to improved welfare in their own way,” he concluded.
If you’re considering getting a pet, look for animal welfare groups in your area that have animals looking for a home that you could adopt.
Plans are in the works for 11 new social housing units in Letterfrack out in Connemara.
The Cluid Housing Association has submitted a plans for six two-storey, 3-bed, semi-detached houses; four semi-detached, 2-bed bungalows, and one detached, 2-bed bungalow to be used as social housing.
Cluid Housing Association will manage the housing and open space, and they expect that the county council will take charge of the roads and services at some stage.
Access to the site to the east of Letterfrack village is through the existing Radharc Bhinn Ghuaire development.
As the proposed development is near three recorded archaeological monuments, a chapel, burial ground, and ring fort, the county council required that an archaeological assessment be carried out.
The assessment submitted by the developer found there was no evidence of any archaeological remains associated with these sites in the area of the housing.
However it suggested that an archaeological monitor should be involved as the work progresses.
These 11 new houses comprise Phase 2 of development for the site which already has a number of social housing units occupied by tenants.
A decision on this planning application for more social housing in Galway is due from the county council by January 17.
Presentation College Athenry is bidding farewell to its old school ahead of big move, and anyone who’s passed through the school is invited to the farewell bash.
Cairde Pres is extending an invitation to all the diaspora of Presentation College, past students or teachers, to join them for the final farewell part on December 27.
The party is taking place at the school from 6pm to 8pm, no kind of cover charge and all are welcome.
Since first opening its doors in 1947, the Pres has educated three generations of locals in some 70 fine years of work.
In early 2019 the school will be moving a new site at Ballygurran, so this might be the last chance some will have to walk the halls and recall old school memories.
If you’re home in Athenry this Christmas then reconnect with old friends and compare where life has taken on the not-to-be missed night.
The daughter of a man killed by a drink driver in Galway at Christmas asked the judge not to send him to jail, as she didn’t want another family to lose their father.
Mike Monaghan (55), a father of three, was killed in a collision with a drink driver at Polkeen, Two Mile Ditch in Castlegar on December 30 2015.
He lost his life when a drink driver cut across the road in front of the motorcycle he was riding.
In November of this year Michael Jordan (50) from Cloonacauneen, Claregalway was given a one year jail sentence for careless driving, suspended for three years.
He was also given a three month sentence for the drunk driving offence, also suspended for three years.
The judge also disqualified Mr Jordan from driving for two years.
Speaking for the first time to the Irish Independent, Mr Monaghan’s eldest daughter Michelle (29) said their family had asked the judge not to send Michael Jordan to prison.
She said that it wasn’t easy for the family, being in court and hearing the details of their father’s case, but they really wanted to see the outcome of the trial after three years.
Ultimately they were happy with how it ended she said, as they wanted the sentence to show how serious the offence was, but felt sending Jordan to jail would just leave another family without a father.
Mr Jordan had having a drink with his son at the local pub while they watched a football match.
Afterwards, they were leaving the car park and collided with Mr Monaghan’s motorbike as they crossed the N17.
Michelle said that this was a tragic accident with someone who never meant to cause any harm.
But it just goes to show how dangerous any kind of drink driving be, she added, as Mr Jordan had only had two or three drinks and was going to make the drive home.
Earlier this month Gardaà say that 445 people have been arrested on suspicion of drink driving since November 30.
So far it’s looking likely that the end figure of people arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence will pass the 812 arrested in December 2017.
Gardaà are out on the roads in force over Christmas and New Year’s, with an additional 22 officers dedicated to Galway to help patrol the roads and man checkpoints which will up in the towns and rural areas.
A spokesperson for the Road Safety Authority said that a drink driver is putting the lives of others in danger when they get behind the wheel.
When you’re out on the town this Christmas and looking to feel awful jolly then the 1520 Bar’s range of seasonal cocktails could be just the thing you’re looking for.
Changing up the menu to match the time of year, 1520 have brought out a range of new creations that put a twist on some old classics to match the season.
In the summer people often want light an breezy drinks, perfect to enjoy with a summer breeze in that gazebo you always wished you could afford.
But come winter it’s nice to have options for drinks that put a warm fire in your chest and keep up the cheer that’s so crucial to enjoying your holidays.
Jason Coyne, one of the barstaff at 1520 responsible for these great cocktails says they’ve worked hard to come up with something for everyone, and it all starts with the flavour.
“Some people might like sour, some people might like sweet, some people might like a strong taste of alcohol with just a hint of fruit or spice to it.”
But there’s more to enjoying a drink at 1520 than just the taste. Much like some Japanese restaurants cook the meal in front of you so you can see the culinary wizardry first hand, there’s a showmanship and presentation to making a good cocktail that they embrace.
“We’ve got a smoke gun here. With some of our cocktails we get hickory and wood chips and a bell jar, and we sit the drink in it and we infuse it with the smoke. So we pump the smoke in towards it and it sits there for a couple of minutes.”
One of the drinks that benefits from this mad science of drinks making is 1520’s new Irish Old-Fashioned.
The most classic cocktail of all, 1520 makes their old-fashioned with Powers whiskey, chocolate bitters, orange bitters, maple syrup and the smokey infusion.
Irish Old-Fashioned
“When we present it to someone we put it on the table and lift the jar up. It’s all kind of a show you know, it’s part of it.”
Making a unique cocktail
To make sure that every part of their cocktails are made to the highest standard, 1520 creates a lot of the liqueurs and other ingredients in house.
This can take some some time according to Jason, but the payoff is worth it.
“We have a homemade blackberry liqueur which I put on two original cocktails, the Galway Shawl and the Claddagh Sunset.”
“The liqueur take over 48 hours process overall because we have to infuse blackberries with alcohol first, and we have to leave that for 24 hours,” Jason explains.
“We strain everything out, we use distilled water, then we infuse the same blackberries in it again for another 24 hours.
“Then we combine it and add both together. So some of the liqueurs and the cordials we have here take time to make, but I think that’s what helps it stand out.”
“We’ve also infused some of the alcohol with random things that you wouldn’t think of,” explains Jason.
One example of the the strange experimentation 1520 is doing with their alcohol is the new Penny Bar Mint Julep.
The Mint Julep is a very simple cocktail of bourbon, mint, and lemon
“But what we’ve done is done is we’ve infused the bourbon with bacon, so you have bacon flavoured bourbon.”
“So we’ve got the bacon, fried it in a pan, we infuse the oil with the alcohol and put it in the freezer.”
The cold of the freezer separates out the fat and the alcohol, which is then separated off and the alcohol is strained again to remove any trace of grease.
“Afterwards what we’re left with is an alcohol that smells and tastes like bacon,” Jason said.
Also on the menu this time of year is the Milky Russian, a white Russian with a homemade white chocolate liqueur made from milkybars.
“So I’ve cooked up some Milkybars with cream and a few other ingredients.” Jason laughs, “I can’t give the full recipe away.”
That gets added to some vanilla infused vodka with Kahlua coffee liqueur to add that caffeine kick.
If that chocolate liqueur sounds like something you you might want to scarf down without realising it’s booze, Jason says they’re aware of that compulsion.
“We keep it on the shelf so no one can reach it and grab it, especially during the afternoon. Because we have a big picture of a Milkybar label on it, so things can get confusing.”
And if you’re looking for a Christmas Special, Jason has come up with the Snowball Martini just for you.
This holiday twist on the classic martini is made from house infused vanilla vodka, that same Milkybar liqueur from before, Frangelico hazelnut liqueur, and vanilla syrup.
This white Christmas drink is served with a rum soaked cherry on top over this season.
Building a cocktail menu
This is the first full cocktail menu that Jason’s been involved in creating, and one of the great things about these drinks to him is that there’s always room to grow and evolve.
“It’s not like pouring beer, where if you know how to pull a pint you can pull a pint. With a cocktail you can constantly expand and try to come up with new ideas.”
“A lot of these creations I’ve had on my mind for a while. Some ideas have been a couple of years in the making, some of them we came up with on the fly.”
“We’ve a couple of originals, but most of what we’ve done is put our own twist on some classics.”
From what Jason can see, people out for the night in Galway are looking for delicious cocktail creations more and more.
And 1520 are happy to turn out great drinks to meet their thirst.
The Student’s Union at NUI Galway also organised participation in this great event along with the GOAL Mile taking place in towns and villages around Ireland.
This year COPE supported 830 households around Galway across their range of services.
Anyone who wants to support them can text COPE to 50300 to make a donation of €4 and do just a little to help out people dealing with homelessness, poverty, and domestic abuse.
A planning application for new housing in Galway city has been rejected.
The city council refused plans for the demolition of an existing bungalow and the construction of three new homes in its place in Renmore.
The proposed development consisted of three two-storey townhouses on the Renmore road.
Other works to be done on the site would have included reworking the vehicle entrance and garden development for the three homes.
The council received multiple submissions objecting to the proposed development, in particular looking at the car parking space included, the density of the site, and the loss of trees.
One objector said that a multi-unit development replacing a single bungalow on the site was out of character with the Renmore Road area.
They added that the plot density was also in excess of the maximum plot ratio of the city development plan.
The city council denied developers permission to proceed with the project.
An appeal has been lodged with An Bord Pleanála against permission for a €4 million housing development in Galway city.
Galway city council granted permission earlier this month for a housing development consisting of 37 residential units in Roscam, with leave to appeal.
Renaissance Property Ltd submitted plans to develop 0.9ha site bounded by the Ros Caoin and Boireann Bheag.
Work to be done would consist of the demolition of an existing house on the site and the construction of 37 houses and apartments.
Plans included ten 4-bed semi-detached houses, two 3-bed semi-detached houses, and eight 3-bed terraced houses.
There would also be a four/five storey apartment block with four 1-bed apartments, eleven 2-bed apartments, and two 3-bed apartments.
Numerous submissions were made to Galway County Council expressing concerns about the development.
The site would be accessed through a distributor road serving existing estates and locals were concerned with the increased traffic this would bring to the area.
Also of concern to locals was the amount of parking space provided for in the plans.
An appeal to An Bord Pleanála was lodged against the county council’s decision on December 10th.
The rate of people getting caught driving while under the influence in Galway is higher than the national average.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office show that more than 32,000 people have been caught drink driving over the past five years.
That’s a national average of 11.5 stops per thousand people, but Galway is one of nine Garda divisions with a higher rate than this.
According to the Irish Independent an analysis of these figures shows that despite a supposed change in attitudes towards drink driving, almost a third of those caught are millennials.
Garda Assistant Commissioner David Sheahan said that this number should be far lower as they have grown up in a different culture.
He said that would have expected them to have “learned from their forefathers” this wasn’t acceptable.
A steady increase in drink driving offences has been recorded by the Gardaà since 2015, with drug driving offences in the cities spiking from 2016.
However during that same period restrictions have been tightened with the legal limit being reduced and penalties increased.
The highest detection rate was in the Cavan/Monaghan Garda Division at 19.11 per 1,000 of the population, while Dublin recorded the highest number of incidents with 6,582 since 2015.
The Gardaà are mounting a major Christmas roads policing campaign that will see additional checkpoints in urban and rural areas.
Galway has had 22 additional gardaà allocated to the county to help in this effort.
So far this year 148 people have lost their lives on the roads.
The Road Safety Authority said that drink driving can no longer be tolerated in our society.
They added that people need to be aware that any amount of alcohol in your systems impairs judgement, even the morning after a night drinking.
Garda forensic investigation files show that 11% of fatal collisions occur between 7am and 11am.
This Christmas promises to be magical as RTÉ2 are airing all eight Harry Potter movies starting from Christmas Eve.
Though they’re not in the same realm as classics like It’s a Wonderful Life or Die Hard, a mini-marathon of Potter is something the whole family can enjoy.
A touch of the Hogwarts magic that always has a festive feel to it might be just the thing to drag the kids away from their phones and into the one room this Christmas.
It starts on Monday with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone followed up on Christmas Day with The Chamber of Secrets.
After that RTÉ2 will be airing them two a day back to back from St. Stphen’s Day through to December 28.
Here’s the broadcaster’s full timetable if you want to spend some time around the couch, remember when you first saw them, and maybe introduce a new generation to them:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Christmas Eve at 14:35 on RTÉ2
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Christmas Day at 15:40 on RTÉ2
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – St Stephen’s Day at 15:25 on RTÉ2
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – St Stephen’s Day at 17:50 on RTÉ2
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – December 27 at 15:20 on RTÉ2
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – December 27 at 17:45 on RTÉ2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – December 28 at 15:45 on RTÉ2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2- December 28 at 18:15 on RTÉ2
There’ll be an extra presence on the roads in Galway over Christmas as 22 additional Gardaà have been detailed to Galway for roads policing.
Operation Open City has seen 117 extra gardaà brought in to patrol the roads of Galway, Cork, Limerick, and Waterford.
The Gardaà always make roads policing a priority over the Christmas period as too many people choose to get beind the wheel after having too much to drink.
Western Regional Traffic Superintendent Noel Kelly has said that the additional resources for Galway have doubled the patrol fleet going out each day.
There will be checkpoints around the city and county, and patrolling gardaà will also be keeping an eye out for illegal parking.
An analysis of Garda statistics by the Road Safety Authority found that 11% of road fatalities involving alcohol took place between 7am and 11am.
Minister for Transport and Tourism Shane Ross said “We know that alcohol remains a significant contributory factor in fatal crashes and is responsible for far too many deaths and injuries on Irish roads.
“I appeal to all those socialising over the Christmas and New Year period to do so responsibly and never, ever, drink and drive, including the morning after.”
The alcohol limit for drivers on Irish roads, as well as the penalties they face, have recently been tightened with up to three months suspension for getting caught with blood alcohol content of between 50mg and 80mg.
Galway United have signed their first new player for 2019 with Sligo midfielder Mark Hannon.
The 20 year old began his career as a central midfielder for the Sligo Rovers, where he spent four seasons on the U-19 team.
After that he got a chance to move up when Dave Robertson gave him a first team debut.
Last year Hannon moved to a new home with the Finn Harps where he made seven appearances for Ollie Horgan’s side, scoring against Drogheda United.
Hannon became the first new signing for Galway United going into 2019 and Alan Murphy was keen to work with the midfielder once again.
“I’ve know Mark for several years through the Connacht Schools squads. At that early stage, I knew Mark was a talent,” said Murphy.
“He’s a left footed player that’s very composed on the ball. He can play in several positions and is an absolute competitor and winner.”
“He’s going to be exciting to bring in and he’s a real leader at only 20, he’s a very good communicator and he’ll demand high standards from the players around him.”
“Mark really wants this. It’s a real ambition for him to nail down his place in the League of Ireland. He’s prepared to do what he needs to play.”
“He’s exactly the type of player we need. We want good people and hungry people that we can call our own and now Mark Hannon is going to get his chance and in my eyes he’s very capable and in an excellent position to take that chance.”
Ballinakill Quarry outside Loughrea has been given the go ahead for a massive expansion that will nearly quadruple its size.
Galway County Council gave approval for the marble quarry at Cregg, Loughrea to expand its operations to the south west and east of the existing quarry.
The development will cover an area of roughly 13 hectares, nearly three times more than the existing quarry which is just under five hectares.
Rock will mainly be removed from the quarry by blasting in a five stage process and processed with a mobile crusher on site.
A Natura Impact Statement submitted with the planning application states that it will have no affect on Lough Derg, the only conservation site in the area.
An Taisce made a submission regarding the application noting that An Bord Pleanála had refused a previous application for an extension on appeal.
Before any work takes place, county planners said the developer should submit a plan to rehabilitate and restore the landscape after works have taken place.
The developer was also required to hire an archaeologist to carry out further archaeological assessment of the site and notify the county council of any discoveries.
Galway county council gave permission for the development to go ahead with seven conditions attached.
The Orange Order thinks that the village of Aughrim in East Galway could become a draw for tourist with a renewed look at its bloody place in history.
The small village near Ballinasloe was the site of the bloodiest battle in the Williamite-Jacobite war in 1691 with nearly 7,000 dead on the field when the dust settled.
That’s more than four times the human cost of the Battle of the Boyne, which would come to dominate the narrative of the war since both William of Orange and James II were there.
Now the Grand Orange Lodge thinks they can spark new interest in Aughrim, by making the village one of the key stops in a planned tourist trail following the path of the Williamite War.
According to the Belfast Telegraph senior figures at the orange order are in talks with the government and Tourism Ireland to create a signposted tourist trail that would feature all of the key spots of the war.
It would follow the course of the war from the Siege of Derry in 1688, through the Battle of the Boyne, west to Galway and Aughrim, before coming to its end in Limerick where the Jacobite forces surrendered in 1691.
Dr Jonathan Mattison, curator of the Museum of Orange Heritage in Belfast said that Aughrim was one of the events of the war which had become a footnote in history.
He said that no matter people’s community or cultural “history is history” and it’s important that people look at history.
Aughrim was essentially the deciding battle that ended any chance of the Jacobites prolonging the war in any meaningful fashion.
Grand Secretary of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Mervyn Gibson, said that he didn’t expect this to be anything like Titanic or Game of Thrones in Belfast for drawing visitors.
But, he argued, a modern tourist trail would still be an asset for Ireland’s tourist offering.
Mr Gibson said that so far talks have been positive with both sides seeing a benefit for Ireland.
A volunteer lifeboat crew from the Clifden RNLI rescued a bull which fell down a coastal cliff this weekend.
A local farmer asked for help in rescuing his bull, which had fallen down a steep cliff and gotten stuck on the shoreline.
The area near Clifden was inaccessible by road and very difficult to reach on foot.
The lifeboat was called out at around 5pm to the scene around a half mile from the Clifden RNLI station.
The farmer, three members of the public, and a vet were there waiting for the lifeboat to arrive.
Aboard the boat were volunteer crew members Alan Pryce, Thomas Davis, Daniel Whelan and Ian Shanahan.
One member of the crew went ashore where a plan was put together.
Under the instruction of the farmer and vet, the lifeboat slowly approached the bull where a bridle fitted to the animal was passed to them.
The boat then gently led the bull off the dangerous rocks and into the water.
Once the bull was in the water it swam to nearby beach with the guidance of the lifeboat.
The RNLI crew stayed nearby until everyone, and their bull, had left the area and then returned to the station.
Speaking after the rescue Clifden RNLI Helm Alan Pryce said, “We were happy to assist the local farmer and vet to help the bull out of the hazardous position it was in.
“We are very aware of the dangers posed by large animals that are distressed and were glad to be able to assist the farmer while also providing a safety presence to him and the individuals working with him to bring the bull to safety, on what was a dangerous and dark shore.”
Galway’s taxi drivers are getting into the Christmas spirit with donations to two important charities looking after our health.
The Progressive Friends Association of Taxi Drivers Galway raised €1,000 to help out with local causes.
The money was split evenly in two donations to Galway Hospice and Croà Heart & Stroke.
Joanne Tierney recently received the cheque on behalf of Galway Hospice from several members of the taxi Association, Frank Okonkwo, Antonio Lusevi, Oluwaatenii O-George, Amen Edobar, and Charles Obinva.
The Hospice expressed their “sincere thanks” to the Association of Taxi Drivers and its members for their support.
The same group of lads also dropped by Croà this week to deliver a cheque for €500.
The season must be infectious because Croà also had cause to be grateful to the Mountbellew Bridge Club and the community in Newport for their support.
The Mountbellew Bridge Club raised €800 to help fight heart disease and stroke with a fundraising game.
While the community in Newport donated the proceeds of this year’s charity bingo, some €502, to CroÃ.
Croà is grateful to all those people who helped them in their work, educating people about heart disease and stroke, supporting research, and offering an apartment near the hospital in case a family member is stuck there for a spell.
The Irish Coast Guard and the volunteer RNLI have issued a joint statement asking people to take care when they’re out on the water or at the coast over Christmas.
The two organisations have issued a joint statement asking people to heed simple safety advice if they’re involved in any activity around the water.
Many accidents and tragedies take place involving people who never expected to end up in the water.
It’s dangerous enough to be around water at any time, but during the Christmas period where many people will be consuming more than the usual amount of alcohol, it’s extra important to take care.
RNLI Lifesaving Manager Sean Dillon said, “It is much easier than people realise to get into trouble in the water.”
“Whatever activity you are doing, make sure you are aware of the dangers, know your limits and do not take risks.”
Over the past ten years at Christmas and New Year’s, RNLI lifeboats have been deployed 137 times and assisted 57 people in Ireland.
“While all the search and rescue services stand ready to help people, being prepared and taking some basic safety advice can avoid an accident or a serious tragedy,” Mr Dillon said.
Some key pieces of advice the Coast Guard and RNLI are advising people to heed when around the water are:
Stay Back – Stay High – Stay Dry when engaged in coastal walks and avoid any unfamiliar routes and be mindful of changes caused by coastal erosion and the risk of trip, slips and falls.
Ensure that pets are kept under control in case they get into difficulty and cause owners to risk their own safety in rescuing them.
Remember to carry a suitable means to call for help such as mobile phone, vhf radio or Personal Locator Beacon.
If engaged in any boating activities Do Wear an appropriate personal flotation device – it could save a life.
If going out alone, tell someone ashore of your plans and what time you expect to be back.
For anybody engaged in a Christmas or New Year swim only participate in an organised swim that has appropriate safety and support facilities.
The RNLI’s ‘Float to Live’ message advises people who fall into cold water unexpectedly to fight their instinct to swim until the cold-water shock passes.
Instead they should stop and float on their back until they catch their breath and bearings, then either call for help or swim to land if it’s nearby.
The Coast Guard wants to reiterate its similar message to Stay Afloat – Stay in Contact, telling people that if they can stay afloat and raise the alarm, then they have a good chance of being rescued.
Irish Coast Guard Operations Manager Gerard O’Flynn said “At this time of year people love to get out and about.”
“Do so safely and act sensibly and wisely and; if in doubt shout. Coast Guard services will be fully operational over the holiday period.”
If you see anyone in distress in the water or along the coast, dial 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.
