Man arrested in connection with woman’s death on Portumna farm

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December 11, 2018

The Connacht Hotel, one of Galway’s longest established hotels, is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019.

Originally opened as the Galway Ryan Hotel in 1969 with almost 100 rooms, it was seen as a catalyst to the tourism industry in the city.

Mr Dermot Ryan, the Chairman of Ryan Tourist Holdings in 1969, is quoted as saying: “Our aim is to offer good food and first-class rooms with private bathroom suites at down to earth prices aiming at high occupancy spread over the whole year,” with the average price to stay in the hotel at that time just over a pound in old money.

The hotel itself has undergone many transformations over the past fifty years.

1984 saw the launch of the ‘Friendly Fellows’ kids club, which to this day entertains the little guests of the hotel and boasts the title of ‘the longest serving kids club in the country’.

This ensured that The Galway Ryan Hotel led the way in domestic family holidays, and it created a tradition at the hotel where you now we see generations returning with their children and grandchildren as it is part of so many families’ history and traditions.

It holds a place in the hearts of young and old for happy holidays in Galway.

In March 2013, the hotel was rebranded ‘The Connacht Hotel Galway’ and continues to offer authentic customer service and a “home from home” atmosphere.

And throughout the last few years it has heavily invested in refurbishments, with the addition of almost 300 more rooms including long stay apartments, a full leisure club and a function suite that caters for up to 180 guests, aptly named ‘The Ryan Room’, a cocktail & lounge bar to the newly renovated Bar Solo and a landscaped garden to enhance the exterior entrance of the hotel.

The hotel has been home to a number of well-known guests in the past including Conor McGregor, Ryan Tubridy, Miriam O Callaghan and most notably White Christmas singer Bing Crosby.

The 50th anniversary celebrations promise to be a look back at the past fifty years of hospitality with old photography, the stories from the long serving team and fond memories from our customers and will celebrate this milestone with several celebrations to be announced throughout the year.

Iconic in the minds of Galway people and a popular holiday favourite for generations.

Some of the team members have worked in the hotel since the 1970’s and have seen the hotel through its various evolutions.

And to help celebrate fifty years the Connacht Hotel are looking for you to share your memories of this iconic venue.

So many Galway people have worked there, celebrated, stayed or just visited and The Connacht Hotel are looking for your story. Email 50years@theconnacht.ie and be part of the history of this hotel.

Top tips for looking after your health at the Christmas feast

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December 11, 2018

Galway Daily life & style Croí Heart & Stroke Charity give tips for looking after your health with Christmas feasting

It’s a common part of Christmas for people to pile up the feasts for family and friends over the season.

While no-one is explicitly saying you can’t tuck into the third pudding, there are ways to enjoy great meals without taking in enough calories to hibernate through to summer.

Croí Heart and Stroke Charity have put together a few tips for people who want to chow down with desecrating the temple that is themselves.

1. Fill up on Fruit and Vegetables

Enjoy the many fresh products of the earth that are in season over Christmas including brussel sprouts, parsnips, sweet potato, satsumas, cranberries and other favourites.

On top of going great in many dishes these are bursting with with a plentiful supply of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

You’ll be grateful for all those when it comes time to do battle with winter bugs and infections.

Many are also high in fibre, keeping you feeling full longer and away from the third round of mice pies.

2. Less Sugar and More Spice in all things Nice

Instead of loading up on the white gold, replace it in your cooking with some Christmas spices like ginger & cinnamon.

These bring out fabulous flavours in your dishes and can even help soothe digestive upsets.

3. Cut Down on Portion Sizes

Many of the centrepieces of the traditional Christmas dinner are actually quite lean such as Turkey.

What really comes round to bite you is the dressings, the sauces, and the constant urge to go back for just one more helping.

Get a smaller plate, and don’t even feel obliged to leave it clean enough to eat off.

This part might sound like sports advice, but remember to pace yourself.

Don’t be halfway through another portion before your body catches up and tells you that last one was the limit.

4. Stay Active

This might be that time of year where people finally have a break from work, or have just finished exams, but that doesn’t mean you should curl up with a bowl for three weeks.

Go for walks, meet up with friends and family for energetic activities, and remember kids and pets need exercise too.

5. Sleep it Off

This can be an exhausting time, and when you’re tired, you’re more likely to sit around and eat something deliciously terrible.

Make sure you get your zzzz’s so your body is ready for another round the following day.

Galway is the third most cockroach infested county, says pest control company

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December 11, 2018

A pest control provider has said that Galway accounted for 8% of all callouts for cockroaches from September until November of this year.

Only Dublin and Cork had more callouts, with Co Dublin accounting for nearly two thirds of all cockroach complaints received during this period.

Rentokil issued a warning that the ugly pests could potentially cause cold and flu symptoms and urged homeowners to be on the lookout for signs of cockroaches as they prepare for the festive season.

The company recorded a 39% increase in the number of callouts to deal with the insects during the period September to November, when compared with the same period last year.

They also warned people to be aware that if they experience blocked sinuses or a sore throat, it may due to cockroaches, where present in large numbers, and not the cold weather.

Dr Colm Moore, Area Technical Manager for Rentokil said: “Cockroaches leave traces of their saliva, faeces, and body parts in the space they occupy.

“These traces contain certain proteins which act as allergens and can cause blocked sinuses, ear and sinus infections, irritation around the nose and eyes, and a persistent cough.

“As it gets colder at this time of year, many people may mistake these symptoms for a cold or flu, in particular as cockroaches can be difficult to detect.”

Cockroaches often spend the cold months hiding in clusters behind cupboards and doors and in cracks around cabinets and closets.

Other hiding places include under sinks, stoves and refrigerators. They can be difficult to detect, so home and business owners may be experiencing an infestation and not even know about it.

However, one sign to watch out for is a foul smelling odour they produce when gathered in large numbers.

Other indicators include the presence of cockroach skins, small cylindrical cockroach droppings, and brown, irregular shaped smear marks on horizontal surfaces and wall-floor junctions.

As cockroaches can trigger asthma attacks and can spread bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella, they pose a serious health risk.

Dublin accounted for almost two thirds of the company’s callouts during the same period, while Galway was third in the list.

Breakdown on Headford Road causing heavy traffic

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December 11, 2018

Galway Daily news New access roads needed at Roscam Estates to combat heavy traffic

A breakdown on the Headford Road just after Galway Retail Park is causing heavy traffic around the city.

The AA have said that traffic is slow from the Bodkin Junction.

Nearby, traffic is also heavy both ways on Bohermore between Cemetery Cross and Prospect Hill.

Like Galway Daily on Facebook to stay updated.

Tigh Chadhain ag eagrú Codail Taobh amuigh ar an 15ú Nollaig

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Sheila Ní Bheaglaoich

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December 11, 2018

Tigh Chadhain ag eagrú Codail Taobh Amuigh - Galway Daily

Tá Tigh Chadhain ag eagrú Codail Taobh amuigh ar an 15ú Nollaig.

Beidh muintir Tigh Chaidhin agus muintir Cill Chiarán ag teacht le chéile Dé Satharn beag seo an 15ú Nollaig agus iad ag eagrú Codail Taobh amuigh ar son Galway Simon Community.

B’é seo an 4ú bliain as a chéile atá an Codail Taobh amuigh eagraithe ag Tigh Chadhain agus beidís fíor bhuíoch do chuile duine atá in ann síntúsí a thabhairt.

Tá an Nollaig nach mór buailte linn anois agus sinn ag tnúth go mór leis ach ba mhór le Tigh Chaidhin cabhair a thabhairt dóibh siúd gan dídean.

Is féidir síntúsí a thabhairt agus an eolas ar fad a fháil trí an nasc seo a leanas a leanúint. https://t.co/Oq2H93FPRV

Power outage hits 100 homes in Athenry

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December 11, 2018

Galway Daily news Storm Isha: Over 6,000 properties without power in Galway this morning

A power outage has left just under 100 homes in the Athenry area without electricity overnight.

The ESB reports that a fault affecting 96 residences around Athenry occurred at 7:45pm yesterday.

Repairs were unable to be completed by the end of day yesterday, leaving residents still in the dark this morning.

It’s expected that repairs will be completed and power restored by 1:30pm today.

The ESB apologises to anyone affected by this outage and is working to restore electricity supply as quickly as possible.

Galway County Council to receive €4 million funding boost

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December 11, 2018

Galway daily news Lease approved for modular homes for Ukrainian refugees in Ballinasloe

A boost in funding for Galway County Council has been announced with an extra €4 million allocated from the central government.

Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton confirmed the extra funding will be delivered to the county council over the next three years.

A change in the way that the government allocates local property tax will also bring additional funds to the county when it comes into effect next year.

“It has been common knowledge that County Galway has been losing out on State funding for the last 20 years due to an error in the base calculation made at that time,” said Deputy Naughton.

Working with Minister for Local Government John Paul Phelan, the Fine Gael TD said an interim increase in funding has been arranged.

She added that this will not be lost under an amalgamated city and county, but roll over to the new combined local authority.

“I have repeatedly made the point to the Minister that our per capita budget is way off target when compared to similar Local Authorities. This has now been accepted and the Council will receive an interim increase in funding.”

“Additionally, I can confirm that changes to be made to the property tax system next year will ensure that Galway gets a bigger share of central funding in the years ahead,” she said.

“Changes to come into force next year will ensure that the distribution of property tax will be skewed towards counties, including Galway, who presently receive the least funding.”

The debate over amalgamating Galway city and county councils has been going on in the Dáil for some time.

An interim report produced by the expert advisory group claims that a unified authority would be more economically viable.

But many of Galway’s TDs have been saying that addressing long standing funding issues for Galway’s local authorities should be the first priority before considering this.

NUI Galway fair will showcase options for students to work and travel abroad

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December 11, 2018

Galway Daily new students to explore summer options at NUI Galway work and travel abroad fair

With the new year just around the corner, students are already planning how they’ll spend next summer.

The NUI Galway Working and Travelling Abroad Fair will show students some of the options open to them for volunteering, internships, and J1 work opportunities.

Those summer months are always a chance for students to broaden their horizons by volunteering with a charity abroad, take an internship with a multinational, or soak in a foreign culture while living in a really crap apartment with a J1 visa.

NUIG’s Student’s Union is organising this fair which will include information on J1 Visa companies, travel companies, volunteering/adventure companies, and internships/training companies,

Along with the informative stalls, students who come along can fill their bellies at delicious food stalls while they plan their summer.

The fair will take place at Áras na Mac Leinn at NUI Galway next January 23 from 12pm to 3pm.

Exhibitors that have been confirmed so far include Campus France Ireland, Camp Counselors USA, USA Summer Camp, and USIT

Two all-weather pitches in the works at Clifden GAA club

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December 11, 2018

Galway Daily sport Planning refused again for Oughterard sports facilities

Clifden GAA Club are awaiting approval on two new all weather pitches for the club.

A planning application for the construction of two all weather pitches at the club grounds at Hospital Hill, Clifden was submitted in October.

The full development will consist of the two new pitches, associated fencing and flood lighting, as well as site works.

The gross floor area of the proposed works is 3,960sqm.

Naomh Feichin An Clochan GAA Club have been playing in Clifden for more than a century, first opening their doors in 1912.

The Clifden town GAA club was one of the first registered in Connemara, officially forming some years after organised games started taking place.

The club is names for Saint Feichin, a Roman Catholic figure associated with 7th century Ireland said to be much renowned for his athleticism.

A decision on whether to allow the development to go ahead is due from Galway County Council this week.

Local company Skylark stairs beats Brexit slump to become bigger than ever

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December 10, 2018

Galway daily business Galway stairs manufacturer Skylark beats Brexit slump to become bigger than ever

After almost collapsing when it’s business dried up with Brexit, Galway based stair manufacturers Skylark have turned it around to become a €1 million a year company.

Where once Skylark relied on the UK for 90% of its business, by pivoting to the United States, the company expects to grow to ten times its current size in the next three to four years.

The Irish Times reports that Peter Morrow, chief executive of the electric stair maker, said that in that time he hopes the business will expand to making 5,000 units a year compared with its current 500.

Two years ago orders had nearly dried up as people in the UK suddenly became a lot more worried about their spending, and now Skylark turns over €1 million a year.

Peter Morrow founded Skylark in 2011, fulfilling a long ambition to start his own business after taking redundancy, and over the next two years polished the design of the Skylark Electric Attic Stairs.

These remote attic stairs that can descend with the push of a button quickly found a market in Britain, particularly among older people who would have difficulty stretching overhead to pull down a stair.

Without much of a domestic market, and orders in the UK hitting rock bottom, Peter turned to the Local Enterprise Office in Galway for help.

They provided the company a grant to head to the US and a process engineer who helped them streamline production and save on costs.

Across the Atlantic, Skylark met with Marwin, a U.S company in the same line of business who were interested in bringing Skylark’s product to American buyers.

Marwin launched the Skylark Electric Attic Stairs in the U.S. at a trade fair in January 2017, which Peter Morrow told the Irish Times saved the company.

Though orders in the UK have since recovered to where they were before the Brexit referendum, Skylark has grown so much they only account for half of the company’s overall orders.

Along with the U.S. they also sell in Belgium and are on their way into the Canadian market as well.

Recently the company bought new machinery for their factory at Killaloonty outside Tuam where they employ five people.

Peter Morrrow said this machinery should give them the leverage to expand production, and they’ll soon be hiring more people to help them climb that stairs.

Extension to Gort Community Centre gets the thumbs up

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December 10, 2018

Galway Daily news Letteragh housing estate gets planning approval

Gort Community Centre has been granted permission for an extension and renovation that will provide more space for the local community.

Permission has been granted for the community centre in the townland of Lavally to build an extension to the building.

Renovations will also be done to the existing centre to provide more floor space and windows.

The gross floor space of the proposed works is 344sqm

The Committee of the community centre submitted the planning application to Galway County Council back in October.

The county council gave permission for the developement to go ahead with three conditions attached.

“Groundbreaking” innovations in Galway get €16 million backing

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December 10, 2018

Galway Daily news Galway family syndicate "laughing, cheering and crying" after €250,000 Lotto win

Five groundbreaking projects in Galway have been granted nearly €16 million in funding from the first Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund.

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys revealed 27 innovative projects who are sharing over €75 million in funding on Monday.

Aurigen Medical, a medtech startup that came out of NUI Galway’s BioInnovate programme, has been granted €5.9 million to complete development of their heart implant.

The cardiac implant will be used to help patients with irregular heartbeats by helping to treat blood clots that can cause both strokes and heart failure.

MBryonics, headquartered on the Shantalla road, is one of the partners in a €4.1 million project to develop a Photonic Packaging Pilot Line, developing cost effective process and manufacturing hundreds of units.

MBryonics is a small company of engineers, scientists, and designers specialising in photonics, working with light on a wide range of high-tech applications.

Neurent Medical has been awarded €2.8 million for the ARDENT II, a new therapy for patients suffering from rhinitis.

This will give the patient immediate and long-lasting relief from their symptoms and remove the need to take daily medication to manage their condition.

Rhinitis is an inflammatory disease of the nose that is estimate to affect up to 40% of the population.

Rather than drugs or surgery, Neurent’s new treatment is a handheld radio device inserted into the nasal cavity, which will deliver targeted energy to reverse the inflammation of mucous tissue.

Stignum Surgical and Anecto laboratory will receive €1.9 million for the BioHealx, a bioabsorbable implant to treat anal fistula and reduce surgical complexity.

And lastly AtriAN Medical has won €1.1 million to help treat Atrial Fibrillation with technology that will dramatically improve on current treatments.

It uses pulses of electrical energy to target and destroy the cells on the outside of the heart where the arrhythmia originates without damaging the heart muscle.

Announcing the funding Leo Varadkar said “The creation of this fund is particularly timely when we consider the vast and rapid technological advancements that are taking place.”

“Today everything is faster, more efficient, and more easily accessible. We must adapt to a future of greater digitalisation and automation. Today’s school children will be employed in jobs and industries that don’t exist yet.”

Projects from sectors like life sciences, medical devices, ICT, manufacturing, food, agriculture, energy sustainability and the creative industries made successful applications for this first round of funding.

All include collaborations between start-ups, SMEs, multinationals and academic institutions, though every project involves at least one SME.

Over the next 10 years half a billion will be allocated through the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund, which is part of Project Ireland 2040.

The fund is part of the ‘Future Jobs’ initiative which aims to to secure the jobs of the future for Ireland.

Minister Humphreys said, “This Fund is about ensuring that Ireland can stay ahead of the game to secure the jobs of the future.”

A recent OECD study found that the average Irish worker has a 46 percent chance of their job becoming automated by the 2030s.

“Disruptive technologies will significantly change the way that we work and live and we need to embrace the changes coming our way,” Minister Hunphreys warned.

Update: The list of projects which received funding on the Department of Business, Enterprise, and Innovation website incorrectly listed AtriAN Medical as a Dublin company

Power outage hits county water supply

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December 10, 2018

Galway city news Water outages in Salthill due to burst mains today

An unplanned power outage is causing disruptions to the water supply of customers in central Galway county this afternoon.

Irish Water is advising that people the power outage may cause water supply issues to Derreen, Abbey, customers of the Mid-Galway Regional Water Supply Scheme and surrounding areas.

Repair works are scheduled to take place from 4pm to 10pm today.

But it may take up to three hours after repair are completed for full supply to be restored to residents in the area.

If anyone has any issue or question they can contact Irish Water at 1850 448 448 or through twitter @IWCare.

NUI Galway research team solves Darwin’s Dilema, when did animal life first appear?

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December 10, 2018

Galway Daily news NUI Galway research team solves Darwin's Dilema animal life precedes fossil records by hundreds of millions of years

A group of researchers from NUI Galway have shed new light on a question that plagued Charles Darwin, when did animal life first appear on earth and why are there no fossils of it?

According to newly published research, there could have been animal life on earth for hundreds of millions of years before they began showing up as fossils.

In his masterpiece on the evolution of life The Origin of Species, Darwin had some difficulty in explaining why complex animal life of many varieties sprung up around half a billion years ago.

The problem with the understanding is that Darwin could only make observations based on fossil records.

He was left saying that, for reasons unknown to him, the earliest animal life on the planet was not present in the fossil record.

This would later go on to be called ‘Darwin’s Dilema’.

This international research team led by NUIG’s School of Natural Sciences have proven for the first time that the oldest and most primitive animals on the planet would not have had body tissue capable of being fossilised.

Dr John Murray who supervised the project said these findings confirm suspicions that scientists have long had, but never been able to prove.

“Namely, that the earliest animal ancestors most likely evolved during a protracted and cryptic time interval, long before more advanced creatures began to become preserved as fossils.”

“Our work provides the extra time which Charles Darwin needed to account for the early stages of the evolution of animals and it solves a seemingly intractable problem which greatly troubled him when he was writing arguably one of the most important books in science.”

The team investigated fossils of bizarre disc-shaped creatures called ‘eldonids’, which were collected from the edge of the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

Their anatomy and preservation was carefully examined in NUI Galway and in labs in the United States.

Cutting-edge geochemical techniques were used to reveal precisely how different parts of these unusual soft-bodied animals had become fossilised.

Dr Breandán MacGabhann, who shares a birthday with Dr Darwin, says that the majority of early marine life was soft-bodied animals like jellyfish and worms that would leave no shells or bones to become fossils.

“The oldest animal fossils are just impressions left behind by soft-bodied creatures on the seafloor,” he said.

“We have never known how well these fossils represent these very early animal communities, largely because these creatures were quite different from modern animals, but also due to the fact that we didn’t understand precisely how they came to be preserved as fossils.”

Finding these particular fossils in the Sahara was a eureka moment for them, “We immediately realised that, for the first time, we had known animals preserved in precisely the same way as most of the oldest animal fossils,” said Dr. MacGabhann.

Over a tonne of fossil bearing rocks were shipped from Morocco to Galway for the team to pour over.

The used techniques from soil science, microbiology, and experimental sciences to prove that these fossils only preserved parts of an animal that would have originally been substances like chitin or collagen.

“These body materials are not really present in most primitive animals, like sponges, jellyfish, and sea anemones, which of course would have been amongst the first animals to evolve,” Dr MacGabhann concluded.

The full study has been published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

GRETB faces financial mismanagement claims

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December 10, 2018

Galway Daily news GRETB faces allegations of financial mismanagement of nearly €1 million

An investigation is taking place into claims of fiinancial mismanagement at the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board.

Two protected disclosures were made last year regarding spending at the GRETB, and the claims of financial mismanagement were reported to the Department of Education.

The annual report for 2017 mentions the two disclosures, which the GRETB say concern a single issue which has been investigated and reports sent to the Board and the Department of Education.

The nature of the alleged mismanagement, or when last year it said to have taken place, is not mentioned.

The GRETB’s end of year financial statements also show that just under €1 million was spent on contracts and services that were not in line with procurement guidelines.

According to the Irish Examiner, after receiving the disclosures an investigation was begun and a report produced in early 2018.

However it is not known who that report was produced by or sent to, nor is it referenced in board minutes for this year published on the GRETB website.

A spokesperson for the GRETB told the Irish Examiner that this issue is still being dealt with, and is being handled externally.

An internal control statement says that since this was brought to its attention, the GRETB has reviewed its management controls and provided additional training on financial management.

The board’s accounts for last year show that expenditure rose by 7% to €93.5 million last year.

Pay for more than 1,900 employees at 60 schools took up the lion’s share of the budget at €62.5 million.

The money that improper procurements come from the remaining €31.5 million.

Last year, spending for contracted services made by individual schools or centres rather than through aggregated tenders by the GRETB which crossed the threshold of €25,000 came to €974,498.

This was spent on bus hire, cleaning, alarm monitoring and maintenance, refuse collection, school meals, and IT services.

As these contracts were worth more than €25,000, under national guidelines they should have been advertised as e-tenders.

The GRETB Statement of Internal Control reiterates its commitment to complying with all EU and national procurement regulations and guidelines.

Some €145,000 was spent on books while schools awaited the finalisation of a tender by the Office of Government Procurement.

Update: This article has been updated to clarify that the protected disclosures alleging financial mismanagement were about an issue unrelated to procurement spending.

UHG to get additional funding for diagnostic services

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December 10, 2018

Galway Daily news Cardiac care investment in Galway

University Hospital Galway has secured additional funding to improve on its diagnostic services.

The funding will be used to secure additional capacity for patient diagnostic services in anticipation of a surge in demand over the coming weeks.

UHG is one of nine critically overcrowded public hospitals, and five other private facilities, that have been allocated €1 million in funding from the National Treatment Purchase Fund.

The funding comes into effect today and will last until the end of January to to help with the winter crisis.

According to the Irish Times the money will used to secure diagnostic services at private facilities for patients who present at the Emergency Department.

It will also be used to boost the diagnostic abilities of the radiology department and other area under pressure.

Other diagnostic procedures and surgeries that will be covered by the emergency funding include angiograms, endoscopies and transcatheter aortic valve implantations.

The department of health said the level of funding to individual hospitals will be determined by the NTPF.

It added that the NTPF and HSE will review this emergency support no later than February 7, with the option to extend it subject to the department’s approval.

The full list of institutions which will receive additional funding is: Mater hospital; St Vincent’s University Hospital; Tallaght Hospital; Naas General Hospital; Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore; Galway University Hospital; University Hospital Limerick; Cork University Hospital; University Hospital Waterford; St James’s Hospital; Beaumont Hospital; Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda; St Luke’s General Hospital, Kilkenny; and Letterkenny University Hospital.

Renowned RTÉ broadcaster appointed adjunct Professor at NUI Galway

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December 10, 2018

Well-known RTÉ journalist and broadcaster Sean O’Rourke has been appointed as an Adjunct Professor of Journalism NUI Galway.

O’Rourke, who presents the ‘Today with Sean O’Rourke’ show on RTÉ Radio One, will take up his new role in January.

The role is honorary and he will continue to work in his current capacity with the State broadcaster.

Sean O’Rourke is a graduate of NUI Galway (BA, 1977) and received an honorary doctorate from the University in 2011.

Head of Journalism at NUI Galway, Tom Felle said: “We are delighted that Sean has accepted this post and it’s a strong signal of NUI Galway’s commitment to journalism education.

“Sean is a hugely respected current affairs interviewer and his forensic style has helped shaped the national conversation around many issues in recent years. He epitomises journalistic values of fairness and probity, and his work has made an indelible contribution to Irish democracy by holding those in power to account.

“Students will be able to learn from Sean via master classes in radio journalism and in newsdays, working alongside one of the best journalists in the country,” he added.

Sean O’Rourke said: “I’m greatly honoured by this appointment, having worked as a student journalist in NUI Galway long before the university began to offer courses in journalism.

“So much has changed since then in the way journalism is practiced and received, but at its core it is still about two things: asking questions and telling stories.

“I look forward to working with today’s students, learning from them and sharing ideas about how to serve the public.”

MathWorks software company creating 85 new jobs in Galway

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December 10, 2018

Galway Daily business US software company creating 25 jobs in Galway

Software developer MathWorks has looked at the numbers and decided to expand its operations in Galway, creating 85 new jobs.

Twenty of the new jobs are open for applications now, and the rest will be filled through 2019.

The Galway office of MathWorks opened in 2016 with a focus on sales and support job functions for operations throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Today its functions include sales, finance, administration, and channel development and support.

Recently it expanded its operations to include helping customers to get a good return on their investment in MATLAB and Simulink.

Managing Director of MathWorks Ireland Richard Haxby said the Galway expansion is a testament to the work done by the staff.

He added that he expects they will have plenty of good candidates for the jobs given their positive office culture and its challenges, and the “potential to explore global career opportunities.”

Today, MathWorks staff in Galway are fluent in 11 languages, range from seasoned professionals to new graduates, and hail from all round the country.

Welcoming the investment, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD said:

“We have a strong footprint of innovative ICT businesses investing in Ireland, and we have the IT specialists and multilingual talent available to enable the company to grow and to embed their operations here.”

“Their expansion is a great vote of confidence in what we have to offer, and I wish them well for the future,” Minister Humphries finished.

MathWorks is a leading developer of mathematical computing software.

MATLAB, the language of technical computing, is a programming environment for algorithm development, data analysis, visualization, and numeric computation.

While their other chief product Simulink, is a graphical environment for creating complex simulations and models.

Scientists around the world use these in research for the automotive, aerospace, electronics, financial services, and biotech-pharmaceutical industries.

Commenting on today’s announcement Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland said:

“We are confident Ireland can meet MathWorks Galway’s expansion needs given our proximity to the European Market, the steady pipeline of talent spanning professionals and students, and our investments in economy and infrastructure.”

Explore our food heritage at ‘A Taste of Galway’s Past’

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December 9, 2018