World record holder Carroll returns to home soil

Thu, Aug 05, 2010

Galway’s new world record holder, oarsman Ray Carroll, returns to his home city tonight (Thursday) after 43 days rowing across the Atlantic.

‘Scientific Wonders of the World’ mural unveiled at NUI Galway

Thu, Aug 05, 2010

NUI Galway recently unveiled a 36 foot (12 metres) long mural entitled The Scientific Wonders of the World.

Galway overrun by illegal cigarettes, says McNelis

Thu, Aug 05, 2010

Labour Councillor for Galway City Council Niall McNelis believes that the scale of the illegal cigarette trade in Galway city is out of control and Customs and Excise must take action to eradicate the worsening problem both in the city and county.

He says: “From reports I hear locally, Customs in Galway city and county are taking far too relaxed an approach to those selling illegal tobacco in markets and door to door. Cigarette smuggling is not some sort of victimless minor crime. Last year the Exchequer lost €556 million in unpaid excise levies. That is money that will have to be made up elsewhere through cutbacks in health services and schools. There is ample evidence that smuggling is run by vicious crime gangs and paramilitaries.”

Ógra Shinn Féin holds rally against emigration and jobs crisis

Thu, Aug 05, 2010

A rally was held at Galway Airport yesterday by local members of Ógra Shinn Féin who are calling on the Government to take action to stop the brain drain and increasing emigration, and to get the country back at work.

Over €4,000 given to Chernobyl charity

Thu, Aug 05, 2010

There were smiles all round in Eyre Square as a cheque of over €4,000 was presented to the Sunflower Chernobyl Appeal and a number of children from Belarus.

Boost for Ballinasloe girls as Calum Best comes to town

Thu, Aug 05, 2010

The ladies of Ballinasloe will be in for a real treat this weekend as celebrity heart breaker Calum Best, the son of football legend George Best, plans to role into town.

Calum was invited to attend the Ladies’ Night hosted by East Nightclub and Venue in Ballinasloe this Saturday night. On the night there will be professional make-up artists on hand as well as buckets of bubbly free champagne for all the girls and it gets better, Calum will be judging the Best Dressed competition.

Grealish says consultants needed to study the effects of Salmon Weir gates

Thu, Aug 05, 2010

Independent Deputy for Galway West, Noel Grealish has requested that Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Martin Mansergh appoint consultants to study the effect on the level of Lough Corrib and the River Clare, due to the opening and closing of the sluice gates at the Salmon Weir bridge.

Ó Cuív welcomes Doughiska schools announcement

Thu, Aug 05, 2010

Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív has welcomed the announcement that plans for new primary and post-primary schools for Doughiska are to proceed to tendering.

Our beloved leader

Thu, Aug 05, 2010

A “dictator” is a head of state who exercises arbitrary authority over the lives of his citizens and who cannot be removed from power through legal means. Kim Jong-Il of North Korea, Than Shew of Burma and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe are all dictators. They rule not because they have the approval of their citizens but because they want to rule. Brian Cowen’s democratic credentials are becoming increasingly suspect in this regard. This is a worrying development because the Taoiseach should be committed to democracy by its definition and not just on his own terms.

Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh approved to move to next expansion stage

Thu, Aug 05, 2010

The announcement by the Department of Education to approve the next stage of the Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh building expansion has been welcomed by Independent Deputy for Galway West, Noel Grealish, and Galway City Councillor Donal Lyons.

Údarás should retain role of developing Gaeltacht, says report

Thu, Jul 29, 2010

Under-fire Údarás na Gaeltachta should retain the primary function of developing the economy and infrastructure of the Gaeltacht, a new report issued last night (Wednesday) from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Sport, Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs has concluded.

Well-known criminal family had engaged Limerick person to collect debt from Galway businessman

Thu, Jul 29, 2010

A businessman has been subpoenaed to appear before the High Court after a judge was told gardai had received information a "well-known criminal family" had engaged a person in Limerick, "known to the gardai", to collect a debt from a Galway businessman, James Clancy.

Thursday morning coming down...

Thu, Jul 29, 2010

...ate a clock in the morning like...smartphone alarm beep beeps into me ear...one hand picks up and smashes it again the wall...not so smart now is it...where am I...recessed lights in ceiling shine into me eyes...discover me pyjamas have a hood in them...fell asleep in the clothes again...where am I...not Mrs O’Brien’s b & bloody b this year... no, not for me...fine room in wan of them gombeen hotels owned by NAMA for half nawthing...open shirt buttons and spray deodorant under arms and head for the lift...close buttons, push buttons and fella in the lift mirror does the same...full Irish with bacon rashers and eggs... throw back the lugs and dive in...lash back the orange juice...parched I am...try to walk sober like, wan foot then the udder, repeat...I’m Racingman, I’m wide out...down the square check out paddys ladbrokes boyles muls get the odds... and ends... too early to go out yet...sit on bench and look at fountain knocked on for the week...the trickle, they’d needn’t have bothered their...whole week I’m here for...then light up brighten up... wink at young wan get scowl but scowl back at her... she don't know what's she missing...missing in Racingman... light another... hand shakes but 'twould by now anyways Wednesday and all... phone dying just two bars...head dying just 25 bars...need cash...act fast...shaky fingers dance on vomit-splattered keypad at hole in wall...good job don't need numbers 3, 8, 2 as they're splashed pretty bad... cash comes out crisp clean only gives 300 so go to other machine... clean pad, thick wad jammed in arse pocket but switch to front... can't be too sure... cute hoor watching ya catching ya but not me. I'm wide out me so I am, sham ya have to get outa the scratcher early to catch out Racingman...Romanian fecker murdering a violin in the Square...where’s Lee Harvey Oswald when ya need him...get the Racing Post...to look cool like...and the Star but no picture of Georgia Saipa...bring it back and get fresh one...dash into Debbinghams and when the wimmen aren’t looking over Racingman is lost in a cloud of Calvin Kyne and Ralph Lawrence eau de sweat...smelling grand...ready for the road...ready for the course...hop into taxi...sit in front..big head on him...air stinks of air freshener and stale conversation...he tells me country is fecked...emigrants should shag off home...can’t get planning...and he’s from Lagos...three ways to racecourse...green, blue and red routes...we take a bit of blue and red and he drops me in a cowfield near Castlegar church...walk that way he says... the brown route...and I walk...better now...go to ring the boys but smartphone still smarting from batin’ I gave it. Must be an app for that...see the stand ahead...walk straight...shoes covered in shite...sham says ‘anywan want to try the three card trick the three card trick, watch out Char-less the shades are lamping the scene’... don't fall for that not after last year not me cos I'm wide out...Racingman won’t fall for that...this year...in the gate...meet yer man from home he waves and says he knows a fella who knows Weld is the man...get card and biro...rip page from card and jam in raffle drum to win another shaggin’ night in a gombeen hotel...always been lucky mother said when I won the teddy bear at the sale of work but she didn't know I stole it then sold it then stole it again...Guard nods at me I nod back howya guard what does he know probably has a file on Racingman the big happy Templemore head on him...met the byes... the byes from home...lads shout yahoo at Ted Walsh and some other... twenty years since he rode her mother...run to the stand... spilling plastic pints down new Next shirt, it’ll live up to its name tomorrow...horse romps home...plastic pints go skywards...beef sandwiches all round... grease is the next stain for the Next shirt... Lads have quare wans' mobile numbers wants 200 notes for an hour of the bould thing... lads laugh when I ask for group discount...an hour I laugh, an hour of drinking time wasted...she says for 400 she’ll bate me with a whip til I cry...told her I can get a batin’ for nawthing outside Supermacs...and then the streets...Latin quarter me arse...from wan pub to another...Racingman’s head’s in a spin...time for food...tuna melt with extra dolphin...staggered up the pedestrianised streets, avoiding the bikes and the rickshaws like fecking Tianaman Square ‘tis...taxi and shows him card from hotel...Lagos man again......more stale conversation...emigrants should feck off home...he should feck off home to Carlow with all the other taxidrivers...drives me around town nine times and then drops me at gombeen hotel where room was chayper than taxi...birds are singing when me head hits the bed...zzzzzzzzzzzzz..ate a clock...smartphone about to beep its alarm, but decides not to...now that’s a smart phone...still only Thursday morning.

Local jobseekers benefit from more flexible education scheme — Treacy

Thu, Jul 29, 2010

Local people receiving social welfare payments can now avail of new arrangements which will make it easier for them to return to education, according to Dep Noel Treacy.

Olive Loughnane pulls out of Walk final.

Thu, Jul 29, 2010

Ireland's Olive Loughnane with her husband Martin Corkery, left, and fellow race walker Robert Heffernan, after pulling out of the Women's 20k Walk final through illness at the 20th European Athletics Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

The Galwayman who founded the Tory Party

Thu, Jul 29, 2010

The Tory Party is often seen as the bastion of British conservatism, unionism, and jingoism, but it actually owe its name, and possibly event its existence, to a Galwegian.

The party, currently led by British prime minister David Cameron, is known as both the Tory Party and as The Conservative Party. The origin for both these names lies in Ireland.

Ken Bruen’s The Guards to air on TV3 next month

Thu, Jul 29, 2010

On Monday at 9pm TV3 will broadcast Jack Taylor, the feature length drama adaptation of The Guards, the acclaimed novel from the award winning Galway novelist Ken Bruen.

Tuam native named lead planner for 2012 Olympics

Thu, Jul 29, 2010

The pinnacle of his career is how Tuam native Neil Carney describes the recent announcement that he will play a major role in orchestrating the biggest sporting event on the planet — the 2012 London Olympics.

Mr Carney, who was operations director for the Galway stage of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2009 and logistical manager for the Asian Games, is relishing the prospect of being lead planner in the Olympic Park. His responsibilities will include overseeing where the opening ceremony and all the major events take place.

Government bias against the west shown by suspension of rail corridor works says Michael D

Thu, Jul 29, 2010

Bias against the west of Ireland and favouritism towards the east is evident in the Government’s decision to “indefinitely suspend” work on the final completion of the Western Rail corridor.

Warner’s exhibition to open new art space in city

Thu, Jul 29, 2010

Fergus and David McGinn have just opened McGinn’s On The Quay, formerly Sheridan’s, as a new restaurant, bar, and exhibition space in the city.

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