Gurtymadden’s Shane Dolphin wins election as new Young Fine Gael VP

Thu, May 06, 2021

Shane Dolphin, a native of Gurtymadden, south Galway, has been elected the new vice president of Young Fine Gael, scooping a massive 73 per cent of first preference votes at the recent YFG national conference.

The future of work - changes are coming

Thu, Apr 29, 2021

Last Saturday, the Citizens' Assembly published its recommendations on gender equality, which are an impressive set of worthy proposals for constitutional and legislative changes.

If there is a United Ireland, we should leave the euro

Thu, Apr 22, 2021

The European Union, and its lynchpin project, the euro, had a charmed existence in publicity terms during the worst of the Brexit years from 2016 to 2019.

Young people in Galway set to ‘raise their voice’ at EYE on the Edge

Wed, Apr 21, 2021

Politics, arts, culture, climate change, and the future of the EU will fuse in a major online festival - EYE on the Edge - based in Galway, and taking place this weekend, which has been created by and for young people.

Why Galway needs a Very Light Rail system

Thu, Apr 15, 2021

In this time of confinement due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many people used their time wisely by making observations to the Galway City Council ‘Our City Our Future’ consultation, which will go towards what will become the Galway City Development Plan 2023-2029.

Two years on, how are our city councillors performing?

Thu, Apr 01, 2021

The current membership of the Galway City Council started their term almost two years ago in a welter of controversy surrounding the forming of a political alliance to hold the balance of power (and positions) for the following five years.

Women city and county councillors form the Galway Women's Caucus

Thu, Apr 01, 2021

Women councillors on both the Galway city and county councils have joined forces to establish the Galway Women's Caucus - a cross-party and cross-council group.

O’Hara chosen to stand again for Sinn Féin in Galway East

Thu, Mar 25, 2021

Louis O’Hara, who performed impressively in the 2020 election, has again been chosen to stand for Sinn Féin in Galway East at the next General Election.

Ireland must beware of the far-right virus of intolerance and xenophobia

Thu, Mar 11, 2021

Spring is in the air, the temperatures are beginning to rise, the birds are singing, pretty soon the leaves and flowers will begin to bloom.

Galway urgently needs a bigger, expanded, sewage treatment system

Thu, Mar 04, 2021

“This expert-led report, Expanding Ireland’s Marine Protected Area Network, comes at a critical time for Ireland. Decades of poor planning and under investment in our marine and coastal areas have resulted in unsustainable outcomes for our marine environment and the coastal communities that depend on it.”

Why workers need protections more than ever

Thu, Feb 25, 2021

One of the basic lessons from the pandemic is how interconnected we are - your mask protects me, mine protects you. Early outbreaks of Covid in meat-processing factories - where workers cannot practice social distancing - were exacerbated by the fact these low-income workers lack sick pay. Unable to afford to (willingly) forego wages, workers masked symptoms, hoped for the best, and clocked in, with disastrous results.

With funding at crisis levels, merging the county and city councils must be considered

Thu, Feb 25, 2021

It is with some bemusement that I noted the recent contributions in Seanad Éireann regarding the future of local authority arrangements in Galway and, in particular, the voicing of opposition to the amalgamation of the Galway county and city councils.

Adrian Curran selected as People Before Profit’s Galway representative

Thu, Feb 25, 2021

Adrian Curran has been selected as the People Before Profit local area representative for Galway by the party's members in the city and county.

Does the Labour Party have a future?

Thu, Feb 18, 2021

There was a feisty and interesting exchange in the Dáil last week that caught the attention of the national media and woke some of the sleeping deputies in the unparliamentary surroundings of the convention centre.

Where next for the arts in Galway in 2021?

Thu, Feb 11, 2021

For The Insider, engagement with the arts in 2020 often meant watching them from my sitting room with a cup of tea - or a G&T - in front of me, and, sadly, given the continuing uncertainties surrounding the rollout of the nation’s Covid-19 vaccination programme, that situation might remain unchanged for months to come.

City bypass might increase, not lessen, traffic congestion in Galway

Thu, Feb 11, 2021

The long, and often controversial, saga of a bypass for Galway may be brought to a close when An Bord Pleanála decides the fate of the Galway City Ring Road in April.

City Hall officials need to work more closely with councillors

Thu, Feb 04, 2021

Insider has been a keen observer of activities in City Hall for two decades and, regardless of what the public think, it is always best for Galway when there is a good working relationship between the elected members and senior management.

Waste water and poor planning threaten city's future development

Thu, Jan 28, 2021

In its recent publication, Wastewater Treatment in Galway, An Taisce reminded us that until the wastewater treatment plant on Mutton Island came into operation in 2004, this city had historically allowed 6,000,000 litres of untreated raw sewage a day to flow out into Galway Bay, a Special Area of Conservation.

Irish Unity no longer a question of if, but when

Thu, Jan 28, 2021

There is no doubt that we live in extraordinary and unpredictable times. Covid-19 has proven just how quickly life as we know it can change. Few would have predicted our current situation only a short time ago, just as few would have predicted that the issue of Irish Unity would be pushed to the forefront of political debate and become an increasingly likely eventuality in the near future. Unity, once thought of as a remote and distant prospect, is no longer a question of if, but when.

Dare we see a spark of hope amid the gloom that is 2021 so far?

Thu, Jan 21, 2021

Looking back 12 months at Insider’s preview of 2020, the danger of making even short-term predictions is starkly illustrated! The upcoming General Election, a post-Brexit trade deal, and the ongoing housing crisis were cited as the issues likely to dominate the political year; as it turned out, all featured but there was not one word about the issue that dominated the year - Covid-19.

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