Big demands, wasteful spending, and what about Salthill?

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

AS WE move into Galway's version of the ‘Silly Season’, where the commentariat find it difficult to talk about anything other than the Races or the arts festival, it was an opportunity that simply could not be missed for a couple of our more industrious city councillors.

Galway event to support injured jockeys

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

Champion jockey Ruby Walsh has broken more bones than it is worth detailing.

Along with dislocated hips and shoulders, he has broken both wrists, both legs, both ankles, ruptured his spleen, and crushed two vertebrae, in a career spanning almost two decades, and filled with racing accolades.

Permission for flood relief works in east Galway

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

Three projects to alleviate flooding in Kinvara, Monivea, and Tuam, will be granted approval this week by the Office of Public Works, allowing the Galway County Council to proceed with the measures.

Public meeting tonight on offshore electricity generating station

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

A further public meeting will be held in Furbo tonight regarding plans to construct an offshore electricity generating station at An Spidéal/Na Forbacha.

Galway councils ‘out of pocket’ by more than €1 million after rates revaluation

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

The Galway city and county councils will be €1,116,323 out of pocket due to a national agreement on rates recalculation which sees rates payments made nationally, and not to the local authorities.

Calls for city outer bypass to be fast-tracked

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

Calls have been made to fast track the city outer by-pass in order for Galway to properly benefit from the European Capital of Culture success.

Boat damaged at Barna after concrete slab thrown onto deck

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

Gardai in Salthill are investigating how a boat was damaged while it was berthed at Barna Pier last week.

Between the hours of 8pm on Tuesday, the 12th of July and 5am on Wednesday the 13th of July, 2016, the boat was damaged when a large slab of concrete was thrown onto the deck, causing damage to the emergency position-indicating radiobeacon, roller and jigger, causing more than €1500 worth of damage.

Bike thieves strike again in city

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

Guard in the city are investigating a number of bicycle thefts over the last ten days.

Galway 2020 will attract skiled workforce to the region, says project manager

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

Galway was officially crowned the European Capital of Culture in a ceremony last Friday, which resulted in a festive fever breaking out across the county, as thousands of spectators flocked to Shop Street to watch the final decision being made.

NUI Galway looking for landlords as plans to build 1,000 bed spaces are unveiled

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

Almost one in every five Galway houses is empty and NUI Galway

Grealish demands 17,500 vacant homes in Galway be used to solve accomodation crisis

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

A "root and branch" examination of the "scandalous" situation of why more than 17,500 homes in the county are vacant at a time of soaring demand for rental accommodation is being demanded by a Galway TD.

Informal learning in a fun setting

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

The mothers of two young adults affected by a rare genetic disorder met the Minister for Health Simon Harris recently at the launch of Ireland’s first European Exchange Summer camp for young people with Williams Syndrome.

New research into improving hand hygiene in intensive care units

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

Although hand hygiene is known to be the key to preventing hospital acquired infections such as MRSA, compliance with good hygiene practices remains low. With healthcare-associated infections affecting, on average, five per cent of hospitalised patients in Ireland, NUI Galway is to lead a Health Research Board funded project to improve hand hygiene practice.

Woman had luggage stolen after returning from holiday

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

A woman who was unloading her car after returning from a holiday had her luggage stolen in the city last week.

Final call for applications for NUI Galway sports scholarship scheme

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

NUI Galway has issued a final call for applications to its elite athlete sports scholarships scheme for 2016/17. The university has a long tradition of excellence in sport and this has been enhanced by the recent success in rowing, hurling, basketball, soccer, rugby and archery, as well as numerous individual achievements. The deadline for application for current and prospective students is Sunday July 31 at 5pm.

Springboard+ 2016 offers free course places for jobseekers

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

Springboard+ 2016 is the latest offering of free part-time and full-time higher education places to provide reskilling and upskilling opportunities for up to 5,825 jobseekers.

2020 vision for Racingman

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

I’m here so I am, like. Where’s me thunder clap? I’m your real culture…coming here thirty year or more, so I am, with me fadder and me fadder’s fadder and me fadder’s fadder’s fadder… though not at the same time like…Sun rises in the capital of culture…the real one, ate a clock in the morning like…waking up in a crumpled hape…smartphone alarm beep beeps into me ear...one hand picks up and smashes it again the wall...not so smart now is it…Pokemon Go, Pokemon go and feck off with yerself…’tis Race Week…where am I...recessed lights in ceiling shine into me eyes...discover me pyjamas have a hood in them… …and jeans…fell asleep in the clothes again...where am I...not Mrs O’Brien’s b & bloody b this year…no a cheap hotel I found somewhere on the internet thingy… jaypers the state of me…open shirt buttons and spray deodorant under arms and head for the lift…head on me like Boris Johnson…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…I’m part of Galway. I’m its culture too. Don’t look down on me ‘cos I don’t know Chekhov or ballet… I’m Racingman…there’ll be racing in 2020 too, don’t forget…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 few weeks…knocked on for 2020…For the day…the trickle, they’d needn’t have bothered their...whole week I’m here for…sit on steps, legs sprawled…then light up, brighten up... wink at young wan heading to work down town, get scowl but scowl back at her... I’m in love, besotted, but she don’t know what’s she missing...missing in Racingman... me. the man. I’m a cultural ambassador…for Galway…I can be a cultural icon…I back Galway…I back everything in Galway…Everything I back in Galway normally falls coming up the hill towards the stand…I 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…some fecker murdering a violin in the Square...where’s Lee Harvey Oswald when ya need him...get the Racing Post...to look cool like…in the know…and the Star...dash into Debbinghams cosmetics section and when the wimmen aren’t looking over, Racingman is lost in a spraycloud of Calvin Kyne, Packie Rabanne and Ralph Lawrence eau de sweat…lash on the lot of them…the cognac combo….then a splash on ur hand to look like ya know your stuff…spray some on that little card yolk… doubles up as a toothpick…smelling grand...looking good, give the auld Jogi Loews a scratch...ready for the road...ready for the course...hop into taxi...sit in front…legs sprawled…talk the talk…big head on him...air stinks of air freshener and stale conversation...he tells me country is fecked...emigrants should shag off home…to Mayo…Brexit. Tells me about the 2020 judges and how they were only here for the day but got the clap before they left…Asks me if I read Rita Ann’s poem…and how he agreed with it. Told him that I’m not into poetry that doesn’t rhyme. Then he said something about a rising tide lifting boats..knows his stuff this fella…crabbing on about emigrants taking our wimmen, can’t get jobs…and he’s from Lagos...three ways to racecourse...green, blue and red routes…an hour later we take a bit of blue and red and he drops me in a cowshit-spattered field near Castlegar church...walk that way he says... the brown route...and I walk...go to ring the boys but smartphone still smarting from batin’ I gave it… walk straight...shoes covered in dung...sham says ‘any wan 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 another 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... Maybe a whistleblower will get it for me…the big happy Templemore head on him and eyes red-out from reading Pulse all night…met the boys... the boys from home...lads shout yahoo at Ted Walsh and some others... 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… they want 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 and give me a happy ending…told her I can get a batin’ for nawthing outside the chipper…and if I want a happy ending, I can watch What A Wonderful Life…and the lads laugh…I know my culture…and then the streets...Latin Quarter with not a word of latin on me…nil desperandum and all that…from wan pub to another.…with the boys…Not a sign of any Latinos in the Latin Quarter… 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...hops into taxi and shows him card from hotel...Lagos man again......more stale conversation...he’s up from Carlow with all the other taxidrivers…tells me he loves Trump…drives me around town nine times and then drops me back 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…but I love it. I love Race Week, part of my culture…part of what we are…there’ll be racing in 2021 as well...never forget…i back Galway and I back whatever Weld sends out. Hup ya boyahs…..

Homelessness rises again in Galway and 'shows no signs of abating' says Farrell

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

The number of homeless adults in Galway has jumped by 37 per cent over the last six months - almost twice the national increase in homelessness - according to Government figures.

Holiday firm collapse cost a local family a long awaited holiday

Thu, Jul 21, 2016

My 11 year old son has had two holidays in his lifetime. Neither holiday was one any parent would like to go on or any sibling would really comprehend. One was a Make-A-Wish trip for his bigger brother, Ethan and the other was a Share A Dream holiday, also for his brother. These ‘holidays’ were magical and everything you could possibly imagine but they were emotional, more emotional than anyone could prepare for.

Galway duo find novel way to overcome amplifier bans on continental Europe

Tue, Jul 19, 2016

IF YOU are in a band and keen to promote yourself in a city that does not know you, a good way is to get out onto the street and perform, but if you are an indie-electro band you need amplifiers, which are increasingly banned for busking.

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