Forced sales by banks adding to housing crisis, says Canney

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

Under pressure landlords in Galway whose properties are being repossessed by the banks are being forced to evict tenants, as banks are insisting on vacant possession for sales to go ahead. This is according to Tuam based councillor Sean Canney who says he knows of five or six incidences of this occurring in his local area.

Councillor Canney is blaming the banks for adding more pressure to an already overburdened rental system. “There are a lot of families out there worried about where they will end up this Christmas. They may be on the housing waiting list and have been renting of a landlord who is now being forced to evict them against his will. This is very hard on people who may hhave made their home in a certain area. It is not like the landlord wants them to leave the property but he has no say as its in the bank’s hands.”

Let’s shine a light on Galway’s greatness

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

NUI Galway Senior Lecturer, boards.ie/adverts.ie Co-Founder, Startup Advisor, ACE Fitness/WestBIC Boards

New lifeline for families dealing with drug and alcohol use

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

A new support group aims to give a lifeline to local families dealing with the impact of drug and alcohol use.

The organisation, which has no political or religious affiliations, will hold its first meeting at the Pastoral Centre, Newtownsmith on Thursday November 19 at 7.30pm. 

“It is just by randomness of birth that we are Irish — so we have to help others”

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

I am just back from my recent travels from Galway to Uganda. It takes two days to travel from Galway to travel to the poor homes of Kayunga and Ndeeba in Uganda but, in a very real sense, the journey is one of thousand upon thousands of miles. After two days of travel, your eyes are heavy and your legs are stiff but, in Kayunga, your mind is racing. Your first thought is to wonder how people could live in such poverty; your second is to wonder how you can help them out of it.

CIPD West Annual Gala Evening 2015 to benefit Hand in Hand

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

The CIPD Annual Gala evening is the highlight of the CIPD calendar. This year’s sparkling event, takes place on Friday November 27 in the Radisson Blu Hotel Galway at 7pm.  

Galway Indian Community to hold major Diwali celebration

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

Diwali, the festival of lights, and an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in every autumn in India, will be marked by the city’s Indian community this month with a major, celebratory, event, to which all Galway is invited.

Sketching in the City of the Tribes

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

When you think of plein air painting, Galway may not be the first town that springs to mind. You’re more likely to conjure up a sleepy Italian village, or maybe the French Riviera. But, even in November, Galway is perfect for a different type of outdoor painting. The global Urban Sketching movement is all about drawing wherever you are. People all over the world can be seen with their tiny sets of paints, scribbling away in sketchbooks, sketching whatever happens to be in front of them – indoors and out.

I’ve been a member of Urban Sketchers since 2012. On Saturday I joined Hilary Morley Clarke and her group of sketchers to take part in an urban-sketching type event called Offsketch, a one-day sketchcrawl in partnership with Galway Design Week which was designed to get people together to sketch our beautiful city. The weather wasn’t perfect for sketching, being cold and a bit on the damp side, but luckily we were made very welcome in St. Nicholas’ Church, where the choir was practising for Remembrancetide, a concert of movements from Brahms’ German Requiem, to be held the following evening.

Renmore woman heads to South Sudan with Médecins Sans Frontières

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

Renmore woman Laura Heavey is travelling to South Sudan to begin working with the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in a hospital in the northwest of the country. Ms. Heavey, who graduated from NUIG has specialised in paediatric medicine for a number of years and will be working in a clinic run in conjunction with the South Sudanese Ministry of Health.  

Entrance interview preparation course for the primary teaching master’s programme

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

Áras na nGael will run an intensive Irish oral preparatory course for the entrance interview to the primary teaching master’s programme.

Christmas has arrived early — revision courses only €50 

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

Galway Grinds Academy is now enrolling for its upcoming popular Christmas intensive revision courses for Junior and Leaving Certificate students. There are a total of 14 courses from which to choose. 

Enhance your CV with a payroll qualification

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

In today’s economic climate many businesses require additional office skills from prospective employees. A working knowledge of the Irish payroll system is an excellent skill to add to your CV.

A quality education for your son at St Mary’s College

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

St Mary’s College which opened its doors in Galway in 1912 is now 103 years old.  It has a long tradition of the highest quality education and facilities within Galway city. It boasts the finest sports facilities and offers a large range of subject choices for your son.

Learn valuable life saving and health and safety skills

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

HR Connections offers a range of first aid and other health and safety courses which can be customised to suit any industry, as well as programmes for transition year and PLC students and courses for the public.

The QQI Level 5 first aid course enables participants to qualify as occupational first aiders for a period of two years, and includes defibrillator training and CPR. Popular programmes for transition year and PLC students include the one-day emergency first aid course, together with manual handling, fire safety, and/or food safety. These courses can be delivered throughout Ireland over a number of days or spread out over a number of weeks.

How to get your toddler to eat more vegetables

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

It can be a daily struggle trying to get your toddler to eat vegetables, and for some a nightmare. Do you know that your toddler (age one to three years) needs up to four portions fruit and veg a day (one portion is one banana, or 2tbsp cooked veg). 

Enrolment for Coláiste Néifinn Athenry 

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

Coláiste Néifinn is an established Irish college in Athenry, Glenamaddy, and Castlebar. The college caters for the learning of the Irish Language for 12 to 18 year olds.

Coláiste Néifinn Athenry enjoyed another very successful year with students from Loughrea, Athenry, Claregalway, Oranmore, and many other places. Students got the chance to sharpen their linguistic skills during the course. Coláiste Néifinn Athenry introduced ‘A Dianchúrsa Gaeilge’ on the 2015 course, covering poetry, prose, essays, and grammar, based on requests/feedback from parents for senior students. This is an option that has already proven popular on the Glenamaddy course. This allows more contact time with teachers for the preparation of the Leaving Certificate course. Places are offered on a first come, first served, basis. 

Overcoming childhood learning  difficulties in weeks, not years

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

Welcome to the November 2015 issue about our brain, how it works, and what affects its function. Having had someone close to me with pretty severe learning difficulties, I embarked on that road of help and interventions. We tried everything, with little success, until we came across validated tried and tested online solution programmes, and we have never looked back.

Galway Bay Hotel Winter Wedding Fair next week

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

Galway Bay Hotel’s wedding team invites you to join them on Thursday November 19 from 7-9pm, for their annual winter wedding fair. This fair will promise to be one of the best wedding exhibitions in the west of Ireland with guest speakers from Weddingsonline.ie with insights into bridal and wedding trends for 2016 and top tips for your special day. There will also be a fashion show featuring the latest wears from Belladonna Bridal, Martin Feeney Menswear and bridesmaid dresses from Harper Galway.

The evening will not only play host to this wonderful fashion event, you will also get to meet with the hotel’s wedding team along with a range of Galway’s leading wedding suppliers. This is the perfect event for couples looking for inspiration for their wedding day. Sample the culinary delights from our award winning executive head chef Robert Webster who will be also be on hand to help you choose the right dishes to make your day a memorable one. Suppliers will provide creative ideas on cakes, bands, djs, floral arrangements and so much more. The hotel in association with their wedding partners, is also offering prize giveaways worth over €2000 on the day.

Doggie DayCare — leave your pet in great hands

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

Doggie Daycare Galway was established at the beginning of 2013 by Howard Haynes. Howard is a certified dog trainer with years of experience training dogs, and uses only positive (non aversive) reward based training methods.

Seahorse Aquariums Galway — Why seahorses?

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

Dating back as far as 13million years, seahorses are one of the ocean’s most special creatures. They have many traits unique to Seahorses and their cousins. Seahorses have no teeth, no stomach and are the only known species where the male becomes pregnant. Indeed many species pair for life. Seahorses range in size from the tiny 11mm Pygmy Seahorse to the largest, the 35cm Australian Pot Belly Seahorse. Ireland has it very own Seahorse species, found as close to Galway City as Connemara, the Spiny Seahorse (Hippocampus histrix).

Seahorse reproduction is unique in the animal kingdom. Each morning a seahorse pair strengthens their pair bond by performing a mating dance for up to one hour. During spawning the female transfers the eggs into the males pouch. Over the next few weeks the male incubates the eggs until he gives birth to up to a few thousand fry which drift in the surface currents until settling to the bottom a few weeks later.

Frank Autobody Repairs on the winning podium again

Thu, Nov 12, 2015

Frank Byrnes Autobody Repairs recently won the Autotrader Bodyshop of the Year Award for 2015. The second annual Irish Auto Trade Awards were presented at a gala dinner in the City West Hotel in Dublin. Frank Byrnes Autobody Repairs won Connacht/Ulster Bodyshop of the Year and on the night went on to win the Overall National Bodyshop of the Year Award.

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