Labour calls for Right to Read campaign

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Around 19 per cent of secondary students drop out of school just after their Junior Cert or when they reach 15. Many do so because they have difficulty with reading and writing.

Six Galway tax defaulters pay €750,000 in latest list

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Six Galway people made settlements totalling almost €750,000 between July and September of this year, according to the latest tax defaulters’ list released this week by the Revenue Commissioners.

Burglar’s luck runs out after he doesn’t take chance given to him

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

A city man’s luck ran out this week when he was jailed for his part in two robberies committed last year, after he came to Garda attention in September, while being given a chance by Judge Mary Fahy to mend his ways since his last court appearance in June.

Laptops and jewellery stolen in city raids

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Gardai are appealing to witnesses for the following burglaries which have occurred over the last week.

Entrance to Castle Park must be widened, says O’Flaherty

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The entrance to the Castle Park estate, opposite the SCULL centre, is becoming a bottleneck and must be widened before a serious accident occurs there.

Éamon ‘Obama’ and ‘Baracking’ Éamon

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

There are hundreds — if not thousands — of men across the globe making a good living at impersonating Elvis Presley. They are the ‘Elvis lookalikes’ and ‘soundalikes’, an uncanny knack of nature that produces a shape and a voice something like Elvis. It won’t be as good as Elvis, but it will be good enough to draw a crowd… and keep drawing a crowd.

JCI announces Ambassador Award winners at reception

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Junior Chamber International Galway last night presented the Ambassador Awards 2008 at a reception hosted by Martine’s Restaurant and Wine Bar on Quay Street. The awards, sponsored by Niall McNelis of Claddagh and Celtic Jewellers are part of JCI Galway's 2008 free tourist guide, with some 60,000 copies distributed earlier this year.

ICSH launches new business energy saving scheme in the west

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH), the state’s national social housing federation, has launched a new national energy saving scheme this week in Ballinasloe, Co Galway. In association with Bord Gais, the scheme was developed to benefit housing associations, which provide more than 20,000 homes for families, older people, the homeless, and people with disabilities throughout the country.

Galway poets to celebrate the city in verse

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Three poets will undertake the creation of three separate new poems to commemorate the history, people, and reality of Galway city.

Santa to arrive in Eyre Square Centre this weekend

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The Eyre Square Centre will launch its SantaVille Christmas village this Saturday, with the man himself arriving at 11am to take up residence in his new holiday cottage.

Lighting of Christmas tree in Ballybane

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The lighting of the Christmas tree in St Brigid’s Church grounds, Ballybane, will take place on Monday December 8 at 6.15pm.

Public meeting on education cuts

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The controversial cuts to education in Budget 09 have been the source of much public anger and a public meeting on this contentious issue will take place in Galway city next week.

Ceannt Station must not get ‘fast track’ planning permission says Green Party candidate

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Bypassing City Hall’s planning office to fast track the proposed Ceannt Station development must not be allowed take place as transport infrastructure is given a low priority in the masterplan.

Better bus service on the way for Salthill/Knocknacarra

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

More buses are to be introduced in Galway to service the Salthill and Knocknacarra areas over the next three years, according to Fianna Fáil Galway West TD Frank Fahey.

The move follows representations to Bus Éireann by Dep Fahey, calling on the company to introduce a “higher frequency service” for the areas.

City to host public forum on osteoarthritis

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

NUI, Galway will host a public forum on osteoarthritis in The g hotel conference centre on Tuesday December 9 at 7.30pm.

Order, order, the Dáil bar has opened

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Most mere mortals will have never had a chance to sample the Dáil bar, but that changed in Galway this week when a new pub of the same name opened in the city centre.

Gotta pick a pocket or two — gardai warn revellers about cheeky thieves

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

As we finally hit December numbers of shoppers on Galway’s streets are on the increase for the run up to Christmas.

Are you being served — Karma to host night out for retailers

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

This Saturday (December 6), Karma is throwing a “Retail Therapy” party for all retailers to let their hair down before the Christmas madness really sets in!

The bypass that doesn’t pass by — the joke’s on Galway

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The news that came out of An Bord Pleanala on Tuesday that the Galway City Outer Bypass has been consigned to history is a massive blow to Galway’s chances of ever really developing the sort of infrastructure it needs to put this city on a level footing with the other major cities. The news has been greeted with dismay by people who have a strong commitment to seeing Galway get the sort of facilities it deserves if it ever hopes to genuinely be this country’s third city. It has been welcomed by those who opposed it on grounds of proximity, ecological concerns and perhaps in some cases, by people who object on a point of principle, no matter the location throughout the country. For the tens of thousands of others who were looking forward to Galway’s transport infrastructure getting a shot in the arm, it is bad news. Every year we are slipping further and further behind the other cities which must be laughing at Galway’s ability to shoot itself in the foot when it comes to providing the sort of infrastructure that cities by their nature need if they are to carry on being cities and not become bottlenecks. We had the same thing with Mutton Island. Months in meeting-hours were spent at city council level trying to get this through, and now even its original detractors have to admit that the sky did not fall in. With any major infastructural development, there are worthy merits and demerits, and the Galway City Outer Bypass was no different in that regard. No doubt, it would have had a major detrimental effect on the quality of life in picturesque areas such as Ballindooley and Bushypark. It would cut through the natural environment like a sword, but the nature of modern geography is to change the landscape to allow people to live in the times they are living. Other countries such as the UK manage to have broader and noisier roadways cutting through its green heart and over time they blend in, as the realisation of their necessity overrides any localised objection. But they get built. Even the motorway through the heart of Tara got the go-ahead in the end. What we were left with in Monday’s ruling is a sort of joke, an Irish joke. A joke on Galway. The bypass that does everything but allow you to pass by the area it is meant to be bypassing. And so Galway commuters will face the crawl around the city for another decade with little idea of what will be put forward as an alternative to the bypass. Thankfully, the N6 is motoring along and should be open on time, but that will do little to alleviate the city’s traffic problems where there is a massive imbalance on the location of schools and industrial estates, necessitating river and city crossings. Now the upshot of it all is that we must go back to the drawing board and start from a clean slate. We have to ask what is really achievable and what is not. How realistic is GLUAS? If it is, then let’s go down that line, but at €200 million, that too looks like a non-runner. Are bus lanes really working? Can we get people to cycle to work? Will there be work to cycle and drive to? The officials who will be charged with picking up the pieces of this decision have a lot to occupy their minds. However, let’s look at ourselves. Cork has had its tunnel for several years now; the one under the Shannon will be open in Limerick in about 24 months, and in Galway, well, zilch. Let’s hope that the programmes on the radio are interesting for the next decade, cos we’re going to be stuck in traffic for many many more years to come.

New cut-price grocery business means new jobs for Milltown

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

SHOPPERS no longer need to go to Northern Ireland for cut-price groceries as prices similar to, or even lower than, the North or the UK on all leading brands are now available at the N17 Grocery Price Club based at Milltown on the Galway-Mayo border.

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