RSS 2.0 Feed - Galway Independenten-enCopyright by Galway Independenteditor@galwayindependnet.comNewsGanley predicts Treaty 'will hurt us' Category: News
Galway-based businessman Declan Ganley has accused the Government of having a “damn cheek” to ask the electorate to give up even more sovereignty in the forthcoming Fiscal Treaty Referendum.  The Libertas Institute Chair announced at the weekend that he would be campaigning for a ‘no’ vote in the referendum as, he said, the fiscal treaty is not going to come close to solving Ireland’s and Europe’s economic problems.  “Even if it was just neutral, you could make an argument for it, but it hurts us.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Uncertain future for Matthew

Category: News
The father of a son with a severe intellectual disability has expressed concern for his son’s future, as he prepares to graduate from school in the summer.  Matthew Conaty cannot communicate, is on a feeding mechanism, and requires constant supervision. He attends Rosedale Special School in Renmore, but will have nowhere else to progress to in June when he turns 18 years of age, as the Government is only obliged to provide services to children up to the age of 18 years. His parents, who already provide 80 per cent of Matthew’s care, say that the respite provided by Matthew’s six hours at school is vital.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTPlans confirmed for Kirwan Roundabout Category: News
The long-running debate over the future of the Kirwan Roundabout came to an end last night, with Galway City Councillors voting to remove the Menlo Park Hotel exit from the junction. While the current roundabout has five lanes, it is to be replaced with a four lane signalised junction under the N6 Multi-Modal Corridor Improvement Scheme. Presented at a public meeting in recent months, the plans provoked a negative response from the local community but city officials last night recommended that councillors vote in favour of the realignment of the road from the Menlo Park Hotel to form a new junction with the N84.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTBypass hearing to begin this July Category: News
A decision on the future of the Galway City Outer bypass is one step closer, with a date set for the European Court of Justice hearing. It was revealed this week that the EJC is to begin deliberations on the future of the Galway City Outer Bypass on 5 July, with barristers for Galway County Council beginning presentations on the multi-million euro project.  It is understood that the submissions will be heard by an Advocate-General of the European Court of Justice, who will then issue a legal opinion within six to eight weeks.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Gaelscoil vows to 'up the ante' in extension row

Category: News
The board of management at Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh has said it plans to “up the stakes” following a meeting with Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn last week. The school launched a campaign several months ago for a new extension to the Knocknacarra primary school, after the project was omitted from the Government’s five-year capital building programme.  While Minister Quinn did not schedule a meeting with the school’s management, he met briefly with representatives to hear their concerns while on a trip to Galway last week and board member Peter O’Halloran told the Galway Independent that the school is feeling positive about the progress]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTCouncil crackdown on city businesses Category: News
Courts in Galway are awash with businesses being pursued for commercial rates, as Galway City Council attempts to recoup over €16 million in outstanding payments. That’s according to solicitor and City Councillor Peter Keane, who was speaking at a meeting at City Hall on Monday night. Head of Finance Edel McCormack used the meeting to outline the serious financial challenges facing the local authority in the coming year and warned that it was launching a major crackdown on incompliant rate payers in the city.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTTaoiseach to announce jobs at Merit Medical Category: News
An Taoiseach Enda Kenny is due to visit Merit Medical’s new Vision Facility in Parkmore on Thursday during his visit to the city, when he is expected to make a significant jobs announcement. Founded in 1987, Merit Medical Systems is a worldwide company engaged in the development, manufacture and distribution of disposable medical devices used in interventional and diagnostic procedures, particularly in cardiology, radiology and endoscopy. Headquartered in Utah, Merit currently employs approximately 2,300 people worldwide and its existing Galway-based manufacturing facility enables Merit to provide direct distribution to European accounts.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTCouncillor taking legal advice over ‘racist’ accusation Category: News
A Galway City Councillor has said he is taking legal advice after being accused of making racist comments in a discussion over control of horses at City Hall on Monday night. Councillors were presented with a copy of the Control of Horses Act 1996 at the meeting in an attempt to identify ways of bolstering the local authority’s response to loose horses in the city. However, the debate quickly became heated, with councillors recounting a series of incidents in which accidents were caused on local roads due to horses wandering in front of cars.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTO’Flaherty in line to be next City Mayor Category: News
Independent Councillor Terry O’Flaherty is expected to be named the next Mayor of Galway City at a meeting next month. Mayor Hildegarde Naughton’s term will come to an end in the coming weeks and, under a pact agreed by Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and some Independent councillors following the last election, Cllr O’Flaherty is next in line to take on the chain of office. This will be Cllr O’Flaherty’s second time as first woman of Galway City, having previously acted as Mayor from 2003 to 2004.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTLocal delegation on way to Miami Category: News
A delegation from Galway is on their way to Miami today for the city’s Volvo Ocean Race Stopover. Representing local business and tourism interests, the group, who are travelling at their own expense, will be promoting Galway’s links to the US, the city’s potential as a destination for cruise liners, and the plans for the Volvo Ocean Race Grand Finale. Among the groups that delegates will meet with during their time in Florida is Skål, an international association that brings together all sectors of the travel and tourism professional industry.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTCountdown begins to Volvo Ocean Race Finale Category: News
Last Friday marked 50 days to go to Ireland’s largest festival and sporting event, the Grande Finale of the Volvo Ocean Race. With the boats on their way and just over a month to go before this spectacular event kicks off in Galway City, the team at Let’s Do It Global are working at top speed to ensure perfection down to the finest detail. To mark the milestone, ten children from Scoil An Linbh Iosa, Francis Street, Galway sported t-shirts with the ten flags of the participating countries at the Spanish Arch in Galway City.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTSplurge for charity! Category: News
TV presenters Anna Daly and Lisa Cannon have helped launch one of Ireland’s most fashion-forward fundraisers, Down Syndrome Centre’s Buy My Dress campaign, supported by Kellogg’s Special K. The Down Syndrome Centre hopes to raise €120,000 this year through the fundraiser, which will take place at various locations around the country on Saturday 26 May. The Galway Buy My Dress sale, which is organised by local lady Noreen McKenzie, will take place in the Meyrick Hotel on Saturday 26 May from 11am to 5pm.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTGalway nurse elected to INMO Category: News
A staff nurse at University Hospital Galway has been elected second Vice President of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). James Geoghegan was elected to the position last Friday during the INMO’s Annual Delegate Conference in Killarney. Mr Geoghegan has served on the INMO’s Executive Council for the last two years and will now serve as second Vice President for the 2012-2014 period.  He trained in Galway University Hospital and has worked mostly in GUH since qualifying, having worked for a short period in Australia.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTPop-up café for Belarus Category: News
Rahoon Youth Project’s Cookery group will host a pop-up café at Westside Library on Saturday, 19 May, from 11.30am to 1pm and from 2pm to 4pm.  The pop-up café will be selling a variety of scones, savoury wraps, quiches, apple tart, different types of cookies and muffins, cupcakes, bread and fruit loaves, brownies, granola bars, gingerbread, banana squares and plenty more. Any money raised will go towards The Belarusian Orphanage Project, which one of the group’s members is involved with.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTThought for the Week Category: News
When people experience hard times it can sometimes seem that they're never going to end. The dictionary defines adversity as "a serious or continued difficulty". People going through adversity are more likely to define it as hell. It is the long drawn-out nature of adversity, rather than brief spells of misfortune, that can crush the human spirit and cause related illnesses such as stress and depression. However, it's also at such times that people can discover their inner resilience and optimism, while having faith that the difficult times will come to an end.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTTalking History Category: News
There was always a danger of drowning for men living in the Claddagh. For most of them, their livelihood depended on the sea. Fortunately, there weren’t many tragedies, given that the men went to sea almost every day in all weathers. However, on Sunday 4 May 1902, one of the most tragic disasters occurred just off the Tawin, resulting in the deaths of eight young men. The following are extracts from the contemporary reports and a meeting held in connection with the tragedy.  The tragedy ‘A lamented drowning accident occurred in Galway Bay last Sunday afternoon, by which eight young men lost their lives under sad and distressing circumstanc]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTGalway woman is new Sunday Times food writer Category: News
Galway girl Móna Wise, whose first book ‘The Chef and I’ will be released later this month, has been signed up by the Sunday Times newspaper to pen a weekly food column.   The column premiered this week with Móna and her American chef husband Ron featuring as the cover story for the Sunday Times ‘Sunday’ section.   As the Sunday Times new recipe team Móna and Ron, who works as a gourmet baker in Morton’s, Salthill, will cook up a new chapter in their lives as they dish out weekly recipes that have been prepared in the kitchen of their Claregalway home.]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 17:39:00 GMTGalway to play its part in The Gathering Category: News
The people of Galway are being called on to get behind “what will be the biggest tourism initiative ever held in Ireland”. The Gathering 2013 aims to reach out to the 70 million strong global Irish diaspora and encourage them to play a part in Ireland’s recovery. Deputy Brian Walsh explained that the event will encompass a series of already established festivals including St Patrick’s Day and hopes to bring 325,000 extra visitors home.  “A number of new events will also be held to celebrate Irish food, our rich sporting culture and of course, Riverdance, with the launch of John McColgan and Moya Doherty’s new show.]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 11:30:00 GMT

President celebrates 40 years of RnaG

Category: News
The importance of Raidió na Gaeltachta for the development of Gaeltacht areas has been “incalculable”. That’s according to President Michael D. Higgins, who visited the station’s headquarters in Connemara with his wife Sabina on Friday as part of RnaG’s 40 year celebrations. In his address to staff and management at the station, President Higgins praised the work of the station over the last 40 years, saying that it had been vital in both “bolstering the language” and supporting communities in those areas.]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 08:00:00 GMTFine Gael to host Treaty meetings Category: News
A series of public information meetings on the upcoming Fiscal Stability Treaty Referendum will take place in the city this month. The events are being organised by Fine Gael, who are campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote on 31 May, but a spokesperson has stressed that there has no input from the party on the content of the meetings. The first will on Saturday 26 May at Oughterard Community Centre at 8.30pm with an address from Pat Cox of Alliance Ireland, while Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton will speak at a meeting at the Oranmore Lodge Hotel on Monday 28 May at 8.]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 15:15:00 GMT