A Lithuanian man has been fined €300 for swallowing two small bags, believed to contain heroin deals, when Gardai went to search him at a known heroin dealing site.

Alberta Navickas (25), 7 Snipe Lawn, Newcastle, appeared in custody before Galway District Court having been arrested in Waterford on foot of a bench warrant issued by the court in May after he failed to appear.

Navickas pleaded guilty to obstructing Gardai Noel McNulty at Upper Newcastle on April 30 last, by chewing, swallowing and refusing to spit out a bag, which Garda McNulty believed to contain heroin.

He also pleaded guilty to a similar obstruction charge which occurred during a drugs search at the same location three days later.

Inspector Kevin Gately said Gardai observed a known heroin user in the area on both dates and they approached the accused who placed two small plastic bags in his mouth and proceeded to chew them.

He was directed to spit them out, but he refused and swallowed then instead.

Defence solicitor, Sean Acton, said his client had come to Ireland three months ago and was sleeping on a couch in a house with his fellow countrymen.

He moved to Waterford when they moved because he had no money.

Mr Acton said his client had started taking heroin since coming to Ireland but he did not appear to be addicted to the drug as he had been in custody for five days and had not been sick.

Hearing the accused had pleaded straight away and had no previous convictions, Judge Timothy Lucey fined him €150 on each charge.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A quarter of a million euro has been sanctioned towards flood mitigation works in South Galway as the Gort to Tuam motorway progresses.
Minister Simon Harris confirmed the funding during a visit to the county today where he met residents and councillors over the future of Kiltiernan National School.
They argued that flood mitigation works are needed to prevent any flooding caused during the motorway’s construction.
The entire project is expected to cost in the region of €375,000.
The NRA, the department of transport and Galway County Council will be required to allocate the remaining €125,000.
Minister Simon Harris told Galway Bay fm news that the concerns of the local community have been listened to.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – The principal of Kiltiernan National School says she’s hopeful that years of stress and worry can be brought to an end following the announcement of funding for flood works.
A quarter of a million euro has been sanctioned towards flood mitigation works in South Galway as the Gort to Tuam motorway progresses.
Minister Simon Harris confirmed the funding during a visit to the county today, where he met residents and councillors over the future of Kiltiernan National School.
They argued that flood mitigation works are needed to prevent any flooding caused during the motorway’s construction.
The entire project is expected to cost in the region of 375 thousand euro, but does not meet the OPW’s cost benefit analysis criteria.
However, the minister says the OPW will fund the project up to the cost benefit cut-off, which covers about two thirds of the cost of the works.
The NRA, the department of transport and Galway County Council will be required to allocate the remaining 125 thousand euro.
Principal Edel Leech says the threat of flooding has been a major concern for the school and the local community.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – Galway City and County Councils are being asked to outline how homeowners’ property tax is being spent.
Galway Senator Fidelma Healy-Eames says full transparency is needed in relation to the Local Property Tax, and how its used in the local community.
She says Galway County Council has collected almost 24 million euro in LPT since 2013, while over 13 million euro has been collected by Galway City Council.
Senator Healy Eames says she’s written to both councils asking them to outline the types of services the property tax is providing for homeowners.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – There are plans to build a new access road into Claregalway secondary school.
The application seeks to construct the access road from Lakeview Road to the Coláiste Baile Chláir site.
The new access road is intended to serve as the permanent access route to the school campus.
The current access point through Claregalway Business Park would then be closed up.
The application also sets out to provide a pedestrian and cycleway.
Approval was granted earlier this year for a new two-storey building with 17 specialist classrooms and six general classrooms.
It will also include 45 car parking spaces.
The application for a new entrance is now at pre-validation stage with county planners.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – Senior management from UHG are to meet with Impact trade union representatives on Thursday in a bid to lift the threat of strike action at the University Road campus.
It’s over plans to transfer the social work and physiotherapy departments to make way for an expanded accident and emergency unit.
The majority of staff impacted by the plan voted in favour of industrial action last month following a ballot.
Concerns focus on patient safety and the ability to maintain adequate standards of care as a centre of excellence.
The meeting takes place at 3pm on Thursday.
Impact’s Padraig Mulligan says it will also call for evidence of a clinical risk assessment.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A man has been remanded in custody charged with threatening to kill staff at two psychiatric units in the city.
Mark Condon, of 37 Slieve Carron, Gort, appeared by video link from prison at Galway District Court.
Mark Condon is charged with making a threat to kill or cause serious harm to a male member of staff at Ballybane Day Hospital on July 9th last and with harassing the same man between June 22nd and June 30th last.
He is further charged with threatening to kill a female member of staff at the psychiatric unit at UHG on June 29th.
Judge John King remanded the accused in custody to appear before the court again on Tuesday, August 18th for possible further charges.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – Blasting as part of the construction of the M18 near Kiltiernan has been postponed pending the completion of a hydrogeology report.
Over 400 households are served by the Kiltiernan Group Water Scheme and locals are concerned about the impact of blasting on the source of the group scheme.
Galway East T.D Paul Connaughton says residents received a letter yesterday (5/7) stating that blasting would begin.
However, when he contacted the construction company it was agreed that blasting would not take place until a report is compiled by a hydrogeologist.
Deputy Connaughton says it’s welcome news for concerned residents in Kiltiernan.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – ESB Networks has moved to allay fears regarding electricity supply issues in the Connemara area.
It’s after Galway Sinn Fein Senator Trevor O’Clochartaigh received representations with concerns regarding ongoing outages impacting Gleann Trasna, Tir an Fhia and Leitir Mor.
In a statement to Galway Bay fm news, the utility apologies for any outages experienced in Gleann Trasna, Tir an Fhia and Leitir Mor.
It adds that since 2007, the overhead line in question has been upgraded and maintained.
ESB Networks has recorded three outages in the area so far this year.
A transient fault occurred on March 22nd, a planned outage took place on April 21st and another fault was recorded on June 13th where an extensive part of South Connemara was without supply.
This fault was caused by a swan colliding with a line.
The electricity provider concludes that infrastructure is subject to unavoidable variations in voltage interruptions to supply.
This arises due to severe weather, system faults and failure of items of plant.

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Days Gone By – Stories from our archives 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago

1965 – Females needed to ‘decorate the mahogany’

Dear Sir,

It must be a source of consolation to the ratepayers of Galway that the are offered the privilege to ensure the survival of their top executives in the event of a nuclear bomb attack by subsidising a shelter incorporated in the plan for a new vocational school in the city.

They can assuredly also take pride in being allowed to carry a bigger burden for similar protection inconsistently for the brass hats in Renmore Barracks who might otherwise be expected to become similarly involved in their own preserves on a lunatic ‘white elephant’ effort of this nature.

I suggest that somewhere along the line there must have been loose thinking by the egg heads responsible for conceiving such a fantastic brainwave without sufficient concentration on details overlooked in the planning stage.

I’m fully convinced that the accommodation of the shelter should at least cater for a small group of substantial ratepayers and similar facilities should also be available for a few members of the female sex in a certain category.

This is necessary as an essential guarantee that the “mahogany can be decorated” to keep the machinery functioning if the emergency should arise and it might also be as well to try and preserve a few taxpayers for good measure for the benefit of the army personnel.

Naturally I’m not suggesting that these inferior second-class citizens should be allowed to associate with their superiors in such a dire calamity as envisaged, but with a proper layout it is easy enough to guard against such danger and at the same time provide for the future development of the human race.

Nevertheless, as far as I’m concerned and, as I see it, all categories of citizens in this country are being protected from nuclear bomb attack by United States military power in South Vietnam and elsewhere without any thanks or appreciation from ingrates in high places in this country who have lost trace of our friends by fostering an Afro-Asian axis that is a positive menace to the welfare of this ancient nation.

Yours,

Peter O’Farrell.

For more from the archives: See this week’s Tribune

1915 – Bombardment in Kilnadeema

1940 – Fracas in Bohermore laneway

1990 – Great Southern takeover and European flights for Galway?

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – The long-running dispute about the administration of a social and community assistance programme in County Galway is unlikely to be resolved this year.
The High Court has set dates in February 2016, for the hearing of an appeal by Galway County Council in relation to legal proceedings brought by FORUM Connemara in Letterfrack.
The 8th and 9th of February, 2016 – six months from now – are the days set by the High Court for the hearing of an appeal by Galway Co Council in relation to an earlier judgement in a case taken by Forum Chonamara.
The case relates to the awarding of a contract for the administration of a social and economic local support programme in the County.
The County Council maintained that the process of selecting a company to administer the programme known as SICAP was valid and correct.
Galway Rural Development company won the contract, but Forum Chonamara challenged the process.
The Commercial Court decided there were grounds for a Judicial Review but the County Council appealed that decision.
Meanwhile, the SICAP programme cannot start up in Galway until Court proceedings are finalised.
The County Council says that less money is available because of the impasse.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – The city’s nuclear free status is to be celebrated on Sunday.
The event is being led by Galway Alliance Against War.
It aims to mark the 70th anniversary of the dropping of a US atomic bomb on the Japenese city of Nagasaki in 1945.
The anti-war campaign group is urging the public to bring paper peace lanterns to the event.
These will be hung on trees around Eyre Square at around 2pm on Sunday.
Niall Farrell of Galway Alliance Against War says it aims to highlight the fact that nuclear weapons haven’t gone away.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A temporary bathing water ban has been implemented for parts of the county.
The public is banned from bathing at Traught in Kinvara, An Trá Mhór, Indreabhán, Ceibh an Spidéil, Trá na bhForbacha and An Trá Mhór, Garmna.
It follows water sampling at these areas which showed elevated levels of bacteria.
The County Council says the likely cause is the very heavy rainfall over the past week or so.
Further samples are being taken today and the results will be available next Sunday, when a further notice will be issued.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – The Food Safety Authority of Ireland imposed a prohibition order on a city-based fish wholesaler last month.
The order was issued to Gary Creaven Fish Sales in Menlo for non-compliance with food legislation.
A prohibition order is issued if activities such as the handling, processing or storage of food is likely to involve a serious risk to public health from a particular product, class, batch or item of food.
The aim is to prohibit the sale of the product either temporarily or permanently.
Environmental Health Officers from the HSE issued the prohibition notice to Gary Creaven Fish Sales in Menlo.
They found that all smoked salmon product with insufficient labelling and traceability details, in particular with no approval number, placed on the market.
In total last month, the FSAI issued 17 enforcement orders across the country on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A cyclist has been airlifted to hospital following a serious road collision outside Kinvara.
The incident occurred at around 1.30 this afternoon on the road between Kinvara and Ballindereen.
The man, aged in his mid 40s, was airlifted to UHG where he is being treated for serious injuries.
The road has been closed by Gardai to facilitate a forensic examination of the scene.
Local diversions are in place in both directions from Kilcolgan to Kinvara.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – Gardaí are seeking the public’s assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 40 year old city man Raymond Walsh.
Raymond, better known as ‘hopper’, is missing from the city since Tuesday (04/08) when he was last seen just off Newcastle Road between 12 noon and 12.30pm.
When last seen, Raymond Walsh was wearing blue pyjamas and green ‘Gola’ runners with black stripes.
He may also be wearing a black hoodie and grey beanie hat.
Raymond is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, of medium build with reddish brown hair and some facial hair.
The Mervue native also has a cross with Indian ink on one of his forearms.
Gardaí are concerned for Raymond’s welfare and anyone with information is asked to contact Galway Garda Station on 091 538000 , the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666111 or any Garda Station.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – 324 vehicles were clamped at University Hospital Galway last year.
According to a survey carried out by the Irish Daily Mail, it was the highest number of clamps at a hospital outside if Dublin.
Private company, Parkrite charges 75 euro to release at clamp at UHG.
A net operating profit of 944 thousand euro was generated at the hospital carpark in Newcastle last year from parking monies and clamp release fees.
A spokesperson for UHG says a weekly concession is available for long-term patients and families.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A man charged with selling bogus concert tickets has been remanded in custody until October.
John Tomkins(44), of no fixed abode, appeared before Galway District Court this week charged with inducing two women to lodge €200 and €210 respectively into his bank account for tickets to AC/DC concerts which the women never received.
He is charged with handling the respective amounts of money, knowing they were stolen and with giving false and misleading information regarding the transactions to Garda Paul McNulty at Galway Garda Station on April 18 last.
Tomkins is also charged with damaging the walls and door of a holding cell at Galway Garda Station on June 26 and with the theft of items from a car at Murrough, Renmore on the same date.
He is further charged with having items in his possession at a house on Renmore Road on February 14 last with the intention they be used in connection with a burglary.
Judge John King remanded the accused in custody to October 7 for service of the Book of Evidence.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – Plans for new fitness studios in the city have been turned down.
Edward and Tracy Dunbar have been refused planning permission by the City Council for the studios at Joyce’s House, Tuam Road Retail Centre.
The development at Joyce’s House would also have included 12 therapy rooms as well as a hair salon and beauty salon.
However, city planners refused the development stating that the applicants failed to show enough information, legal interest or permission for the provision of sufficient car parking spaces.
The Council also states that the proposed development fails to comply with the principles of access for all and social inclusion.

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Galway Bay fm newsroom – A bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Claddagh man who he failed to appear before Galway District Court this week.
33 year old Wayne Donnellan, 3 Beattystown, Fairhill is charged with assaulting a man, causing him harm at Eyre Square on October 27 last year.
He is further charged with damaging a car wing mirror, with being drunk and a danger to traffic due to being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, with failing to give his details to Garda Pat Foley, and with being drunk at Dominick Street on July 29 last.
Noting Donnellan was not legally represented and was not present in court, Judge John King issued the warrant for his arrest.

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