Galway Bay Fm newsroom -Galway City and County Councils have responded to claims that neither local authority drew down funding this year from a national fund for Traveller accommodation.
They were among 15 councils nationwide who failed to share in funding of over 4 million euro made available by the Department of the Environment.
4.3 million euro – that was the figure made available by the Department of the Environment to 31 local authorities nationwide.
However, Galway City Council and Galway County Council were one of 15 councils nationwide who did not receive a cent of that money this year.
In a statement issued to Galway Bay FM News, Galway County Council says it did apply for funding, but received no allocation from central government.
However, it says a number of home purchases were made this year for Traveller accommodation under the departments Social Housing Investment Programme.
Meanwhile, Galway City Council says it was not in a position to apply for funding, as plans under this years accommodaton programme were not sufficiently advanced to meet funding requirements.
It says that plans under the Traveller Accommodation Programme, which runs until 2018, will be finalised in time for funding applications next year.
Galway Bay Fm newsroom – A proposal to renovate two homes at Newcastle in the city has been turned down by the city council.
John Duffy had applied for permission to renovate numbers 4 and 5 Newcastle Road, which are protected structures.
The development at Newcastle Road would have included the construction of a new extension at the back of the existing buildings.
It would also have included the conversion of existing buildings into four new apartments.
In refusing permission for the development, city planners state that the conversion would be contrary to the City Development Plan.
Planners concluded that it would be excessively dense, and would be out of character with the pattern of development at Newcastle Road.
They also state that the proposed extension in a restricted rear garden would seriously injure residential amenities.
The drivers of a campaign to turn Loughrea’s old Town Hall into an arts centre proved their point recently – by drawing hundreds to watch movies in the open air.
LARC (Loughrea Arts Recreation and Culture) wants to restore the old Town Hall and Cinema building to public use as a multifunctional arts and cultural centre. But in the continued absence of such a centre, they still proved the demand was there – by using the recent Culture Night to host a pop-up outdoor cinema on the town’s picturesque Fairgreen overlooking Lough Riach.
And fittingly – given their plan – the 1985 cult classic ‘Back to the Future’ was their choice on the night.
Conditions were perfect for their outdoor cinema event, with the Dublin-based Underground Cinema providing and assembling the pop-up cinema – and local businesses and volunteers all coming together to play their part.
The old Town Hall
McCormack’s filling station, for example, granted LARC access to their electrical outlets. Free power provided by the local businesses enabled an otherwise eerie post-twilight Fairgreen to be converted into a rustic outdoor cinema club with cascading fairylights overlooking the waterfront.
Another local business, McD’s of Loughrea, allowed free use of their car-park, and local volunteers assisted in guiding cars and pedestrians to and from the car-park and event site.
Event organizers were surprised by the high turnout of families that attended, as the film was screened at 9.30pm.
Daniel Cronin reported a turnout of around 300, with “at least 100 to 150 in front of the screen and the same again sitting on walls surrounding the Fairgreen”.
People flocked to the park in festival attire with fishing chairs, blankets and take-aways in hand. Families, couples, groups of friends all huddled together, wrapped in jackets coats and blankets for an al fresco pizza-fuelled cinematic experience.
And they left the place as they found it.
“Everyone took everything away. There was no rubbish left behind. I went back the next morning to double check and there was nothing except for a pair of gloves that had obviously fallen out of somebody’s pocket,” says Daniel.
It was just another idea with the community group hopes to convince Galway County Council – which owns the protected structure on the corner of Barrack Street and Church Street – to set aside their Part 8 planning application to redevelop the structure as start-up offices and a Heritage Museum.
The community has already shown a united front in opposition to the council’s plans.
LARC members at the Loughrea Town Hall (from left), Ciara Coy, Daniel Cronin, Tony Callanan, Fergal Anderson and Mary Paula Healy.
And they have been beavering away compiling a feasibility study – using findings from community surveys, discussion groups, drawing information from various arts centres and similar projects.
“Loughrea doesn’t have any public infrastructure for creative arts or culture and we think that’s something that’s necessary – the town wants it.
“There’s need for a creative outlet for the people that live here, and for access to cultural events – that’s part of a growing as a community, that’s part of a living society, that’s part of what makes somewhere a good place to live.
“We want Loughrea to be a good place to live,” said LARC’ Fergal Anderson.
Following Culture Night, LARC held a meeting to discuss events and assess when they are in terms of plans, finance and scheduling.
Going forward LARC focus their attention on their upcoming fundraiser event, the Big Gig, which is to be held on Saturday, November 7, in the Lough Rea Hotel.
The fundraiser will host ten or twelve local groups, including drama groups and performers, poets, traditional dancers, singers and songwriters. The Big Gig is designed “to showcase all that can be done under one roof” serving as preview to the potential possible uses for their proposed Loughrea Town Hall conversion, says Fergal.
The local community group are calling on local artists to submit pieces for exhibition at the Big Gig, where the gallery will serve as a platform to show that the creative arts are very much alive in Loughrea.
Local architect Maria Donoghue has been of invaluable service to the Loughrea community group.
The Loughrea native now lives in Limerick but remains very much connected to her hometown and felt compelled to help LARC in their plight to save a precious local heritage site. Daniel describes her as ‘very enthusiastic about the project’ and relays her anecdotal tales of Town Hall dances she attended as a young girl. Locals have been denied access to the building since the late 1980s.
Maria is working free of charge and has just completed first draft drawings based on results from a survey, carried out amongst the community.
The first draft provides a general outlook, a suggested framework as to what Loughrea Town Hall could potentially become. They say it is now “ready for scribbling and re-drafting”.
Blueprints will be showcased for the local community to see at the Big Gig. An information desk will be made available to provide answers to questions and queries. A large function room on the ground floor level of Lough Rea Hotel will play venue to the event – large enough, they hope for the entire local community to rally together.
Tickets for the Big Gig will be available for purchase from ‘Bia Linn’ café on Main Street, Loughrea, priced at €10 or they may be purchased at the door on the night of the event for €12.50.
For further information visit LARC website or contact them via their Facebook.
Intense discussions are to take place to determine if sulky racing can again be allowed at the Ballinasloe October Fair after it was banned at this month’s event.
There was a lot of bad feeling amongst the Travelling community when the decision was taken not to allow sulky racing take place – so much so that the popular lunging event in which horse owners display their animals for sale was disrupted and did not take place.
However, there was another lunging event last weekend in Ballinasloe as part of the annual fair and this went off without incident.
In recent years, sulky racing has taken place in a controlled situation – rather than on public roads. But the authorities prevented it from happening at this month’s event for health and safety reasons.
But now Cllr Michael Finnerty has confirmed that discussions would now take place amongst the interested parties with a view to holding the sulky racing again.
He said that these would involve the fair organisers, Galway County Council and the local Gardaí among others. He said that he wanted to avoid the scenes that took place on the first weekend of the fair.
Over the course of the two week fair, the event attracts tens of thousands – the vast majority of whom come for the spectacle. However, there is a lot of serious horse trading conducted as well with some animals on view worth in the region of €30,000.
It is also an occasion for the publicans and traders in the town to take advantage of the two week bonanza as Ballinasloe, like other rural towns, has suffered considerably during the recession and the recovery seems to be very slow.
There have been a number of public order incidents but nothing more than usual while there were thousands of viewers on social media who were intrigued when one Traveller entered the Tesco store in the town on a pony.
But the ban on the sulky racing prompted an ‘invasion’ of the lunging and the Gardaí had difficulty in controlling the situation. A video of the scenes shocked some viewers on social media.
“What we have learned from this situation is that people don’t want to be driven, they want to be led. It is possible for the sulky racing to be held at The Glebe and all interested parties will be coming together to make this happen next year,” Cllr. Finnerty added.
He gets up at four o’clock in the morning and cranks up his digger and then gets to work as an agricultural contractor; in North Galway and Roscommon he is considered one of the best.
Several hours later he returns home, heads for the shower, dons the suit, has a bit of breakfast – and then Mick Fitzmaurice heads for Dail Eireann because that is where the public want him to be.
The straight-talking Glinsk man and turf cutting campaigner has become the darling of the national media and they simply cannot get enough of him.
It is simply to do with the fact that he speaks clearly and simply and yet what he says resonates with nearly everyone in rural Ireland.
Mick Fitzmaurice is the sort of many who would much prefer to get down from the digger, head straight to Leinster House, speak his piece on behalf of his constituents and get back to the daily routine.
Unfortunately for him, politics in Ireland does not operate that way and it is a time-consuming career and there are often days in which he spends 20 hours doing both jobs.
He has a young family and, as he says himself, a wonderful and understanding wife.
Early last year the public got their first real taste of what Fitzmaurice was about. He declared his intention to run as an independent candidate for Galway County Council mainly on the basis of protecting the rural fabric of the county.
The closure of Garda stations, post offices, banks and various other services infuriated him. He wanted to have some influence in trying to ‘stop the rot’.
He had a huge team behind him and canvassed the Tuam Electoral Area intensely.
He received the third highest first preference and was elected on the first count having exceeded the quota by almost 800 votes.
His supporters were delirious but Fitzmaurice was more restrained and immediately afterwards spoke to the local media about his concern for rural Ireland and how services were being eroded.
At the same weekend Ming Flanagan from Castlerea was elected to the European Parliament and this prompted a bye-election in the old Roscommon-South Leitrim constituency. Fitzmaurice decided this was an opportunity to bring his views and concerns to a national stage.
He could not even vote for himself as he put his name forward and mounted a similar intense campaign.
But he captured the imagination of the mainly rural voter in this constituency.
He may not have topped the poll but he received a major first preference and it became apparent from an early stage that he was to receive an unprecedented transfer from the many independents in the field. They even loved him in Leitrim.
A year on in the Dail, his focus has not changed. He wants rural communities to be reinvigorated. He wants life brought back to villages that are suffering. He wants the elderly to feel safe in their own homes.
“First of all I want to consolidate what we have in rural Ireland and then I want to take what we have closed and use them to our benefit,” he told The Connacht Tribune.
He added: “We cannot stop banks from moving out of towns and villages but at least we can encourage credit unions to replace them and provide a more extensive range of services”.
Fitzmaurice would love for his Independent Alliance to be part of the next Government.
“If I cannot implement change for the benefit of rural communities, then what is the point of me being there”.
He hopes that they can win ten or twelve seats and then maybe they could prop up a Fine Gael/Labour coalition.
But it is abundantly clear he is not there for the money and just has rural Ireland at heart.
Now he will be standing in the new Roscommon-Galway constituency where he can actually vote for himself – and at the moment he is the only Galway candidate standing in this part of the constituency which has 20,000 potential votes.
The Galway jockey who lost his foot in a motorbike accident while holidaying in Asia last month remains ‘in good spirits’ in hospital in Thailand.
Brendan ‘Beano’ McDonagh remains in hospital on the island of Ko Samui after sustaining serious injuries following the accident four weeks ago.
Brendan (23), from Knockerasser in Moycullen, is still currently undergoing surgeries and procedures to his jaw and arms, and is being monitored closely by doctors.
His family, in a statement to the Connacht Tribune, confirmed Brendan’s “attitude is positive” and he “is looking forward to getting home”.
Hopes are high that Brendan may be able to travel home by the end of this month.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) and Department of Foreign Affairs have been briefed on his progress and are aware of the situation.
The McDonagh family is liaising with the health services here and they say “the plan is for Brendan to return home at the end of the month and be admitted to hospital on arrival.”
The family added: “We are awaiting a medical report from the hospital and decision can then be made on how he will travel home.”
The young jockey had been living in Australia for two years. He was heading back to Ireland to resume his career in riding but stopped off for a holiday in Thailand on the way back.
During the break, he hired a motorbike and was involved in a serious accident.
Brendan underwent emergency surgery after being rushed to hospital but his leg could not be saved. He continues to undergo surgeries and procedures to his arm and jaw.
The local community has rallied round since the accident and family and friends are engaged in fundraising initiatives to pay for the medical and travel costs.
Among the initiatives is an online auction, Bid for Beano, which went ‘live’ last week, with all proceeds going to Brendan’s medical and repatriation costs.
There are more than 40 lots available, with some excellent lots donated, including signed speeches by renowned jockey Ruby Walsh, as well as gold green fees at Oughterard Golf Club and Ballinrobe Golf Club, dinner at the White Gables in Moycullen and a wedding photography package from Neil Harrington.
A full list of the lots is available online at Galabid.
The auction, which can accept bids from all over the World, remains open until October 31. The family has thanked the local community for their support to date.
Galway Bay Fm newsroom – The Connemara Pony Breeders Society has adopted a new code of conduct for judges who officiate at their annual Show in Clifden.
The wide ranging regulations include not socialising with people exhibiting ponies at Show time, a proper dress code in the judging ring and not being under the influence of alcohol.
The old saying of being sober as a judge has made its way into the regulations governing the behaviour of those who will judge ponies at the annual Connemara Pony Breeders Society Show in Clifden.
A wide ranging code of conduct for pony judges has been adopted by the Society’s Council following recommendations from a sub committee that is tightening the rules.
The Code of Conduct says that judges must be totally impartial and fair and that they must set an example in the Society.
This includes their deportment in the Judging ring where ladies are asked to wear suitable attire and a hat. Male judges must wear an appropriate suit and a hat …or a cap…while judging.
The code also states that judges must not be under the influence of alcohol or other mind altering substances while on duty on Show Day.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – Only one out of 21 drink drivers who were brought before the courts on the Aran Islands over the past two years was convicted.
New figures reveal that nationally, only 40 percent of drink driving cases listed before the country’s District Courts result in conviction.
Between January 2013 and May of this year, more than 20 thousand people were brought to court charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
According to today’s Irish Times, just under 7,000 people were convicted.
21 cases were listed in Cill Rónáin District Court, Inis Mor during this time – but there was only one conviction, and the person involved did not have their licence number recorded.
The highest conviction rate was in Offaly, at 68 percent.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – NUI Galway is to play a major role in a new EU technology network.
Ireland has been chosen to lead an EU consortium of supercomputing across Europe in a bid to drive more advanced technology.
Supercomputers are the most powerful computers available, and are used to make weather predictions, model the effects of climate change, and conduct advanced scientific and medical studies.
The EU has announced plans to invest 140 milion euro under the Horizon 2020 programme to develop the next generation of supercomputer technology.
Of this, 4.8 million euro will be used to create a new centre of excellence for supercomputing, known as E-Cam.
According to the Irish Times, the new network, made up of 16 institutions and 12 industrial partners will feature NUI Galway as a major partner.
The university is host to the Irish Centre for High End Computing, Ireland’s national supercomputer facility.
It’s hoped the consortium can develop specialised software modules to aid research in the areas of food, drug development and the study of biological systems.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – The long-awaited new school building for Coláiste na Coiribe has opened its doors to students for the first time this morning.
The new state-of-the-art facility is located at Ballyburke on the Ballymoneen Road in Knocknacarra.
The first sod for the new building was turned by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan this time last year.
Previously, Coláiste na Coiribe operated out of cramped conditions at Tuam Road in the city.
The new gaelscoil building is designed for 720 students and will be the largest gaelcoláiste in the country when at full capacity.
There are currently 500 students in the new school, which brings together students and teachers that were previously spread across three locations in the city.
Speaking to Galway Bay fm news, Principal Stiofan O’Cualain says it’s a major milestone for the school community.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – Over 2,500 students will graduate from NUI Galway during the Autumn Conferring Ceremonies which take place all this week, starting today
The University will also confer an Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree on Irish actor, Stephen Rea tomorrow
Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway, says Stephen Rea is being honoured for his outstanding and distinctive contribution to the world of culture, theatre and film in Ireland and far beyond
Galway Bay fm newsroom – The Justice Minister is being urged to intervene in a spate of heroin fuelled crime in Knocknacarra.
Senator Trevor O’Clochartaigh says that a group of dangerous individuals operating in the area are well-known to Gardai and are currently ‘wreaking havoc’ in the area.
The Sinn Fein Senator says the gang has been apprehended in the past but is now continuing a crime spree after being released on bail.
He says one resident has had their home targeted three times in just one month – and is now being threatened and intimidated by the gang after reporting the incident.
Senator O’ Clochartaigh says the situation must be tackled as a matter of urgency:
Speaking to Keith Finnegan, Independent Councillor Mike Cubbard says that heroin use is becoming an issue in a number of areas in the city – but he’s hitting a brick wall in tackling the issue.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A sexual assault case against former Connacht Rugby player Mils Muliaina has been dropped due to a lack of evidence.
The 35-year-old appeared at Cardiff Crown Court in September charged with one count of sexual assault, which allegedly took place in Cardiff city centre on March 7.
He had denied the claims.
Muliaina played for Connacht for a short time earlier this year, but now plays for Italian side Zebre.
The case against the World Cup winner has been dropped due to a lack of evidence.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – Thousands of euro worth of damage has been caused to Gort Mart after the facility was ransacked by burglars overnight.
A forensic examination is underway after the damage at the Ballybawn premises was discovered by a member of staff at 8.45 this morning.
CCTV cameras at the facility have been destroyed and hard drives containing the video footage have been stolen.
Windows and doors were broken, and the mart office was also vandalised.
The phone and computer systems were destroyed, and the phone line was cut.
The mart will remain closed until Wednesday as a result of the incident, during which nothing of significance was stolen.
Loughrea area councillor Gerry Finnerty is the Mart manager and told NewsBreak the damage is significant.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – The Minister for Transport will meet with Galway TDs this week over controversial plans for a greenway from Dublin to Galway.
Landowners in East Galway have expressed concerns about the proposed route for the greenway and the majority are opposed to the plans.
Minister Paschal Donohoe has now received a report from the National Roads Authority on the latest round of consultations.
Galway East T.D Ciaran Cannon says the report will definitively point out that the current proposed route is not viable.
The meeting with the Minister will take place at Leinster House on Wednesday at 4p.m.
The ICSA has today issued a statement urging the minister to reflect on the huge opposition from farmers to the planned route – and re-think the strategy.
Speaking to Galway Bay fm news in Brussels, MEP Mairead McGuinness says mediation might be necessary.
WE’LL BE RETURNING TO BRUSSELS TO HEAR MORE FROM MEP MAIREAD MCGUINNESS ON FYI GALWAY AT 5 THIS EVENING.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – The Supreme Court has dismissed the latest action against Derrybrien windfarm
The Derrybrien Development Society asked the Court to declare that planning decisions relating to a wind farm development on a mountain at Derrybrien, did not permit the deforestation of more than 115 thousand trees.
However the Supreme Court refused the request and the Development Society says it’s shocked and deeply disappointed by the ruling relating to the area of the 2003 landslide
It’s 12 years since the environmental disaster at Cashlaundrunlahan mountain., which caused significant damage to surrounding areas.
According to an estimate by Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, the incident killed around 50,000 fish and dislodged 450 thousand cubic metres of peat.
A high court order in 2005 stated that the immediate cause was most probably the construction works for a windfarm.
The case has been heard on a number of occasions at national and European level since 2005 – the most recent case is the appeal taken by the Derrybrien Development Society last year.
The group claims that no planning permission was sought or granted for the felling of around 650 acres of forestry on the windfarm site, and no Environmental Impact Assessment was carried out as required by Irish and EU legislation.
The group says the local community is deeply disappointed at the Supreme Court’s refusal of the appeal, as the action was taken in a bid to protect the local environment.
The Derrybrien Development Society says it will now carefully consider the judgement.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A County Councillor is demanding that a Superintendent be re-instated at Gort Garda Station to tackle the scourge of rural crime in South Galway.
The call was made at today’s meeting of Galway County Council by Loughrea Councillor Michael Fahy, after he informed his fellow councillors of the overnight ransacking of Gort Mart.
The Ballybawn facility had its CCTV cameras and computer systems destroyed, windows and doors broken, phone line cut and main office vandalised.
Councillor Fahy took the opportunity to tell those in attendence that it was time to put an end to the disgraceful situation in South Galway and call for the return of a Garda Superintendent to Gort.
As a sub-district, Gort currently falls under the remit of the Superintendant for Loughrea Garda Station, having recently lost its own superintendent.
The Independent Councillor says he’s written to Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald outlining local concerns in a bid to have the situation addressed.
Councillor Fahy told FYI Galway the overnight raid on Gort Mart was the final straw – and it’s time to put an end to rural crime in South Galway.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – There’s uncertainty about the future of a free parking scheme for county towns just weeks after a trial period was first announced.
At last evening’s meeting of Galway County Council, a number of councillors objected to the scheme after full details were provided on the impact it would have on local funding.
Chief Executive Kevin Kelly provided a break-down of the potential loss in revenue by municipal district, for a total of over half a million euro.
The introduction of free parking in Ballinasloe for two hours a day during the trial period would result in a loss of 130 thousand euro followed by Clifden which is projected to lose 98 thousand euro.
Loughrea would lose 90 thousand euro, Tuam 85 thousand euro, Oranmore-Athenry 70 thousand euro, with Gort set to suffer the least with an estimated loss of 65 thousand euro.
CEO Kevin Kelly told councillors that the funding would have to come from somewhere, and he suggested that local roads expenditure or notice of motion funding would be the likely source.
This prompted fierce backlash from a number of councillors, with Tom Welby suggesting that the entire scheme be scrapped as he would not give up any funding from his area.
Councillor Peter Feeney said the scheme would lead to more pot holes and dangerous situations on roads – while Jimmy McClearn expressed doubt the scheme would be of any real value to businesses.
Councillor Karey McHugh said the scheme was essential for towns like Tuam that were being slowly strangled.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – Farmers in Galway are urged to attend a meeting in Athenry tonight (20/10) on the Beef Data and Genomics programme.
The Agriculture Minister, Simon Coveney, has organised a series of meetings across the country for beef farmers.
The meeting will take place at 8 tonight in the Raheen Woods Hotel Athenry.
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A Greek MEP and member of the country’s Communist party will deliver a talk in the city tonight.
Kostas Papadakis will be hosted by the Communist Party of Ireland as he travels to Galway, Dublin, Swords and Belfast on a speaking tour.
The MEP will speak about the impact EU policy has had on Greece, as well as the role of the Syriza party in Greek society.
MEP Papadakis will also meet with members of Galway’s anti-water charge movement.
The meeting will take place in Richardson’s, Eyre Square at 8.30 tonight.
