A journey that may as well be a million miles

Thu, Oct 04, 2018

It takes two days to travel from my home in Galway to the rural poor families with whom Self Help Africa works with in Uganda. But in other respects it’s a journey that may as well be a million miles. After two days of travel, your eyes are heavy and your legs are stiff but your mind is racing. You cannot but question how come there are people living in such poverty. It is inevitable then that you ask ‘what can I do to help?’

Leader of successful bid campaign appointed Galway 2020 CEO

Thu, Oct 04, 2018

Galway 2020 has announced the appointment of Patricia Philbin as CEO of the Galway 2020 team.

Following the recent departure of CEO, Hannah Kiely, Ms Philbin has been seconded from Galway City Council, where she is currently Director of Services and who has extensive experience in the administration of cultural services.

Book of Lady Gregory’s writings launched at Autumn Gathering

Thu, Oct 04, 2018

NUI Galway hosted the Lady Gregory Yeats Gathering with a book launch for Lady Gregory’s Irish Writings 1883-1893 edited by James Pethica and a new exhibition of materials at the Special Collections Reading Room of the James Hardiman Library.

NUI Galway Innocence Clinic to review Maamtrasna and set up database of wrongful convictions

Thu, Oct 04, 2018

In its very first workshop, the law, journalism and human rights students of the newly-launched NUIG Innocence Clinic this week observed the 5th Annual International Wrongful Conviction Day with a minute of silence to remember the hundreds of thousands of innocent people still awaiting justice worldwide.

International Wrongful Conviction Day was established on 2 October 2013 as an effort of the Innocence Network, an affiliation, based in New York, of organisations worldwide that are providing pro bono legal and investigative services to people seeking to prove their innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted. Innocence and human rights organisations around the world plan special programmes on that day ranging from screening topical films to offering public talks in order to increase awareness of wrongful convictions. Research suggests it is likely that between 2.3 and 10 percent of all convictions are of innocent people.

Two Galway players hope to make Underdogs team to play Dubs

Thu, Oct 04, 2018

Two young Galway men will attempt to make the final cut for the Underdogs team that will play All Ireland Champions, Dublin. Fintan O Cuanaigh from An Spidéal and St James’ GAA Clubs will be hoping to secure a final spot in the midfield position and Enda Fleming from Corofin is looking at making the cut in either the half back or half forward lines.

Global IT leader SOTI announces 150 new jobs with opening of Galway office

Thu, Oct 04, 2018

Galway had its second jobs boost in a week when SOTI Inc — a world leader in mobile and IoT device management solutions, announced the opening of a local office and the subsequent creation of 150 jobs.

Higgins campaign gathers pace as Mayor urges Galway to support president

Thu, Oct 04, 2018

Ahead of a public meeting on the campaign to re-elect Michael D Higgins as Uachtarán na hÉireann, the Mayor of Galway, Labour city councillor Niall McNelis, is urging Galwegians to support the campaign and to vote for Uachtarán Higgins on October 26.

Galway’s first Pumpkin Patch opens in Ardrahan this Halloween

Thu, Oct 04, 2018

An enterprising Galwaywoman and former journalist has decided to capitalise on the US trend of families attending a pumpkin patch to handpick their pumpkin at Halloween by setting up a pumpkin patch at her family farm in Ardrahan, in south Galway.

Let’s not let the next crucial decade slip by

Thu, Oct 04, 2018

I’m due to retire sometime late in the spring of 2030. Around four o clock on that day, there’ll be be a soft shuffle of footsteps at the office door, the smell of cheap birthday candles from the pound shop, and the loud ticking of an engraved timepiece to somehow none too subtly remind me of the time that I’m supposed to be at work, and just how many of those hours were devoted to keeping the coffee industry alive in local hostelries. There’ll be a few hoary auld speeches that will all begin with ‘d’ya remember the craic we had when....” and then after a few awkward silences, there’ll be a card with a voucher for an afternoon tea, and the kind offer of helping me with the few cardboard boxes out to the car, because after all the new person will be starting on Monday and.....

Thoughts of 2030 come to my mind this week at a crucial juncture in the timeline of some major projects in this city. I wonder on that day as I sit there with my few cardboard boxes, looking out on Eyre Square, just how much of the city will have changed. Will I look across and see the sun reflecting in from the coast, bouncing off the glass windows of Bonham Quay; will I see thousands of excited young visitors and workers make their way up through and into the Ceannt Quarter where lie beyond delights of retail and cultural experience?

Fantasy Football round eight preview

Thu, Oct 04, 2018

With European business done and dusted for another week, it is time for Fantasy managers to refocus their minds and look towards the Premier League.

'Excellence' of Galway staff leads Wayfair to announce 200 new jobs

Thu, Sep 27, 2018

Wayfair, one of the world’s largest online destinations for the home, yesterday (Wednesday) marked the 10th anniversary of its multi-lingual European Operations Centre in Galway, Ireland with the announcement of plans to expand its workforce across the country.

Galway West Labour to 'campaign vigorously' for Michael D's re-election

Thu, Sep 27, 2018

While Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D Higgins will contest October's presidential election as an Independent, his former colleagues in the Labour party in Galway West have pledged to "campaign vigorously" for his re-election.

Public meeting to ask 'Is Brexit is an opportunity for Ireland?'

Thu, Sep 27, 2018

For many, Brexit is a right-wing project because the principal authors are an extreme element of the British Tory Party. However an Australian academic will be putting forward a very different view at a public meeting in Galway.

‘People Need to Live Here’ posters to appear on vacant houses in city suburbs

Thu, Sep 27, 2018

Posters bearing the words ‘People Need to Live Here’ appeared on vacant properties throughout Bohermore, Woodquay, the Docks, and the West End of the city, with more such posters to appear in the city suburbs this week.

JFC Agri businesswoman named winner of Female Leadership Award

Thu, Sep 27, 2018

Miriam Concannon from JFC Agri has been named winner of the Anna May McHugh Female Leadership Award at the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena at the National Ploughing Championships 2018.

Ó Cuív demands rules for community employment schemes be ‘relaxed’

Thu, Sep 27, 2018

All vacant places on the Community Employment Scheme, the Tús Scheme and the Rural Social Scheme must be “filled without delay”, while rules governing the schemes must be changed to allow participants to stay on longer if no other suitable applicants are available to fill them.

Time the so called Republican Movement apologised and compensated

Thu, Sep 27, 2018

Insider has been a keen observer of the political scene for well over 40 years, and, up until recently, thought he had seen and heard it all. There were many contenders for the ‘Brass Neck’ award over the years - from Charlie Haughey’s ‘doing the State some service’ to Ray Burke’s ‘line in the sand’ to Bertie Aherne's ‘won it on the horses’.

'I don't think you can approach anything without having as a consideration the representation of women'

Thu, Sep 27, 2018

The Mai is a richly-woven story of four generations of women in one midlands family. At the centre of the household is The Mai, a 40-year-old woman torn between her wayward husband and her family’s happiness in a play that brims with passion and poetry, love and lyricism, heartache and hope.

Abortion Access Campaign West public meeting

Thu, Sep 27, 2018

Legislation to provide for termination of pregnancies in the State will be introduced in the Dáil in the first week of October, but a new abortion rights group fears it will "not guarantee equal access to everyone".

Soc Dems pick their candidates for local elections

Thu, Sep 27, 2018

Sharon Nolan, one of Galway's leading campaigners on LGBTQ+ rights, gender recognition, and better trans healthcare, will be running for the Social Democrats in the 2019 Local Elections on a platform of "engaging younger and underrepresented voices in Galway".

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