When people power meets petrol power

Thu, May 13, 2010

Have ya ever seen the Government move as fast on anything as they did on the head shops. All it took were a few phone calls to Joe Duffy and you didn’t even have to be from Clontarrrrrrrrrrrfff Joe and hey presto, they’re introducing legislation that came into force, not tomorrow, but yesterday. That’s the type of Government ya need. Introducing laws so fast that they’re in force by the time you get to hear about them. All around the country on Tuesday morning, poor Hans and Jurgen and Johann with the funny hair who ran the head shops had to draw up “Closed Til Further Notice” notices so much on the hop they had been caught by our ultra quick fast reacting Government. Mary Harney, a woman who wouldn’t be in the FloJo league when it comes to turn of speed, had the laws in by the time that Hans and Johann and Jurgen had gone to bed, and by the time the dawn broke over the headshops and they looked through the hazy scene that was their lovenest, they were no more. And if Hans and Jurgen and Johann thought they were going to just shut up shop for a few days to give them time to change the name of the legal high to Ohjaysisthisisgreatdylhide, fast Mary had out-thought them on that too. She had the clear head, ya see. She wasn’t smokin’ any of that auld foreign shite. When she’s overseas, she doesn’t go into the brown cafes. No, she goes to the hairdressers and probably the nice muffin shop next door. She wrote into the law that any drugs that have their names changed and that the guards think are a bit funny can be deemed illegal as well, so now go away and put that in your pipe and smoke it, she told them, smug as anything. She might be leaving Granny for 72 hours on a shopping trolley in Casualty our Mary, but she put it to those foreigners with their head shops

Accused refuses to give evidence at jockey murder trial

Thu, May 13, 2010

A man accused of setting fire to a UK block of flats killing two promising young jockeys, including Claregalway native Jamie Kyne, refused to give evidence at his trial yesterday.

Human League, Josh Ritter, Heaven 17, and Cathy Davey for arts festival Big Top

Thu, May 13, 2010

Synth pop legends and heroes of 1980s electro The Human League and Heaven 17, and leading singer-songwriters Josh Ritter, Cathy Davey, and Damien Dempsey, will all play the Galway Arts Festival Big Top in July.

AIB seeking €18m judgment against Corrandulla businessman

Thu, May 13, 2010

A Cprrandulla businessman is being pursued by Allied Irish Banks for €18 million summary judgment orders over unpaid loans allegedly advanced for property developments in Galway, property investment in New York and a bloodstock business.

Because of defects in the bank’s legal documents, Mr Justice Peter Kelly adjourned the bank’s application for transfer of the proceedings against Joseph Joyce and his company Cahermorris Developments Ltd to the Commercial Court to this morning (Thursday.)

Naughton makes her case to be FG city candidate in election

Thu, May 13, 2010

She may only be on the Galway City Council for less than a year, but Fine Gael’s Hildegarde Naughton is nothing if not ambitious, and her sights are now firmly set on running in the next General Election.

HSE cuts will set back nation’s dental health by a decade, warn dentists

Thu, May 13, 2010

Almost 68,000 local medical card holders will be denied routine dental treatments, including fillings and extractions as well as dentures and treatment of gum disease, due to HSE cuts, according to the Irish Dental Association.

Denouncing what it terms the health authority’s decision to dismantle the medical card dental scheme and reduce it to one which only provides limited emergency cover for card holders the association says the move is “unsafe” and “unworkable”.

Castlerea Prison responds to Walsh’s allegations about prisoner escape

Thu, May 13, 2010

A spokesperson for Castlerea Prison has responded to allegations by Fine Gale councillor Brian Walsh, regarding the recent escape of a prisoner from University Hospital Galway.

Connolly’s motion condemning Government will live to fight another day

Thu, May 13, 2010

An attempt to pass a motion of no confidence in the Government’s handling of the economic crisis failed to get a chance to be heard at Monday’s city council meeting.

Galway Theatre Festival table quiz

Thu, May 13, 2010

THE GALWAY Theatre Festival’s Arts Quiz takes place at 8pm on Thursday May 20 at the Galway Arms, Dominick Street.

Leading PR guru to give communications masterclass in the city

Thu, May 13, 2010

One of Ireland’s leading PR Professionals, Jack Murray, will host a special communications masterclass in the Radisson hotel Galway on May 27.

GPO goes into voluntary receivership

Thu, May 13, 2010

The GPO nightclub on Eglinton Street has gone into voluntary receivership, but despite this it is still “business as usual” at the venue.

Nolan condemns ‘unthinking’ bureaucracy which cost VEC training places

Thu, May 13, 2010

Thirty training places at the city of Galway VEC’s Sandy Road training centre have been lost due to “unthinking and illogical bureaucracy” according to Labour councillor Derek Nolan.

Road carnage adverts could lead to male drivers taking more risks, says NUIG research

Thu, May 13, 2010

New NUI Galway research has found that advertising campaigns showing the carnage on the nation’s roads could actually lead to young male drivers taking more driving risks.

Fracas in Eyre Square

Thu, May 13, 2010

Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to come forward following a late night fracas in Eyre Square at the weekend.

Dolan’s to hold summer art auction this weekend

Thu, May 13, 2010

Dolan’s art auction returns to the Marriott Hotel on the Headford Road, Galway, this weekend, with a very interesting and varied collection of paintings and sculptures.

Get the truck outta here

Thu, May 13, 2010

The heart of Loughrea needs its arteries unclogged according to local Fine Gael representatives Sen Ciaran Cannon and Cllr Mogie Maher, who have called for a ban on heavy goods vehicles in the town centre.

The pair said this week that the town centre is still experiencing heavy HGV traffic almost five years after the completion of the bypass, and both traders and shoppers have asked that a ban on HGVs be put in place.

Hospital consultants get on their bikes for charity

Thu, May 13, 2010

Two Galway hospital consultants will embark on a novel fundraising drive next week when they begin a 1,000 mile cycle to Russia.

Safety measures to be erected at Cregmore Cross next week confirm Fahey and Noone

Thu, May 13, 2010

Variable message signs alerting drivers to their speed will be erected at Cregmore Cross next week, according to Dep Frank Fahey.

Dep Fahey said this week the Galway County Council has informed him of its plans to erect the signs at the junction as part of a traffic calming programme following the recent crash which saw a lorry career into several cars in the parking area at the front of Cregmore National School.

Victim left for dead after ‘savage’ attack

Thu, May 13, 2010

A young third level student and part-time barman who had everything to live for had his life turned upside down after being left for dead in a laneway following a savage attack almost nine years ago leaving him with permanent facial paralysis.

One of his attackers, 34-year-old John Quigley with an address at 31 Mullacreevie Park, Armagh, was this week sentenced to six years at Galway Circuit Criminal Court. Quigley, who had been living at Carn Ard, Circular Road, at the time of the offence, pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to James Curley on August 26, 2001. The court heard that although Quigley had been arrested the following day he was soon granted bail and absconded to Northern Ireland. Despite persistant efforts by gardai it was not until November 2009 that Quigley was arrested on foot of an extradiction warrant and taken into custody.

Happy end to a story worthy of Hollywood star

Thu, May 13, 2010

When Bish student and Galway's Secret of Kells Oscar nominee Evan McGuire took to the red carpet in Hollywood a few months ago, little did he know that a real story of friendship worthy of a movie would unfold before his very eyes in the coming months.

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