Fund-raising concert to take place in Oughterard

Thu, Dec 04, 2014

A concert will take place in Oughterard next Friday December 12 to aid with the cost of felling two trees in the grounds of Kilcummin parish church.

Brierhill NS holds its popular Christmas Fair this Saturday

Thu, Dec 04, 2014

All roads lead to Brierhill NS hall this Saturday for the popular Christmas fair.

Restored Oughterard Courthouse to host first concert

Thu, Dec 04, 2014

The first phase in the restoration of the Oughterard Courthouse has been completed, and to mark the occasion the historic building will host its first concert on Monday (December 8).

Explore Galway’s Buildings in stone with the new guidebook

Thu, Dec 04, 2014

A new guidebook has been published by NUI Galway’s discipline of Earth and Ocean Science highlighting the wide variety of local and imported natural stone used in Galway City's buildings.

Trad night for Pieta House

Thu, Dec 04, 2014

A night of traditional folk music will take place in The Forge, Moycullen, this Friday, December 5, to raise funds for the Pieta House West facility in Tuam which provides counselling to people who are self-harming or suicidal.

Santa and his puppy elves at Dangan Nurseries this weekend in aid of MADRA

Thu, Dec 04, 2014

A fun event in aid of local dog rescue charity MADRA will take place at Dangan Nurseries this Saturday and Sunday (December 6 and 7) from 12-4pm.

Free concert of Irish and Estonian music

Thu, Dec 04, 2014

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Two Wildes sculpture, there will be a concert of Irish and Estonian music this evening at 8pm.

The concert, which is taking place in the Aula Maxima, NUI Galway, also marks the 10th anniversary of Estonia’s accession to the EU. In 2004 Galway was chosen as the Irish city that would welcome Estonia into the EU and to commemorate the occasion Estonia presented Galway with the statue of Irish writer Oscar Wilde and Estonian writer Edvard Wilde.

Harvard education expert to deliver keynote address at city conference tomorrow

Thu, Dec 04, 2014

Professor Pasi Sahlberg, the Finnish educator and now Visiting Professor in Harvard Graduate School of Education will deliver the keynote address 'Lessons from top education systems around the Globe' at the 'Reforming Learning: Driving Success' conference at NUI Galway tomorrow Friday.

Galway Memorial Tree lights to be switched on tomorrow

Thu, Dec 04, 2014

The lights on the Galway Memorial Tree, located at Galway Hospice, will be switched on tomorrow (Friday) at 6pm by Mayor of Galway Donal Lyons.

Clare Quinn, who stole the show on last week’s Late Late Toy Show with her rendition of ‘Nessum Dorma’, will be the guest soloist at the event. The Kiltulla Community Choir will sing a selection of traditional and contemporary Christmas songs to set the festive spirit for the switching-on ceremony.

Council urged not to do Irish Water’s ‘dirty work’ of installing meters

Wed, Dec 03, 2014

Galway City Council workers are being called on to down tools and refuse to carry out preparatory work for the installation of water meters on behalf of Irish Water.

Galway designated a UNESCO City of Film

Mon, Dec 01, 2014

Galway has become the only Irish city, and one of only five cities in the world, to be designated a UNESCO City of Film. The winning of the title could also prove “enormously beneficial” to the city’s on-going bid to be named European Capital of Culture 2020.

Show me the money — Councillors call for maximum benefit from Connemara windfarm

Thu, Nov 27, 2014

A report on the proposed new windfarm which covers a massive 4,000 acres in Connemara was circulated to councillors at the meeting of the Galway County Council this week and revealed that a substantial community fund, potentially worth millions of euro will be generated by the development.

Councillors demand that county benefits from Capital of Culture process

Thu, Nov 27, 2014

A presentation on how the designation of Galway as the European Capital of Culture could benefit the county was given to councillors at this week’s local authority meeting. The designation celebrates Europe’s cultural diversity with two member States, Ireland and Croatia, sharing the 2020 title. Galway is currently putting together a bid and the successful bid will be announced in 2016, therefore giving a three year lead up to 2020.

Councillors were staunch in their support of Galway to be successful in its bid, but were adamant that the county must see a substantial benefit from the proposed designation. Council director of services Catherine McConnell gave the presentation which outlined how the city alone would not be able to cope with the increase in tourism if the title comes west, and the county would have a huge supporting role in accommodating visitors. Ms McConnell said it was essential to showcase the best of what Galway has to offer on an International stage and the county must be fully committed to the bid from the outset. She cited staff, elected members, the arts and cultural sector, the HSE, schools, and every community in the county as having a vital role to play in the bidding process. The benefits to being awarded the title were outlined, and they included major economic and cultural development, greater recognition of ‘brand’ Galway, a lasting legacy, community empowerment and social engagement, along with town regeneration possibilities. Cork, Derry, and Liverpool were given as recent examples of transformational change as a result of being awarded ECOC status. Catherine McConnell said the model of The Gathering would be looked at as a way to get communities involved in the process, she also emphasised that it was a capital of culture not a city of culture.

Cubbard urges City Hall not to hand over tenants information to Irish Water

Thu, Nov 27, 2014

Irish Water has no right to any information held by the Galway City Council on its tenants and must not hand over any information on them to the controversial and mistrusted quango.

Councillors say the Galway County Council should not collect Irish Water debts

Thu, Nov 27, 2014

There was consternation among some councillors at this weeks meeting of the Galway County Council over reports that local authorities will be forced to collect debts on behalf of Irish Water.

Tuam district councillor Shaun Cunniffe claimed that a briefing document available online sets out that councils will be asked to collect unpaid water charges from council tenants on behalf of the utility company. A statement by Irish Water which is outlined below has since confirmed that this will indeed be the case. Councillor Cunniffe proposed and passed a motion to object to this practice which he labelled as outrageous, and this was seconded by Independent councillor James Charity. ‘’We have a situation where the Minister in charge of the water fiasco [Phil Hogan], made a mess of the legislation and has now gone to Europe. If this was to happen, it would basicially see the county council stepping into the role of debt collector acting as a third party debt collector on behalf of Irish Water. Many council tenants are enraged at this.’’

Councillors support free parking across the county for the month of December

Thu, Nov 27, 2014

’This is our time to stand up and deliver for small struggling businesses right across County Galway.’’ The words of Fine Gael councillor Jimmy McClearn who spoke passionately on behalf of the local business community at Monday’s meeting of the Galway county council.

Charity lashes cost of renovated county council chamber

Thu, Nov 27, 2014

A price tag of more than €450,000 for renovating the council chamber in County Buildings is “outrageous” and never should have needed to cost that much.

Des Joyce co-opted onto Galway County Council

Thu, Nov 27, 2014

Galway county councillors paid warm tributes to Des Joyce after he was co-opted on to the council at this week’s local authority meeting. Mr Joyce fills the seat which was left vacant by Independent representative Michael Fitzmaurice following his elevation to the Dail. Mr Fitzmaurice was elected to the county council earlier this year to represent the Tuam municipal district but won the Dail by-election held in Roscommon/South Leitrim following the departure of Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan to Europe.

Crowe seeks new sentencing laws for burglary

Thu, Nov 27, 2014

The rate of burglaries has shot up by 14 per cent over the last five years, but the Government “has done nothing to counter this” and seems “entirely unaware of the scale of the problem”.