By Peter Power, Head of the European Commission Representation in Dublin.

Protecting young people online in the EU was the focus of this year’s hotly contested Model Council of the European Union debate for secondary schools, which took place in Dublin Castle on 28 March.

Teams from schools across Ireland, each playing the role of an EU Member State, skilfully debated a proposed ban on social media for under-16s, with lively interventions and opposing views.

This debate was very timely as the broader conversation on protecting young people online is reaching a flash point in the media. Parents, educators, policy makers, and young people themselves are very concerned about the dangers they face online.

St. Columba’s College, Stranorlar in Co. Donegal won first place for their representation of Estonia during the debate. They will travel with their class to Strasbourg in October to take part in ‘Euroscola’, where they will become MEPs for a day in the European Parliament.

Joint second place was awarded to Drogheda Educate Together Secondary School, Co. Meath representing Poland and Loreto Secondary School, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary representing Slovenia.

Honourable mentions were given to the following schools: Manor House School, Raheny, Co. Dublin representing Italy, Our Lady’s Secondary School, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan representing Romania and Bailieborough Community School in Co. Cavan representing Czechia.

The European Union is working to ensure that we can trust the digital services we use, and we are safe and protected online.

The EU’s new Digital Services Act (DSA) will see that all digital services, including Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and search engines like Google, do more to protect users’ rights and stop the spread of illegal or inappropriate content.

If they don’t, they will face hefty fines by the EU.

Pictured: Teams from 27 schools across Ireland participated in the Model Council of the European Union debate for secondary schools competition which took place in Dublin Castle on 28 March.

A multimillion-euro refurbishment of one of Connemara’s most popular hotels is about to be unveiled to guests ahead of the bumper Easter break.

The Clifden Station House has overhauled its restaurant, residents’ lounge and reception areas on the ground floor to give guests greater room to enjoy facilities.

It’s the first major structural overhaul of the tourist complex since the Sweeney family created a destination hotel, leisure centre, theatre, cinema and gastro pub at the site of the Victorian train station in 1998.

General manager James Sweeney said the new ground floor will transform the experience for visitors.

“We developed the plan ourselves based on our experience of using the space. The library bar had four little tables, so guests had to either wait for one to free up or go across to the Signal Bar. We now have space for 60 people in the residents’ lounge which has a piano and a fireplace and is very warm and welcoming,” he told the Connacht Tribune.

“Our most popular packages are the three-night gourmet dining breaks, so we have a lot more space now to accommodate people in the Carriage Restaurant or the Signal Bar, which is a beautiful old building.”

The redevelopment has cost ‘a few million’, which was testament to the family’s commitment to the hotel business and the town, he stated. His father John Sweeney and himself are the owners.

He would not be drawn on the reasons they have bucked the trend of many other residential businesses in rural Ireland to remain fully open for hospitality.

The 78-bedroom hotel with 16 adjacent apartments is staffed by 40 core staff who are employed year-round, supplemented by a similar number of seasonal workers.

It remains one of Connemara’s biggest employers and is an important lure for tourists into Connemara’s biggest town.

“About 60% of our guests are Irish, Dublin is the biggest market, followed by Galway and Mayo. The rest are international visitors, most of them from the States. Like the Ring of Kerry, Clifden – like parts of Mayo – are on the American circuit,” James reveals.

So far 2025 is looking to be up on last year

“Bookings are very strong for April and there’s a lot of international bookings from May to September. We’ve a stronger base of occupancy so are able to grow our rates. We’re very optimistic and positive about the year ahead.”

One of the few businesses in Clifden to remain open in the depths of winter, James said they have enjoyed a steady customer base even in the quiet season, with many multi-generational families choosing to hold their celebrations there.

The 220-seat theatre, which is the centre of famed Clifden Arts Festival every September, hosts at least two events per month. Most recently Cork comedian Norma Sheahan took to the stage.

The hotel was the location of the Golfgate controversy in August 2020 which resulted in three politicians – Phil Hogan, Dara Calleary and Jerry Buttimer – resigning from their jobs after attending a fundraiser there during the lockdown.

Current Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Noel Grealish, former Fianna Fail senator Donie Cassidy, John and James Sweeney, later had charges of organising an event that contravened the Health Act 1947 dismissed.

The hotel operator Western Railway Operations Ltd recorded post-tax profits of €437,972 in the twelve months to the end of May 2023. The post-tax profits for 2023 were 43% down on the €763,404 figure recorded for 2022.

Pictured: The plush restaurant in the refurbished Station House Hotel in Clifden.

The leading restaurant and catering group started by an entrepreneur originally from Barna has expanded its footprint in the west with the acquisition of SKG Catering, itself a well-established catering company in Galway.

Gourmet Food Parlour, founded by Lorraine Heskin, is one of Ireland’s largest catering providers, and boasts twelve restaurants nationwide – and with this latest acquisition, the group strengthens its catering services in Galway in particular.

The Barna woman studied in University of Limerick before heading off to New York for four years working in a diverse range of food businesses.

On returning to Dublin, Lorraine she opened her first 25-seater café in Dun Laoghaire in 2006 – and now Gourmet Food Parlour has grown into a very successful business employing a team of 320 people across the group, with twelve locations across Dublin and Meath as well as her premises in Salthill.

Now, by combining SKG’s strong local client base with Gourmet Food Parlour’s national expertise in catering and nutrition, she hopes to set a new benchmark for catering in the region.

“In recent years, catering has become one of the fastest-growing areas of our business, and it has been a long-time goal of mine to expand our presence in Galway,” said Lorraine.

“Partnering with Anthony and the SKG team presents the perfect opportunity to do just that,” she added.

Anthony Healy, founder of SKG Catering, also expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership.

“We are delighted to join forces with Gourmet Food Parlour, a brand that shares our passion for delivering high-quality food and exceptional service,” he said.

“At SKG Catering, we have always prided ourselves on taste, quality, and customer satisfaction. This partnership allows us to bring our expertise to an even wider audience, and we look forward to creating memorable dining experiences together,” he added.

Pictured: Lorraine Heskin, CEO and founder of Gourmet Food Parlour.

Nominations are now open for the Cathaoirleach’s Awards 2025 – the annual awards scheme that honours individuals and groups who have had a significant impact on the quality of life in communities across County Galway.

The joint venture between Galway County Council and the Public Participation Network (PPN), which has over 1,300 member groups carrying out a range of community and voluntary activities, has run annually for over a decade.

Nominations can be made by individual members of the public or through community groups and voluntary organisations, by emailing a completed nomination form to awards@galwaycoco.ie before the closing date of April 18.

The winners will then be announced at a special reception in May ahead of the Mayoral Charity Ball at the Raheen Woods Hotel in Athenry on June 7.

Cllr Martina Kinane, Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway said she was delighted to launch the Cathaoirleach’s Awards for 2025.

“These awards provide a fantastic opportunity to acknowledge and reward the amazing community and voluntary work happening around the county,” she said.

“These awards give us an opportunity to showcase best practice in voluntary initiatives and projects across a broad range of areas such as sport, heritage, environment, arts and culture, community and social inclusion, and promotion of the Irish language,” added Council CEO Liam Conneally.

Acting Director of Services Kieran Coyne underlined the prestige of the awards.

“These Awards provide a valuable opportunity for Galway County Council to work in partnership with Galway County PPN to recognise the value and contribution of volunteers to our county, and the impact of their activities on community wellbeing and quality of life,” he said.

Nomination forms are now available on www.galway.ie – or by emailing awards@galwaycoco.ie

Pictured: Cllr Martina Kinane, Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway, pictured with Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council at the announcement of the Cathaoirleach’s Awards 2025.