Only twenty nine per cent of businesses in County Galway have signed up so far for a once-off grant to deal with rising business costs.

The Increased Cost of Business Scheme was announced in the last Budget and opened in March, but in the county only 1,267 businesses have signed up in comparison to 1,416 in the city.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

The application deadline for the grant is tomorrow, but Sinn Fein TD for Roscommon/Galway Claire Kerrane believes it should be extended so that county businesses don’t lose out:

The post Poor take-up in County Galway for national business support grant appeared first on Galway Bay FM.

Oughterard’s Post Office is potentially facing closure later this year.

The building is set to close this September, but postal facilities may still be available in the area if a retail partner applies to house the service.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

An Post have opened these applications for a retail partner, with applications set to close this Friday(May 3rd) at 5 pm.

Fianna Fail Councillor Seamus Walsh has said it would be a disaster for Oughterard to be left without a full time Post Office:

The post Oughterard Post Office potentially facing closure later this year appeared first on Galway Bay FM.

In February 2022 the Redemptorist Order announced the closure of its Monastery at Esker, near Athenry bringing with it an end to more than three centuries of continuous religious presence at the site.  Esker Monastery had been a beacon of faith and service since the early 1690’s when it was first established by the Dominican Order and later taken over by the Redemptorists in 1901.

Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine shortly after the closure announcement the property was used to accommodate refugees fleeing from that conflict.  Agent, Bannon, has now been instructed to offer the property for sale on behalf of The Redemptorists with a guide price of €3,750,000.

Esker is situated to the east of Athenry, close to the M6 motorway and its intersection with the M18 (serving Ennis and Limerick) and M17 towards Tuam and Ireland West Airport.  Galway City is situated approximately 30 kms to the west.

In addition to the impressive complex of historic buildings the property includes expansive agricultural lands and woodland with the entire holding extending to 173.5 acres.  Given the proximity of these fields to Athenry they could well have inspired the lyrics of the famous song by Pete St. John song.  The buildings which include the former Monastery, Retreat Centre, deconsecrated Church and Youth Village provide in excess of 80 bedrooms within almost 50,000 sq ft of imposing buildings.

Niall Brereton DIRECTOR at Bannon commented:

“Esker has been steeped in the history of this region for Centuries, there is an opportunity for a new purchaser to continue this property’s enduring legacy.  The scale of the existing buildings and landholding could lend itself to a multitude of potential uses in the leisure and hospitality sectors (subject to planning permission)”

Met Eireann has issued a hail showers warning for Galway this afternoon.

It’s anticipating scattered showers will hit at around midday today.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

While most of the day will be bright, Met Eireann says some of the showers will be heavy, and thunderstorms are likely.

The hail showers warning is valid until around 8 this evening.

The post Hail and thunderstorms warning issued for Galway this afternoon appeared first on Galway Bay FM.

University of Galway’s Students’ Union has raised its highest-ever figure in a single year for its two chosen charities.

The SU presented the €53,275 to Galway Rape Crisis Centre and Cancer Care West today, after a year of fundraising efforts.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Some of the big events to contribute to the fund include Raise and Give Week, a Taylor Swift Night, a ‘Take Me Out’ event and a Galentine’s Day Brunch.

The total money raised also includes a €20,000 donation which was raised through a disposable cup levy in the SU’s on-campus services – Sult, Smokey’s Café and the Students’ Union Shop.

The post University of Galway Students’ Union raises record amount for charities appeared first on Galway Bay FM.

An Irish dancing teacher who ran the Connemarathon for the first time has raised €25,000 to buy equipment for the two hospital units which most helped her mum learn to walk and talk after suffering an aneurysm and stroke.

Bernie Curley was a fit and healthy 55-year-old dancing teacher and adjudicator when she suddenly fell ill one day last August in her home in Renvyle.

Luckily there happened to be an ambulance in Clifden, which arrived just ten minutes after the emergency call and paramedics were able to start treatment immediately.

Bernie was rushed to University Hospital Galway (UHG) where she received the crucial medication to halt further damage from the aneurysm and stroke and from there, she was despatched to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin for more intensive treatment.

She spent six weeks in the intensive care unit at Beaumont before being transferred to the stroke unit of UHG for two months followed by three months in the rehab unit of Merlin Park Hospital.

After hitting some key milestones in her recovery, she has just been accepted for a 12-week intensive programme at the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Dún Laoghaire.

Her daughter, Ellen is also a teacher in the Curley School of Irish Dancing with classes in Clifden, Renvyle and Cashel and has a fitness studio in Clifden. She is grateful that their mum is still with them and getting better every day.

“There was never any issue at all with mum’s health. She was adjudicating the day before and in my fitness class the week before. We were just so lucky we weren’t waiting hours for the ambulance, which is not always in Clifden,” she explains.

“It’s been a long journey over the last nine months, and she’s made amazing progress, which is all down to the nurses, the physios, the occupational therapists, the speech and language therapists – they are phenomenal, they have minded us all.”

Bernie has slowly regained her independence, relearning how to walk, improve her stability as well as talk again. Therapists are currently concentrating on her weakest right side improving the strength in her right arm and hand.

“Since Christmas, step by step, she’s getting better. The therapists give us a lift every time she hits a marker and they keep pushing her. We’re so thankful she’s reached the point that she could get into the NRH because at one point it didn’t look like she’d make it there.”

The 32-year-old was so inspired by her mum’s hard work that she decided to train for the Connemarathon, which took place in glorious sunshine across the majestic Inagh Valley last Sunday.

Ellen invited people to sponsor her run to raise money for the UHG stroke unit and Merlin Rehabilitation Unit in recognition of all the care they have given her mum and to buy equipment to help future patients.

“Honestly, I thought we’d raise a few hundred euro, but it’s just blown up. We raised €10,000 in 24 hours. Definitely mum’s age has affected a lot of people. It goes to show that life is short, you don’t know what’s around the corner,” reflects Ellen.

“Our community is small but they minded all of us. The community has been phenomenal.”

When Ellen crossed the line in 3 hours 39 minutes, she pushed her mum ahead of her in a wheelchair.

“It was always the plan for her to walk over but honestly I couldn’t stop my legs so we just went with the wheelchair. Next year she’ll walk it with us,” she gushed.

The physical therapist and Pilates instructor was the fifth woman to cross the line and 58th overall. Some of her clients at the Ellen Curley Fitness Studio in Clifden also took part, smashing their goals.

She is keeping the GoFundMe page open until Friday. Search Donate to Bernie’s Journey to contribute.

Pictured: Post-run…Ellen Curley with her mum and dad, Bernie and Martin Curley, and her aunt Martina Curley.

Funding has been announced for scalp-cooling technology to prevent hair-loss in cancer treatment following a campaign by a Galway senator.

Senator Pauline O’Reilly told the Connacht Tribune that Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, confirmed to her that on foot of a motion she placed before the Seanad, the technology, which is an optional treatment for those undergoing chemotherapy, would be funded for oncology centres nationwide.

University Hospital Galway and Portiuncula in Ballinasloe were among several locations where the cold caps were not being offered to patients, but both hopital’s oncology units can now avail of funding from the Department of Health.

Proposing a motion in the Seanad at the end of last year, Senator O’Reilly described the unavailability of the service to cancer patients in Galway as an “unfair situation” and highlighted that the provision of the service was “relatively cheap”.

“I’m delighted to confirm that the Minister contacted me this week to say that the service would be funded at all hospitals. Galway had been particularly poorly served as it wasn’t in UHG or Portiuncula,” she said, adding that it had been a “postcode lottery” as the treatment was available in a number of hospitals on the east coast.

Each unit, which can treat two people at a time, costs around €20,000 to procure and as it is for those already undergoing chemotherapy, there is “no large requirement in terms of additional personnel”.

Senator O’Reilly, who is the Green Party candidate in the European Elections for Midlands-North West, said the funding was to be made available to all hospitals immediately and it would be up to the hospitals to draw it down as soon as possible.

“Losing your hair through cancer treatments is often one of the most difficult side effects that people have to deal with.

“For many people, and women in particular, their hair is an important part of who they are and retaining it can help them retain their dignity during a very difficult time,” said Senator O’Reilly.

“When given the option, many people will choose to use the cold cap treatment so it is excellent news that now they can have that option”.

Pictured: Campaigner….Senator Pauline O’Reilly.

A new book, which challenges prevailing interpretations of the Irish revolution, draws on case studies from Galway city and county. Spirit of Revolution: Ireland from below, 1917-1923, which is edited by University of Galway historian, Dr John Cunningham with Dr Terry Dunne, and published by Four Courts Press will be launched next Wednesday, May Day, at 6 pm in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop.

A central argument of the book is that most studies of the revolution have focused too much on the doings of military figures and that the wider ‘spirit of revolution’ which swept the country during the period – expressed through land and workplace seizures, strikes, and ‘soviets’ – has been largely ignored. Without the social agitation involving thousands of men and women, the editors argue, both guerrilla struggle and political mobilisation would have been severely constrained.

The launch In Charlie Byrne’s will feature a live interview with three contributors to the book, whose contributions engage with social movements in the west of Ireland.

Johnny Burke will discuss the land seizures, which were described in the spring of 1920 as ‘spreading like a prairie fire’ through Co. Galway, from Annaghdown to Castleblakeney and beyond. One target was James Alcorn of Kilroe, near Corrandulla, who was shot at, boycotted and threatened with drowning in Lough Corrib if he persisted in refusing to sign over his lands to local small farmers. The Galway seizures horrified the revolutionary government and influenced the establishment of Dáil courts in the same year.

Moira Leydon’s focus is on labour and agrarian militancy on the Lisadell estate in Co. Sligo, the childhood home of Constance Markeivicz.

John Cunningham will talk about his article in the book on an episode in May 1922 described in the Connacht Tribune at the time as the ‘Soviet at Galway’. Sparked by a housing protest, the ‘soviet’ culminated in the destruction of the monument to Lord Dunkellin in Eyre Square.

The launch and discussion in Charlie Byrne’s mark May Day in Galway. All are welcome.

Pictured: James Alcorn’s house at Kilroe, Corrandulla, mentioned in the statement.

Galway County Council is seeking applicants for its Athenry Town Centre First Team.

Twelve residents from different backgrounds will form a Town Team to work on a series of projects in Athenry’s Town Centre under a new Town Centre First Plan.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

The scheme focuses on developing town centres as social and economic hubs, as well as developing cultural and recreational hubs for local communities.

Athenry is the second town in County Galway to be selected for the scheme after a successful pilot run in Gort last year.

Speaking on Galway Talks, Director of Services at Galway County Council Liam Hanrahan says the applicants must have an interest in a wide range of issues affecting Athenry:

The post Galway County Council seeking applicants for Athenry Town Centre First Team appeared first on Galway Bay FM.