CITY TRIBUNE
Pedal to the metal for group of cycling fans in Loughrea
Talking Sport with Stephen Glennon
IT has been seven years since Seven Springs Cycling Club was founded and since then it would be rare a day goes by without one of their members not to be seen pedalling their way around Loughrea and the surrounding villages and towns.
One of those who has taken up the sport in the last 18 months is their new PRO Colm Riordan and he has taken to it like the proverbial duck to water. In many respects, Riordan is the type of member who typifies what Seven Springs CC is all about.
“When I started cycling about 18 months ago, I would have considered a long spin to be 30km. I suppose, at this stage, I wouldn’t take the bike out of the shed for less than 40km,” he notes ahead of the club’s first group spin for beginners from SuperValu carpark in Loughrea this Sunday morning (9:15am).
“In terms of Sunday, we are thinking of bringing out the group to the (Supermac’s) Plaza which is 8km out and 8km back to start off, just to see how people get on with it. There will be no one out to set any records. The main aim will be to take those people who have never cycled out in a group setting and to show them the basics of what they need to do to be able to cycle in a group safely.”
It was not so long ago that Riordan was a beginner himself and when asked his reason for taking up the sport he gives an answer many people will relate to. “I won’t lie to you,” he says. “The doctor told me to.
“I had bought a bike four or five years ago and I didn’t really do much. Then 12 months ago last Summer at the usual doctor’s check-up, he told me to get my act together. So, I guilted myself into it by buying a better bike and joined the club here in Loughrea.”
A year on, he followed this up last Summer by signing on for a plethora of charity cycles across the country. “I had to do a bit of fundraising for those to make sure I did them because I would be the type of lad who would wake up on a wet morning and decide not to do it,” he laughs.
“So, I did a bit of publicity for four cycles that covered over 500 kilometres and I split it between four charities – Act Meningitis in Tuam, Cancer Care West, the Hospice and Croí. Between the four cycles and the four charities, I raised over €2,500 last Summer.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
From this week’s Galway City Tribune – More than 20 taxi drivers in the city were issued on-the-spot fines last week during an operation to nab those not accepting card payments.
The ‘sting’ was conducted by the National Transport Authority (NTA), the Taxi Regulation Office and the Gardaí over the course of several days last week.
It stemmed from complaints that several taxis in Galway City were not accepting card payments – legislation was introduced last September obliging taxi drivers to accept credit and debit cards.
Many drivers sought cash payments while telling customers that their card machines were either not working or that the terminal could not get a signal.
A senior source close to the Taxi Regulation Office told the Galway City Tribune that they had received “quite a number of complaints” from customers stating that drivers were not accepting payments by card.
The source said that members of the public were engaged to use the taxi services as part of the operation and some of them reported that the drivers had indicated from the outset that they would only accept cash payment.
“Since the beginning of the year, the taxi fares in Galway City have received an increase and the drivers are required to provide an in-car system of payment for customers.”
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the June 2 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.
From this week’s Galway City Tribune – A well-known community activist in the east of the city has appealed for reasoned discussions about plans to accommodate over 300 male asylum seekers in Ballybrit.
Former local election candidate Michael Tully, who is based in Ballybane, said the debate around the proposal to house 302 people in empty office blocks in Ballybrit Business Park was happening at two extremes, while many people living locally were “somewhere in the middle”.
“There were protests organised up there this week by radicals,” said Mr Tully of demonstrations which have been orchestrated by known members of the far right.
“But there are people that think it is unsuitable because they’re putting 300 men in basically a warehouse that’s surrounded by high fences with CCTV cameras all around it. It’s like a prison or an army barracks – where’s the humanity in that? These are people we are talking about.
“There are genuine concerns about it being 300 men, because that’s unhealthy, in the same way it would be unhealthy if it was 300 women. There will be people in there that have families and would be better off mixed with them,” he said.
Media debates about the centres rarely featured nuanced opinions that were based in genuine concern, he said, and tended to favour more radical voices.
“Listen to any of the radio debates or TV discussions and it’s always the two sides shouting each other down. On one side, they’re calling people terrorists and on the other, everyone who has any concern is labelled right wing.”
Mr Tully, who is involved with several community projects locally including the Merlin Allotments and setting up an orienteering group, said there should be a more concerted effort to integrate asylum seekers in the community ahead of moving them into an area.
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the June 2 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.
From this week’s Galway City Tribune – City-wide water outages are expected next week as local authority staff down tools in a dispute over allowances.
Water Services staff in Galway City Council and Galway County Council are due to strike on Wednesday.
Trade union SIPTU predicted the industrial action will cause widespread outages and disruption to the water supply to businesses and homes across Galway. A boil water notice may also be issued.
It’s understood emergency cover and supply to hospitals may be maintained but secondary schools could be impacted on the day the Leaving Cert starts.
Union representatives met with management yesterday (Thursday) but no deal was reached. Pickets are planned for Terryland Waterworks, City Hall on College Road and the Council depot at Sandy Road.
“The City Council has no contingency plan,” said David Samuels, Assistant Industrial Organiser with SIPTU.
(Photo: Terryland waterworks)
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the June 2 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.
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