Breaking News
Rahoon woman gets suspended sentence for theft from 92 year old
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A Rahoon grandmother, who coerced a 92-year-old woman into parting with her life savings, avoided a two-year jail sentence by handing over compensation to the victim.
61-year-old Mary McDonagh, of 32 Droim Chaoin, Rahoon, first appeared before Galway Circuit Criminal Court last January.
She pleaded guilty to six sample charges of theft from the elderly woman who lives alone in Salthill, between April, 2012 and January, 2013.
Facts in the remaining twenty charges were admitted by McDonagh.
The amounts involved in the six charges before the court varied from €1,000 to €4,000.
The amounts stolen in the remaining charges varied from €300 to €4,000 with McDonagh persistenly returning to the elderly woman’s home, until all of the her life savings of 41 thousand euro, were gone.
McDonagh, who claims she gambled the money away, brought €350 compensation to court in January but that was viewed as an insult and she was given three weeks to come up with more money.
She brought a further €3,650 to court in mid-February but Judge Rory McCabe said that was a derisory figure given the nature of the offences.
He warned McDonagh she would go to prison for two years if she didn’t repay €10,000 – a sum the elderly victim’s family, who were present in court, thought appropriate.
The court heard that, out of fear, their mother borrowed €1500 from a neighbour to give to McDonagh when her Credit Union account was depleted in January last year
The alarm was raised when she later asked her son for €1500.
Garda Padraig Healy said the elderly woman was always afraid not to have money for McDonagh when she called.
She became anxious and was not sleeping well because of her.
He said he was waiting in the victim’s sitting room one day when McDonagh walked in demanding more money.
McDonagh brought a further €4,725 to court in May and the balance of €1,275 was handed into court last week, bringing the total repaid to the desired €10,000.
Judge McCabe imposed a two-year sentence on McDonagh for each charge which he suspended for two years.
Breaking News
Galway County Council criticised in Dáil over lack of urgency in addressing links with Tuam Mother and Baby Home

Galway Bay fm newsroom – Galway County Council has been criticised in the Dáil for an alleged lack of urgency in addressing its historic links with the Tuam mother and baby home.
It’s as the local authority is due to discuss the issue at its plenary meeting on Monday and issue a statement.
Previously, the council said it was important to take time to read and consider the final report, while affording all those with a personal connection to the former home a similar opportunity.
However, Junior Minister and Galway East TD Anne Rabbitte told the Dáil she was ‘horrified’ to see the matter was way down the list of items on Monday’s agenda.
Addressing the Dáil, Fianna Fail Deputy Anne Rabbitte says the level of priority being given to the matter is unacceptable.
Breaking News
103 new cases in Galway, 2870 nationally and 52 further deaths from COVID-19

Galway Bay fm newsroom – The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 52 additional deaths related to COVID-19.
50* of these deaths occurred in January.
The median age of those who died is 82 years and the age range is 39-99 years.
There has been a total of 2,870 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.
As of midnight, Thursday 21st January, the HPSC has been notified of 2,371 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 184,279** confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
Of the cases notified today:
- 1,129 are men / 1,194 are women
- 57% are under 45 years of age
- The median age is 40 years old
- 757 in Dublin, 237 in Cork, 154 in Waterford, 123 in Wexford, 114 in Louth, and the remaining 986 cases are spread across all other counties***.
As of 2pm today, 1,931 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 219 are in ICU. 78 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
“The ‘COVID-19 find-test-trace-isolate’ process is vital to our efforts. Our data is telling us that for a third of people, it’s 4 days or more from the time they first experience symptoms of COVID-19 to the time they get tested. We all need to contact our GP as soon as symptoms occur, so we can trace our contacts and prevent further infections.
“This weekend, we need everyone to stay the course with hand washing, covering coughs, wearing face coverings and keeping a 2m distance. In order to take care of each other, we need all to stay at home, except for essential reasons, to minimise the spread of COVID-19 to ourselves and our loved ones.”
The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.
ENDS//
*There are 2 deaths where the date of death is under investigation.
**Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 14 confirmed cases. The figure of 184,279 confirmed cases reflects this.
***County data should be considered provisional as the national Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting System (CIDR) is a dynamic system and case details are continually being validated and updated.
County | Today’s cases*** (to midnight 21Jan2021) | 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 population (to 21Jan2021) | New Cases during last 14 days (to 21Jan2021) |
Ireland | 2,371 | 1,017.1 | 48,433 |
Monaghan | 90 | 1,974.4 | 1,212 |
Waterford | 154 | 1,567.4 | 1,821 |
Louth | 114 | 1,540.1 | 1,985 |
Wexford | 123 | 1,529.5 | 2,290 |
Mayo | 68 | 1,465.8 | 1,913 |
Carlow | 31 | 1,461.4 | 832 |
Limerick | 96 | 1,221.7 | 2,381 |
Dublin | 757 | 1,087.1 | 14,647 |
Cork | 237 | 1,002.8 | 5,444 |
Donegal | 32 | 975.6 | 1,553 |
Galway | 103 | 968.8 | 2,500 |
Cavan | 30 | 962.2 | 733 |
Clare | 35 | 914.0 | 1,086 |
Meath | 96 | 892.6 | 1,741 |
Kilkenny | 28 | 830.4 | 824 |
Tipperary | 67 | 829.2 | 1,323 |
Kildare | 95 | 782.0 | 1,740 |
Roscommon | 6 | 773.1 | 499 |
Laois | 17 | 763.9 | 647 |
Offaly | 15 | 676.0 | 527 |
Wicklow | 59 | 591.9 | 843 |
Kerry | 35 | 580.2 | 857 |
Sligo | 21 | 491.3 | 322 |
Westmeath | 32 | 478.8 | 425 |
Longford | 22 | 452.6 | 185 |
Leitrim | 8 | 321.4 | 103 |
7-day incidence 372.6
5-day moving average 2,315
Breaking News
Plan approved to change Briarhill gym to medical centre

Galway Bay fm newsroom – A plan has been approved for a medical centre at Briarhill Shopping Centre in Ballybrit.
The project is led by MyNedical Urgent Care Ltd. and will involve a change of use of around 400 square metres of existing gym space.
City planners have attached seven conditions.
One states a car parking management plan for the medical centre is to be submitted prior to occupation of the building.