The Department of Education has agreed to purchase sites for three new school buildings in Athenry – catering for around 2,500 students and staff.

Minister Jan O’Sullivan has confirmed that the Department is in the process of acquiring sites for the new Presentation College, Gairmscoil Mhuire and Gaelscoil Riada.

She said securing the sites was a priority for the Department, and once the process has been completed, the projects will then go to the architectural design stage.

Local Fine Gael TD Ciarán Cannon said a planning application for the new vocational school will be lodged with the County Council as soon as the purchase of the site goes through, while all three schools will form part of a six-year building programme to be announced by Minister O’Sullivan.

The Minister said Athenry has been identified as an area of strong population growth, and the sites were narrowed down by the County Council working closely with the Department.

“Athenry has been identified as an area of demographic growth. In that regard, major projects to provide new school buildings for both Gairmscoil Mhuire and the Presentation College that will cater for 1,000 pupils each have been included in the current five-year construction plan.

“In addition, a new twelve classroom school building will be provided for Gaelscoil Riada and a project for this school has also been included in the current five-year construction plan.

“I can confirm that suitable sites have been identified, the acquisition of sites for the schools has been agreed, and the acquisition process is underway.

“Once the conveyancing process has been satisfactorily completed, the projects will be advanced into architectural planning,” said Minister O’Sullivan. She explained that the Council has negotiated with the relevant landowners on the Department’s behalf, and detailed technical examinations have taken place.

Her announcement came in response to a Dáil question from Galway East TD Ciarán Cannon, who said the news will provide certainty about the school-building projects, following some uncertainty.

“A lot of doubt was beginning to creep in as to whether these three schools would ever be developed in Athenry. The process of identifying and acquiring sites for three schools has been fraught with difficulty.

“Finding room for 2,500 students and staff in a town like Athenry isn’t easy. There are limited options available to you within reach of the town centre.

“This is the kind of certainty we needed to hear in Athenry and hopefully the staff and parents of all three schools will take some comfort from this news,” he said.

He added that he is aware that the process of acquiring a site for Gairmscoil Mhuire in particular is very advanced.

“The conveyancing process for the Gairmscoil Mhuire site is almost complete and it is the intention of the Department to lodge a planning application as soon as contracts for the site acquisition are finalised.

“In the case of all three Athenry schools, they will be included in a new six-year school construction plan to be announced by Minister O’Sullivan very shortly,” said Deputy Cannon.

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A Galway entrepreneur and recent graduate is making waves in the medical device industry with her award-winning innovation EpiSafe – a monitor and alarm system for those diagnosed with epilepsy – which was inspired by the death of her own brother.

As part of her Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing course, 40 year old mother of two Audrey Holland undertook the Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise module in her final year at NUI Galway.

Through this module she was required to engage in group based projects with the aim to develop a unique enterprising idea – which in Audrey’s case went back to a tragic loss in her own family a short while beforehand.

Audrey’s brother Trevor Tierney tragically passed away from an epileptic seizure in March 2014 aged just 30.

“My brother Trevor passed away from a seizure and I suffer from a milder form of it myself, so I know how vulnerable it can be for someone with epilepsy,” she explained.

Now, under Audrey’s leadership, her group developed a unified epilepsy monitoring and alarm system called EpiSafe, which won the first place Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise Award in 2015.

The concept of EpiSafe is the amalgamation of modern hardware and software design to monitor the triggers of an epileptic seizure in a non-invasive way.

“I had an engineering friend who was a great help in terms of the hardware side of the project,” said Audrey.

Wirelessly connected to the user’s phone, the device is worn on the wrist and gathers data related to the user’s blood oxygen level, heart pulse rate and movement to determine the factors that triggers a seizure.

The device will then trigger an alarm to notify user selected individuals or services in the event of an epileptic seizure.

EpiSafe was also one of top ten finalist innovations at the Irish Student Entrepreneur awards in 2015.

At the moment, the company is now in an important stage of development and is seeking funding from investors in order to advance to the next stage of production, including developing a prototype and carrying out clinical trials.

The device may well be adapted for cardiac patients in the future, as the modifications needed wouldn’t be too dissimilar to the original device, explained Audrey, but for the moment the aim is to obtain funding for EpiSafe’s development.

In addition, Audrey is also applying for an all-female funding grant from Enterprise to help with the development.

The recent graduate admits that though the research isn’t easy, she thoroughly enjoyed working on the device and looks forward to the development stage.

“I wouldn’t say it’s easy work but, like anything in the world, if you have an interest in what you do, it’s easy.”

According to Irish Health statistics there are currently up to 40,000 people who are estimated to suffer from epilepsy in Ireland, while the debilitating condition affects approximately 50 million people worldwide.

One of the major concerns for sufferers and their family members is the associated vulnerability and potential danger that comes with the sporadic nature of epileptic seizures.

Naturally, this can have a serious impact on the quality of life of all concerned and more importantly, can have a detrimental effect on the ability of the individual with epilepsy to live an independent lifestyle.

“Anything that can help someone lead a more normal and independent life is definitely worth the work put in,” she explained.

Audrey is heading up to Dublin later this month for a networking evening run by the Accenture Leaders of Tomorrow Programme and will be talking to a number of budding female entrepreneurs.

Her EpiSafe company is one of the first start-up companies involved with the Galway entrepreneur incubation programme StartX6 run by Dave Cunnigham, winner of the Top Outstanding Young People of Galway Award with JCI Galway.

The innovation hub enlist creative individuals with a business proposition every six months, who are then supported, mentored and driven to the launch of their business by StartX6’s panel of experienced professionals and entrepreneurs.

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NUI Galway is set to carry out major repair and conservation works to roofs on the Quadrangle building, which dates back to the mid-1800s.

College authorities have drawn up extensive plans for the east and west wing roofs, turrets and the clock tower because of timber decay and damaged slates. The building is a Protected Structure.

The problems have led to dampness in the walls in rooms directly underneath, they told the City Council in a new planning application.

The proposed works will include:

■ Erection of a temporary roof over the area being re-roofed
■ Removal of slates and grade them for re-use
■ Removal of flashings, gutters, slating battens
■ Removal of flat copper roof behind clock tower
■ Examination of all timber work and wall plates
■ Repair and re-pointing of stonework
■ Construct a new section of room behind the clock tower
■ Fit new copper in place of slate and mortar on the turrets

Repairs will also be carried out to the clock faces and hands, while new access ladders and hatches will be built into the roof.

“The east and west wing roofs are in poor condition exhibiting dampness in walls of rooms under.

“The proposed re-roofing and repair will be the completion of necessary work which was commenced in 2002 and will secure the long-term future of this important historical building,” the planning application reads.

The Quadrangle at what was then Queen’s College first opened its doors to 63 students on October 20, 1849, having taken three years to build.

The building – which is based on Christchurch in Oxford – is now mainly used for administrative purposes and houses the offices of the President and Vice-President.

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Ballinfoile Park has been described as a ‘rat run’ for motorists wishing to avoid the Kirwan roundabout.

Councillor Mike Cubbard is calling on the council for a solution to the “unacceptable” occurrence which sees anything from 200 to 300 cars pass through the residential estate during peak morning times.

Each morning between 7.30 and 8.45am, cars can be seen filing through the estate to get to the Dyke road to avoid the heavy traffic at the Kirwan roundabout.

A total number of 280 cars were counted by Cllr Cubbard last Wednesday as they travelled in single file through the estate.

“In an estate with a large number of children going to school on foot, this is not acceptable and raises serious safety concerns,” said Cllr Cubbard.

The councillor has been in contact with Director of Services, Joe O’Neill, to intervene and set about monitoring the estate for himself during these times and then work with residents to come to a solution.

“A residential estate is just that and should not be accepted as a rat run for traffic of this proportion.”

This is not an isolated incident as residents in Tirellan Heights are also being affected by the increased volume of cars passing through the estate.

“Children in a residential estate should be able to walk to school without their parents fearing for their safety,” he said.

The situation has been ongoing for several years, but it’s only in the past two that the traffic has escalated and become a serious issue, according to residents.

It has been suggested that the entrance nearest the green about half away up the estate could be closed for an hour or so during the period of the morning which is worst affected.

Another suggestion was to allow only residents to enter the estate, but as for monitoring the cars, Cllr Cubbard is unsure how this would be put into action and carried out effectively, be it through the Gardai or the council.

Ballinfoile Park residents have been working with Cllr Cubbard and hope to develop the green area into a play area for the children living in the estate – however, none of this can be achieved until the traffic problem is dealt with.

“Both go hand in hand. You can’t develop a play area or a pitch for the community in an area where there are serious safety concerns. The traffic issue has to be tackled first,” said Cllr Cubbard.

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More than 400 performances will be staged at the Town Hall Theatre next year, coinciding with its 20th Anniversary.

According to the City Council – which operates the theatre – the line-up will include an extensive mix of theatre, concerts, musicals, dance, film, comedy, family and community shows.

The Council’s Senior Executive Officer for Arts and Culture, Gary McMahon, said: “This is the flagship venue in the West of Ireland, and will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of its opening on February 1.

“We’re looking forward to a gala night in what is a mainstay of cultural and artistic life in the city. The Town Hall Theatre continues to welcome the whole spectrum of artforms, from world-class performers to local drama groups and pantomimes.

“In 2016, the Town Hall Theatre will continue to be at the epicentre of Galway’s cultural activity including the city’s major international festivals such as Cúirt, Galway International Arts Festival, Galway Film Fleadh, Subtitle Film Festival, Junior Film Fleadh, Baboró Children’s Festival and Music for Galway Mid-Winter Festival.

“Productions from Galway’s own Druid, Decadent, Little John Nee, Fregoli and others will play a critically important role in the venue’s programming and audience development strategy.

“And as well as many visiting national and international companies and artists, the venues’ programme proudly features the work of a host of (professional and amateur) performers, companies, award-winning musical societies and arts organisations from across the city and county.

“The mission of the Town Hall Theatre is to engage and develop the widest, most diverse audience possible for an eclectic programme of theatre and arts events in Galway and provide a supportive environment for artists and arts organisations,” said Mr McMahon.

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A taxi driver could have racked up 25 penalty points after he was detected driving over the speed limit on five separate occasions in the same spot in the space of 70 minutes.

Judge Mary Fahy observed at Galway District Court this week that if she convicted Orhan Yilmaz of all five speeding offences, she would be rendering him unemployed.

She said the issuing of five speeding summonses in these circumstances was “totally disproportionate” and was bringing the entire speed detection system into disrepute.

A speed van, parked on the R338 at Wellpark, on the Dublin Road, which is a 50 km/h speed zone, detected Yilmaz’s taxi driving at speeds of 77km/h, 62km/h, 73km/h, 64km/h and 77km/h between 1.42am and 2.56am on August 31, last year.

Yilmaz, from 16B Avondale Road, Highfield Park, was going to and from the city centre, dropping off fares and driving back into town to collect more on the night he was detected.

The court heard the detections were automatically uploaded onto the central system and the five fixed charge penalty notices was never paid.

Defence solicitor, Sean Acton said there was no road sign at the location where the van was parked to warn motorists of its presence.

“Is is not the purpose of these vans to deter people from speeding?,” he asked the prosecuting officer who operated the speed detection van that night.

Mr Acton pointed out the court had heard no evidence that fixed charge penalty notices had issued to his client.  He said the court had heard the fixed charge notices were uploaded, but there was no evidence they ever issued.

That evidence, he said, was required to be given by the State.

Judge Fahy said she felt the issuing of five summonses to someone for the one location in such a short space of time was totally disproportionate and was bringing the system into disrepute.

She said that if someone was detected once the court would deal with that, but if someone continued on in a dangerous manner, then that would be a matter for the Gardai.

“This is not a road safety issue,” she pointed out.

“My client was dropping people on and off.  The van didn’t move,” Mr Acton explained.

He said Yilmaz had been driving a taxi for eleven years.

Judge Fahy said that if she convicted the man of all five offences she would be rendering him unemployed, because all of the points that would follow, and he would then be a burden on the State.

“You have hit the nail on the head there Judge.  We’re talking about 25 penalty points here,” Mr Acton said.

“Surely, the function of the Gatso vans is to act as a deterrent and the road signs are there to forewarn the public.

“The State’s function is not to catch people, but to warn people not to speed,” Mr Acton added.

Judge Fahy said it was unfair that one person would get so many detections at one location in just over one hour.

She decided to convict the taxi driver on the first and last summons while striking out the three in between.

“He’s on a ‘sticky wicket’ and he needs to be more careful and slow down a little bit,” Judge Fahy said before fining Yilmaz €120 on each of the two summonses.

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Galway Autism Partnership (GAP), a local charity formed in 2011 by five proactive parents to help each other with information and general support, will celebrate the opening of their newly-renovated building in Newcastle on Wednesday with special guest Keith Duffy, formerly of Boyzone..

The charity aims to empower families caring for persons with an Autism diagnosis, by providing access to relevant training and education with the support of a positive ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) community. Six out of its seven board members have a family member on the Autism Spectrum.

Autism is referred to as a ‘hidden’ disability as people on the autistic spectrum often show no significant physical difference to their peers. Their behaviour is the distinguishing factor. Three main areas of difficulty for people with autism include social communication, social interaction and social imagination.

According to the latest figures Autism occurs in one in sixty-eight children. GAP founding member Miriam Jennings says: “Autism is now an epidemic.”

Much ambiguity surrounds the condition, and there is still no definitive answer as to what causes Autism Spectrum Disorder, though it is generally accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in brain structure or function.

For people and families living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, services like those offered by Galway Autism Partnership are invaluable.

GAP’s headquarters is situated in Laurel Park, Newcastle on a site purpose-built in the 1980s as a diagnostic centre for people with autism – ‘Autism West Limited’. The driving force behind the original centre were Christy and Maisy Dooley; a parents’ labour of love for their son Ronan, who was diagnosed with ASD at age seven.

The newly-renovated building, now occupied by GAP is called ‘Tigh Ronain’ in honour of the Dooley family. Ronan is now in his fifties, his mother Maisy is in her eighties and they are warmly remembered by Galway Autism Partnership.

The autism spectrum, as Miriam Jennings from GAP, explains “refers to the broadness of what you could be living with.” And she knows all about it, the mother of four has three children on the autistic spectrum. Her eldest Jonathan (20) does not have ASD, but her son Alex (14) and twins Elliott and Isaac (8 ½) have all been diagnosed with Autism to varying degrees.

Her son Alex attends an Educate Together School and is currently accessing some of the Junior Cert Curriculum. At the other end of the spectrum is her son Elliott, who is completely non-verbal. Originally doctors suspected he may have Angelman syndrome, but he was later diagnosed with a severe case of autism.

GAP focus on key points such as: education, awareness, advocacy, inclusion, and support and community involvement. They provide fourteen active weekly social and respite clubs and run life skill workshops in schools. GAP also actively organise courses for parents, facilitators and volunteers (e.g. Lamh training, ASD Awareness Courses, CBT Courses, Studio III training and First Aid Training).

Furthermore, GAP runs Holiday Camps during Easter and Summer. And they do all of this without any state funding. They are totally reliant on fundraisers, donations, parents and grants.

“Those three hours that an individual is at a GAP club, a parent can have some time to themselves, knowing that their child is in a safe, supportive environment. It can be the difference between a very stressed and anxious parent to one who gets that essential time to look after themselves so that they can be as strong as they can to support their loved ones,” Miriam explains.

GAP is gearing up to launch an ‘Autism Friendly’ campaign. It is described as a simple business/retailer autism awareness induction so that staff members in shops, restaurants etc. can have a basic understanding of customers needs if he/she is on the spectrum.

“We have agreed with 10-15 businesses in the Latin Quarter,” said Miriam. Each business will send a representative for a two-hour training course, whereupon they will learn about the ASD spectrum and be given a run-through scenario.

Galway Autism Partnership was voted Medtronic Charity of the Year 2015.

The services they provide greatly benefits the lives of families living with ASD. They are holding a launch event on Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the newly-renovated building. It took two years of fundraising to raise the €70,000 necessary to complete the renovation.

Ex-Boyzone and Coronation Street star Keith Duffy, former ambassador for Irish Autism Action, will attend the launch in a personal capacity. “It’s going to be a colourful, happy event with children, teens, and adults from every breath of the spectrum,” said Miriam.

For further information visit their website or find them on Facebook.

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Three muggers who surrounded a teenager near Eyre Square late one night and robbed his wallet before walking off laughing received varying sentences at Galway Circuit Criminal Court.

Alan King (29), 2 Clifton House Apartments, Gaelcarrig Park, Galway;

Brian Noone (33), with a former address at Bluebell Woods, Maree Road, Oranmore; and Gill O’Connell(22), 15 Rahoon Road, Shantalla, all pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court last January to robbing €20 cash from a 19-year-old student at William Street on July 8 last year.

Sergeant Brendan Moore told the men’s sentence hearing in March that he and other Gardai were monitoring the Garda CCTV street cameras at around 3.30am when they noticed three men acting suspiciously.

They followed the men’s movements on camera and saw them crowd around a youth on William Street, who had become isolated from his friends.

“We zoomed in the camera.  The images on the cameras are crystal clear and we could see King catch the victim by the throat, while O’Connell put his hands into his pockets and took out his wallet.

“Noone kept talking to the injured party all the time.  They all then walked away, laughing at him,” Sgt. Moore explained.

Gardai, he said, then went to Eyre Square where they spoke to the three men.  They all denied any involvement in the robbery and were arrested.

Other Gardai caught up with the victim in Shop Street.  He was upset and distressed at what had happened to him.

Sgt Moore said the victim, who was not in court, was a native of Galway attending college in Dublin.  He had felt quite intimidated at the time but was now getting on with his life and wanted to put the incident behind him.

King, he said, had several previous convictions committed between 2003 and 2012, for assaults, serious assaults, obstructing a Garda, and one for robbery in 2006, for which  he had received a three-year suspended sentence in 2008.

Noone, he said, had two previous for road traffic offences and he believed he was genuinely sorry for his involvement in the robbery.

O’Connell had 15 previous for Public Order offences, criminal damage, obstructing a Garda, theft and handling stolen property.

Ms Deirdre Browne BL, who represented Noone, said he was a father himself and he had brought €2,000 to court for the young victim as a token of his remorse.

She said her client had been deeply affected by what he and the others had done that night.

Brendan Browne, BL, who represented King, said his client was sorry for his actions on the night, too.

“People tend to feel sorry for what they did when faced with a jail sentence,” Judge McCabe observed at the time.

Ms Geri Silke, BL, said her client, Gill O’Connell, had addiction issues which he needed to resolve and he was hoping to get into Cuain Mhuire treatment centre.

Sentence was adjourned to May and was adjourned again then to this week’s court for the preparation of final reports on all three.

Noone, the court heard, had not come to adverse Garda attention since and the victim had indicated in the interim that he was willing to accept the €2,000 Noone wanted to him give him as a token of his remorse.

Judge McCabe sentenced him to two years in prison, suspended for five years.

He said King’s involvement merited a two-year sentence also.

However, a probation report handed into court recommended he continue under the supervision of the service for the next nine months as there were still concerns with certain issues.  It also recommended he remain alcohol-free, continue with counselling, and not come to adverse Garda attention.

Judge McCabe warned King he was looking at a two-year sentence and the extent to which he served that sentence, depended on how he got on over the next nine months.

He then adjourned sentence in his case to next June.

Hearing O’Connell had come to adverse Garda attention on several occasions while awaiting sentence for this offence and had struggled to engage with the probation service or treatment services, Judge McCabe said he was the “author of his own misfortune” and there was no point prolonging the matter as there was little likelihood of rehabilitation.

He sentenced him to two years in prison with the final year suspended for five years, explaining that the sentence comprised a deterrent and an incentive to him get his life back together.

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Frustrated taxi drivers in Galway City are still being ticketed for parking at the private bus station at the Fairgreen – and yet, they say, the Mayor’s car is allowed to pull up there for an hour and three quarters without any question.

The expensive Volvo car was parked at the bus station at the Fairgreen but did not attract the attention of the traffic wardens.

Ironically, Mayor Frank Fahy is himself a taxi driver by profession.

But Henry Hegerty of Taxi Drivers Galway said that the minute the Mayor’s car departed the scene, the traffic wardens arrived and advised them that they should not be parked there.

He said that there were 150,000 passengers arriving at the coach station on an annual basis and there was no taxi space provided by Galway City Council.

Mr Hegerty said that there was European law which stipulated that there be some form of public transport available within 15 metres of a drop-off point but it obviously did not apply to Galway city.

There are almost 1,000 taxis in Galway city and just 68 spaces available – there are no spaces provided in or around the coach station.

Taxi drivers have asked for loading bays to become available to them at times when they are not in use by businesses, but this has not yielded a postive response from Galway City Council.

Mr Hegarty said that he had been before the courts more times than a serial criminal for parking fines and was continuing a campaign for taxi spaces to be provided at the coach station.

“There are two main bus companies that bring more than 150,000 people to Galway city on an annual basis and these people have to walk half a kilometre to avail of a taxi rank. That is not acceptable.

“We are being hounded by the traffic wardens and yet when the Mayor’s car is parked outside the bus station, they are nowhere to be seen. It is obviously one law for the Mayor and another for us”, Mr Hegerty added.

He said that it was infuriating that the Mayor Frank Fahy’s car could be allowed park there for such a lengthy period of time and taxi drivers were either being ticketed or asked to move on if they decided to park at the same spot.

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People are being advised to avoid any unnecessary travel and stay indoors in many parts this afternoon as Storm Barney hits.
A Status Orange wind warning is in place for Galway until 9pm.
Met Éireann has issued its second highest warning, urging people to be prepared for gusts of up to 130 kilometres per hour in Galway, Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Wicklow and Dublin.

West to southwest winds will reach mean speeds of between 65km/h and 80km/h.
The Loughrea to Oranmore road through Craughwell has re-opened to two-way traffic.
A stop-go system was put in place near the Dunkellin Bridge last evening, but the water levels have now dropped and the road is now passable in both directions.
Galway County Council says it will keep the situation under review and issue further updates when necessary.
Local authorities are asking people to stay indoors and to make sure that bins and loose objects are secure.
Forecaster with Met Eireann Willemien Phelan says Storm Barney will bring damaging gusts.

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Driving conditions remain dangerous across the entire city and county due to severe weather.

Already, a gust of 126km/h has been recorded at Mace Head. That’s the equivalent of 78mph.

Nearly 4,000 homes across the county are without power this evening and ESB Networks expect service will be back by midnight, but some areas may not be restored until midday Wednesday. The areas affected are Glenamaddy, Loughrea, Athenry, Gort, Killimordaly and Creagh in Ballinasloe.

People are being advised to avoid any unnecessary travel as Storm Barney batters the city and county.

A Status Orange wind warning is in place for Galway since noon, and the high winds is beginning to cause overtopping at the prom in Salthill.

As a result, motorists parked along the Prom or in Toft Park are advised to move their vehicles as soon as possible.

Met Éireann has issued its second highest warning as damaging gusts of up to 130 kilometres per hour are expected in Galway,.

Up to 50 households are without power in the Taylor’s Hill area after a powerline came down at Threadneedle Road.

As a result, Threadneedle Road is closed, while part of Taylor’s Hill has also been affected..

There are delays on the N17, which is down to one lane, because of a crash at Loughgeorge earlier this afternoon.

There are reports of a fallen tree and debris on the R446 between Craughwell and Loughrea.

Galway City Council has closed its Civic Amenity Facility at Liosban due to high winds and the associated risks to staff and members of the public.

In the county lands and roads in Craughwell, Kilconieron and Kiltullagh remain flooded.

There is also reports of a fallen tree and debris on the Old Dublin Road near St Clerans, and reports of debris on the Oranmore Coast Road and in the Athenry area.

The Loughrea to Oranmore road through Craughwell has re-opened to two-way traffic this afternoon.

A stop-go system was put in place near the Dunkellin Bridge last evening, but the water levels have now dropped and the road is now passable in both directions.

Galway County Council says it will keep the situation under review and issue further updates when necessary.

Local authorities are asking people to stay indoors and to make sure that bins and loose objects are secured

Motorists are also advised not to park on the Prom or in Toft carpark in Salthill in case of flooding.

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ESB crews are working to restore power to homes across the county this morning following severe weather.
Around 100 homes across the county are without power after Storm Barney battered the county. Last night, there were around 4,000 homes in the county without electricity, and crews worked through the night.
These include around 26 homes in Gort and Kinvara, 23 in Kilnadeema, 12 in Attymon and 14 in Caltra.
Street lighting in some parts of the city is also off this morning as a result of storm damage.
Nationally, 15,000 homes and business are without power, and ESB says it could be 6pm before customers are reconnected.
Spokesperson Bernadine Maloney says crews are likely to be hampered by poor weather today.
Gusts of up to 90 to 100 kilometres an hour are expected across the city and county today.
Gardai are advising motorists to drive with care, as there is a lot of surface water on the roads this morning – especially in the east of the county.
Flooding is also being reported in a number of locations in East Galway, however, there are no road closures at present.

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Gardai are warning people not to give their bank details over the phone after people in North Galway were scammed out of several thousand euro.
Victims of the ‘vishing’ scam in the Tuam area responded to individuals claiming to be from a leading computer company and offering repairs.
In separate scams the thieves targeted an elderly couple in the Tuam area by phoning them and saying they were from a leading computer company and needed to carry out repairs to their computer.
They got the couple to go to their own bank and send on a draft for almost €2,000 to an address for the bogus repairs.
This couple are now at the loss of this money as the bank draft was changed into cash and the scammers have disappeared.
In a separate incident another woman, also in the Tuam area was phoned by a person claiming to require to confirm all her bank details, the sum she had in the account, the account number etc.
She gave the details, thinking that the call was from the bank to verify her account details. But the scammers went to the bank and gave the details and took money from her account on the pretence that they were withdrawing the money for her.
Tuam Gardai are warning people not to give their bank details or any details regarding their computers to anyone and to report any suspicious calls to them immediately to 093-24202 or any Garda station.

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They grew up worlds apart but shared a common bond even if they didn’t know it – and last weekend, Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley and one of Galway’s finest traditional musicians reminisced on how it all began….before taking to the Broadway stage and blowing their appreciative audience away.

The Galway musician was Ger Fahy, one of the famous musical family from Ballinakill and composer of the score for Flatley’s new spectacular, Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games.

But before it all went down a storm, the two men – reared on a diet of Irish culture on either side of the Atlantic – took a moment to remember their respective roots.

“The crowds were building in the foyer, and the atmosphere was palpable in all corners of the Lyric Theatre Broadway,” says Ger.

“I took a shortcut to the backstage area to Michael Flatley’s dressing room. We exchanged greetings. Michael reminisced on his early dance classes in a cold hall in Chicago.

“I had a similar introduction to the music world many years ago in a cold hall in Ballinakill. We laughed, I wished him well and then it was showtime,” he adds.

And showtime it was on a night to remember when Broadway was awakened to the blazing dance routines and pulsating rhythms of Lord of the Dance.

“All the work began two years ago on a weekend break, I wrote the music and lyrics for Dangerous Games, the anthem around which the entire show revolved,” says Ger.

Thus began a year-long project culminating in the premiere of Lord of the Dance in London’s Palladium theatre in September 2014 – and taken to new heights last Tuesday week on Broadway.

In his own right, Ger Fahy is one of the most gifted Irish composers of our time. His new score for Dangerous Games is a magnificent piece of work that combines traditional Irish music with an eclectic mix of sounds and styles. His ethnic traditional roots have greatly influenced his present musical style.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Plans to replace a 50-bed ward block at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe will be lodged this December, the Connacht Tribune has learned.

The design for the replacement works, to include two wards of 25 single en-suite accommodation blocks will be lodged with planners within weeks.

The current lay-out of the ward, and the lack of isolation facilities, has limited the hospital’s ability to deal with recent outbreaks of infectious disease at Portiuncula.

General Manager of Portiuncula Hospital, Chris Kane, has confirmed there was a spike in the number of cases of Clostridium Difficile at the hospital during October and November.

He said the increase in cases was “partly due to patients also presenting from the community with Clostridium Difficile”.

During October there were seven cases of Clostridium Difficile among patients, Mr Kane confirmed, and the “appropriate infection control measures were put in place” as a result.

He said that patients were isolated and “increased cleaning of equipment and the environment were instigated and an increased emphasis on training and compliance with hand hygiene”.

The hospital has an infection prevention control committee and it met “on a regular basis” to put in place “the appropriate outbreak measures”. The committee also met to “review actions in order to minimise the risk of transmission of this infection including visiting restrictions”.

Last week, Mr Kane said the situation had improved and just four patients had symptoms of the infection. It was being kept under review, he said.

Severe C. Diff can cause diarrhoea, fever, weight loss and abdominal pain. In some cases it can lead to a hole in intestines which can be fatal. It mainly affects elderly patients.

Galway East TD, Colm Keaveney, (FF), who raised the matter in Dáil Éireann, said he welcomed the swift action of the Health Service Executive to address the “worrying” outbreak.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Friday night, November 13, started out like any other weekend for Paris-based Galway man, Tim McInerney.

The Barna native was with three friends enjoying a meal in Septime, a restaurant in the heart of the 10th and 11th districts of the French capital.

Their Michelin-star eatery was packed and the streets outside in the popular area for cafes, restaurants and bars were bustling.

On the way to Septime, the quartet passed by the terrace of La Belle Equipe. About 20 minutes later that café bar with outside seating was the scene of horrific shootings.

Gunmen opened fire and shot dead 19 people in one of multiple simultaneous terrorist attacks on different Parisian targets in what was the deadliest assault on French soil since World War II.

Mr McInerney (29), who was dining 15 or 20 metres away, describes the panic that gripped once bullet shots were heard.

“What we heard was just noise,” he recalls.

“A very loud noise. People say (the gunshots sounded) like firecrackers. I don’t think it really sounded like firecrackers unless it was very close to you. It sounded to me like barrels, like metal barrels falling from the sky . . .

“I think the panic was curbed a little bit by the fact that nobody knew exactly what was going on. We could only see reactions of other people. We were getting so many different reports that it was difficult to know if any of it was true.

“We didn’t know, of course, that seven different explosions had happened at that point. I would say about half of the people in the restaurant panicked and about half stayed very calm.

“There was nowhere to go. People were panicking. There were several people in floods of tears, there were several older men, totally breaking down but very quietly – we had to stay very quiet and not make a commotion.”

Outside, people were diving under cars for cover, he says. At one point a bus pulled up outside and people got off and ran in the opposite direction of the gunshots. Inside the restaurant, one man recognised the noise as that of a Kalashnikov. Diners initially took cover under the tables and then were advised to hide behind two large concrete pillars, farther back in the restaurant, which would have offered more protection from bullets.

Phones were still working but patrons were in the dark as to what was happening outside. “News came quite late. After going into hiding first, there was no news. The first we learned of it was people running in off the street saying ‘there’re tens of dead people lying on the ground out there’,” says Mr McInerney.

Mr McInerney contacted his sisters, Sarah and Ruth, back in Ireland, and later notified his parents, Dan and Martha, that he was safe.

The terror began shortly before 10pm and at about 2.30am, Septime was evacuated by military, who had swarmed the streets.

“Nobody wanted to leave but we were told to leave. They were clearing the streets systematically. Everyone was terrified of course. There was nowhere to go; no way to get home – there were no taxis, the Metro had been stopped. To walk would mean walking through central Paris. Even though it seemed like everything was over, how was anyone to know really?”

Not only was Mr McInerney so close to the attack last Friday but a fortnight previous he frequented Le Carillon with his visiting sisters for a drink.

Le Carillion – which he describes as an unpretentious, local bar popular with young Parisians, something you might find in Woodquay, Galway – was also attacked by gunmen, with up to a dozen killed.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune – along with a personal piece on the impact of the attack, by France’s Honorary Consul in Galway.

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FEARS that this month’s flooding could be as bad as Galway’s catastrophic weather event of November, 2009, have been allayed with the rains set to ease off from today.

However large swathes of the Galway countryside in the southern and eastern parts of the county are under water after the torrential rainfall of the past week.

Residents in Craughwell erected sandbag barriers last Monday after the Dunkellin River burst its banks – there were also growing concerns in the Ballinasloe area on Wednesday morning due to the rising levels of the River Suck.

Abbeyknockmoy rainfall recorder Brendan Geraghty had rainfall of five inches for the month so far on Wednesday morning – however, a figure far removed from the extremes of November, 2009. Almost 1.5 inches of rain fell last Saturday.

“In November, 2009, we had over 4.3 inches of rainfall in a three day period from the 17th to the 19th, and a whopping 12.67 inches over the course of that month,” said Brendan Geraghty.

Met Éireann are forecasting that the wind and rain will largely be replaced by colder but drier conditions over the weekend, in the wake of storm Barney that brought 125km winds on Tuesday last.

See full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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A wheelchair-bound paedophile – jailed for abusing a 13-year-old girl – is serving his sentence in his own home on the Headford Road, because no Irish prison can accommodate him.

The cost of having prison guards station at the apartment each day is reported to be in the region of €2 million.

Sixty one year-old Martin Davoren, who is originally from Corcullen, Moycullen, but now living at the Caireal Mór estate, was sentence to five years at Galway Circuit Criminal Court last July for indecently assaulting the girl.

Davoren – who was paralysed from the waist down in a car accident at the age of 22 – was transported in a specially-adapted vehicle to Castlerea Prison following sentencing, but was sent home again because prison authorities could not meet his medical requirements.  He is now serving the sentence from his apartment

According to the Irish Daily Star, the cost to taxpayers will be around €2.2m – he is guarded by four prison officers each day, working in two 12-hour shifts. The figure excludes payment for a carer 24-hours per day.

The newspaper reported that the four prison guards are paid a total of €1,600 per day. Factoring in a 25% remission on the sentence, he will serve three years and eight months, equating to €2.2m.

Davoren pleaded guilty to twelve sample charges of indecently assaulting Sarah Clancy – who waived her right to anonymity – at various locations on dates between September 1, 1986 and July 31, 1988.

When she was ten years old she started to attend a horse riding school in Moycullen to learn to ride and shortly after that the accused befriended her.

The abuse started when Ms Clancy was 13. Davoren dropped something on the floor of his jeep and asked her to pick it up for him. He then pinned her down and kissed her.

The assaults became more serious and occurred on a daily basis after that. She remembered he got her drunk one evening by encouraging her to drink alcohol from a cup he had won at a show that day.  She got sick on the way back.

He told her he would leave her home, but instead took her to an isolated area near the Tonabrucky mast in Rahoon and sexually assaulted her.

The abuse intensified after that and on one occasion when Davoren could not have sex with the child, he sexually assaulted her with a riding whip.

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Two sharply conflicting views have emerged this week of a GLUAS light rail system for the city – one of an efficient, pollution free transport system, the other of a monstrous white elephant project that would cripple the town.

UK light rail company, Tram Power, who back the GLUAS project for Galway, say that the project is sustainable, practical, pollution reducing and will be supported by the people of the city.

However, according to city councillor and businessman, Noel Larkin, a similar type light rail project in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, has been branded an unmitigated disaster.

“It [the Edinburgh light rail project] took twice as long to complete as projected, cost three times as much as originally planned, and delivered only half of the line promised,” said Cllr. Larkin.

According to Tram Power, the adoption of the GLUAS system would bring many benefits to the people of Galway ‘including not having to demolish any houses or other buildings’ – a reference to the construction of the city bypass route.

“The GLUAS scheme is the only one on the table that is sustainable, will reduce congestion, will reduce toxic pollution and CO2 emissions, is fully accessible, will help strengthen the city centre and is supported by 80% of Galway people,” say Tram Power.

Cllr Noel Larkin said that during the light rail project in Edinburgh, vital roads in the city centre were closed, causing major congestion, inconvenience and financial damage to businesses over a five year period.

For more on GLUAS, see this week’s Galway City Tribune

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The inquiry into the death of a taxi driver, who jumped into the River Corrib minutes after being told his vehicle was to be seized by Gardaí, heard that he had refused to save himself when a life buoy was thrown at him.

At Galway Courthouse on Friday, the jury of 10 men and one woman returned a verdict that David Johnston (42), a Scottish national who was living in Sleepzone Hostel, had died by suicide on the evening of February 5 2014.

The Coroner for West Galway, Dr Ciaran MacLoughlin, had given them two choices – either his actions were intentional, or that he was suffering from a psychotic episode at the time.

Mr Johnston was parked at the taxi rank near St Pat’s NS on Bridge Street at about 6.15pm when he came to the attention of Sgt Brendan Moore, as he was not sitting in his usual vehicle.

He had frequently come to Garda notice in the past, on one occasion nearly driving over a Garda’s feet as he attempted to evade detection.

Sgt Moore, who approached with two other colleagues, noted that the vehicle displayed an insurance disc which was valid for just one date in January 2014. The driver could show no proof of a valid policy, and he was informed that the vehicle was to be seized – as was normal procedure, and particularly in the case of a public service vehicle.

“He said: ‘OK lads’ and calmly walked to the back of the car,” Sgt Moore said.

“I presumed he wanted to take something out of the back, but he climbed over the (bridge) wall.”

Another Garda tried to catch him before he jumped, but was too late, and Mr Johnston slid into the river.

“We ran towards Wolfe Tone Bridge, but the first two life buoy stands were empty,” Sgt Moore added.

“When I got to the third, near Jury’s, I could see that he was still alive, and I threw it in. I shouted ‘Grab the f**king life buoy’. He looked up but made no effort to grab it.

“I will never forget that look he gave me after I had thrown the lifebuoy at him, even though it was within his reach.”

For more on the Inquest, see this week’s Galway City Tribune

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