President Higgins’ archive finds a home at University of Galway

Thu, Jun 12, 2025

In a moment described as a significant “institutional homecoming,” President Michael D. Higgins has donated his extensive presidential archive and a portion of his personal book collection to the University of Galway—his alma mater and long-time academic home.

Kids learning to cook in school

Thu, Jun 05, 2025

So the British supermarket chain is sponsoring a Stronger Starts Cooks Programme designed to teach cookery to 3,000 school children in 42 primary schools across Ireland this year.

Councils join forces to put Galway Airport on the market

Thu, May 01, 2025

Agents for Galway City Council and Galway County Council will advertise for ‘expressions of interest’ in the 118 acre site in the coming days to ‘test the market’ before councillors are asked to vote on any potential sale.

Teachers conference highlights 'understaffed, impoverished and overwhelmed' school system

Thu, Apr 24, 2025

Galway took centre stage in the national education debate this week as the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) held its annual Congress in the city, drawing hundreds of delegates from across the country alongside the Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee.

City escaped storm flood devastation by sheer luck

Thu, Apr 24, 2025

As it was on January 24, Storm Éowyn generated the highest coastal surges ever recorded along Ireland’s western seaboard. The Port of Galway recorded a 2.6m storm surge peak - the highest it has ever recorded in modern times, despite the full force of Éowyn hitting when the tide was ebbing. Limerick docks recorded surges of just under 3m - the height of a single story house above mean sea level.

Ireland’s first Established Professor of Rural and Remote Medicine appointed

Thu, Apr 03, 2025

University of Galway has announced the appointment of Professor Robert Scully as Ireland’s first Established Professor of Rural and Remote Medicine.

The landmark appointment aims to strengthen medical training and tackle critical doctor shortages across the West and North West of Ireland.

O’Hara welcomes legislation to extend Widow’s Pension to cohabiting couples

Thu, Apr 03, 2025

Sinn Féin TD for Galway East, Louis O’Hara, has welcomed legislation known as the Bereaved Partners Pension Bill to extend the widow and widower’s pension to cohabiting couples. The legislation has come about following a legal case taken by John O’Meara, who was refused the payment following the death of his long-term partner, and O’Hara said it was critical that the legislation is progressed and enacted quickly.

Speaking during a Dáil debate on the bill, TDeputyp O’Hara said this legislation is long awaited and much needed for bereaved partners, who have been discriminated against. So it is very welcome, but the government have been slow to recognise the changing make-up of modern families and relationships and it is regrettable that it took a grieving partner to take a court case to make this change happen.

Ó Cuív wants FF to contest Áras

Thu, Mar 27, 2025

Éamon Ó Cuív would consider running for Áras an Uchtaráin on a Fianna Fáil ticket, but he has so far not been asked to put his name forward.

Galwayman upfront about gambling addiction

Thu, Mar 13, 2025

The Rutland’s new Gambling and Gaming Specific Outpatient Programme is a HSE-supported initiative designed to target the estimated 1-in-30 Irish adults struggling with gambling addiction.

11.2% increase in domestic abuse calls made to Galway Garda stations in the last year, says Farrell

Thu, Feb 13, 2025

The number of domestic abuse calls made in County Galway has increased from 2,656 to 2,955 in the last year — an 11.2% increase in the county.

Galway bookmarked in history of radio

Thu, Feb 13, 2025

Thirty years ago this month, I became a company director for the first and only time in my life. I was 19.

Comms blackout means rural GP calls down 75 per cent

Thu, Jan 30, 2025

WestDoc, the weekend GP service, received a fraction of the urgent care calls it expected from rural areas of County Galway in the three days after Storm Éowyn.

Ross Lake Hotel arson remains unsolved

Thu, Jan 23, 2025

The former hotel was set alight late on the evening of December 16, 2023, soon after it emerged that part of the empty building was being fitted out for accommodation for homeless asylum seekers. Videos of the intense fire went viral on social media.

A forgotten Claddagh rescue

Thu, Dec 12, 2024

During a recent visit to the Isle of Man, I was struck by a substantial monument in Douglas, commemorating a maritime rescue in 1830. Aware of another heroic rescue in Galway the same year, I realised both took place during the same storm.

SocDems asked Síle Seoige to contest election

Thu, Nov 14, 2024

Before Fianna Fáil unveiled Gráinne Seoige in September as its celebrity candidate to replace outgoing Connemara stalwart Éamon Ó Cuív TD, the Social Democrats had already been in talks with her younger sister, fellow broadcaster Síle Seoige, initially about running for the European parliament, and later in a possible autumn general election.

Bibi banned from Galway

Thu, Oct 17, 2024

In a unanimous vote of all 16 councillors present in City Hall last Monday, a motion was carried that the City Council will not welcome any future visits to Galway by Netanyahu, Israel’s president Isaac Herzog, or ministers and ambassadors of the current administration after its military incursions into Lebanon.

Farrell comes out swinging for PAC chair

Thu, Oct 17, 2024

The 34-year-old from Mervue has been nominated by the largest opposition party to replace current Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chair, Brian Stanley TD, who resigned from Sinn Féin last weekend, claiming the party subjected him to a “kangaroo court” after allegations of misconduct.

Connolly ‘aghast’ at Irish Water

Thu, Oct 10, 2024

An Taisce is the organisation which first brought pipe survey reports into the public domain last month, and Catherine Connolly TD (Ind) also railed against amendments to the Planning Act proposed this week, including one to remove the heritage body as a ‘prescribed body’ under the current planning rules.

6,000 deer culled in Galway last year

Thu, Oct 03, 2024

Data released by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to the Irish Deer Commission shows 78,175 wild deer were culled nationally in the 12-month period up to February last year, compared to 55,008 in 2022.

Seoige and Connolly selected as Cheevers ponders future over ‘whispering campaign’

Thu, Sep 12, 2024

Galway City East Councillor Alan Cheevers claims a whispering campaign about his health was waged to dissuade delegates from voting for his candidacy as a Dáil hopeful.

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