Gort

ELEVEN schools across Galway are set to lose teachers as part of cuts announced by the Government late last year but according to a senior INTO figure in the county, the true picture is far worse. Those South Galway schools reaching the new heightened threshold for pupil numbers by September will not be able to appoint teachers until next year, it emerged this week.Speaking to The Clare Champion, Joe Killeen, principal of Lough Cutra National School and the INTO executive representative for Galway and Roscommon, pointed out many schools in the area will see their pupil numbers rise to above the new thresholds for teacher allocations but will not be allowed to hire teachers until 2013. The reason for this is that teacher allocation for the 2012/2013 school year will be based on the 2011/2012 pupil numbers, even in cases where the numbers rise above the new enrolment thresholds. Schools that increase their pupil numbers this September, and have the …

  Seamount College, Kinvara  1-8 Coláiste Phobal, Roscrea  2-1 SEAMOUNT College, Kinvara were crowned All-Ireland junior C camogie champions at Killimor last Saturday, when they defeated Colaiste Phobal Roscrea. Having won the toss, Seamount elected to hurl with the breeze at their back in the first half. A substantial gale meant that a significant advantage would be required by the break.After a slow start, Cliodhna Walsh got Seamount off the mark with a well-taken point from play, followed by a converted free from Emma Helebert. Further frees from Helebert and a point from play by Nicola Brennan saw Seamount stretch their lead to five points. Roscrea were making little inroads at the other end with Kinvara’s midfield pairing of Brennan and Lisa Casserly, along with centre-back Eleanor Stafford in total control.A wonder point from Brennan from 50 metres out on the right sideline and an injury-time free from Helebert left the half-time scoreline at 0-7 to 0-0 in favour of …

Organisers have hailed this year’s St Patrick’s Day parade in Gort as the best held in the town in years.“The parade’s theme Our Local Heritage captured the imagination of the participants, both on foot and on floats. There were more floats than usual and the event attracted a very large attendance. Many community organisations and businesses availed of the parade to promote their events and services,” explained Padraic Giblin, from the parade’s organising committee.

A South Galway school was awarded a €1,500 energy-efficiency upgrade after bright sparks from its senior classes came up with an imaginative renewable technology design.

A SOUTH Galway auctioneer is following in the footsteps of one of Australia’s most successful estate agents by holding “for the first time ever in Ireland” a public auction in the front garden of the property on sale. Colm Farrell is selling 19 The Maples, Glenbrack, Gort on behalf of its owners, John and Maureen Walsh.Both widowed, John and Maureen met in Italy in 2006. They married and moved to Gort. Maureen’s family live in Meath and Dublin and the long drive and constant bag packing no longer make sense. Late last year they decided to move. They put their detached property in Glenbrack on the market and quickly found an apartment in Trim. With the deposit down, they waited for their property to move. They are still waiting.“It was John’s suggestion to relocate up in Meath. We are not getting younger and we are so much time up and down so we decided we would go for an apartment …

THE Seamount College community will take to the roads around Kinvara next week in an effort to highlight the daily experience of women and girls in the developing world.On March 22, International World Water Day, the pupils and teachers, male and female, will take part in a 6km walk around Kinvara carrying water. The event will show solidarity with their peers in Kenya, where a young girl travels the average daily distance of 6km by foot, carrying up to 20 litres of water on the journey. As a result of the time it takes to collect water, many girls are unable to remain in education and without education, find themselves caught in a cycle of poverty.International World Water Day is held annually to focus attention on the importance of fresh water and advocating the sustainable management of fresh water resources.“It is a time to focus public attention on critical water issues, such as the fact that 6,000 children die every …

GORT Co-Op Livestock Mart celebrates its milestone 50th anniversary this year.

NATIONAL schools in South Galway, including the Gort area, are experiencing “backlogs” in the public school health screening programme, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has revealed.