Tag Archives: South Galway

THERE was mixed news for South Galway in the latest round of the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund announced last week. While there was delight at the approval of almost €800,000 for infrastructure and streetscape improvement, there was disappointment a remote working and community space was not included in the funding announcement. The Gorgeous Gort Forum welcomed the decision of Minister Heather Humphries to approve funding of €798,000 from the Rural Regeneration and Development application for Gort. The application was submitted by Galway County Council with the support of the Forum, the representative body for all local community groups, clubs and organisations. The money will go towards the redesign of the Market Square and town centre streets and will reinvigorate Canon Quinn Park, a green space in the town centre. Justin McDermott, chairperson of Gorgeous Gort Forum said, “This is wonderful news that part of the Rural Regeneration and Development fund application for Gort has been approved. “We thank the …

A SOUTH Galway man, whose farmyard and milking parlour are under water, has described the “terrible mental strain” he feels from the loss of his livelihood and his efforts to keep his herd of 95 cows alive. “Two days after Christmas, the water came into the yard. It was like the tide coming in on top of us,” Micheál Flaherty recalled. “I don’t know what I will do, to be honest,” the Tierneevin dairy farmer admitted, “because the parlour will cost a lot of money. We will have to rewire it completely. It is all under water. It will take months for the water to even go away. If it stopped rising today, it would still take three months for the water to recede. That is my income. I have nothing else. All our life’s work is gone and nobody cares. “I genuinely thought we could keep the water out. I had two good pumps from the council. It came …

President Michael D Higgins visited Labane in South Galway today (Monday) and met some the farm families and business people affected by severe flooding. “I took the opportunity of thanking all of the agencies and volunteers who have been assisting those affected and of paying tribute to the extraordinary sense of community that has prevailed for nearly a month now,” President Higgins said. Continuing, he said, “One particular aspect of the floods in Labane to highlight is the situation of those who are isolated and marooned and facing a painful wait for the waters to recede. It is only then that the task of recovery, in so far as possible, can begin.” The President expressed thanks to the Army who have been in Labane since December 9. “I had the opportunity as well of directly thanking the voluntary services, the State agencies and the local authorities, who are all working together with a great sense of cooperation. “While everybody was …

ICSA rural development chairman, Billy Gray has called for a complete re-think on how to protect the hen harrier, an endangered bird that is found in the East Clare/South Galway region. Recent extensive gorse fires in the area increased concerns for the long term future of the bird. Mr Gray argues that the Government response to the hen harrier is a denial of reality which will not safeguard the bird but will continue to have a devastating impact on farmers with hen harrier designation. “The GLAS scheme is of some help to farmers with smaller areas of designation, but it is inadequate for many farmers,” said Mr. Gray. “The ban on afforestation needs to be reviewed as there are considerable doubts about whether it is actually warranted or whether a more nuanced approach could yield better results. Most importantly, the Government needs to wake up to the reality that the hen harrier cannot thrive in rural communities if its presence …

AN elderly man was being treated in hospital on Wednesday, following an aggravated burglary in his South Galway home. The 80-year-old was at his home in Creggmulgreaney, between Kilchreest and Craughwell, on Tuesday night when three men entered the house at about 9.45pm. The men assaulted the pensioner, threatened him and locked him in a bedroom, before ransacking the house and leaving with a sum of money. The man’s wife, also aged 80, was also in the house at the time. She was uninjured but the couple are said to be extremely shaken by the incident. The man was taken to University College Hospital, Galway where his injuries are understood to be not life-threatening. One of the men involved in the attack was described as being 6ft tall, of thin build and was wearing dark clothes. A second man was described as being smaller, in his early 20s and wearing a light coloured jacket. Anyone with any information in relation …

THERE were plenty of colourful and imaginative floats and displays in Gort’s St Patrick’s Day parade. A large crowd lined the footpaths  of the South Galway town to enjoy the parade and many side attractions, which continued for several hours.

By Nicola Corless UNEMPLOYMENT and emigration rates increased more in Gort than any other town in the country, according to research revealed this week. Figures for towns in other parts of Ireland will not be released until April, but Professor Cathal O’Donoghue of the Teagasc’s Rural Economy Development Programme outlined details of the group’s research in Gort to a meeting of Galway County Council on Monday, as part of a presentation from The Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Area (CEDRA). According to its national town rankings, which take into account unemployment and emigration rates, Gort has seen the biggest fall nationally in a Teagasc index of small and medium sized towns. In 2002 and 2006 it was just outside the top 10% of towns in Ireland but by 2011 it had slipped to the bottom 10%. The South Galway town lost 400 jobs in just five years, between 2006 and 2011. While the population of the town dropped …

FARMERS and householders in Ardrahan and other areas of South Galway are still in serious difficulty with flood waters following the recent storms. There are concerns that further rain in the coming day days could exacerbate the situation in an area where thousands of acres have been flooded and some families have had to leave their homes. For some, it is a repeat of what happened a few years ago and they not be able reoccupy their home for a considerable period of time.