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Gort

Rás riders roll into town

  The town of Gort received a huge boost on Monday when An Post Rás competitors, fans and support personnel descended on the town for the end of the second-longest stage of the gruelling eight-day event. Riders covered 157 kilometres from Kilkenny to Gort before setting off from the South Galway town again on Tuesday morning. Pirmin Lang of the Switzerland Atlas Jakroo team was first past the finish line on Monday’s stage two of the 2012 Rás. The Swiss rider sprinted to victory at the end of a particularly hilly stage taking riders through East Clare. Participants stayed in Gort, Loughrea and Ennis on Monday night before setting off from the Lady Gregory Hotel on Tuesday. The hotel found itself at capacity on a Monday night outside of peak season. “We had about 150 people staying. It was great and there was a great buzz around town, especially for a Monday evening. Registration was in the hotel on Tuesday …

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Funds boost moves playground closer to reality

Gort moved a step closer to getting a long-awaited playground this week after the committee behind the project was presented with more than €7,500 in donations. The committee now has in the region of €40,000 but requires a further €40,000, along with a grant of €70,000, to complete the work.

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No toll planned for future motorway

“No stone will be left unturned” in the Government’s attempt to find funding for the Gort to Tuam motorway, according to Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Alan Kelly. He added that tolling is not envisaged on the proposed road and stated “the economic logic behind such a proposal would not stand up to scrutiny”. The junior minister was responding to questions in the Dáil from a local Fianna Fáil TD, who called for answers from the Minister for Transport about the future of key infrastructure projects in the constituency. Galway East Fianna Fáil TD Michael Kitt raised a special Dáil debate on the issue last week and in particular questioned the Government about the planned Gort to Tuam motorway and the Tuam bypass.Questioning the minister in the Dáil, Deputy Kitt said, “When the Ennis to Gort motorway, including the bypass of Crusheen, was completed some years ago, people in east Galway and across the West were looking …

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Farmers ‘shivering in their shoes’ over inspections

Farmers in South and East Galway are “shivering in their shoes” because of unannounced farm inspections, local IFA representative Michael Silke told The Clare Champion. Senator Lorraine Higgins raised the issue in the Seanad recently, calling for an immediate end to what she described as “questionable farm inspections” in East Galway, which are creating a “reign of terror” amongst the farming community there.“Throughout East Galway in particular a practice exists whereby inspectors are arriving on farms to conduct inspection without giving any prior notice to the farmer in question,” said Senator Higgins.“In the ordinary way, this renders their arrival on the farms illegal but these inspectors are arriving under the guise of the Animal Feed and Hygiene Regulations, where no notice period is required under EU Law. However, they are then purporting to carry out tagging inspections on cattle and sheep where 48-hours notice should be given by law and further inspections on land eligibility where up to 14 days …

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New hospitals’ boss concerned about patient ‘no shows’

The non-attendance of approximately 35,000 out-patients scheduled for appointments in two Galway public hospitals last year represents one of the biggest challenges facing the local acute hospital service.That’s according to the new chief executive officer of the Galway and Roscommon University Hospitals’ Group, who insists the Health Service Executive (HSE) has a difficult task to ensure all patients fulfil their out-patients appointments.The huge number of so-called “no-shows” is 5,500 less than the total number of “invalidated” patients on the Outpatient Waiting List for University College Hospital, Galway and Merlin Park, Galway, which now stands at 40,517.However, Mr Maher expects this figure could reduce by between 10% and 15% when the number of patients on multiple lists for the same out-patients’ procedures are removed from the system.It is estimated that Galway University Hospitals see 5,000 patients every week. Speaking at a recent HSE Forum meeting in Galway, Mr Maher explained if all patients turned up for their appointments, their overall out-patient …

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Lough Cutra warming up for June triathlon

One of South Galway’s most picturesque locations is preparing for the arrival of hundreds of sports enthusiasts from across Ireland and the UK. As well as seasoned athletes, the Lough Cutra Triathlon, which is taking place on Sunday, June 3, is open to adults and children from eight years and up, encouraging all the family to get fit the fun way. The triathlon consists of a swim, followed by a cycle and then a run. Triathlons, for so long the preserve of the serious athlete, are now attracting the wider public, providing a personal challenge for many first-time fun-runners. Race distances and times vary according to age and standard, ranging from The Widgeon for 8-10 year olds which incorporates a 100m swim, a 4km cycle, a 1.3km run right up to three adult distances with the top one being the Olympic (1,500m/40km/10km). Participants can also do the triathlon as a relay, with one person doing the swim, another the cycle …

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