Regional

THIS weekend, the Galway One World Centre will host the sixth Galway African Film Festival (GAFF).Kinvara-resident Trisha Buddin is one of the organisers and has been involved in the festival since the beginning. The festival will present a series of contemporary African feature films, shorts and documentaries, all of which will be free of charge.

CRATLOE’S crop of talented young hurlers have no excuse when it comes to fine tuning their skills, thanks to the provision of a new all-weather hurling wall.

IN the region of 400 people are expected to take part in this weekend’s Lough Cutra Castle Triathlon. The event takes place on Sunday and entries are up on last year, according to organisers, who expect about 100 competitors from the UK and others from France.

  Fáilte Ireland will not make any further investment in Yeats’ Tower at Thoor Ballylee, the Seanad was told in recent days, because the number of visitors looking for information when the house was open “was too small to justify spending scarce resources on reopening it as a tourist information office”. The future of the historical landmark could be as part of a cultural and heritage centre, according to Senator Lorraine Higgins. The Seanad was told that Minister Leo Varadkar raised this possibility with Heritage Minister Jimmy Deenihan.Senator Higgins outlined to the Seanad details of the East Galway landmark and its importance from an historical, recreational and cultural perspective to the people of Kiltartan and Gort. “In 1965 for the centenary of Yeats’ birth, Ballylee was fully restored by the Kiltartan Society replete with a collection of first editions and items of furniture. The adjoining cottage was a tea room and shop. However, following the flooding of the Cloon River …

THE Department of Education and schools have a responsibility to provide adequate parking to ensure the safety of children, according to a senior council official, who commented, “It can’t all fall on the council.”

WHILE the 36 visiting ambassadors and the dozens of additional dignitaries in Kilrush last Sunday may not have noticed, local people must have been astonished at how clean and fresh Frances Street was looking.

THE Shannon Parish Mission is starting this Sunday with the theme of Sharing the Good News.Sister Briege McKenna OSC will lead the parish mission. Sister Briege was born in Armagh and entered the Sisters of St Clare at the age of 15.

Scariff Community Co-op goes moneyless this weekend as a new market spearheaded by local resident, Deirdre Morrissey has its first day out.