Regional

THE provision of new information technology at one of Galway’s main public hospitals will dramatically improve efficiency and patient outcomes, according to Health Minister Dr James Reilly.University College Hospital, Galway has been the subject of severe criticism from public representatives at HSE Forum West meetings in recent months due to chronic overcrowding and high numbers of patients waiting on trolleys.If Minister Reilly’s plans come to fruition, it seems public patients will spend less time waiting to be admitted to the emergency department and should also get quicker access to a host of surgical and medical treatments.In addition to the introduction of a new Special Delivery Unit (SDU), Minister Reilly has unveiled plans for a new information technology system, which will enable managers to track the exact journey and length of time a patient spends going through different departments in UCHG.The minister hopes to rollout this new system, where managers will be able to track every consultant’s waiting list in every …

THE community of Ballyea have come together in a bid to raise funds to help a local six-year-old with a rare genetic disorder. Little Eimear Power, who attends Ballyea National School, was diagnosed with a chromosomal abnormality when she was two-and-a-half. It is hoped that money raised from a greyhound night at Limerick Greyhound Stadium this Friday will allow Eimear access therapies that would lead to a better quality of life for her.Eimear’s mother Teresa, the family, husband, Gerry, and their two other daughters, have been “overwhelmed” with the support Eimear has received from the local community.She explained her daughter’s condition is very rare, with the initial signs there when she was just a few hours old. Teresa recalled, “When she was born, within 24 hours there were things wrong but nobody could tell us the cause until she was two-and-a-half and the geneticist in Crumlin gave us a diagnosis. Her condition is very rare. There were children out there …

THE Ennis Trad Festival is set to bring a welcome €1 million boost to the region when it kicks off this November. Tens of thousands of music lovers are set to descend on Ennis next month for the festival.According to John Rynne, Ennis Trad Festival director, “I’ve been talking to publicans and hoteliers here about figures and the festival is definitely worth a million plus to the region every year. This would be between accommodation, drink sales, food, taxis, everything factored in. We have an enormous number of people flying in from abroad and a lot of these people would be coming for a week to the region. And what they might spend at the festival isn’t the entirety of what they would spend in the region as a result of the festival.”He added, “From a commercial point of view, the pub trade and hotels have all been hit with the recession and with winter coming in and November, with …

THERE will be plenty of model behaviour in Ennis this Saturday with shoppers having the chance to go window shopping with a difference as part of an innovative plan to showcase some of the town’s fashionable flair.A number of local boutiques have come together to display their styles in a very different way. A shop window on O’Connell Street will be transformed this Saturday with live mannequins modelling outfits from boutiques throughout the town.The event has been organised by Nicola Danagher along with Fiona Allen. Nicola explained, “We were just trying to come up with something a bit different that would attract people to come into Ennis and see just what this town has to offer, to get people to come back onto the streets and shop here. We have a wide range of styles and ages and something to suit all. We think this is a unique event and a change from the norm. This is a non-profit event, …

LOCAL schoolchildren were given some important lessons in Hallowe’en safety by members of Ennis Gardaí and Clare Fire Service in the lead-up to the holiday weekend.Pupils in schools across Ennis and its environs were told about the dangers and the laws surrounding fireworks and bonfires as part of Operation Tombola 2011. Gardaí and members of the fire service visited a number of schools, including Barefield National School, Inch National School, Coláiste Muire and CBS.Community Garda Deirdre O’Doherty explained, “This was about educating them about the dangers associated with fireworks and bonfires. This is a very important message for the children. We want people to be able to have fun at Hallowe’en but to do so safely and to consider others and to remember the laws in relation to using any fire or explosive item.”The students were shown a DVD and photographs of injuries that have been received as a result of fireworks and bonfires and urged to be careful.Both the …

FOLLOWING the success of the Beat the Streets soccer tournament, which took place for the last two years for fourth, fifth and sixth-year pupils of St Caimin’s and St Patrick’s Comprehensive, the tournament will take place this November.Beat the Streets is a soccer tournament where teams represent their housing estate or area in five-a-side matches (squads of eight). Last year was the second year of the event and it proved to be a huge success among the community. The league is an initiative of Community Garda Diarmuid O’Brien and FAI County Development Officer for Clare, Denis Hynes. Up to 70 teenagers from Shannon and the surrounding areas took part in the league over four weeks last year, seeking to claim the title. The league got the backing of the FAI and last year’s winners, Tradaree FC from Newmarket, won eight tickets to see the Republic of Ireland playing against Macedonia at the Aviva Stadium.This year’s tournament will take place at …

THE number of drink-related offences occurring in Shannon has declined significantly as the economy has contracted, the annual public meeting of the local Joint Policing Committee heard on Monday.Also this year, the number of sexual offences reported has increased dramatically. At the meeting, Superintendent Peter Duff said in recent times, there has been more reporting of offences that took place many years ago, particularly in families and institutions.The amount of public order offences recorded in the first nine months was 88, compared to 133 last year. The number of drink-driving offences went from 21 in the first nine months of last year to 12 in the equivalent period of 2011.With regard to sexual offences, 11 were reported in the first nine months of this year, compared to two in the equivalent period in 2010. Speaking about the increase, Superintendent Duff said, “All other offences would be reported within 24 hours at the most and we find that with sexual offences, …

A MEELICK historian has been shortlisted for a major literary award after publishing over 400 photographs about conflict during the early formation of the State, many of which have never been featured previously.Revolution: A Photographic History of Revolutionary Ireland 1913-1923 by Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc has been nominated under the International Education Services Best Irish-Published Book of the Year category in the 2011 Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards.Mr Ó Ruairc believes this is the first time a full photographic history of the important period 1913 to 1923 has ever been produced. He spent about a year going to museums in Ireland and England as well as Kilmainham Jail and meeting private collectors to obtain a series of photographs, which were never seen before.“I am delighted to be shortlisted for this award. I would appeal to people to vote for the book on line at www.irishbookwards.ie as this will be decided by public vote,” he said.The son of Pat and …