South Galway

A NORTH Clare student, who found national fame when he sold his Leaving Cert notes on eBay, has been awarded a prestigious scholarship to the University of Cambridge. Cillian Fahy was awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue an M. Phil. in European Literature and Culture at the university, the only Irish person to achieve this in 2014. The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK, to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. They are selected based on outstanding intellectual ability; leadership potential; a commitment to improving the lives of others and a good fit between the applicant’s qualifications and aspirations and the postgraduate programme at Cambridge for which they are applying. “The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world and it is an incredible honour to receive one,” said Cillian. “The scholarships are full-cost, covering all fees and maintenance, …

GORT  swimmer Ciara Doran will represent Ireland in the Canadian Age Group Championships later this year. This will be the 14-year-olds first time swimming for Ireland in the competition in Winnipeg from July 23 to 27. To make the Irish team Ciara had to achieve certain qualifying times, which she did at the National Senior Championships last month. “She is over the moon. This is a dream coming true for Ciara. This really makes the early mornings worth it for her,” said her dad Patrick Doran. “She wants to get to the Olympics and this is a huge step forward for her.”

AN Taoiseach, Enda Kenny was joined by Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar Hogan on Friday,  in turning the sod on the €550 million Gort to Tuam (M17/M18) motorway project “This sod-turning event is another step in the Government’s plan to make the recovery local. It’s the largest Public Private Partnership in the current Stimulus programme and is real evidence that Ireland’s PPP market is again open for business. The Gort to Tuam motorway will reduce journey times and significantly improve access in the region. Some 450 new jobs are being created now that the project is underway. The finished motorway will remove several major bottlenecks, boost competitiveness, promote regional development, and generate yet more jobs. It also marks a major step in developing the Atlantic Corridor road network along the west coast,” Mr Kenny said. This is the second transport PPP signed by this Government and follows the M11/Newlands Cross project. It shows that Ireland’s PPP programme is fully operational …

THE sod turning for the M17/M18 motorway project will take place outside Gort this Friday after which work will  begin on the €550 million extension to the Atlantic Corridor. Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin signed contracts last week for the road with consortium Direct Route, which includes Roadbridge, John Sisk, Lagan, three large Irish civil engineering firms, and Strabag of Austria. When completed  it will extend from Gort to Tuam and include bypasses of Tuam, Ardrahan, Kilcolgan and Clarinbridge in the south. It will also effectively bypass Claregalway. The project will create up to 450 jobs and, according to the Government, will “boost local economies in the West and ease congestion”. The jobs are expected to be created during the construction and post-construction phases. When complete, there will be motorway from Shannon past Ennis, Gort and  Galway as far as Tuam. The road will not be tolled.

By Nicola Corless WELL-known community development worker, Adrian Feeney, has announced his intention to run in the local elections later this month. The Gort resident will compete for votes in South Galway, with sitting councillors Fine Gael’s Bridie Willers from Grannagh, Independent Michael Fahy from Caherduff and Fianna Fáil’s Gerry Finnerty from Ballymurphy. Mr Feeney will run as an independent candidate in the eight-seat Loughrea Electoral Area. “I decided to run on Monday,” he told The Clare Champion. “While I will run in the Loughrea Electoral Area, I want to focus mainly on Gort and its surroundings,” he added. This will be Mr Feeney’s third attempt to gain a seat on Galway County Council, having run in 2004 and 2009. He also ran for a Dáil seat in the Galway East constituency in 2007. “The recession has hit Gort particularly badly. It has been widely reported on. This has highlighted how desperately we need a good candidate. We are sick …

FOLLOWING  weeks of speculation, Ministers Leo Varadkar and Brendan Howlin signed the contract for the M17/M18 Gort to Tuam motorway this week.The €550 million project is a public-private partnership, which will see the M18 extended 57km beyond Gort.  Work is to begin on the motorway from Gort to Tuam in the coming weeks. Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin signed a contract with consortium Direct Route, which includes Roadbridge, John Sisk, Lagan, three large Irish civil engineering firms, and Strabag of Austria. The project will create up to 450 jobs and, according to the Government, will “boost local economies in the West and ease congestion”. The jobs are expected to be created during the construction and post-construction phases. “This is further evidence of the Government’s commitment to improving transport infrastructure outside of the Greater Dublin Area,” Minister Varadkar said. Minister Howlin said, “I am very pleased we have achieved …

By Nicola Corless MUSIC lovers from around the country will travel to Kinvara this weekend for the 21st Fleadh na gCuach.  Already, more than 40 sessions have been organised and will feature the cream of traditional musicians from across the country. Other events that will form part of the weekend are the Cuckoo Fun Run, puppet shows and musical activities for children, as well as a Café Trail with music, songs, singing sessions and a poets’ breakfast. One of the highlights of the Cuckoo Fleadh is the return of Buttons and Bows for an intimate concert in Johnston’s Hall on the Saturday evening. Jackie Daly, Seamus and Manus McGuire and Garry O’Briain came together 30 years ago, playing many memorable sessions in Flatley’s and Tully’s pubs, the result of which was the formation of Buttons and Bows. During the 1980s and ’90s their eclectic mix of music from Ireland to Shetland, as well as the fiddle and accordion traditions of …

CONTRACTS to extend the M18 from Gort to Tuam will be signed today, Wednesday, paving the way for an economic boost to the region. The paperwork will be signed by Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, as well as representatives of the National Roads Authority The four-lane motorway, as well as additional roads, will cost around €550 million, and is expected to be completed in 2017. Theproject will involve the construction of 100km of roads. The long-awaited roadway will allow easier access to Clare and Shannon Airport for businesses and consumers in Galway and further parts of the West of Ireland. It will also solve traffic bottle-necks in places like Kilcolgan and Clarinbridge.