Connacht Tribune
Galway County Council making sandbags available ahead of Storm Jorge
Galway County Council has made sandbags available Storm Jorge for collection by people whose properties are under threat. Meanwhile, around 30 roads in the county are currently closed due to flooding.
Some severe winds are expected during Saturday associated with Storm Jorge (pronounced hor-hay). Southwest quickly veering west and later northwest will reach mean speeds of 65 to 80km/h with gusts of 110 to 130km/h, possibly higher in very exposed areas with an elevated risk of coastal flooding. A Status Orange wind warning will be in place from 6am Saturday until 3am Sunday.
A Status Yellow rainfall warning for Galway is in place at the moment until midnight on Saturday.
Rainfall accumulations generally between 20 to 30mm expected during Friday and Saturday, but 40 to 50 mm possible in mountainous areas, with a continuing risk of flooding due to already saturated ground and elevated river levels.
The Council is making sand bags available for collection by those whose properties are in vulnerable areas, please contact your local area office, during office hours (5am – 5pm):
Athenry/Oranmore: 091 509088
Ballinasloe North & South: 091 509074
Conamara North (Clifden): 091 – 509095
Conamara South (An Cheathrii Rua): 091 – 509060
Loughrea: 091 – 509166
Gort; 091 – 5090G5 (Sand bags can be collected from Gort Salt Barn, Kinincha Road, Gort)
Portumna: 090 – 9741019
Tuam: 091 – 509011
A spokesperson for the County Council said: “The key message is for people is to stay safe during this weather event. The strong winds and heavy rainfall currently being experienced are making driving conditions hazardous and drivers need to take extreme care and watch out cyclists and pedestrians and for the potential of flying debris, flood water, fallen trees and powerlines. Motorists are asked to avoid coastal routes, to make alternative route plans where possible and avoid making unnecessary journeys. Do not drive through flood water unless you are sure your vehicle is able to get through it.
“Given this Orange weather alert, members of the public are advised to take precautions to stay safe and are reminded to make contact with elderly or vulnerable neighbours.”
The following is the list of roads currently closed as a result of flooding over the past fortnight:
N65 Portumna – Road flooded but passable at the bridge
R358 Station Rd Ballinasloe – Road Closed Diversions in place
R339 An Carn Mór Rd – Flooding but passable with care at Greaney Glass
R381 Baile Chláir – road partially flooded heading toward Baile Chláir from Carnmore Cross
R360 Williamstown to Dunmore Road is closed at Kilnalag Cross, 1km from Williamstown. Diversion are in Place
L21162 Ballybeg near Cor an Dola – Road impassable
L7104 An Chréig Bhuí, Baile Chláir – Road closed, Diversions in place
L7103 Kiltullagh Rd, Baile Chláir – Road closed, Diversions in place
L6212 An Pollach (Pollagh) Baile Chláir – passable with care
L71115 An Ghráinseach – Road closed, Diversions in place
L3105 – Carheenlea – Road Closed, Diversions in place
L7161 – Moneteige – Road Closed, Diversions in place
L61981 – Gort Chluain Mór – Road flooded
L-6401 is Closed at Forty Acres, Williamstown with diversions in place.
L-6427 is still closed at Polleagh North, Williamstown with diversions in place.
L-7351 at Ticooly, Caltra is Closed with diversions in place.
L-7250 at Caltra Park, Caltra is Closed with diversions in place.
L3414 at Kilmalaw/Cappagh, Kilconnel – Road flooded but passable
L8103 – Rinn – Road flooded but passable
L8104 – Moneymore East – Road flooded but passable
L3116 – Ballyglass – Road flooded but passable
Tuam Area
L6184 near Corbally North – Road Closed, Diversions in place
L2121 Glenrevagh near Peggy’s bar is closed due flooding. Detour in place
L2101 Causeway road to Inchaquin island is flooded. Only access is by tractor.
L6146 Clough South (Corofin area) passable with care
L6147 Pollinore (Corofin area) closed. Detour in operation
L2106 Belclare – passable with care
L6156 Feagh – Road impassable
L21162 Balrobuckbeg – Road impassable
Conamara
Pier Rd, Oughterard – Road flooded
Meanwhile, City Council crews will be on standby from 2pm on Saturday to deal with any flooding or wind damage caused by the storm.
(Photo is an aerial image of the Headford Road at the Curraghline taken this week by Drone Works Ireland)
The Road Safety Authority has issued the following warning: Road users in areas affected by the Orange Warnings are advised to check local traffic and weather conditions before setting out on a journey. The following advice is being given to road users. Motorists:
- Control of a vehicle may be affected by strong cross winds. High sided vehicles and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to strong winds.
- Beware of objects being blown onto the road. Expect road conditions to change quickly in high winds so reduce your speed.
- Watch out for falling/fallen debris on the road and vehicles veering across the road.
- Drivers should allow extra space between themselves and vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and motorcyclists as they may be blown off course by strong winds.
- Drivers need to slow down in wet weather conditions, especially on high speed roads such as dual carriageways and motorways where there is increased danger of aquaplaning.
- If the road ahead is flooded choose another route, do not attempt to drive through it. Flooded roads that appear shallow could be deeper than you think. They may also have trees or branches that have fallen that may not be visible.
- Road users should always follow recommended routes and obey signs closing roads to traffic.
- After going through water, drive slowly with your foot on the brake pedal for a short distance – this helps to dry the brakes.
- Drive with dipped headlights at all times.
Advice to Pedestrians, Cyclists and motorcyclists:
- Visibility and light is reduced in poor weather conditions. Keep safe by making sure you can be seen. Wear bright clothing with reflective armbands or a reflective belt.
- Take extra care when crossing the road or cycling in extremely windy conditions as a sudden gust of wind could blow you into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
- Walk on a footpath, where possible and not in the street. If there is a footpath and it is safe to use, look out for falling debris from above, especially in urban areas.
- Walk on the right-hand side of the road, facing traffic if there are no footpaths.
- Cyclist should ensure that they and their bike are visible to other road users by investing in a good set of front and rear lights (white at the front, red at the back) and by wearing clothes that help you be seen on your bike such as bright and light reflective items.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
