Connacht Tribune
Campaign grows to bring Dunguaire Castle back into business
Pressure is mounting this week to reopen one of the most photographed sites along the Wild Atlantic Way – Dunguaire Castle in Kinvara.
The collapse of the tourist market from outside Ireland due to the Covid-19 emergency has meant that the iconic 16th century structure on the edge of Galway Bay has remained closed so far this season.
But this week, East Galway Fine Gael TD told the Connacht Tribune that he was hopeful a package of financial support measures would be put in place to get the doors of Dunguaire re-opened over the coming weeks.
“I know that as of this week, Shannon Heritage [a semi-State body that runs and manages the site] have submitted a detailed financial set of proposals in order to reopen places like Dunguaire.
“The message we are repeatedly hearing is for Irish people to holiday at home in 2020 so this makes it all the more important to have our major sites and attractions open for our home visitors,” Deputy Cannon told the Connacht Tribune.
He also suggested, that in the longer-term, it might be worth considering to put a site like Dunguaire Castle under the stewardship of the OPW (Office of Public Works).
“I just think that given the wonderful job the OPW has done with sites in Athenry and Portumna that there is certainly merit in considering giving them a similar role with the Kinvara site.
“This is one of the most photographed sites along the entire Atlantic Way – images seen all over the world – but we are now approaching the last week in July so there is a real urgency in getting it open again as soon as possible,” said Deputy Cannon.
Shannon Heritage also run the Bunratty Castle and St. John’s Castle attractions and last week in the Dáil, Deputy Cannon – along with TDs, Joe Carey (Clare) and Kieran O’Donnell (Limerick) – made the case to Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton and Minister Eamon Ryan for the full reopening of the facilities.
According to Deputy Cannon, with the extension of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme ‘well past August’, the issue of salary payments should no longer be a major financial concern for Shannon Heritage.
Deputy Cannon also said that Minister Ryan had indicated a willingness to consider the provision of providing financial support for the group [Shannon Heritage] to ‘successfully operate’ the heritage sites.
“The loss of visitors to Dunguaire Castle is not only a blow for the employees of the Shannon Heritage group but it is also a major blow for the economy of the Kinvara and South Galway area,” said Deputy Cannon.
Dunguaire Castle was built around 1520 by the Hynes clan, reputed to be descendants of a High King of Connacht who ruled the province from his Atlantic fortress.
In the early 20th century, it was purchased by surgeon and poet Oliver St. John Gogarty who began restoration work on the castle, a project continued on by Christobel Lady Ampthill in the 1950s and 1960s, before the landmark site was eventually bought by the Shannon Development Company, the parent group of Shannon Heritage.
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.
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.
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
