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Connacht Tribune

Corofin Castle cancer centre hits buffers over road access

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Plans by the owner of a North Galway castle to provide a number of thatched cottages on the grounds of the ruins that can be used for terminally ill cancer patients is being strongly opposed by local residents.

The residents in Corofin say that the owner of the castle plans to gain access to the site through their estate and that this will cause major disruption – and especially if the development will take up to 15 years to complete.

There are 25 submissions from residents opposing the development on the grounds of Corofin Castle.  They say that the castle is a protected structure and unstable given that it dates back to the mid-1400s.

It is also stated that the owner plans to access the site of the castle through a private road that serves more than 40 houses in the neighbouring Castlegrounds Estate. The road has not been taken in charge by Galway County Council and is looked after by a maintenance company which the residents contribute to.

The planning application has been submitted by Paul Roberts of Corofin Castle Heritage Park for the development of four thatched cottages and a thatched stone barn for residential use.

It is stated in the planning application that the barn will be used for crafts persons and artisans with the cottages being used as a cancer retreat for families supporting terminally ill patients along with some charitable organisations.

According to the application the barn will house horses and provide storage for feed. No works will take place on the structure of Corofin Castle which will continue to be conserved in place as ruins.

Mr Roberts said that Corofin Castle Heritage Park is a not-for-profit company established for the preservation of heritage of the area, the maintenance of the castle and the bridge entering the village.

He claims to have the support of 1,000 local residents for the development – this is disputed by the residents in the neighbouring estate – and compares the plan to Bunratty and the Ulster Folk Park.

Residents of the estate are strong in their opposition to the development and say that there is no account of the potential flooding to the nearby River Clare and possible pollution that could be caused.

One resident said that they had been advised by the developer that it could take 15 years to complete the project – by then their young children who use the green area in the estate will be in their mid to late 20s.

“For 15 years we will be looking at a building site and associated inconvenience, noise, upheaval, diversions, dirt, delays and disturbance. We have been given no detail in relation to the work that will be required to restore the green area and who will fund this work”.

Another resident said that the work would adversely affect the road safety in this quiet residential estate where their children are at play. The extra unwanted traffic generated will bring heavy machinery, hazard material and waste while they will lose the safe quiet environment for their children.

Others say that the development would result in overlooking onto the Castlegrounds Estate with the resultant loss of privacy. It has also been claimed by residents that the applicant intends holding concerts at the venue, which they describe as being totally unsuitable for such activity.

It is expected that Galway County Council will announce a decision on the planning application in mid-February but regardless of the decision it is likely to go to An Bord Pleanala for further consideration.

Connacht Tribune

West has lower cancer survival rates than rest

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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.

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Connacht Tribune

Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents

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Galway's Aaron Niland is chased by Cillian O'Callaghan of Cork during Saturday's All-Ireland Minor Hurling semi-final at Semple Stadium. Photo: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile.

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 IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety

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Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche

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.

 

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