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MAJOR GARNT FOR AN CHEATHRU RUA
The Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Dinny McGinley has announced that he is sanctioning an allocation of €435,226 or 80% of the cost, whichever is lower, to Comharchumann Mhic Dara to enable them to carry out renovations on an old factory building in order to make it suitable for use as a public amenity for An Cheathrú Rua and also as accommodation for an Irish language college.
Minister of State McGinley said this will enable the Comharchumann to finish off the development of the community centre and strengthen the efforts to promote the Irish language in the area.
This grant is being allocated to the Comharchumann to renovate factory accommodation in An Cheathrú Rua.
The renovations will make 8 school rooms, 4 offices, a sports hall, toilets, and changing rooms available in one location which will be suitable for use both as a public amenity and as an Irish college.
Two Irish colleges have been operating in the area of An Cheathrú Rua for a number of years, Coláiste Chiaráin and Coláiste Cholumba.
But owing to a lack of suitable space in the area, these two colleges have been depending on a wide range of accommodation — local schools, community halls, as well as other accommodation such as offices in the locality — to function properly.
In order to address this problem long-term the Department announced a grant of €256,000 to the Comharchumann to purchase this building last August.
As well as the preschool services which are situated alongside this development, it is hoped that the location will include an Irish language and household support centre as recommended in the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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