News
New Galway domestic violence refuge to open in 2016
Plans to completely renovate what was formerly a Magdalen Laundry residential quarters in Galway City and turn it into a state of the art domestic violence refuge were unveiled yesterday.
Work is due to start on the project in March and it should be completed and fully operational by early 2016, replacing the current facility at Waterside, Woodquay, being run by COPE.
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, who attended the event, said it was unfortunate that reality demanded such a refuge but praised COPE for providing the service and the Western Branch of the Sisters of Mercy for donating the building on a 99 year lease to be used by women and children, the victims of domestic abuse.
As a symbol of new beginnings for the women and children – 625 women and children were catered for last year in Waterside and as many were turned away due to lack of space – Taoiseach Kenny planted a Silver Birch on the grounds before addressing an attendance of over 100.
The new refuge at 47 Forster Street will have nine self contained units, two of them duplexes for bigger family units, a children’s play area both inside and out, a communal kitchen and living room as well as offices and staff rooms.
They will be able to cater for more, according to Jacquie Horan, CEO of COPE Galway, as Waterside can only cater for six families in confined rooms with no outdoor play area and no kitchen at all following a fire at the premises in Woodquay over three years ago. It has long been declared not fit for purpose and had to turn people away from its doors at the weekend.
One in five women in Ireland are affected by domestic violence – two words, said An Taoiseach, which did not belong together.
“Home is where people come together, where you expect to let your guard down with your family, who expect to be protected in their own home. The idea that violence could invade that sacred space is something that should not only worry us but shock us,” he said.
He said society could no longer, if it ever did, accept domestic violence and he praised COPE Galway for having provided a refuge since the early Seventies.
“Galway is a magical city, according to COPE’s own brochure but there are women and children living in fear of their lives but COPE has provided services for them in a sensitive way protecting the privacy and dignity of these women and children.
“I want to commend all of COPE and its volunteers and the Sisters of Mercy for following in the footsteps of their founder, Catherine McCauley and moving forward in her spirit. I know this will be a haven for the future,” he added.
It will take at least €2.5million to redevelop the building – the Government has already approved funding of €1.6million by way of a Capital Assistance Grant from the Department of the Environment. An application for planning permission will be lodged with Galway City Council, located next door, this week.
A fundraising campaign is expected to raise the balance.
John Concannon, Chairman of COPE Galway said: “The community of Galway have been hugely positive and supportive towards this project and we are very appreciative of all the help we have received so far.
“I now invite the public to help in any way that they can, either by making a donation to the project or offering their services and expertise to complete the project and deliver this new Domestic Violence Refuge for women and children of Galway.”
Sr Elizabeth of the Western Branch of the Sisters of Mercy said they were delighted to get involved in the project following a request from Ms Horan almost two years ago if they would be interested in leasing or renting some space.
Read more in this week’s Connacht Sentinel
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.
On the eve of completing his 150th marathon, an odyssey that has taken him across 53 countries, Loughrea’s Marathon Man has announced that he is planning to hang up his running shoes.
But not before Jarlath Fitzgerald completes another ten races, making it 160 marathons on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
“I want to draw the line in 2026. I turn 57 in October and when I reach 60 it’s the finishing line. The longer races are taking it out of me. I did 20 miles there two weeks ago and didn’t feel good. It’s getting harder,” he reveals.
“I’ve arthritis in both hips and there’s wear and tear in the knees.”
We speak as he is about to head out for a run before his shift in Supervalu Loughrea. Despite his physical complaints, he still clocks up 30 miles every second week and generally runs four days a week.
Jarlath receives injections to his left hip to keep the pain at bay while running on the road.
To give his joints a break, during the winter he runs cross country and often does a five-mile trek around Kylebrack Wood.
He is planning on running his 150th marathon in Cork on June 4, where a group of 20 made up of work colleagues, friends and running mates from Loughrea Athletics Club will join him.
Some are doing the 10k, others are doing the half marathon, but all will be there on the finishing line to cheer him on in the phenomenal achievement.
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.
From the Galway City Tribune – An impassioned plea for a ‘masterplan’ that would guide Galway City into the future has been made in the Dáil. Galway West TD Catherine Connolly stated this week that there needed to be an all-inclusive approach with “vision and leadership” in order to build a sustainable city.
Deputy Connolly spoke at length at the crisis surrounding traffic and housing in Galway city and said that not all of the blame could be laid at the door of the local authority.
She said that her preference would be the provision of light rail as the main form of public transport, but that this would have to be driven by the government.
“I sat on the local council for 17 years and despaired at all of the solutions going down one road, metaphorically and literally. In 2005 we put Park & Ride into the development plan, but that has not been rolled out. A 2016 transport strategy was outdated at the time and still has not been updated.
“Due to the housing crisis in the city, a task force was set up in 2019. Not a single report or analysis has been published on the cause of the crisis,” added Deputy Connolly.
She then referred to a report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) that identified lands suitable for the provision of housing. But she said that two-thirds of these had significant problems and a large portion was in Merlin Park University Hospital which, she said, would never have housing built on it.
In response, Minister Simon Harris spoke of the continuing job investment in the city and also in higher education, which is his portfolio.
But turning his attention to traffic congestion, he accepted that there were “real issues” when it came to transport, mobility and accessibility around Galway.
“We share the view that we need a Park & Ride facility and I understand there are also Bus Connects plans.
“I also suggest that the City Council reflect on her comments. I am proud to be in a Government that is providing unparalleled levels of investment to local authorities and unparalleled opportunities for local authorities to draw down,” he said.
Then Minister Harris referred to the controversial Galway City Outer Ring Road which he said was “struck down by An Bord Pleanála”, despite a lot of energy having been put into that project.
However, Deputy Connolly picked up on this and pointed out that An Bord Pleanála did not say ‘No’ to the ring road.
“The High Court said ‘No’ to the ring road because An Bord Pleanála acknowledged it failed utterly to consider climate change and our climate change obligations.
“That tells us something about An Bord Pleanála and the management that submitted such a plan.”
In the end, Minister Harris agreed that there needed to be a masterplan for Galway City.
“I suggest it is for the local authority to come up with a vision and then work with the Government to try to fund and implement that.”
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
