Connacht Tribune
On crest of wave with model ships
Lifestyle – Making scale models of historic boats is a skill master craftsman Jim Horgan has perfected over the years. Examples of his work, ranging from the vessel in which Columbus sailed to the New World to a post-Famine coffin ship, are displayed in the Galway Crystal shop on the outskirts of the city. The aim is to establish a museum to house these and more historic models, as BERNIE NÍ FHLATHARTA learns.
Galway based boat-builder Jim Horgan is considered to be one of the finest craftsmen in the trade here in Ireland – and another string to bow is his ability to make scale models of traditional Irish vessels. He plays down his skill in this regard, implying that anyone could do it. Indeed, he shares his knowledge through classes and many other people are now building their own models as a result of this.
But Jim has a real talent in being able to scale down naval architectural boat plans so that the end results reflect each boat perfectly.
And anyone with an interest in boats, especially in historical vessels, can see three of Jim’s models in the foyer of the Galway Crystal building on the city’s Old Dublin Road. These exhibits were made to commission and the long-term aim is that they’ll be part of a bigger permanent exhibition of Galway’s maritime history, dating back to the 1400s.
Jim’s model of the Santa Maria, Christopher Columbus’ flagship vessel on his journey to the Americas, depicts Galway’s wine trade with Spain and Portugal. Columbus himself is believed to have prayed in the city’s St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church in 1477, 15 years before he took the voyage which led to the European discovery of the Americas.
The second model, the Brig St John was a ship which left Galway in 1849, in the aftermath of the Famine, bound for Boston. She dropped anchor at Leitir Mealláin in South Connemara, taking on additional passengers. Her master was Martin Oliver from the Claddagh. The ship reached Boston a month later but a storm drove her out to sea where she was battered and, despite rescue attempts, 120 passengers perished. Only 22 people survived.
Built in Canada as a cargo ship, she was sold in 1848 to Henry Comerford of Merchants Road and subsequently used to transport some of the thousands of people who emigrated to America from the West of Ireland after the Great Famine.
The third model on display is of the PS Connaught, a paddle-steamer which was the second-largest and most luxurious liner of her time. In her second trans-Atlantic crossing from Galway in 1860, she was carrying 50 first-class passengers, 470 in steerage and 125 crew. She was also carrying a consignment of gold coins.
She sprang a leak when she was only 150 nautical miles from Boston but unfortunately the pumps on board were unable to cope and she sank after one of the boilers on board exploded. However, everyone survived after the Minnie Schiffer, a small cargo ship nearby, managed to rescue all on board. The wreck of the Connaught which went down 160 years ago this week, was discovered by a US salvage company in 2016 and work is still underway to recover the gold coins which had then been valued at about $15 million.
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Connacht Tribune
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
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.
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Connacht Tribune
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
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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Connacht Tribune
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
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.
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