Sometimes it feels that with every step forward we take with regards to transport and gridlock in this city, we take another ten back. And such is the case with the arrival of the improved N6 to the outskirts of the city.

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As thousands of Irish and non-Irish children get set to return to education after the summer break this week, it is fitting that our thoughts again turn to educational standards and the debate turns to how all the children on this island should be

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Students and parents across the country were rightfully rattled this week as 50,000 CAO applicants received their first round college offers against the backdrop of the looming threat of the reintroduction of college fees.

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We learned last week that 70 per cent of Leaving Cert students get grinds outside of school for that all-important exam. And today, 100 per cent of them will find out if all the hard work they and others have put into that exam has paid off. I hope

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Is the country gone mad? After a week of boozy excess in Galway it was sobering to see images on Sunday's news of the Dublin City Triathlon, which ended up a Duathlon due to the capital's poor water quality. (Nice to see someone else getting it for

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On arriving back in Galway from Australia a number of years ago, a friend of mine remarked that she didn't know how she would get (re) accustomed to Galway, it was so bleak and grey. Some times, especially when it rains, it is difficult to apprecia

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In a time of job cuts, economic downturns, increases in housing and hospital wait lists etc, the only thing interesting or newsworthy about the 'controversy' over the did they/didn't they clamping story is that it is receiving any spare ink or air

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With Big Brother in its ninth season and TV execs constantly scrambling to think of newer, and more profitable ideas for reality TV (and coming up with the opposite), it may be a surprise to you that Galway City Council's meetings could soon be bro

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Finance Minister Brian Lenihan and his cabinet colleagues have announced a series of spending cutbacks in an effort to save the country the €500 million it needs to balance the books at the end of this year.

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'Recession', 'economic downturn', 'the slowdown in the property market'… is it just me or does it seem like, if we are not exactly in the throes of a recession, we are certainly doing our damnedest to talk ourselves into one?

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One thing is sure following Monday night's City Council AGM that saw the elevation of Galway City Councillor Padraig Conneely to the office of Galway City Mayor, it's going to be an interesting year in local politics.

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I'm not one to boast but I've been told I'm a 6.42. And the good news is that, with just a number of simple steps, I can improve my rating further. I just have to cut back on a few of my personal weaknesses - flights, personal travel and heating -

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Three debates, countless articles and 148,000,000 press releases (ok, so that's an exaggeration), I'm all Lisbon-ed out. Every journalist in the country is the same, hence Today FM giving airtime to Jim Corr last week in an attempt to introduce som

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There is exactly one year to go until Galway plays host to one of the biggest sporting events that this country will ever see, the Volvo Ocean Race, which for the first time in its 35 year history will have a stopover in Ireland next year. It shoul

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A letter published in this paper last week has prompted the biggest response of any letter to date, with people admonishing Mags from Oranmore for giving out about people tailgating her while she is driving incorrectly in the right hand, overtaking

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While Galway City Council announced 'improvements' to Galway's road networks last week, it must seem to most motorists that, rather than alleviating the daily traffic woes, the council is bent on creating further barriers to traffic free flow.

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With a little over six weeks to go to the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, the Government has a long way to go to convince voters that a 'yes' vote is in their best interests.

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The Progressive Democrats have voted to install Galway man Ciarán Cannon as leader but Senator Cannon could be in possession of the greatest political poisoned chalice in the country as the party seems to have a long way to go to convince it

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Two short years ago, Health Minister Mary Harney announced that overcrowding in Irish emergency departments constituted a 'national emergency'. It is surprising then to discover that the 'Preparing for Major Emergencies' booklet that went through t

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As the dust settles following the bombshell of Bertie Ahern's shock departure announcement last Wednesday, we must now look, not to see what his legacy has been - there are enough historians and political commentators who will do that - but to our

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A decision you make this week could save the life of someone who is suffering from a life-threatening illness.

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Galway’s ability to retain its strength in the information and communications technology sector has been identified as one of the key uncertainties in relation to the future of the city in a new report that says Galway should focus on branding i

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In May next year Galway will play host to what is predicted to be the single largest sporting event ever to take place in Ireland, the Volvo 5 Oceans Race.

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An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has described anti-Lisbon Treaty campaigners as loo-las of every shape and kind who advocate loony-left policies. But at least the loonies and loo-las know something about the Treaty; ask your average, fairly sane, Joe and

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Environment Minister John Gormley and Galway City Council Director of Services Ciarán Hayes have expressed their hope that investment in upgrading Galway's water treatment facilities will do much to improve confidence in Galway's water suppl

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Valentine's Day is almost upon us and lest we forget there isn't a cobweb, crevice or ounce of space unadorned with something red, rosy or heart-shaped. It's total overkill but we love to hate it. Secretly we are all hoping for a piece of the acti

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With the rise in the incidents of violent crimes, murders and killings in this country in recent years has come a rather morbid fascination with all things murderous. This has never been more apparent than the huge public interest in the murder of

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They say, if you can't beat them - and clearly not even a hail of bullets can - join them. We all know crime pays and now so too does education. Our parents always told us our education would stand to us, but they didn't tell us it would stand us a

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Want to drive a diver around the bend? Take away the Republic's only public recompression chamber and wait until he has an accident. It's not a very funny joke but then again the state of our health services isn't very funny either.

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With educators crying foul over the introduction of water charges in Irish schools in recent weeks, most people will be confused as to why the introduction of water charges to State run schools would be such a big issue for educators. Surely, as sc

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As people came together to celebrate the New Year yesterday, many people will be reflecting on 2007 and wondering what it will be remembered for locally.

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Christmas, we are often told, is a time for giving and receiving, though we often seem to spend more time spending money than spending time with each other and just enjoying the time off, and, if you are religious, the spirit of the season.

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Spending Christmas in Galway depends on a number of factors each year, including how well you get on with your relatives or in-laws, the social outlook for the Christmas period and New Year and/or the proximity of babysitters. Likewise, sp€ndi

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Galway City Council is continuing to make great inroads in terms of the development of parks across the city with the latest opened just off the Barna Road on Sunday. However, questions have rightly been raised about the safety of children accessin

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If the Oral Hearing into the proposed Galway City Outer Bypass is anything to go by, Galway motorists could be waiting a long time in traffic before the first sod on this project is turned. The hearing, never mind the project, has been beset with d

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With murder, death on our roads and mayhem in our hospitals preoccupying much of our brain space on a weekly basis, it's hard to see anything good about our city, especially at this time of year when we are being told that we are facing into tough

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If John Gormley was on the other side of the Dáil Chamber these days he might be having a go at An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern about the merit of his recent €38,000 pay increase. If Deputy Gormley wasn't in bed with Mr Ahern, he might be pre

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The Minister for Transport has succeeded in appeasing the thousands of provisional driving license holders by doing a U-turn on controversial new driving laws. However, whether he will succeed in reducing the number of road deaths in this country r

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One in ten people living in Ireland now come from somewhere else and it's not hard to understand why. According to the latest edition of Lonely Planet Bluelist 2008, Ireland is the friendliest country in the world, with optimist citizens who think

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One week on from the horrific murder of Swiss teenager Manuela Riedo in this city and Galway is still coming to terms with the fact that a determined killer could be walking amongst us.

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It's spending more money and treating more patients than ever before, waiting lists have never been shorter and, apparently, more people are happier with the service they receive, so why is it that members of cabinet can not make 'head nor tail' of

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Apathy may have been the order of the day in Dublin Airport on Monday for the Irish Rugby team’s arrival back in Ireland but on the other side of the world it was anything but apathy as Irish Special Olympians arrived to compete in the 2007 Spe

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When primary school pupils returned to school late last month, Galway parents busied themselves making sure that their offspring were kitted out as per school requirements. But, with revelations that pupils at one Galway school are taking classes i

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We don’t like to do things by halves in Galway. In fact, we like to do things on the double, even treble. Think of the two oyster festivals, the three race meetings, the various arts festivals…If you’re going to do something, you m

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The revelation in this paper last week that an elderly Galway couple have been waiting seven months for an NCT test will serve as a wake-up call to other drivers to ensure that they take up the NCT’s invitation to get cars tested in advance o

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Cancer detection and treatment services in this country have been dealt a major blow with the news that there are question marks over the treatment of at least ten women with breast cancer at a private hospital in Limerick. On top of the pain and wor

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