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Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Funeral details announced for 'kind, caring and gentle' teen killed in crash
A teenage girl who tragically passed away in hospital from injuries sustained in a road traffic crash in Co Galway will be laid to rest this weekend. The two-car collision occurred at Ballygaddy Road in Tuam at approximately 6.05pm on Sunday (July 13). Samantha Gannon, 19, was driving one of the vehicles and was rushed to University Hospital Galway (UHG) with life-threatening injuries. Tragically, she passed away in hospital on Wednesday. The driver and passenger in the second vehicle, a man in his 20s and a woman in her 30s, were also taken to UHG for non-life-threatening injuries. Samantha's family have confirmed that the tragic teenager will be will be laid to rest alongside her grandfather Paddy on Sunday. Samantha will lie in repose at Glynn's Funeral Home on High Street, Tuam, from 4pm to 7pm on Saturday afternoon, followed by removal to the Cathedral of the Assumption, Tuam, where her funeral will be held at 3pm on Sunday. Samantha Gannon sadly passed away Following the funeral service, Samantha will be laid to rest with her beloved grandfather Paddy Gannon in Abbeyknockmoy Cemetery. Tributes continue to pour in for the popular young woman, who was training to be a nurse at Atlantic Technological University in Galway. While studying for her nursing degree, Samantha worked at Greenpark Nursing Home in Tuam, with her colleagues writing in a message shared online: "Gone too soon but never forgotten. We honour the memory of our beloved colleague Samantha whose presence brought comfort and care to many. You had a gently soul and caring heart. We will miss you deeply. Sincere condolences to Bridie, Frank, and all of Samantha's family and friends. May she rest in peace." A family friend said: "So so sorry Frank and Bridie & Alex, Chloe, Megan, To Nanny Mary and all Samantha's cousins, Uncles and Aunties, and Friends on your huge loss, Samantha's beautiful smile and warm personality will be missed but fondly remembered. May Samantha rest in peace." While a classmate's of Samantha's at ATU said: "Rest in peace Samantha. You were the kindest soul, so gentle and a friendly smiling face always around college. My deepest condolences to your family. You left a beautiful memory in everyone's lives that were privileged enough to meet you. Sleep tight sweetheart, you'll never be forgotten." The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week Gardaí are continuing to appeal for anyone with information about the collision to come forward. Anybody who was in the Ballygaddy Road area between 5.50pm and 6.15pm and who may have witnessed the incident should contact investigating gardaí. Any road users who were travelling in this vicinity at the time, and who may have camera footage including dash cam, are asked to make this footage available to investigating gardaí. Gardaí can be contacted at the Tuam garda station on 093 70840, the garda confidential line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station. Get all the big crime and court stories direct to your phone on our new WhatsApp service. Sign up here.
Irish Post
26-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Post
€34m HealthTech hub launches in Ireland
A NEW €34m research hub focused on chronic disease management has been launched in Ireland's Northern and Western regions. University of Galway is leading the hub in partnership with Atlantic Technological University and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. The Accelerating Research to Commercialisation (ARC) Hub for HealthTech aims to fast-track healthcare research into real-world solutions. Funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the hub will focus on developing smart implants, advanced wearables, novel sensors, and AI-driven models to improve chronic disease detection, monitoring, and treatment. The project aligns with Ireland's National Smart Specialisation Strategy, promoting regional growth through targeted innovation. 'The ARC Hub for HealthTech will transform regional innovation and accelerate the delivery of healthcare solutions to those who need them most,' said Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD. In addition to research, the hub will support scientists and engineers in commercialising their work - offering training in entrepreneurship, regulatory requirements, and market access. 'This initiative unlocks significant long-term opportunities for the region's healthcare, research, and enterprise communities,' said Celine Fitzgerald, interim CEO of Research Ireland. The HealthTech hub is the third in Research Ireland's ARC programme, following earlier launches in therapeutics (Trinity College Dublin) and ICT (TU Dublin). Together, these hubs are creating a national framework to bridge academic research and commercial application.
Irish Independent
26-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
North Kerry man honoured with prestigious furniture design award
Kilmoyley native Liam O'Flaherty was named as this year's recipient of the Conor Farrell Design Award at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Connemara. Mr O'Flaherty secured the prize after impressing a panel of judges with the functionality and aesthetic appeal of his statement piece, 'The Split-Stone Cabinet'. He was presented with the award by Paul Farrell, of Farrell Furniture, to become the fifth recipient of the award created in memory of the late Conor Farrell. Mr O'Flaherty said it was a 'brilliant feeling' to have his creation recognised. 'It's my highest achievement to date since I began making furniture and it gives me great confidence in my own abilities,' he said. The Kilmoyley man created the award-winning cabinet as part of his final year brief at ATU, which required the integration of Connemara Marble into a furniture product. Liam's concept evolved from an initial idea to emulate a natural break in stone. This became the defining feature of his design. 'Connemara Marble is often referred to as the 'Gemstone of Ireland. It's a highly symbolic and valued Irish material, so I was very excited to get the opportunity to use it in a project,' Liam said. The minimalist form of Liam's cabinet is influenced by mid-century design, and serves as a canvas for the Connemara Marble to stand out. 'This is not just a functional cabinet but a showcase of the beauty of Connemara Marble in an untraditional way, which is what I feel makes it so unique,' Liam explained. ADVERTISEMENT "I owe great credit to Brendan Joyce of Joyce's Marble Quarries and Lamont Stone, who helped manufacture my design to the highest standard.' Jeremy Madden, chair of Furniture Design and Manufacture at ATU Connemara, praised Mr O'Flaherty's dedication. 'It was a real pleasure to work with Liam on this project. What stood out in his work was his ability to allow Connemara Marble to speak - balancing structure, story and surface with care,' Mr Madden said. 'Liam's approach was both restrained and confident and I'm so pleased to see this honoured by the Conor Farrell Design Award." Having recently completed his studies at ATU Connemara, Mr O'Flaherty plans to establish his own workshop and begin a career in furniture design.
Irish Independent
26-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
North Kerry man honoured with furniture design award after creating beautiful yet functional cabinet
Kilmoyley native Liam O'Flaherty was named as this year's recipient of the Conor Farrell Design Award at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Connemara. Mr O'Flaherty secured the prize after impressing a panel of judges with the functionality and aesthetic appeal of his statement piece, 'The Split-Stone Cabinet'. He was presented with the award by Paul Farrell, of Farrell Furniture, to become the fifth recipient of the award created in memory of the late Conor Farrell. Mr O'Flaherty said it was a 'brilliant feeling' to have his creation recognised. 'It's my highest achievement to date since I began making furniture and it gives me great confidence in my own abilities,' he said. The Kilmoyley man created the award-winning cabinet as part of his final year brief at ATU, which required the integration of Connemara Marble into a furniture product. Liam's concept evolved from an initial idea to emulate a natural break in stone. This became the defining feature of his design. 'Connemara Marble is often referred to as the 'Gemstone of Ireland. It's a highly symbolic and valued Irish material, so I was very excited to get the opportunity to use it in a project,' Liam said. The minimalist form of Liam's cabinet is influenced by mid-century design, and serves as a canvas for the Connemara Marble to stand out. 'This is not just a functional cabinet but a showcase of the beauty of Connemara Marble in an untraditional way, which is what I feel makes it so unique,' Liam explained. ADVERTISEMENT "I owe great credit to Brendan Joyce of Joyce's Marble Quarries and Lamont Stone, who helped manufacture my design to the highest standard.' Jeremy Madden, chair of Furniture Design and Manufacture at ATU Connemara, praised Mr O'Flaherty's dedication. 'It was a real pleasure to work with Liam on this project. What stood out in his work was his ability to allow Connemara Marble to speak - balancing structure, story and surface with care,' Mr Madden said. 'Liam's approach was both restrained and confident and I'm so pleased to see this honoured by the Conor Farrell Design Award." Having recently completed his studies at ATU Connemara, Mr O'Flaherty plans to establish his own workshop and begin a career in furniture design.
Irish Independent
13-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
The major infrastructural projects needed to give the West a boost and how much they will cost
At a breakfast briefing in Dublin, a delegation from the Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) presented Government Ministers, TDs, Senators and Senior Government officials with the report. The report, 'Regional Infrastructure Priorities for the Northern and Western Region' identifies the need for a minimum €9 billion in capital investment needed across the region's transport, energy, education, water, and climate infrastructure. These are specifically for the projects that could be costed at the time, with other projects to be costed at a later date. These initiatives are designed to address significant infrastructure deficits, unlock economic potential, and advance climate resilience in Ireland's most underfunded region. NWRA Economist, John Daly said: 'Despite Ireland being regarded as one of the wealthiest economies in the EU, the Northern and Western Region of Ireland's transport infrastructure ranked in the bottom 20 at 218th out of 234 regions according to the European Commission's Regional Competitiveness Index'. The publication of the report coincides with the public consultation on the revised National Development Plan (NDP), which remains open until 26th June 2025. The NDP is the Government's long-term vision and investment strategy for national infrastructure and public services, a crucial component of Project Ireland 2040. Speaking at the event, NWRA Director Conall McGettigan stated: 'The Northern and Western Region has consistently received below-average investment in national infrastructure. 'This report aligns with the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2020–2032 and presents a clear roadmap—with several projects already costed—to bring the region in line with national policy goals. It supports compact growth, regional accessibility, and sustainable development'. Among the key projects proposed are: · The N17 Knock to Collooney road scheme (€600 million) · The Carrick-on-Shannon bypass and N4 upgrade (up to €500 million) · Donegal TEN-T Projects (€790m to €915m) · Phases 2 and 3 of the Western Rail Corridor (€400–600 million) ADVERTISEMENT · The Galway City Ring Road (€500 million to €1 billion) · Strategic grid enhancement projects by EirGrid (€1.3 billion) · Investments at Ireland West Airport Knock · New capital projects at the Atlantic Technological University (€50m - €150 million) NWRA Cathaoirleach Cllr Jarlath Munnelly added: 'The report highlights the severe regional imbalance in public capital investment. Between 2016 and 2024, the Northern and Western Region received just 5.7% of public tenders worth over €20 million, despite accounting for over 17% of Ireland's population'. The NWRA developed the report following extensive consultation with all nine local authorities in the region, along with key infrastructure agencies including Transport Infrastructure Ireland, EirGrid, Uisce Éireann, and Atlantic Technological University. The report will be transposed into a submission from the Northern and Western Regional Assembly on the review of the National Development Plan (NDP). The submission to the NDP will aim to ensure the Northern and Western Region, through the provision of critical infrastructure, is fully empowered to meet Ireland's targets on housing, climate action, connectivity, and economic development. The report on the Regional Infrastructure Priorities for the Northern and Western Region will be submitted as part of the NWRA's submission to the NDP consultation. The Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) is one of three Regional Assemblies in the Republic of Ireland. It works with key stakeholders at EU, national, regional and local level to accelerate and optimise effective regional development. As a public body charged with formulating Regional Policy, the NWRA advocates for greater economic development in the Northern and Western Region of Ireland, which covers the counties of Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan.
