#Flooding - Galway county councillors have blamed the National Parks and Wildlife Service for blocking flood prevention measures.

Galway Bay FM reports on a special sitting of Galway County Council, which heard a number of members take the NPWS to task over what they perceived as putting protections for wildlife over those of hundreds of families in the county affected by the recent severe flooding along the Shannon.

Cllr Michael Connolly claimed relief works planned for Meelick were halted over concerns with a single fish species – while Cllr Michael Fahy scoffed that digging emergency channels was more important than "bats and the bees".

Galway Bay FM has more on the story HERE.

#LoughNeagh - Drone footage of the dramatic flooding around Lough Neagh has garnered over 7,000 views on YouTube.

According to the News Letter, hundreds have been flocking to the region to see the effects of flood waters as the lough's level reached a 30-year high.

However, any potential benefits in visitor numbers are far outweighed by the severe cost to local businesses, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

And flooding around the lough will continue to be a problem for the foreseeable future due to a combination of poor water flow control and unreliable long-range weather forecasts.

That was the stark warning from Rivers Agency chief David Potter speaking to a Storming committee earlier this week, as the Belfast Telegraph reports.

"In order to reduce the lough by a foot, we need between 25 and 38 days' notice, and after about five days our level of confidence in the weather forecast is pretty shaky," he said.

"Hopefully that describes the dilemma that we are in. We can't anticipate to the extent that people believe we can."

Meanwhile, a meeting in Brussels this week has dismissed as a myth the notion that EU regulations have prevented flood relief in Co Galway, which is still suffering the effect of December's winter storms.

As Galway Bay FM reports, MEP Marian Harkin revealed that Ireland has made only one application for works of overriding public interest in the last 20 years, as the vast majority of decisions are taken at member state level.

#Missing - A body recovered from the sea near Galway City yesterday is believed to be that of missing student Michael Bulger, as TheJournal.ie reports.

The body was spotted offshore by a search party volunteer near Ardfry Point in Oranmore, south-east of the city on Galway Bay.

The 20-year-old from Clare, a student at NUI Galway, was last seen leaving a bar in the city's Quays district around 1am on Friday 18 December.

Hundreds of volunteers had joined search teams to comb the city and surrounds over the weeks since for any sign of his whereabouts.

TheJournal.ie has more on the story HERE.

#Claddagh - The Irish Post has a revealing look at one of Ireland's most unique communities – the people of the Claddagh.

Today very much part of a vibrant Galway, the Claddagh was once very distinct from the city just across the mouth of the Corrib.

Indeed, there's much more to the area and its history than the famous Claddagh Ring.

Comparable to communities like the Amish in the United States, the Claddagh people were once easily distinguished by their anachronistic style of dress – and their devotion to the fishing industry.

Lace-making and net-making were once ubiquitous skills in an area where all boys grew up to be fishermen, though that was long ago.

However, there has been a revival of old traditions such as the recent Galway hooker boatbuilding project.

And it's a unique history that deserves to be celebrated with its own maritime museum, says one local historian, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

The Irish Post has much more on the story HERE.

#TallShips - Dublin backed out of its bid to host the 2019 Tall Ships Races after Dublin City Council deemed the €3 million costs too high.

As the Irish Independent reports, the council said in defending the decision that the cost "represents a very significant funding implication for DCC", describing it as bigger than its annual budget for festivals and events throughout the year – including the now annual Riverfest.

Business leaders described the move as "disappointing" in light of the expected €30 to €75 million boost to the local economy from an event that attracted over a million visitors when it was last staged in the capital in 2012.

As previously reported, Galway is already stepping into the breach by mounting its own bid to host the tall ships in the same harbour that welcomed the Volvo Ocean Race in 2012 and 2009.

The Irish Independent has more on the story HERE.

#Rowing: The School Indoor Rowing Blitz in Trinity College drew hundreds of competitors. Borris Vocational School from Carlow won the Girls under-15 section ahead of Gaelcholáiste Ceatharlach, and Limerick school Laurel Hill won the girls under-14 category. The top under-14 boys’ team were CBC from Monkstown.  

For Full Results, See Attachment Below

School Indoor Rowing Blitz, Trinity College (Selected Results)

Boys

Under 14: 1 CBC Monkstown 7 min. 0.7 secs,  2 Presentation, Cork - Panthers 7:24:9. Under 13: 1 CBC Monsktown 7:51:0, 2 St Joseph’s, Galway One 7:53.9, 3 St Joseph’s, Galway Three 8:13.7.

Girls

Under 15; 1 Borris Vocational School – Barrow Barrowers 7:45.4, 2 Gaelcholáiste, Ceatharlach 7:53.1, 3 Cois Life, Lucan 8:32.7.

Under 14: 1 Laurel Hill, Limerick 7:43:3, 2 Coláiste Iognáid 7:44:5, 3  Borris Vocational School  - Barrow Blitzers 7:44:8. Under-13: 1 Laurel Hill, Limerick 7:48:0. 2 Col Iognaid 8:20:2, 3 Gael Scoil, Carlow 8:20:5

#Tourism - Galway's status as the only city on the Wild Atlantic Way is at the centre of a new six-year tourism blueprint for the City of the Tribes.

As the Connacht Tribune reports, the Tourism Sustainability Strategy 2015-2021 – developed from search commissioned by Galway City and County Councils – recommends that a 'master brand' be created to capitalise on the city's unique position in the West of Ireland.

Plans include developing and marketing Galway as a transport and accommodation hub for the Wild Atlantic Way, as well as creating new spin-off cultural and heritage trails, and extending the tourist season with the likes of new city-based festivals.

The Connect Tribune has much more on the story HERE.

#FloodRisk - The Government is "stonewalling" new flood plans for at-risk areas near inland waters in Co Galway, according to a county councillor and general election candidate.

As the Galway Advertiser reports, Cllr Anne Rabbitte claims that the Office of Public Works (OPW) has refused to meet with Galway councillors to advise on new flood risk plans for Headford on Lough Corrib, Portumna on Lough Derg and Ballinasloe on the River Suck, a tributary of the Shannon.

As a result, says Cllr Rabbitte, the council is working from draft maps and being "over-cautious" in its estimates, adversely influencing "insurance costs and resale opportunities" for homes in areas not affected by the last serious floods in 2009.

The Galway Advertiser has much more on the story HERE.

#FishFarm - Connemara's salmon farming industry has vowed to ensure it abides by all statutory regulations following the recent discovery of illegal freshwater extraction in the Kilkieran Bay area.

As Galway Bay FM reports, Galway County Council has been moved to write to the region's biggest salmon farming companies over their use of freshwater for disease control in their salmon farms.

This was prompted by the discovery of an illegal pumping system at Loch An Mhuilinn, similar to the unauthorised pipeline from Loughaunore that got Marine Harvest Ireland into trouble with the authorities last year.

Marine Harvest, along with the region's biggest producer Bradán Beo Teo, was sent a warning letter by the council in the wake of the latest find, for which it is not yet known who is responsible. The Connacht Tribune has more on the story HERE.

#RNLI - Galway RNLI's lifeboat launched yesterday evening (Tuesday 8 September 2015) to rescue two people from a 25-foot powerboat that got into difficulty off Salthill on Galway Bay.

The cabin cruiser went aground west of Blackrock Tower at about 6.40pm as the tide was going out.

Galway's lifeboat crew launched at 7pm and, on arrival at the scene, two crew members disembarked and swam to the powerboat, where a father and son were still on board.

The lifeboat voluntreers then anchored the boat and escorted the two men safely to Blackrock. Much later that evening the lifeboat returned to the powerboat to refloat it at high water.

Galway RNLI helm David Oliver says the two people were not hurt in the incident. “They were new to boating and it was a lesson learned for them,” he says.

The volunteer lifeboat crew on this callout were Oliver, Dan King, Stephanie Carr and Ian O’Gorman.