Boycott Israel until it ends the Illegal Occupation & Colonisation of Palestinian West Bank & East Jerusalem.

 


Well done to the American company 'Ben and Jerry' for ending the sales of its ice creams in the Palestinian lands that are recognised by the United Nations as occupied and colonised by Israel.

Israel is a racist apartheid state. The same type of boycotts that took place against apartheid South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s, which I was part of, need to be introduced today against Israel.
It was abhorrent to read that Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations and the US, Gilad Erdan, said that the company’s decision was “the de-facto adoption of anti-Semitic practices and advancement of the de-legitimisation of the Jewish state and the dehumanisation of the Jewish people”.
In no way is being against the brutal aggressive racist colonial policies of Israel "anti-Semitic". It is well past time that civic organisations and governments stood up to this abuse of the term "anti-Semitic" by Israel and its right wing supporters to stifle condemnations of their immoral racist policies. I knew many Jews that across the world that are standing up for the rights of Palestinians and demanding the end of the occupation.
Thanks Thomas Cuffe for previously highlighting this progressive action by Ben and Jerry.
I also would support a boycott of China over its actions against Uighurs, Tibetans and the people of Hong Kong

Transatlantic cable - Birth of the Global Village

 
We are thrilled that Dr. Cornelia Connolly of the School of Education at NUI Galway recently donated a piece of the renowned 19th century transatlantic cable to the Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland.

In 1866 a cable was laid down from Valentia island in Kerry to Newfoundland providing the first permanent electrical communications link between the continents of the Americas and Europe.
Thus began the Age of Global Communications with the west of Ireland becoming key hub in this network. Its importance was reinforced in 1907 when Guglielmo Marconi established the first regular radio communications service across the Altantic between Clifden in county Galway and Glace Bay in Canada. 
 
Check out Cornelia's article on the Transatlantic Cable that was published in RTE's Brainstorm:
 
Unfortunately due to COVID restrictions, it looks likely that the museum will not reopen to the public until early 2022.

Please Help! Your Submission today (July 30) can help make the Connemara Greenway become a reality!

We in the Connemara Greenway Alliance are requesting people that want to see and to enjoy what could be one of Europe's most pictureseque walking and cycling routes to make submissions before 4.30pm today (Friday July 30) to the Draft Galway County Development Plan 2022-28 in order to have it included as a priority piece of infrastructure that will help revitalise the towns and villages along the route between Galway city and Clifden.

The submission will take approximately 7 mins to complete. Please go to https://consult.galway.ie/
The Connemara Greenway Alliance, of which I am a member, has prepared a ready-made cut and paste submission which one can use and is available at:
We sincerely thank all of those that have already made submissions. This is the Alliance’s final big push to get the Connemara Greenway from Galway city to Clifden included in the Development Plan and have it completed as soon as possible.
 
As well as the health, social and commuter benefits for the people of Connemara, the green tourism potential of this Greenway will bring huge economic benefits especially in the hospitality and services sectors. Dr. Pat Collins of NUI Galway undertook an economic research analysis of the potential impact of the Greenway and estimated that it would bring in €17million+ per annum to the region.
There will also be additional advantages to the city. With the construction of the planned walking/cycling bridge on top of the old railway limestone stacks in the River Corrib at Woodquay (as you know, City Hall has already secured funding from government under the Urban Regeneration Scheme), its terminus would help secure the Dyke Road as a unique blue and green hub combining a blueway along the Corrib stretching to the heart of Mayo; a forest way through the 120+ acre Terryland Forest Park; a boreen walking network to Menlo, Castlegar and Carrowbrowne; and a Greenway to Headford.
Sadly, in spite of the investment flowing in from central government, its development is extremely slow. 
Only c15km of the 76km route has been completed. This section is at the western side with no progress whatsoever being made between the city and Oughterard.
A few weeks ago, the Limerick Greenway opened to great fanfare with Greenways already operational in Waterford, Tipperary, Kildare, Meath, Westmeath, Longford, Monaghan, Louth...
So as an integral part of the walking/cycling, ecological corridor and Outdoor Classroom infrastructure for Galway city and country, your submission can help make the Connemara Greenway become a reality sooner rather than later!

A ‘Green Highway’ in Galway City - Build It & They Will Come!

 

The survey of the Terryland River and its surrounding area, presently been undertaken by full-time summer intern Tara Speares and her supervisor Dr. Colin Lawton of NUI Galway, is further reinforcing the scientific evidence from over many decades that the community-driven council-managed Terryland Forest Park is having a significant positive impact on the numbers and species of biodiversity in Galway city and shows the critical importance of an ‘ecological corridor’ or 'green highways' (one of the objectives of its founders) in restoring wildlife in urban environments. Terryland connects the Corrib Waterways into the farm lands of east Galway. The park is Galway’s largest and oldest (2000) ‘rewilding’ initiative but hopefully not its last. With the continued huge growth in human populations and cities worldwide, it is crucial that we make significant spaces in urbanised areas to serve as wildlife sanctuaries as well as ensuring their protection from human footfall. Otherwise we destroy the very thing that we are trying to nurture and preserve. Parts of Terryland Forest Park as with parts of the other borough parks (Merlin Woods and Barna Woods/Rusheen Bay) across Galway admirably fulfill this function.

Photo shows Dr. Colin Lawton and intern Tara Speares with wood mice temporarily captured in ‘traps’ whose data was recorded before being released back into the wild. I enjoyed watching the freed little mammals disappear into the undergrowth of the woods and riverbanks.
Colin has a long and distinguished role in assessing the impact of Terryland on the city’s biodiversity as he has been undertaking different types of mammal surveys on its lands since 2004. His efforts provide important scientific data to policy makers, scientists, and environmentalists. Thank you Colin- we really admire and appreciate your great efforts!