Dunphy Communications

12/12/2025

You may have noticed that Gort is looking brighter and more colourful than ever this Christmas. More than 70 property fronts have been enhanced so far through the Gort Streetscape Scheme, giving the town a real lift. I was in Gort on Monday with Paul Corey and Galway County Council to produce a short video showing the great work that has been done.

The project is supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, together with Galway County Council and the Gort Town Team.

Check out the video below.

02/12/2025

A new statutory body dedicated to strengthening community safety in County Galway held its first meeting today at Áras an Chontae, officially bringing the JPC model to a close.
https://www.dunphycommunications.ie/news/new-community-safety-partnership-holds-first-meeting-in-county-galway/

28/11/2025

Galway County Council has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary TD that €634,922 in funding has been approved for community and sports facilities across CLÁR areas in the county.

28/11/2025

Galway County Arts Office was represented at a national event held in Limerick City Gallery of Art to mark 40 years of partnership between the Arts Council and Ireland’s 31 local authorities.

Galway County Arts Office was represented at a national event held in Limerick City Gallery of Art to mark 40 years of partnership between the Arts Council and Ireland’s 31 local authorities. The e…

25/11/2025

Galway County Council has announced that site works on one of the largest social and affordable housing schemes delivered in east Galway will commence before Christmas.

The local authority has signed a €14.95 million contract with C&N Higgins Construction for the construction of 56 homes at Cosmona, Loughrea. The scheme comprises 44 houses and 12 apartments and includes the first affordable homes to be delivered outside the Galway Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP).

The project is situated on a 3.3-hectare greenfield site owned by Galway County Council, and completion is set for the third quarter of 2027. It is funded through the Government’s Social Housing Investment Programme.

Galway County Council has announced that site works on one of the largest social and affordable housing schemes delivered in east Galway will commence before Christmas. The local authority has sign…

25/11/2025

The role of artificial intelligence in business and the 2026 economic outlook for Irish SMEs will be the key topics at the annual Business Networking Morning hosted by Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Clare. The event takes place at the Future Mobility Campus Ireland in Shannon from 10am to 1pm this Friday, 28 November.

The role of artificial intelligence in business and the 2026 economic outlook for Irish SMEs will be the key topics at the annual Business Networking Morning hosted by Local Enterprise Office (LEO)…

24/11/2025

Galway County Council is hosting a free public webinar at 1pm and 7pm on Thursday December 4 to explain how the Affordable Housing Purchase Scheme works.

It follows a Council survey earlier this year in which almost a third of respondents said they were not familiar with the scheme. The survey highlighted the need for clearer information about the supports available to households seeking to buy a home.

The webinar will set out how the scheme works, who can apply, what documentation is required, how prices are set and how the Help to Buy Scheme run by Revenue can support first-time buyers.

The information session comes as Galway County Council continues to assess new sites for affordable housing in towns across the county.

Seventeen homes have been completed at Garraí na Gaoithe, Baile Chláir, with a further 16 due by the end of 2025 and 28 scheduled for Quarter 1, 2026. Construction is advancing on 66 homes at Droim na Gaoithe, Baile Chláir, while 44 homes are planned for Raheen and Páirc na hAbhainn, Athenry. Both projects are expected to be delivered between 2026 and early 2027. The Council is also exploring additional opportunities on its own lands and through Part V.

Surveys carried out in September and October indicate strong demand for affordable homes. Further targeted surveys are planned to assess demand across the county.

Registration for the webinar is available at www.tinyurl.com/galwaywebinar.

16/11/2025

Last year, I produced a two-day live broadcast (https://www.youtube.com/live/YT8II205gtI?feature=shared&start=3530) for Clare County Council covering the local election count from Treacy’s West County Hotel. It's fantastic to see that this production has now been shortlisted in the Communications category of the 2025 Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards, the winners of which will be announced later this month.

Planning began nine months in advance, after then Chief Executive Pat Dowling asked me to once again lead the council’s election coverage, having first produced it in 2019 as the then Comms Officer in Clare County Council. The original production marked the first broadcast of its kind in the local authority sector in Ireland.

In June 2024, Clare County Council delivered more than 22 hours of continuous live coverage from the count centre, reaching thousands of viewers at home and overseas. The production featured insights from local and national political commentators and media figures, including Páraic McMahon (The Clare Echo), Dan Danaher (The Clare Champion) and others.

It was a privilege to work with an exceptional team, namely presenters Peter O'Connell, Claire Gallagher and Sally-Ann Barrett; videographers Alan Foudy and Mike Corry; sound engineer Tracy Moloney; and Clare County Council’s then Communications Officer, Kennas Fitzsimons.

Proud of what we achieved together and pleased to see the work recognised. Innovation in local authority communications has never been more important as the way people consume news and information continues to change. Local authorities that innovate in this regard reach more of their audience and enhance public understanding of the work they do.

14/11/2025

Galway County Council has announced its Budget for 2026, with a record €203.3 million in planned spending.

Galway County Council has announced its Budget for 2026, with a record €203.3 million in planned spending. The expansionary budget, passed at today’s plenary meeting in Áras an Chontae by Ele…

08/11/2025

Clarinbridge was last night named winner of the ‘300 – 1,000 Population’ category at the 2025 IPB Pride of Place Awards, held at the Strand Hotel in Limerick.

Nominated by Galway County Council to represent the county in the all-island competition, the south Galway village was selected for its exemplary community development efforts.

The Pride of Place Awards, now in their 23rd year, are organised by Co-operation Ireland and sponsored by IPB Insurance. The programme recognises voluntary groups that demonstrate a strong commitment to improving their local areas through collaboration and civic engagement.

08/11/2025

Clarinbridge Triumphs at

Clarinbridge has been named winner of the ‘300 – 1,000 Population’ category at the 2025 IPB Pride of Place Awards, held tonight (November 7) at the Strand Hotel in Limerick. Nominated by Galway Cou…

24/10/2025

Galway County Council has launched a completely redesigned bilingual website aimed at delivering faster, clearer, and more accessible information to residents, businesses, and visitors.

The new site, available at Gaillimh.ie and Galway.ie, was developed by award-winning Irish web services company Annertech. It now offers 100 per cent Irish-language content, improved translation management, and the ability to deliver dynamic updates including rich media, event announcements, and severe weather alerts.

Core services, including Planning, Housing, Environment, Libraries, Climate Action, Community, and Business and Economy, are easily accessible from the home page. Visitors can also sign up for location-based alerts on road works, planning applications, severe weather, and community notices through the MapAlerter service.

With the majority of users accessing the site on mobile devices, page layouts automatically adjust to fit smartphones and tablets.

https://www.dunphycommunications.ie/news/galway-county-council-launches-revamped-bilingual-website/