Irish Government Minister & Galway Mayor Launch Eglinton Residents 2007/2008 Activity Programme

Photo shows Minister of Community, Rural Affairs & the Gaeltacht, Eamon Ó Cuiv T.D. standing beside samples of the craft work produced by the Eglinton residents as he addresses the large audience present at the launch

Nearly 100 guests and friends turned up last Monday in the Eglinton to launch the 2007/2008 Cultural & Social Activities 2007/2008 Programme for the residents of the centre.

The event was officiated by government minister, Eamon Ó Cuiv and the Mayor of Galway City, Councillor Tom Costello.

Special guests also included Councillors Mary Leahy, Terry Flaherty & Colette Connolly; staff of the Health Services Executive, the Vocational Educational Committee (VEC), Galway Refugee Support Group, Integrate Ireland, Galwy Multi-Cultural Forum; the Garda Siochana, Westside Resource Centre, various departments of Galway University(CKI, Health, DERI & ECI), student volunteers & representatives of the Great Western male asylum-seekers hostel.
Photo: Chidi, Kathi Dillon (Westside Resource Centre & Mary McMahon (VEC)

Photo shows Sarah Knight (ECI, Galway University), Councillor Terry Flaherty & Maria Alesandro (CKI, NUI Galway) enjoying the learning environment of the Eglinton playschool)

Brendan Smith of the university's Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI), on behalf of the Eglinton Residents' Support Committee, welcomed everyone particularly the Mayor and the Minister . His detailed presentation included a brief summary of the impact of the 'global village' on Ireland, the country's historical emigration patterns & recent immigration; a review of the Eglinton support committee and its various new programmes for the year ahead including sewing classes, quilt-design & computer FETAC courses. He outlined the funding sources available that included the RIA, HSE, VEC , Galway Refugee Support Group and Galway University as well as private benefactors. Brendan also paid tribute to dedicated committee members such as Maeve Geraghty, Suzanne McKane, Mary McMahon & Mary Leahy; to the hotel management particulalry Carole & Patrick; to the college volunteers such as Ted & Caoimhin; to Dr. Hans Piper for his work on immigrant health issues; to the different support agencies who had provided the nececssary funding such as the RIA, the VEC and DERI & to Minister Eamon Ó Cuiv for his long standing record in promoting a 'community' ethos.

Chidi & Dmitry then gave two excellent verbal insights into life as asylum seekers in Ireland and in the Eglinton in particular.

Councillor Tom Costello, Mayor of Galway City, praised the efforts of the residents' support committee for improving the quality of lives of asylum-seekers.
Minister Eamon Ó Cuiv in his well-received speech pointed out that the committee are an inspiration for all those in the country that are promoting integration and social inclusion. He promised to increase his efforts to respond to the efforts of the members requests for extra services and support mechanisms.

Computer Presentations to Volunteers

Finally, Brendan Smith issued 6 reconditioned computers at the event to individual Eglinton residents who had completed in-house computer courses as part of the DERI Computer Recycling Scheme. Special computers were also awarded to Dmitry Vershinin & Ted Brennan in recognition of their extraordinary efforts as computer room volunteers.

Photo: rep of the Western Hostel; Dmitry Vershinin, Oisin Kenny (Galway City Multi-Cultural Forum) & Natalie Vershinin

Photo: Councillor Mary Leahy, Dmitry Vershinin, Minister Eamon Ó Cuiv & Councillor Terry Flaherty

Eglinton Residents Committee- Live on Galway Bay FM!

Soon after the launch, four members of the Eglinton Support Committee were interviewed at length by Keith Finnegan on his popular morning show on Galway Bay FM.
So successful were Chidi, Adrienne, Brendan & Dmitry in their endeavours, and so impressed was the radio station management, that they applied to the Irish Department of Justice with an offer of using the Eglinton to host their famous end-of-the-year show! Unfortunately the government did not give the 'green light' in time for what have been an historical occasion. Still maybe next year!


Photo: Chidi, Dmitry & Adrienne in the studio of Galway Bay FM just prior to their live broadcast on the popular Keith Finnegan Show

New Computers for Computer Room in September!!

Brendan Smith from Deri at Galway University has promised to upgrade the Computers in the Eglinton Computer Room. He has managed to source 12 newer models that he hopes will be installed and operational by the end of September.
Furthermore the committee is planning to decorate the walls with artwork produced by the Eglinton residents in order to give the room a more 'homely feel'.
Great Stuff!

Eglinton Foursome Scoops Top Prizes at the World Refugee Awards in Dublin

Two former residents of, and two Public Health nurses working with, the Eglinton all won national awards at the Irish Refugee Awards gala event in Dublin on June 20th last for their tireless efforts on behalf of the Galway asylum seekers community. The event was held as part of Ireland's contribution to the international 'World Refugee Day'.

Modern-Day 'Florence Nightingales'
Helena Heagney and Bríd Nichol were outstanding nurses who admirably served the needs of the Eglinton residents during 2006 and 2007. Though they have sadly left us to take up nursing duties elsewhere in the city, nevertheless they left behind them a fantastic legacy of services and facilities that will improve the lives of the residents for years into the future.
Helena for instance helped set up the Eglinton Residents' Support Committee and secured monies for its successful programme of events (See 'Goodbye Helena') Bríd was a tower of strength to the individual health and well being of residents particularly of parents and toddlers. For more on Bríd check out 'Gone but not Forgotten'.

Ireland's Most Angelic Asylum-Seeking Duo
Husband & wife, Adil Jaber and Huda Jafer, left the Eglinton in late December 2006 after they were granted residency status in Ireland. But they too made a lasting presence to all those who knew them from their year-long stay in the Eglinton. They were the most proactive and charitable residents possible always throwing themselves wholeheartedly into any project that was initiated to make the hotel and Galway a better place to live in. They were particularly supportive to Brendan Smith of the DERI Institute of Galway University in his activation of the Computer Room and in his setting up of a Eglinton Community Internet-based Newsletter.
Check out the previous articles written about Adil and Huda as a result of their nominations for the Galway Mayoral Awards (the first asylum seekers to be so nominated):
Asylum Seekers Nominated for Mayoral Awards
Eglinton Residents at Mayoral Awards and Brendan Smith's personal comments as posted on his own website.

Irish Dancing & African Fashion at Eglinton Asylum Seekers' AGM!

Dmitriy surrounded by some of the beautiful ladies of the Eglinton!

64 residents of the Eglinton Asylum Seekers' Accommodation Centre in Galway as well as a number of invited guests turned up for the Annual General Meeting of the in-house residents support committee.
Refreshments were served (courtesy of Carole Raftery & the Eglinton management), information exhibits were on display, residents dressed up in their finest ethnic fashion to the delight of all who attended, traditional Irish music reverberated around the hall and rousing speeches were made. The evening ended on a particularly high note when Lorraine Tansey of CKI Galway University gave an impromptu display of fine Irish dancing a la 'Riverdance'!
A Year of Endeavours & Successes
Committee member Brendan Smith (from the DERI institute at Galway University) welcomed all attendees before he proceeded to provide an overview of a remarkably successful year when approximately 30 different events, initiatives and activities took place including:
Halloween & Christmas parties that included the Mayor as Santa; children's summer camp; a series of family excursions to cinemas, playcentres, Ireland's National Aquarium; provision of an extensive series of Health & Personal Development courses; supervised Heritage trip of medieval Galway; securing equipment for an in-house computer room; provision of a series of technology classes; visits by government ministers, parliamentarians and Mayors to the Eglinton & to special off-site receptions for residents; a tennis course for teenagers; purchase of a large tennis table; purchase of a exterior Basketball Net; securing hundreds of books for the proposed Eglinton Library; university receptions for residents who completed courses in Irish cultural studies & computers; an exhibition of residents' arts & crafts; setting up of an Online Eglinton Community Newsletter; the implemention by DERI (university) of a computer recycling scheme whereby dozens of residents have been donated their own computer free-of-charge; the provision of in-house chess and arts classes with tuition coming from the residents themselves; and extensive national media coverage including two articles in the Irish Times. Furthermore, two committee members were the first asylum seekers to be finalists for the prestigious annual Galway City Mayoral Awards.

Photo: Bernie (Spark), Maeve (HSE) & Paul (Aids West) Brendan thanked the Health Board Executive (HSE) for their funding applications and all the committee members- who unselfishly devoted so much of their time and efforts to improving the quality of lives of the Eglinton residents- particularly Maeve, Carole, Helana, Brid, Adrienne, Dmitriy, Natasha, Bernie, Joy, Adil and Huda. Mention was also made of the hard-work of Anne, Patrick, the ever-smiling Carole and the rest of the Eglinton staff who do their best to make life in the centre as homely as possible as well as Isabella, Marie & Elaine who organise the fantastic in-house pre-school facility. Brendan also gave a special 'Go Raibh Míle Maith Agat' (Irish for 'A Thousand Thank Yous'!) to the other groups and individuals who have consistently worked with or on behalf of the centre's residents, namely the student Friendship Club, 'Karen the Clown', the student volunteers of the Eglinton Computer Room, the university's CKI volunteering programme, Hans Pieper for his publication of a Doctors' Guide on Care for Asylum Seekers, the Galway Refugee Support Group, Mary McMahon (VEC) and Louis de Paor of the Centre for Irish Studies.
Fostering a 'Sense of Community'
However he stressed the need for more residents to get involved in the committee pointing out that so much more could be achieved if all adults were prepared to give some of their time to helping others. "Through helping others, you are helping yourself and your own family. We are endeavouring to foster a real sense of community in the Eglinton"
His speech and the list of achievements outlined must have had the deserved effect-for nineteen new members immediately signed up to join the committee!

Welcome to our Student Computer Volunteers!

Eight volunteers from Galway's two third level colleges are ensuring that our 10 computer unit facility is now open 3 days a week.
Ronan, Caoimhin, Grainne, Ted, Sinead, Brendan, Clare and Colin are giving their time free of charge to help residents avail of the Internet and computers in order to communicate with family and friends outside Ireland, develop their own personal websites, print out photographs and learn about software packages such as wordprocessing.
So we all say a "Big Thank You!" to these wonderful people!!

Gone But Not Forgotten!- Departure of our Lovable Nurse Bríd

Residents & Committee Members Say a 'Big Goodbye!' to Brid (fifth from left hand side holding bouquet)

The residents support committee recently presented a bouquet of flowers and presents to Brid on her last day as the Public Health Nurse in the Eglinton Hotel.
Brid was a wonderful and energetic person who was always prepared to go that extra mile to help those under her care. She has been with us seven months since she took over the position from Helena Heagney last August. Helena was a hard act to follow as she had put so much of her time and energy into making things happen on a social and health level for the residents of the Eglinton. But Brid continued where Helena left off and will be sadly missed by us all.
We wish you a happy and properous future Brid!
She has taken up a nursing post in Ballybane on the eastern side of Galway City and will be replaced by Mary Leahy who recently became a member of Galway City Council on the death of her father Councillor Michael Leahy. Michael was known to many present and former Eglinton residents as he had attended a number of the ceremonies at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) when they were presented with certificates for completing their computer courses

High Attendance at our Successful Website Launch

Congratulations to all those people that contributed to the great success of the official launch of our web site including the many guests that came to participate in our very special event.
We particularly extend our thanks to the key speaker of the event- Michael D. Higgins T.D., President of the Labour Party and one of Ireland's greatest exponents of civil rights on the national and international stage.
Also to Brendan Smith of the DERI Institute of Galway University for his help in making this website a reality

It was a great day for all the residents of the Eglinton. The decorations looked great, the exhibits such as the Children's Arts display attracted a lot of attention, the new Library was opened for the first time and the free freshments were much appreciated by all the attendees.

We hope that we can update the website regularly with the help of many of our volunteer helpers. For it is now our very own 'Online Newsletter'!
So well done everybody!!

These are some pictures for the occasion