Galway Advertiser 2005/2005_01_20/GA_2001_E1_012.pdf 

Extracted text

12 N E W S

Galway Advertiser

January 20 2005

Alt.com
BY JEFF O'CONNELL

To boldly go
Sometimes, late on a clear summer's night or early on a frosty morning, I've found myself standing at a window and gazing up at the stars. I've often wished I knew their names, but it's not really that important, at least not for me. I know nothing about astrology and only as much about astronomy as I've picked up in magazines or newspapers or the odd book or two. Yet the sight of the stars shining out of a dark sky I find humbling and awe-inspiring in a way I can hardly explain. And throughout history, from Stonehenge to Star Trek, humankind has always longed to press on past what we know already, in search of 'elsewhere'. This week we've been treated to images from Titan, one of Jupiter's moons. The Huygens space probe, launched from the Cassini exploratory space craft, landed on Titan earlier this week, its mission to investigate whether this enigmatic world might contain the elements for the creation of life. We've also been treated to images sent back by the Mars Explorer which has been combing the surface of the Red Planet for evidence of past life. Already it seems there is reason to believe that at one time Mars might have been covered with oceans in the depths of which life may have existed. But something happened, a climatic disaster of an unknown nature which left Mars a barren wasteland. On Tuesday morning on RTE I morning news Irish Times columnist Kevin Myers argued that money spent on such projects as the Cassini-Huygens space craft was pointless and of no benefit to humanity, stating that the vast amounts of money would be better spent in dealing with the problems of this planet and not on a dead world like Mars. It is a very seductive argument. Surely, a version of it goes, it makes more sense to use the enormous sums of money spent on exploring space on tackling the problems affecting this planet we live on - famine, flooding, the ozone layer, etc. In fact, a very good case can be made for continued investment in space exploration. The benefits of space technology are far-reaching and affect the lives of everyone. Space exploration has yielded advances in communications, weather forecasting, electronics, and countless other fields. To take just one example, image processing technologies used in lifesaving CAT scanners and MRIs trace their origins to technologies engineered for use in space. Furthermore, money spent on space research and development goes toward creating jobs and new businesses. All these are what could be called the spin-off effects of space exploration, and these advances will benefit energy, environment, health care, and many, many other areas. Myers, however, did not base his entire argument on the social and economic benefits that would accrue if the billions now devoted to space exploration were assigned elsewhere. His other point is that the whole idea of space exploration is sheer folly. Humanity should reconcile itself to the fact our destiny lies on this planet, and that to imagine otherwise is to fall prey to the dreams or delusions of science fiction. Listening to Myers, I - something of a Luddite when it comes to technology but with a reasonable appreciation of history - couldn't help but think how such a counsel of despair would have sounded to Columbus and his fellow explorers; they too were regarded as dreamers, risking their lives and those of their crew in pursuit of a chimera, or Alexander the Great, one of whose motivations in striking further eastwards was simply to see what was there to be seen; or Wilber and Orville Wright, whose spindly flying machine was regarded as a joke by their more sober-minded contemporaries. Those who would "boldly go" where nobody has gone before have always been regarded by the population at large as a waste of time and money. If the people of Columbus' time had to vote to tax themselves in order to fund his ships, he wouldn't have got anywhere. Even then, the most altruistic would no doubt have preferred to give Isabella's jewels to the poor. Stephen Hawking has said, "To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." Exploration, of space or the oceans or the inner complexity of the atom, expands our awareness and enlarges our conception of the possible. It reminds us with unparalleled immediacy that, after all is said and done, life is about more than the sum of our budgets, and that the drive "to boldly go where no-one has gone before" is an important part of what makes us human.

Lough Rusheen Man rescued in Park plan gets Athenry green light house fire
BY KERNAN ANDREWS BY DECLAN VARLEY A man in his 40s escaped death when he was rescued from a fire which caused serious damage to a house in Athenry yesterday. Firefighters found the man unconscious in the sitting room of his house in Caherroyan Drive at 7am yesterday. They managed to bring him outside where they revived him with the assistance of the emergency services. The man who was the only occupant of the house, was brought to hospital but his injuries were not serious. The house is semidetached so firemen evacuated the people living in the adjacent house as a precaution. Fire crews from Athenry battled the blaze for 90 minutes before bringing it under control. Local gardai are investigating the cause of the fire, which caused extensive damage to the two storey house. The development of Lough Rusheen Park will start later this year and its development will produce a tremendous facility for Knocknacarra and the city, according to Cllr Donal Lyons. At a recent city council meeting, councillors agreed in principal to stage one of proposed amenity development works at Lough Rusheen Park, Barna Road, going ahead. Lough Rusheen Park is adjacent to Barna Woods and to the facilities in Cappagh Park which will now include some 120 acres of active and passive recreation in the area. The proposed works will include a pedestrian walkway, construction of a new park gate, stone piers, the felling of two trees to facilitate sight lines at the entrance, planting of a new avenue of lime trees, protection and retention of trees on site, construction of a car and bus park and amenity facilities, and a pedestrian entrance to the Silverstrand road. Cllr Lyons has welcomed the approval of the works which should commence this year. "This is a project which I have supported since the lands were purchased by council at some considerable cost over six years ago," he said. "At that time I proposed the council purchase the lands and I have been campaigning for the area to be developed."

Cllr Donal Lyons welcomes Rusheen Park news.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HEART CHARITY

Trek to the Heart of

NEPAL OR Climb KILIMANJARO
In Sight of Everest The Roof of Africa

Cinemobile on the road next week
The cinemobile will visit Dunmore and Glenamadday next week. On Monday and Tuesday it will be situated in the Dunmore Golf Club car park, and on Friday and Saturday it will be at the Glenamaddy community centre. Showing will be The Incredibles, Boo Zino and the Snurks', Ella Enchanted, Bridget Jones Diary (The Edge of Reason), and Man About Dog. Screenings will be at 2.15pm, 4.30pm, and 8pm, except on Saturday when screenings will be at 12 noon and 3pm. Advance booking is not necessary and tickets are 4 for daytime screenings and 6 for evening screenings.

Led by Internationally Acclaimed Adventurer GAVIN BATE
NEPAL - September `05
I Home of the Sherpa People & Everest I Following the route of all the major expeditions I Trek High Point 4280m
(Ama Dablam the most beautiful mountain in the world)

I Great accommodation en-route Experiencing Kathmandu and the Buddhist Monasteries

KILIMANJARO - August or October `05
I I I I I The highest mountain in Africa (5895m) One of the Seven Summits Highest Volcano on the planet One of the world's spectacular sights Amazing sunrises and Sunsets

Claregalway and Oranmore deserve funding for leisure facilities, says Cuddy
BY SINEAD MCGOVERN Progressive Democrats Councillor Jim Cudd has called on Galway County Council to provide funding for the provision of sporting and leisure facilities in the Oranmore and Claregalway communities. As a result of a motion proposed by the PD councillor last March, a decision was taken by Galway County Council to ringfence 50 per cent of development contributions for spending in the same area. This money was to be spent for sporting and recreational purposes along with footpaths and public lighting. "It is now time that communities like Claregalway and Oranmore saw the benefits of this money," he says. "Recently the Oranmore Development Association launched a plan for the provision of additional sporting and recreational facilities for their area and it is only right and proper that the people of Oranmore, who raise the largest sum of development contributions in the County Council area, should get some benefits." In recent weeks Cllr Cuddy also placed a Notice of Motion before Galway County Council to provide financial assistance to Claregalway for the provision of sports and recreation facilities in the rapidly-expanding village. "I plan to continue lobbying the council until this money is provided for much-needed facilities," he says.

LAST REMAINING PLACES
Sign up NOW before it's too late

091-544310
GALWAY'S FAVOURITE PAPER

Tel: 091 530900
41/42 Eyre Square, Galway. The Kiosk, Headford Road Shopping Centre.
Fax: 091 567079 Sales Fax: 091 567150
www.galwayadvertiser.ie