Discussion groups aimed at improving understanding of high blood pressure and supporting better cardiovascular health taking place across Cork, Dublin, Letterkenny, Limerick and Galway University of Galway is calling on members of the public to participate in patient discussion groups across Ireland to help develop a better understanding of blood pressure, hypertension and cardiovascular health. The discussion groups, led by University of Galway and supported by a multidisciplinary team of cardiologists, patients, researchers and community organisations, including the Irish Heart Foundation, Croí and the Irish Kidney Association, will explore these issues by engaging directly with people living with high blood pressure and their families. The goal of the campaign is for University of Galway to lead the development of a plain-language, patient-friendly high blood pressure pathway that reflects European Society of Cardiology Guidelines and spans from management in primary care for the majority through to management in hospital/secondary care for the more complex cases. The language used will be informed by the patient voice and lived experience of those with hypertension. The call for participation forms part of the ongoing work of the Expert Steering Group on Hypertension Management, which made a compelling case to politicians in Leinster House in May for the need to tackle high blood pressure nationally by expanding structured blood pressure screening in primary care and commissioning a regional cardiovascular disease prevention framework with an all-Ireland reach. Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in Ireland, with the Irish Heart Foundation estimating the annual cost to the State is €1.7 billion, approximately half of which comprises direct health service costs. Up to 80% of strokes are preventable through earlier detection and better management of cardiovascular risk factors, particularly high blood pressure. Speaking about the call for patient involvement, Dr Susan Connolly, Consultant Cardiologist and a member of the Expert Steering Group, said: “Patients have a key role to play in improving their cardiovascular health, and that starts with understanding the risks associated with high blood pressure and hypertension. But the language we use to communicate the risk to our patients and how to reduce that risk through managing their blood pressure is equally important. We are encouraging patients to get involved in the development of this pathway to help empower people with a better understanding of these risks.” “As part of the Expert Steering Group’s work, we are calling for a shift towards a more structured, prevention-focused model that supports earlier detection, timely intervention and ongoing management. This will ultimately help patients reduce their risk of serious cardiovascular events before they occur.” Dr Natalie Walsh, Co-Lead of PPI Ignite Network Galway at University of Galway, said: “Patient involvement is central to our work, and we are calling on people to get involved in our discussion groups as we develop the plain-language high blood pressure pathway.” “Our goal is to create a pathway that empowers people to better understand and manage their high blood pressure, helping to prevent avoidable strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications.” Discussion groups will be held across Cork, Dublin, Letterkenny, Limerick and Galway, and will take place in August and September. People interested in taking part are asked to contact ppi@universityofgalway.ie to register their interest by Friday, 31 July. The final pathway and supporting resources are expected to be completed by September 2026. Ends

Excavation uncovers unique combination of prehistoric portal and court tombs and artefacts dating back almost 6,000 years Archaeologists have rediscovered a ‘lost’ Neolithic tomb and located a second, previously unidentified, tomb during excavations at a prehistoric site revealing new evidence about the earliest farming communities in the west of Ireland. Led by Dr Michelle Comber and Dr Noel McCarthy of the Discipline of Archaeology at University of Galway, the excavation in the Maree area of Co Galway has revealed two different types of megalithic tombs dating back almost 6,000 years. Researchers believe the site represents the only known example in Ireland where a court tomb and a portal tomb are found together, offering important new evidence about the people who built them during the early Neolithic period - the first farmers in this part of the world. Court tombs were burial monuments with an open area or ‘court’ where ritual/ceremonial activities took place, while portal tombs were stone-built burial chambers marked by a large capstone. The discovery of these two monument types side-by-side provides a rare opportunity to examine different approaches to burial, ritual and monument building in the Ireland of the Stone Age. Project co-lead, Dr Michelle Comber, lecturer in Archaeology at University of Galway, said: “The chance to find and excavate sites like these within the area of our larger research project provides a golden opportunity to locate - and attempt to understand - the first farmers of this place. Working here with colleagues, students, and community members, playing a part in such important discoveries, is thrilling both professionally and personally. “The size and scale of the tombs, and the effort required to construct them, reflect a sizeable community living in and farming this part of coastal Galway. Their location right next to each other represents a meeting of two traditions, raising new questions about the nature of that interaction.” Project co-lead, Dr Noel McCarthy, lecturer in Archaeology at University of Galway said: “The opportunity to investigate a site like this is not something that occurs very often. Discovering the second monument has added a layer of complexity that informs our understanding of culture and society in the Neolithic period and beyond. Whole communities came together to create these monuments in what must have been great displays of group identity and religious expression.” Once thought completely destroyed, the court tomb at Prospecthill, Maree, has been uncovered by University of Galway archaeological excavations this summer. One of the southernmost examples of this type of tomb, it is also one of the largest discovered, at approximately 30m in length. Right beside the court tomb, and previously unrecorded as a burial monument, the remains of a large portal tomb have also been discovered. Its impressive capstone measures almost 4m in length and 1m thick, weighing an estimated 14 tonnes. Archaeologists on the site also identified a large bedrock pit in which the portal tomb was originally constructed. This enabled the exceptional preservation of the original burial deposits, providing a rare opportunity to investigate evidence from the monument's earliest use, offering fresh insights into how these communities honoured and buried their dead. The excavation uncovered stone tools, prehistoric pottery and cremated bone, including a small amethyst pendant from the portal tomb. While quartz beads are known from a few megalithic sites, nothing like this amethyst pendant is known from anywhere in Ireland. Both tomb types are dated to the early Neolithic period and, despite their name, both tombs represent much more than just places of burial. They were the focus of communal gatherings and rituals, some of which involved human remains and ancestral interaction. The discoveries have been made as part of the University of Galway research project, MAREE – Land Use Through Time, which is exploring how people lived and used the landscape in the area over thousands of years. The latest discoveries build on the project's first excavation season in 2025, when archaeologists confirmed Rathgurreen Ringfort as a high-status Early Medieval settlement occupied by rulers and nobles. That excavation uncovered links to trade and contact extending to Rome, Scotland, France and Scandinavia. This year's discoveries have extended the research project's timeline back into early prehistory, offering new evidence about the origins of farming, settlement and territoriality in the west of Ireland. This is key to understanding the long and continuing relationship between people and land in this landscape. The excavation is being carried out by researchers and students from University of Galway, alongside community volunteers, and hosted by the local landowner the Burke family, with support from the Royal Irish Academy and survey work by the Discovery Programme, the national archaeological research body supported by the Heritage Council. Ends

University of Galway is to host the world premiere of one of the flagship events of the 2026 Galway International Arts Festival – Irish National Opera’s production of Testament.   Adapted from author Colm Tóibín’s acclaimed novella, The Testament of Mary, the show runs for three nights at the University’s Bailey Allen Hall, Friday-Sunday, July 24-26.   The work offers a profoundly intimate portrait of Mary in the final years of her life. Moving between memory and immediate experience, Testament explores grief, exile and the contested nature of truth as Mary revisits the events surrounding her son’s death while confronting the narratives that have grown around it.    The production is presented by Irish National Opera in association with Galway International Arts Festival.   Paul Fahy, Artistic Director of Galway International Arts Festival, commented: "We are delighted to present the world premiere of Testament by Irish National Opera at Bailey Allen Hall at the University of Galway as part of this year's Galway International Arts Festival. It's wonderful to have the support of University of Galway as we transform the Bailey Allen Hall into a theatre for this extraordinary new production, creating a unique Festival experience for audiences. Irish National Opera has earned an outstanding reputation both nationally and internationally for artistic excellence, and we're proud to partner with them to premiere this powerful new work by Tarik O'Regan and Colm Tóibín as part of the Festival.”   Professor David Burn, University of Galway President, said: “It’s a privilege for the University to be able to host the world premiere of Testament. It’s a great example of the pioneering creativity that has become so synonymous with the Galway International Arts Festival and something that brings enormous value to our Education Partnership.”   The archive of the Galway International Arts Festival is deposited at University of Galway Library. It includes material from the founding years of the festival, from 1978 through to present day, such as festival posters, production and event photographs, programmes, press, and other items.   With the University and Galway International Arts Festival marking 16 years of their Education Partnership, the archival work is expanding into a digital archive of festival artists and companies.   University of Galway archivist Dr Barry Houlihan said: “The Oral history project of the Galway International Arts Festival is creating a living archive of those who are at the heart of the festival annually – the artists. Conversations are recorded with artists every year, documenting their work, their craft and their experiences of the festival.   All oral histories from Galway International Arts Festival are freely available online from University of Galway Library https://digital.library.universityofgalway.ie/p/ms/categories/giaf   The acclaimed First Thought Talks series also continues this weekend on the University of Galway campus including Singing - Colm Tóibín in conversation with Iarla Ó Lionáird (25 July, 5.30pm); War, Tariffs, ICE and the Price of Gas - Fintan O’Toole and Marion McKeone in conversation (25 July, 4pm); What Were We Like - The Pope in Galway with Diarmaid Ferriter and Catriona Crowe (25 July, 2pm); AI: So What Happens Next? - Adrian Weckler in conversation Elaine Burke (26 July, 11am); The Wounds of Palestine and Love Stories of Conflict - Nick Maynard and Sally Hayden in conversation with Catriona Crowe (26 July, 12.30pm).   Vinyl Hours also brings Festival artists into conversation with music maestro Tiernan Henry for a series of lively, music-filled talks.   Galway International Arts Festival would like to acknowledge the support of its principal funding agencies the Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland; its Drinks Partner Heineken®; Education Partner University of Galway.   Ends