Anger as Traveller caravans pitch up on roadside in Salthill

Nine caravans have descended on the heart of Salthill in an annual pilgrimage by Travellers to the Galway Races.

One of them has been there for nine weeks, in direct contravention of the parking bylaws prohibiting campervans and caravans from overnighting in particular stretches of the city, including Salthill.

Three more arrived last week while on Wednesday five joined them along Rockbarton Road opposite Leisureland.

The issue has infuriated Knocknacarra Councillor Donal Lyons, who said this happened year after year in Salthill while Galway City Council and the Gardaí sat on their collective hands.

He has been inundated by calls from local businesses, who complain that the occupants were plaguing their premises from morning till night.

“It’s not good enough that these people think they can park along the road because they don’t want to pay the overnight rates in the caravan park. They want to use facilities in Leisureland, they try to get into the toilets of all the cafes and restaurants. There’s no water or washing facilities for them,” he fumed.

“Nothing is being done again. I’ve made representations to the Gardaí to have them towed, but they say they haven’t got the necessary equipment to tow them or the space to store the caravans.

“The City Council say they have issued a notice to quit but what happens is the van might move for a half a day and the whole process has to start all over again in a game of cat and mouse.

A spokesman for Galway City Council said they were liaising directly with Gardaí Siochána in relation to the situation on Rockbarton Road, but the next available court date is in September.

For the rest of this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. Buy a digital edition of this week’s paper here, or download the app for Android or iPhone.