Breaking News
Childrens’ burial ground out of bounds in redevelopment of Tuam’s Old Grove Hospital
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A childrens’ burial ground at the site of the Old Grove Hospital in Tuam has been marked as off-limits in plans for a major redevelopment of the site.
An Bord Pleanala has given the green light for the multi-million project which is to be carried out in two phases.
Construction on a new primary care centre at the Old Grove campus is already underway.
Phase one of the approved works will involve the demolition of part of a two storey extension, and refurbishment of the existing ground and first floor of the hospital.
There’ll also be a new canopy, and changes to the carpark at the front of the building, with the addition of 26 new spaces.
Phase two will see a single storey section to the south east of the hospital demolished, changes to car parking at the side and rear of the building and new landscaped gardens.
The redeveloped campus will include a Mental Health Day Hospital, Early Intervention and Disability Services.
An Bord Pleanala has attached 7 conditions to the grant of permission.
One stipulates that no works can be carried out within a specified section of the overall site – which includes a childrens’ burial ground – without a separate grant of permission from Galway County Council.
The condition follows an appeal against the development by the Tuam Grove Garden Babies group.
The group had outlined concerns over the possible unofficial burial of babies in unmarked graves at the back of the hospital.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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