Galway planners order painting of ‘grim’ boundary wall

Planners have given the owners of the former Connacht Laundry site in ‘the West’ two months to paint a new boundary wall and to erect three sections of trellis.

Galway City Council has approved the retention of the wall to the rear of St John’s Terrace until 2019, despite concerns from local residents who described it as “ugly and depressing” and compared it to the Maze prison.

Padraic and Martina McHale of Welmary Properties sought permission last April to retain the wall, which was build after part of the original one collapsed during the Christmas storms.

Planners said the wall cannot remain in place beyond March 21, 2019, and after this time, the McHales may erect a replacement stone or stone faced wall.

They have also been given two months to paint the temporary wall white and to incorporate three sections of trellis to “relieve the appearance”.

“The eastern elevation of the concrete wall shall be repainted in white every two years and the trellis shall be maintained and/or replaced if they deteriorate every two years,” planners said.

According to the McHales – members of the family which has gone on a property spending spree with the Comer Group in Galway in recent years – the construction of the replacement boundary wall was required last Christmas, as the remains of the collapsed wall were causing a dangerous obstruction to existing community life.

Catherine La Farge of The West Residents’ Association said the safety wall has served its purpose and called for the old one to be rebuilt.

“This grim and featureless new wall replaces most of a beautiful stone wall which was full of character, home to wild flowers and moss, patched and no doubt rebuilt as needed over the past century and a half – in fact, possibly two or more.

“Even leaving history and memory aside, the new wall is ugly and depressing. A new resident says it make him think of the Maze,” said Ms LaFarge.