Hundreds ignore Council as they take part in water fight

Date Published: {J}

By Darragh McDonagh

Hundreds of people flouted calls by Galway City Council to conserve water last weekend by taking part in a mass water fight in Eyre Square as shortages continued throughout the county.

Water levels have fallen to their lowest point in more than 15 years and households across Galway have been intermittently without water following an unprecedented dry spell last month.

The local authority has warned that sanctions may be introduced for certain misuses of water if shortages continue. However, around 300 people defied the advice by staging an event billed as Galway’s Great Water Fight last Saturday afternoon.

Organisers had instructed participants to bring drums of water to use during the water fight and suggested that people could use the fountain in Eyre Square as an “endless supply”.

However, the City Council had turned off the water feature in advance of the event and the toilets were closed to prevent people from using the facilities to refill water pistols and bottles. Shops in the area reported that they sold out of bottled water during the hour-long spectacle.

There was a significant Garda presence in the vicinity prior to the water fight as three squad cars, a Garda van and up to eight members of the Garda on foot patrol attempted to prevent the festivities from going ahead.

But participants ignored the advice of the authorities and the event proceeded as scheduled at 12.30pm as hundreds of people armed with water guns, bottles and water balloons began spraying each other in the city centre.

The timing of the water fight to coincide with water shortages which are affecting homes across the county attracted criticism from local representatives, who also reported that elderly users of the park had been intimidated by the proceedings.

“It was very untimely and inappropriate given the present water shortages that people are experiencing in Galway and elsewhere at the moment,” said Cllr Padraig Conneely.

“Do they not know that the City Council is trying to preserve water and urging people not to use it useless it is absolutely necessary?”

A spokesman for the Water Section of Galway City Council said: “Water levels are low and we are asking people to be sensible in their use of water… Everyone has to do their bit and this event is certainly not helpful.

“We don’t want to go down the road of Clare County Council by introducing fines for certain misuses of water but is this keeps going we could be backed into a corner,” he warned.