News
Little appetite for substantial change at South Park
A consultant’s report on the development of the recreation and amenity zoned lands at South Park in the Claddagh has recommended improvement in current facilities and further facility provision.
The report carried out on behalf of Galway City Council by Cunnane Stratton Reynolds Land Planning and Design, based on a public consultation process, concluded that there was little appetite for change to the current facilities among the local population.
Keith Mitchell of Cunnane Stratton Reynolds reported to a meeting of Galway City Council Environment, Recreation and Amenity SPC on Wednesday last that while there was an apprehensive response to change, there was an appetite for improvement.
“Most people like it as it is and don’t want much change but they do want increased access to walk around the park,” said Mr Mitchell.
The issue of flood risk at the existing sports pitches was raised by almost every submission and the draft plan for the area has endeavoured not to include anything that would exacerbate the issue.
South Park beach was flagged as an underused facility with an opportunity to develop it as a picnic and recreation area.
“To have a beach like that practically in the city is unique,” said Mr Mitchell. “It is not being used to the best it can be.”
The issue of the children’s playground within South Park was raised as a potential area for improvement with the current facility said to be in bad need of renovation.
“The playground, to be frank, leaves a lot to be desired,” said Mr Mitchell. “It is not an ideal location and is very open to anti-social behaviour – it could be relocated to a better location with a possibility of relocating to Celia Griffin Park.”
It was recommended as part of this preliminary report that an orbital walking and cycle path be created to link South Park with Celia Griffin Park and back out as far as Nimmo’s Pier with consultants reporting that over half of the people that use the park are doing so to access the Pier.
While this was only a sketch of what may be to come in a future master plan for the area, a number of members of the SPC raised the issue of instigating change in the Claddagh.
Cllr Pádraig Conneely believed that there was a “local fear of change” in the Claddagh and that any meaningful plans would be difficult to enact.
“They don’t like change down there – no new buildings, a need for public toilets, bush currently used,” said Cllr Conneely reading from the report.
“We all know where the bush is – we’ve been listening to that for 10 years.
“You’re going to have difficulty doing anything down there – they’re suspicious of officialdom,” he exclaimed.
Cllr Conneely called for action to be taken on the deteriorating Nimmo’s Pier before it goes past the point of no return.
“Nimmo’s Pier must get attention – it’s going to fall in,” he said.
Cllr Colette Connolly queried the suggestion that the playground would be removed from South Park and believed it should be retained whilst also building a new one at Celia Griffin Park.
“I agree with you about the playground,” said Cllr Connolly. “But it is utilised and it might be a bit far, don’t get rid of it – I’d say that having it next to [South Park] is a benefit and anti-social behaviour is going to happen everywhere.”
Cllr Billy Cameron praised the report but wondered if what they had proposed would be possible in real terms.
“Overall, for aspiration, I would give it 100 per cent but delivering it is key,” said Cllr Cameron.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
On the eve of completing his 150th marathon, an odyssey that has taken him across 53 countries, Loughrea’s Marathon Man has announced that he is planning to hang up his running shoes.
But not before Jarlath Fitzgerald completes another ten races, making it 160 marathons on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
“I want to draw the line in 2026. I turn 57 in October and when I reach 60 it’s the finishing line. The longer races are taking it out of me. I did 20 miles there two weeks ago and didn’t feel good. It’s getting harder,” he reveals.
“I’ve arthritis in both hips and there’s wear and tear in the knees.”
We speak as he is about to head out for a run before his shift in Supervalu Loughrea. Despite his physical complaints, he still clocks up 30 miles every second week and generally runs four days a week.
Jarlath receives injections to his left hip to keep the pain at bay while running on the road.
To give his joints a break, during the winter he runs cross country and often does a five-mile trek around Kylebrack Wood.
He is planning on running his 150th marathon in Cork on June 4, where a group of 20 made up of work colleagues, friends and running mates from Loughrea Athletics Club will join him.
Some are doing the 10k, others are doing the half marathon, but all will be there on the finishing line to cheer him on in the phenomenal achievement.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
From the Galway City Tribune – An impassioned plea for a ‘masterplan’ that would guide Galway City into the future has been made in the Dáil. Galway West TD Catherine Connolly stated this week that there needed to be an all-inclusive approach with “vision and leadership” in order to build a sustainable city.
Deputy Connolly spoke at length at the crisis surrounding traffic and housing in Galway city and said that not all of the blame could be laid at the door of the local authority.
She said that her preference would be the provision of light rail as the main form of public transport, but that this would have to be driven by the government.
“I sat on the local council for 17 years and despaired at all of the solutions going down one road, metaphorically and literally. In 2005 we put Park & Ride into the development plan, but that has not been rolled out. A 2016 transport strategy was outdated at the time and still has not been updated.
“Due to the housing crisis in the city, a task force was set up in 2019. Not a single report or analysis has been published on the cause of the crisis,” added Deputy Connolly.
She then referred to a report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) that identified lands suitable for the provision of housing. But she said that two-thirds of these had significant problems and a large portion was in Merlin Park University Hospital which, she said, would never have housing built on it.
In response, Minister Simon Harris spoke of the continuing job investment in the city and also in higher education, which is his portfolio.
But turning his attention to traffic congestion, he accepted that there were “real issues” when it came to transport, mobility and accessibility around Galway.
“We share the view that we need a Park & Ride facility and I understand there are also Bus Connects plans.
“I also suggest that the City Council reflect on her comments. I am proud to be in a Government that is providing unparalleled levels of investment to local authorities and unparalleled opportunities for local authorities to draw down,” he said.
Then Minister Harris referred to the controversial Galway City Outer Ring Road which he said was “struck down by An Bord Pleanála”, despite a lot of energy having been put into that project.
However, Deputy Connolly picked up on this and pointed out that An Bord Pleanála did not say ‘No’ to the ring road.
“The High Court said ‘No’ to the ring road because An Bord Pleanála acknowledged it failed utterly to consider climate change and our climate change obligations.
“That tells us something about An Bord Pleanála and the management that submitted such a plan.”
In the end, Minister Harris agreed that there needed to be a masterplan for Galway City.
“I suggest it is for the local authority to come up with a vision and then work with the Government to try to fund and implement that.”
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
