Pearse Stadium parking plan by GAA described as ‘laughable’

Galway City Council that the idea of Pearse Stadium patrons parking as far away as Merlin Park is “laughable”.

And one added that if the GAA ignores planning conditions in regard to Croke Park, the same will happen in Salthill and engaging with the sporting body is “futile”.

It comes just a week after the GAA told the Council that it has secured almost 4,500 parking spaces across the city as part of their plans to erect floodlights at the stadium.

The County Board also rejected requests from the local authority to scale back the floodlight plans.

“There is no justification for an alternative lighting arrangement to be provided. We believe further that there is no justification for reducing the height of the southern columns,” the GAA said.

Local resident Noel Burke responded subsequently and told the Council: “In view of past history of non-compliance with conditions of planning permissions granted any effort to reach a compromise solution with this developer will be futile.

“This is evident also from the efforts made to ignore conditions attached to planning permissions in respect of Croke Park. Who would want to buy a property in the vicinity of a stadium where loud noise and light pollution were a nightly occurrence?

“The residents of this area are mainly elderly people who have spent their entire lives working to own their own homes and now face nightly noise and light pollution and drunken and anti-social behaviour which is a regular feature of late night concerts. The Gardaí do not have the resources to deal with such behaviour.

“To claim that they have parking facilities as far away as Merlin Park is laughable. People arriving late for matches will abandon their vehicles in front of any private home in the vicinity of Pearse Stadium without regard to whom they are obstructing as has happened in the past,” said Mr Burke.

The GAA says it has secured almost 4,500 parking spaces at the Aras in Salthill, Scoil Einde, Coláiste Éinde, St Mary’s, T O’Higgins in Shantalla, South Park, Moneenageisha, Thermo King, Trappers Inn, Mervue School, GMIT and Castlegar Hurling Club.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.