Seventy failed trees to be replaced on Quirke Road

All of the 70 trees which were planted as part of the landscaping of the €16.5 million Seamus Quirke Road revamp are to be replaced over the coming fortnight after either dying or failing to mature.

A spokesman for Galway City Council confirmed yesterday that the contractor in charge of the project has agreed to re-plant the trees before handing over full responsibility for the site to the local authority by the end of the year.

 The contractor has kept a maintenance contract for 12 months following the completion of the revamp and is currently investigating why so few of the 70 trees along the middle of the thoroughfare managed to grow.

 The lack of growth of the trees which were planted in the middle of the four lane project has been criticised by the Mayor of Galway, Padraig Conneely, who said the landscaping project cost in the region of €20,000.

 A spokesman for the local authority said that Galway City Council staff had examined the landscaping with the contractors, Coffey Construction, over the past week.

 “Investigations have been carried out over the past week and the trees will be replaced before the City Council takes over the site,” said the spokesman.

 “Staff from the City Council walked the site with the contractor last week and it’s not unusual for plants to fail. They will be replaced in the coming weeks.”

 Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel