South Park helicopter landings a ‘temporary’ arrangement

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Medical helicopter landings at the Swamp in South Park are a temporary arrangement, Galway City Council has insisted.

And Dermot Mahon, Acting Director of Services for Environment at City Hall, said that the temporary landing facility in the Claddagh will not impact on the Council’s overall masterplan for the amenity area.

He was responding during a debate on the Council’s Service Plan for 2021 and specifically to a query from Cllr Eddie Hoare (FG), who asked why HSE helicopters were now landing at the Claddagh.

This was of concern to some locals, who had not been kept informed of the development, he said.

Mr Mahon said that the Health Service Executive (HSE) had requested use of South Park for helicopter landings.

This, he said, was because the existing helicopter landing pad at Shantalla – which was also supposed to be temporary but has been in situ for many years – was inaccessible due to cranes for building works operating in the vicinity of UHG.

Mr Mahon insisted that the Claddagh landings were temporary, and he did not see how it could impact on the longer-term plans for South Park.

(Photo: cranes in operation at UHG, which have affected helicopter landings)
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.