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Decision imminent on controversial Oranmore housing development

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Knocknacarra social housing

A decision is due this week on whether the county council will grant planning permission for a housing estate at Carrowmoneash, Oranmore.

The proposed housing development by Torca Developments Limited has proven highly contentious with locals who say that it will exacerbate flooding and traffic issues among other concerns.

The application before the county council is for the construction of 74 housing units consisting of 4 three-bed, semi-detached houses; 4 three-bed, terraced houses; 38 two-bed apartments; and 28 three-bed, duplex townhouses.

The estate, with a proposed location off the Station Road and next to Carrowmoneash estate, would be served by 110 parking spaces.

Objections to the development centred on road safety issues, ecological concerns, and flood risk issues in he 41 submissions received by the county council.

Among those who made a submission was local county councillor Jim Cuddy who said these plans have been the source of “a lot of anxiety” to Oranmore residents, particularly those in the existing Carrowmoneash estate.

Councillor Cuddy said that this site is already the subject of an enforcement order which has not been complied with, and that unauthorised excavation work took place before any planning application was lodged.

Flooding is also a serious issue in the area, and granting permission for this development could have “wide reaching” effects.

“No just in that area but all the way up to Frenchfort which has suffered from flooding in the past and required major remedial works to be carried out,” Councillor Cuddy said.

A Hydrology Report should be commissioned and before any application is even considered he concluded.

While many local residents submitted their own objections to this housing development to the county council, one was also made by the Carrowmoneash Residents Association.

They say that the existing estate of just under 20 homes is a “quiet, self-contained” area with long term residents. Allowing such a high density development in the area would contravene the Local Area Plan it is claimed.

Serious objections were also made against the developer’s intention to use the existing Carrowmoneash estate road to provide access to the estate off Station road.

This is a private road maintained by residents, not taken in charge by the county council, and was never built to accommodate the level of traffic this development would bring.

“It is already difficult to exit onto Station Road and can take up to seven minutes to exit safely. Cars coming off the roundabout onto Station Road often accelerate too quickly, requiring extra caution when exiting our road.”

A drastic increase in the volume of cars would “create a very dangerous intersection and increase the likelihood of future accidents and potential fatalities”.

Residents are also concerned that this project will increase the risk of flooding at a location which has been flooded in the past.

A Traffic and Transport Assessment, Flood Risk Assessment and Natura Impact Statement were submitted as part of this planning application.

Galway County Council is due to make a decision on this planning application by January 4.

Letterkenny to UHG is the busiest Coast Guard hospital route

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Letterkenny to UHG was the busiest inter hospital Coast Guard route this year

Letterkenny to University Hospital Galway was the busiest inter-hospital transfer route for Coast Guard helicopters this year.

That’s according the end of year statement from the Coast Guard, which said that in 2019 a total of 123 emergency missions were flown from the offshore islands to the mainland.

In total 770 helicopter missions were flown in 2019, with 378 people categorised as Lives Saved, meaning that loss of life, severe risk to life, or protracted hospitalisation were prevented.

These missions also include inland searches for missing persons in support of An Garda Síochána and Mountain Rescue Teams.

Based out of Shannon, Sligo, Waterford, and Dublin, Coast Guard helicopter services are on 15 minutes notice during the day, and 45 minutes notice during the night.

One of the key points raised in the end of year message was the importance of having the proper emergency equipment on hand at sea, and not relying on mobile phones for communications.

“The capacity to Raise the Alarm and Stay Afloat, are central to the prevention of drownings at sea or on inland waterways.

“The Coast Guard’s core safety message Stay Afloat – Stay in Touch; highlights the importance of never engaging in any commercial or recreational boating activity without wearing a fully serviced Life Jacket or Personal Flotation Device”.

This should be coupled with “a capacity to raise the alarm via means such as a VHF radio, Personal Locator Beacon, EPIRB or mobile phone. This should be supported by informing shore-based colleagues of your intended activity and anticipated return time.”

The Coast Guard cautions that mobile phones should not be considered as a suitable substitute or be relied upon as the only means of emergency communication at sea.

Phone coverage at sea is limited and unreliable. Mobile phones are also highly susceptible to failure due to water ingress.

Plans submitted to build 102 homes in Ballybrit

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Planning appeal over 91 houses & apartments in Athenry

A planning application has been made to An Bord Pleanála for the construction of 102 new homes in Ballybrit.

Trean Meadow Limited is seeking planning permission for 102 homes, divided among 24 houses and 78 apartments, on the Ballybane More Road in Ballybrit.

The plans also include a childcare, as is required for any housing development over a certain size.

The application is being made directly to An Bord Pleanála as a Strategic Housing Development, which allows projects with over 100 residential units to apply directly to the high planning authority.

This was implemented in December 2016 in a bid to speed up the planning process for large scale housing developments.

Trean Meadow submitted their application on December 20 after the board had ruled earlier this year on whether an SHD application was appropriate.

A decision is due on this planning application from An Bord Pleanála by April 20 of 2020.

Headford area to experience water outages for several days

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Water outages in multiple areas of Galway due to burst mains

Multiple neighbourhoods in the Headford area are expected to experience water outages for the next several days due to a burst main.

Irish Water have said that a burst mains pipe is causing water outages in Headford, Kilconly West, Ratesh, Shrule, Liss, Logawannia, Rockwood, Shrule Road, Ballyfruit, Cloghanower, Keekill and surrounding areas.

Though no estimated time of completion for these repair works has been given yet, the Supply and Service update page maintained by Irish Water suggests that they could take until Thursday, January 2.

This would leave many homes and businesses without water through New Year’s tonight.

Galway County Council is imposing night time water restrictions tonight and on Wednesday in order to conserve the remaining supply.

Irish Water says that repair crews are working to restore the water supply as soon as possible.

A traffic management plan will be in place for the duration of these works.

The road between Carheens and Caltra Cross will be closed with access for local residents only the county council has said.

Memo claims Gardai did nothing to stop intimidation of anglers during rod licence protests

By
Briain Kelly
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Local gardaí in Galway refused to intervene when anglers clashed with protesters for fishing during the rod licence boycotts a 1989 memo claims.

A memo from the Department of the Marine from that time reported in the Irish Times today said that people were being harassed and intimidated while fishing around Lough Corrib.

The report said that “active Garda assistance” was required for the protection of people fishing around the Corrib Lakes as a result of clashes with protesters.

The Irish Times details two incidents in particular in Galway where people were allegedly verbally harassed and threatened

One incident took place in Headford where a man from Tuam was told that he would be “sent home in a coffin” according to the government memo.

Local gardaí didn’t intervene, saying they were not on duty, and garda assistance had to come from Galway City instead.

The other notable incident was in Clifden where a visiting doctor was verbally abused by three men in a pub for going fishing.

In 1937 the government attempted to introduce a rod licence scheme for trout and coarse fishing which led to a years long boycott by many angling groups.

The boycotts and protests affected lakes and waterways across the West and Midwest, with Lough Corrib in Galway and Lough Ree in Westmeath hit particularly hard.

By 1989 the government was instructing gardaí to become more active in policing and prosecuting protesters when their behaviour became intimidating.

Then Minister for the Marine Brendan Daly eventually abandoned the rod licence scheme due to growing negative publicity, replacing it with a non-compulsory certificate system which was never implemented.

Rejection of broadband antennae on historic Clifden church appealed

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Plans for broadband antennae on a Clfiden Church rejected again

An appeal has been lodged against the county council’s decision to refuse planning permission for broadband infrastructure on a historic church in Clifden.

Cignal Infrastructure Ltd was refused permission to install six antennae on Christ Church in Clifden to improve local broadband and mobile coverage.

The county council said considering the historical nature of the building, allowing this development to go ahead would affect the “visual setting and integrity of the Christ Church”.

That decision has now been appealed by Cignal to the higher planning authority.

Cignal had planned to attach the antennae and dishes to the outside of the church’s bell tower, with the other equipment contained inside.

It was meant to provide additional broadband and telecoms coverage for eir, and one other potential broadband provider.

The physical impact on the church would be “minimal and reversible” the developer said.

Church of Ireland had granted Cignal their approval to proceed with the project.

However, the county council said that given the prominent location of the church within the town it would detract from the visual amenity of the area, as well as potentially depreciating property values.

An Bord Pleanala is due to make a ruling on this appeal by April 29 of 2020.

‘Preparing your business for Customs’ workshop

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway daily

With Brexit coming in the new year, Irish businesses are being advised to prepare for dealing with some form of Customs checks in trading with Britain.

The Galway Local Enterprise Office is holding a Customs Training Workshop next February for local businesses who may not be used to dealing with border checks.

The workshop will include a look at the evolving impact of Brexit, tariff classifications, import and export procedures, SAD’s and associated documents, and having a plan for how this will impact your business.

This event is open to all local businesses and should help them to gain a better understanding of the procedures involved in trading with a country which is not part if the single market.

The workshop will take place at the Clayton Hotel in Ballybrit on February 3 from 9:30am to 4:30pm.

Tickets cost €25 each and can be purchased online here.

Galway named the world’s top foodie destination for 2020

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily tourism Galway named one of the Top 10 cities in the world by renowned travel magazine

Galway has been named as the top foodie destination in the world for the upcoming year by the BBC Good Food magazine.

The list, which includes foodie heaven in the French culinary capital of Lyon and the seaside Portuguese city of Porto, singles out Galway for achievements past and future.

Galway’s spell as Ireland’s first European Region of Gastronomy in 2018 showed its “blossoming culinary credentials” according to the judges.

While the coming year as the European Capital of Culture will see food play a major part in securing Galway’s place as the “shining star in the country’s ever-expanding culinary firmament”.

“So, while you’re feasting on this year’s stellar arts programme, save space for treats harvested from the epic landscapes surrounding Galway, a city at the heart of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, from heather-grazed lamb to shellfish freshly-plucked from the coast and 52 adjacent islands”.

The list singles out the Michelin star Aniar restaurant in the city and the “heart Irish breakfasts” at The Quay House in Clifden as must try spots for foodie travellers visiting Galway.

Drop off your Christmas Tree for free recycling

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Free Christmas Tree recycling in Galway County

Christmas time is passing and now is the time to remember to get rid of your Christmas tree before it becomes a “I’ll get to it later” job.

Galway City and County Councils are offering people an easy way to dispose of their Christmas tree next weekend at recycling drop off points.

Residents of Galway city can avail of Saturday, January 4 through to Monday, January 6 at two locations between 9am and 3pm.

The two city drop off locations are at Hunters Depot, Lough Rusheen on the Barna Road and at Merlin Woods Depot in Doughiska.

This service is for city householders only the city council has said.

Galway County Council is running ten free recycling centres for all the coming weekend and next week.

These depots are at:

  • Athenry – Car Park beside Kenny Park
  • Ballinasloe – Canal Drive
  • Clifden – Beach Road
  • Carraroe – Halla Éinne
  • Gort – Council Yard, George’s St.
  • Loughrea – Fairgreen, Courthouse Road
  • Mountbellew – Black Quarry, Ballinasloe Road
  • Milltown – Council Yard
  • Oughterard – Car Park
  • Moycullen – Behind bring banks on Mountain Road
  • Portumna – Beside bring banks on Castle Avenue
  • Tuam – Recycling Centre, Athenry Road
  • Headford – Council Yard beside Mart
  • Oranmore – Community Centre beside GAA pitch

These recycling centre will be open to domestic householders with a Christmas tree from Friday, January 3 through to Friday, January 10 during normal working hours.

Man jailed for possession of a knife

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily courts Man sent to trial charged with pulling knife on Garda

A man caught by gardaí in possession of a Stanley Knife was given a six month prison sentence at Galway District Court.

John Paul Barrett (36), of Ballinfoyle Park on the Headford Road, appeared before the District Court in relation to multiple charges including possession of a knife, theft, and trespassing.

Mr Barrett pleaded guilty to the section 9 firearms charge, and the state said that the theft and trespass charges were to be withdrawn, and replaced with a new charge.

In relation to the firearms offence, the court heard that on October 28 of 2018 Gardaí were patrolling on the Dyke Road in the city at approximately 9:30pm.

They saw Barrett on the road, and as they were approaching one another witnessed him toss something over the wall.

Gardaí recovered the object, which was a Stanley knife. Barrett admitted to officers at the scene that the knife was his, and that he was carrying it because he was under threat at the time.

The defence barrister said that Barrett was holding his hands up to this offence, also adding that he hadn’t been carrying around a massive blade.

The District Court heard that Barrett has 194 previous convictions, the last of which was in October of this year.

Judge Mary Fahy said that she wasn’t going go for the maximum 12 months sentence, but said that she had to impose a prison sentence due to the huge number and variance of previous convictions.

Judge Fahy sentenced him to 6 months in prison, which will commence on the lawful termination of the sentence he is currently serving.

The other charges were pushed back to January 6 with the consent of the state and defence.

City centre streets closing for nine days in January

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news road closure

Two busy streets in Galway City Centre will be closing for just over a week in January in order to allow roadworks to take place.

Galway City Council has ordered Quay and High streets in the city centre closed from 5am on Monday, January 20 through to 6pm on Friday January, 28.

The nine day road closure is to allow for the installation of automated bollards.

Alternative routes for traffic will be signposted ahead of the period of closure.

The council has suggested the Mainguard Street would be the best alternate route for traffic during this time.

Quay Street and High Street are pedestrianised for most of the day, but are used by traffic in the morning for shop deliveries and rubbish collection.

Galway has Ireland’s third highest level of drivers with penalty points

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news 33 Almost 200 people arrested for drug and drunk driving over Bank Holiday weekend

Drivers in Galway were the third worst in Ireland this year for racking up penalty points on their licences.

According to figures released to TheJournal.ie there were 28,594 drivers in Galway with penalty points on their licences as of the end of September.

The only counties with a higher level of drivers with points on their licences were Dublin (106,545) and Cork (51,917).

The data from the Road Safety Authority shows that of those drivers in Galway with some number of penalty points, there were 42 with twelve points, and almost 7,000 drivers with more than three points.

Population is a significant factor in the number of drivers whom acquire points, with the lowest levels seen in Leitrim (2,904), and Longford (4,766).

The Journal reports that the number of drivers with points on their licences has declined by more than 13,000 since the same time in 2018, down to 516,390 this year.

Included in this list are 55,677 people with foreign driving licences the Road Safety Authority’s figures show.

Traffic lights out at the Quincentenary Bridge

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Briain Kelly
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Galway daily news Traffic lights at UHG out of action until next week

Traffic lights on the Newcastle end of the Quincentenary Bridge in Galway city are out of action this afternoon, disrupting local traffic.

The traffic lights at the Newcastle Road junction have been out since shortly after midday today.

Motorists are advised to use extreme caution when approaching the junction with the Quincentenary Bridge today.

Extension plans for Craughwell National School to advance in January

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Planning extension grant for Craughwell National School expansion

Plans for a major expansion of Craughwell National School are expected to advance early in the new year.

Galway East TD Sean Canney said that two storey expansion to the national school will be submitted to the Department of Education for approval in early January.

When completed this extension will add an additional 1,628m² of floor space to the mixed primary school.

It will contain eight classrooms, a general purpose sports hall, a multi-purpose room, offices for administration and the principal, a lift, toilets, car parking and a drop-off and pick-up area.

The permanent extension is meant to replace a number of prefabs which the school is currently using.

“This a very important project for the community of Craughwell,” Sean Canney said, adding that he is extremely pleased with the progress which has been made.

He said that when this extension is completed the school facilities will be “significantly enhanced” as a result.

Meanwhile, emergency works on the national school are progressing after the Department allocated funding for roof repairs in September.

Emergency services called to apartment fire in Doughiska

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily emergency services attend Doughiska apartment fire

Fire crews and paramedics were called to the scene of a blaze in an apartment in Doughiska on Friday evening.

It’s understood that no one was injured as a result of a fire in an apartment over Joyce’s supermarket in Doughiska which broke out yesterday evening.

Galway City East councillor Alan Cheevers praised the quick response of emergency services to the blaze which stopped it from spreading.

“This could have been potentially a lot worse if fire had spread  into adjoining properties,” the Fianna Fáil councillor said.

Fortunately, emergency services were able to bring the blaze under control and contain the damage to the apartment, and none of its occupants were hurt.

Celebrate New Year’s with a bang at Massimo’s Winter Wonderland

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily life & style New Year's party at Massimo
Photo: Boyd Challenger

Christmas is just over, so it’s time to start making plans for New Year’s, and Massimo are planning a hell of a party at their Winter Wonderland to see off 2019.

Massimo are kicking off their New Year’s Eve celebrations at 8pm next Tuesday, December 31 with a night of music and fantastic drinks specials.

They will have epic tunes from DJs Maxi and Evan who will help party goers get in the mood to take over the dance floor, with plenty of cocktails and Prosecco flowing to aid in the revelry.

The William Street bar has long been a favoured spot in Galway city for its stylish pub and beer garden, carefully curated drinks menu, and legendary nightlife.

This year Massimo took things up a notch when they transformed their venue into a Winter Wonderland, complete with roaring wood-log fire, gingerbread house and a forest of up-cycled trees.

They even gave their legendary beer garden a makeover where magic elves make it snow when Dean Martin is heard singing ‘Let It Snow’ earning them the title of ‘Galway’s most Christmassy pub’.

This spectacular makeover comes courtesy of legendary local artist and designer Peter Casby, and has proven a hit with Galwegians and visitors alike.

The Winter Wonderland has come with a new seasonal cocktail menu which includes the ‘Brandy Snap’ made with brandy, amaretto, ginger preserve, honey  and lemon as well as a ‘Kandy Kane’ cocktail made with vanilla vodka, Crème de Menthe, milk and white chocolate.

A special collaboration with The White Hag Brewery has also seen a brand new seasonal ale, which is exclusive to Massimo, added to the menu.

Entry is free to this New Year’s Eve celebration. While booking is not required, there are a limited number of tables available for reservation.

So to book yourself and your friends a seat contact Karen on massimogalway@gmail.com or call (091) 582239.

N59 Clifden road reopens after serious two car collision

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news road closure

The N59 Clifden road outside Leenane has reopened this afternoon after a road traffic collision yesterday which hospitalised eight people.

The road was closed overnight to await enough light for gardaí to conduct a technical examination of the scene after the collision, but has since reopened to traffic.

The two car collision took place approximately 2km outside of Leenane on the Letterfrack side on shortly after 5pm on Thursday evening.

Eight people were taken from the scene to University Hospital Galway, but its understood that their injuries were not life threatening.

One male, however, received serious injuries according to Gardai.

Gardaí issued an appeal for witnesses, in particular anyone who travelled on this stretch of road between 4:45pm and 6pm.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Clifden Garda Station on 095-22500 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

Plans submitted for Loughrea office development

By
Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news

Planning permission is being sought for a new office development in Loughrea which will also include a gym and a coffee shop.

Mr Aiden McGuinness is seeking approval for the construction of two buildings at Cosmona, Loughrea, the first of which will consist of four office units and a coffee shop, with a gross floor space of 421.17m².

The second building on the site will contain a gym with a total area of 261.15m², and other work involved in the project includes ancillary site works, boundary treatments, and installing drainage systems.

The planning application includes a letter from Rathruddy Development Management Company, in charge of the adjacent carpark at Loughrea Shopping Centre.

The company said that it consents to the use of existing “access, access roads, parking and hardstanding areas for the purposes of constructing and operating the commercial development”.

Galway County Council is due to make a decision on whether to grant planning permission for this development by February 6 of next year.

Pedestrian in Christmas Eve traffic collision dies

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Briain Kelly
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galway daily news Woman in Christmas Eve traffic collision dies

A pedestrian who was hit by a car on Christmas Eve in Oughterard has since passed away.

The 52 year old woman was struck by a car while walking at Carrowmanagh, Oughterard at approximately 8:45pm on Christmas Eve night.

The woman was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Galway in critical condition, but passed away on Thursday.

The driver of the car, a woman in her 40s, was uninjured in the incident.

Memorial run raises over €10k for local charities

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Briain Kelly
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Galway Daily news Memorial run raised over €10k for local charities

Two local charities, Galway Hospice and Hand in Hand Children’s Cancer charity, received over €10k raised by the annual Mary Prendergast Memorial Run.

The two charities were each presented with a cheque for €5,250 at the Lady Gregory Hotel in Gort recently after sorting the money raised in the run, which took place in November.

“Sincere thanks to the event organising committee for once again choosing Galway Hospice as one of the beneficiaries of this special memorial event.”

“Thanks also to everyone who supported the event,” Galway Hospice said in a post on facebook.

Galway Hospice is the primary provider of palliative care in Galway, and relies heavily on donations to keep operating its care services for some of the most vulnerable people in society.

Hand in Hand was founded in Galway in 2006 to support families affected by childhood cancer throughout Ireland.

Their aim is to alleviate some of the stress, anxiety and practical difficulties faced by families who have a child undergoing treatment for cancer, through the provision of practical (laundry, childcare, domestic cleaning and family meals) and emotional support

Mary Prendergast passed away from cancer in Jamuary 2014. Less than two years beforehand she, her husband Paddy, and their two daughters suffered the loss of baby Zach, who passed away at just one week old in June 2012.

To date the annual memorial run has €67,290 for these two causes in Galway.

Pictured above at the presentation of the cheques are Mary’s daughters Carlyn & Roslyn Prendergast, along with Jennifer Carpenter and Laura Bromley of Hand in Hand and Emer Molloy of Galway Hospice.

 

image credit: Galway Hospice/via Facebook

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