Galway inner City opinions?

@sqweeve wrote:

Hi everyone.
Im trying to get an idea of what people think of the development in Galway inner City since 1991?
Is there any area/structure which you absolutely hate??
Is there area/structure which you feel has been really well designed?

would really appreciate some opinions Thanks 🙂

yea a theres been a few developments in Galway inner city over the years,not much though.

I like the new coach station on forster street,I think its one of the most interesting developments in Galway recently

New development on prospect hill is nice too,especially as that land has been a rubbish pit for as long as i can remember.:)

And i must say that i really hate eyre square,they could have done so much more with it,it was such a wasted opportunity.:mad:

thanks alot thats helpful. great pictures!!!

What about the Ceannt Station project. Is that still going ahead? CIE seemed pretty jazzed about that. Do they still plan to double track the rail line between Athenry and Ceannt?

@cgcsb wrote:

What about the Ceannt Station project. Is that still going ahead? CIE seemed pretty jazzed about that. Do they still plan to double track the rail line between Athenry and Ceannt?

The Athenry and Ceannt line is already under construction,should be finished by the end of the year.

As for the Ceannt station project,I’m not a hundered percent sure but i’d say its pretty much dead in the water, what with the economic crisis and all that.

The new headford shopping centre re-vamp should be starting soon as well.

There isn’t any work ongoing on the line into Ceannt. It could be a long while before any is done too – don’t hold your breath.

thanks for the info. The double tracking is vital. Too bad about the station quarter though that’d be a huge boost to the economy especially in the construction sector while it’s being built

The Coach Station turned out really well. I’ve been very critical of developments in the Fairgreen area in the past but they really got things right on this one. It’s simple, elegant and well detailed – the way good commercial buildings should be.

(I still hate the one across the road where habitat used to be though!!)

@Fergal wrote:

There isn’t any work ongoing on the line into Ceannt. It could be a long while before any is done too – don’t hold your breath.

Although the track hasn’t been put down yet they are already building extensions to the existing bridges around Athenry so id expect the track to be going down pretty soon.

and how about the new harbour area that was to be design based on the one in Auckland new Zealand is that on the backburner due to the credit crunch?

@sqweeve wrote:

and how about the new harbour area that was to be design based on the one in Auckland new Zealand is that on the backburner due to the credit crunch?

It was supposed to be included with the redevelpment of Ceannt staion, but beacuse of the credit crunch nobody really knows whats gonna happen to it.More than likely it will be delayed for a few years at least.

Heres a link to some info on the development
http://www.sandandgravel.com/news/article.asp?v1=9512

@rob mc wrote:

Although the track hasn’t been put down yet they are already building extensions to the existing bridges around Athenry so id expect the track to be going down pretty soon.

Isn’t that for the reopening of the Ennis to Athenry part of the western railway corridor? Double tracking into Ceannt is a separate thing, although it would be great news if that was going ahead.

To be honest, i think the architecture in galway is pretty poor at the moment, in the last 10 years, only three buildings have stood out as a distintive pieces of architecture, like the museum, gmit and the new yeats building by galway city council. i take the points of the previous comments, but i feel that the afore mentioned building are just repetition of the current tread in irish architecture, the coach station was an obvious design for a bus terminal and the development at prospect hill has dundrum shopping centre splattered all over it. i know im going to get lambasted but thats the way i feel. You can go to every major city in europe and see some buildings that take your breathe away, unfortunately no building galway city does that only gmit. During the celtic tiger you would thought that the designs would have be more innovative and cutting edge, but unfortunately, density of units was all that mattered to developers.

@mcadesigns wrote:

the new yeats building by galway city council.

Do you mean the bizarre extension to the Grammar School? Personally I think it’s a monstrosity – very slick, well detailed and constructed- but utterly inappropriate for the setting. The Grammar School is such a graceful building and looks to have been well restored but the extension just screams for attention. It’s also noticeably taller than the parapet level of the older building – in it’s planning the heights were supposed to match up.

Agreed that the general standard of architecture in Galway is poor. Hopefully some new developments like the new NUIG Engineering Building and the proposed Art House cinema will set the bar a bit higher.

@Fergal wrote:

Isn’t that for the reopening of the Ennis to Athenry part of the western railway corridor? Double tracking into Ceannt is a separate thing, although it would be great news if that was going ahead.

Actualy i think your right,my apologies 🙂

That sucks,the double tracking of that line is long over due,i remember hearing about it a couple of years back and still no sign of it.:mad:

@mcadesigns wrote:

You can go to every major city in europe and see some buildings that take your breathe away, unfortunately no building galway city does that only gmit.

Galway is far from a major city.

Plus you gotta realise that Galway is in a peripheral region and the only city in connacht,which has a low popluation compared to other provinces.Its a wonder there is a city as big as it at all considering all the disadvantages of the area its in.:)

Hate to burst CIE’s bubble but I dont think it’ll be possible to run a seven train per day per direction service to Limerick, a commuter service to Athenry and have a train every two hours per direction to Dublin all on that short section of single track. that would be very bad for passenger safety .

Irish Times

A DELAY in the reopening of the €106 million Western Rail Corridor is being anticipated by Irish Rail in spite of a planning appeal being withdrawn against a new train station along the route.

Last year Coen Holdings Ltd lodged an appeal against the decision by Galway County Council to grant planning to Irish Rail to construct a new train station at Gort, with a decision not expected before January 24th.

The reopening of the rail line between Ennis, Co Clare, and Athenry, Co Galway, will allow for the restoration of intercity services between Galway and Limerick and Cork after a gap of 33 years, along with increased commuter services into Galway.

Originally due to be operational in 2008, and more recently to open in the spring, the spokesman said the retendering for the works due to the withdrawal of the planning objection was one of a number of factors leading to the delay in reopening the rail link.

“We are told that line is going to open in the summer, but at the moment we don’t know what part of summer that will be.”

The spokesman said Irish Rail would first see how the line performed before deciding on a proposal to construct a crossing point near the Co Clare village of Sixmilebridge, which would significantly increase capacity on the route.

Five stations, including Gort station, are to be upgraded.

@cgcsb wrote:

Hate to burst CIE’s bubble but I dont think it’ll be possible to run a seven train per day per direction service to Limerick, a commuter service to Athenry and have a train every two hours per direction to Dublin all on that short section of single track. that would be very bad for passenger safety .

The rules for operating that bit of single track are that only one train is allowed in a section at a time – two trains in the same direction is not OK. So the maximum capacity they can squeeze out is one train between Athenry and Galway at a time, max. It takes about 20 minutes to do this distance, so you’re really limited to one train arriving, letting passengers on and heading off again every 40 minutes. They might be able to have two trains at the station at the same time, then you could get two arrivals in 20 minutes. And the commuter service to galway is included in those seven services a day you mention, I think.
So they can run the service they’re planning, it just won’t be a great service. But passenger safety is very unlikely to be an issue.

thanks for the info. I still think that it will be very tight and will limit the possibility of future expansion of services.

@rob mc wrote:

Difficult to make out too much detail from this image although it has to be an improvement on the existing mess. But whats with that protruding watchtower to the left (north) of the complex?
Across the road from here is the Headford Road Retail Park. A concoction of ghastly warehouse style shop facades surrounding a carpark with a Mc Drive Thru in the middle. The place is a momument to the lack of imagination on all those involved with its existence. It would be difficult to fuck it up any further.
To my mind the place is a wasted opportunity for a site that had much greater potential given its proximity to the heart of Galway city. SHAME.
Anyway back to the Galway Shopping Centre over the road. As I said, is difficult to tell but it looks a lot better than what is there now.
Whoever compiled the image got one thing spot on – The high volume of traffic approaching the Headford rd roundabout is one constant that will always be with us.

@Global Citizen wrote:

Difficult to make out too much detail from this image although it has to be an improvement on the existing mess. But whats with that protruding watchtower to the left (north) of the complex?
Across the road from here is the Headford Road Retail Park. A concoction of ghastly warehouse style shop facades surrounding a carpark with a Mc Drive Thru in the middle. The place is a momument to the lack of imagination on all those involved with its existence. It would be difficult to fuck it up any further.
To my mind the place is a wasted opportunity for a site that had much greater potential given its proximity to the heart of Galway city. SHAME.
Anyway back to the Galway Shopping Centre over the road. As I said, is difficult to tell but it looks a lot better than what is there now.
Whoever compiled the image got one thing spot on – The high volume of traffic approaching the Headford rd roundabout is one constant that will always be with us.

A LOT better

before:
http://www.harcourtdevelopments.com/images/galway.jpg

After:
http://www.galwaynews.ie/sites/files/galwaynews/imagecache/Main/sites/files/galwaynews/images/x4_New_look_Shopping_Centre.jpg

Check out this site if you wanna see better pictures:
http://www.lsharch.co.uk/portfolio_retail_mixed_gal.htm

Galway Independent.

The Galway transportation Unit has unveiled an ambitious plan for 2009, which includes the progression of the Galway outer-bypass and improvements to the bus service,they also want to have the N6 from Athlone to Ballinasloe finished this year and Ballinasloe to Galway finished in 2010.

Many other road projects are to be included in the project including a motorway from gort to tuam and from tuam to Galway, as Galway city coucil has recieved one of the largest road allocations in the country under the national roads plan 2009.

Galway Independent

GLUAS the proposed light rail system for galway will go ahead despite the recession. The GLUAS working group have said that the project was designed with the recession in mind.Cllr O’Brolchain will be meeting minister dempsey soon to discuss the funding for the project.

Not so sure about this one myself.

@rob mc wrote:

Galway Independent

GLUAS the proposed light rail system for galway will go ahead despite the recession. The GLUAS working group have said that the project was designed with the recession in mind.Cllr O’Brolchain will be meeting minister dempsey soon to discuss the funding for the project.

Not so sure about this one myself.

I don’t get it.

They can’t run buses, but they propos a luas

ROFL this country is mad I tell you.. A city of 70,000 can manage very well on intergrated bus network.

@dave123 wrote:

I don’t get it.

They can’t run buses, but they propos a luas

ROFL this country is mad I tell you.. A city of 70,000 can manage very well on intergrated bus network.

I agree.

Galway is simply far too small to warrant such an investment.

here is what should be done.

1) Vastly increase our investment in the bus service of Galway. The bus service of Galway is truly awful, slow and infrequent. An investment of even a fraction of what GLUAS would cost would see a massive improvement in the Bus service.

Also control of the bus services needs to be taken out of the hands of Bus Eireann and given over to an equivalent of Dublin Bus and put under administrative control of the City and County Councils. Work practices need to change radically from the current “sure it will be fine” to a system more like DB.

You need to learn to walk before you can run and I fear that silly talk about a LUAS that wouldn’t be built for 30 years will distract from changes which urgently should and can be made today.

2) Of course these cities should plan for LUAS at some future time by now deciding the route, protecting the route, put in place planning designations for high density development along the route, etc.

This is what was done in Dublin with some of the LUAS line routes being planned 30 years ago and it is what has been successfully done in Cork along the commuter rail lines.

Does anyone know what happened to the headford road shopping centre?

Wasn’t that supposed to have started already?

@sqweeve wrote:

Hi everyone.
Im trying to get an idea of what people think of the development in Galway inner City since 1991?
Is there any area/structure which you absolutely hate??
Is there area/structure which you feel has been really well designed?

would really appreciate some opinions Thanks 🙂

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Fred Bird

Here’s a real option: “THE GALWAY MINT” proposed opening before the end of this year.

Fred Bird
Green Party

Thank God for a man like Lynch and Bullion Merchants Ireland. Our own Mint will stop the importation of foreign junk gold and silver.

Dr. P. J. Ryan

A Fort Knox for the West of Ireland ! Great let get it done in time for the tourist trade.

Susan Smyth
Ulster Bank

The proposed light rail service for Galway City never stood a chance for the following reasons.

1 – It’s not in Dublin
2 – I doesn’t have white lines and other road markings on it.
3 – Public servants don’t do public transport.
4 – The opposition might get the credit for it.
5 – It’s still not in Dublin.

6-Galway doeasn’t have nearly a large enough population to justify such a big investment
7-Blanchardstown (which is a bigger city) should get a light rail service first.
8-An improved bus service and construction of QBC’s is more cost effective and would provide similar benefits.

9. This country as no money

Blanchardstown is not a city.
It is a poorly planned tumor on the outskirts of Dublin and is a perfect example of the shortsighted housing blitz that has this country the way it is now. The place typifies an example of what might have been, if things were done right in the first place.

Galway has always been a city and has grown out of all proportion to anywhere else over the last 30 years.
So now Galway has tumors like Blanchardstown of its own.

Both places deserve (and need) decent public transport solutions.
Buses are only part of the answer.

rob mc said “this country has no money”

So why the fuck weren’t such transport projects undertaken when we had the money?

Maybe Blanchardstown and Knocknacara would be better places to live today.

Blanchardstown might not have City Status, but you can’t deny that it is larger by population and population density than Galway. Galway is already getting it’s own Commuter Rail and intercity connections. More than Blanchardstown has. It functions as a city in terms of services to the area and as a centre of population. You can’t compare a Galway suburb to Blanchardstown due it’s size. Blanch also has ‘tumours’ of it’s own, Mulhuddart, Ongar and Clonsilla. Although the resident’s would take issue with you refering to their hometowns as ‘Tumours’. Blanchardstown is only the third largest suburban town in Dublin keep in mind

@Global Citizen wrote:

Blanchardstown is not a city.
It is a poorly planned tumor on the outskirts of Dublin and is a perfect example of the shortsighted housing blitz that has this country the way it is now. The place typifies an example of what might have been, if things were done right in the first place.

Galway has always been a city and has grown out of all proportion to anywhere else over the last 30 years.
So now Galway has tumors like Blanchardstown of its own.

Both places deserve (and need) decent public transport solutions.
Buses are only part of the answer.

rob mc said “this country has no money”

So why the fuck weren’t such transport projects undertaken when we had the money?

Maybe Blanchardstown and Knocknacara would be better places to live today.

Projects like this were not undertaken because they are ridiculous, the last thing Galway needs is a light rail system. Galway city is too small to warrant such an investment.

All this city needs is a decent bus network, which has been said countless times.

How is Galway getting commuter rail before Limerick City?
1) Limerick is quite a bit larger than Galway.
2) Its also a city that suffers from a sprawling population and sprawling shopping centres outside of the city. A ‘L-LUAS’ or whatever would be able to bring people to and from the city centre to the many sprawling suburbs and shopping centres.
GLUAS makes no sense.

@Contraband wrote:

How is Galway getting commuter rail before Limerick City?
1) Limerick is quite a bit larger than Galway.
2) Its also a city that suffers from a sprawling population and sprawling shopping centres outside of the city. A ‘L-LUAS’ or whatever would be able to bring people to and from the city centre to the many sprawling suburbs and shopping centres.
GLUAS makes no sense.

The only reason they are thinking of it is because traffic problems in Galway are getting as bad as Dublin and they want an easy way out instead of actualy fixing the problem.

And in fairness Limerick and Galway are pretty much the same size.

@rob mc wrote:

The only reason they are thinking of it is because traffic problems in Galway are getting as bad as Dublin and they want an easy way out instead of actualy fixing the problem.

And in fairness Limerick and Galway are pretty much the same size.

The population within the cities are more or less the same – 90,000 each I think. However, most of Limerick’s true population lies outside the city, it has a fairly large sprawling ‘metropolitan area’ which, if included, would bump Limerick far above Galway.
Also, Limerick was described as ‘one of the worst planned cities in Europe’ by an article (which is on this site) so a ‘L-LUAS’ of sorts would probably help that planning issue.

There are 72,414 people in Galway City and Suburbs. 90,000 in Limerick. Which in Dublin terms isn’t a big difference. A light rail system might be good for Galway if there was one line that went from Knocknacarra and Salthill (Galway’s biggest Suburbs I believe) through the Claddah (the most Dense population centre in Galway) to Ceannt Station and out to the city airport. Connecting the biggest suburbs to the airport and the railway station. And the bus network could be changed to feed into the line

Although the 4 planned lines are excessive considering there’s only 2 in Dublin.

@Contraband wrote:

The population within the cities are more or less the same – 90,000 each I think. However, most of Limerick’s true population lies outside the city, it has a fairly large sprawling ‘metropolitan area’ which, if included, would bump Limerick far above Galway.
Also, Limerick was described as ‘one of the worst planned cities in Europe’ by an article (which is on this site) so a ‘L-LUAS’ of sorts would probably help that planning issue.

But you have to understand like cgcsb said, the larger population or size that limerick has over Galway is negilible in Dublin terms. Neither city warrants a light rail system.

And i’m pretty sure all Irish cities are used to show foreign city planners what NOT to do,lol.

@Contraband wrote:

How is Galway getting commuter rail before Limerick City?

Because Galway people got off their backsides and lobbied for it.

The oil tanks are nearly gone,WOOT!!!!!:D:D

@cgcsb wrote:

There are 72,414 people in Galway City and Suburbs. 90,000 in Limerick. Which in Dublin terms isn’t a big difference. A light rail system might be good for Galway if there was one line that went from Knocknacarra and Salthill (Galway’s biggest Suburbs I believe) through the Claddah (the most Dense population centre in Galway) to Ceannt Station and out to the city airport. Connecting the biggest suburbs to the airport and the railway station. And the bus network could be changed to feed into the line

Although the 4 planned lines are excessive considering there’s only 2 in Dublin.

if your going to quote statistics for one city, quote the same with respect to the other.
Limerick is 90,778. The area of this figure still covers smaller land area than the Galway area.

There is a by far a bigger difference, and your undermining that. Not only that. Limerick is by far a larger economic powerhouse than that of Galway.

There is still a difference, and it would seem small because your from Galway:rolleyes: Galway is only BLEEEDING MASSIVE.:D

@Global Citizen wrote:

Because Galway people got off their backsides and lobbied for it.

Galway would be far better off upgrading its bus network first rather than going the star trek route on things.

Talk about horse before the cart.

@dave123 wrote:

if your going to quote statistics for one city, quote the same with respect to the other.
Limerick is 90,778. The area of this figure still covers smaller land area than the Galway area.

There is a by far a bigger difference, and your undermining that. Not only that. Limerick is by far a larger economic powerhouse than that of Galway.

There is still a difference, and it would seem small because your from Galway:rolleyes: Galway is only BLEEEDING MASSIVE.:D

Hes comparing it to Dublin.

Population of Urban Dublin = 1 million

Population difference between Galway and Limerick = 20,000

The difference is negilible in Dublin terms!I agree that Limerick is bigger and economically stronger but it still doesn’t need a LUAS, which was the original point.

when the luas was origionally planned, it was thought that there was no point in building a stop in Drimnagh as only 8,000 people lived within walking distance.

If 8,000 people can bearly justify a stop on a luas line, how exactly can a city with 75,00 people justify a light rail system with four lines and a whopping 64 stops!!! assuming that the pop. of Drimnagh is enough to sustain one such stop, then Galway would need at least 512,000 people living within 10 mins walk of a stop to justify 64 stops and 4 lines and that’s bearly enough. Drimnagh is either the least used or second least used stop.

I am however in full support of building QBC’s(proper ones) in Galway (which deliver most of the benefits of light rail), Commuter rail and a night link service.

@dave123 wrote:

if your going to quote statistics for one city, quote the same with respect to the other.
Limerick is 90,778. The area of this figure still covers smaller land area than the Galway area.

There is a by far a bigger difference, and your undermining that. Not only that. Limerick is by far a larger economic powerhouse than that of Galway.

There is still a difference, and it would seem small because your from Galway:rolleyes: Galway is only BLEEEDING MASSIVE.:D

Dave123s complete obsession with size continues… :rolleyes:

Galway is still officially the 3rd biggest city in the state. Unless Limerick County, Clare County and Limerick City can catch themselves on and properly redraw the city boundaries that will remain the case. it doesnt look like happening any time soon!

And anyway, does it really matter that much? 😉

@BTH wrote:

And anyway, does it really matter that much? 😉

Haha, good point, we have totally gone off topic.

Anyway it looks like both the new Headford shopping centre re-development and the crown development have either been stalled or stopped altogether, i haven’t seen any movement in ages.

Oh 100th post,woot :D:D

Oil tanks finally gone:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/monasette/3484493522/in/photostream/

Galway had such a successful Volvo Ocean Race Festival at the dockland site. Does anyone out there have any opinions on what should be done with the 6 acre site where the oil tanks once stood, before they were torn down to accomodate the race village.

Galway Harbour Company is looking to sell off 32 acres of Brownfield land to development in order to pay for its Grand Master Plan. Which is, to relocate the Port outside the existing tidal harbour on land to be reclaimed from Galway Bay. 100 acres approx over 3 staged cycles taking 20 years. Oh. And a 1.4k pier out into the bay. The idea is to be able to reach deep enough water to accomodate cruise liners and larger tankers bringing oil to the new Topaz oil terminal just completed.

Despite many publicity blurbs being set out in local media to set the tone. There is no Local Area Plan or Masterplan in place to guide what might be done around the existing docks. Just a marina development and talk of a 25 storey apartment block, or two.

No architectural competition or City Council guidelines as to what might be considered appropriate. So many other cities have had major architectural conferences or design competitions. But not Galway. Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh and so many other port citys are engaging in urban regeneration projects. Even Cork and Waterford. All have public websites full of information about what they are doing. But not Galway. Where it seems that all is to happen behind closed doors.

A Vision group was set up 3 years ago, consisting of Galway Harbour Company, City Council manager, Bord Failte, Galway Chamber of Commerce and the Marine Institute. NOthing has emanated from this group and no plans published yet.

Any ideas welcomed.

@Derrick Galway wrote:

Galway had such a successful Volvo Ocean Race Festival at the dockland site. Does anyone out there have any opinions on what should be done with the 6 acre site where the oil tanks once stood, before they were torn down to accomodate the race village.

Galway Harbour Company is looking to sell off 32 acres of Brownfield land to development in order to pay for its Grand Master Plan. Which is, to relocate the Port outside the existing tidal harbour on land to be reclaimed from Galway Bay. 100 acres approx over 3 staged cycles taking 20 years. Oh. And a 1.4k pier out into the bay. The idea is to be able to reach deep enough water to accomodate cruise liners and larger tankers bringing oil to the new Topaz oil terminal just completed.

Despite many publicity blurbs being set out in local media to set the tone. There is no Local Area Plan or Masterplan in place to guide what might be done around the existing docks. Just a marina development and talk of a 25 storey apartment block, or two.

No architectural competition or City Council guidelines as to what might be considered appropriate. So many other cities have had major architectural conferences or design competitions. But not Galway. Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh and so many other port citys are engaging in urban regeneration projects. Even Cork and Waterford. All have public websites full of information about what they are doing. But not Galway. Where it seems that all is to happen behind closed doors.

A Vision group was set up 3 years ago, consisting of Galway Harbour Company, City Council manager, Bord Failte, Galway Chamber of Commerce and the Marine Institute. NOthing has emanated from this group and no plans published yet.

Any ideas welcomed.

Meh, i wouldn’t hold your your breath,look through this thread and the developments in Galway thread https://archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=4340 you might find something. There has been loads of different plans for ceannt station and the harbour area over the past 5 years,but with the recession and all that were just gonna have to wait and see what happens.

Hi,

I think there should be a competition on the design of the building to replace the oil tankers recently removed from the docks. A competition is the only way to avoid repeating the already bad architectural developments that are in Galway city. Why not have a competition and have suggested designs put on to google earth where the existing site is already and lets include designers as well as architects in the competition.

I would like to ask a question CAN ARCHITECTS REALLY DESIGN? or are they simply good at engineering and mathematics. Should there be a role of designing a building in the initial phases for an ‘architectural designer’.

Regards
Viz

I don’t understand that last sentence. Are you trying to infer something?

@viz wrote:

I would like to ask a question CAN ARCHITECTS REALLY DESIGN? or are they simply good at engineering and mathematics. Should there be a role of designing a building in the initial phases for an ‘architectural designer’.

What?

Well they would want to be good at designing things, it is their job after all.

Two interesting articles in the Galway independent today:

Harbour plans on target

Plans for the redevelopment of the Galway Harbour are “very much alive”, according to Harbour Master Captain Brian Sheridan.

The ambitious €350 million plans were announced earlier this year and a series of studies must be completed before the scheme can go through the planning process.

Dismissing worries that the plans could be put on the back burner due to the current economic situation, Mr Sheridan said the Harbour Board hoped to have the relevant environmental impact statements, rail, traffic, egress and access plans completed in time for a planning lodgement in April 2010.

“We reviewed the plan because of current economic reasons, but it is still a goer. We have reassessed costs and tailored a new five-year plan. Originally we had a 20-year plan; we still have that but we are even more focused on the short term now,” he said.

The first phase of the development will involve reclamation of lands, building a new quay wall, the development of an extended rail link, the provision of new fishing berths for the in-port fishermen and the development of a 177-berth marina.

Worldwide response to Docks competition

A competition to design an iconic building for the Galway Docks area has attracted significant international interest. The Ideas Competition for Centre Pier was launched last month by the Royal Institute of the Architects in Ireland, in association with Galway Harbour, calling for proposals for an iconic building for the Docks area.

Speaking to the Galway Independent yesterday, Carina O Neill of the RIAI said there had been huge interest in the competition from all over the globe.

“We have had 104 representations so far, and usually two thirds of these would translate to submissions, so that is a huge response considering the registration deadline isn’t until 25 September. The enquiries have come from all over the world, with lots of different influences. We advertised the competition internationally with the UIA and have heard from architects worldwide. There has also been a good local response and people seem to find the fact that the site is outside Dublin appealing. We are delighted with the way it’s going so far.”

The competition is divided into two categories, one for established architects and one for graduates and students. The building should reflect Galway’s importance as a maritime and cultural city and offer a clear image and potential branding for the city of the Tribes. Competitors are asked to design a building, which incorporates a public stage, exhibition area, retail space, marina facilities, tourist information kiosk and commercial offices.

Just logged in after several months absense and, was quite amazed at the level of ignorance about recent developments in Galway.

Firstly. The new coach station, while on the face of it quite well done, is not in the location recommended in Buchanan’s 2001 Land Use & Transport Study. The new bus station was supposed to be built where the ill fated Habitat now is. Right next to the Ceannt Station bus terminus. It is also too shallow as busses are finding it too easy to tip the end wall. It is also unfinished (so I was told).

As for the major redevelopment of Ceannt Station itself. That is said to be ready for submission to ABP under the Crtical Infrastructure Act, this year? But will face major objections if the twin tower blocks go to 16 storeys and too much retail is included. Its a transport hub not a shopping centre!

The Harbour Company’s proposed plan is also about to be submitted. Though there seems little hope that it will recieve an easy ride. Far too many environmental problems and Galway Bay is too shallow anyway to receive large cruise liners. Also, there is no economic justification for any new port since Foynes is just down the newly opened motorway (when the bit between Gort and Galway gets built).

The port plan should concentrate on redeveloping its existing footprint with residential, some retail and marine leisure facilities, also several cultural and arts facilities as promised. The Centre Pier architectural competition was interesting but inlikely to see any building. The competition, originally proposed by An Taisce was for a competition for ideas on the overall Station/Docks Local Area Plan. Which is also being called for by the DoE’s Spatial Planning Unit.

So from being too greedy for major developments, Galway may end up getting nothing and that is not what I would want to see.

By the way. Galway City Council failed in its last bid to government, for money to see the rail line to Athenry twin tracked. I think the estimated cost was 110 millions.

@Derrick Galway wrote:

Firstly. The new coach station, while on the face of it quite well done, is not in the location recommended in Buchanan’s 2001 Land Use & Transport Study. The new bus station was supposed to be built where the ill fated Habitat now is. Right next to the Ceannt Station bus terminus. It is also too shallow as busses are finding it too easy to tip the end wall. It is also unfinished (so I was told).

The proposed bus station is earmarked for it’s current site, also encompassing lands further towards Lough Atalia to create a proper stopping/turning area and internal concourse integrated with the railway station. The Main entrance to the Railway station is intended to move to the other side of the Meyrick Hotel (formerly Great Southern) via the new multi level mall planned as part of the wider Ceannt Station redevelopment. When all of this will happen is anyone’s guess but Gerry Barrett’s Edward holdings has been named as the preferred developer for the entire scheme (and Douglas Wallace have miraculously resurrected as DW2 architects no doubt because of this).

See the following for the sketch plans presented by CIE in 2008: http://www.cie.ie/projects/open_days_boards.pdf particularly page 12 of the PDF which shows the proposed bus station.

The Coach Station you refer to is a completely separate development provided by Galway City Council to house private coach operators such as Citylink & Gobus as well as tour buses etc. It is true that it seems to be extremely tightly designed with many buses belonging to the above mentioned companies displaying scratched and broken wing mirrors due to the closely spaced pillars between individual bus bays. Despite this it’s a good addition to the city and provides an invaluable facility to the ever increasing numbers using private coach services instead of Bus Eireann.

Derrick Galway:

You raise a number of issues in your post, all of which would seem to be coloured by your involvement in the local association of An Taisce.

There is a dire need for retail space in Galway City. That is workable retail space. Recent arguments you have made in your letters and comments by some local Councillors, decry the amount of empty retail space in the City Centre. These are simply wrong. The reason there would seem to be so many empty retail units in the City Centre is that they are not workable for contemporary retailers.They ideally look for big boxes and clear floor plates. Yourself and your friends in the Council’s heritage department, have made it virtually impossible to do anything to fulfil these needs, as you lob in observation and objection ad infinitum. Having worked on Taffees in a previous incarnation, I have to say it was not your finest moment! The City Centre has been listed to the nines and nothing can be done at all to fulfil the needs of contemporary retailers. The development of the Station lands while not ideal does allow for bigger boxes for large retailers to operate. While the design could be reworked, it will underpin the City Centre as the primary focus for retail and end the leakage to the suburbs or other towns.

As for the Harbour development, total madness so keep up the objections…

@Derrick Galway wrote:

Just logged in after several months absense and, was quite amazed at the level of ignorance about recent developments in Galway.

snip.

Ignorant?:confused:, because they don’t completely agree with you? :rolleyes: