Seanselon

Just thought I’d post this recent picture of Wolfe Tone Bridge area of Galway for comment.

It’s a totally daft idea. How ostentatious and inapproriate a plan. I doubt (hope) it will never happen. Shame we don’t see very much quality architecture in modern Galway (either realised or proposed). The city is built at one of the country’s most beautiful senic locations yet has very little decent architecture to match.

The problem is, I think, a lack of joined-up thinking amongst the various bodies who hold power. The lack of a council appointed city architect is also, of no help.

I’m not so sure it will not go ahead in some form or other. Ceannt station is unique amongst Irish provincial city centre rail termini, insofar, as it is a truly city centre. It is only 250m (approx.) from train door to Eyre Square.

Given the extent of the proposed site, it’s location and the ever insatiable demand for commercial and residential property in Galway, this is a particularly valuable and easily disposable piece of real estate for CIE. They would make a tidy profit and end up with a brand spanking new Rail/Bus terminal.

They have, of course, yet to get planning permission. The application will be lodged in September we are told by CIE. It is likely there will be a raft of objections from local interests and already we have heard Micheal D Higgins TD (Lab), shout down CIE’s apparent lack of consultation with the local community. He has also expressed concerns about the nature of the development questioning the ratio of commercial use to transport use, fearing the transport element of the project is taking second place to the profit making commercial/residential parts.

This project is likely to go ahead, perhaps not as we see it presented in the plans to date, but it will happen and probably within the stated timeframe too.

Just checked on the Galway City Council website. If you look at the city map it’s now called Rahoon Park Noth and Gleann Dara. Both situated at the junction of Circular Road and Seamus Quirke Road. A google search returned no images of the old flats – hardly surprising given how un-photogenic they were

Had govenment policy over the last 30 years favoured concentrated urban centered development over low density sub-urban and rural sprawl, I’m not certain the standard of arcitecture in Galway city, or anywhere else, would have been any better.

I’m surprised at all the excitement over the possibility of high rise developments on the CIE lands in Galway city centre. I can only hope that the architects (MOL I believe) and the planning authorities pay more attention to quality of design and materials, rather than merely trying to impress with tall structures. Galway is unique amongst Irish cities, not least, because it was not founded/developed around a Viking settlement. It’s village like character (already much destroyed by speedy and bady planned urban regeneration of the 80/90ies) needs to be treated with sensitivity and intelligence.

This will be the biggest urban build ever in Galway (on publicly owned lands) and it’s such a shame that there has been so little public consultation. There ought to have been an international architectural competition. We don’t want yet another shopping mall and appartment complex.

@CologneMike wrote:

The Galway City Museum seen from under the Spanish Arch. Photograph: Joe O’Shaughnessy
Photograph: The Irish Times

Nice image of the new Galway museum building seen through The Spanish Arch. Wonder if anyone has a picture looking in the other direction through the arch. If so, we will see the unmitigated disaster in urban planning that Galway City council has allowed since the late 80ies. Some of the carbuncles given consent would easily qualify for Irelands worst buildings and are excellent candidates for the wrecking ball.

Anyone got any pictures of that?

Yeah, I remember him:-( I reckon The Courts Service are at least partly to blame as well though…

@Praxiteles wrote:

And do not forget Richard Hurley’s daft “untervention” in the Augustinian church in Galway!

This link will give an virtual tour of the horror that has been created.
http://www.augustinians.ie/galway/picture_gallery/newvirtual.htm

This is a virtual visit of the church before the Hurley wreckovation:
http://www.augustinians.ie/galway/picture_gallery/virtual.htm

Below will give you view of the church post 1924.

Looking at the 1924 picture it would seem that many features of the church were removed sometime prior to the recent works. There appears to be mosaic work on the arches and several other features which were not in the church before the latest works began. Can anyone enlighten me as to when (and why) these were removed.

BTW the altar rails were not removed but were shifted to the front of the church and are now just inside the entrance.

@Lotts wrote:

And in a rerun of the BurgerKing etc. fiasco in Dublin Supermacs were finally forced to take down their sign, commenting on the state of the square. They of course had no planning permission for it.

It has been replaced by a similar illegal sign supporting the county team…

The Supermacs building was originally constructed in the 30ies (I think) and was occupied by Woolworths when I was a child in the 70ies, but it had a totally different glass frontage than it has today. Interestingly at the rear this building adjoins the rear of Savoy (which fronts on to Eglington Street) which is one of the few Deco style buildings in Galway and sadly no longer in use as a cinema.

Looking at the houses on Eyre Square its such a shame that all seem to have had original sash windows and fanlights removed. Even the Great southern has pvc outward opening windows. Would be nice to see a scheme to retore these details.

Otherwise must say refurbishment is a great improvement.