Galway Advertiser 1989/1989_09_14/GA_14091989_E1_001.pdf 

Extracted text

MAJOR CLADDAGH PROTEST

M
Vo 20. No.

SAVE OUR
Angry residents are mounting a lobby to press for a more effec tive sewage treatment plant on Mutton Island. The residents are forming a committee and intend to bring their concerns to the Minister for the Environment. They reject experts' claims that the planned Mutton Island scheme will treat pollution in Galway Bay.
150 residents from Claddagh and other areas of Galway met on Tuesday night in protest at "official shortsightedness" in spen ding money on a new sewage plant without pro viding secondary treat ment for the city's waste. Chairman of the Claddagh Residents' Associa tion, Cllr Martin Connolly, told the meeting that locals had suffered long enough from the discharge of raw sewage into the basin, and smells caused by this. " W e have been told that the Mutton Island scheme wil relieve our problems but I don't see how it will alleviate pollution in the Bay." Cllr. Connolly stressed he had always fought at Corporation meetings for a secondary plant to treat the sewage. maintained. " W e musn't reject the station out of hand. It is designed so that a treat ment plant can be built at any time. Therefore we should continue with the current project which will take two years to com plete, while continuing the pressure for a secondary plant. Chairman of the Woodquay Residents' Associa tion, Sheila Jordan argued the C l a d d a g h people should not be threatened into accepting the current plans for fear the pollution and smells would remain in the Claddagh. " W e should get this plant right first time" she d e c l a r e d , adding that locals were worried about the future of Grattan Beachh. Environmental Resource Centre spokesman, Tom McHugh said the station should be accepted, but thaf people should insist on a secon dary treatment facility. Others insisted this was a Galway problem and not just an issue for the Claddagh. Several city councillers attended including Fintan Coogan, who said pressure had been put on officials for the secondary treat ment plant, but this had been rejected. Judy Murphy

BAY

37.

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THIS WEEK

GIVE US BACK OUR BOGS!
MEETING TONIGHT
A row has broken out bet ween an Inverin based co operative movement and local residents over the co op's purchase of bogs from the land commission. According to local man Gearoid Grealish some people feel that Comhar Chumann Shailearna T e o is trying to take the bogs from people, and they have set up a committee in protest. However spokesman for the co-op, Peadar Mac an Iomaire, says they have acted perfectly legally, and w e r e within their rights to buy the bogs from the commission. 'The Land Commission has turbary rights in the bogs w e bought. T h i s means they have the turf cutting rights. They have sold us those, and when the turf is cut, the people with the grazing rights can carry on," M r . Mac A n Iomaire stressed. "Our aim is to supply stripes of bogs to shareholders in the area. It is up to them to decide what cutting method to use. I f there a r e not enough applicants, we will have to build a road and drain the bog. This will be done in consultation with the people involved and relevant government departments." Claims that shareholders were not in formed about the purchase were also dismissed by Mr. Mac an Iomaire, who said the shareholders had appointed a committee to deal with such situations. "When you are purchasing land you cannot publicise what you are doing in ad vance," he maintained, Mr. Mac an Iomaire said concerns about wildlife in the bogs were "ridiculous" People are queuing up to get turf cut by machine because it is better quality. However some locals are still not happy and are organising a meeting at Minna National School for 8 p.m., tonight (Thursday) to discuss the development and proposed development of the bogs in the Inverin area. Judy Murphy

SEN. POL 0 FOIGHILL
controversial God

on Am--Page 14

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Galway Diary 4 Comment/Letters . . 6

Mary O'Connor 8 Sport 10-11 Clarenbridge Oysters 14 BmImii Page . . . 1 6

"It is still sewage"
"It is not enough to break down the sewage and discharge it from Mut ton Island. It is still raw sewage, and because of tides it will not be distributed over the entire bay. Experts claim a secon dary plant is not necessary until the city's population passes 80,000. 'Claddagh people have suffered long enough and the plant will help relieve our problems" he

FEATURES
Adult Education 19-21 0 Connor TV . 2 3 2 6 Entertainment 27-30 Property 31-33 Classifieds.... 3 4 - 4 3 MtatJttMati 44

Veteran defender of Claddagh PATRICK COOKE makes his point on Tuesday night.
Photo Mike Shaughnessy

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A section of the well attended meeting of representatives from several city associations at the Dominican Hall on Tuesday.

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