Galway Advertiser 1993/1993_07_22/GA_22071993_E1_012.pdf 

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COMMENT

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LETTERS

D O G S O N T H E

PROM

And The Party Continues! W

CORRIB REGATTA

Dear Editor, My family and I have just spent a very pleasant week in Salthill. W e thoroughly enjoyed the Salthill Festival and all that went with it. I woujld like to congratulate the organisers of this festival and assure them that I will be back again next year. Meantime, there is one request that I would earnest ly make to the people of Galway. When will you realise the value of the pro menade to your visitors? This beautiful three mile walk from Blackrock to Nimmo's Pier must surely rate as the major tourist at traction in Galway. Each day h u n d r e d s if not thousands of people walk all

or some of this beautiful promenade. However, much of the pleasure is ruin ed by the activities of a small number of dog owners. From early morning till late dogs foul this p r i m e walkway. I have even seen people walking greyhounds early in the morning and allowing them to foul the footpath without even a

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riting the Comment this week feels a little bit like taking time out in the middle of a great big party that looks like carrying on for some time yet. The Arts Festival is proving a resounding success, with visitors flooding into the town in record numbers to see great shows by the likes of Footsbarn and the many others that this year have come to Galway to display their brilliant artistic wares. This year's Parade, it is agreed on all hands, was one of the best Macnas, Galway's staggeringly talented street theatre com pany, has ever brought out of its magical bag of tricks. And even our decidedly cantankerous weather cooperated, with one of the best days we've had so far in this disappointing Summer. The sight of the hundreds of strange creatures threading their way through the city streets on their way to the Claddagh Basin was truly amazing. And the finale at the Claddagh, with Noah set ting sail, hotly pursued by a smoking-belching dragon and two deperate Fir Bolgs was an inspired touch that brought an un forgettable spectacle to a wonderful conclusion. On the negative side, however, something will have to be done about making sure that the city streets are kept free of traffic during the time the parade is passing through. On Sunday it ap peared as if traffic was still being let into the city centre virtualy as the Parade was due to begin. It should be a relatively sim ple matter for the Gardai to divert traffic around the city for the few hours the Parade takes. To allow cars access to streets in volved in or close by the route the parade takes is really doubly unfair - unfair to bewildered visitors who find themselves caught in a traffic bottleneck and to those involved in the Parade. The same criticism apply to parking on streets used for the Parade route. With a bit of organisation and good will on the part of the authorities these matters could be easily sorted out. Another suggestion that was made by a number of people who followed the Parade to the Claddagh Basin also deserves con sideration. That is, the provision of tiered seating so that the spectacle of the Parade can be properly seen by the large crowds involved. Provision was made for people in wheelchairs. It should not be impossible to rig up something so that more people can have an easy and unrestricted view of such a wonderful spectacle. And as this year's wonderful Arts Festival winds down this weekend, Galway faces into the other big event of the Summer season - Galway Races! Here's hoping that all our readers regular as well as visitors - have a ball next week as well!

n this day in 1875 a meeting was held in the rooms of the Corrib Rowing Club to promote a regatta on the stretch of river under Menlo Castle. It was a well attended meeting and though talcing place on the premises of one of Galway's boating Clubs, was not confined to members. Generally there was agree ment that the regatta should be independent and that since a second rowing club had been established in the City it should be open to everybody. John O'Shaughnessy of Dangan was appointed secretary to the regatta Com mittee and E. Guilfoyle was made treasurer. This Regatta Committee initiated an event which was broadbased and open to competitors from out side the well established Cor rib Club. Thus the more recently formed Commercial Club was able to participate. So too were individuals not associated with any club. The attitude of the regatta commit tee in 1875 was a great boost to intersports and gave en couragement to all who were interested. Unlike earlier regattas organised by the Cor rib Club members alone since 1866, the new format meant that the annual event was one for all the people. In fact it en couraged competition and friendly rivalry and the regat ta became an event awaited eagerly each year.

Surely if people want to exercise their pets they should not cause a nuisance t o o t h e r u s e r s of the facilities? Better again, why don't Salthill Tourism of Galway Corporation erect signs discouraging the pro menade as an exercise pet area. I do know that in the United States that dogs are not allowed on beach areas where children play on the blush. Sometimes the owner sand because of the risk of stands and admires the dog's disease, etc. handiwork and makes no at So next year when I come tempt whatsoever either to back I hope you have resolv direct the dogs to the road ed this little difficulty and side or to clean up after their ensure that the prom is for " p e t " . In Dublin it is now people, not for dogs. illegal to have your dog foul Yours sincerely, the footpath and I'm sure the J . McEvoy same law applies here. Why Fort Field Avenue, is it not enforced? Dublin.

P R A I S E FOR HOSPITAL STAFF
Dear Editor, During recent holidays in Galway I was brought to UCG Hospital as a casualty patient. As it turned out I had to have an emergency operation some days later. Throughout my stay there I was constantly amazed and delighted by the staff. Every person, from the moment I was admitted to the day I left - and that in cludes the casualty team, radiologists, porters, the surgical team, tea ladies and physiotherapisrs, and not least, the d o c t o r s and wonderful nurses - showed me nothing but tremendous encouragement and support, and demonstrated the caring and compassionate sides of tiicir nature, on a daily basis. I was truly amazed. I practically felt adopted by the staff there, and indeed when it was time to go I was wondering what illness I could feign to prolong my stay. The staffs considerate at titude towards me definite ly contributed to my com plete and full recovery. I cannot speak highly enough of them. I hope the people of Galway appreciate them, and I hope I'm in Galway the next time I'm sick. Yours sincerely, Lucy O'Sullivan, "Curramore", Old Park Road, Cor bally, Limerick.

TOURISM
The Spoliation of Galway
Dear Editor, Nineteen forty-two was the year I came to live in Galway. What do I see now? Do I see progress in fifty years? No. Then there was an old world dignity, there was respect for the Church, for people and for property, a city where you could happi ly walk the Prom after dark, and leave a latch key in the door all night. Now there is a certain wild breed of young people, who seem to be out of all control - rampaging on our streets, and indeed in some rural villages, breaking in to houses, etc. Parents and schools seem to have lost control. What else do I see? Ugly buildings that stick out like sore thumbs, from the Cathedral to Spanish Arch, to Salthill. No progress in my book! A Disillusioned Granny. Dear Editor, We, the citizens of Galway, are under sentence. Yes! We are being sentenc ed to watch the wanton destruction of our city. Every day brings new at tacks on our historic sites and our open spaces. Do we, the ordinary peo ple, have any say? Do our feelings count for anything at all? Today we are faced with the proposal to site a sewage treatment plant on Mutton Island. Is this to be the grand slap in the face to us all? This great mistake? The treatment plant is needed urgently. Do we have the time and extra money to build a causeway and expand an idea to ac comodate this daft idea? Aidan T. Berry 8. G r a n g e m o r e , Bishop O'Donnell Road.

MUTTON ISLAND

Dear Sir, most unique and marvellous I write with reference to panoramas of any European the proposed Mutton Island city. To spoil that would be sewage plant. nothing short of silly. New rowing clubs sprang The sewage plant is My feelings is that the necessary. What Galway up in the city. St. Patrick's Club, better known at the time subject is of immense im people must decide is; do as the Temperance Club, was portance to Galway people they want it sited on Mutton set up by Father Lydon and and yet has not been fully Island, and if they do not are was soon to win many covered in the local presses. they prepared to make their outstanding victories over its Whilst, for instance, we views known. other rivals. Indeed a century know that the plant is to be Knowing the facts could ago between the three city sited on Mutton Island we help us make up our minds. clubs there was a membership do no know what the finish Yours sincerely of three hundred active ed product will look like. Is Simon J. Coad it going to be landscaped to oarsmen in Galway. In the present century other hide it when viewed from Ethnic Cleansing clubs were founded. These in Salthill or will it stick out in Galway? cluded an A.O.H., the Em like the proverbial sore thumb? What will the final Dear Editor, mets, and the University Last week's "Shop Street of the Clubs. The Emmets included c o n s t r u c t i o n Survivor" made some very a number of men from Menlo causeway look like? telling points about the time and their feats as winners of I feel that if the plant being "right to clean up our Irish Rowing Championships in 1929 and 1931 are still significantly spoils the view streets". Would he like his prpudly remembered in of the bay then Galway street ethnically cleansed, or Galway. Anyone interested in councillors do the people of would a simple economic this story of Galway rowing Galway a great disservice. hosedown suffice? Yours verminously, should read Maurice Semple's Surely one of the pleasures D. Flinter Reflections on Lough Corrib. of living here is to look 100 Hazel Park, across to the hills of Clare Thomfl^ CJ^ Nielli at what must be one of the Newcastle.