Galway Advertiser 2004/2004_12_09/GA_0912_E1_022.pdf 

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22

LETTERS

December 9 2004

Brutish dogs and their beastly owners
Dear Editor, Harmlessly enjoying my daily walk with my tiny miniature dachshund pup we were set upon by an extremely unmannerly dog and his even more ill-behaved lady-owner ( for what I really think of this individual is too explicit a terminology for a family newspaper). Renvyle Park in Oranmore is where countless dog owners and families enjoy healthy walks in a beautiful setting. Most dogs are friendly and kept under supervision by their equally friendly owners, as numerous signs indicate they should be. However, this afternoon, when strolling peacefully near the castlegrounds, a hunting dog came out of nowhere after my pup, which was terrified and cried out in horror, as the much much bigger animal started growling and even snapped at his back. My friend and I watched in fear and disbelief, as the bully/dog's owner strolled towards us, at no speedy pace, calling her `pet' in vain. The woman was at some distance from the scene, and, trying to get the animal from my pup, which at that stage had already been bitten in the back, I shielded him with my handbag. At this point, both my friend and I were afraid for our lives, as the dog started growling at us too! Finally the owner had the grace to intervene, and put her aggressive maniac of a dog on the lead, where it should have been all along. Without as much as an apology or at least a concerned inquiry as to our wellbeing, the woman then kept walking, ignoring the scene which had just occurred. My friend's clothing were soiled by the attack, and I was left shivering with fear for what was potentially a fatal encounter with an unruly, unsupervised dog. When I called after the woman that maybe she should consider putting her dog on a lead, as she cannot control him (he did not adhere to her calling), she shouted a smart answer at us, which left all three of us even more horrified. With athletic skills previously unbeknown to myself, I ran after the brutish couple and succeeded in taking her car's licence plate. Currently, I am considering legal action, as I find it irresponsible to have an animal this aggressive and untrained running wild in an area where young children are playing, and harmless family pets go for walks with their well-meaning owners. Maybe the current signs are not enough for some people, and maybe there is yet another vacancy for business in Galway - protection dogs for people with small pets. Possibly, in the future, I will borrow my fiance's Rottweiler before I dare venturing outside the door, to make sure that canine version of a schoolyard bully leaves us alone in the future! Yours, Stephanie Klapp

Lack of planning causes road rage
Dear Editor, Today as I approached Oranmore heading for the city, I realised to my dismay that yet again, Galway County Council succeeded in disrupting traffic for thousands of people without notice. Having joined the mile queue for some time, I decided to try the Dublin road. There I was faced with an even worse scenario; almost two miles of Oranmore-bound stationary gridlock. I rang Galway County Council and outlined my complaint to an understanding staff member. He told me notice was given on radio this Monday morning, prior to work commencing at 10am. I asked him if the council considered the thousands of people who do not listen to the radio when working. He had no answer. I asked him why there was no notice erected on the main Limerick and Dublin arteries into Galway last week warning of the `planned' disruption? He had no answer. I asked him if he knew of the diversion route. He had no answer. He was not aware there was in fact no diversion. The person I spoke to was patient and sympathetic. But no answers to such basic operating questions, suggests no foresight, no consideration and absolutely no understanding of `planning'. I was asked if I would like the county engineer to ring me. But then I recalled the council ripping up our roads in Clarinbridge last September, days before 10,000 people visited the Oyster Festival. I declined the offer as I did want to hear futile excuses. I ask all county councillors for south and east Galway to represent us at council buildings and stop the madness that is Galway roads (mis)management. We voted you in to represent us; do your job and insist that the council start showing common sense please. Yours, (Name and address with editor),

A warning about `re-zoning' A plea for democracy and `extensions of time'
in Burma
Dear Editor, I want to warn the people of Galway about an experience I have had with our local planning office and the illdefined Planning Act. I applied for planning permission to build a house in the 15km zone surrounding Galway earlier this year, I know your readers will probably ask, Is he sadomasochistic? After much to-ing and fro-ing, I gathered all my documents together only to be told that as a result of the arbitrary re-zoning of my parent's house (built in 1972 and, up until very recently, in a rural part of Galway) in a pre-draft development plan that I was now considered to be an urban person moving to the countryside which is not promoted under the Galway County Development plan and therefore my application would be refused. I would like to let your readers know that the donkeys are still running around the fields, the cows are mooing, and the sheep are continuing to provide wool. The decision to re-zone the area I live in has not changed these animals into cafe-hopping mammals about town, nor has it made me a city dweller. After advice from an expensive planning consultant, I informed the planning authorities that pre-draft development plans were not valid documents - as they were only discussion papers until ratified. This, one would have hoped, would have already been known by the planning authorities, the development plans being in the ownership of the planning authorities. They did finally accept this `expert' advice and the fact that they were wrong, albeit without directly stating so. As part of the ongoing discussions, and to allow time for me to pay even more fees to planning consultants, I requested an `extension of time' on the planning application, to the October 5. This was duly accepted by the planners and as far as I was aware, the decision would be made on October 5. I have since found out - to my cost - that the planners can make their final decision any day during that extension of time, not just at the end as I had thought. This begs the questions What is the point of an `extension of time' considering they can make a final decision, without notice, at any time. Why don't the planners inform us of these things in a free and open way. Why call it an `extension of time'. I would suggest a more accurate name might be `Illusion of extension of time'. My frustrating story ended with a refusal on another basis (that the site I was proposing to build on was not close enough to my parents' house) but Readers, beware of four things: If you are foolhardy enough to try to build a house in your local area, regardless of how rural an area you live in, if your parents' house/land is rezoned you might be considered to be a city dweller and therefore not be able to build a house in your area; You are likely to have to pay large fees to advise the planning authorities of things they should already know; An `extension of time' does not mean an `extension of time'. You will end up on valium by the end of the process Yours, A frustrated and now medicated citizen of Galway (Name and address with editor). Dear Editor, It is an outrage that the military junta in Burma has extended the period of house arrest of the Nobel peace prize winner and pro democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi for another year. All decent nations must abhor this criminal regime for their flouting of international law and human rights abuses. I call on the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs to raise this issue at every international fora open to them. Until democracy is restored in Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi is not only freed but allowed to lead the country that elected her, the thugs that have stolen power and terrorised the Burmese people must be made aware that in the eyes of the world they are pariahs. Yours, John O'Shea GOAL PO Box 19 , Dun Laoghaire Co Dublin.

Parents who leave children unattended are asking for trouble
Dear Editor, I write to you now because I feel that your paper may be the only way to get a message across to parents/guardians of young children. I moved to Athenry (which I love) last January. On several occasions I have noticed that parents tend to leave their young children and toddlers in their parked cars unsupervised! I myself do not have children, but I do however watch the news regularly and am very aware that unfortunately the world in which we live is not as safe as it once was. These parents/guardians probably think to themselves `sure that baby is asleep, I'll only be a minute and I can watch from the shop'. This is not acceptable and I'm sure there must be a law of some description to protect these children, seeing as their parents won't. A parent's job is to love, teach, and protect his/her young as best possible. What would these parents do if theu returned to their car and the baby was gone...vanished? It does happen, all over the world. When, let's say. little Jessica and Holly from Soham as an example, went missing, the people of Soham were interviewed a lot and they mostly said the same thing; `we didn't think something like that could happen here, it's such a quiet place'. Well leaving your children alone in the middle of a town in the car is, in my opinion, asking for trouble, and yes it would be the parent's fault if the child was abducted or hurt in any way for leaving that child alone. So I say please, please, do not leave your children alone in the car (or anywhere else for that matter). Is your child not worth the two minutes it takes to unfasten the seatbelt to take him with you? Yours, Tracey Lyons, Athenry

Searching for Galway ancestors
Dear Editor, I wonder if I could ask for your assistance in my efforts to trace my great grandparents, Martin Glynn and Sabina Cunningham. I believe they may have come from Galway. They married and emigrated to Lancashire and lived in Oldham in 1901. Sabina had a sister called Catherine who lived with the family. Their children were Catherine (my grandmother), Martin, John and Sabina. Yours, Julia Gibbs Orchard View Beccles Road, Aldeby, Beccles, NR34 0AW. Tel 01502 678121

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