Galway Advertiser 2008/GA_2008_08_14/GA_1408_E1_016.pdf 

Extracted text

(((

BE A GALWAY VOICE

Time for Race Committee to address falling numbers in free area
Dear Editor, I would like to compliment Sean O Connaile on his letter regarding the ''free area'' at Ballybrit. He made some very good points. I have been attending the races all meetings ie, (September and October included) since I was about seven years old and usually go into the stands area. However the sight of the numbers declining on the ''outside'' as they have been consistently doing over the past five to ten years saddens me and many others. I appreciate the Galway Race committee's primary concern is to get the customers in, in as many numbers as possible but the neglect of the outside area is a bit sad. There are many courses in England which have an outside area with first class facilities laid on. These areas are usually populated by families with young children who don't want to go 'inside' because it would be too much hassle with small/young kids. The committee might remember one thing the kids are the racegoers of tomorrow, look after them. I didn't attend the races on plate or hurdle day and chose to watch it on TV. RTE showed some old Galway Plates during the coverage -- in 1983 the plate was won by Hamer's Flame and to see the crowds on the outside was amazing. i would like to make one other point. The new Killanin Stand is in my opinion a failure. It looks spectacular but it is not a great design regarding race viewing. There are not enough steps at the front. A massive new stand was built at Ascot racecourse a few years ago, and when it was first opened thousands of punters complained the view from the terracing was very poor. The management took the comments on board and immediately re-built that section of the stand to a satisfactory standard. I don't wish to come across as having a go at the Galway Race committee here -- they are undoubtedly the shrewdest committee in the countrybut isn't it time to give something back? Yours, Declan Burke, Craughwell, Co Galway.

Attitude of racecourse security guard stunned me
Dear Editor, I am writing after seeing a letter from another gentleman in the Galway Advertiser of August 7 regarding the free area in Galway racecourse. Normally my wife and I attend the races on four days of the festival, two days with our children and two days on our own. On the days we go ourselves, we go into the stand enclosure and avail of the facilities and hospitality and the days that we bring the children we pack a picnic and go to the outer enclosure or free area as our children prefer to be able to run about and able to visit the toy stalls and take rides on the fairground hurdy gurdies. This year was no exception. I normally pick up a racecard in town before heading out to the course. However on the Sunday of this year's meeting I was informed by the staff in shops in Salthill and the city centre that no racecards had been delivered that day. A minor inconvenience I thought. Not so! On arrival at the course, the only place that racecards could be purchased for the cover price of 3 was after racegoers had paid to go through the turnstiles into the stands (Sunday being one of the days that we go with our children and did not plan to go into the stand). Beside the turnstiles was a large locked gate through which I could see the coveted racecards being sold in a kiosk a mere 20 feet away, but alas out of my reach. Then I spotted a security guard on the far side of the gates and decided all was not lost. I approached the gentleman with the 3 in my hand and politely asked if he would do me the favour of purchasing the elusive racecard for me and handing it to me through the locked gate. I was absolutely stunned by his response -- "If you want a racecard, you must pay to go in to buy one." He was adamant and not for turning. I then went to the desk occupied by racecourse staff in the area of the turnstiles to ask where I could purchase a race card as I had not planend to go into the stand that day, and was told that there is a woman outside selling them. Yes, indeed, there was a lady selling them with an obligatory biro for 4. I had no choice but to purchase the race card from this lady and to pay 33 per cent extra for a biro that I didn't want. I am not moaning about the extra euro. I am delighted that this lady was there as otherwise I woiuld not have been able to obtain a racecard for that day's racing. I hope that the discontinuation of the free area in Galway racecourse is not the objective of the race committee. Over the 30 years I have been attending the races, I have noticed that the facilities for racecgoers in the outside area are becoming fewer and fewer. There has been significant investment in the enclosure with new stands and faciltiies while the outside area has been let decline. There are days at the races when we like to meet fellow old Galwegians and to have the chat and craic without the fancy hats and finery. Sadly the race committee seem to have decided that Galway races will ultimately be or those who can afford to pay to enter the enclosure? Yours A true Galwegian (Name and address with editor)

Some questions about the Boat Race
Dear Editor, I have endeavoured without success to discover some information regarding the Volvo boat race. 1 Where will the dry dock be located? 2 Is this enterprise a private, public or a PPP ( so fondly regarded by the PD party)? 3 Will the sea front- ie, beaches, walks, swimming facilities, or other leisure activities or amenities, or other areas hitherto open to the public, be compromised in any way as a consequence of the proposed arrangements (whatever they are?) 4 Will the dry dock site, or any other areas used by the racing fraternity, be privately owned and for private use during and after the race. 5 If the amenity is a temporary one, to be used solely for the purpose of the race and is built in a publicly owned area, will the area be restored to its preexisting condition after the race. I ask this in the trepidation that this could conceivably be simply another `For Profit ` initiative which we are being sold in the guise of something wholesome and worthy , and which we as citizens will later discover that we have unwittingly hocked off more of our few remaining free amenities to yet another avaricious corporation There are a number of web sites you can peruse in respect of this event -- none are in any way informative;. However I posted these queries to one web site dedicated to the Volvo Race in early July, from which I have received no response. I am alerted to this proposed scheme lest there be a land grab of some sinister kind unfolding here. I use the term advisedly, but I am reminded of another development whereby an EU subsidy for a sewage treatment plant on the Fever Hospital site was thwarted as a consequence of obduracy and demurring on behalf of the owners of the site; The Fever Hospital site ('the 40 acres) was then the only one which would have attracted financial aid from Brussels;The EU commissioner visited the site and was quite adamant that this site would be the only one which would be countenanced. In the end the EU grant lapsed and was withdrawn and the site was developed for commercial purposes; the taxpayer meanwhile had to foot the entire bill for the sewage treatment plant at Mutton Island. There is a very substantial commercial development on what was hitherto known as the 40 acres. This event has passed; but to whose gain ? An open statement regarding the sewage plants such as was proposed then was not in any coherent way proffered by the owners of the 40 acre site; the site was land filled, developed as a commercial concern. The wild life and the antiquity of the island were consumed without due regard to the citizenry, ecology, aesthetics Bulldozers lunged. Dredgers dredged.Land fill was abundant and profligate and the. Land grab was consummated. Lest this happen again, I invite those in charge of the proposed hosting of the Galway stage of the Volvo Race to reply to the above queries. I am reminded of Devlin's first law ; Buyer beware: in the hands of a charlatan, mathematics can be used to make a vacuous argument look impressive. And his second law . So can PowerPoint. Yours, Don Mac Namara, 29 Cois Cuain Dr Colahan Rd Salthill

Race Commitee have no plans to downgrade the free area at Ballybrit -- chairman
Dear Editor, I have noted the letters in the Galway Advertiser in relation to the Galway Races and I would like to reply as follows: One of the correspondents indicated that having paid their 30 they were unable to gain admittance to the new stand. It appears to me from the letter that the correspondent endeavoured to enter the new stand by the side entrance which allows access to the top two floors only. These two floors were set up for corporate hospitality and they actually fund the cost of the stand to enable us to make the lower floors available to the public free of charge. The admission charge of 30 allows all parties to use the two stands, the Millennium Stand and the Killanin Stand. In the Millennium Stand, the ground floor and first floor are fully available free to all parties, as are the first and second floors of the new Killanin Stand. Indeed, the new Killanin Stand has a further 800 seats free to all of the public. It should be pointed out therefore that 50 per cent of both the new stands are available free to the public with the additional advantage of seating in the Kilanin Stand. Security is only placed on the entrance to the two floors over each of the stands and the fact that the correspondent was faced with security personnel means that they were in the wrong area for admittance to the ground and first floors. Another correspondent in your newspaper has expressed fears about the free outside area. I can assure your correspondent that the Galway Race commitee have no plans whatsoever in relation to closing down the free area. It has been traditional for very many years and, indeed, encourages the very young generation to come forward in the years to come. I personally have received correspondence from a party who had expressed regret that they were unable to purchase a race card outside the racecourse and when finally confronted with a party selling cards, was forced to pay for a biro also. Regrettably over the past couple of years we have ascertained that cards have been purchased at our distribution points by persons who then go and sell them at higher prices. We have therefore had to cease the distribution system but there are many available at booths within the racecourse where the cards are sold at the correct price. Needless to say, the Galway Race Commitee are always conscious of the needs of the ordinary race goer and welcome any type of complaint or criticism to enable us to continue our aspirations that Galway Races are for everybody. Yours, Raymond J Rooney, Chairman, Galway Race Committee.

PUBLISHED BY:

Galway Advertiser
41-42 Eyre Square, Galway. Tel: 091 - 530900 Fax: (General) 091 567079 Fax: (Advertising) 091 - 567150 Fax: (Newsdesk) 091 - 565627 Internet Address: http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie Printed by: The Irish Times, Liffey House, Tara St, Dublin 2.

BE A GALWAY VOICE

letters@galwayadvertiser.ie
The Galway Advertiser wishes to advise that it is not responsible for the content which appears in the letters pages and accepts no liability arising from publication of material on these pages. The Galway Advertiser, 41-42 Eyre Square, Galway. Tel: 091 - 530900. Fax (General) 091 567079 Fax: (Advertising) 091 - 567150 Fax: (Newsdesk) 091 - 565627 Internet Address: http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie / news@galwayadvertiser.ie

(((
HAVE YOUR SAY

16 L E T T E R S

August 14 2008