Abandoned and “rotten” boats at the Claddagh quays must be removed as part of a major makeover of the area, if is wants to remain a premiere tourist spot in the city.
This is the view of Labour councillor Niall McNelis, who is calling on the Galway City Council to clean up the iconic area.
Cllr McNelis said he has been approached by local residents “who are concerned that work did not happen this year”, and from tour operators who say feedback from tourists is of “disbelief at the way such a local asset is being cleaned and monitored”.
“The flower beds were not filled this year,” Cllr McNelis said. “Weeds are growing on the shore and a number of boats are full of stagnant water. Abandoned boats in the 1980s were taken away, and this needs to be done again as they are becoming a rat problem.”
Cllr McNelis has contacted the council’s director of parks and asked him to give an update on when this work can be done.
“Every picture and every promotion of Galway includes the Claddagh swans and this area of our city,” he said. “We need to get this sorted now and the council will have the full support of the residents if works can be carried out as soon as possible.”
