Knocknacarra based city councillor Donal Lyons said this week that he was disappointed at Galway City Council’s failure to buy 18 acres of amenity land at Rusheen Bay. It emerged this week that the land has been sold to an unnamed buyer.
“In November 2011 I was approached by members of the Barna Road residents who had read an advertisement in the Galway Advertiser of November 10 outlining the sale of 18 acres of amenity land in Rusheen Bay by private treaty,” Cllr Lyons said. “The residents were of the opinion that this was a great opportunity for the city council to acquire a further portion of the amenity zoned land in the area. The land in question was adjacent to land already owned by Galway City Council at Knocknacarra Cross.
“I was familiar with the location of the lands in question and knew that the purchase of this land would add significantly to the amenity lands already in the city council ownership in nearby Lough Rusheen Amenity Park and Barna Woods and would enhance the lands owned by the council at Knocknacarra Cross.”
Cllr Lyons said he met and discussed the purchase of the lands with other west city councillors, namely Catherine Connolly, Peter Keane, Niall McNelis, and Mayor Hildegarde Naughton, and they agreed to approach city manager Joe O’Neill as a group to request that he purchase the lands for the city.
“The vendors had put an amenity value of €160,000 on the land and while finances were under strain at City Hall, a plea was made to the manager that this was an opportunity not to be missed considering the asking price and he agreed to try to proceed to purchase the land,” Cllr Lyons added.
“In the meantime I had been in contact with the manager on a regular basis to see was progress being made with the purchase bid. I was aware that the city council had placed a number of bids on the lands in question. However this week I have been informed that the lands had been sold and the city council were not successful in their bid.”
Cllr Lyons said he
was “extremely disappointed” at the outcome.
“There is no doubt that a great opportunity has been lost to the city in the provision of further amenity land,” he added. “I want to thank my fellow Galway City West councillors for their support and the support of the city manager Joe O’Neill in trying to purchase the land in question. It’s doubtful if an opportunity like this will ever come the way of the council in the future.”
