Rail review for Oranmore stop
Fianna Fáil councillor for Athenry-Oranmore Martina Kinane is looking for more stops in Oranmore from trains serving the Dublin to Galway route.
At a public meeting in Oranmore hosted by Cllr Kinane and attended by representatives from Irish Rail and Failte Ireland, local residents discussed the importance of rural transport for local residents and the development of tourism in the region.
Cllr Kinane, who requested Irish Rail to increase the number of trains stopping in Oranmore to increase connectivity with Dublin, said a representative of Irish Rail, Katy O’Donnell, agreed that when timetables are reviewed later this year “it could be considered that the last train from Dublin could stop in Oranmore”.
Cllr Kinane believes this measure would help increase the value of Oranmore’s train station, which serves the people in the area and helps to reduce traffic congestion.
New health centre needed for Inishbofin
A Galway island, which has a population of 160 and is a popular tourist attraction, cannot “afford to be left without a health centre,” a member of the HSE West’s regional health forum insisted recently.
Cllr Mary Hoade, a former chairperson of Galway County Council, said a new health centre and nurses’ residence was planned for Inisbofin a number of years ago.
She requested information on the progress of the project at a meeting of the forum recently at Merlin Park Hospital.
In reply, Tony Canavan, the health authority’s chief officer for community services, said the organisation’s estates department was liaising with the county council engineer and are looking at a company to carry out an environmental study on a proposed site. The study will determine if this site is suitable.
