BY DARA BRADLEY

A city councillor this week said that 10% of the local authority’s €250,000 contribution to the staging of the Volvo Ocean Race Finale should be withheld in order to cover the cost of damage to South Park during the event.

Prior to the successful sailing extravaganza, City Hall management had decided to retain €25,000 of Galway City Council’s €250,000 contribution to Let’s Do It Global and Cllr Catherine Connolly says that that money should not now be released to the organisers.

The Independent councillor says instead of giving over the €25,000, the money should be put towards restoring South Park, which she says was damaged during the week-long festivities at the Claddagh.

She stressed that the people of the Claddagh fully embraced the Volvo festival, and notwithstanding the inconvenience to their residential areas including road closures, locals welcomed the global village to their community.

But, she said, the welcome was extended on the basis of assurances given by the organisers that the area to be used would primarily be the hard surface at South Park with one entrance for vehicles from the Frenchville site, as well as the full reinstatement of the park to its original condition and a full-traffic management plan.

“Despite these assurances, however, it would appear that none of the conditions were complied with,” she said in a statement.

“The cycle/walk way path, which the community worked so hard to get, was used most inappropriately as a roadway with resulting damage, not to mention the dangers to public safety.

“In addition, the surface of the park has been left in a condition that will preclude its use for quite some time, in addition to damage and debris adjacent to the Claddagh Basin.”

A spokesperson for the Council said staff from its Parks Department were due to meet with production staff of Let’s Do It Global this week to assess the extent of the damage caused to the site and what remedial action is needed.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.