As someone who actively campaigned for the Ballinfoile – Castlegar
Neighbourhood (& Sports) Centre from 1987 until late 2016, I am
frustrated and annoyed this much needed facility still remains closed.
I did not put my name forward for election in November 2016 to the new
(with its inclusive representivity constitution) community centre
committee as I (and indeed all local activists) felt that the campaign
to secure its opening, after years of community activism,
protests/lobbying, was finally completed as local residents and
councillors were publicly informed by the CEO and other city officials
at that month's council meeting in City Hall that the this neighbourhood
and sports facility would be open in January. So I expect that all
members of the excellent newly elected committee thought the same and
were probably expecting to be working primarily on management and
operational issues.
In fact it is worth noting that the facility was officially opened by
Cllr Frank Fahy
as Mayor of Galway City in May 2016. Frank was optimistic then that it
would be available to the local community soon thereafter.
Yes,
the centre did indeed open in January 2017 but only for ONE day (to
facilitate a public consultation on the Kirwan Roundabout). Local
residents heard nothing for months, though of course we expected that
the community committee were working hard behind the scenes. Then at a
public meeting in the Menlo Park Hotel on May 9th, residents and
councillors were informed by a city council official that the terms of a
management agreement had finally been agreed in principle with SCCUL
and that it was expected to be signed off the following week with an
opening date in late August at the very latest. So will this new date be
honoured? At this stage there is no reason that I know off why there
should be delays by the council’s solicitor in agreeing to have the
contract signed. If it does not happen soon, I feel that this represents
a breakage of trust with the Ballinfoile – Castlegar community and that
the protest/lobbying campaign may need to be immediately reactivated.
Photo is from one of a number of regular resident protests on the
centre held outside City Hall and the Ballinfoile - Castlegar Community
Centre from autumn 2014 until winter 2016.
 |
| City Hall, Summer 1989 |
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