Eyre square redevelopment

Mrs OBumble

FortySeven wrote: »

Please, this is Galway. There was less water than usual but it's not like we all didn't know it would rain soon enough. Drought me hole.

You're not from a farming background so.

FortySeven

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You're not from a farming background so.

No, horticultural actually but I'm intelligent and old enough to know an hour of throwing some water around by less than a hundred people would in no way affect the vast water requirements of hundreds of farmers. It might have been enough to water 1 polytunnel for a day. Insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Bob geldof wasn't arranging a new live aid or anything as far as I remember.

FortySeven

[Deleted User] wrote: »

B-B-But then you would complain about the money being spent on the cleaning is a waste and why they didn't do the much simple option of turning it off

No. I wouldn't.

galwaycyclist

Stealthfins wrote: »

That's the few bags of farm manure they dug into the raised bed's.

As I said before a horticultural graduate from the botanic gardens in Glasnevin would come up with a better plan.

With our climate we should be showcasing the most amazing parks in the world.

I was in the Great Southern Hotel in 1999 or 2000 when Joe Gavin (City Manager) and Gerry Mitchell of Mitchell and associates presented their vision for Eyre Square to the public.

Mr. Mitchell put up a slide of Central Park in New York. He then explained to the audience that the concept of parks that tried to recreate a country setting in a city environment was redundant.

According to Mr. Mitchell, this type of park was no longer needed because nowadays if you wanted to see the countryside you could just hop in your car and drive out to see the countryside.

I recall being somewhat flabbergasted that anyone representing authority felt entitled to express such a view in Northern Europe in the last years of the 20th century.

However, it must also be admitted that those involved clearly felt this argument would cause them no problems with the type of city councillors that the people of Galway had chosen to elect. Clearly they judged that part right.

nuac

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

That's true, but a replica is just that, a replica and not the real deal. It's just unfortunate that a minority in society can ruin so much for the majority through nothing more than blatant blaggardism (if that's even a word?)

Somehow I don't think the replica will receive anything like the attention the original did.

The picture of Dev at the P.Ó'C statue was I presume, taken on the day it was unveiled.

Pat Lindsay later a well known S.C. and Govt Minister was student in UCG at the time. He claims to have put a blue shirt on the statue the night before the unveiling. I cannot recall his description of Dev's comments.

snubbleste

Cllr Terry O'Flaherty has called for a business to sponsor Eyre Square
Supermacs Quadrilateral?
Virgin Media Plaza?

joeKel73

Sponsoring Eyre Square doesn't mean a name change...

A lot of roundabouts are sponsored by businesses with a small sign and it seems to work well.

eezipc

snubbleste wrote: »

Cllr Terry O'Flaherty has called for a business to sponsor Eyre Square
Supermacs Quadrilateral?
Virgin Media Plaza?

Buckfast Boulevard.

Mrs OBumble

Devaney Drive by day.
Supermacs Square(*) by night.




(*) it's not technically a square. But no other town has any qualms about naming their central meeting with a counterfactual shape.

Breaston Plants

Skeff Square.

thesandeman

Donald Trump Plaza.

fergiesfolly

thesandeman wrote: »

Donald Trump Plaza.

"President" Donald Trump Plaza

diarmuid05

snubbleste wrote: »

Cllr Terry O'Flaherty has called for a business to sponsor Eyre Square
Supermacs Quadrilateral?
Virgin Media Plaza?

Eir Square maybe???

snubbleste

diarmuid05 wrote: »

Eir Square maybe???

snubbleste

J o e wrote: »

Sponsoring Eyre Square doesn't mean a name change... A lot of roundabouts are sponsored by businesses with a small sign and it seems to work well.

Well the Council have read your post.
http://www.galwaycity.ie/news/416/59/Information-Notice-in-relation-to-advertising-signs-and-advertising-sleeves/

Whereisgalway

Sunniest weekend of the year and 95% of the green areas on eyre square is closed off. All because of a money grabbing event last Xmas

LoonyLovegood

The market wouldn't be the only reason, it's just bad timing that the good weather's this weekend. With the amount of rain even before the market, the grass would need reseeding

MadYaker

Eyre Square is probably the worst green area in Galway for sitting in the sun. Salthill park is much nicer, or down by Spanish Arch/middle arch.

Last 2 nights were the first nights of the year drinking cans down there. Always a sign that summer is on the way.

bonzodog2

IMHO the Christmas Market should be by the docks where the oil tanks were

Whereisgalway

LoonyLovegood wrote: »

The market wouldn't be the only reason, it's just bad timing that the good weather's this weekend. With the amount of rain even before the market, the grass would need reseeding

Bad timing? It's the middle of MAY! The other green areas around the city had just as much pre Xmas rain and didn't need reseeding

Mrs OBumble

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Bad timing? It's the middle of MAY! The other green areas around the city had just as much pre Xmas rain and didn't need reseeding

Yeah, but most don't have the general foot traffic and toxic substance (piss, puke) levels that Eyre Square does.

And the grass at Spanish Arch most certainly does need replacement, it's in a far worse state than Eyre Square was

Storm 10

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Yeah, but most don't have the general foot traffic and toxic substance (piss, puke) levels that Eyre Square does.

And the grass at Spanish Arch most certainly does need replacement, it's in a far worse state than Eyre Square was

Christmas market destroyed that grass as well

thesandeman

In fairness, the Square does look totally ridiculous at the moment. It's like the set for a film about the H-Blocks or something.

Aerohead

With all the barriers around the Square at the moment and the stupid persplex barrier around the Browne doorway its not the nicest place in the City just now, Why could they not just put a nice stainless steel railing around the doorway it would look much better, bring back the O Conaire statue and the Cannons, no one is ever going to damage that statue again its unreal how long its gone from the Square.

Mrs OBumble

Storm 10 wrote: »

Christmas market destroyed that grass as well

It didn't - it was the flood-barrier-sausage which did that.


And re Eyre Square: I refrained from commenting until I'd had a chance to take a look - but it's more like 67% of the grass that is surrounded by barriers, not 95%. There are still some significant areas which are available for sitting (etc) on.

bobbyss

Was walking through the Square the last day and took in that ugly block of concrete plonked there in the form of a Tourist Info Centre. Did out betters think we needed a bit of Cold War Poland or Russia?

The perspex in the doorway looked filthy dirty. Bottles thrown in behind it. Lovely. Didn't have the heart to look at any grass that might be there.

Going from the Train station to catch a bus:
I wondered why there was no straight, wide path up towards the buses.
I wondered why there were big concrete (it appeared to me) flower planters blocking that pathway. Instead you have to zig zag around the place. Brilliant for disabled in wheelchairs. So many people blocking my way to my bus stop. Brilliant for wheelchairs also.
I wondered about the waterless fountain.
I wondered why I never see children in the ... playground.
I wondered where the benches were to sit down on. There are some but I think there used to be more. Where are elderly people supposed to soak up the atmosphere? On low steps with no sides or backs?

TBH it was absolutely ridiculous to have so much of the area shut off. Agreed that the market needs to be moved from there, because now we're seeing the results and problems months later.

pure.conya

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Sunniest weekend of the year and 95% of the green areas on eyre square is closed off. All because of a money grabbing event last Xmas

ssshhh!! some of us have been saying this for years but now a lot more people (and at long last the council agree) that Eyre Sq is being destroyed by the market

LoonyLovegood wrote: »

The market wouldn't be the only reason, it's just bad timing that the good weather's this weekend. With the amount of rain even before the market, the grass would need reseeding

a high volume of rainfall, or for that matter even flooding does not necessitate reseeding grass! i suspect you don't know what you're talking about at all

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Yeah, but most don't have the general foot traffic and toxic substance (piss, puke) levels that Eyre Square does.

And the grass at Spanish Arch most certainly does need replacement, it's in a far worse state than Eyre Square was

what kinda bumbling response is this? the overall majority of foot traffic on eyre sq is on the paths, especially in winter when it's far easier to damage the grass.

I am in Galway city centre an awful lot, day and night, year in year out with my work and rarely have I seen such levels of people cutting through the sq on the grass, or as you so elequently put it "pissing/puking toxic substances" that would cause the square to be closed off in the manner it is right now.

In my mind the square hasn't been so inaccessible since the disasterous renovation period and if what you're describing were true it would have caused the very same issues and necessary cordoning off regularly in the silly years pre-2009 when we all had a lot more money to enable pissing/puking of toxic substances.

Storm 10 wrote: »

Christmas market destroyed that grass as well

the much needed flood defence did that

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It didn't - it was the flood-barrier-sausage which did that.


And re Eyre Square: I refrained from commenting until I'd had a chance to take a look - but it's more like 67% of the grass that is surrounded by barriers, not 95%. There are still some significant areas which are available for sitting (etc) on.

you really are splitting hairs right now and you've got such a silly/facetious/condescending agenda going on it's actually quite funny to watch you try minimise the fact that the overpriced Christmas market has finally managed to encroach on peoples enjoyment of Eyre Sq, well into the summer period 5 months later! This is especially annoying seeing as some of the market was moved to the Spanish Arch to take the pressure off of Eyre Sq to try reverse the damage done to the grass every single year since it began.

bobbyss wrote: »

Was walking through the Square the last day and took in that ugly block of concrete plonked there in the form of a Tourist Info Centre. Did out betters think we needed a bit of Cold War Poland or Russia?

The perspex in the doorway looked filthy dirty. Bottles thrown in behind it. Lovely. Didn't have the heart to look at any grass that might be there.

Going from the Train station to catch a bus:
I wondered why there was no straight, wide path up towards the buses.
I wondered why there were big concrete (it appeared to me) flower planters blocking that pathway. Instead you have to zig zag around the place. Brilliant for disabled in wheelchairs. So many people blocking my way to my bus stop. Brilliant for wheelchairs also.
I wondered about the waterless fountain.
I wondered why I never see children in the ... playground.
I wondered where the benches were to sit down on. There are some but I think there used to be more. Where are elderly people supposed to soak up the atmosphere? On low steps with no sides or backs?

Yes, agree with all your points and especially regarding the benches. I noticed 2 of the stone seatign areas by the covered bike shed closest to Richardsons/Fibbers were permanently removed to make room for the comedy festival last yearv and were never replaced! I for one would love to know who signed off on this and why.

Mrs OBumble

bobbyss wrote: »

Was walking through the Square the last day and took in that ugly block of concrete plonked there in the form of a Tourist Info Centre. Did out betters think we needed a bit of Cold War Poland or Russia?

The perspex in the doorway looked filthy dirty. Bottles thrown in behind it. Lovely. Didn't have the heart to look at any grass that might be there.

While the kiosk was in use, it looked well enough. Bus since Failté moved out, it's run down a lot. Have you tried asking the council what their plans for the kiosk are?

bobbyss wrote: »

Going from the Train station to catch a bus:
I wondered why there was no straight, wide path up towards the buses.
I wondered why there were big concrete (it appeared to me) flower planters blocking that pathway. Instead you have to zig zag around the place. Brilliant for disabled in wheelchairs.

And this is an excellent point.

bobbyss wrote: »

So many people blocking my way to my bus stop. Brilliant for wheelchairs also.
I wondered about the waterless fountain.
I wondered why I never see children in the ... playground.
I wondered where the benches were to sit down on. There are some but I think there used to be more. Where are elderly people supposed to soak up the atmosphere? On low steps with no sides or backs?

But now you're just getting silly, and sounding like you need a trip to Specsavers.

You cannot say that the square is under-used, and in then complain that there are too many people there.

See further up in the thread for info about the fountain.

Look in the playground for children at the weekend and holidays - not when the kids are in school/daycare.

Look around the square itself without blinkers for the benches and other sitting areas, there are lots of 'em.

biko

Yeah the grass at Sparch was caused by flood defence.