Galway Community Calls For Protection Of Cherished Park

Left-wing activists from the Tonn na Clé organisation have called on Galway City Council to protect a cherished park.

Recently, a €1.8m Shantalla Park sale to HSE was approved by Galway councillors. This was met with protests by local residents. They described the decision as a “land grab” by the HSE, and stated that “we will not let the HSE take the only amenity green space in Shantalla without a fight”.

“Shantalla Park is far more than an undeveloped piece of land. It is an important community asset that delivers significant environmental, social and public health benefits,” the group said in a statement.

The group said that while it recognizes the need for the University Hospital Galway to further develop to meet the needs of the population, it also asserted that “hospital expansion and environmental protection should not be treated as competing priorities”, adding that “good planning should seek solutions to achieve both”.