Galway city manager rejects actor's remarks on bad planning

Outgoing Galway city manager, Mr John Tierney, has rejected claims by the film actor Gabriel Byrne that the city is being destroyed by bad planning.

The actor is the latest to add to the criticism surrounding the development works currently underway in Eyre Square which local businesses claim are hitting them badly.

The Irish star, a regular visitor to Galway where his sister, Breda O'Loughlin, lives and where his mother lived until her death over a year ago, said Galway was "slowly being destroyed by bad planning and building works" that did not reflect its original beauty.

However, Mr Tierney said yesterday he thought the actor's comments were misinformed and he queried whether Mr Byrne had even looked at the model of what Eyre Square would look like after its revamp before he made his comments.

Galway, he added, is still one of the most sought-after places in Ireland in which to live and work.

"I have to disagree with his comments in relation to bad planning. You just have to look around at some of the architecture of recent buildings, like the GMIT which, contrary to Mr Byrne's view, has been universally appreciated," he said.

While the revamp of Eyre Square has been the subject of much controversy and criticism in recent months, Mr Tierney believes that people will appreciate the benefits of the scheme when it is completed next October.

"I pointed out at the outset that there would be an awful lot of disruption when doing such a major scheme in such a busy area. It was the same in Shop Street during the pedestrianisation works and that scheme has been hugely beneficial to the city.

"In the long term, the revamp works in Eyre Square will benefit businesses in the area, particularly those on the east side which will form part of a transport hub of buses and taxis. Irrespective of opinions on the plan, there is no doubt that the square needed enhancing."

Another source of controversy and outrage has been the clamping regime in the city during Mr Tierney's term as city manager. However, he continues to defend clamping as a necessary evil.

"This is a very busy city and if people cast their minds back to pre-clamping, there were a lot more problems with unauthorised parking which had consequences for traffic flow in the city.

"There has been a huge increase in car numbers even since then and I think that without a sufficient deterrent, we would have far more serious congestion problems than we have now," he said.

Mr Tierney's term as city manager ends on September 13th. He will take up the post of county manager in Fingal, north county Dublin, on September 27th.

Advertisements for the post of Galway city manager in the national press put the salary at €151,000. It is likely that the successful applicant will be known before Mr Tierney leaves.

Mr Tierney, who is originally from Tipperary, came to Galway in 1997 to work with the county council before he moved into the full-time position of city manager with the city council.

"Galway is the fastest growing city in Ireland and Fingal is the fastest growing county. I am looking forward to the challenge of working there," he said.

"I know there is a good council and staff there and it is a very well managed local authority, so I hope to build on that when I go there."

His first task in Fingal will be to work with the council on the new county development plan for the area.