Galway Harbour Company, "It's Your Harbour"

When I return to Galway some time after 2015, the view I find most familiar, the one right outside my apartment window, may have undergone a drastic change.  Galway Harbour Company proposes a Port redevelopment that will enlarge facilities and expand the port into Galway Bay.

Galway Harbour Company hosted an open house for two days at which the public could “view and comment on our proposed redevelopment of the Port of Galway.”  I attended today’s open house which took place in the rather ugly gray structure right across the marina from my apartment building.  After signing in, I walked around the room and viewed renderings of the proposed port as well as posters that detailed the impact of the change.  

Shortly after I arrived an employee of Galway Harbour Company who wanted to know if I had any questions approached me.  Though I did not have much to ask, I did talk to him about the scrap heap and he assured me that if the plan is adopted, the scrap heap would be moved further down the new dock in Phase I of the plan.  I told the man that I have a love/hate relationship with the scrap heap and that it would be nice to not have the noise associated with it.  Of course, should this plan be adopted, I will be long gone before the location of the scrap heap changes. 

The current scrap heap

The proposed redevelopment involves potentially significant impact on economic and ecological systems.  If the plan receives approval and goes forward, Galway Harbor will be able to receive freight from even larger ships and transport the goods throughout western Ireland by rail.  In addition, the Galway Harbor Company hopes to welcome cruise ships.  Currently, cruise ships are too big to dock here.  Thousands more tourists could make their way to Galway every year impacting the local and regional economy as well as the cultural life and social scene. 

The “reclamation” of land for the new port would certainly impact marine life and many studies are underway to assess the impact of the proposed plan.  The borehole testing that is underway right now is part of the planning stage

At low tide I saw where I'm pretty sure a borehole test was conducted

Note that Oscar B. Otter might lose his habitat

If this plan comes to fruition, Galway will be quite a different place.  The few people I talked to at the open meeting today seemed supportive of the idea.  Of course, Ireland’s current economic woes might make approval a bigger challenge, but, as it was agreed today, “sometimes you have spend money to make money.”  While it is exciting to think about the beauty of a new harbor and the influx of tourists bringing their wallets and sense of adventure, I imagine the people of Galway are engaged in some serious soul searching about their vision for their community. 

Right now the scrap heap is at its zenith.  

I don’t know if this was part of the marketing plan of the new port, but it strikes me as persuasive to make all visitors walk past the gigantic pile of scrap metal and take a whiff of the "service station smell" it emits on their way to the open house.  

One year from now a final decision will be made on whether or not this project moves forward.  I don’t have a horse in this race, but I am grateful all who did had a chance to be heard. 

Visit http://www.galwayharbour.com/ for more information about the new port.