Galway In Days Gone By

Road building

Now that the County Council have almost completed a good, solid steamrolled road from Galway to Tuam and on to Dunmore, it is to be hoped that the idea will be developed until all the main roads are in a safe and satisfactory condition for traffic.

Everyone must admit by now that the steamrolling is the cheaper and more satisfactory system of maintaining the main roads. The old contract system is out of date, and with the heavy usage of roads could not keep up with the continuous wear and tear.

The steamrolling provides a more equitable way for giving work, as the young men in each area where the work is being done are given a period of employment in turn. Thus, the system works to the advantage of everyone, and, no doubt, in a few years should be more economical for the rates.

Once having laid the foundation for good roads on the main lines, it should not be difficult to have them maintained in a creditable way. It should be possible to keep a number of crushers going the whole year round, and a group of men employed here and there occasionally as the necessity arises.

Pictured: Actress Pauline McLynn telling some of her favourite children's stories in the Archipelagotunnels of light-art during the Galway International Arts Festival Arts Festival on July 23, 2000.