Galway County Council dampens speculation that local service could be resumed
There is little chance of restoration of a fire station which provided cover for parts of North Galway before its shock closure five years ago.
The decision to shut Castlerea Fire Station, which also provided cover for Williamstown, Glenamaddy and Ballymoe, was met with considerable anger – but the chances of it being reopened are remote, according to the Chief Executive of Galway County Council.
Liam Conneally told Galway county councillors that he had raised the matter with his counterpart in Roscommon – but that the response was “not positive”.
The Galway Chief Executive said that it was felt that there was sufficient fire cover in the county as it stands – but he added that it was something that he would raise again with the officials in Roscommon.
His approach to the senior official in Roscommon came after a request from Cllr Declan Geraghty who said that people’s lives were being put at risk because of the absence of a fire service in the North Galway area.
He said that fire tenders from Roscommon, Ballyhaunis and Ballinasloe – all more than 20 miles away – now have to be called out in the case of an emergency – and that areas such as Williamstown, Glenamaddy, Creggs and Glinsk no longer had a fire service available to them.
“Fire stations are the last things that should be closed,” Cllr Geraghty added.
The fire station in Castlerea was closed due to what were described at the time as staffing issues.
Cllr Geraghty said that he had also been on to Roscommon County Council and the response he received was “less than satisfactory”.
Cllr Peter Keaveney also expressed his frustration at the lack of fire services in the area. He said that the closure of Castlerea was “the last straw”.
He said that he had so many calls from concerned householders and farmers that there was no fire service “within shouting distance” of where they lived.