Lively Exchanges at Tuam Meeting — £13,000 Scheme Adopted — Second Scheme Referral Back to County Council
The Connacht Tribune, Christmas Number, Saturday, December 8, 1928.
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The North Galway representatives on the county council met in the Town Hall, Tuam, on Friday to select two drainage schemes for adoption by the Galway County Council. Mr. Eamon Corbett, chairman, county council, presided, and the members present were: Messrs. T. Gilmore, John Cunningham, John Finnegan, W. J. Concannon, J. W. Ronaldson, John Glynn, Michael Donnellan, Thomas J. Kennedy and Mr. George Lee, county surveyors were also present. There was a large attendance of the public.
The meeting was to have been held on the previous Monday, but the chairman did not attend. He now apologized and explained that there was an accident — very nearly a nasty accident — on the way to the meeting, and for that reason he could not attend on Monday.
Mr. Morgan said that on Monday, when they met there was an [difficult to read but looks like 'unseemly row'] which he hoped would not be repeated that day. — Mr. Concannon agreed, and said the moment there was any disturbance the room would be cleared. — Chairman: So far as I am concerned, I am going to see there will be no interruption. If we have to hear the deputations we will hear them, but there will be no disorder.
The secretary (Mr. P. Crowe) said that twelve schemes had been sent down by the Board of Works and included the Shiven and Castlegar rivers, Islands river, Belclare and Lackagh rivers. — Mr. Ronaldson: Are we bound to confine ourselves to the rivers mentioned in the schedule? — Mr. Donnellan: I think we should take any river we like. I proposed already that the selection be left in the hands of the members of the county council and county surveyors, and forwarded to the county council for ratification. — Secretary: I have no particulars or figures of the cost of any scheme except the ones read out. The Castlegar and Shiven scheme will cost £13,000, of which the county council will contribute 16½%, representing £2,145. The ??? and contributories scheme is estimated to cost £10,194, and the Belclare scheme to cost £24,700, of which portion will be contributed by the Galway and mayo County Councils. The Keelogues and Castlemoyle scheme and Lefira scheme were inspected by the Board of Works' engineers and were under consideration — Replying to Mr. Ronaldson, the secretary said that any small scheme ???? Under £1,000 would have to be petitioned in the same way as the larger schemes, but a lesser number of ratepayers could petition. Such a scheme would be carried out by the county council and not by the Board of Works. He could not say whether the Board of Works would contribute towards such schemes. — Mr. Kennedy said he thought the Department would consider the question of giving a grant to such small schemes. — Mr. Donnellan said there were a lot of small schemes under £1,000 for adoption.
The Chairman said the object of that meeting was to select two schemes for Tuam electoral area, which would be put through by the County Council. It was their business, so far as possible, aon ??? To a final decision and agreement about two schemes, and he hoped the spirit and idea of getting them to ?? could be actuated by a broad outlook and that they would do their best for the area, having regard to the cost of the different schemes, the amount of the grants available, and the amount of ??? That would be given. He had absolutely no interest in any of the schemes, and was simply representing the county, and all there. He asked them??? Conscientiously and not be narrow—minded about any particular scheme. — Mr. Donnellan said they if could come together two or three times trying to select two schemes for the Tuam area.