Cold water poured on hopes for re-opening of Castlerea Fire Station
Castlerea Fire Station, which has now been closed for five years. Pic. Liam Reynolds
There is little chance of restoration of a fire station in Castlerea, a meeting of Galway county councillors has heard.
The issue of Castlerea Fire Station, which shut five years ago, was raised by Williamstown based Cllr Declan Geraghty. The station had provided cover to areas such as Williamstown, and Ballymoe.
The issue has been back on the agenda of Roscommon County Council in recent months.
At the meeting of Galway County Council the absence of a fire service in the North Galway area of Williamstown, Glenamaddy, Glinsk, Creggs and Ballymoe was raised by Cllr Geraghty who warned that people’s lives were being put at risk.
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.
“Fire stations are the last things that should be closed,” Cllr Geraghty told the meeting.
The Connacht Tribune reports that 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 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 The paper reports that 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.
