Plan for new coastal neighbourhood on east side of Galway city unveiled

Plans to create a new coastal neighbourhood on the east side of Galway city have been unveiled.

Galway City Council said up to 2,500 homes could be provided as part of proposals to transform about 84 acres of land at Murrough, between Renmore and Oranmore.

The local authority’s strategic framework for the 34-hectare site, located about four kilometres east of Eyre Square, envisages the planned new village would be served by a new railway station.

The master plan also includes a new university quarter for the nearby Atlantic Technological University (ATU), retail, flood defences, public amenities and open spaces.

Part of the land included in the framework fronts on to Galway Bay, and it is proposed a small old pier would be converted into a “public feature and water access point”.

The Galway-Dublin railway line cuts through the site, which adds complexity to developing the lands.

The plan is to add a new rail station for commuters and install a new bridge over the railway line to facilitate access.

Another complicating factor is that significant portions of the land are designated as special protection areas, special areas of conservation or of areas of high ecological value.

The western leg of the proposed Galway-Dublin greenway will be routed through the site, and it will include a network of cycleways and footpaths.

The city council said the plan prioritised “climate resilience” through integrated coastal protection and flood defences.

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It added that a “substantial portion” of the land bank would be reserved for public recreation including green spaces, play facilities and “community hubs”.

About 25 acres of land covered by the plan is owned by ATU (formerly Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology).

The institute of technology bought the land, plus Murrough House, a protected Georgian building, for €3.9 million in 2004.

The institute planned to transform it into a seaside sports campus but that was shelved due to the economic crash and difficulties with access to the site.

Local politicians and management at the third-level institute have been asking for a local area plan for the land for more than a decade.

This draft urban design vision prepared by Reddy Architecture and Urbanism is the first major step in unlocking the potential of Murrough.

Members of the public have been invited to view the plans at a drop-in event at ATU on Dublin Road on Thursday.

The deadline for public submissions and observations is November 23rd.