Comhairleoiri amuigh ... agus istigh arís!
Fiche bliain go ham seo a cumadh agus a casadh an t-amhrán faoi bhóithre Chonamara agus faoi Dick Mac an Earraigh a bhi ina Aire Comhshaoil san am sin. Ba chuid é sin den fheachtas a bhi ar bun san arn ar mhaithe le bóithre nios fearr i gConamara.

B'fhéidir go bhfuil sé in arn amhrán a scriobh anois faoi Bhóthar Chonamara agus ó tharla John Beag a bheith sa mbaile ar cuairt as Meiriceá, d'fléadfadh sé éa chasadh mar a rinne scór blianta óshin.

Mar go cinnte, tá sé tagtha sa déanarnh go bhfuil údar arnhráin ag baint tels an bpolaitiocht atá ag baint tels an rnbóthar atá moita as iarthar Chonamara isteach go cathair na Gaillimhe.

An tseachtain seo, thug na Comhairleoiri Contae Seosamh O Cuaig agus Diarmuid Ó Conghaile scéala ag cruinniú na Cornhairle Contae go mbeidh Priomh Fheidhmeannach lildarás na mBóithre Náisiúnta, Fred Barry sásta an moladh faoin mbóthar a phié le Comhairleoiri Chonamara. Thug an tUasal Barry an geailtanas seo ag cruinniú de Chornhthionól cheantar an Iarthair, Lártire agus na Teorann i mBealach an Doirin an tseachtain seo calte.

Thug an Comhairleoir Ó Cuaig agallamh faoin scéal do Raidió na Gaeltachta an mhaidin dár gcioml (Dé Máirt) agus dúirt go raibh a uimhir theileafóin féin ag an Uasal Barry le glaoch air.

Niorbh thúisce sin déanta, is cosúli, nó gur chuir an tAire Gnóthai Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta, Eamon Ó Cuiv ráiteas ainach ag rá go raibh teagmháil ag Údarás na mBóithre Náisiúnta tels féin agus go mbeadh seisean (an tAire) ag eagrú an chruinnithe idir na Combairleoiri Contae agus Údarás na mBóithre Náisiúnta.

Bheadh an cruinniú ann i mi Mheán Fómhair agus bheadh an tAire Ó Cuiv féin i láthair. Beidh an bóthar nua atá moita as iarthar Chonamara go Gaillimh agus an b óthar N59 as an Lionán/Clochán go Gaillimh le plé.

Is cor flor-shuimiúil sa scéal éseo mar nár cuireadh Combairleoiri Contae Chonamara ar an eolas faoin gcruinniú a bhi ag an Aire O Cuiv agus cúpla bail elle Oireachtais as Gaillimh le Fred Barry, Priomh Fheidhmeannach Odarás na mBóithre ar an 2áe Bealtaine seo calte faoin ábhar céanna.

Dúirt an tAire Ó Cuiv nach raibh an NRA ag iarraidh go mbeadh an lomarca daoine ag an gcruinniú. Tá Comhairleoiri Chonamara ligthe isteach anois ails - seachtar acu atá ann - agus chuile sheans go mbeidh cúpla innealtóir as an gComhairle Contae ann chomh maith leis an Aire Ó Cuiv sin tuairlm is 10 uilig.

Is cosúll go mbeadh an NRA sásta an méid sin a ligean isteach ach is ar élgean go mbeadh nios mó ná sin ann má tá IJdarás na mBóithre ag coinneáli tels an bpo lasai nach mbeadh toscaireachtai móra ann.

Mairtín Ó Catháin Foinse 31/7/2005

 Pressure is mounting for new road plan

There have been significant political developments in the past week concerning the proposed new road from West Connemara to Galway City.

At Galway County Council meeting last Monday, Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig announced that he had news that the Chief Executive of the National Roads Authority, Fred Barry was wilhing to meet Connemara Councillors to discuss the issue as well as the further development of the N.59.

Councillor Dermot Connolly confirmed that Mr Barry had given this undertaking at a Border, Midlands and Western Assembly meeting in Ballaghadereen.

Councillor Ó Cuaig later said that the development of the proposed new Connemara road and of the N. 59 "the main road from Clifden to Galway" would be on the agenda at the meeting with Mr Barry. The councillor is the Chairman of the Roads and Transportation committee in Galway County Council.

Councillor Ó Cuaig said that Minister Éamon Ó Cuív had met the NRA Chief on the 28th of May along with some other TDs and Senators from Galway West but that Connemara Councillors were not brought there, as had been previously proposed by Minister Ó Cuív. The Minister later explained that the NRA wanted to keep a limit on the number of people at the meeting.

This week Minister Éamon Ó Cuív issued a statement saying he had had contact from the NRA Chief Executive and that he (the Minister) was now organising a meeting between Mr Fred Barry and the County Councillors.

Minister Ó Cuív said that the meeting would take place in September and that he would be contacting the Councillors and the NRA to arrange a suitable date. The Minister said he would be attending the meeting also.

It now appears that ail of the Connemara County Councillors are in favour of proposing a route from the heart of West Connemara as far as Galway City for the new road. Galway West T.D.s Noel Grealish, Michael D. Higgins and Pádraig McCormack have ail pledged support for a new road from West Connemara - somewhere in the Screebe and Maam Cross area - to Galway City.

An Cúradh Chonnachtach 29/7/2005

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