The Docks & the Big Pile of ****e

galvianlord

OK I have a question, hopefully someone might know the answer?

As some of you might be aware every week the big pile of rusting metal that sits on the docks is replenished and loaded on to a ship to be taken god-knows-where for recycling or reuse or re-whatever.

Now, apart from the fact that it smells like crap and that in this weather has a tendency to steam uncontrallably, and is vaguely reminiscent of the mountain of burning tyres in the simpsons; are there restrictions on the time this can be loaded onto said ship?
I know most the city is restricted to builders until after 8 am or some such time on weekday mornings, so that the noise of drills and tools etc doesnt disturb sleep. But for the last few weeks the guys who load the metal on to the ship have started to work at 5 am!!!!

5 am!!! Needless to say little sleep is had once they start scraping away...

Now i like getting up early but not that early. Are the docks exempt from the rules that govern the city and its anti-social noise regulations? Can I complain to someone, can they be made start at a later hour....???

anyone have any directions on how to approach this cause i am getting to the end of my tether?!?

CJhaughey

Galway docks is Tidal, that means the ship cannot sail at all stages of the tide.
I would buy some earplugs if I was you, much cheaper and easier than trying to stop a vessel loading cargo.

galvianlord

hmmm...i understand that but....

they arent actually loading to make the tide, there doesnt seem to be any pressure from that side of things, they load to fill the thing, be it a day, two days, three days or however long it takes.

then the boat bobs away until the next tide and off it goes. the boat doesnt seem to be on a timetable.

Steyr

Dont worry, all that is going along with the Oil Tanks very soon.:)

galvianlord

so until then i get to get up uncommonly early...great !

i think where the metal is, is meant to be a media centre for the ocean race, but no doubt they will just move it to another part of the docks. the docks probably need the revenue that they get from it, but again are they exempt from the noise regulations imposed in the city? if i complain to the council will they be able to intervene to stop it?

just wanna know...and not wait months until the docks are revamped.

biko

Ring the council and ask. Write your politician.

DRakE

move house or quit whining

galvianlord

thanks for the pointers, johncleary seems to know alot about the powers of the harbour so if you happen to pop by, i'd appreciate your two cents....whining off...

JohnCleary

galvianlord wrote: »

thanks for the pointers, johncleary seems to know alot about the powers of the harbour so if you happen to pop by, i'd appreciate your two cents....whining off...

PM sent

JohnCleary

BTW, I love that big pile of sh1te Some would call it 'art' :pac:

-Edit- I know it's smelly, and when it rains, it looks like a big steaming turd but personally I love the smell from it... Dirty metal, full of grease and oil wafting away - what a manly smell. If you're a guy, and don't like the smell of it, you should be getting a hair straightener for Christmas this year

In fairness, if you want your extra sleep and quiet mornings, you should know better than to live in the vicinity of the docks. Busy main road, commercial area, boat's moving with foghorns etc. etc. (Docks runs 24hours depending on tide). TBH I don't think anyone should be complaining about noise living around the docks area - it's your own responsibility to do research on an area before finding a place to live

If you don't want the noise / smell of the docks, don't live by the docks.

The price of scrap metal is falling along with the price of raw materials in case any one is interested.

galvianlord

thank you all for your advice...i get it, location location location...will call kirsty and phil next time i move house.

Steyr

Personally i wouldnt leave as your location will be desireable once this happens, check out the video.:)



http://www.letsdoitgalway.com/tourthevillage.php

JohnCleary

Steyr wrote: »

Personally i wouldnt leave as your location will be desireable once this happens, check out the video.:)



http://www.letsdoitgalway.com/tourthevillage.php

Don't forget that it's only lasting for 12 days

OP - When the Volvo Race comes to the Docks, good luck if you think you'll be getting any sleep ins - Boat's will be arriving at all hours of the morning, people shouting for support, cranes hoisting masts etc. - Go to Caulfields and buy some ear plugs :pac:

galvianlord

well when it gets to that point...no doubt like many others I'll be renting out my place for an exorbitant sum and off to the tropics to live like a king on the spoils

failte go gaillimh!

.....so I dont think the earplugs will be required....thanks all the same!

JohnCleary

galvianlord wrote: »

well when it gets to that point...no doubt like many others I'll be renting out my place for an exorbitant sum and off to the tropics to live like a king on the spoils

failte go gaillimh!

.....so I dont think the earplugs will be required....thanks all the same!

Thankfully many of the businesses around Galway don't have such an ignorant attitude, such as hotels who have promised not to raise prices for the 2 weeks.

Yes, someone probably will pay your demands of a huge sum for your apartment for the week, but you're killing the atmosphere. Hopefully though, and I cross my fingers here, and your bluff will be called and you won't make a penny

Unlike the Galway Races, which is a commercial venture, Let's Do It Galway is a non-profit organisation and is trying to promote the West (And Ireland as a whole) - however your attitude is what will kill it

galvianlord

jeepers john what i said was but in jest...i'll keep my trap shut from now on....i should be the cranky one what with my lack of sleep and all...

personally, i am looking forward to the stopover and as i work in the hospitality industry, every little helps and any and all visitors to Galway are gratefully received! so as much as i would love to jet off to the tropics i am afraid i will be staying put and working every hour god sends!

i just hope the council gets the finger out and acts proactively rather than reactively to the stresses and strains that the stopover will entail....

Sherifu

The docks: Serious business :eek:

JohnCleary

Didn't mean to be getting snappy - but with people already tightening up their belt with regards to spending etc. we really need to make the most out of this stopover next year. Also if it's a success, who knows what could be down the road....

From a marine point of view, Galway is a terrible stop over, small tidal harbour etc. - The reason we got the stopover was thanks to very generous businessmen who have a passion for sailing. Thankfully this has been backed up by many other businesses who, as I said, have promised not to raise their prices for the weekend - This good business attitude may see more good things happen for Galway in the future

I have absolutily no prob with people renting out their gaff for the week - and tbh I even encourage it, as it will bring more visitors, hence more spending... Definately rent out a place and make a few bob, but don't rape them!

I don't know what input the council have with the readying for the stop over, almost all of the physical work will take place on Galway Harbour property, which is private property - So it's up to them to start pulling those feckin' eyesore oil tanks down and moving them. The main task is destruction, as the construction of building etc. are all pre-fabricated and won't go up until 1-2 weeks before the actual stopover

JohnCleary

Sherifu wrote: »

The docks: Serious business :eek:

What kind of 'business' do you think goes on down the docks?? :pac::D:eek:

Sherifu

JohnCleary wrote: »

What kind of 'business' do you think goes on down the docks?? :pac::D:eek:

That'd be tellin'

Mrs OBumble

JohnCleary wrote: »

BTW, I love that big pile of sh1te Some would call it 'art' :pac:

-Edit- I know it's smelly, and when it rains, it looks like a big steaming turd but personally I love the smell from it... Dirty metal, full of grease and oil wafting away - what a manly smell. If you're a guy, and don't like the smell of it, you should be getting a hair straightener for Christmas this year

What I don't understand is how they can have a big junk heap like that, sharp edges and all, and totally unsecured. Joe Average can just wander right on up and climb the pile if he likes. And given what drunken idiots get up to in the city, I'm rather surprised no one's been killed (or at least seriously injured) there already.

JohnCleary

JustMary wrote: »

What I don't understand is how they can have a big junk heap like that, sharp edges and all, and totally unsecured. Joe Average can just wander right on up and climb the pile if he likes. And given what drunken idiots get up to in the city, I'm rather surprised no one's been killed (or at least seriously injured) there already.

Ehh, it's fenced off in when there's no one working there loading/unloading/whatever - In the past few years (don't know about before then) anytime i've been down there and it wasn't being worked with, it's always been secured by fencing

Shoulda gone to Specsavers

brianthebard

Sherifu wrote: »

The docks: Serious business :eek:

God dammit turn your thanks button back on!

Steyr

JohnCleary wrote: »

Shoulda gone to Specsavers

ROFL ROFL ROFL :pac:

skelliser

JohnCleary wrote: »

Ehh, it's fenced off in when there's no one working there loading/unloading/whatever - In the past few years (don't know about before then) anytime i've been down there and it wasn't being worked with, it's always been secured by fencing

Shoulda gone to Specsavers

Sorry, but iv been down there numerous times and it hasnt been fenced off

Bass Cadet

If ya think the docks is noisy now, wait till they start the massive new development. Galway docks are to be moved to Connemara and the existing docks to become a marina...or so the 'plan' goes...

JIZZLORD

brianthebard wrote: »

God dammit turn your thanks button back on!

he can't, i can't.

IT'S A CONSPIRACY!

galvianlord

Not to belabour the thread even further than necessary, but as i live closest to 'it'...

sometimes the 'Pile' or 'Installation Piece', or whatever you would prefer to call it, is fenced off other times it isnt. They have taken to putting some form of netting over it this past week as well. But from time to time I have noticed some rather questionable individuals scale it and remove pieces of scrap from it and load them into the back of a van or on occassion into a trailer on the back of a bike. I'm not sure what the point of that is, as one would have thought such scrap would probably end up back there in the end...

as for the harbour development; if it ever gets built the deep water port is to be built further out into the bay off the enterprise park, and will be run as a commercial harbour with facilities for cruise ships. the old docks will become a full marina. the only person who wants the port to move to connemara or more precisely rossaveel is frank fahey. the harbour board dont want it, the council dont want it, think of the loss of revenue to the city. when you think about it how can rossaveel become a deep water port or commercial harbour when the infrastructure connecting it to the rest of the country, roads in particular, or not up to scratch. the only people to gain from this would be the people who own land in and around rossaveel.

skelliser

these "questionable individuals" are probably lookin for bits of copper.

?Cee?view

skelliser wrote: »

these "questionable individuals" are probably lookin for bits of copper.

...which they then probably sell back to "Galway Metal Company" who own the scrap at the docks!

JohnCleary

churchview wrote: »

...which they then probably sell back to "Galway Metal Company" who own the scrap at the docks!

Aaah the vicious 'Gyppo Circle' :pac:

?Cee?view

JohnCleary wrote: »

Aaah the vicious 'Gyppo Circle' :pac:

Dunno if Mr. Galway Metal considers himself a member of that Circle

CJhaughey

Thats my mate looking for some bits or steel for making a weightbench.:D

Mrs OBumble

skelliser wrote: »

Sorry, but iv been down there numerous times and it hasnt been fenced off

Me too. I live a couple of blocks away, and my partner likes ships. He actually likes walking by the damn heap of s***e, just to see what's going on. Sigh.

JohnCleary

JustMary wrote: »

Me too. I live a couple of blocks away, and my partner likes ships. He actually likes walking by the damn heap of s***e, just to see what's going on. Sigh.

WTF is wrong with that? Least ya know for certain he's not queer

Mrs OBumble

churchview wrote: »

Dunno if Mr. Galway Metal considers himself a member of that Circle

If he's buying from 'em, then he is part of it whether he wants to be or not.

Storm 10

Check out this website full of pictures of ships in Galway docks.

www.galwayships.com

Jamey

Used to have the same problem with being awoken by the scrap when I lived beside the Docks. It really used to annoy me but now that I'm not living there anymore, I'd love to be back there! Lovely apartments around there, and great location. You don't know what you have until it's gone

?Cee?view

The sad thing is that the Metal is the last export from Galway Docks since McDonaghs finished up exporting Fertiliser from there. Say what you like about the noise, generations grew up and lived from businesses which thrived exporting from the docks all of which (with the exception of Galway Metal) are now gone.