Oughterard hotel threatens to close during Ironman event

scholar007

OUGHTERARD HOTEL THREATENS TO CLOSE DURING IRON MAN EVENT

August 30, 2011 - 1:20pm - GalwayNews.ie
OUGHTERARD HOTEL THREATENS TO CLOSE DURING IRON MAN EVENT


Management at an Oughterard hotel are claiming they may be forced to close during this weekend's Iron Man event.
The Connemara Gateway Hotel is situated on the N59 road which will be partially closed from 7am to 2pm next Sunday to facilitate race participants.
The hotel estimates it will lose in the region of €20,000 in revenue due to cancellations from tour operators.

Seems not all boats are being lifted!

Sponge Bob

They will be able to get the tour buses off early if they arrange it with de Guards. Will make feck all in the bar on Saturday night all the same!

scholar007

Sponge Bob wrote: »

They will be able to get the tour buses off early if they arrange it with de Guards. Will make feck all in the bar on Saturday night all the same!

Caught the GB FM news at 1 earlier. There was a young wan on from the hotel saying that they will lose the All Ireland final telly watchin business as well as their usual Sunday lunch trade.

Jeez €20k - thats some lolly for a weekend for a hotel off the beaten track.

I wonder if NAMA is lookin to offload an ould Ghost hotel or 2...Sure there can't be that much to it. I am good at cookin the fry up.

Storm 10

The amount of roads closed and the length of the closures is off the wall

Head The Wall

It's a long race for the elite, even longer for the regular Joes

johngalway

scholar007 wrote: »

Jeez €20k - thats some lolly for a weekend for a hotel off the beaten track.

Don't know if that figure is accurate or not, but I drive that road regularly. I did Clifden-ish to Oughterard yesterday, and I did Clifden-ish to Galway today. Never seen as much traffic on the road as yesterday. Connemara is quite a popular area and the N59 is the main artery, it will affect businesses.

Me again!

I visit that area alot and have relatives there, it seems to me from the ironman website that people living north (lakeside) of the N59 from Bushypark, Moycullen, Roscahill and Oughterard will be landlocked for the duration of the race 7am to 2pm. I think this is a bit OTT and very unfair on residents, I'm sure there are other businesses in these areas that are set to lose out. I'd like to know who makes these decisions to allow such an event to take place, why and what considerations they have for the public, very little in my opinion. Its a private company who run this event why infringe on local peoples right to free movement for a private company?

thebackbar

Me again! wrote: »

I visit that area alot and have relatives there, it seems to me from the ironman website that people living north (lakeside) of the N59 from Bushypark, Moycullen, Roscahill and Oughterard will be landlocked for the duration of the race 7am to 2pm. I think this is a bit OTT and very unfair on residents,

Yes it will be pretty hard on the residents, but its only for one day. Its pretty common to close roads here in Ireland and abroad for races like these. Put simply you couldn't dream of putting an event like this on without full road closures. Cyclists going at high speed mixed with cars just doesn't work.

The Ironman organization wouldn't dream of coming to Ireland without full road closures.

Me again! wrote: »

I'm sure there are other businesses in these areas that are set to lose out.

Some business will lose out but the majority of business's will benefit from the event, not alone based on the number of people planning on staying in Galway this weekend but also the number of people that have being visiting Galway over the last few weekends to train on the course. Plus the exposure Galway will get given the event is going to be televised globally.

Me again! wrote: »

I'd like to know who makes these decisions to allow such an event to take place,

City Council and Galway Co Co I would imagine

Me again! wrote: »

why

I would guess the huge international exposure it will give the city ?

Me again! wrote: »

and what considerations they have for the public, very little in my opinion.

I would imagine that they have weighed up the pros and cons, one day of inconvenience versus year long international exposure for the city ?

Me again! wrote: »

Its a private company who run this event why infringe on local peoples right to free movement for a private company?

no different to the dublin city marthon, the various rallies around the country, the bike ras etc etc etc etc

you cant do these things without road closures.

Pain in the ass, yeah sure, but its one day, get over it

finlma

People will moan about anything. We should be greatful that an international event is coming to Galway - it's great exposure for the city and a great event. Get out and support the athletes for the day and enjoy it.

books4sale

Head The Wall wrote: »

It's a long race for the elite, even longer for the regular Joes

You said it best bro......just another cushy number for the elite!

The closure of roads for those who have the time and money to spend in gyms pumping and pushin.....

.....as if they don't get enough from this country.

Who loses out? ... regular Mr / Mrs Soap with their meagre catering jobs up at the Oughterard Hotel trying to make the half pence meet the pence.

Bazzy

thats the problem with the attitude of some business's in general not just in galway.

This hotel has the opportunity to advertise on a world stage for FREE there will be filming going on all day and passing by there door. I wouldnt be ringing galway bay fm i'd be onto the sign makers getting a big sign erected right beside the road so I could advertise to the world for free

Also as someone else said all these iron men or women need to stay in Galway so why not do a deal for the weekend for iron man participants with a bit of luck you might get the winner and trophy staying in your hotel or offer it as a prize to the winner

Nice picture of the champ and the trophy on the wall of your hotel and the winner telling everyone about the craic in the hotel.

no this is ireland we'll just moan ....

ratracer

books4sale wrote: »

You said it best bro......just another cushy number for the elite!

The closure of roads for those who have the time and money to spend in gyms pumping and pushin.....

.....as if they don't get enough from this country.

Who loses out? ... regular Mr / Mrs Soap with their meagre catering jobs up at the Oughterard Hotel trying to make the half pence meet the pence.

Quite frankly, you're attitude is typical of everything Irish these days...lets always find the problems.

I'm an average Joe Soap, who works hard to pay my way. I don't have 'money to spend in a gym pumping and pushin...' as you put it. What i have done is spent a lot of time swimming in the sea, cycling and running on the roads preparing for this event. Avoiding irrational and unpredictable motorists has been the hardest part of trying to train. With over 2000 cyclists on the course, the road needs to be closed for the safety of all involved.

The claims that the hotel will lose 20k in one day is ridiculous, I reckon it would hardly make that much money in a month.

Events like the Ironman bring tourists and visitors into the region, which is which is what will keep Mr/ Mrs Soap in their 'meagre jobs' in the hotel industry. Bringing money and media attention into this country should be encouraged, even if it inconvieniences some people for a few hours of one day of the whole year.

books4sale

ratracer wrote: »

Quite frankly, you're attitude is typical of everything Irish these days...lets always find the problems.

With over 2000 cyclists on the course, the road needs to be closed for the safety of all involved.

You gotta find the problems to work out the solutions.

Who pays tax for the roads? One word....motorists!

Think about that!

Schooled & owned! ......2 for da price 1.

ScumLord

Head The Wall wrote: »

It's a long race for the elite, even longer for the regular Joes

I thought it was only a half ironman event, so they won't even have a flying and shooting lazer beams from your hands section. It is a bit much that you need an iron man suit but it should be fun watching them swim in them.

nuac

Ironman is a good event for Galway. The exposure will help every business in the long term.

That Oughterard Hotel should put up with the temporary inconvenience for the common good.

DeepSleeper

I think they chose the wrong road for the cycle because the alternative routes are nuts! Thousands of householders between the N59 and Lough Corrib will be stuck because they live on cul de sacs.... People in Oughterard have to detour over the Shannapheasteen road to Rossaveal in order to get to Galway! Have the organisers ever driven this boreen?

johngalway

nuac wrote: »

for the common good.

Is that you Catherine?

testicle

books4sale wrote: »

Who pays tax for the roads? One word....motorists!

Incorrect.

Head The Wall

books4sale wrote: »

You gotta find the problems to work out the solutions.

Who pays tax for the roads? One word....motorists!

Think about that!

Schooled & owned! ......2 for da price 1.

Motorists pay motor tax for the right to use their cars on the road, all taxpayers pay for the roads i.e pedestrians, cyclists etc can also use the roads and have as much right to use the roads as cars.

books4sale

Head The Wall wrote: »

all taxpayers pay for the roads

Thanks for the clarification. It needed to be said.

The roads should be open for EVERYONE. not just the elite.

Best

nuac

what is this talk about "elites?" I know some of the entrants. Ordinary 2 X 4 people whose hobby is cycling and who take part in various such events, triathlons, Gaelforce etc.

scholar007

nuac wrote: »

Ironman is a good event for Galway. The exposure will help every business in the long term.

That Oughterard Hotel should put up with the temporary inconvenience for the common good.

Da Comrade Commissar - The collective is more important than the individual. I'm preparing to be assimilated.

goalscoringhero

books4sale wrote: »

Thanks for the clarification. It needed to be said.

The roads should be open for EVERYONE. not just the elite.

Best

What are you on about? As has been said before, there is a large number of ordinary people taking part as well and the term 'elite' refers to elite athletes, in the context of race time. It needed to be said.

And are you seriously ranting against temporary road closures for events like this? What about road closures for the Galway Arts Festival Parade or the Galway Ocean Race? What about the Air Show?

goalscoringhero

DeepSleeper wrote: »

I think they chose the wrong road for the cycle because the alternative routes are nuts! Thousands of householders between the N59 and Lough Corrib will be stuck because they live on cul de sacs.... People in Oughterard have to detour over the Shannapheasteen road to Rossaveal in order to get to Galway! Have the organisers ever driven this boreen?

The road network is unfortunate, agreed, and it will cause mobility inconvenience for those living in that area. However, the road closure is known well in advance, and it has been communicated again and again over the past weeks.
The closure is between 7am and 2pm on Sunday, and I'd say smart people have thought about making arrangements and planned around this (as you do).

books4sale

goalscoringhero wrote: »

What are you on about? As has been said before, there is a large number of ordinary people taking part as well and the term 'elite' refers to elite athletes, in the context of race time. It needed to be said.

And are you seriously ranting against temporary road closures for events like this? What about road closures for the Galway Arts Festival Parade or the Galway Ocean Race? What about the Air Show?

OK goalscoringdude, we're gettin to the facts.

FACT: Everyone pays tax, everyone has a right to use the roads.

FACT: Residents along the route are trapped in their homes.

FACT: Oughterard Hotel will suffer due to road closures.

Let's be straight, the countrys on its knees & we're shuttin' down roads so few lads can go for a jog :eek:...... frying pans to fires Batman!

Arts Festival and Ocean Race get everyone involved, these are massive events I support. Who wants to watch a few lads puffin' and pantin' their way through the bog?

90 minutes played...1-0......no extra time..the home fans cheer, thanks!

:cool:

books4sale

books4sale wrote: »

90 minutes played...1-0......no extra time..the home fans cheer, thanks!

:cool:

books4sale wrote: »

Best

books4sale wrote: »

Schooled & owned! ......2 for da price 1.

sheesh, grow up willya

mikemac

books4sale wrote: »

You said it best bro......just another cushy number for the elite!

The closure of roads for those who have the time and money to spend in gyms pumping and pushin.....

.....as if they don't get enough from this country.

Who loses out? ... regular Mr / Mrs Soap with their meagre catering jobs up at the Oughterard Hotel trying to make the half pence meet the pence.

This is the kind of attitude that holds back everything

Galway businesses were happy to get extra custom from the air show but wouldn't contribute enough to the committee.

If that Hotel were smart they would get free advertising with a banner, sell out their rooms to organizers and participants and make a fortune on post race pissup and award ceremony

No, just sit back and knock it

books4sale

Deleted User wrote: »

sheesh, grow up willya

Thanks for checkin out my posts, I obviously made an impression.

.....those that do and those that don't in this world.

Same with opinions, I don't roll with the staus quo.

Now if you can't contribute with an opinion then don't reduce yourself to throwing cheap shots at my methods of communication.

Your cheap shot says more bout you than it does about me

.....nuff said! Kick it! :cool:

goalscoringhero

Let's have a look at what you present as FACTs:

books4sale wrote: »

FACT: Everyone pays tax, everyone has a right to use the roads.

If a road is closed people cannot use it, regardless whether you pay tax.
Also: what about children/students/retired people/anyone who does not pay tax? Do they thus have no right to use roads?

books4sale wrote: »

FACT: Residents along the route are trapped in their homes.

They are road closures, and they are in place on a Sunday between 7am and 2pm. It's not a curfew, people are not trapped in their homes.

books4sale wrote: »

FACT: Oughterard Hotel will suffer due to road closures.

This remains yet to be seen. People before have pointed out that the Ironman is an event that generates revenue influx to the entire region, I would be very surprised if this does not also trickle down to the Oughterard hotel.

books4sale wrote: »

Let's be straight, the countrys on its knees & we're shuttin' down roads so few lads can go for a jog :eek:...... frying pans to fires Batman!

It's not just a few. And it's not a jog.
You need to be more precise in your language usage in order to be taken seriously.

books4sale wrote: »

Arts Festival and Ocean Race get everyone involved, these are massive events I support.

This is obviously a matter of personal preference.

books4sale wrote: »

Who wants to watch a few lads puffin' and pantin' their way through the bog?

Not you anyway, you made that pretty clear.

This has happened all over summer in different places of the country, for various cycles, marathons and triathlons, and while it may have caused inconvenience for some local residents, those who were affected were able to cope with it.

RichT

mikemac wrote: »

If that Hotel were smart they would get free advertising with a banner, sell out their rooms to organizers and participants and make a fortune on post race pissup and award ceremony

The event starts in Salthill.

The event finishes in Salthill.

The bike race passes through Oughterard on its way back to Salthill. Why would any of the organizers/participants want to stay in the Oughterard hotel in question?

I don't see there being an influx of people coming to Galway of Race Week proportions for this event, so the Salthill/City hotels will get all the 'action'.

tphase

I don't have a problem with road closures for events like this but for 7 hours? The biggest bike races in the world run with rolling road closures, no reason this event could not do the same if they used a circular route (eg Galway to Maam Cross via R336 and back to Galway via N59)

The information provided to residents is badly laid out, the information is in there but needed to be in the simplest possible terms and in easily readable type. The map shows the route but does not even specify something as simple as the start and end point. (Thanks to Rich T for enlightening me on that)
The road signs that I've seen are all in Irish - I can read them but there are plenty including tourists who can't. Apart from around Moycullen and (possibly) the Mountain road section, the rest of the route is not in the Gaeltacht so a few in English would have been helpful.

The organisers claim a E3million injection into the local economy - Salthill and Galway will presumably get a tangible boost, all the rest will have to be happy with a few seconds footage if the news or Nationwide cover the event. I for one will be injecting my cash elsewhere this weekend.

books4sale

Goalscoringdude...

You make some good points, I respect that.

...........but I don't agree with road closures.

It remains to be seen what 'Ironman' will do for business.

......it's no case closed, cash registers ringing for everyone, that's an everyman's opinion and easily roared from rooftops.

Best.

tphase

properly organised, this event might be run with 1/2 or at most 1 hour road closures.

I don't know how they calculate the economic impact but the will most likely use the most optimistic parameters to make their case

books4sale wrote: »

Goalscoringdude...
It remains to be seen what 'Ironman' will do for business.

......it's no case closed, cash registers ringing for everyone, that's an everyman's opinion and easily roared from rooftops.

agreed ....

DeepSleeper

I still maintain they picked the wrong route for the cycle - you can say it isn't a curfew if you like, but thousands of households will either be confined inside their own front gate (if they live on the N59) or will be confined to their own side road with no route out (if they live anywhere off the N59) for seven hours!!!!

The N59 is almost unique in Galway in having a large lake to one side and a range of low hills on the other - only a couple of roads cross these hills towards to coast, and they are also closing one of those. If the race was held elsewhere (in east Galway for example), people would usually have an option to ''go the other way" - negotiate a series of backroads and 'get out' to another main route that isn't closed - Most people living on or just off the N59 corridor don't have this option unless they want to get in a boat or hike over a hill....

So - other options? Well, we're looking for a good quality road that can be closed with minimal interference to the local population....Ideally one that doesn't have loads of people living on it, that doesn't have loads of small roads opening on to it which each will require stewards, one which has a very good alternative route available (not like the boreen over Shannapheasteen mountain that Oughterard - Galway traffic is expected to use...)...

It's called the M6 people!! Close the eastbound lanes from Galway to Loughrea, keeping the westbound traffic flowing as normal. Run eastbound traffic along the old N6 through Craughwell and let them rejoin the motorway at Loughrea. Run the cyclists out-and-back on the eastbound carriageway.

No properties are accessed directly from the motorway, so no people are confined to their homes.
Only a handfull of motorway on-ramps need to be closed, so less than 20 stewards/gardaí could control it - no need to close dozens of local roads with thousands of houses on them.
The surface is good, so no need for last-minute rush-job road surfacing like we've seen on the N59 lately.
The alternative route is wide, fast and safe (it's the old Dublin-Galway road) and well able to cope with Sunday-morning traffic loads.

Have your bike/run transition in Ballybrit racecourse if you like and then let the runners run back across the city to the finish in Salthill...

I should be getting paid as a consultant for this!!!:rolleyes:

ratracer

To all the peeps on here,

There are folk here who are part of the race, and there are those who are against the race in their are. When it comes to any changes in personal habits/ routines, there is alway a big shout out from all the NIMBY's.

Why not give the race a chance and see how it works out. The organisers have brought a worldwide event, not just 'a few lads out for a jog' which will bring in revenue and worldwide media attention to the west of Ireland.
Maybe the organisers picked the wrong route?? I'm sure any feedback will be welcomed and taken in to account when planning next years race.

I am taking part in the race, so obviously i welcome it. On the other hand, my house in the south east of the county is located on a stage of the motor rally and on those days i've been locked in for six or seven hours, but later in the day, up until 4pm. It happens, not very often, so we get on with it.

I think curiosity will get the better of most people along the route, and 2pm will come around before they know it.

I'll be interested to read this thread on monday and again later in the week to get posters reaction to the day.
Enjoy, (or don't)

books4sale

^^^^

The race is getting a chance.

....... let's hope if there are probs that they're (pardon the pun) ironed for next year.

Here's hoping it is a success, f**k knows this country could do with a bit of it right now!

Best of luck to all those taking part.

I'm outta here........

johngalway

The race isn't the reason some people are put out. Most people won't have any interest in the race what so ever. However if they need to be somewhere on Sunday, they're put out through no fault of their own. I know people who're off on holidays on Sunday and have to pretty much leave half a day early. Not sure how emergencies would be handled. There are lots of events that go on through out the world, plain fact of it is, if you're not involved or interested in it then it's a complication if you have to find a work around.

I also don't buy this craic of it being a type of tide to lift all boats. Starts and finishes in the city so it's very much a city pay day.

Head The Wall

DeepSleeper wrote: »

I still maintain they picked the wrong route for the cycle - you can say it isn't a curfew if you like, but thousands of households will either be confined inside their own front gate (if they live on the N59) or will be confined to their own side road with no route out (if they live anywhere off the N59) for seven hours!!!!

The N59 is almost unique in Galway in having a large lake to one side and a range of low hills on the other - only a couple of roads cross these hills towards to coast, and they are also closing one of those. If the race was held elsewhere (in east Galway for example), people would usually have an option to ''go the other way" - negotiate a series of backroads and 'get out' to another main route that isn't closed - Most people living on or just off the N59 corridor don't have this option unless they want to get in a boat or hike over a hill....

So - other options? Well, we're looking for a good quality road that can be closed with minimal interference to the local population....Ideally one that doesn't have loads of people living on it, that doesn't have loads of small roads opening on to it which each will require stewards, one which has a very good alternative route available (not like the boreen over Shannapheasteen mountain that Oughterard - Galway traffic is expected to use...)...

It's called the M6 people!! Close the eastbound lanes from Galway to Loughrea, keeping the westbound traffic flowing as normal. Run eastbound traffic along the old N6 through Craughwell and let them rejoin the motorway at Loughrea. Run the cyclists out-and-back on the eastbound carriageway.

No properties are accessed directly from the motorway, so no people are confined to their homes.
Only a handfull of motorway on-ramps need to be closed, so less than 20 stewards/gardaí could control it - no need to close dozens of local roads with thousands of houses on them.
The surface is good, so no need for last-minute rush-job road surfacing like we've seen on the N59 lately.
The alternative route is wide, fast and safe (it's the old Dublin-Galway road) and well able to cope with Sunday-morning traffic loads.

Have your bike/run transition in Ballybrit racecourse if you like and then let the runners run back across the city to the finish in Salthill...

I should be getting paid as a consultant for this!!!:rolleyes:

Have you ever cycled on a motorway?

It'd be more exciting racing to line up all the cyclists on turbo trainers and let them do the 90k that way. Sending them out connamara will also showcase the scenery out there and by having an out and back course they will need half the number of stewards than a loop course.

DeepSleeper

Head The Wall wrote: »

Have you ever cycled on a motorway?

It'd be more exciting racing to line up all the cyclists on turbo trainers and let them do the 90k that way. Sending them out connamara will also showcase the scenery out there and by having an out and back course they will need half the number of stewards than a loop course.

Ah, so it is OK to restrict a few thousand households inside their front gates for 7 hours on the basis that cycling the N59 is more interesting? Right....

And anyway, what loop course are you talking about? Read the post...

tphase

Head The Wall wrote: »

Have you ever cycled on a motorway?

It'd be more exciting racing to line up all the cyclists on turbo trainers and let them do the 90k that way. Sending them out connamara will also showcase the scenery out there and by having an out and back course they will need half the number of stewards than a loop course.

Does it really matter if it was on a motorway? A race is a race is a race. Can't be any less exciting than on a track and hardly worth closing part of a national primary route, with no alternative, for 7 hours just in case someone takes their nose off the handlebars to look at the scenery (the best of which is further west and north-west of the route and gets well showcased anyway)

Head The Wall

DeepSleeper wrote: »

Ah, so it is OK to restrict a few thousand households inside their front gates for 7 hours on the basis that cycling the N59 is more interesting? Right....

And anyway, what loop course are you talking about? Read the post...

Look it's happening, these people would have had a chance to object to the closure if it was that much of an issue for them. As has been posted here these things happen the world over. Maybe it's just that Ireland has more complainers than other countries.

Are you one of these "thousands" of households restricted by the road closure tomorrow or are you just a having a moan?

tphase wrote: »

Does it really matter if it was on a motorway? A race is a race is a race. Can't be any less exciting than on a track and hardly worth closing part of a national primary route, with no alternative, for 7 hours just in case someone takes their nose off the handlebars to look at the scenery (the best of which is further west and north-west of the route and gets well showcased anyway)

From your post I can take it that you have never raced a bike on a DC or motorway so you don't know what you are on about.

It makes a huge difference and I'll leave it at that and I'm speaking from experience here. I'll agree that there are nicer parts of the connamara they could have used but I'm sure there are lots of other factors that helped them decide on the route

tphase

Head The Wall wrote: »

Look it's happening, these people would have had a chance to object to the closure if it was that much of an issue for them. As has been posted here these things happen the world over. Maybe it's just that Ireland has more complainers than other countries.

Are you one of these "thousands" of households restricted by the road closure tomorrow or are you just a having a moan?



From your post I can take it that you have never raced a bike on a DC or motorway so you don't know what you are on about.

It makes a huge difference and I'll leave it at that and I'm speaking from experience here. I'll agree that there are nicer parts of the connamara they could have used but I'm sure there are lots of other factors that helped them decide on the route

From your post, I take it you are not one of the thousands of affected households. There was no prior consultation or opportunity to object as far as I'm aware. Maybe I missed that flyer in my letterbox ...

Perhaps you'd do us the courtesy of explaining this "huge difference" rather than being patronising and dismissive of people who have a perfectly legitimate complaint

nuac

Surprised at the amount of moaning about arrangements for Ironman. It will be a great event, and will attract business to Galway and area for this weekend and in the future. A lot of employment in Galway depends on tourism. Omlettes. Eggs.

Gaelforce have run a series of successful events in Mayo from Killaries into Westport. Perhaps Ironman should call Westport if they find many Galwegians would prefer they go elsewhere.

Head The Wall

tphase wrote: »

From your post, I take it you are not one of the thousands of affected households. There was no prior consultation or opportunity to object as far as I'm aware. Maybe I missed that flyer in my letterbox ...

Perhaps you'd do us the courtesy of explaining this "huge difference" rather than being patronising and dismissive of people who have a perfectly legitimate complaint

All road closure notices are posted in the papers by the relevant council, the same as planning and liquor license applications. People then have a chance to object to the council.

Try cycling on a flat wide open undulating road with no end or marker in sight. Motorways originally used to be completely straight and flat until people started dozing off and crashing. Cycling on one is the very same, it feels like it will never end and is usually why there are no races on them. A 56 mile cycle is tough enough and having it on smaller type roads keeps the mind focused and makes it pass faster

It's also illegal to cycle on a motorway

DeepSleeper

Head The Wall wrote: »

Look it's happening, these people would have had a chance to object to the closure if it was that much of an issue for them. As has been posted here these things happen the world over. Maybe it's just that Ireland has more complainers than other countries.

Are you one of these "thousands" of households restricted by the road closure tomorrow or are you just a having a moan?

'These people' didn't really have a chance to object - the proposed road closure was sanctioned months ago and most residents only heard about it in recent weeks (by flyer and electronic signage) after the plan had become a fait accompli and objections were no longer possible.

Since you put a word I used a few times [thousands] in quotation marks, I assume you are trying to cast doubt on the accuracy of the term without actually calling me out on it - the five DEDs through which the route passes from Oughterard to Moycullen contain over 6100 residents (others, not included in this figure, live on the N59 to the west and east of this core area). The vast majority of these people have no means of getting out of this area without using the N59.

Yes, I do live in the area and, yes, I must use the N59 to access anywhere other than the little cul de sac I live on so, yes, the road closures had a severe impact on my plans for the weekend.

Portraying people who have a genuine complaint about the road closures as moaners doesn't strengthen your argument one bit...

ratracer

I completed this race today, in what have to be some of the toughtest conditions i've ever raced in, and no i'm not a professional athlete, i'll be back at work in the morning.

Many thanks to all the supporters and marshalls along the bike route, they shortened the journey and gave all the athletes a great welcome. In that weather today, were that many people planning to use the roads this morning, I doubt it. They were open again by 2pm, perhaps even earlier if the last cyclist had gone through. The race was a great success, i hope it goes from strength to strength. I for one will raise some small concerns with the organisers so they can improve for next rae, i sincerely hope the anonymous people posting here do the same. The race isn't meant to intrude on peoples daily lives, but it's one day a year, and the route has to go somewhere, so their will always be NIMBY's complaining.

Me again!

ratracer wrote: »

I completed this race today, in what have to be some of the toughtest conditions i've ever raced in, and no i'm not a professional athlete, i'll be back at work in the morning.

Many thanks to all the supporters and marshalls along the bike route, they shortened the journey and gave all the athletes a great welcome. In that weather today, were that many people planning to use the roads this morning, I doubt it. They were open again by 2pm, perhaps even earlier if the last cyclist had gone through. The race was a great success, i hope it goes from strength to strength. I for one will raise some small concerns with the organisers so they can improve for next rae, i sincerely hope the anonymous people posting here do the same. The race isn't meant to intrude on peoples daily lives, but it's one day a year, and the route has to go somewhere, so their will always be NIMBY's complaining.

Considering it was supposed to be watched by millions all over the world and it was so high profile why wasnt it on RTE? In fact i didnt even hear it mentioned on RTE today on TV or Radio. It got a mention on Galway bfm sport. I think someone did a great job at hyping this event up to get these road closures. I think Galway city and county council were duped along with the chamber of commerce. Its a pity so many people were inconvienced for an event that could have gone ahead with a rolling road closurer if a proper route was selected and everyone could have got on with what they needed to do today.

traecy1

Me again! wrote: »

Considering it was supposed to be watched by millions all over the world and it was so high profile why wasnt it on RTE? In fact i didnt even hear it mentioned on RTE today on TV or Radio.

There was a piece about it on the RTE six o clock news this evening.

Head The Wall

DeepSleeper wrote: »

'These people' didn't really have a chance to object - the proposed road closure was sanctioned months ago and most residents only heard about it in recent weeks (by flyer and electronic signage) after the plan had become a fait accompli and objections were no longer possible.

Since you put a word I used a few times [thousands] in quotation marks, I assume you are trying to cast doubt on the accuracy of the term without actually calling me out on it - the five DEDs through which the route passes from Oughterard to Moycullen contain over 6100 residents (others, not included in this figure, live on the N59 to the west and east of this core area). The vast majority of these people have no means of getting out of this area without using the N59.

Yes, I do live in the area and, yes, I must use the N59 to access anywhere other than the little cul de sac I live on so, yes, the road closures had a severe impact on my plans for the weekend.

Portraying people who have a genuine complaint about the road closures as moaners doesn't strengthen your argument one bit...

It's not my fault if people don't read the papers and were not aware of it. Also councillors elected by the people approved the closures so take it up with them.

Anyone affected by it had plenty of time to make alternative arrangements.

tphase

Head The Wall wrote: »

All road closure notices are posted in the papers by the relevant council, the same as planning and liquor license applications. People then have a chance to object to the council.

Fair point. Like a lot of people, I don't read newspapers as frequently as I would have in the past but that's hardly the fault of the organisers. Still, for a project that seems to have been in gestation since mid-2009, it says something that so many people were unaware of it

Try cycling on a flat wide open undulating road with no end or marker in sight. Motorways originally used to be completely straight and flat until people started dozing off and crashing. Cycling on one is the very same, it feels like it will never end and is usually why there are no races on them. A 56 mile cycle is tough enough and having it on smaller type roads keeps the mind focused and makes it pass faster

Thanks for enlightening me, I stand corrected

It's also illegal to cycle on a motorway

I imagine if a section were closed specifically for a bike race, that would not be an issue.

ratace wrote: »

In that weather today, were that many people planning to use the roads this morning, I doubt it.

I suppose the odd churchgoer who prefers to arrive dry doesn't count?
By the way, I'm not a NIMBY, I'm happy to see events like this take place and will put up with a reasonable level of disruption but in this case I believe it was unnecessary and therefore unreasonable.