Legal action could delay Galway Ring Road as homeowners want face-to-face talks

Residents whose homes are set to be acquired for the Galway City Ring Road have renewed calls for direct talks with decision-makers after judicial review proceedings were lodged against An Coimisiún Pleanála's approval of the project.

Published 4th Jun 2026, 15:18 BST Deirdre Goggin in her home in Ballindooley in Galway which will be demolished as part of the proposed RIng Road plan. | Joe O Shaughnessy Residents whose homes are set to be acquired for the Galway City Ring Road have renewed calls for direct talks with decision-makers after judicial review proceedings were lodged against An Coimisiún Pleanála's approval of the project. Sign up to our Connacht Tribune Today daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Connacht Tribune within your account.

Two separate judicial review proceedings have been initiated following the Board’s decision to approve the N6 Galway City Ring Road in April. The cases were lodged in the High Court on May 29 and are being taken by BC Law LLP.

While the legal challenges raise the prospect of further delays before any work could begin on the €600 million project, affected homeowners say their immediate concern is securing face-to-face discussions with those responsible for delivering the scheme.

Ballindooley resident Deirdre Goggin, who has become a prominent voice for Castlegar homeowners facing compulsory acquisition, said residents remained frustrated by a lack of engagement.

Joe O Shaughnessy “We want to be dealt with regardless of a judicial review,” she told the Connacht Tribune. "We are still waiting on a meeting with decision-makers. There is no point in talking to people who can't make decisions.

“The liaison people are very nice people, but they can't hurry the process and they can't give us any guarantees. This has gone on for too long."

READ MORE: Families facing compulsory purchase angered by ring road letter

She said residents wanted direct engagement with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), Galway City Council and Galway County Council to discuss their concerns and future plans.

"All we want is to sit down with people and look at their faces,” she said. “We need TII, we need Minister of State Seán Canney, the City and County Managers. We want to be given clarity. We can't sit around and wait forever to plan our lives."

She said uncertainty surrounding the project continued to take a toll on affected families, many of whom have been living with the prospect of compulsory acquisition for years.

If it adds another five years on to the process, in five years' time I will be 76. Where does that leave us? It is tough for all my neighbours. Will we be in a good position to be able to move on at that stage? I don't want to leave my home but if you are going to do it – do it now.

She also said there had been confusion regarding judicial review timelines and legal options. Homeowners, she said, were not “given proper notification of what the closing date was”.

In earlier interviews, Castlegar resident Marie O'Donovan said she believed the deadline was June 18 rather than June 2.

READ NEXT: Chief Executive rejects fringe IRB group during council row

“Other people who were thinking of putting in a judicial review application can't now,” said Deirdre. “These are our families and this is our community. We have been given one year from the Notice to Treat to find alternative accommodation.”

She described how the potential costs of initiating proceedings were beyond the reach of many households.

“We have been quoted that it will cost us €30k or €40k to put in a judicial review for the full court process from start to finish,” she said.

"Most of us are pensioners. That sort of money – most of us don't have to spare. And we found out that the 'disturbance' money we would receive for stamp duty, estate agency fees, notaries and storage while you move is subject to capital gains tax of 33%.”

READ NEXT: ‘A crying shame’: Galway Councillors raise alarm over homelessness

Fianna Fáil TD John Connolly has written to Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien urging TII to consider mediation in relation to any judicial review challenge to the Galway Ring Road.

He pointed to the use of mediation during legal proceedings involving the MetroLink project in Dublin and said a similar approach could help avoid further delays.

He also called for compulsory purchase procedures affecting homeowners and landowners along the route to continue progressing despite any legal challenge.

Speaking to the Connacht Tribune, Minister of State Seán Canney said the judicial review “has to be looked at to see what the grounds are” and reaffirmed the Government's commitment to the Galway Ring Road project.

“A lot of engagement has to be done as quickly as possible,” he said.

This project has been on hold for a very long time and will be a gamechanger for Galway. There has been a lot of planning and we have had lots of delays. It is time now and we need to get on with it.

Galway Chamber Chief Executive Karen Ronan said the prospect of further delays to the project was deeply concerning for businesses and communities across the region.

"While we fully respect the right of individuals and groups to avail of the judicial review process, the prospect of further delays to the Galway Ring Road is deeply concerning for businesses, commuters and communities across the region,” she said.

Galway has experienced decades of underinvestment in strategic transport infrastructure, and the continued uncertainty around this project risks undermining economic competitiveness, investment confidence and quality of life.

She highlighted that businesses needed certainty and “a clear pathway” towards resolving outstanding issues surrounding the project.

Fine Gael councillor Shane Forde said the legal challenge was disappointing.

"It wouldn't have been a decision that they would have taken lightly and now we have to resolve this issue with them," he said.

"We need to see can we get some sort of mediation talks underway straight away with those people who have taken the judicial review. We need to talk to Tánaiste Simon Harris about it."

Cllr Forde said Galway needed the Ring Road to address growing traffic congestion but added that affected residents had to be heard.

Those families are quite entitled to take the decision. I am not laying the blame at anyone. They felt they were not engaged with enough.

Planning approval for the N6 Galway City Ring Road was granted by An Coimisiún Pleanála in April, with Galway City Council, Galway County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland welcoming the decision after decades of planning and legal setbacks.

Related topics: Homeowners Transport Infrastructure Ireland Galway City Council Sign up to our Connacht Tribune Today daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Connacht Tribune within your account.