'Hands Off Our Park': Shantalla community rallies against HSE ‘land grab’

The Shantalla Park Action Group has rallied against what it describes as an HSE “land grab" of Shantalla Park for a permanent helipad.

Published 10th Jul 2026, 11:41 BST Dr Conan Reilly The Shantalla Park Action Group has rallied against what it describes as an HSE “land grab" of Shantalla Park for a permanent helipad. 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.

Under the proposal, more than 3.6 acres of land would be sold to the HSE for just over €600,000.

A meeting which took place on Wednesday night (July 8) was described as “hot and heavy” by local campaigner and resident Billy Smyth.

“People are very concerned about the proposed sale of Shantalla pitch,” Billy told the Galway City Tribune.

“They were raging over it. We feel we cannot trust the HSE in anything they say because of past grievances over the temporary helipad and other issues.”

The action group are staging a peaceful protest picket from 1:30pm-5pm today (Friday, July 10) at St Joseph’s Community Centre in Shantalla following a similar action yesterday (Thursday, July 9) .

They also raised concerns about the short two-day window for public consultation.

“The public consultation is only a ticking-the-box exercise,” Mr Smyth continued. “It will be meaningless. We all attended the last one and I didn't meet any person from Shantalla in favour of selling the park to the HSE. We think what they say should be taken with a pinch of salt.”

Chair of the Shantalla Park Action Group, Dr Conan Reilly, said the parkland is being “sold unnecessarily” because other alternatives must be considered.

“This has been going on for 25 years,” he said. “One parcel of land is taken and then another. It is the steady acquisition of land for an expanding hospital.

“There is an alternative. The sale of the parkland is not necessary. It is a land grab playing on the heartstrings of healthcare for the region.”

READ MORE: Galway residents host emergency meeting over plans for helipad in Shantalla

Shantalla Action Group A petition to ‘Save Shantalla Park’ has been set up by the group to support them in protecting the parkland from the sale to the HSE.

The responses will be collated before next Monday’s meeting of Galway City Council which takes place at the Atlantic Technological University.

The change.org petition here currently has 350 signatures and states that they “strongly oppose” the Council Executives planned disposal of lands/ community park in Shantalla.

It is a land grab playing on the heartstrings of healthcare for the region.

“We support better healthcare,” it says, “but not at the cost of losing green space unnecessarily.”

It is described as a call for collaboration not confrontation.

Labour Cllr John McDonagh reiterated that alternatives have not been explored and said he will oppose the park's sale at the Galway City Council meeting next Monday.

“The HSE have not properly engaged with the community,” he said.

“I will be opposing the sale of the park and I will be asking others to oppose it. We need to look at all the other viable alternatives before a decision is made.

“This is not a new proposal and it is the seventh or eighth attempt over the past two decades to dispose of this park and on each occasion the community has stood together to protect it.”

He has formally requested all documentation and information relating to the proposed sale of any lands at Shantalla Park from Galway City Council.

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