Families facing compulsory purchase angered by ring road letter

OFFICIAL correspondence sent to 54 families who stand to lose their homes to the N6 Galway Ring Road was described as “beyond embarrassing and sickening” by Fine Gael councillor Shane Forde.

Published 3rd Jun 2026, 12:50 BST Deirdre Goggin at her home which will be demolished at Ballindooley beside the Headford Road as part of the proposed Ring Road plan. | Joe O Shaughnessy OFFICIAL correspondence sent to 54 families who stand to lose their homes to the N6 Galway Ring Road was described as “beyond embarrassing and sickening” by Fine Gael councillor Shane Forde. 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.

Homeowners had high expectations that Galway County Council would provide detailed information outlining a clear timeline and pathway after An Coimisiún Pleanála granted planning permission for the 18km route last month and the compulsory purchase order was published.

However, Cllr Forde said the long-awaited letter has alienated homeowners even more.

“I was told they would be getting a highly informed detailed letter setting out a plan for families,” he said.

“The letter has done the complete opposite. They got a cold-hearted letter that is beyond embarrassing and it is sickening for the families reading them.

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“The priority is the families. We are not giving them due care and attention. All this letter has done is alienate them and show them that the council has zero understanding of the stress on them.”

For Ballindooley resident Deirdre Goggin, the correspondence is too little, too late and she is calling for a group meeting to be held with all residents and officials involved in the compulsory purchase of their homes.

“The letter is just flim flam. Regardless of a judicial review or not, we want them to deal with us now. We have lived with the prospect of losing our homes since this started in 2014.

“Most of us are over 65 and it is the wrong time of our lives to be looking at a state-sponsored eviction. Where are the 54 families meant to find anything? It makes me very cross.”

The initial correspondence they received was four paragraphs long.

It informed homeowners affected by the N6 Galway City Ring Road compulsory purchase scheme that An Coimisiún Pleanála approved the project on April 7 and that upcoming statutory notices do not mark the start of property acquisition.

It also included details of how to contact the project team at the National Roads Project Office (NRPO).

“There is no point in going into an office where no one can make concrete decisions and concrete solutions,” says Deirdre.

“The letter is very clinical and does not say anything. It took them up to six weeks to get out a letter to tell us a decision has been made. It talks about the next steps for the project but there is no mention of us. They are stalling for time so that they don't have to come up with solutions.”

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For Cllr Forde, the letter shows that “we have lost that empathy dealing with the families.”

“I know the stress has taken them to places they don't want to go.,” he said. “This is a red line now. We should be standing with them. We have the money in place and what will be left will be the 54 families. That is not palatable.”

“The letter was a kick in the teeth,” he says. “We are going nowhere fast. It's playschool stuff. I will address this with Simon Harris.”

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For the past 41 years, Deirdre has lived in a modest bungalow with a mature garden on the outskirts of the city She would like a home that can replicate the peace and comfort she created for herself.

But she is fearful for her future in the midst of a housing crisis as the families will have to compete for homes on the open property market.

I am not asking for a mansion and I am not looking for a huge pot of money. It is of no use to me. I just want a home similar to the one I have.

“ I have a very mature garden where I spend most of my downtime,” she continued.

“We will be competing on the open market and with our neighbours. That is awful. We won't have consumer choice; we will have to take whatever is available.”

Deirdre Goggin in her home | Joe O Shaughnessy This concern is shared by Castlegar resident Marie O'Donovan, who was also unimpressed with the correspondence from the council.

Her preferred option is to stay within the community. She has called on the council to identify land and fast-track planning permission for an estate of “10 or 12 houses” where they could move together.

"We could still be a community, and support each other, but we were told they would create a precedent,” she explains.

“There is loads of land in Castlegar that the council owns. That could be part of our compensation if they could identify a site. I have 10 names and we would like to stay together. We don't want to move outside the city. We want to be near services. Give us a site for 10 houses. We will build an estate and we will know where we are going.”

She says many of those affected have deep ties to the area and have spent decades building their lives there.

“We are generational Galway families who are in our 60s, 70s and 80s,” continues Marie.

We would like the council to work with us. Giving us the money is one solution but where do you go in the middle of a housing crisis that meets our needs at this stage of our lives?

She describes a previous house valuation as “a very clinical process” and said it was “really upsetting last time” as it felt like a “tick-the-box exercise”. They would like the option to stay in their homes, she explains, until an alternative is arranged.

She also speaks of the difficulty some residents have faced when trying to proactively relocate elsewhere.

Through the planning process, they were told they are “not from the area” or “don't have a suitable housing need”.

“We are going to be homeless. Historically, they have never taken as many houses. This is 54 homes. It is a lot. We want to talk to them. Help us to find a place to live. We want to stay in our houses until we have somewhere else to go.”

At a recent Galway County Council meeting, Chief Executive Liam Conneally said their “door is open to queries” and that property transactions will follow a set formula.

He added that any subsequent planning applications would be treated as a “separate process” and “judged on their merits”, while adding: “We will obviously understand what is going on.”

Galway County Council, Galway City Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland acknowledge that the prolonged planning process associated with the proposed project has been difficult for homeowners and property owners affected by the proposed route.

Galway County Council has said it remains conscious of the significance of the project for affected individuals and communities, while confirming that engagement with homeowners and landowners regarding compensation and property matters is continuing.

The local authority's comments come as affected homeowners and landowners continue to await further clarity on the project's progression and its implications for their properties.

In a statement, the local authority said that "all parties remain conscious of the significance of the project for impacted individuals and communities" and noted that discussions with affected property owners will continue over the coming period.

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The council also stressed that support remains available to those impacted by the scheme, stating that "the project offices remain available to engage directly with affected parties and to provide information and support in relation to the process."

While the statutory process remains ongoing, Galway County Council said work on the next phase of the project is continuing.

According to the statement, "preparatory work associated with the next phase of the project is continuing", including project planning, the progression of detailed design and procurement preparation.

The council reiterated its preference to reach agreement with property owners where possible, saying that "in relation to property acquisition, the preference, where possible, is to progress acquisitions by agreement with homeowners and landowners."

However, it cautioned that there remains uncertainty around the timeline for property acquisition and the overall delivery of the project.

Galway County Council said that "any timeline regarding the acquisition of property and the overall progression of the scheme remains dependent on the outcome of any legal proceedings and the completion of the relevant statutory processes."

Related topics: Homeowners Galway County Council Planning permission 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.