Galway town’s new €2.8m fire station officially opened

On Friday November 15, Minister of State Anne Rabbitte TD, and Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway Councillor Albert Dolan performed the officially opening of the 400m2 facility, which replaces the old station on Crowe Street that had been in operation since the 1960s.

Funded by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on a site at Ballygarraun South that was purchased from the IDA in 2021, the station includes significant training facilities and provides for the introduction of new capabilities, including unmanned ground vehicles for remote firefighting and hazardous materials response.

The development represents a milestone in the Galway Fire and Rescue Service capital infrastructure development programme and follows on from the opening of new fire stations in Clifden (2010), An Cheathrú Rua (2015) and Tuam (2018).

The main contractor for the project was Mountbellew-based Coolsivna Construction Ltd, while the Design Team Lead was led by Vincent Hannon Architects from Galway and supported by Tobin Engineers, Coffey Consulting Engineers and Tom McNamara & Partners.

Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council said: "The development of this modern and well-equipped facility represents a significant boost for the infrastructure of Athenry and surrounding areas, which is set to benefit from the €6m Athenry Public Realm Enhancement Project, has recently benefited from the opening of a new social housing scheme, and is the location for a new global manufacturing facility being developed by Dexcom. More importantly for members of the community, the firefighting capability of the local service will be greatly enhanced through the provision of this new facility."

The new Athenry Fire Station became operational on October 25 2024.

Uinsinn Finn, Director of Services at Galway County Council confirmed that a number of other Fire Service capital projects are at varying stages of development.

He explained: "A new fire station in Loughrea is currently at planning stage and we anticipate it will go to tender for a main contractor next month. Elsewhere, a design team is expected to be appointed shortly for a new Fire Service Mechanics Workshop in Athenry with an anticipated start date of late 2025. Furthermore, preparations for a much-needed new central fire station and headquarters in Galway City are well underway and this project is likely to cost in the region of €18m."