Work gets underway on Quincentennial Park for senior citizens in Salthill, County Galway.
A new park for senior citizens on the Salthill promenade in Galway is to be built on a derelict 22 acre site. The Quincentennial Senior Citizens Park is being developed with funding from Digital Equipment Corporation (Digital) as their contribution to the Galway city 500th birthday.
The park was designed by a Digital technical and engineering team in consultation with the Corporation.
At a special ceremony to inaugurate the development, Mayor of Galway Mary Byrne turns the sod. Also in attendance are members of Galway Corporation, senior staff from Digital and a group of specially invited senior citizens.
Personnel Director of Digital in Ireland Michael Mulqueen told those assembled that the company was delighted to sponsor the project. The site for the park is owned by Galway Corporation but lack of funds meant development was slowed up.
With the help of Digital's £100,000 gift to the city it will now be ready for use next season.
Councillor Mary Byrne is confident the facility will be popular with the many elderly visitors who enjoy Salthill promenade,
So, they will enjoy it on the double with this park.
The group of senior citizens attending the ceremony are given refreshments at the nearby Salthill Hotel. They are led in an impromptu rendition of the song 'Heaven Around Galway Bay’ by local character Molly Browne.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 12 November 1984. The reporter is Jim Fahy.
