News
Family of Galwayman insist death not suicide
Three heartbroken members of a South East Galway family have spoken of the loss of their brother nearly four years ago in German . . . and insist he did not die by suicide.
They believe he was murdered; the authorities there say otherwise and the Government here are not listening to their compelling case, the family say.
In Matthew Fitzpatrick’s home in the quiet residential area of Shannon Park in Portumna, everything that he ever treasured during his life has been retained.
His love of music, and particularly traditional Irish music, his guitar, a Connacht rugby ball (he and his brother Patrick were fanatics) and stacks of CDs adorn the room that he called his own in the home house.
It is referred to by the family as the ‘red room’ simply because it was once painted red and then they decided that it was probably not the right colour and changed it.
They are united in the one belief – Matthew did not take his own life. They never believed that from the outset.
On December 11, 2011, Matthew Fitzpatrick’s body was found on the floor of his apartment in Mannheim in Germany. Matthew had spent three years there working for a Cork-based company.
In the days before his death, Matthew had been in contact with family members at home informing them of plans of his arrival for the Christmas. He was in great spirits.
Back in Portumna the Fitzpatricks were preparing for Christmas and were looking forward to another memorable get-together.
Then it was devastation. The dreaded phone call from Danny Fitzpatrick came to his sister Elaine. He was told that Matthew had committed suicide.
“From the moment he said it, it didn’t make any sense,” Elaine told The Connacht Tribune. “There was no way that this could have been true”.
Elaine informed other members of the family and there was a similar reaction. “Even on reflection there was nothing in Matthew’s behaviour or conversations that he had any intention of taking his own life,” Elaine added.
A post mortem in Germany concluded that Matthew had died by suicide as a result of him hanging himself. This has been vehemently disputed by his family.
The family ordered a second post mortem when his body was repatriated to Ireland and it found that there were 45 other injuries to his body and other findings have convinced the family Matthew was murdered.
They have spent four years trying to have the case reopened, but without success.
Now they want the Irish Government to help them. But despite repeated requests, the large, close-knit family has not yet received a substantive response from Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan, former Minister Eamon Gilmore, or acting Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan.
Read more in this week’s Connacht Tribune
From this week’s City Tribune: Investment of €1.8 billion is needed to deliver on the potential for more than 6,000 new housing units identified by the Land Development Agency in Galway City.
The LDA’s Report on Relevant Public Land identified eight sites in Galway which it claims can deliver up to 6,050 affordable and social houses, if planning and other constraints are overcome.
It identified potential for up to 2,240 homes on HSE land at Merlin Park Hospital; up to 1,010 homes at Renmore Barracks; and up to 950 homes at Galway Harbour.
The report conceded these sites are on complex land with “numerous constraints” and are longer-term possibilities requiring masterplans.
The other six sites include: Ballymoneen Road; Terryland Waterworks on Dyke Road; Brothers of Charity Services on Old Dublin Road; City Hall at College Road; and Sandy Road.
Galway’s sites are among 83 State-owned landbanks the LDA has assessed as having development potential for up to 67,000 homes.
Only Ballymoneen Road and Dyke Road are in what the LDA terms Class 1, which can deliver a maximum of 420 within five-ten years.
This includes between 140-200 homes on Ballymoneen Road, and between 160-220 homes at Terryland Waterworks on Dyke Road.
The cost for the development of Ballymoneen Road, on a site opposite Coláiste na Coiribe, would be between €41.2m-€50.7m.
The total cost of delivering up to 220 homes on the Teryland site is between €78.5m and €101m
The remaining 93% of the total city target face greater constraints, and longer timeframes.
Almost 70% of the target, or 4,200 units, is earmarked for sites that are ‘Class 3’, which are lands that have potential for residential but face more constraints and are longer-term possibilities requiring masterplans.
The LDA carried out an assessment on the eight sites in the city, which had an “indicative yield” of between 4,330 and 6,050 new housing units.
John Coleman, LDA Chief Executive said his organisation was “committed to working closely with the public bodies to find common ground for the release of land for affordable housing purposes and for the common good”.
This was a first step that “will lead to the identification of locations where new affordable homes can be built”, he added.
(Image: Lands at Galway Harbour identified by the LDA for up to 950 homes).
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read extensive coverage of the LDA report and for indicative maps of the lands, see the March 31 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.
From this week’s City Tribune: Galway City Council has sought further information from the applicants proposing to develop 227 apartments in seven high-rise blocks at the entrance to Gateway Retail Park in Knocknacarra.
In what is the second application for the site at Gort na Bró, Glenveagh Living Ltd is seeking to develop five blocks ranging in height from three to five storeys – with 85 one-bed units, 139 two-bed units; and three three-bed units.
In a Further Information request, the Council noted that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) expressed concerns that the development “is located in close proximity to the preferred and/or approved route” of the N6 Galway City Ring Road.
“The authority is of the opinion that insufficient data has been submitted with the planning application to demonstrate that the proposed development will not have a detrimental impact on the capacity, safety or operational efficiency of the national road network in the vicinity of the site”.
Planners state that the creation of a “fifth arm” on the roundabout from the Western Distributor Road into Gateway Shopping Park and the site proposed for development was not discussed at pre-planning meetings and “is not permitted”.
Cycling facilities have been identified as concerning, as the two-way cycling lane on the WDR “ends abruptly”, bringing cyclists into the path of oncoming traffic.
Bicycle parking included in the application would be “difficult and inconvenient” to access and would not store non-standard bikes with cargo elements, it is outlined.
(Photo: Cllr John Connolly meets with residents to discuss the Glenveagh apartments proposal).
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the March 31 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.
From this week’s Galway City Tribune: An underpass to facilitate pedestrians and cyclists to negotiate the Briarhill junction is regularly flooded with up to three feet of water discommoding the most vulnerable road users.
The popular ‘line’ walkway connecting Renmore to the heart of the city is also often deluged with water.
The two routes are used by hundreds of people to get around without cars but are an example of how Galway City Council are slow to address active travel issues, according to newly co-opted Social Democrats Councillor Alan Curran.
Cllr Curran had to warn off four people from walking through the underpass when he passed through last week.
“It’s like that for a few weeks. This happens regularly. I understand from the Council it’s a drainage issue. They’re aware of it and they have cleaned it out but it keeps returning in heavy rain,” he explained.
“The impression I got was it will take a while to get fixed. It may require some heavy engineering solution. My concern is the longer these things go on, the less people use them. Their only other option is wait ten minutes or longer at the begging buttons to cross four sets of lights.
“The entrances are dark and narrow and don’t give the illusion of safety for those using it, especially during the dark winter months. There was a pedestrian and cycling tunnel recently built in Amsterdam and the difference is stark – they know how to do it right.”
Head of Transport at Galway City Council, Uinsinn Finn, said the underpass was constructed as part of the original N6 Link, in the mid-90s when a roundabout operated.
When the roundabout was replaced with a signalised junction, with pedestrian crossing facilities and cycling lanes across the junction, the underpass worked more as a secondary option for pedestrians and cyclists.
“Underpasses – and overpasses – are not ideal and not considered in the city as we put pedestrians and cyclist generally ahead of motorised traffic and accommodate them at junctions with at-grade crossings,” the engineer stated.
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the March 31 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.
Green light for Galway’s first Wetherspoons at Eglinton Street
Survey finds public in Connacht score 53% in “financial literacy”
Fitzmaurice says Green Party in Government is “pup pulling the dog”
Gardaí appeal for information for missing 25 year old Loughrea man
Boil Water Notice issued for 1,000 customers Loughrea Town
City seeks to annex Oranmore, Claregalway, Moycullen and Barna in boundary extension
Man awarded €142,000 over unprovoked attack in toilet of County Galway pub
Woman convicted of harassing social media guru
Galway family’s plea – help us save our home
Bono has finally found what’s he’s looking for!
