Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

So long, then, to the boom. The city’s ugly Aquadam – not its buoyant economy – is back in storage.

“The power of the press,” declared Deputy Mayor of Galway, Councillor Níall McNelis, suggesting the boom’s removal on Monday, three days after this column highlighted its orange ugliness at Spanish Parade was no coincidence.

If that were true, the boom would never bounce back. Alas, unless Councillors can convince City Hall management otherwise, the “temporary” flood defence system will return for six months around Halloween every year for another five years at least.

Temporary in this context is the same as the community land in Shantalla that in 2013 was, ahem, ‘borrowed’ by the HSE to use as a helipad for six months – 12 years on it still hasn’t been returned.

The Galway City Flood Relief Scheme – Coirib Go Cósta – includes plans for permanent solutions to rising waters, including at Spanish Parade.

But nothing the OPW has done to date on this or other major flood infrastructure projects – Ballinasloe is waiting years for its scheme, too – would fill you with confidence that it will meet its 2030 target to start construction.

Last week’s Bradley Bytes struck a chord with readers who are tired of Galway City Council not treating the city they love and live in with the respect it deserves.

We will spare their blushes and not name them, but among the correspondence from many readers was a well-known Galway auctioneer. “Thank you for highlighting what is a holy show at one of the most beautiful and most visited parts of our city,” he wrote.

Similar sentiment from a Galway walking tour guide who was embarrassed to bring visitors to Spanish Arch when the boom and associated eyesore of bollards and steel gates sullied one of the prettiest views in the city.

But readers’ reaction suggests the Council shouldn’t stop at removing the boom, and there were many other things the authorities could do to make the city more attractive.

How about reopening to the public the Galway Fisheries Watchtower, which had weeds growing out of two windows on Wednesday? Protected structure how do.

They could clean the columns at the old Salmon Weir Bridge, a source of much mortification to Councillor Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) – she revealed at Monday’s meeting that she crossed the bridge recently by car and her passenger, a visitor to Galway, remarked how filthy and “shoddy” they were.

Dáil Deputy Mairéad Farrell (SF), meanwhile, this week again submitted what has become an annual request to the Council, to clean bird sh*t off Liam Mellows’ statue in Eyre Square ahead of this weekend’s Easter celebrations.

And while they’re in Eyre Square, maybe they should look again at the location of this €6,000-plus solar powered ‘smart bench’, which was moved from opposite the Skeff to Quincentennial Fountain.

As one businessman and ratepayer put it, when he sent us this photograph of the bench blocking a Galway landmark: “Imagine a tourist trying to get an iconic photo of our Galway Hooker statue?”

Pictured: The iconic Galway Hooker fountain sculpture in Eyre Square … with the not so iconic ‘smart bench’ blocking the view.