THE funeral has taken place this week of the six-year-old city schoolgirl who lost her life after being hit by a lorry in the Headford Road area last weekend.

Ula Grigaityté (6) from Brookdale, Headford Road in the city, died on Saturday, April 5, around mid-day, after being hit by an oil lorry while cycling, with her father by her side, close to the Headford Road-Sandyvale Lawn junction.

Gardaí investigating the road traffic incident have renewed their appeal for any witnesses to the collision, or any motorist with relevant dash cam footage, to make contact with them at Galway Garda Station, Mill Street, on 091-538000 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111.

The family of the last Ula Grigaityté held a special funeral gathering at the O’Flaherty Funeral Home in Munster Avenue on Wednesday afternoon last for family and friends ‘to meet and to remember’ the Senior High Infants’ pupil at Scoil Róis Primary School in Salthill. A private cremation took place on Thursday.

In a statement issued by her school, they said that they were deeply saddened at the passing of Ula, who would be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Scoil Róis have also put in place a Critical Incident Management Plan with staff and teachers receiving specialist psychological advice on how best to help pupils in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Ula is survived by her parents, Egle and Linas; grandparents Laima and Raihondas; uncles; aunts-in-law; extended family and relatives in Lithuania.

Her death notice on the RIP website also said that Ula would be greatly missed by her best friend Killian; her playground, playschool and school friends; by all the school community and by her neighbours.

The death of the schoolgirl was the second fatality to occur on Galway roads in the space of 24-hours.

On Friday afternoon last, motorcyclist Patrick De la Ruelle [29] from Knockakilleen, Kinvara, died instantly when his motorcycle was in collision with a car on the N67 road at Tonroe between Oranmore and Clarinbridge at around 4pm.

Both vehicles are understood to have been travelling in the same direction when the collision occurred – the late Mr Ruelle was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

The deceased was laid to rest on Wednesday  last in Doorus Cemetery, Kinvara, following Requiem Mass in St Ciaran’s Church.

He is survived by his parents Philippe and Jackie; brother Brendan; sister-in-law Anabella; grandparents; nieces; aunts, uncles, extended family and many friends.

The family of the late Patrick De la Ruelle, in a message on RIP, thanked their wonderful neighbours and friends who had given them so much help over recent days.

Meanwhile, three people were treated for injuries following a head-on, two-car collision in the Caherlistrane area of North Galway on Wednesday, April 2 last, shortly after 3pm.

One person was treated for serious but non-life threatening injuries while two others received treatment for minor injuries. All three are    understood to be making good recoveries.

Pictured: Flowers at the entry to Sandyvale Lawn where six-year-old Ula Grigaityté from Brookdale, died after being struck by a truck while cycling her bike last Saturday. PHOTO: JOE O’SHAUGHNESSY.

An extension of Galway’s busiest bus route, providing improved public transport for people working in Parkmore Business Park was officially opened on Monday by Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Seán Canney, who expressed the hope it would ease congestion and improve air quality in the area.

Following the completion of the Parkmore Road Bus Priority Scheme, the Bus Éireann 409 services, which runs between Eyre Square and Parkmore, has been extended to include Parkmore Business Park West.

The Scheme provided a new bus lane along Parkmore Road from the Business Park roundabout towards the Monivea Road junction, allowing for bus journey times to be reduced.

The reduced times facilitated the expansion of the bus service into Parkmore Business Park, which began on March 9.

The Parkmore scheme was led by the Travel Department of Galway City Council and funded by the National Transport Authority. It included new bus stops (northbound and southbound) at Medtronic and Celestica in the business park, closer to people’s workplaces.

In addition to the bus lane, six new bus stops were built along the road, as well as four new signalised crossings. High-quality footpaths were constructed, and junctions were tightened to reduce vehicle speeds, improving safety for pedestrians. Upgrade works were also completed at the Monivea Road signalised junction.

The City Council hopes the new, improved bus service will encourage more workers to use public transport rather than travelling by car.

In addition to the National Transport Authority, the improved bus service has also been supported by the IDA and businesses in Parkmore, including members of the Parkmore Traffic Action Group.

Officially opening the scheme, Seán Canney, Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, hoped the improved service would benefit some of the estimated 10,000 people working in Parkmore, as well as “ease congestion . . . and improve air quality”, a sentiment that was echoed by City Council Chief Executive Leonard Cleary. He emphasised the local authority’s commitment to sustainable transport.

The Parkmore project “demonstrates how collaboration among various stakeholders can deliver real benefits for the public”, he stated, adding that “Parkmore Business Park is a vital employment hub for Galway and the wider Western region”.

Brian Connolly, Senior Operations Officer for Bus Éireann in the West said the company had carried over 6.7million passengers in Galway City last year.

“Route 409 has shown the highest growth rate across the network, carrying almost two million passengers.”

IDA’s Ireland Regional Manager for West Ricky Conneely, described the expansion as “important initiative” for Galway.

“The provision of dependable public transport links, such as this new bus service will help businesses in Parkmore to attract and hold on to staff.”

The new bus lane facilitates the 401 and 409 bus routes, and, according to a City Council spokesperson, will be used extensively following the rollout of the Galway Bus Network Redesign in the coming years. A planning application has been lodged with Galway County Council to build a permanent turning circle, including rest facilities for drivers. This will be delivered in the coming months, subject to planning approval.

Pictured at the official opening of the Parkmore Road Bus Priority Scheme were: Joe Seymour, Assistant Director, Transport Planning and Investment at the National Transport Authority; Derek Pender, Director of Services, Project Development, Galway City Council; Brian Connolly, Senior Operations Officer West, Bus Éireann; Cllr John McDonagh; Cllr Eibhlín Seoighthe; Minister of State Seán Canney; Marie King, Sales Manager, West, Bus Éireann; and Eddie Kenny, Caragh Precision.

A senior estate manager has been appointed to bring the upgraded masterplan for University Hospital Galway to fruition as nearly €90m has been allocated to improve the health infrastructure in the city and county this year.

This new manager will work alongside a design team which is progressing the ‘Development Control Plan’ for the University Hospital Galway (UHG) campus that is almost complete. This will be followed by a detailed timeline for delivery of major projects which will transform the Newcastle site.

A total of €14m has been allocated for UHG and over €60m for Merlin Park University Hospital with a further €3m for Portiuncula – what remains of the €87.8m budget is divided out between HSE buildings throughout the county.

The massive amount of funding will see very little opening this year as projects run the gauntlet of lengthy design and tendering processes.

In Merlin Park, building work has begun on the new surgical hub to include two operating theatres and two minor procedure rooms and a Cystic Fibrosis Unit to accommodate adult Cystic Fibrosis outpatient services over five days.

St Anne’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry unit is also being extended and reconfigured while the community nursing units 5 and 6 are being replaced and will accommodate 60 patients, including those with dementia.

Builders have also moved into UHG to create a third endoscopy suite.

Galway projects listed as at tender stage or contractually committed include the phased upgrade and replacement of the hot water system at UHG and the relocation of the Public Health Microbiology Laboratory to a new building to increase its capacity.

Minister for State with responsibility for Disability, Hildegarde Naughton, said she had been advocating for major spending on infrastructure in Merlin Park Hospital and calling for the separation of acute and elective services between two campuses since her election.

“The €40 million allocated to the Interim Surgical Hub in Merlin Park this year, due to be completed at the end of the year, will provide a significant uplift in surgical capacity for the region. It will reduce waiting times for day case procedures by significantly increasing the capacity for elective day case surgery in a dedicated facility,” she stated.

“€1.7 million has been provided to progress our new Elective Hospital on the grounds of Merlin Park and to advance phase 2 of the outpatient infrastructure, phase one already being operational, which will provide 77 additional consulting rooms, associated treatment rooms, and other associated facilities.

“The €14.25 million for UHG will progress a new ward block including enabling works, a new cancer centre, a new Emergency Department with ward block and new medical laboratory.

“This new building phase in UHG is premised on a new masterplan for the hospital agreed with the HSE. It will involve decanting nearly all elective and outpatient services to Merlin Park Hospital, providing space in UHG for what will be, by completion, an effective rebuild of the entire campus.

“It will be done on a phased basis, beginning with a new ward block, for which funding is allocated this year for preparatory work.”

Pictured: Minister for State with responsibility for Disability, Hildegarde Naughton.