Residents of a long-established residential community in the city centre feel they are being neglected by the local authority.

People living on St Bridget’s Terrace, at the top of Hidden Valley, off Prospect Hill, said they are ‘forgotten about’ by local politicians and Galway City Council.

The terrace of more than 30 homes was built 112 years ago, close to Eyre Square. About 11 houses are owner-occupied, and the remainder are long-term rentals, or short-term holiday lets.

Many of the houses were social or ‘corporation houses’, but residents living there now feel like City Hall is not doing anything for the area.

“It’s like a street that has literally been forgotten about,” said Raymond Kelly, a spokesperson for residents.

“What’s annoying us is we see other areas of town being done. We see Bohermore, and Claddagh and other areas being developed and getting new footpaths, but we are the forgotten street, and we’re neglected,” he said.

The area needs some TLC, including landscaping and general maintenance of communal areas but there is one serious gripe. “We’ve a major traffic problem,” said Mr Kelly.

Decades ago, a one-way traffic system existed in the area and residents want that again. “In 2014, we petitioned for one-way traffic. We wanted the traffic to come up the Terrace from Hidden Valley, one-way towards where the Dean Hotel is now on Prospect Hill, and traffic to flow the other way down St Bridget’s Place at Hidden Valley.

“We want it one-way because traffic is too busy. Traffic is delayed both ways because it is so narrow. There have been collisions at Hidden Valley — it’s very dangerous,” he said.

Between 4pm and 6pm weekdays, traffic chokes the Terrace, as commuters use it as a rat run to access Prospect Hill and Headford Road.

The junction at Hidden Valley where St Bridget’s Place meets St Bridget’s Terrace has been the scene of many collisions.

There are two lanes of parking and two lanes of traffic either side of the Terrace, but it is too narrow to allow two vehicles to pass. This results in further backlogs, but also damage to parked cars, including clipped wing mirrors.

Other items on the residents’ snag list for improvements are cracked footpaths, potholed roads, as well as improvements to communal areas where planters are broken and boulders and railings buckled from traffic collisions.

“During the Local Elections we were told an engineer (from City Council) would come up to look at the planters, but nothing has happened. It’s just forgotten about,” added Raymond Kelly.

Pictured: Raymond Kelly: ‘It’s like a street that has literally been forgotten about.’