Galway County Council, County Secretary's Office / Drainage District, Corrib-Clare Catchment Drainage Scheme, 1953-1981

Corrib-Clare Catchment Drainage Scheme; file of correspondence relating to the scheme and its ongoing maintenance. Includes correspondence between Galway County Council and the Office of

Public Works regarding the scheme which includes portions of the counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, details relating to the Conference between various concerned parties to consider the scheme. Includes

·Letter from GCC Co. Engineer to Secretary OPW indicating the ‘local authorities are very much concerned by this scheme particularly the Loughs Corrib, Mask and Carra Drainage Board, the Lough Corrib Navigation Trustees and Galway County Council in relation to the Tuam Water Supply and the Galway Corporation in relation to the water supply and the drainage system of Galway city. I must therefore, lodge a formal objection to the scheme pending the provision of additional information to indicate the effects which the scheme is likely to have on those public works and public services for which the local authorities mentioned are responsible’ (28 Jul 1953).

·Details memo from Co. Manager outlining issues discussed at the Conference include, Tuam Water Supply Scheme, Bridges, Galway Sewerage Scheme, Water Power, Fisheries, Wells, Navigation Board and Milling Trustees, and Employments (3 Sept 1953).

·Handwritten letter from Prof F. S. Rishworth (Eng), Dublin to GCC Co. Manager (10 Oct 1953) relating to the possible effects of the scheme on Tuam Waterworks.

·Letter from the OPW to GCC advising that ‘In accordance with Part V of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, maintenance of the scheme when completed, would be carried out by us, the cost being recoverable from the County Councils concerned in proportion to the increases in the annual values of the benefited lands in each County’ (13 Jan 1954).

·Copy letter from the Co. Manager to OPW stating ‘The Award of 1859 makes provision for the regulation of the surface level of Lough Corrib by regulation of the slices and falling boards in the regulating weir and also by the waste sluices on the Jail river at Galway so that the minimum or lowest level shall not fall below 23.20’ above datum line a the ordinary Summer level or rise above the maximum level of 31.20’ above datum at the Winter level.  It is presumed that your office would not make arrangements for the regulation of the weir and sluices, but pending the making of such arrangements, the County Engineer has agreed with Mr Shiel, your representative in Galway, that he, the County Engineer, will for the present continue to operate the regulation of the weir and sluices on the understanding that any expenses involved will be recouped to the Galway County Council  by your Commissioners’ (28 Apr 1954).

·Copy of Order relating to the OPW commencement of the project.

·MO41352 authorising contribution from GCC towards cost of a new bridge to be constructed by the OPW across the channel dividing the townlands of Derreenmeel and Drumminnakill (12 Feb 1958).

·Correspondence relating to road closure between Annaghkeen and Cloonkeely, Headford to construct a new bridge.

·Copy Order relating to the removal the weir serving the mill at Addergoole (27 May 1960).

·Correspondence relating to the construction of a new bridge known as Quin’s Bridge on the Clifden-Galway Roads, costing £2,969.18s.8d (Nov 1962).

·Works complete, with the exception of the drainage works in the Birmingham River (25 Sept 1964).

·Letter from the OPW to GCC advising the ‘The estimated probably cost of maintenance of the said Drainage Works in the year 1965/6 is £45 apportionable as follows
Galway £40,625.12s.0d
Mayo£ 3,657.5s.8d
Roscommon£    717.2s.4d (14 Dec 1964)

·Letter from the OPW to GCC advising ‘As you are aware these works (on River Nanny) were deferred when the Corrib-Clare Scheme was otherwise completed in 1964 because of the fears expressed by the Council that they would cause siltation of the Tuam Water Supply.  It was intended that the outstanding works would be undertaken when the Co. Co. had completed their proposal for the new water Supply’ (29 May 1981).