Galway City Council is delighted to have won the ‘Best Community Transport Initiative’ Award at the 2026 LAMA All-Ireland Community and Council Awards in recognition for a first-of-its-kind active travel project in the heart of the city. The Crescent/Sea Road Active Travel Scheme, which delivered Galway City Council’s first ever rain gardens, as well as a suite of road safety enhancements, was named among the winners at the prestigious awards ceremony which recognise and celebrate communities and councils working together.
A rain garden is a novel type of landscaping that helps prevent flooding and enhances drainage by capturing and absorbing rainwater. The two rain gardens at the junction of The Crescent and Sea Road have been installed in areas which were previously part of the roadway, which has now been narrowed. New, wider footpaths have also been constructed in this space. By reducing the width of the roadway, both vehicular traffic speeds and crossing times for walkers and wheelers have been reduced, improving road safety and comfort.
This scheme also saw the construction of a new footpath along The Crescent, linking the 401 Bus Stop to the Medical Centre. Prior to this, there had been no footpath on this side of the road. Two new pedestrian crossings have also been installed, and new safety enhancement works have been completed at nearby Scoil Fhursa as part of the Safe Routes to School Scheme. Works on the project took around five months and were completed in March of last year.
Mayor of the City of Galway Cllr. Mike Cubbard has congratulated all of those who worked on the project. “The active travel works at The Crescent/Sea Road have improved safety for all road users. The rain gardens have enhanced the aesthetic value of this area, while also delivering important environmental and ecological benefits. It has become a real bright spot in the city centre, and the improved junction is used every day by large numbers of people, including those attending schools and medical appointments nearby. I’m delighted to see that this positive development for Galway has now been recognised on the national stage.”
This is the second consecutive year in which Galway City Council’s Active Travel Department has been recognised at the All-Ireland Community and Council Awards. At last year’s event, the Eglinton Canal Active Travel Project Scheme, which saw the rejuvenation of an historic canal towpath and the construction of new crossings and traffic calming measures to prioritise walkers, wheelers and cyclists, was named as winner of the Best Trail / Waterway in Ireland category.
Chief Executive of Galway City Council Leonard Cleary has paid tribute to all of those who came together to successfully deliver the Crescent/Sea Road project. “I am delighted to again see staff of Galway City Council’s Active Travel Department recognised at these prestigious awards. I wish to commend all of its staff, particularly those who worked directly on the project. I also want to thank our many partners who have helped deliver this scheme, including Elected Representatives and the local community. I also extend my gratitude to the contractors John Madden and Sons Ltd., their many subcontractors and the consulting engineers Clifton Scannell Emerson Associates.”
“In addition, I want to thank the National Transport Authority for their continued financial support for this, and other active travel and sustainable transport developments throughout the city. This funding is vital in allowing Galway City Council to continue to prioritise our ambitious plans to invest in new transport solutions which help to ease congestion, to enable the city to grow in a sustainable fashion and to deliver the many benefits of walking, wheeling and cycling to Galway and its people.”
Now in its 20th year, the LAMA (Local Authority Members Association) All-Ireland Community and Council Awards recognise and celebrate the work of local authorities within communities. This year’s event was held at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre on Saturday 28 February and received a record total of 533 nominations from all 31 Councils.
Caption for group photo – Pictured at the 2026 LAMA All-Ireland Community and Council Awards are Cllr. Damien Ryan (Meath, LAMA); Barry Hevein, Acting Senior Engineer, Active Travel, Galway City Council; Frank Clancy, Senior Executive Engineer, Active Travel, Galway City Council; Cllr. Alan Cheevers, Deputy Mayor of the City of Galway; Cllr. Sean McGowan (Leitrim, LAMA); Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive, Galway City Council; Elizabeth Fanning, Director of Services, Galway City Council; Laura Gaffney, Senior Executive Engineer, Active Travel, Galway City Council; Cllr. Neil McNelis; Cllr. Eddie Hoare.
