Real story behind housing site

MICHAEL CLIFFORD’S article (May 30) on Balgaddy contains a number of references to my father, Tom Gilmartin, which are mistaken.

In particular, Mr Clifford gives the impression that the designated town centre site there, as laid down in the Myles Wright plan, was not developed because my father had taken an interest in the Quarryvale site nearby. This is simply untrue.

The Balgaddy site had lain undeveloped for many years before my father arrived, and had been thrown up as being incapable of development by previous owners of the option on it. Albert Gubay, not Owen O’Callaghan, held the option on the site when my father became involved, and he, too, realised it was not capable of development. It is a widely-acknowledged fact that the site was too small and poorly accessible for a viable town centre to be developed on it.