There’s a welcome in the light these days—a golden haze in the early mornings and a gentle cooling in the evenings that speaks of a season in flux. August, perched between the defiance of summer and the inevitability of autumn, has always been a time of transition. But this year, it’s brought a strange harmony of opposites: the heat of high summer clinging to the skin, while the rustling of leaves hints at the long descent into winter.
Here in Galway, we know how to read the signs. The city has a rhythm all its own, and we mark time not only by the calendar but by the mood of the streets, the hum of the Claddagh breeze, and, lately, by the roar of celebration. It has been a week to remember—our women of steel showed the nation just what mettle looks like, claiming glory in the All-Ireland senior camogie final and bringing a curtain of success down on a sporting season full of twists. They have earned their silverware, and they have earned our pride. There is something special about heading into the darker months with that kind of joy tucked under the oxter.
And while the silver shines, the weather has turned curious. The heat of the last few days has wrapped the city in a warm embrace, reluctant to release summer’s grasp. It’s a kindness, perhaps—a final nod to the memories made in long evenings, festival nights, and sun-splashed Salthill days. But it also makes the fading of the season more poignant. The hay is in, the championship decided, and yet the warmth lingers, casting everything in that peculiar light only late summer can manage.
It’s an in-between time, this. The tourists still drift through Shop Street, their cameras clicking and café tables still full. Yet there’s a sense that the city is about to be handed back to itself. The bustle is easing. The events have exhaled. The streets are beginning to breathe again, readying for the steady, familiar rhythm of the off-season. This is the interregnum—a lull before students return, before election posters bloom on lampposts, before winter tightens its grip.
For retailers and small businesses, though, the summer has been an on-off affair. Some have thrived; others have weathered quiet days. As we move toward the colder months, it’s more important than ever that we support our own—shops, cafés, craft makers, and service providers who give this city its unique character. Supporting local isn’t just good economics—it’s how we protect the Galway we know and love, the one that sings even in the depths of winter.
So now, as the days shorten slightly and the shadows stretch, we look ahead. The presidential election looms, yes—but for now, let’s hold a moment for pride. Let’s walk these streets slowly, while they’re still bathed in golden light. Let’s savour the warmth that remains, both in the weather and in our hearts. And let’s back the people and places that make Galway Galway—silverware in hand, and the spirit of the west unshaken.
