Galway City Museum is to be transformed into a world class immersive visitor experience as a result of €12.6 m funding announced in the city last evening.
The museum when completed will attract an extra million visitors per year, gving the region a boost of €47.3m. Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke TD, announced the €12.6 million in capital investment to drive the transformative redevelopment of Galway City Museum.
This flagship investment from Fáilte Ireland, delivered in partnership with Galway City Council, forms part of an overall project valued at €19.3m. It represents a major commitment to strengthening Ireland’s tourism infrastructure, while positioning Galway City Museum as a landmark cultural attraction of national significance and a key driver of regional economic growth.
Fáilte Ireland projects that over 10 years, the redevelopment will attract an additional 820,000 domestic and overseas visitors generating an extra €47.3 million in direct visitor spending for the local and regional tourism economy. This extra economic activity will support directly and indirectly 127 jobs annually across tourism and supporting sectors.
At the heart of the redevelopment is an ambitious cultural vision that will bring Galway’s stories to life through a compelling and immersive visitor experience. Rooted in the lives, creativity and global connections of Galway’s people, the museum will present a series of interpretative themes that unlock its collections and create a rich and engaging journey for visitors.
Visitors will explore voyages, trade and cultural exchange from prehistory to the present-day including journeys with Bronze Age seafarers to the Aran Islands, encounters with Gráinne Mhaol, and the dramatic legacy of the Spanish Armada. Literature and poetry will animate Irish as a living language throughout the visitor experience, connecting audiences to its continued influence on contemporary creative expression and reinforcing Galway’s identity as a proud bilingual city.
Senator Seán Kyne, Fine Gael’s candidate in the Galway West bye-election said this is exactly the kind of transformative investment that Galway has been waiting for. The redevelopment of Galway Museum will create a flagship cultural attraction that showcases the rich heritage of our city and region to visitors from across Ireland and around the world.”
The redevelopment will deliver a completely reimagined visitor experience, including a new three-storey extension incorporating the historic city sea gate, a revitalised Spanish Arch experience and panoramic wall walk, the redevelopment of Comerford House into immersive galleries, a new public courtyard and event space, and modern exhibition areas featuring interactive storytelling and digital technology.
“One of the most significant aspects of this project is that it directly addresses a gap that has long held Galway back, which is the absence of a large-scale, indoor, all-weather attraction capable of drawing visitors year-round,” said Senator Kyne.
“The investment will change that, providing a family-friendly, weather-independent experience designed to increase repeat visits. With planning permission secured and a construction tender completed, this project is ready to deliver. The economic return speaks for itself,” he said.
The project will integrate the existing museum with a new three-storey extension and the historic Comerford House, significantly expanding capacity and enabling a more ambitious programme of exhibitions and events. A new visitor journey will connect the buildings and surrounding landscape, including access to elevated views from Spanish Arch.
The redevelopment will establish the museum as a leading cultural hub on the Wild Atlantic Way, with state-of-the-art galleries and immersive exhibition spaces that bring Galway’s stories to life in new and engaging ways, while supporting sustainable tourism growth and wider economic activity across the region.
Announcing the investment, Minister Peter Burke TD said this level of investment demonstrates the Government’s strong commitment to regional economic development and the role of tourism as a key driver of that growth. The redevelopment of Galway City Museum will deliver tangible economic benefits for the region, supporting jobs, increasing visitor spend and establishing local attractions for residents and tourists alike. Strategic investments like this strengthen Ireland’s tourism infrastructure, enhance our international competitiveness and ensure that communities across the country share in the long-term benefits of a thriving visitor economy.”
Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive, Galway City Council said this investment enables a significant new phase of development for Galway City Museum. It will deliver expanded exhibition and interpretation spaces, enhanced education and public areas, and improved visitor facilities in line with the expectations of a modern cultural institution.
The redevelopment will strengthen the Museum’s role within the cultural quarter along the waterfront, support a more vibrant city centre, and play an important role in growing the daytime visitor economy - encouraging longer dwell times and supporting local businesses.”
