Thirty-eight businesses across Salthill and the city centre are set to share €275,000 in grants to tidy up tired facades, smarten shop windows and rejuvenate scruffy streetscapes.
There were 44 applications for the Galway City Council’s 2026 Shopfront Enhancement Scheme, seeking grants totaling €596,000, but in the final list, 24 businesses in the city centre, nine in the West End, and five in Salthill were successful. Six applicants were ineligible.
The Shopfront Enhancement Scheme is a strategic initiative aimed at improving the appearance, accessibility and vitality of commercial areas throughout Galway city. The scheme provides financial assistance to eligible independent businesses wishing to undertake external improvements to their premises.
It promotes high-quality shopfront design, enhances the public realm and supports local economic activity, according to City Hall.
Councillor Níall McNelis welcomed the allocations, and said he was looking forward to the 2027 round of grants being expanded to independent businesses in Woodquay and Eyre Square. The Labour Party councillor said he also wants new rules implemented for chain stores so they maintain facades that fit in to Galway city’s mainly medieval, Georgian and nineteenth century architectural styles.
“The fact that there were applications for nearly €600,000 of grants to do up shopfronts this year just shows there is major demand out there for this. It’s also a great way for local artists, sign writers and craftspeople to show their skills. We don’t want our city to go the way of other towns, as has happened across the water, in England, where they all just look the same,” he said.
“I don’t think we should be offering grants to chain stores or other multiples, but there is a lot of unsightly, plastic-looking clutter on otherwise attractive-looking buildings in [Galway]. I think the council should look at a policy of insisting planning permissions for these chains come with a condition that their shopfronts must be refreshed every eight years or so,” he said.
Eligible applicants for current grants are required to occupy a street-facing commercial premises within designated areas, with businesses situated in Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs ) actively encouraged to apply.
Eligible works include shopfront repairs and upgrades, bi-lingual signage, accessibility improvements, and enhancements to Protected Structures, together with greening and decluttering measures.
The maximum grant for signage is €10,000. Accessibility and decluttering projects – such as removing unsightly, external cabling – may be eligible for grants of up to €20,000, alongside artistic collaborations and work on heritage buildings.
Five businesses qualified for the maximum, €20,000 grants, in 2026. These were: the Eglinton Court buildings on Eyre Street and Eglinton Street, for improved accessibility; Lazlo Jewellers on William Street, Fallers Jewellers on Williamsgate Street, The Cellar Bar on Eglinton Street, and The Galleon Restaurant in Salthill – all for artistic collaboration or building works in a heritage area.
Other major beneficiaries were Foxford Jewellery in Corbett Court (€14,825 ), Geraghty’s Menswear on Lombard Street (€11,250 ), the Nest Boutique Hostel in Salthill (€13,083 ), Gallagher Galway barber’s shop on Dominick Street (€10,470 ) and The Galway Arms pub (€10,500 ).
The following businesses received grants of between €800 and €7,000: 56 Central, Bernie Keogh Art, Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, City Pantry Café, Claddagh Jewellers, COPE Galway, Daróg Wine Bar, Fat Freddy’s restaurant, Áras na nGael on Lower Dominick Street, Galway Bay Tattoo, Gourmet Food Parlour in Salthill, Handsome Burger, Harper Boutique, Just Art It, La Femme, Mocha Beans in Salthill, Mr M Vape on Merchants Road, Mullins Pharmacy in Salthilll, My Little Flower Coffee on Market Street, NCBI Vision on Eglinton Street, St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, and Taquila Mexican restaurant in Eglinton Court.
The 2026 grant recommendations were proposed by Councillor Declan McDonnell (Ind ) at last week’s council meeting, and seconded by Councilor Eddie Hoare (FG ). The list was passed unanimously by all councillors present.
In 2025, the same scheme distributed a fund worth €200,000.
