Galway in a time of witnessing

Wed, Jul 30, 2025

Here in Galway, we measure the year in rhythms — not so much by the weather or the ticking of clocks, but by the sequence of festivals and the shifting colour of the streets. July turns, and with it, the city shifts mood. The stretch in the evening begins to draw in. The Galway International Arts Festival takes its final bow, and almost immediately, the echo of hooves rises from Ballybrit. The handover is complete. Art yields to spectacle. The Races are upon us.

Galway in a time of witnessing

Thu, Jul 24, 2025

Here in Galway, we measure the year in rhythms — not so much by the weather or the ticking of clocks, but by the sequence of festivals and the shifting colour of the streets. July turns, and with it, the city shifts mood. The stretch in the evening begins to draw in. The Galway International Arts Festival takes its final bow, and almost immediately, the echo of hooves rises from Ballybrit. The handover is complete. Art yields to spectacle. The Races are upon us.

A sea-shaped legacy – Galway’s candidates and the Presidency?

Thu, Jul 17, 2025

As the presidential race tentatively takes shape, there is a current of quiet excitement rolling out from the west — and not just for the political theatre ahead. For the first time, there is the distinct possibility that two of Galway’s most remarkable political daughters, Dr. Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and Deputy Catherine Connolly, could feature prominently in the contest for Ireland’s highest office. In a race that is often framed by personality and geography, there is something deeper stirring here: the opportunity for two extraordinary, sea-shaped lives to bring Ireland a story it sorely needs to hear.

How Druid Theatre gave Galway its sense of purpose

Thu, Jul 03, 2025

This week, fifty years ago, in a modest room in Galway, three young visionaries came together—Garry Hynes, Marie Mullen, and Mick Lally—to establish something that would forever alter the course of a city’s cultural, economic, and social destiny. They were not seeking glory or attention; they simply believed that great theatre could—and should—exist outside of Dublin. What they set in motion that day was the foundation of Druid Theatre Company, an act that would not only revolutionise Irish theatre but also redefine Galway’s very identity.

Guarding the gate — why we need a western naval base

Thu, Jun 19, 2025

Times have changed. There was once a time when we, on this wind-lashed rock at the far edge of the Atlantic, could keep our heads down and our noses out of trouble. We enjoyed the luxury of obscurity. But that time is over. The world has changed—and not in subtle ways. We are entering a new era of geopolitical instability, technological vulnerability, and organised criminal sophistication. Ireland, and particularly our western coast, can no longer afford to remain a blind spot on the strategic map of Europe.

Tuam excavations an act of humanity and delicacy

Thu, Jun 12, 2025

Next week, beneath the quiet skies of Tuam, shovels will meet soil. It will be no ordinary act of excavation—it will be an act of love, of memory, of finally listening to voices long silenced. The ground at the former Mother and Baby Home, where 796 children were interred without names, markers, or dignity, will open not only to archaeologists, but to a nation’s grief.

Can Galvia statue kickstart an era of doing?

Thu, May 29, 2025

After several millennia of waiting—give or take a few centuries of myth-making, hair-washing, and river-drowning—the city of Galway has decided, at long last, to honour a woman in bronze. Yes, Galvia, the mythical princess presumed to be the namesake of the city, is getting a statue. And not just any statue: one that may, planning permission and divine intervention permitting, actually be installed in a public place before the next ice age.

Starvation is not a strategy—it is a crime

Thu, May 22, 2025

In the chaos of conflict, there are supposed to be red lines. International law—built on the ashes of past atrocities—demands that civilians be protected, aid be allowed, and the most basic of human needs be met, regardless of the flags flying overhead. Yet in Gaza today, we are witnessing a flagrant betrayal of these principles. Food is being used as a weapon of war. And the world is, once again, watching in silence.

Port is gateway to regional renewal and economic resilience

Thu, May 15, 2025

At a critical moment for Galway’s future, a transformative opportunity sits tantalisingly close—yet continues to stall. The relocation and expansion of the Port of Galway is not merely a maritime infrastructure project; it is the single most important investment in the city’s ability to thrive economically, socially, and environmentally over the coming decades. It must be supported—urgently and unequivocally.

As the smoke rises in Rome, so too do expectations

Thu, May 08, 2025

As this newspaper goes to press, the red-robed cardinals are gathering beneath Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. The conclave has begun, the doors have closed, and the world watches with anticipation. By the time you read this, white smoke may already have risen from the chimney, signaling that the Roman Catholic Church has chosen its next pope.

Galway Airport sale — a rare opportunity that demands vision, not vagueness

Thu, May 01, 2025

The former Galway Airport site in Carnmore stands at a critical juncture. With Galway City and County Councils now actively seeking expressions of interest for the 115-acre site, the future of this strategically located land is finally up for meaningful debate. After years of speculation, this is a unique opportunity to turn promise into purpose — but only if ambition is matched by clarity and community-focused planning.

The need for strong local media

Thu, Apr 17, 2025

This day, 55 years ago, the city of Galway awoke to something new—something vibrant, something that would become an indelible part of its identity. For the first time, the Galway Advertiser, the brainchild of the visionary Ronnie O’Gorman, landed on doormats across the city. Its pages carried not just ink and words, but a spirit of community, connection, and curiosity.

Fianna Fáil to mark Easter Rising with Sunday commemorations

Thu, Apr 17, 2025

The Fianna Fail 1916 Easter Commemorations will take place on Sunday next, with the annual Mass at St Patrick’s Church, Forster Street at 11am, followed by a parade and wreath laying at the Liam Mellows statue in Eyre Square.

A pall of sadness at loss of two young lives

Thu, Apr 10, 2025

There are weeks that pass without much notice — ordinary days strung together in the rhythm of life. And then there are weeks like this one in Galway, when time itself seems to pause, heavy with grief, as two vibrant lives were lost on our roads.

The passing of two masters

Thu, Apr 03, 2025

This week, Galway lost two figures whose artistry and passion have shaped the city in ways that will never be forgotten. Ken Bruen, the celebrated crime noir writer, and John Herrick, the footballer and signwriter, both passed away within days of each other, leaving behind legacies as distinct as they were lasting. In their own ways, both men captured the essence of Galway—its resilience, its beauty, and its contradictions. One could strike a ball, the other a chord, but both have forever altered the landscape of this beloved city.

Ken Bruen was more than just a writer. He was an icon whose presence in Galway was as much a part of the city as its ancient cobbled streets. He wasn’t a man who sought the limelight or the trappings of fame; rather, he walked through Galway as though it were his stage, sharing his stories in a way that made the city itself come alive. Through his Jack Taylor novels, he painted a Galway that was both familiar and haunting—filled with dark corners and troubled souls, yet also brimming with compassion and humanity. Bruen’s portrayal of Galway was not just a backdrop for his characters’ struggles but a character in itself, woven into the fabric of the stories he told. The alleyways, the pubs, the ever-present mist—these were not mere settings but integral parts of the narrative, offering a window into a world where beauty and darkness coexisted.

Undercurrent of fear ebbs across the globe

Thu, Mar 27, 2025

In recent months, an undercurrent of fear has swept through corporate and academic circles, not just internationally, but locally, fueled by the shifts in political power within the United States. This fear is not just confined to the American borders but is beginning to spill over to other nations, even reaching as far as the west of Ireland, where companies and universities are starting to feel the pressure.

The Saddest Story

Thu, Mar 13, 2025

“For sale: baby shoes, never worn” is a six word story that is often attributed to Ernest Hemingway, though many dispute the story originated with the American author. Whatever the source, it is possibly the shortest, and saddest, story ever written.

This story takes on a real, and heartbreaking, meaning, as one reads the evidence recently presented to the inquiry into the Real IRA bombing of Omagh on August 15th, 1998.

CRITICAL EYE / SÚIL GHRINN: From dreary to diverse

Thu, Mar 13, 2025

Galway's St Patrick's Day parade has become, somewhat unexpectedly, one of the things I most look forward to in the year. Some of my earliest memories are of uninspiring parades in the dreary 1980s. I swear that one year it consisted only of flat-bed trucks, with nothing on them. Before Macnas imported a theatrical approach to street performance, the parade was often more obligation than entertainment.

Time to save our retailers

Thu, Mar 06, 2025

The retail landscape of Galway City and County has been struggling for years, and the pandemic only exacerbated the issues that were already simmering beneath the surface. As we approach the fifth anniversary of the great shutdown, it is clear that the vibrant heart of many of our towns, villages, and the city itself has never fully recovered. Once thriving hubs of commerce, culture, and social activity, these areas now find themselves marked by dereliction, empty storefronts, and shuttered businesses. The once-bustling streets now carry an air of emptiness, with even Saturdays taking on the quiet, languid feeling of a Sunday afternoon.

At first, the stillness was nostalgic—a reminder of simpler days when towns closed down on weekends, and life slowed to a more peaceful pace. However, what began as a fleeting pause has turned into a lingering malaise. The ambitious plans to breathe new life into these areas through the creation of vibrant hubs, reinvigorating derelict spaces, and fostering a flourishing local economy have failed to materialise. Galway’s town centres, once pulsing with activity, now stand as silent reminders of what was lost.

The shifting sands of the world order

Thu, Feb 20, 2025

The world feels more uncertain than ever. Across continents, the international order is shifting, reshaping itself in ways we can’t yet fully grasp. A century ago, the global landscape was redrawn in the wake of war and upheaval. Now, it seems we are standing at the edge of another realignment, one that is moving faster than we can anticipate.

E-paper

Read this weeks E-paper. Past editions also available from within this weeks digital copy.