Councillor calls for less negativity on Galway 2020

A county councillor has complained that his city counterparts are engaged in too much negativity in relation to Galway city and county’s European Capital of Culture project.

Fine Gael’s Joe Byrne acknowledged there are some problems with Galway 2020 but he said there was a need now to “take a deep breath” to assess the situation and to determine what the legacy of the designation should be.

“There’s too much negativity, and a reactionary approach, mainly from some city councillors,” said Cllr Byrne.

“There are problems but sometimes you need to just take a deep breath, take a few weeks to sort out those problems. You need to take a deep breath and focus on the positivity and what the legacy of Galway 2020 can be.”

Cllr Byrne has asked Chief Executive of Galway County Council, Kevin Kelly, to provide an update on Galway 2020 at next Monday’s plenary meeting of the local authority. Mr Kelly is a member of the Board of Galway 2020.

“Even if he gives a brief update, and a commitment that Galway 2020 would come before us at another full meeting of the County Council to outline progress on the project,” said the Kinvara-based representative.

Cllr Byrne said the County Council was fulfilling its budget pledge of €2 million to the project – he said €6 million was never promised by the County Council, although that’s what Galway 2020 said it was getting from the County Council.

“I don’t know where that figure came from . . . but it’s not all about money, and it shouldn’t be always about money,” insisted Cllr Byrne.

Galway City Council has promised to stump-up at least €6 million to fund the project, which has been dogged by controversy.

Its chief executive, Hannah Kiely, stepped aside from her role last month, hot on the heels of the premature departure of the artistic director, Chris Baldwin.

Druid Theatre Company has withdrawn its flagship programme from Galway 2020 Galway, Middle Island, due to “loss of time, significant budget cuts and communications issues”. Druid said it would work with Galway 2020 on devising another, smaller-scale project.

Other organisations will also follow suit and ‘downsize’ their projects because budgets have been slashed, by as much as 80% in some cases.

Cllr Byrne acknowledged the “turmoil” that has beset Galway 2020 but he said there was a lot of positive stuff happening on the ground.

Over the weekend, he said, hundreds of people attended events in Ballinderreen as part of the ‘Sur La Mer’ (on the sea) Small Towns, Big Ideas Galway 2020 pilot project.

These Small Towns, Big Ideas projects are being rolled-out in may rural areas, he said.

“The legacy of Galway 2020 shouldn’t be a statue in Eyre Square, the legacy of Galway 2020 should be that we have developed and nurtured our heritage and our culture and that we celebrate it throughout the year,” he said.

“The importance for our city and county is the legacy which the 2020 project leaves behind and it will be as successful as we make it, despite fears of funding cuts, because one cannot underestimate the power of the voluntary sector in every community who want to be part of this project.

“I have asked Galway County Council CEO to brief county councillors at our meeting on October 22 at which time better assessment will be at hand rather than at present with so much reactionary assessment being made by many,” added Cllr Byrne.

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