Galway Docks ideal as answer to Sydney’s Opera House

The Galway Docks area would be an ideal location for a much-needed concert venue, Galway Harbour CEO has said.

Eamon Bradshaw, who is driving the docks redevelopment plan, says the ‘inner dock’ could be developed into a cultural space that would become “Galway’s answer to the Sydney Opera House”.

The inner dock area is currently where the unsightly scrap metal, which is necessary economically for the port, is stored.

Galway Arts Festival is using a shed at the inner dock as an exhibition space during this July’s festival. During the two Volvo Ocean Race stopovers the potential of the area as a cultural and musical space was showcased.

Under plans for the development of the port, the commercial activity would be moved further out, freeing up the inner dock area for more marinas for pleasure craft, of which there is a huge demand, and for a concert venue. The lack of a concert space in Galway has been highlighted in the past as a holding the city back in terms of securing high profile gigs.

“I believe it can be done and that it could be a concert venue – like the Sydney Opera House by the sea. Why not?”

Mr Bradshaw added: “The inner dock area – I really, really believe that this area could be of huge benefit to the city. And I believe there shouldn’t be a commercial port inside in the inner dock area, in the city. I believe it should be given over. The marina proved that – we have 40 spaces all taken up and we could fill 40 more if we had them in the morning.

“My belief is this city should be in support of this port in terms of what we are trying to do because the West of Ireland should absolutely have a commercial port.”