Galway makes the festivals – not the other way round!

Double Vision with Charlie Adley

I never know whether to laugh or cry when I see headlines proclaiming how many millions of euro this event or that festival will bring to Galway’s economy. Quite apart from the fact that after the Volvo Ocean Race finale there were many local people left out of pocket, the idea that cruise liners, events and festivals offer something special to Galwegians is missing the point entirely.

Of course it’s great that people from all over the world and every corner of this island flock to Galway City and County. Race Week would feel strangely empty if it was only attended by Galwegians, but it would still be an amazing festival, because it’s Galwegians that put the magic into any event, not the other way round.

When I arrived here, Galway Arts Festival posters were created by the inimitable and irresistible Joe Boske. His wonderful depictions of our local flora, fauna and culture were as exciting and eccentric as the festival itself.

In its present incarnation, sporting a logo that any multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate would be proud of, the Galway International Arts Festival is incredibly reliable and successful, taking its own productions on sell-out international tours.

However, as first illustrated by the success of Project ‘06 and the subsequent burgeoning Fringe Festival, down on the streets people feel sadly distanced from it.

Ah, and what streets they are! The perfect size for a city, in Galway you can walk everywhere, while if you want to explore the stunning countryside, nothing is more than 90 minutes away.

Quay Street offers the perfect rendezvous for tourists and locals alike and the river Corrib roars through the city centre like a bold artist’s signature at the foot of a painting.

Yet more than the geography of Galway, it’s Galwegians that offer the most. We’ll applaud your IronMan athletes. We’ll greet your Volvo yachts with the greatest welcome any sailor has seen in a century. We’ll host the entire nation for one week every August and everyone, from busker to billionaire, will wear a grin and cross the cobbled streets with a spring in their step.

We’ll do all this because we thrill at human endeavour, appreciate the effort involved in throwing a party and love having a good time. Ask anyone in Ireland to sum up Galway in one word and I’ll put a penny to a pound that they say “craic”.

Galwegians know better than any others how to go with the flow. Arrangements are for sissies round here. You go out and let the evening happen. As you walk through the city, take a look at the other people on the street and notice how many are smiling. I have lived in London, Melbourne and San Francisco: some of the world’s most splendid cities, yet nowhere have I seen such apparently happy people.

To read Charlie’s full column, please see this week’s Galway City Tribune.