Galway market traders want electricity and new paving to tackle flooding

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Traders at Galway Market have called for electricity and new paving to thwart constant flooding – in a bid to drag one of the oldest markets in Ireland into the 21st century.

In a submission to the Draft City Development Plan, the Galway Market Committee point out that during the pandemic the importance of the market to the cultural fabric of the city was clearly evident.

Yet years of under-investment have left conditions for stall-holders and customers badly lacking in the prime visitor attraction.

“We have witnessed a deterioration in the paving around St Nicholas Church and the adjacent area and we believe it is a hazard as well as prone to constant flooding,” they state.

“Signage at the entrance to Church Lane via Shop Street would recognise the historic and cultural significance of the market. The electrification of the market would add to the visitor experience of the market and so away with the requirement for generators.”

One committee member told the Galway City Tribune that traders drag petrol generators to power their stalls which are noisy and are potentially a health and safety hazard.

“It would be great to have a type of system to generate lighting on the site which would really add to the ambience, especially in the winter,” he stated.

They also want permanent signs to denote the footprint of the market where farmers have been trading since 1484.

This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.