Galway’s 2020 bid enters the final furlong

It will be a case of all hands on deck in Galway over the coming weeks – as the bid to make the city European Capital of Culture 2020 enters the final furlong.

With just six weeks to go before the final submission, the last push is on to prove that Galway wants and needs the designation more than any other city or region in Ireland.

The finishing touches are now being put to the bid book by the project team – setting out why Galway is a credible candidate and showing how the city, and county, will deliver on its plans.

Following the submission, two of the jury members will visit Galway on July 11, taking in a programme of scheduled events, and speaking to locals to get a feel for what the designation would mean to the people of Galway.

This will be followed by a final presentation to the full 10-person jury at Dublin Castle on July 14 – the day before it will be decided if Galway has overcome its competition in the form of Limerick and the ‘Three Sisters’ collective of Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny

According to Mark O’Donnell – member of the Galway 2020 Project Team – if Galway received the designation, the long-term benefits for the city will be huge.

“Obviously, the bulk of the programme is going to be in 2020,” said Mark. “But this is a long-term project for Galway City and County – it has the potential to be transformative and a game-changer in terms of the long-term vision for the city and county.”

Over the next few weeks, the public face of the campaign is about to become a lot more visible with bunting and flags set to be raised across the city to strengthen the campaign in the public consciousness.

For more on the lead-up to the 2020 bid, see this week’s Galway City Tribune