Public plaza, shops and hotel at heart of new-look Eyre Square

A vision for the redevelopment of the entire eastern side of Eyre Square – along the lines of Victoria Square in Belfast – has been presented to Galway City Council.

A majority of city councillors have already backed the principle of a major new plaza around the old St Patrick’s Church, which would include a hotel, shops, offices and overhead apartments and student accommodation.

The owners of more than 30 properties in a block bounded by the Square, Prospect Hill, Bóthar Uí hEithir and Forster Street presented their vision for the six-acre site in a submission on the Draft City Development Plan 2017-23.

The Comer Group and their partners the McHale Group – who bought a portfolio of properties in the ‘block’ three years ago for less than €14 million and are continuing to pursue properties in the area – want to create a pedestrian walkway from Eyre Square, through St Patrick’s Avenue and onto the new plaza.

City Council Chief Executive Brendan McGrath has recommended that an objective be included in the Draft Development Plan which would allow for a full strategy to be drawn up for the new ‘Eyre Square East Quarter’.

For extensive details of the proposals, and City Council discussions, see this week’s Galway City Tribune