Report throws doubt on future of Christmas Market

A lengthy report from a Director of Services at Galway City Council released this week, casts serious doubts over the future location of the Christmas Market at Kennedy Park in Eyre Square.

Tom Connell, Director of Services, at Galway City Council, said that discussions had already begun with the Galway Business Association ‘to look at new ways of organising and setting out future Christmas markets and the location and composition of same’.

In his report, he said that the location of the market stalls on the grassed area of Eyre Square, with the consequent severe damage to those areas, ‘cannot be sustained’.

“This requires a different approach on the location and management of the project from the organisers’ perspective.

“The annual destruction of the grass area reflects poorly on the city having regard that Eyre Square is the prime and focal destination of the city,” said Mr. Connell in his report.

In his ‘Christmas Market 2014 Review Report, circulated to councillors before last Monday evening’s City Council meeting, the Director of Services also lists a series of other problems with last year’s event.

Market Organiser, Maria Moynihan Lee, Managing Director of Milestone Inventive, when contacted by the Galway City Tribune, confirmed that she would be writing to the City Council in relation to the report.

“I am writing to the Director of Services, Tom Connell, to seek to have the report corrected,” Maria Moynihan Lee, told the Galway City Tribune. Ms. Moynihan also issued the following statement on the issue:

“The Galway Continental Christmas Market is unique in that it doesn’t cost the city (or any other agency) anything. The Galway Christmas Market is now the premier Christmas event in Ireland and it is 100% self sustaining and, as well as bringing joy to people of all ages, contributes directly to the coffers of the city.

“We have an excellent reputation and unblemished safety record. Our event planning for the Christmas Market was further supported by the input of MSA, the leading event health and safety consultants in Ireland, and by specialist event structural engineering consultancy, MMOS.

“The individual contractors responsible for design and construction supervision, event control and safety supervision are themselves leaders in their field, with many years experience not just in the Christmas Market but also in such events as both editions of the Volvo Ocean Race, the Galway Oyster Festival, theatre production and further afield in similar roles in concert and major festival events throughout Ireland,” the statement concluded.

For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune