News
Six-year blueprint for city tourism

A six-year blueprint for tourism has recommended a master brand be created for the whole of Galway to help it capitalise on its status as the only city on the entire Wild Atlantic Way.
The Tourism Sustainability Strategy 2015-2021 has outlined the need to help the sector develop new products to enhance the tourist experience and extend the tourist season.
It also has recommended there be “continuous innovation” for festival formats, themes and focus to further develop Galway’s reputation as the capital of festivals.
The Tourism Sustainability Strategy relies heavily on a study carried out by the Whitaker Institute in NUIG commissioned by Galway City and County Councils into the industry.
The study highlighted some key facts about the region. One sixth of domestic trips were to the West of Ireland with an average length of stay by Irish residents of 3.3 nights, which is the second longest after the south west; an average of €317 is generated per visitor to the West, the third highest revenue in the State.
Galway accounted for nearly 16% of total overseas visitors to Ireland last year, with Galway’s inbound overseas visitors increasing at a higher rate than nationally between 2013 and 2014.
The research found that €148 million was generated in Galway from domestic tourists in 2013. The revenue from overseas visitors was €253 million in 2012.
The specific actions contained in the plan include establishing a destination management organisation for Galway city and county, similar to the one set up in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, which is now the second most visited tourist attraction on the island. Another is to create a Wild Atlantic Way Action plan, given that Galway City is the only city location on the Wild Atlantic Way, as well as being a key mid-point on the route.
“This gives Galway City the competitive advantage to become the key hub of the WAW for transport, accommodation and other resources.”
Among the priorities set out in the plan is the creation of cultural trails using the region’s cultural assets, such as heritage sites. The trails could be combined with the food, creative and agricultural sectors to create unique and authentic experiences for domestic and overseas tourists.
“Marketing and branding of Galway in a systematic way through traditional and new media is essential to supporting the sector in national and international markets. This could be done through a master brand for Galway,” the plan states.
The strategy underlines the need to refine the Galway tourist experience with changes to the profile of tourists, their demands, preferences and lengths of stay.
The Galway tourist profile has been broken down to three groups. Culturally Curious are typically 55 years old, taking a holiday with their partner and out to broaden their minds by exploring new landscapes, history and culture; Great Escapers tend to be around 30, often couples, some with young children, interested in rural holidays who want a break to reconnect with their partner and nature; Social Energisers are young couples and adult groups looking for excitement, new experiences, and a fun, social holiday somewhere different.
The strategy was adopted by councillors at a meeting of Galway City Council.
Connacht Tribune
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest

Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Connacht Tribune
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races

On the eve of completing his 150th marathon, an odyssey that has taken him across 53 countries, Loughrea’s Marathon Man has announced that he is planning to hang up his running shoes.
But not before Jarlath Fitzgerald completes another ten races, making it 160 marathons on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
“I want to draw the line in 2026. I turn 57 in October and when I reach 60 it’s the finishing line. The longer races are taking it out of me. I did 20 miles there two weeks ago and didn’t feel good. It’s getting harder,” he reveals.
“I’ve arthritis in both hips and there’s wear and tear in the knees.”
We speak as he is about to head out for a run before his shift in Supervalu Loughrea. Despite his physical complaints, he still clocks up 30 miles every second week and generally runs four days a week.
Jarlath receives injections to his left hip to keep the pain at bay while running on the road.
To give his joints a break, during the winter he runs cross country and often does a five-mile trek around Kylebrack Wood.
He is planning on running his 150th marathon in Cork on June 4, where a group of 20 made up of work colleagues, friends and running mates from Loughrea Athletics Club will join him.
Some are doing the 10k, others are doing the half marathon, but all will be there on the finishing line to cheer him on in the phenomenal achievement.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
CITY TRIBUNE
Galway ‘masterplan’ needed to tackle housing and transport crises

From the Galway City Tribune – An impassioned plea for a ‘masterplan’ that would guide Galway City into the future has been made in the Dáil. Galway West TD Catherine Connolly stated this week that there needed to be an all-inclusive approach with “vision and leadership” in order to build a sustainable city.
Deputy Connolly spoke at length at the crisis surrounding traffic and housing in Galway city and said that not all of the blame could be laid at the door of the local authority.
She said that her preference would be the provision of light rail as the main form of public transport, but that this would have to be driven by the government.
“I sat on the local council for 17 years and despaired at all of the solutions going down one road, metaphorically and literally. In 2005 we put Park & Ride into the development plan, but that has not been rolled out. A 2016 transport strategy was outdated at the time and still has not been updated.
“Due to the housing crisis in the city, a task force was set up in 2019. Not a single report or analysis has been published on the cause of the crisis,” added Deputy Connolly.
She then referred to a report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) that identified lands suitable for the provision of housing. But she said that two-thirds of these had significant problems and a large portion was in Merlin Park University Hospital which, she said, would never have housing built on it.
In response, Minister Simon Harris spoke of the continuing job investment in the city and also in higher education, which is his portfolio.
But turning his attention to traffic congestion, he accepted that there were “real issues” when it came to transport, mobility and accessibility around Galway.
“We share the view that we need a Park & Ride facility and I understand there are also Bus Connects plans.
“I also suggest that the City Council reflect on her comments. I am proud to be in a Government that is providing unparalleled levels of investment to local authorities and unparalleled opportunities for local authorities to draw down,” he said.
Then Minister Harris referred to the controversial Galway City Outer Ring Road which he said was “struck down by An Bord Pleanála”, despite a lot of energy having been put into that project.
However, Deputy Connolly picked up on this and pointed out that An Bord Pleanála did not say ‘No’ to the ring road.
“The High Court said ‘No’ to the ring road because An Bord Pleanála acknowledged it failed utterly to consider climate change and our climate change obligations.
“That tells us something about An Bord Pleanála and the management that submitted such a plan.”
In the end, Minister Harris agreed that there needed to be a masterplan for Galway City.
“I suggest it is for the local authority to come up with a vision and then work with the Government to try to fund and implement that.”