Bradley Bytes – a sort of political column with Dara Bradley

Bed early down the country, lads. That’s the message from the Dublin-centric Government this week that pumped money into two new schemes to open cultural buildings at night but none in Galway.

You have to wonder what the fuss about the legacy of Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture was all about when the Minister for Culture ignored the city in this latest attempt to boost the night-time economy.

Minister Catherine Martin fired cash at 51 organisations for more than 220 events across the country including poetry, film, dance, literature, music, theatre, visual arts and multidisciplinary projects.

Galway, a cultural capital of Europe, was omitted from the list of organisations that shared €660,000.

Dublin got the lion’s share. Of the 51 projects, 20 are in Dublin. That’s roughly a third. Of the total funding, Dublin venues got €202,300 or almost 40% of the available pot. The National Concert Hall, with €140,000, got the largest single grant of any organisation.

Every other city in the state got something to stage events after dark. Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny and Waterford all included. So too Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Leitrim, Wicklow, Kerry, Tipperary, Cavan, Wexford, Kildare, Clare and Donegal. But nothing for Galway.

You’d swear Galway was laden-down with cultural activities to engage culture vultures after dark that they didn’t need it. The opposite is true. Apart from going to the pub, and late-night shopping on certain days, the city centre is pretty much closed down late at night. Maybe the odd busker, but didn’t the powers that be try to ban them too?

Why no night-time funding allocation for Galway Museum or Galway Arts Centre? Both are Galway City Council funded bodies that should be in line for this type of grant aid. What about the Hall of the Red Earl?

Who dropped the ball here? Did Galway’s cultural venues not apply for funding, or did the Department of Culture overlook their applications?

How embarrassing, that a European Capital of Culture, for whatever reason, doesn’t get a red cent under the After Hours at the Museum Grant Scheme.

Let the inquest begin.
This is a shortened preview version of this column. For more Bradley Bytes, see the September 8 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.