THE authenticity and independence of Galway’s eateries and restaurants must be protected to ensure the city remains one of the food capitals of Ireland.

That’s according to Sheena Dignam of Galway Food Tours, who says there is a need to safeguard Galway’s culinary identity, in light of recent restaurant closures.

“We work with wonderful, independently run businesses that are hugely passionate about what they offer, and that’s what makes for a fabulous food tour,” she says.

“But we’ve seen some restaurants closing down this year.”

While acknowledging the city’s growth, she stresses the importance of maintaining Galway’s culinary identity.

“There’s enough bubble tea shops and enough kebab shops,” she says.

“We need to keep the authenticity and independence of Galway’s food culture. We need to keep our standards high if we want to keep going as one of the food capital cities of Ireland.”

As owner of Galway Food Tours, Sheena experienced a turbulent start to the year, with hundreds of cancellations due to US tariffs.

While the business was hit hard by the uncertainty in the States, she describes 2025 as “challenging, but ultimately positive.”

“We rely heavily on North America, and at the start of the year we had literally hundreds of cancellations when tariffs were announced,” she says.

“It was quite scary, and we really didn’t know what the rest of the year would entail.”

Despite that rocky beginning to 2025, Galway Food Tours has managed to match last year’s guest numbers and overall spend, a result she describes as “an excellent outcome” given the circumstances.

However, she notes a clear shift in booking behaviour, with visitors increasingly making last-minute decisions.

“Everything is very last minute now, which makes things difficult when it comes to venues that are already very busy and for securing guides,” she explains.

Looking ahead, she says 2026 is shaping up well, though caution remains for the company she established in Galway 12 years ago and expanded to Kilkenny this year.

“We know just how unstable this industry can be,” she says.

“Experiences and holidays are often the first things people cut when they’re worried about the economy. But we are cautiously optimistic.”

Sheena also highlights positive developments, including the increased use of outdoor seating in the West End.

The reopening of Silkes as a market at Christmas is also a welcome boost along with the opening of restaurants she describes as “stunning.”

“There is a lot of positivity,” she says.

“It is really great to see certain spaces being utilised. And there are one or two restaurants that have opened that are stunning.”

Pictured: Sheena Dignam: ‘ We need to keep our standards high.’