Archive News
Ocean Race worth €60m to the city – but shops lost out
Date Published: 26-Nov-2012
By Dara Bradley
A new report estimates the economic worth to Galway from the Volvo Ocean Race grand finale this summer was €60.5 million.
However, the report noted that while city bars and restaurants increased their turnover by 50% during the 9-day event, it also found that the retail sector took a hit and actually lost business because of the festival.
The report, Volvo Ocean Race Finale Galway 2012 – An Economic Impact Assessment, found that a total of 505,000 visitors attended the Race Village at Docks and the Global Village at South Park from June 30 to July 8.
The report, published yesterday, was carried out by the JE Cairnes School of Business and Economics and the Whitaker Institute at NUI Galway.
It was launched by Mayor of Galway, Terry O’Flaherty, who described the figures contained in the economic analysis as “staggering”.
But despite the report, the organisers, Let’s Do It Global, yesterday confirmed that it will not be making a renewed bid for the event in 2015 and it said it would be focusing on repaying outstanding debts to creditors. It paid tribute to the ‘real heroes’ of the event, the people and businesses of Galway, and reiterated that the State benefited to the tune of about 50 cent in every Euro spent during the race.
The report is based on 600 surveys carried out on attendees at the festival, a sample that is in line with best international practice for such events.
Around 80,000 or 16% of the 505,000 visitors to Galway for VOR were international visitors, the majority of whom were from Northern Ireland and the UK.
The biggest chunk of visitors (29%) to the event were from Galway, with a further 28% coming from the West of Ireland and 27% from the rest of Ireland. The figure of 505,000 visitors is not necessarily ‘unique’ visitors, and includes each visit by people who may have attended twice or even every day for nine days.
The report finds that the pubs and restaurants were the real winners in terms of local businesses while the retail sector suffered, according to responses to a survey of 155 local businesses.
It revealed that turnover in the bar and lounge sector in Galway was one and a half times greater during the Volvo Race compared with last year. The food and restaurant sector’s turnover was up by 20% and hotels and B&Bs reported increased turnover of around 15%.
Shops and the retail sector reported a reduction in turnover of almost 17%. Dr Patrick Collins, of NUIG’s Whitaker Institute, said some in the retail sector complained that traffic congestion in the city as a result of the race hurt their turnover; others complained that visitors had spent their disposable income at the Race Village and Global Village and did not have the same amount to spend in established shops as they did the previous year.
Meanwhile, one in every five businesses, according to the report, increased the numbers of people they employed as a result of the race. That included hiring more staff and giving extra shifts to existing staff. Over 70% of the increased employment was in the hospitality sector, and was mostly concentrated in the city centre.
Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel
People’s living conditions less than 100 years ago were frightening. We have come a long way. We talk about water charges today, but back then the local District Councils were erecting pumps for local communities and the lovely town of Mountbellew, according to Council minutes, had open sewers,” says Galway County Council archivist Patria McWalter.
Patria believes we “need to take pride in our history, and we should take the same pride in our historical records as we do in our built heritage”. When you see the wealth of material in her care, this belief makes sense.
She is in charge of caring for the rich collection of administrative records owned by Galway County Council and says “these records are as much part of our history as the Rock of Cashel is. They document our lives and our ancestors’ lives. And nobody can plan for the future unless you learn from the past, what worked and what didn’t”.
Archivists and librarians are often unfairly regarded as being dry, academic types, but that’s certainly not true of Patria. Her enthusiasm is infectious as she turns the pages of several minute books from Galway’s Rural District Councils, all of them at least 100 years old.
Part of her role involved cataloguing all the records of the Councils – Ballinasloe, Clifden, Galway, Gort, Loughrea, Mountbellew, Portumna and Tuam. These records mostly consisted of minutes of various meetings.
When she was cataloguing them she realised their worth to local historians and researchers, so she decided to compile a guide to their content. The result is For the Record: The Archives of Galway’s Rural District Councils, which will be a valuable asset to anybody with an interest in history.
Many representatives on these Councils were local personalities and several were arrested during the political upheaval of the era, she explains.
And, ushering in a new era in history, women were allowed to sit on these Rural District Councils – at the time they were not allowed to sit on County Councils.
All of this information is included in Patria’s introductory essay to the attractively produced A4 size guide, which gives a glimpse into how these Rural Councils operated and the way political thinking changed in Ireland during a short 26-year period. In the early 1900s, these Councils supported Home Rule, but by 1920, they were calling for full independence and refusing to recognise the British administration.
“I love the tone,” says Patria of the minutes from meetings. “The language was very emotive.”
That was certainly true of the Gort Rural District Council. At a meeting in 1907, following riots in Dublin at the premiere of JM Synge’s play, The Playboy of the Western World the councillors’ response was vehement. They recorded their decision to “protest most emphatically against the libellous comedy, The Playboy of the Western World, that was belched forth during the past week in the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, under the fostering care of Lady Gregory and Mr Yeats. We congratulate the good people of Dublin in howling down the gross buffoonery and immoral suggestions that are scattered throughout this scandalous performance.
For more from the archives see this week’s Tribunes here
Date Published: 23-Jan-2013
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Date Published: 29-Jan-2013
Athenry FC 1
Kilbarrack United 2
(After extra time)
For the second year in succession Athenry were done in extra time in the FAI Junior Cup as last season’s beaten finalist’s came from behind to snatch an excellent game in Moanbawn on Sunday afternoon.
On a heavy pitch that was only playable following extensive groundwork by club officials all morning, the home side were by far the better side in the opening half, but failed to take advantage of a number of opportunities that came their way.
An Alan O’Donovan penalty gave them a merited advantage just after the restart, but thereafter were on the back foot as Kilbarrack took over, but for all their pressing, the home rearguard were dealing comfortably with their forays.
However they were struck a body blow just six minutes from time, as big striker Keith Kirwan was left all alone at the far post to head the equaliser and from that point on the Dubliners were the better side.
They started off the extra time in the ascendancy and enjoying all the momentum before striking for a good winning goal on 104 minutes. A strong bench allowed them to make some necessary changes and it was not a facility that was available to Athenry manager Gabriel Glavin.
With Gary Forde and Gary Delaney out through suspension following their sending off against OLBC in the previous round, and Seamie Crowe injured, it left their bench rather threadbare with just a number of young squad players available.
Playing with the aid of the slight incline and any wind advantage going, the home side had a Connor Cannon effort on target in the opening minute, while John Meleady was just over with a flick at the other end.
Meleady then tested Andrew Walsh who saved comfortably, before the goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant double save on 14 minutes.
Firstly he went full length to push away a Meleady shot and was then back on his feet to parry David Jackson’s close-range rebound.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.
Marine Institute expresses concerns over outbreak on fish farm
Funding of €100k awarded to Cope Galway and Galway Simon
Connemara Pony Breeders Society begins centenary celebrations in Clifden
Six Galway groups shortlisted for All Ireland Community and Council Awards
Gardaí concerned for the welfare of a missing man in County Roscommon.
City seeks to annex Oranmore, Claregalway, Moycullen and Barna in boundary extension
Man awarded €142,000 over unprovoked attack in toilet of County Galway pub
Woman convicted of harassing social media guru
Galway family’s plea – help us save our home
What’s the issue with grants for dribble bars?
