Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

“I hope it’s a massive failure,” said a London-based confidante who loves proper ale and Galway in equal measure.

“The beer is usually great, though, unfortunately,” he added, when asked about the impending arrival of JD Wetherspoons to Galway City.

The British pub chain has transformed the industry across the water. Now that it’s planning to open at the former GPO/Carbon nightclub premises on Eglinton Street, the mood locally is mixed.

Critics say that its large outlets, serving cheap food and alcohol, in central locations, have undermined traditional family and licensee-run pubs in England.

They argue staff are paid poorly, on long shifts. This is obviously bad for the workers, but it’s not great for customers either – who wants to be served by someone who doesn’t want to be there?

Galway is lucky that it has bars where the publican licensee is hands-on (think Hughes’ in Woodquay, Tigh Chóilí on Mainguard Street or The Crane back the West, etc) or employs hospitality-specialists and career-oriented professionals who are in it for the long haul (think the Dáil Bar or Freeney’s, among many more).

Well-paid and well-looked-after staff, or owner/licensee occupiers are generally preferable to pubs run by part-timers or transient workers. There’s a symbiotic relationship between drinker and publican/staff in those ‘proper’ local bars that are peppered across the city.

But will that change if Wetherspoons gets a foothold after a €2.5m investment in the Three Red Sails bar and restaurant over two floors?

Our London beer-fly said: “He’ll buy some beer that’s close to expiring – perfectly fine for drinking – and sells it at a bulk discount. Breweries say he’s great to deal with.”

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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