Do you ever start taking Galway for granted?

MattKid

and if so how long did it take?

padi89

MattKid wrote:

and if so how long did it take?

How long is a piece of string?

Amazotheamazing

I dunno, once you get tired of the same faces in the same pubs/clubs there's very little to do in Galway.

Redhairedguy

I take it for granted everyday... but i still love the place.

Interceptor

It depends on whether you are referring to Galway the place, or Galway the state of mind. I got fed up of the place within three years of moving here but I am always aware that I'm on the chilled out side of the Shannon.

When you get older it is less about the nightlife and more about the hassles of finding parking. I don't go into town much, don't know when I was on Shop St. last and I work in NUIG.

'cptr

biko

MattKid wrote:

and if so how long did it take?

Isn't that true for any city?

However, Galway gets so many tourists/ foreigners/ students that it feels kinda new every year.

There is lots to do outside of drinking, mostly arts and sports.

padi89

Amazotheamazing wrote:

I dunno, once you get tired of the same faces in the same pubs/clubs there's very little to do in Galway.

There is absolutley **** loads to do in Galway besides pubs and clubs.Its just a very poor excuse "oh there is nothing for the youth to do".Look at all the possibilty of sports, social clubs,arts etc.If you base your whole outlook on nightlife and drinking then im afraid you will find the same problem in every city in the world.
I appreciate Galway now alot more than i used to.I took it for granted when i was just on the pi55 all the time but now ive gotten a bit older and chilled out a bit i appreciate it so much more.

Redhairedguy

As a chap who spends the majority of his week in the feckin square, I can honestly say... I have no need to go to pubs or clubs at all, as there is always something to do, be it a mad big jamming session down by the steps... or casually avoiding the winos as they attempt to fondle your groin. NUI and GMIT have loads of different societies and stuff that people can join. Besides that there are other clubs and activities available.

Granted, at night there is little to do, except the cinema, theatre, eating out, socialising on a limited alcohol sense, driving, camping, fishing and all other stuff (Yes, I know I've now out stepped the boundries of Galway city.. still!)

Anyway, dere's my little input!

Amazotheamazing

Actually, I think Galway's rep for the Arts is largely undeserved, I'd have both Cork and Dublin way ahead of it. Case in point, how many times does the the same ole plays turn up in the town hall, vagina monolgues again anyone? Musically it's behind Cork and Dublin for both home grown bands and bands coming on tour. Even this year (on this board) when I defended the Arts festival, people more knowledgeable than me shot me down about it.

Sports can be done anywhere, but generally Galway has the worst facilities of the 4 big Irish cities for sports.

biko

Well, it's also the smallest of the Provincial capitals. I think the arts and sports scene is pretty much as large as the town.
Cork and BAC gets a lot of action because Dub is a quarter of the population and Cork is cultural capital of Europe and also have a trad tradition.

Amazotheamazing

Exactly Biko. Galway's a good spot, never said it wasn't, but imo, it's getting sillyingly overhyped.

biko

Galway could almost use a bit less people in the summer, last few weekends have been mad. Hens and stags all over the shop, every pub jammers. Races coming up and shop street so packed it takes ten times as long to make it past all the crowds, buskers and street artists. Mighty craic but it can be a nuisance when you (me) live in the city centre.

padi89

Amazotheamazing wrote:

Actually, I think Galway's rep for the Arts is largely undeserved, I'd have both Cork and Dublin way ahead of it. Case in point, how many times does the the same ole plays turn up in the town hall, vagina monolgues again anyone? Musically it's behind Cork and Dublin for both home grown bands and bands coming on tour. Even this year (on this board) when I defended the Arts festival, people more knowledgeable than me shot me down about it.

Sports can be done anywhere, but generally Galway has the worst facilities of the 4 big Irish cities for sports.

If you want to go comparing Galway with other cities then its pointless comparing it to Dublin or Cork,both are much bigger in size and in population.To be honest its more comparable with Limerick and IMO its Arts and Musical scence is miles ahead of Limericks.

As for sports facilities we have some of the best in the country.Look at Pearse Stadium now its easily as good as the Gaelic Grounds or Páirc Uí Chaoimh.The soccer facility up in Drum is also one of the best in the country.We also have the one of the biggest and best racing festivals in the world,one of the best lakes for fishing in the country...etc.

We could do with a 50 metre swimming pool and a better athletics facilty thats for sure.But something must be right with the sports scence in Galway with so many teams in Galway at underage and senior levels ,women and men winning competitions all over the country.

It just a matter of getting up off your arse and using whats there right in front of you and there is plenty to keep you occupied.

Amazotheamazing

The important part of your post is "IMO", becuase, looking objectively there's no way you'd say Galway had good sports facilities for it's size. Like I said, I think the Arts scene is overrated in Galway, for the culture capital, there's a shocking lack of any new cutting edge stuff in theatre/performaning arts happening here, unless giant papier mache heads are still edgy, and there hasn'y been a really good Galway band since the early 1990's. It's a good town, better indeed than Limerick in many respects, but once you get past the pubs there's little else to do.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

padi89

Amazotheamazing wrote:

The important part of your post is "IMO", becuase, looking objectively there's no way you'd say Galway had good sports facilities for it's size. Like I said, I think the Arts scene is overrated in Galway, for the culture capital, there's a shocking lack of any new cutting edge stuff in theatre/performaning arts happening here, unless giant papier mache heads are still edgy, and there hasn'y been a really good Galway band since the early 1990's. It's a good town, better indeed than Limerick in many respects, but once you get past the pubs there's little else to do.

If you read my post correctly you would note i said "IMO" regarding comparing Galway to Limerick so your just twisting my words.
What exactly do you think Galway lacks as regards Sports facilities? I know it could do with a 50 metre pool(that was a serious cock up) and probably a better athletics facility but other than that the facitlites are good ,otherwise we wouldnt be producing such strong teams and individuals in sport from our town.
If your talking about from a spectators point of view there isnt much point in pumping big money into new stadiums as the newly built ones here are barely full on big match days.People expecting the a red carpet entrance to a multi million euro sports facility are usually the ones a month from opening have quit using it after the honey moon period dissapears.
There hasnt been a really good band from or in Galway since the early 90s?I certainly have seen some pretty good bands and djs since then,Radiohead,Fatboyslim ,Bob Dylan.Mind you they were well spread out ,but unfortunately there just simply isnt the demand for big name bands in Galway and tickets are always slow moving.Roisins always had good acts and is getting better now and most arists love playing that venue.As regards good bands coming out of Galway the last good band for me was The Stunning and those guys werent even from Galway and before them there was nothing in Galway either.So i wouldnt say the lack of good homegrown bands is the citys fault its just there isnt enough talent in the city,simple.
As regards the Arts scene i would only be making a stab in the dark if i was to pass comment.I really dont frequent the Arts scene often enough for me to run out of things to go to.As for Macnas i havent bothered going into that parade in a long time to me it just seems the same evey year.A big thumbs up for Project 06 at least with that now up and running you have an alternative to the Arts festival ,more importantly from the artisits themselves so you might get your "cutting edge".
Besides the pubs and clubs there is plenty to do, its just a matter of opening your eyes to whats around you.

biko

OP, let me know when you get to end of this list and I'll add on

sinus

Amazotheamazing wrote:

there hasn'y been a really good Galway band since the early 1990's.

has anyone actually been out in galway recently?? I mean compaired to at least 2 years ago the 'scence' in galway has actually developed...I mean there are actually bands playing rather than pointless/same cover bands playing night after night in the same venues.

In terms of the bands out there...ghostwood project, breakdown rambler, lucas, cartoon thieves, sabrina dinan, mirikal whip, rustic tacki,jung turks, cuckoo savante (techinically not doing orig. but at least doing something different) to name just a few...thats just the live scene...then the dj scene is rocking at the moment...110st, mash, gpo bringing in top djs.

Galway has the talent, its just the exposure that p's me off. There is not enough live venues and there is one promotor who just books the same acts (out of the hand full of above mentioned) and gets them to play night after night when either a support slot or 'underground talent' themed night is on...every thursday lets say after 12! Galway would do far better if said promoter would take to oppertunity or have the balls to try search for the other talent...There are no facilities for these bands to get known

AthAnRi

Just move away from it for a while and you won't take it for granted then. I live and work in the UK and Galway compared to Manchester or Birmingham is amazing. The population of the galway city is about a tenth of these and it is still more lively than either. This is particualrly noticable on a Sunday or during week nights when both Manchester and Birmingham turn into ghost towns.

There is nothing better for me than Quay street on a Hot saturday evening. The one thing that is pissing me off about galway city though is the littering problem. Eyre square turns into an absolute pig sty when the weather is fine. People are so ignorant they can't clean up after themselves. It's not eventhat difficult. I think that they should introduce on the spot fines for anyone caught littering in Eyre Square. People wouldn't be long picking up after themselves then

absurdlittlebir

eh just to clear things up bucko, cuckoo savante do actually play a one and a half hour set every wednsday in roisins of original tracks, and bulk up the remaining twenty minutes we are required to fil with at most four classic songs which they feel indicate their own musical leanings....we currently have close to two albums worth of our own material, and i dare you say it aint original......keep it real, bring it to the people and all dat jazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

galwayrush

a lot of friends who had to emigrate in the bad old 80's soon realised how much they took Galway for granted once they were away for a few months.
anyone i bring here from abroad esp from the UK are amazed at how chilled out and safe the place is compared to where they live. one friend couldn't believe that you could go on a major pub crawl without geting mugged or worse .