Galway through to the next round in the bid for European Capital of Culture 2020

seanin4711

I am happy for galway,truly!
1.5million of EU cash and 15million of taxpayers money.
Great to get cash injection.
Now to the crux of my argument.
I dont trust the city/county councils with that sort of cash.

I am a proud Galwegian born and bread but over the last 30 years the amount of waste that has gone on is criminal.(grass/landscaping in eyre square,cobbles on shop st,the list goes on).

piss away public funds and move on to the next one ala John Tierney irish water.

I really hope there is a paradigm shift in planning and constructively using the funds in the best possible manner.

Ever The optimist me!

Zzippy

beardybrewer wrote: »

Murals for everyone!

Beanstalks. Beanstalks everywhere!

seanin4711

Zzippy wrote: »

Beanstalks. Beanstalks everywhere!

that was just the tin hat on it really!

dr.bollocko

seanin4711 wrote: »

I am happy for galway,truly!
1.5million of EU cash and 15million of taxpayers money.
Great to get cash injection.
Now to the crux of my argument.
I dont trust the city/county councils with that sort of cash.

I am a proud Galwegian born and bread but over the last 30 years the amount of waste that has gone on is criminal.(grass/landscaping in eyre square,cobbles on shop st,the list goes on).

piss away public funds and move on to the next one ala John Tierney irish water.

I really hope there is a paradigm shift in planning and constructively using the funds in the best possible manner.

Ever The optimist me!

The chip on your shoulder doesn't have to be visible in every thread you post in though.

johnnyryan89

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Do you think the Limerick bid brought them around Hyde Park?

It brought them to Moyross instead.

Wompa1

Anybody see this poem: http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/festivals/galway-poet-skewers-city-of-culture-in-a-savage-ode-34889775.html

Who does she think she is bringing facts into this?

ben.schlomo

Wompa1 wrote: »

Anybody see this poem: http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/festivals/galway-poet-skewers-city-of-culture-in-a-savage-ode-34889775.html

Who does she think she is bringing facts into this?

That's a large chip for what appears to be a slim looking woman.

snubbleste

Ms Higgins is not incorrect so to speak.

Daisy78

seanin4711 wrote: »

15 million of government money .
Taxpayers money

And?

r93kaey5p2izun

Well done Galway, a deserving winner I would have thought and I'm sure the city will do a grest job and the whole thing will be a success. No harm for the organisers to be watched closely and properly scrutinised though.

I love that poem and think think it only adds to the weight of evidence that the city is a suitable host. Art should be honest and critical, force people to question and even be brutal at times, not always light and fluffy and pretty, all fireworks displays and papier mache puppets. Trying to hide the poem would be a mistake and accusing the poet of having a chip rather misses the point tbh.

Good luck Galway and congratulations.

El_Dangeroso

Wompa1 wrote: »

Anybody see this poem: http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/festivals/galway-poet-skewers-city-of-culture-in-a-savage-ode-34889775.html

Who does she think she is bringing facts into this?

Read the poem, is that the best she could come up with? I love Galway and could write a more scathing poem about the city than that.

TerrorFirmer

To be honest I think she's an utter idiot, why did she accept the commission and then produce that spew of bleak negativity? She's free to write scathing poetry about the city all year round, why accept a commission for work she knew well was commissioned in support of the bid and waste everyones time?

Arghus

I don't object to it on the grounds of what she had to say.

I object to it on the grounds of bad poetry.

It's bloody awful. And the worst part is how bloody awfully long it is.

Wompa1

ben.schlomo wrote: »

That's a large chip for what appears to be a slim looking woman.

She also raises many valid points....

Wompa1

Arghus wrote: »

I don't object to it on the grounds of what she had to say.

I object to it on the grounds of bad poetry.

It's bloody awful. And the worst part is how bloody awfully long it is.

It is pretty bad

Reputable Rog

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Do you think the Limerick bid brought them around Hyde Park?

In Roscommon or London ?

ben.schlomo

Reputable Rog wrote: »

In Roscommon or London ?

Touche.

happyoutscan

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

To be honest I think she's an utter idiot, why did she accept the commission and then produce that spew of bleak negativity? She's free to write scathing poetry about the city all year round, why accept a commission for work she knew well was commissioned in support of the bid and waste everyones time?

Because she's a moron.

biko

Whatever your position is on the artist, please don't let this descend into something that will be locked.

fergiesfolly

She's a poet.
A good one in my opinion, but art is subjective, so all opinions are valid.
She's an artist though and shouldn't have to curb her artistic integrity for the commercial benefit of any group.
You can't organise a cultural event without the endeavours of people like Rita.

Mrs OBumble

Wompa1 wrote: »

She also raises many valid points....

Many of which apply to the whole country, not just to Galway:

Legionnaires must be a constant risk everywhere, due to the dodgy plumbing and unwillingness to keep hot-water tanks heated.

Domestic violence, private property attitudes/morality, attitudes towards Travellers.

Mysoogeny in NUIG - sure it's a specific example. But neoptism in general ain't specific to this town.

Electing dumb-ass politicians. Yup, we sure we do. But we're not the ones who put the Healy-Rae clan into the Dail. Or a convicted, time served thief back onto the council he stole from, alongside the father of a brutal rapist.





I'm no poet, or poetry critic. But I am a contract worker. And I do know what happens to contractors who don't deliver what is requested.

Moo Moo Land

I just heard the GAA are going to orchestrate an All Ireland double for the footballers and hurlers of Galway in 2020. It'll be epic!

Gaillimh abu!

This might require some food poisoning to the KK hurling squad.

fergiesfolly

Then it's the organisers fault for asking an artist to forgo their integrity to write a fluff piece to promote their cause.
They could've gotten some PR company to write a fairytale piece if that's all that concerne them.

It seems to be forgotten by some that this is a cultural event, not a money making piss up.

Moo Moo Land

fergiesfolly wrote: »

It seems to be forgotten by some that this is a cultural event, not a money making piss up.

Can we ban Enda Walsh plays that year? They're muck!

alchemist33

I was planning our summer trip to Galway from Donegal tonight but after reading the poem I think we'll just go back to Plan A and Syria.

_Whimsical_

She's got people talking anyway I guess, that's what good art is supposed to do. It's a pity most of what's taken from it is a conversation on whether people think she's a good poet or not when really there's a lot more to say there, not much to disagree with in that poem though sadly.

TerrorFirmer

fergiesfolly wrote: »

She's an artist though and shouldn't have to curb her artistic integrity for the commercial benefit of any group.

She was asked to commission poetry in support of the bid and she accepted.

No-one's trying to curb her 'artistic integrity'.

All she had to do was say no if she felt that strongly.

Then it's the organisers fault for asking an artist to forgo their integrity to write a fluff piece to promote their cause.

Get real. They didn't ask her to 'forego her integrity'. They approached a poet to write a poem in support of the bid.

Again, all she had to do was refuse.

She wasn't rounded up by the 2020 police in the dead of night and forced to agree to write a poem under duress. :rolleyes:

...or was she? Are we missing something?

They could've gotten some PR company to write a fairytale piece if that's all that concerne them.

It seems to be forgotten by some that this is a cultural event, not a money making piss up.

Ironic that you're pointing out that this is a cultural event....but then say they should have gotten a PR team instead of a recognised writer to create a poem in support of a bid revolving around culture.

How ****ing dare the City Council and the 2020 team, how dare they have the audicity to ask a poet if they would pen a poem in support Galway's bid for European Capital of Culture status.

Galway's a wonderful place for the arts and there are no end of writers, painters, sculptors, story-tellers, and whatever else that have so many wonderful things to say about Galway's unique cultural fabric.

It hardly takes a brain surgeon to understand that when trying to put yourself forward as a candidate for something as vital as ECOC, positive contribution is taken as a given.

What she did was dishonest and self serving. She has all year to write a poem about how Galway is a third world cesspit and no-one would bat an eyelid. But she takes an opportunity through very dishonest means during something as incredibly important as the ECOC 2020 bid? Don't think it says much about her to be honest.

All said and done, I also happen to think that looking at it objectively, it's a pretty crap piece of poetry in any case that tries far too hard.

Wompa1

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Many of which apply to the whole country, not just to Galway:

Legionnaires must be a constant risk everywhere, due to the dodgy plumbing and unwillingness to keep hot-water tanks heated.

Domestic violence, private property attitudes/morality, attitudes towards Travellers.

Mysoogeny in NUIG - sure it's a specific example. But neoptism in general ain't specific to this town.

Electing dumb-ass politicians. Yup, we sure we do. But we're not the ones who put the Healy-Rae clan into the Dail. Or a convicted, time served thief back onto the council he stole from, alongside the father of a brutal rapist.





I'm no poet, or poetry critic. But I am a contract worker. And I do know what happens to contractors who don't deliver what is requested.

Having lived most of my life in Galway. Calling out the colleges makes a lot of sense. It's a a college town after all. When the University is as corrupt as it is, that should be pointed out...at one point, the University was the largest single employer in the city. The cheating scandal at GMIT is embarrassing. That's both major colleges in the city acting like old boys clubs. The places that account for a huge chunk of the population throughout a larger part of the year.

As for the contractor...I guess it depends what she was contracted to produce. If they didn't give her any guidelines maybe she outsmarted them and still received payment due to producing an original work based on the city for them.

The way it read to me, it wasn't a dig at the city. It was a dig at the city organizers. A dig at the council which more than deserved. (The sh1tty city) is sh1tty due to the incompetence and corruption in leadership. The lack of class and integrity of politicians from Kerry doesn't forgive the sins of our own. If she got paid by the council for a hit piece against them, I commend her for outsmarting them! If the terms of the contract didn't grant creative freedom then while I admire her guts, she flaked on her job and can and should be sued.

Wompa1

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

What she did was dishonest and self serving.

We're discussing it on the forum and it was seen by many others in the paper. I'd imagine she was hoping to make a statement. In which case, she succeeded.

Much like Padraig Conneelly serving the community by talking about what he feels is wrong with the hospital, the roads, the signs etc. Perhaps she is serving the community by shining a spotlight on the incompetence of those in leadership....perhaps?

beach_walker

"Raise the rents is the best way to keep the ripped jeans gang out, like it's always been."

Yep. Nothing to do with shortage of supply, complicated economic factors of the past decade. Nope, it's an orchestrated effort by the secret landlord Stone Masons to edge out "artists".