Christmas market 2016

bobbyss

No. Woodquay is definitely the best option. There is minimum disruption. Can't imagine many residents being inconvenienced as it's mainly businesses there. It's central. No grass to destroy for locals. And if don't want to buy any of the tat, just pop into one of the pubs there. Everyone is a winner.

Mrs OBumble

bobbyss wrote: »

Can't imagine many residents being inconvenienced as it's mainly businesses there.

Your imagination is limited, then.

As is your sense of whether visitors could find the place. In short, they can't. Very few tourists ever spotted down there. Wayyyy too far off the beaten track.

bobbyss

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Your imagination is limited, then.

As is your sense of whether visitors could find the place. In short, they can't. Very few tourists ever spotted down there. Wayyyy too far off the beaten track.

Aah Yes.
I am not great at Geography Mrs, but how far away is Woodquay from the Square than say the Docks? Not many tourists in Woodquay? I don't know. I have not seen any stats on that. But perhaps you are right Mrs I simply don't know.

A golden opportunity to bring in much needed guests then.

Possibly again you are right about tourists not being able to find the place. They probably are not able to find Quay street either but somehow manage. But yeah, better scrap that idea. Woodway probably would be impossible to find. Damm it, you are right!

ben.schlomo

bobbyss wrote: »

The Spanish Arch? Strong winds. Possibility of massive tides. Possibility of flooding. Not an enjoyable experience for a consumer. Close Woodquay to traffic entering. But keep the road open towards GSC and Town Hall. Problem sorted. Now the council could pay a consultant to come up with that idea very handsomely indeed.

Did you miss it being at the Arch last year? How can the consumer have any sense of a market if half of Woodquay is open to traffic? All inbound traffic on the Headford Rd would be funnelled through the Courthouse junction. What about access to shops in Woodquay, will tents be invisible so as not to block all the local shops? Consultant indeed.

bobbyss

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Did you miss it being at the Arch last year? How can the consumer have any sense of a market if half of Woodquay is open to traffic? All inbound traffic on the Headford Rd would be funnelled through the Courthouse junction. What about access to shops in Woodquay, will tents be invisible so as not to block all the local shops? Consultant indeed.

I don't agree ben. I was not at the Arch last year. Was it last year or before (I can't remember) that it was a God forsaken place that only the devil himself would be out in? Horrendous, by all accounts. I have no stats on how business was there but if it was wet, cold etc , it can't have been great. And based on that experience it clearly should never ever be there again.

I think my proposal should be given a trial. I think it's a damn good idea myself. Properly spaced tents, perhaps clustered in the middle leaving people free to browse for tat in the tents and meander into the shops/pubs may alleviate that. Tents therefore will not be invisible, as you are suggesting. But I don't really know. I am just posting a suggestion. I could be wrong and I could be right. I can't speak with authority on this as I am no expert in event management. I don't know anybody who is.

Some kind of fencing to evoke a market type atmosphere at the far end near the main road perhaps? Woodquay thus enclosed would be very atmospheric as there is a natural surround.

Regarding traffic. Please don't bite my nose off! This remains a problem and I don't have any substantial answers. But, as I said I am no expert me. Just a suggestion.

ben.schlomo

bobbyss wrote: »

I don't agree ben. I was not at the Arch last year. Was it last year or before (I can't remember) that it was a God forsaken place that only the devil himself would be out in? Horrendous, by all accounts. I have no stats on how business was there but if it was wet, cold etc , it can't have been great. And based on that experience it clearly should never ever be there again.

I think my proposal should be given a trial. I think it's a damn good idea myself. Properly spaced tents, perhaps clustered in the middle leaving people free to browse for tat in the tents and meander into the shops/pubs may alleviate that. Tents therefore will not be invisible, as you are suggesting. But I don't really know. I am just posting a suggestion. I could be wrong and I could be right. I can't speak with authority on this as I am no expert in event management. I don't know anybody who is.

Some kind of fencing to evoke a market type atmosphere at the far end near the main road perhaps? Woodquay thus enclosed would be very atmospheric as there is a natural surround.

Regarding traffic. Please don't bite my nose off! This remains a problem and I don't have any substantial answers. But, as I said I am no expert me. Just a suggestion.

Befuddled!

bobbyss

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Befuddled!

And you are befuddled because...?

Digital Solitude

bobbyss wrote: »

And you are befuddled because...?

You're basing your points off an experience you haven't experienced

bobbyss

Digital Solitude wrote: »

You're basing your points off an experience you haven't experienced

I think my post was very badly written or you misread it. Or both.

I don't need to be at the market to argue that if the S Arch was a washout then business would have been poor. Because the weather is unreliable it would be foolish to locate there again. I don't need to have been there in the driving rain and terrible winds to make that point.

pure.conya

Maya Old-fashioned Snag wrote: »

And reduce parking and residents parking significantly when we have the absolutely perfect place for a market already called Eyre Square?

Its this sort of thing that Eyre square was made for i.e. markets. An empty dark and boring Eyre square will be a significant black mark on Christmas in Galway if it happens.

As for spending money on over priced tosh, the only thing I ever bought in the market is a coffee and many many pints of beer in the beer tent I go there for the atmosphere and look forward to it every year.

You're absolutely right, except eyre square has repeatedly been proven to not be the perfect place for a market.

If you think there's an atmosphere in the beer tent worth spending money on well good luck to you, I know I don't and never will either because at the end of the day all it is is a temporary marquee setup in the freezing cold.

It's not like there's a shortage of comfortably warm bars all over the city

pure.conya

flazio wrote: »

Could they get away with closing a car park for a while? Cathedral car park for example?

Are you taking about the cathedral car park or the large council controlled car park that's so popular you can't get a space mon to Fri after 8.30/9am?

pure.conya

beardybrewer wrote: »

Ffs, it's ireland. How hard can it be to grow grass? Eyre square is where it belongs.

You'd imagine it would be simple but when people couldn't sit down and enjoy the square during the only 3 weeks of nice weather we had in June it's beyond a joke!

gordongekko

pure.conya wrote: »

You'd imagine it would be simple but when people couldn't sit down and enjoy the square during the only 3 weeks of nice weather we had in June it's beyond a joke!

Isnt that the whole problem. Just concrete over it and be done with it. Problem solved

MadYaker

The only time I actually set foot in eyre square is when the christmas market is on. It's the worst green area in the city, do i don't see why people are so distraught at the grass being wrecked for a few months after.

I love the market. Steins in the beer tent and pulled pork baps have become a christmas ritual for us.

pure.conya

MadYaker wrote: »

The only time I actually set foot in eyre square is when the christmas market is on. It's the worst green area in the city, do i don't see why people are so distraught at the grass being wrecked for a few months after.

I love the market. Steins in the beer tent and pulled pork baps have become a christmas ritual for us.

I don't get where people get off proclaiming for the rest of us that Eyre sq is not suitable for chilling out in during the summer. If some of you took the time to observe the square on a nice day you'd ask realise that a lot of people young and old like to soak up the sun or just chill on the grass on a reasonably nice day.

It's a frightfully common misconception that a damp tacky Christmas market consisting of predominantly non-local traders selling overpriced crap and a cold marquee selling "Steins" to the select few deserves the sq more than every single person that frequents or lives in the city for up to 6 months after

MadYaker

pure.conya wrote: »

I don't get where people get off proclaiming for the rest of us that Eyre sq is not suitable for chilling out in during the summer. If some of you took the time to observe the square on a nice day you'd ask realise that a lot of people young and old like to soak up the sun or just chill on the grass on a reasonably nice day.

It's a frightfully common misconception that a damp tacky Christmas market consisting of predominantly non-local traders selling overpriced crap and a cold marquee selling "Steins" to the select few deserves the sq more than every single person that frequents or lives in the city for up to 6 months after

I didn't proclaim any such thing. Where in my post did I say it wasn't suitable? I just said that there are nicer areas where people can relax and soak up the sun and you're less likely to have to listen to any annoying buskers or hobos.

It's not really tacky is it? The amusements in Salthill are tacky the market isn't really and I quite like the food.

I also didn't have to go through any selection process to be served a Stein in the beer tent, sure they won't let people in if it's full but they don't have a choice.

Wompa1

MadYaker wrote: »

where people can relax and soak up the sun and you're less likely to have to listen to any annoying buskers or hobos.
.

Ghastly business that!

thesandeman

Wompa1 wrote: »

Ghastly business that!

Yep. Piped music in a cold tent serving mass produced beer in winter=Good
People chilling out in the sun in their local park (or what's left of it) listening to buskers=Bad.

MadYaker

thesandeman wrote: »

Yep. Piped music in a cold tent serving mass produced beer in winter=Good
People chilling out in the sun in their local park (or what's left of it) listening to buskers=Bad.

Also not what I said, not even close. Why do people keep purposely misinterpreting my posts?

thesandeman

thesandeman wrote: »

Yep. Piped music in a cold tent serving mass produced beer in winter=Good
People chilling out in the sun in their local park (or what's left of it) listening to buskers=Bad.

I wouldn't say that the busker option is bad but I would much much prefer drinking beer in the beer tent, with christmas music and the great christmas atmosphere and craic than sitting in the sun in a park listening to buskers, being honest the second option I would find boring and never do it anyway.

Aside from using it for a handy shortcut at various times I would never go into eyre square if it wasn't for the christmas market.

Cosmo Kramer

I honestly don't get the fuss here, that Christmas market is absolute sh!t. The discussion shouldn't be about where it is, it should be about whether it should still be there at all. The fact that it destroys the only decent green space in the city centre is a further issue but, even if that could be resolved, I'd still advocate getting rid of the crappy market. Stick it in a car park out of the way somewhere or, better still, just do away with it altogether.

_Puma_

Cosmo Kramer wrote: »

I honestly don't get the fuss here, that Christmas market is absolute sh!t. The discussion shouldn't be about where it is, it should be about whether it should still be there at all. The fact that it destroys the only decent green space in the city centre is a further issue but, even if that could be resolved, I'd still advocate getting rid of the crappy market. Stick it in a car park out of the way somewhere or, better still, just do away with it altogether.

Tend to agree here the Christmas market is ****e. A lot of local traders are dead set against it because of the high cost to get a licence to set up a stand. Found the Saturday market far better during the run up to Christmas and ended up buying a lot of small gifts there for family at Christmas. Haven't bought anything at the eyre square market in a few years now and didn't go to the beer tent last year where i normally would go. Ended up going to the one down in the spanish arch which had a better "Christmas market" feel than the one in Eyre square ever had.

Redhairedguy

Was it just me, or in its initial year, was there more things to actually buy other than the dozen food and snack tents that seem to make up the majority of the market?

connemara man

Redhairedguy wrote: »

Was it just me, or in its initial year, was there more things to actually buy other than the dozen food and snack tents that seem to make up the majority of the market?

The amount of stalls has been reducing year on year as well

Gadgetman496

Redhairedguy wrote: »

Was it just me, or in its initial year, was there more things to actually buy other than the dozen food and snack tents that seem to make up the majority of the market?

connemara man wrote: »

The amount of stalls has been reducing year on year as well

I think the first year was a novelty and therefore is hailed as the best one. The enthusiasm of the traders willing to take stands was high too that year I'd imagine. A lot of traders never returned due to the exorbitant stand prices.

One individual told me he had a stand the first year at a cost of 10K, he spent day and night there in the cold and rain and his total take (not profit) for the full duration of the market was a little shy of 8K, think about that, would you go back with a loss like that?

beardybrewer

Regarding grass-gate, just wanted to repost this into this post from the last thread. It's funny/depressing searching this forum for posts about the market because it's the same boring crap brought up year after year.

siltirocker wrote: »

One thing that is being paved over by everyone is the responsibility. Heard this straight from a city councillor:

The GCBA & the event management company pay the city council well before the market begins each year an amount to be used for repairs to the square. Therefore it is the councils responsibility and they are dragging their knuckles.

Last year what ended up happening was that the GCBA and the event management company were getting (unfair and incorrect) flack over the state of it and went to the council after Paddy's Day for an update.

The council said they were too busy to do it, and on the request of the GCBA & the event management company, the council release the money and responsibility back to them.

Two weeks later the place was sorted an looking lush.

I imagine the same is happening this year.

Was trying to find the post where someone talked about the company that organised it the first year compared to now. Not sure if the organisation has changed neary each year or if the first year was unique but there's a reason why people remember the first one fondly beyond nostalgia. The Santa from the first couple years was way better too for the little ones.

Related: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=97916806&postcount=126

Laviski

first one was a success as it was planned very good in comparison.

more importantly there was more local traders in the first year. All Markets should always aim for traders selling unique items that are not easily obtainable locally or through the net

but even if the organizers of the first kept going, they would have ran into the issue of "grass gate" as you call it. Perhaps if they kept going they would have restored the area in time for patrick's day/

Broken Hearted Road

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

I think the first year was a novelty and therefore is hailed as the best one. The enthusiasm of the traders willing to take stands was high too that year I'd imagine. A lot of traders never returned due to the exorbitant stand prices.

One individual told me he had a stand the first year at a cost of 10K, he spent day and night there in the cold and rain and his total take (not profit) for the full duration of the market was a little shy of 8K, think about that, would you go back with a loss like that?

10K is scandalous. Is that charged by the council? It's a crazy sum and I would well truly believe it. I was talking to someone a few years back who was looking into a stall for the Volvo Ocean Race festival and she said the sum was 2000 a week. I wonder how much would one be charged for a stall at the Saturday market? It's probably a crazy amount. This massive charging of stalls is just not on really. If the sums came down, a lot more craftsy people could try and make a good go of a stall.

ben.schlomo

Broken Hearted Road wrote: »

10K is scandalous. Is that charged by the council? It's a crazy sum and I would well truly believe it. I was talking to someone a few years back who was looking into a stall for the Volvo Ocean Race festival and she said the sum was 2000 a week. I wonder how much would one be charged for a stall at the Saturday market? It's probably a crazy amount. This massive charging of stalls is just not on really. If the sums came down, a lot more craftsy people could try and make a good go of a stall.

The council have nothing to do with the running of the market. The weekend market doesn't involve a charge as far as I know, you have to apply for a pitch and there's a waiting list.

Mrs OBumble

ben.schlomo wrote: »

The weekend market doesn't involve a charge as far as I know, you have to apply for a pitch and there's a waiting list.

There's an annual fee for the license. Don't know the amount, suspect it's now in the low hundreds.