Christmas market 2016

snubbleste

snubbleste wrote: »

Just remove the, eh, removable cars. Hey presto, a huge space for a market.
Was that not what it was a century ago?

Yeah let's fcuk up traffic and reduce vital parking while leaving a big open space ideal for a market empty and depressing looking for the festive period.

You would have to wonder what's rattling around in the heads of some people, not much useful anyway.

bobbyss

Maya Old-fashioned Snag wrote: »

Yeah let's fcuk up traffic and reduce vital parking while leaving a big open space ideal for a market empty and depressing looking for the festive period.

You would have to wonder what's rattling around in the heads of some people, not much useful anyway.

If it's so ideal, why are people expressing contrary opinions about it?
Look. Woodquay is perfect. The council can easily come up with a plan to deal with the cars parked there. What plan? I have no idea, that's their job. So think of it. It really is perfect. And so central. I remember when there was some festival there a number of years back and they did the Haka and all, the atmosphere was fantastic. It's the enclosed space that gave it a great feel. Its also more sheltered for the elements. And we know what a problem that can be. Eyre Square offers no such protection to stall holders and punters alike.

thesandeman

Woodquay would be my thing as well.
The weather ruined the last market down there but they were only temp stalls.
Tom and Fergus should get together and do a 'fringe' Christmas Market and get the other places to join in. It always worked back in the day.
If the """'''East Village"""" have the influence to close half the town for a day, I'm sure the two most popular publicans in Galway can sort something out.

pure.conya

Redhairedguy wrote: »

It's the novelty of the whole thing that people buy into; the atmosphere and excitement of impending Christmas... People coming home for the holidays, being on the cusp of a new year, corndogs... Guaranteed if it existed all year round, it would be doomed to failure and people wouldn't give a flying potato shít.

I like the beer tent, not because it's anything mind blowing but because it is that slightly bit different. Mulled wine, hot rum, steiners of good German beer, a different ambiance and catchment of people than you'd find in the pubs.

Except it isn't just my opinion, man. plenty of people were well p!ssed off with the desperate state of our grassy centre 6 months+ after the overpriced Christmas market.

Almost everybody that comes to Galway goes through the sq at some stage and if it looks totally wrecked for so long like it has done the last few years then the positives (if any) of having "steiners" with your catchment of people (thankfully not mine) for 3 weeks in a tent during the coldest wettest time of the year definately outweigh the serious negatives of having our square look so bad and be unuseable during March/April/June/July. I personally think the only positive I can think of is the fact as you said, it attracts a certain catchment that you wouldn't find in other pubs ie. pretentious idiots that get all excited over "steiners"

Regarding your first point are you trying to tell me that no Galwegian had an exciting run up to the festivities before the Christmas market came to town?

Mars Bar

Maya Old-fashioned Snag wrote: »

Yeah let's fcuk up traffic and reduce vital parking while leaving a big open space ideal for a market empty and depressing looking for the festive period.

You would have to wonder what's rattling around in the heads of some people, not much useful anyway.

You could have just made your point without insulting peoples intelligence.

ben.schlomo

Mars Bar wrote: »

You could have just made your point without insulting peoples intelligence.

Or name calling as in the post above yours.

Mrs OBumble

What was the quote from a classic post some years ago, describing pubs in Galway ... something like "If you're 50+ and grumpy, Woodquay is yer man".

Redhairedguy

pure.conya wrote: »

Except it isn't just my opinion, man. plenty of people were well p!ssed off with the desperate state of our grassy centre 6 months+ after the overpriced Christmas market.

Myself included. It was a travesty what happened to the grass, and I'm thankful that they're actually taking it into consideration for this year. The opinion I'm challenging is the Daily Mail-esque tirade against a

pure.conya wrote:

Christmas market full of ripped off non locals selling way overpriced piles of shîte to what I can only describe as prized gob****es for buying into it all

not to mention

pure.conya wrote:

...the lunatics who maintain the freezing cold beer tent is any sort of an attraction while surrounded by cosy warm bars, restaurants and cafes, and the extra special delusional minds that quite proudly state the temporary bar in a marqueue for 3 weeks only in the month of December is partically the highlight of their Christmas.

That, my friend, is the opinion that you are entitled to hold; but really I have to ask 'who are we to stand in judgement of what people do, or how they spend their free time/money?', especially when the whole basis for your indignation has now been rendered moot by the decision to keep the market off the grass.

pure.conya wrote:

pretentious idiots that get all excited over "steiners"

Why are they pretentious? Because they're trying something different? Indulging in a novelty that's only available for a short period of time? Or are they pretentious because it goes against a preconceived notion that everyone should just be miserable and stick to drinking the same drinks in the same pubs all year round?

pure.conya wrote:

Regarding your first point are you trying to tell me that no Galwegian had an exciting run up to the festivities before the Christmas market came to town?

Nope. Don't even know how you got that from my post.

The King of Moo

Would holding it in Woodquay disrupt traffic so much? It would be a little busier, but Woodquay can always be avoided by using Eglinton street or the Headford Road. In purely physical terms it'd be a great area: wasn't it originally a marketplace? Maybe they could have the market in both Eyre Square and Woodquay, rather than the Spanish Arch (which was nice when the weather was ok, but not so appealing on quieter midweek nights when the weather was wild).

I still like it in Eyre Square though, and at the same time I also enjoy reading in the grass in sunny weather. So while I love being in the market at Christmas, I hate to see the state of the grass afterwards.

Rather than regrowing the grass, could they just replace it with a layer of sod already grown? Like you see rich Americans do on TV in their gardens. Or is there an obvious reason that's not possible, and it has to be grown from scratch?

Redhairedguy

The King of Moo wrote: »

Would holding it in Woodquay disrupt traffic so much? It would be a little busier, but Woodquay can always be avoided by using Eglinton street or the Headford Road.

I wondered this as well...

Surely by leaving Eyre Street still open to traffic as well as closing off the roads at the top and bottom of Woodquay, it wouldn't disrupt traffic flow too much. The market area (in blue) would just be pedestrianised for the duration of the market, and setting up/closing down/restocking would be aided by the fact that it's already on a street with good access.

This talk about Woodquay just highlights that this open space is entirely allocated to on street parking when there is plenty of parking around nearby. (Dyke Road, Corrib Shopping Centre, Cathedral)

It would be a good candidate for pedestrianisation and paving. It could be a useful hard surface for stages, events etc.

There are plenty of retail units that could become cafes with terraces in the better weather.

Storm 10

Best place to hold the Christmas Market is the car park around the Cathedral, that would be some setting with the Cathedral lit up and Christmas lights strung around the place you could not have a better setting.

L'prof

Deleted User wrote: »

This talk about Woodquay just highlights that this open space is entirely allocated to on street parking when there is plenty of parking around nearby. (Dyke Road, Corrib Shopping Centre, Cathedral)

It would be a good candidate for pedestrianisation and paving. It could be a useful hard surface for stages, events etc.

There are plenty of retail units that could become cafes with terraces in the better weather.

I don't agree at all! There might be parking nearby, but available parking? It's hard enough to get parked in town without removing existing parking!

Mrs OBumble

The King of Moo wrote: »

Rather than regrowing the grass, could they just replace it with a layer of sod already grown? Like you see rich Americans do on TV in their gardens. Or is there an obvious reason that's not possible, and it has to be grown from scratch?

That's what they do already. Try reseeding first, then lay pretty grown where that fails.

But I think it can't be laid too early in the season or it'll just die.

what_traffic

L'prof wrote: »

I don't agree at all! There might be parking nearby, but available parking? It's hard enough to get parked in town without removing existing parking!

Dyke Road has over 500 car parking spaces and is less than a 5 min walk to Woodquay. Woodquay should have much reduced car parking and the space better utilised and the vast majority of any car parking should be for the local residents only. (I do not live in Woodquay)

Redhairedguy

what_traffic wrote: »

Dyke Road has over 500 car parking spaces and is less than a 5 min walk to Woodquay. Woodquay should have much reduced car parking and the space better utilised and the vast majority of any car parking should be for the local residents only. (I do not live in Woodquay)

In general, or for the extent of a potential Christmas market?

L'prof

what_traffic wrote: »

Dyke Road has over 500 car parking spaces and is less than a 5 min walk to Woodquay. Woodquay should have much reduced car parking and the space better utilised and the vast majority of any car parking should be for the local residents only. (I do not live in Woodquay)

Dyke road, as in the black box? I'd have no issue with the walk but it's a flat fee of €5. If I get into town at between 5-6:30pm, I'm not prepared to pay that

what_traffic

what_traffic wrote: »

Dyke Road has over 500 car parking spaces and is less than a 5 min walk to Woodquay. Woodquay should have much reduced car parking and the space better utilised and the vast majority of any car parking should be for the local residents only. (I do not live in Woodquay)

I totally disagree, its already getting harder and harder to park close to places in the city and this is a big deal for less able bodied people. I have more than one elderly relative who finds it very difficult to get to places in town now that don't have parking very close by and its a very big deal for going about their lives.

what_traffic

Maya Old-fashioned Snag wrote: »

I totally disagree, its already getting harder and harder to park close to places in the city and this is a big deal for less able bodied people. I have more than one elderly relative who finds it very difficult to get to places in town now that don't have parking very close by and its a very big deal for going about their lives.

Thats a different problem and easily solved. Any available parking spots in the core City Centre should be for the mobility impaired.

what_traffic

L'prof wrote: »

Dyke road, as in the black box? I'd have no issue with the walk but it's a flat fee of €5. If I get into town at between 5-6:30pm, I'm not prepared to pay that

Tough

what_traffic

Redhairedguy wrote: »

In general, or for the extent of a potential Christmas market?

Does it matter?

Mars Bar

Mars Bar wrote: »

You could have just made your point without insulting peoples intelligence.

I was actually being nice about it, you should see what I really think but can't be posting that.

L'prof

what_traffic wrote: »

Tough

Are you actually serious? Are you just purposely trying to antagonise people? Grow up!

Redhairedguy

what_traffic wrote: »

Does it matter?

For the context of this conversation, absolutely!

what_traffic

what_traffic wrote: »

Tough

Tough would be the answer from the vast majority of people if you said the parking in woodquay should be reduced or if you said paying a 5er for half an hours parking was fair. I think some posters don't realise their opinions don't align with about 99% of others.

what_traffic

Redhairedguy wrote: »

For the context of this conversation, absolutely!

Well were is this FREE parking around Eyre Square at the time of the Christmas Market?

what_traffic

L'prof wrote: »

Are you actually serious? Are you just purposely trying to antagonise people? Grow up!

I am not thinking as an individaul who has a right to free car parking @ 17h00 in the heart of Galway City.
Not trying to antagonise just showing that there are plenty of parking options available on street and in car parks if the Christmas Market was moved to Woodquay. Removing some of the on street carparking around Woodquay is not going to shut down the City. The Council will be down some cash - that is all.

Redhairedguy

what_traffic wrote: »

Well were is this FREE parking around Eyre Square at the time of the Christmas Market?

I think you might have missed my meaning. Anything not pertaining to discussion of the Christmas market or ideas surrounding it, is off topic. This includes making a generalised discussion of parking in the city centre. It has little to do with the market, and is a point/topic of its own.

Also, I would ask that you lessen up on the snotty remarks and rhetorical questions.

what_traffic

Redhairedguy wrote: »

I think you might have missed my meaning. Anything not pertaining to discussion of the Christmas market or ideas surrounding it, is off topic. This includes making a generalised discussion of parking in the city centre. It has little to do with the market, and is a point/topic of its own.

Perhaps I did but i would disagree that it's off topic. People will use many transport modes to get to and from the Christmas market. People will drive and car parking provision is something that would be considered. Point around Woodquay been unsuitable was that it would remove Car parking but has been shown large amount of car parking is available near by.

connemara man

what_traffic wrote: »

Well were is this FREE parking around Eyre Square at the time of the Christmas Market?

On Sundays all street parking around Eyre square is free apart from the docks obviously