Is Galway a City in Decline?

Paris and New York are fuked for tourism so.

You are right on the algae though. Shocked me when I moved home to Ireland how much moss and algae we have on everything. Forget the green fields the true meaning of the Emerald Isle is the walls and paths.

Well of course its behind the much bigger Cork. I hear this "lifeless" thing from country people who work with me or locals both of whom never actually go there and it's just not true. Quieter than Galway at night because there are less tourists and there is no focal point streets like Shop St. and surrounds. We only have that during the day with the cafes.

Limerick is where it is which is 3rd or 4th in most things in Ireland same as Galway.

I don't think Limerick will ever draw in the tourism to that degree. It's just not that kinda place.

A good thing about busy streets like Galway in relation to junkies is even if you have them they get lost and are generally a shy group in crowds. Give them space and a bit of quiet and they get brave enough to start their antics of screaming up and down streets at each other.

The vacant stores and lack of marquee shops is something everyone thinks their city has but sadly it's something all cities are facing so I hate the self loathing and hyperbole thrown at councils you see on social media. If Galway can keep the area between Eyre Square and Spanish Arch mostly vacant free it will be doing better than most. Anything vacant outside that area and the little hospitality area around the Roisin Dubh might as well be turned to housing at this stage.

Agree.

Limerick is rather plain and just wont be a tourist destination like Dublin or Galway.

Galway should have a more ambitious plan for growth.

Yes, Galway City doesnt seem to do mucb to improve itself.

Lots of potential but no investment.

There is no reason why it couldnt plan to overtake Limerick in size, as its naturally a much more attractive place.

"Attractive" in terms of looks doesn't have a lot to do with growth. Easy to say Galway could "plan" to overtake Limerick but just as easy to say Limerick will do the same.

Do you think Limerick has no potential or loads of investment ?

Limerick has potential for investment, just like any place does. It has done well for itself, economically.

But its still bland and umattractive.

Galway is attractive but has not grown or developed to its potential.

Galway retailers advertise that there is a better retail choice in Athlone and Limerick. 🙄

Women have told me the same for a while now.

Galway could have this all the way out of the town centre along each side of the Corrib starting at the Dyke road and ending past Dangan and just before Glenlo, with a beautiful pedestrian/cycle bridge at that point connecting both sides. Then, on the Menlo side they could expand the city out that way with thousands of apartments and commercial/retail units. You basically fulfill the potential of the river Corrib with a beautiful riverside park, you provide thousands of people with homes right beside the university and the town centre. Galway is a great city, the best in Ireland in my opinion, but it has little ambition.

You mean the rising river levels from the Corrib Lake and river here?

Rising sea levels are going to affect lower area's of the City around the bay for sure. The Docks, Claddagh, Long Walk, Grattan Park, Salthill seafront.

Have you experience of owning or running a business in the hospitality sector yourself?

I'm not sure if you could say it's a City in decline but, I dunno, I was walking through town earlier today and I was struck by how drab it all felt to me.

So many vacant shop fronts and then, on the other hand, a plethora of tacky shops in other areas: vape shops, sweet shops, mobile phone and general tech related tatt, tourist tatt.

If you walk through the Eye Square Centre, there's rakes of empty units. Likewise in the Galway Shopping Centre, so much of it is empty units - it's kinda crazy.

There's some quare hollowing out of the retail industry going on at the moment, now, I have my doubts about how specific that is to just Galway, but the centre of town just doesn't feel as vibrant to me - it actually feels a wee bit grim. And I say that as someone who loves Galway and would never think of living anywhere else.

And, not to moan too much, the place in general was just dirty - not filthy, but loads of litter just knocking about.

The place in general between the sense of emptiness and the general unkemptness, just kinda made me think Galway is looking a bit careworn this weather.

There's some quare hollowing out of the retail industry going on at the moment, now, I have my doubts about how specific that is to just Galway, but the centre of town just doesn't feel as vibrant to me - it actually feels a wee bit grim. And I say that as someone who loves Galway and would never think of living anywhere else.

Nothing quare about it. Logical conclusion of the amount we all buy on-line vs in-person.

January / February is always a bit grim, and this year February has five Fridays so five weeks between pay-day for some.

Lots of life came back at the weekend with the start of the Paddy's week tourists.

There are at least five now-closed premises being actively prepared for new businesses at the moment.

Not just daytime, nightlife is slowly being destroyed by zero nightclubs and cost-of-living pressures on folk. If I were a tourist, Galway is just a pit-stop to attractions further west

Really? Maybe I read too much tabloid. Is it just two nightclubs then?

Coyotes nightclub jesus christ. Imagine trying to use Coyotes as a selling point for a vibrant night life in the main city in the West of Ireland.

There used to multiple proper nightclubs, with a few of them having adventurous & energetic bookings of international acts weekly. They were not crappy sheds just serving pints through shutters. They were proper hubs of activity, especially around the years 2013-2018 ish with some very large events, names and draw for people to travel to Galway, in addition to their 'regular' normal nights the other 5 or 6 nights a week they were open. They gave up&coming acts the chance to showcase their talents too, as well as the bigger names giving young lads and ladies the platform to grow. They are currently closed. In fairness Monroes have tried to pick up all of the heavy lifting on their own with booking some acts once every few weeks but a traditional nightclub they are not. They're a live venue/pub that have a late licence.

Insightful stuff.

The concept of a town/city centre is over. Retail now is only thriving in large shopping centres in outskirts with free parking. Eventually they will die also. The future is online shopping only. Without the retail the food and other entertainment in centres will also die. Galway is no different to anywhere else, its best days are over, permanently.

Things are strongly gone that direction already. Have you been to the US . Most town city centres there are already destroyed.

Its not just the notorious Detroit, its the vast majority of urban centres in the US.

Many have noticed that Galway has being going downhill for years. Galway is not unusual, the same is happening to towns and cities throughout the country. My point is that this will continue and the concept of a centre is over and these will not exist in the long run.

It's rapidly going on line and that trend will continue. I guarantee in 10 to 15 years there will be far fewer retail and hospitality units in Galway. Its only going one way.