Businesses feeling the pinch as flooding keeps shoppers away

THE city might have escaped the worst ravages of the deluge – but retailers lost hundreds of thousands of euro in business over the past week as shoppers stayed at home, due to the flooded roads and ‘don’t travel’ warnings.

It was one of the quietest weeks for months in the city centre from the Thursday morning of November 19 to Wednesday of this week, as main routes to the city – including the Tuam, Monivea, Dublin and Athenry roads – were closed for a time due to the flooding. Over the weekend, the rail link between the city and Dublin also fell foul of the weather.

With Gardaí and local authorities issuing warnings to the general public not to travel if at all possible, the streets of the city were semi-deserted over the weekend and into the early days of this week.

One shop-owner said that were it not for the customers from Connemara and the western fringes of the city – where the roads remained open – then the week would have been “a complete wash out” from a sales point of view.

“After a really tough year, this was the last thing we needed but hopefully the worst of the weather is over, and we can look forward to making up some ground between now and Christmas,” said Michael Coyle, Director of Galway Chamber of Commerce.

He said that given the desperate weather conditions which prevailed over the past nine days or so – and which caused so much destruction in more rural parts of Galway – it was perfectly understandable that the Gardaí and the emergency services advised people so strongly not to engage in any unnecessary travel.

“I suppose it is quite extraordinary that in 2009, the third largest city in the State can find itself cut off, not only from Dublin, but also Limerick and Sligo. At one point, our only direct transport link with Dublin was by air,” said Mr Coyle.

He added that if ever a crisis showed the importance of having proper infrastructure in place, it was this one, with the “day being saved” by the temporary opening of two sections of the new M6 motorway at Craughwell and Ballinasloe.

Mr Coyle said that after the slump of last week, the problems of a desperately bad year for the retail trade could be eased, if the people of Galway city and its catchment area ‘shopped local’.

“We need the people of Galway to come to town, see the range and value of goods on offer, and to buy at home. If this happens, it will be a great boost to business and it will end up saving jobs – it’s as clear-cut as that,” said Mr Coyle.

Continued on page 2

For further news on the flooding see pages 2, 11, 12 & 13 in this week’s City Tribune and further details from around the county in the Connacht Tribune