Christmas market on track to provide €20m bonanza

The biggest Galway Continental Christmas Market in its five year history is set to return tonight with a nearly €20 million boost for city traders. Already many of the city hotels running Christmas market specials are booked out for the five weekends of the market, which is running for 32 days over four weeks. Return visitors – who last year numbered around 600,000 – will notice a reorientation of the market, with many of the stalls now on the hard surface plaza and the Windmill House moved to the centre of Eyre Square. The main stage that will feature local choirs, bands and performers for charity has also been turned towards the plaza. Crowd favourites such as the Babaró arts and science workshop return twice a day at weekends, Santa’s grotto and express train as well as the two gluhwein tents and bier keller will also be open from tonight. A similar mix of 60 traders will be on the site – 40% of them locals and 88% of them are Irish. “We have a fair bit more crafts this year,” enthused organiser Maria Moynihan Lee of the company Milestone Inventive. Among the array of food on offer will be paella, churros and possetjes or Dutch pancakes, corn dogs, hog roast and chimney cakes. “We are full, all the stalls are occupied, we really couldn’t get much bigger unless we put in two storeys,” she exclaimed. Retailer and Labour Councillor Niall McNelis said of the 600,000 visitors, 58% are from outside the city and 26% stay overnight. “This has led to extra seasonal jobs being created across the city and also supporting small businesses in a period when trade is often quiet in late November and early December. “Research shows 90% of visitors do shopping in Galway. The average spend in the market is €32 and it is estimated that €81 is spent in city centre by visitors with a direct economic impact of €19.5 million.” Katie O’Halloran – the only Irish person and first female and one of just 20 people in America to receive a bionic arm – will officially switch the lights on at the market at 6pm. For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.