Giant giraffes stall bunting display on Galway streets!
Galway city centre will be ‘awash with maroon and white’ from next Monday, as the build-up to the All-Ireland football final on Sunday, July 24 gathers momentum.
City businesses had come under fire for the lack of flags and bunting erected, despite both the Galway men’s senior football and hurling teams reaching the last four of their respective competitions; as well as the Galway minors winning the All-Ireland last weekend and the camogie team in the semi-final.
But city businessman and City Councillor Niall McNelis (Lab) insisted that the timing of the All-Ireland competitions, which are earlier than usual this year, impacted on their ability to get flags and bunting up.
He explained that ‘giant giraffes’, as part of the Les Girafes street art spectacle would parade through the city centre this Saturday (9.30pm) and Sunday (6pm) as part of Galway International Arts Festival.
The giraffes are so tall they would be obstructed by any bunting that criss-crossed Shop Street, Quay Street and High Street, he said.
Cllr McNelis said that it was due to the cost of erecting the bunting, that they only wanted to do it once. Otherwise it would have had to have been taken down this coming weekend and re-erected, doubling the cost.
“Come Monday morning the city centre, and in particular the Latin Quarter, will be awash with maroon and white. It was unfortunately that the Arts Festival street festival clashed with the build-up top the big GAA games this year, but the lack of colour about town is not because of a lack of support for the teams from businesses, it is a practical decision because of the street spectacle, and because of the high cost associated with putting up the bunting. It was also very difficult to source a contractor who had adequate insurance to cover them to put up the bunting,” Cllr McNelis said.
The former Mayor of Galway acknowledged that towns in County Galway had been far more colourful for the semi-final matches in recent weeks but he insisted the city would be awash with colour next week.
“The Latin Quarter will have two kilometres of bunting and 100 flags up early next week. We’re working very hard on this. There will be more then for Shop Street and Mainguard Street,” he added.