Races week in Galway has not been as busy as anticipated, according to local bar and restaurant staff, following the return of the festival for the first time since 2019.
Vinny McBrian, supervisor at Seven Bridgestreet in the city, said people were likely choosing their days out more carefully, accommodation costs were a turn-off for many and the success of the county’s senior footballers in reaching last Sunday’s All-Ireland final have had an impact.
“Obviously Galway in the All-Ireland final, if they won it would have been a massive historic event for them and I suppose people were sort of saving up,” he said. “I think one thing that is really turning people away from the races are the hotel prices at the minute, I think it’s a massive, massive disadvantage because people can’t afford to do it any more, it’s just extortionate.
“People can go on a foreign holiday for the price that they might pay for a couple of days away in Galway.”
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James Conroy, assistant manager at the Dew Drop Inn on Mainguard Street, also believed the All-Ireland run had an effect. “Instead of Monday being busy, Monday was quiet because everyone was hungover,” he said. “Yesterday, say, for example, was busier than Monday but that’s naturally what’s going to happen.”
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Mr Conroy said he believed that rising living costs might not be putting people off. “There’s a carve-out for things like the Galway Races, and there’s a carve-out for things like Electric Picnic or those kinds of events, so I think people are going to disapply the usual rules of the costs of living.”
Ronan O’Flaherty, whose family own the Tig Chóilí bar on Shop Street, said it was difficult to say what way the week would go for Galway businesses. “It’s hard to know this year because, obviously, we have been closed the last two years so we’re expecting a big bang and if we get it that’s a different story, so hopefully now. Fingers crossed.”
Mr O’Flaherty also said that the racecourse entertainment may have an impact on how busy the city centre gets. “It’s hard to know around town because the racecourse are putting on entertainment at night-time and trying to keep people out there. I would say it will be more busy during the day rather than at night. I am quietly confident that it’s going to be busy, it’s a busy weekend anyways.”
Restaurateur JP McMahon said his restaurants were busier in previous weeks than during race week because of the Galway International Arts Festival. “I think the crowd are slightly different for the races — like, it is busy, but it’s not as busy as the last two weeks, but I suppose it’s still an important week in the calendar for Galway,” he said.
Mr McMahon said rising costs may play a factor. “I think Irish people only have so much money and prices have gone up for us and we’ve had to put prices up as well, so it’s understandable that people cannot eat out as much.”
However, he said that keeping a sense of positivity is key. “It’s just really important to try and stay positive at the moment, because for me, this year is much more difficult than the last two because we had supports and it is almost like batten down the hatches and try and survive and get through the winter.”
