Local Salthill initiatives Salthill by the Sea - A year of Events on the Prom and Galway International Food and Craft Festival were the major local winners from the Galway City Council's 2019 marketing promotion fund.
The fund which was agreed at the city council's monthly meeting at City Hall on Monday saw Salthill by the Sea and the Galway International Food and Craft Festival secure €20,000 and €15,000 after Fine Gael councillor Pearce Flannery saw his motion to give the projects an extra funding of €10,000 each was passed nine votes to eight.
Cllr Flannery said; "We need to look at projects with most impact. Salthill by the Sea is a year long programme which [organisers] are putting in €66,000 themselves. Galway International Food and Craft Festival are putting in €160,000 and it is an annual event. There is no point putting money in a reserve fund and having great projects floundering."
The projects are two of 20 applicants who are to receive a share of the €210,000 marketing fund for 2019 including €17,500 for Connacht Rugby; €10,000 for Galway Comedy Festival; and €20,000 for Macnas Parade.
The Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF ) secured €15,000 from the fund after Fianna Fáil Mike Crowe's motion to increase the festival's funding from €10,000 to €15,000 was passed unanimously.
Cllr Crowe said; [The GIAF] contribution to city is enormous. The world [in which] I live, its value has overtaken the races. [It has] Plenty of acts in street, big top acts, and it brings a lot of people to visit Galway."
Senior executive officer of the Galway City Council, Brian Barrett, explained to the council an amount of the funding (€62,000 ) would be transferred to the marketing reserve fund which was at €568,000 before the event.
Mr Barrett said; The purpose of the reserve fund is for once in lifetime events like Volvo. It was set up after Volvo when it ran out of money and [the council] had no fund [on which to fall back]."
