Everyone has a part to play in helping boost the local economy and limiting the spread of Covid-19 this December, that is the message from Mayor of the Galway City Council, Mike Cubbard, as Galwegians get ready to do their Christmas shopping and make the long-awaited return to the restaurants and bars.
Having switched on the lights in Eyre Square on Tuesday evening, Mayor Cubbard says there is a huge emphasis on personal responsibility over the next few weeks to ensure Galway can remain open and for everyone to enjoy the festive period.
Stay cautious, stay safe
"I turned on the Christmas lights at The Latin Quarter last week and while it was beautiful, it felt rather bleak and lonely with no one there," he says."On Tuesday [this week], when we switched on the lights in Eyre Square, there was a change of atmosphere for the better. People were out and about. People were being cautious with 99 per cent wearing masks and shop doors have sanitisers. It is a huge boost to be back open as the local economy is on its knees."
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He says these four weeks are massive for Galway, but personal responsibility is the first and foremost thought that should be on everyone's minds whether they are out doing the Christmas shopping or socialising.
"There can't be the Christmas rush this year, so I urge everyone to be patient and take their time. If shops are full, be patient, and come back, and make sure to social distance because local businesses must remain open to have a chance [of surviving].
'Support our local businesses is a message that must be pushed because while it may be five per cent dearer than major companies online, the return indirectly to our local communities is big'
"I can't wait to go to a restaurant to have a bite to eat and to go to the bar for a couple of beers, but we must limit our contacts. We can't go from one big group one night and then go out with another big group the next. I encourage everyone to enjoy themselves and people have to enjoy themselves. But we can't go mad and there must be respect for staff and employees. We all have our part to play."
Importance of shopping locally
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Shopping local this Christmas is the message being championed by Galway Chamber, as well as the local authority. Mayor Cubbard is urging Galwegians to back their local businesses over the course of the month.
"Shop local cannot be over emphasised. These local businesses are the ones who back our local sports clubs and our local charities and schools. More than ever, we need to return the favour.
'There are 14,000 still on the PUP. The city still has homeless issues. Our charities are very important and any support would be greatly received'
"In other years people would have talked about the 12 pubs of Christmas and while that can't be done this year, why not flip it around and do the 12 shops of Christmas. For my Christmas shopping, I intend to pick three shops over the next four weeks and will buy my presents from there.
"Support our local businesses is a message that must be pushed because while it may be five per cent dearer than major companies online, the return indirectly to our local communities is big. Remember you don't see eBay or Amazon on the backs of many local clubs tops. So I urge everyone to shop local this Christmas."
Supporting charity
Mayor Cubbard is also calling on citizens to check in on old relatives and friends, as well as supporting any local charities if possible as the city looks towards 2021.
"Christmas is the time of year for giving. We have to remember there are 14,000 still on the PUP. There are people who are out of work struggling and the city still has homeless issues and our charities are very important and any support would be greatly received.
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"However, if you are not in position to contribute to a charity, reaching out to our elderly and more isolated members of the community is just as important this Christmas. Social contact has gone for many because of the lockdown and from writing more than 200 letters to elderly around the city, the benefit of reaching out to these members of our community cannot be described.
Mayor Hubbard says there is a sense of hope now. "Eyre Square and the city looks fantastic, and I commend the executive of the council, the staff, and my colleagues for making it happen. While we do not have a Christmas Market this year, Eyre Square is very festive and will have Christmas music played from 4pm to 11pm every day with a Lights of Hope shining into the Galway sky. I ask everyone to pull on the maroon jersey as I believe we have found new hope to finally move on from this dark period."
