Galway is finally to gain a permanent civic arts space in the city centre as part of a multi-million-euro redevelopment of the Galway Post Office.
The redevelopment will span Eglinton Street and William Street and see the modernisation of the post office, while the building at the rear of the GPO, accessed via William Street, will be developed into a civic arts space.
The lack of a civic arts space has been keenly felt by Galway’s cultural and creative community, with many seeing its absence as being at odds with the city’s reputation as a cultural capital. Furthermore, over the past 20 years councillors have made calls for a dedicated city gallery, with numerous locations being proposed.
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The situation changed in 2019 when a long disused space at the rear of the GPO became the site of the Galway International Arts Festival gallery. The site proved popular with the public, while the arts community saw strong potential. In August 2019 An Post indicated it was examining the potential for developing its property off William Street as an arts space for the city.
'The redevelopment represents a unique opportunity and it was vital the space was retained for the benefit of the arts'
The news that the site is to become Galway’s civic arts space has been welcomed by Fine Gael Galway West TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for postal services, Hildegarde Naughton. “A public arts space like this is something that we’ve been missing in Galway,” she said.
A competitive tender for redevelopment will be issued, and while there is no figure on the overall cost of the project, it is expected to run into the multi-millions.
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Fine Gael Galway West TD, and Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton.
Minister Naughton had campaigned to secure part of the GPO site as a civic arts space. “This has been a priority of mine since the GIAF demonstrated the potential of the location as a creative space for the arts community,” she said. “The redevelopment represents a unique opportunity and it was vital the space was retained for the benefit of the arts.”
Along with the gallery space the GPO will also be modernised. Currently it retains a distinctly 1970s ambience. “A modernised post office is an extremely positive development at a time when services such as community banking and ecommerce shipping are of increasing importance,” said the Minister.
Regeneration
Minister Naughton added that overall the redevelopment will “regenerate a very prominent part” of the city centre and provide a “world-class space” for Galway’s “thriving and famous arts community”.
Reacting to the development, the Galway Internatinonal Arts Festival said it welcomed the news. "The festival has a long history of temporarily transforming old buildings to facilitate the arts and this news is something we have wanted for Galway for a long time. We are very grateful to An Post and Minster Naughton for making it a reality now."
