Local councillors are expected to dredge up the legacy of the 2020 City of Culture celebrations at the first full Galway City Council meeting of 2025 next week.
It is understood a number of motions have been submitted by councillors concerning municipal funding for Galway Cultural Development & Activity, a limited guarantee company set up by Galway’s two local authorities to deliver the European City of Culture programme, and administer legacy projects. The organisation is better known as Galway Culture Company.
Galway’s 2020 city of culture experience was considerably curtailed by adverse weather and the Covid 19 pandemic. It was seen as the crowning achievement of former city manager Brendan McGrath, who remains chairman of the board of Galway Culture Company.
Government officials in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media are currently scheduling meetings with Galway Culture Company directors in the first quarter of this year to assess its performance since 2020.
“The Department is currently co-ordinating diaries with the Galway Culture Company with a view to finding a suitable date for arranging a meeting soon,” said a spokesman.
In its most recent accounts, dated December 2023, the Galway Culture Company stated it received almost €745,000 in income, of which 98 per cent came from “government grants”.
The company’s largest outgoings were Public Relations (€76,000 ), external consultancy (€38,000 ) and staff wages (€21,000 ).
Accounts show Galway City Council provided grants of €126,000 in 2022, but none in 2023. A City Council spokeswoman confirmed no monies had been provided to Galway Culture Company in 2024, and that no city employees had worked for the company in 2024.
“Galway Cultural Development & Activity CLG is a cultural organisation based in Galway city similar to Galway Arts Centre, GIAF, Macnas, [and] Gaillimh le Gaelige for example. Galway City Council deals with Galway Culture Company in the same manner that it would any of these organisations,” she said in a statement.
City councillor Alan Cheevers (FF ) says he has been submitting questions to city officials on Galway Culture Company for several months.
“I think we need transparency from [officials] and Galway Culture Company on its accounts, the membership of its board, and in relation to its programme delivery,” he said. “If next-to-no salaries are being paid, we need to know how it is procuring services and if it tenders for external consultants,” he added.
Galway Culture Company is yet to file its 2024 accounts, and a council spokeswoman confirmed the local authority’s financial department has no role in the company’s filings.
