There was something deeply reflective about the ceremony held last week to honour two remarkable figures — my former colleague Ronnie O’Gorman and former County Council manager C.I. O’Flynn. It was a gathering that looked back with gratitude and forward with curiosity, a moment to pause in a city that rarely stands still.
As I listened to the tributes, what struck me most was how easily Galway’s story could have taken a different turn. There was mention of the plans, many decades ago, to build the city’s cathedral not by the Corrib but in Eyre Square itself. A sliding doors moment, if ever there was one. Imagine that — the heart of Galway dominated by a vast stone structure instead of the open square that still draws students, buskers, and Saturday shoppers. Would it have made the city better? Or worse? We’ll never know. But the thought lingers as we enter another era of transformation, one that will again reshape how Galway looks, feels, and lives.
I came to Galway forty years ago this autumn. Back then, the city had a gentle sprawl — its skyline rarely interrupted, its rhythm more local than global. The changes since then have been steady rather than sudden: a new bridge here, a shopping centre there, the university expanding, the docks becoming a place of glass and light. But what’s coming next feels different. For the first time, Galway is looking up — literally — as it embraces high-rise living.
The approval last week for a major new development on the Dyke Road marks a turning point. The Land Development Agency’s Corrib Causeway project will see 219 new cost-rental and social homes built in towers of up to nine storeys. It’s not just about housing; it’s about creating a whole new neighbourhood, with crèches, green spaces, and walkways linking to Terryland Forest Park and beyond. Similar developments are planned at Crown Square, Amharc Atalia at the port, and along Sandy Road. Together, they will redefine the city’s northern approach and its skyline.
From my office window — or at least, what used to be my view — I once looked across the bay. That vista has now disappeared behind the sleek new facades of Bonham Quay and the docklands. Soon, the walk up the Dyke Road to Eamonn Deacy Park will feel different too. Progress always takes something with it, even as it gives something back.
Galway has always been a city of reinvention — from medieval port to market town, from cultural capital to technology hub. Every generation gets a new Galway, and now it’s our turn. Whether these high-rise ambitions will enrich or diminish the city’s soul remains to be seen. But what’s certain is that we are, once again, passing through a moment of change — a moment that will decide what kind of Galway the next generation will inherit.
In the end, cities, like people, are defined by how they grow — and by what they choose to keep as they do.
