The Mayor of Galway’s upcoming journey to Seattle for the city’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations is justified according to City Hall as the expenses are “minimal” and it is a chance to market Galway abroad.
The Mayor of Galway councillor Declan McDonnell will be travelling to sGalway’s sister city of Seattle to attend its St Patrick’s Day Parade, which will be held on Saturday March 13.
The Mayor has been invited to the Seattle parade by the city’s newly elected mayor Mike McGinn and the Seattle Galway Sister City Association.
Mayor McDonnell will also be attending a range of events in the city during his visit. He will be accompanied by his wife Mary and by the deputy city manager, Joe O’Neill and his wife.
The cost of the three flights to Seattle is €1,983, while accommodation costs in Seattle are being met by the hosts. Mrs O’Neill will be travelling with the official party at her own expense. Mayor McDonnell will be back in Galway to attend the city’s own St Patrick’s Day Parade on Wednesday 17.
However can the trip to Seattle can be afforded, or even justified, in today’s economic circumstances and with the cutbacks that have already been inflicted on Galway City Council staff and services?
In response a spokesperson for City Hall said the costs were “minimal” and that the trip was justified because of the “exposure and goodwill” that will be “generated among the Seattle Irish community and the wider population of Washington State and the North West United States.”
The spokesperson went on to say that the journey to Seattle makes good economic sense as well.
“This is a considerable marketing opportunity in terms of our sister city relationship,” he said. “In conjunction with Fáilte Ireland’s worldwide marketing of the country at this time of year, this gives the Galway city an added boost in the Greater Seattle area which has a population in excess of 3.2 million people.”
