Fianna Fáil Cllr Michael J Crowe is demanding answers as to why The Saw Doctors did not hold their 20th anniversary concerts in the Galway Arts Festival Big Top last weekend.
Cllr Crowe said the Big Top was empty last Saturday and Sunday and as it was still up, it woudl have made a good venue for the shows.
“It should have been the place they played,” he said. “I understand it would have earned the festival committee a substantial amount of revenue.”
He said this was an opportunity for the arts festival to “get in a substantial amount of money and it was not taken up. If for no other reason than that I find this difficult to understand”.
The Bohermore-based councillor understands that a request was put in to the festival committee through the proper channels but was rejected. Cllr Crowe recently raised this issue with the festival manager, John Crumlish, via letter. Mr Crumlish emailed Cllr Crowe to say the issue was far more complicated than that, but he would welcome the opportunity to sit down and discuss it.
“That was over two weeks ago, I am still waiting,” said Cllr Crowe. “I think it’s important this is addressed. I am awaiting this.”
Cllr Crowe said The Saw Doctors and their manager Ollie Jennings have done “wonderful things for both the city and county” over the last 20 years.
“They have a very loyal fan base as is obvious from their past and present ticket sales and CD sales,” he said. “They have promoted Galway in the best manner possible in every corner of the world they have visited. Their lyrics alone do that.”
