Outdoor dining summer 2021

Fitz*

A bit of common sense here anyways

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris is to issue a direction to all gardaí today that pubs and restaurants serving customers in temporary outdoor seating areas set up amid Covid-19 restrictions should not be penalised.

inisboffin

Fitz* wrote: »

A bit of common sense here anyways

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris is to issue a direction to all gardaí today that pubs and restaurants serving customers in temporary outdoor seating areas set up amid Covid-19 restrictions should not be penalised.

Thanks. Paywall there, does it say anything else about regional discretion etc?

zell12

Turns out those brutalist concrete barriers were needed as people will park/drive anywhere!
In the West End, they've painted them bright vibrant colours, which makes a huge difference - anyone know who is responsible for that?

Also, not much litter/detritus around these outdoor dining areas, which I had expected to happen

finbarrk

Any one know is An Pucan busy midweek? For evening dining.

testtech05

finbarrk wrote: »

Any one know is An Pucan busy midweek? For evening dining.

I haven't been myself but I would imagine if their are Euros games on it would be pretty busy.

inisboffin

zell12 wrote: »

Turns out those brutalist concrete barriers were needed as people will park/drive anywhere!
In the West End, they've painted them bright vibrant colours, which makes a huge difference - anyone know who is responsible for that?

Also, not much litter/detritus around these outdoor dining areas, which I had expected to happen

Was out the other night and watched as the Council started to move them when people were mid drink! It was deluging down! People seemed ok but don't expect your last hour of outdoor drinking to be chilled. Think cocktail hour in the middle of a freeway with forklifts!

finbarrk

I'd guess Race Week will be busy in town during the days seeing as they aren't letting in the expected 5,000 spectators.

zell12

Closed streets due to re-open on 01/10. Is there any push from retail/public/councillors to make closures permanent. Brings a festive 'normal' feel to the town

Would hate to see Woodquay being turned back into a car park

gordongekko

About time, indoors are open and people are vaccinated. No need for this to continue into the autumn.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117800869#Comment_117800869

Id like to see it stay during the spring and summer months going forward, a great addition to the city centre. It's not really feasible for winter months imo.

timmyntc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117800949#Comment_117800949

Outdoor dining is not just for a lack of vaccines. It is its own thing - nice to be able to sit outside when the weather is nice.

The idea that we should scrap it now and never let it return is the kind of regressive thinking that has the city strangled by cars and car parks.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117800949#Comment_117800949

I've been open to talking a lot of risks ( eg have used public transport throughout) - but I'd still prefer optionsl activities like this to be outside to inside for as long as possible.

Irrespective of vaccination status.

I haven't a notion of going indoors for drink or food for a long time to come. I'd wager I'm not the only one.

Silly move ending this

Hopefully there will be push back similar to Capel St in Dublin and this gets extended with a view to permanent implementation

gordongekko

Pubs are quiet between October and early December. Loads of capacity indoors and in beer gardens for the people who want to be outdoors. Time to move on and get back to some normality. I'm sure the residents near these area will be happy with the decision to stop the outdoor stuff.

zell12

May be extended for a few more weeks

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/outdoor-dining-in-galway-city-set-to-be-extended-by-several-weeks/

gordongekko

October 22nd is the friday of a bank holiday weekend. What a silly day to end it on.

Yeah strange. It's also the date that most remaining restrictions are to be lifted so may be aligned to that.

SchrodingersCat

Anybody know why Galway didn't manage to secure some of the 9m in Failte Ireland funding before the announcement last night?

MINISTER FOR TOURISM Catherine Martin and Fáilte Ireland have today announced the locations of 38 permanent outdoor dining facilities to be developed in 19 counties nationwide.

Fáilte Ireland’s Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme opened for applications in March 2021

https://www.thejournal.ie/outdoor-dining-funding-failte-ireland-5544444-Sep2021/

It says at the bottom "Galway City Council locations have been given a one-month extension." Any ideas what that means?

timmyntc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117866939#Comment_117866939

Council couldnt get their application in on time - not like them

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117866939#Comment_117866939

Re Extensions. Its in today's Galway Advertiser, public notice from City Council to close roads up to the 22nd of October 2021 if I remember correctly its more like a 3 week extension than a month.

SchrodingersCat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117867181#Comment_117867181

This is how I originally understood it. Does this mean that Galway have missed the boat in applying for Failte Ireland funding for permanent outdoor dining areas?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117867401#Comment_117867401

I understand that they have extended the the temporary outdoor dining areas by a month/three weeks https://connachttribune.ie/outdoor-dining-in-galway-city-set-to-be-extended-by-several-weeks/ But it looks like they didn't apply or apply in time for any Failte Ireland money to make them permanent?

timmyntc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117867939#Comment_117867939

The Failte Ireland scheme is a separate extension - the monies awarded are not contingent on measures being made permanent.

The 3 week extension of outdoor dining in Galway city is unrelated to GCCs application for grant funding from failte ireland being extended.

There's lots of funding available to Galway for many initiatives that the city council drags their feet on and doesn't draw down. Lot of people thing other counties get more... our council just doesn't request it.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117867939#Comment_117867939

I'm not sure that there's widespread agreement that public space should be permanently re-allocated to private sector profit making businesses.

Certainly in Forster Street, public transport operators are complaining about 10 minutes being added to the time taken to get to Eyre Square, as a result of pubs (which already have large beer gardens) being allocated the bus lane.

It's worked so far because night-clubs have been closed, and because bar staff have done the heavy lifiting to put furniture out and then away each day. Meaning residents haven't been plagued with after-club gatherings and after-hours drinking (and more) in outdoor eating / drinking areas. But clubs are opening soon, and permanent areas would equal permanent fixtures. Not a happy mix.

There's also an interesting question about what happens if you build a permanent outdoor area, but adjoining licensed premises operators don't want the cost of licensing and/or the hassle of managing an outdoor area. (This appears to be what happened in Waterford, which built a roof over the Apple Market.)

SchrodingersCat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117870132#Comment_117870132

This is what irks me about Galway City Corporation. You don't need widespread agreement to make a decision. You need a long-term vision of what the majority would agree is best for the city. If you wait for widespread agreement, you will never get any changes done as people err towards the status quo. There are pros and cons to every decision and thus there will always be some against a change.

A good example was the creation of the Salthill bike lane. Despite "over-whelming" support from the public, they did not receive widespread agreement that it was a good idea due to "small group of business owners" who were worried about the loss of parking spaces. The fact that throughout the country, improved cycle facilities have led to increased economic activity, was lost on them (e.g. Westport). So the councilors voted against it. https://www.thejournal.ie/bicycle-blackspots-update-5309962-Jan2021/

Galway lost another opportunity to secure funding to become a safer, healthier and more tourist friendly city. Instead, the status quo remained of prioritising motorists and transport over cyclists and pedestrians.

The same is happening with the pedestrianisation and outdoor dining of the streets. If councilors are pointing to a 10 min delay of buses on Forster Street as a reason not to apply for additional government funding, someone should remind them that the areas in Woodquay, Middle Street, Dominick Street Upper, the Small Crane, Ravens Terrace, or Salthill neither have bus routes through them or are not affected.

There were similar complaints of allowing private businesses use public spaces when Quay street was designated for pedestrianisation and outdoor dining. It has since become one of the busiest tourist areas of the city. We would be hard pushed to find people making the same complaint about that street now.

Currently, the outdoor dining and pedestrinisation of the areas is between 6pm and 11pm. If residents are worried of a change in these times and the noise that it brings, the councilors can leave them as they currently are.

Galway City Council need to take the initiative and apply for this funding from the goverment. I see no strong reason why 19 other counties in the Republic have applied for this funding and Galway has not.

gordongekko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117874039#Comment_117874039

Good rant but pure nonsense

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117874305#Comment_117874305

Oh do elaborate, please.

gordongekko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117874360#Comment_117874360

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117874039#Comment_117874039

no idea how to quote on this site.

First paragraph is just a rambling rant that means nothing

second paragraph. Salthill bike lane was a joke. 2 lanes side by side along the shore side is the correct option there. Thatll allow a safe route from south park to the end of the prom without the nonsense of having to pass heavy traffic to cross from one land to the other and itll be far more secure .

Third paragraph is about being "healthier", outdoor drinking is no healthier than indoor drinking.

4th paragraph is a case of look over there.... there's no bus route there so close down the other road... Nonsense is being kind to it

5th paragraph FFs quays street is busy........ wow thats great....

6th paragraph. Resident should be able to say no!!!! yet the previous nonsense ignores their issues

7th paragraph "  I see no strong reason why 19 other counties in the Republic have applied for this funding and Galway has not." good rant but pure rubbish.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117874462#Comment_117874462

Third paragraph the op was talking about Salthill.

Your argument against their paragraph 5 is hollow and basically not an argument.

Same again when you're on about their paragraph 7. If you're gonna call their opinions a rant and nonsense you should probably bring a little more to the table than that.

gordongekko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117874641#Comment_117874641

I don't do arguments . If the person ranting brings something to discuss id gladly do so but its just a nonsense rant that doesn't need much discrediting