Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture

Mrs OBumble · 28-01-2020 2:45am

Wombatman wrote: »

So a good chunk of the money allocated by the council is going back into the pockets of council staff?

I wounder how much of the original allocation, from both County and City Councils, is being redirected back to council members \ staff?

You make it sound like paying council staff is some kind of scam. That's rubbish. A good deal of the money allocated by councils to do pretty much anything is used to pay the wages of the people who do the work that is being funded.

Ashleigh1986 · 28-01-2020 6:50am

Deleted User wrote: »

Interesting interview between DriveTime presenter and Galway 2020 agents at the moment. About Funding. Very Probing and Good interview!

Should be played to Keith finnegan and show him how an interview regarding this project should be done .
This is going to be galway people's / businesses taxes that are going to be used to " help out " a failing project .
What's going to happen is other projects will not be supported by city council because of lack of funding.
When they are including events ( arts festival / galway airport event ) that are already taken place to fill their programme , it's obvious it's a disaster waiting to happen .
Will Keith finnegan ask the questions that need to be asked ???
I seriously doubt it .
He and galway bay fm are part of the propaganda regarding this event .
His radio station was USED to promote the Volvo ocean race finale last time it was here .
He himself was going to announce the boats arriving at the docks but just when they arrived ... VOLVO TOLD HIM TO STAND ASIDE AS THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PEOPLE TO TAKE OVER FROM HERE .
You would have thought he would have learned from that experience .

ChewyLouie · 28-01-2020 8:44am

Wombatman wrote: »

Really smells like another Palas Cinema scam.

Exactly.

Ask for X from public money to joint fund along with Y from private sources.

Fail to get Y (no prior commitments? what efforts were made?) then ask for Y from public funding to chase the X that would otherwise be wasted if it was all a flop.

Wombatman · 28-01-2020 10:54am

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You make it sound like paying council staff is some kind of scam. That's rubbish. A good deal of the money allocated by councils to do pretty much anything is used to pay the wages of the people who do the work that is being funded.

What? The people who are being 'seconded' are being paid by the council already.

Why not get people who are in need of work to do it? Were the positions seconded to advertised publicly I wonder?

If the governance of the Galway 2020 project is not in front of the PAC I'll eat a kitten.

ratracer · 28-01-2020 11:06am

Whereisgalway wrote: »

They’ve half of South Park closed off for the next three weeks, must be preparing a big opening ceremony

It would be a good time to buy a truck load of wellies and have them on sale down there before the event!

Whereisgalway · 28-01-2020 2:51pm

ratracer wrote: »

It would be a good time to buy a truck load of wellies and have them on sale down there before the event!

GCC will need a cut

Mrs OBumble · 28-01-2020 3:10pm

Wombatman wrote: »

What? The people who are being 'seconded' are being paid by the council already.

Why not get people who are in need of work to do it? Were the positions seconded to advertised publicly I wonder?
.

Any time I've been seconded, my "home" organisation stopped paying me, and the other org paid me instead.

ronnie3585 · 28-01-2020 3:10pm

ratracer wrote: »

It would be a good time to buy a truck load of wellies and have them on sale down there before the event!

I was there at the weekend and the ground is absolutely saturated, it will not withstand tens of thousands of people waking on it.

The Swamp is call the Swamp for a reason, it's a swamp. To hold such a big event there in the depths of winter, with completely saturated soil, is asking for trouble. Compounding this, is the lack of nearby parking/transport to the venue. The double header in Pearse Stadium on Sunday was a complete sh*t show in terms of illegal parking and congestion, proving yet again that Salthill does not have the capacity for such large events.

It's baffling that this event is not being held in the Racecourse.

zell12 · 28-01-2020 3:14pm

It's closer to town in terms of public transport
Idea that people will walk

Ashleigh1986 · 28-01-2020 5:07pm

ronnie3585 wrote: »

I was there at the weekend and the ground is absolutely saturated, it will not withstand tens of thousands of people waking on it.

The Swamp is call the Swamp for a reason, it's a swamp. To hold such a big event there in the depths of winter, with completely saturated soil, is asking for trouble. Compounding this, is the lack of nearby parking/transport to the venue. The double header in Pearse Stadium on Sunday was a complete sh*t show in terms of illegal parking and congestion, proving yet again that Salthill does not have the capacity for such large events.

It's baffling that this event is not being held in the Racecourse.

Galway city councils fear is that if it was held in galway racecourse people would attend and than go home .
Because it's on within the city the hope is that people go to the pubs and restaurants after the event .
This helps the pubs / restaurants .
Which in turn pay their rates .
Which means they get their salaries .

gordongekko · 30-01-2020 8:42am

ronnie3585 wrote: »

. The double header in Pearse Stadium on Sunday was a complete sh*t show in terms of illegal parking and congestion, proving yet again that Salthill does not have the capacity for such large events.

This never happened anyway.

pure.conya · 30-01-2020 10:59am

Homelander wrote: »

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/meeting-to-discuss-additional-funds-for-galway-2020-projects-deferred/

In fairness asking Councillors to stump up another €2.5m after everything that's gone on is likely to cause some controversy.

is it? anybody that didn't see this coming way back is an idiot, it's not like the city council can say no at this stage lol

pure.conya · 30-01-2020 11:01am

zell12 wrote: »

It was a right ding-dong between Judy Murphy of the Tribune and Patricia Philbin of ECOC
Judy was highlighting serious deficiencies in funding, non-transparency, non-accountability etc
Taxpayers will end up bailing out the ECOC private company

just as i predicted, another ocean race scenario

pure.conya · 30-01-2020 11:04am

tototoe wrote: »

According to that interview they were expecting 2 or 2.5 million in sponsorship and have about 6-700k. Sounds like this is just the tax payer paying for most/all of this.and if they can't get additional funding some events will not go ahead. Some Chinese artist was one example. Weiwei was the artist I think. Also sounded like a lot of money being spent on art/ art installations tbh.

well with a population as disinterested in standing up against this carry on as we are, it shouldn't be surprising that we pay for everything

pure.conya · 30-01-2020 11:07am

Wombatman wrote: »

I find this bit very, very interesting....

https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2020/0127/1111186-galway-2020/

So a good chunk of the money allocated by the council is going back into the pockets of council staff?

I wounder how much of the original allocation, from both County and City Councils, is being redirected back to council members \ staff?

In the Drive Time interview Judy Murphy said that the Galway 2020 company is a private entity, with no accountability, although most of their funding is public. She said that any request she made for details of spending have been met with "we can't give that information out because it is commercially sensitive". I would imagine most of the shows are also making a profit through ticket sales.

Really smells like another Palas Cinema scam.

so the well connected are being paid handsomely for "working" with ecoc 2020,i feel a few FOI applications are in order

pure.conya · 30-01-2020 11:08am

thesandeman wrote: »

It's all starting in Clifden next Sunday.
Hardly anybody here knows anything about it. They stuck flags up last week and gave us posters today.
So far we know there are going to be ten drummers unless they bus people in from outside the town.
We presume there's going to be lights or fire as well because some of the streets are closed off but there has been no discussion with the locals (unless it was all organised through Facebook or something).

jesus christ they couldn't organise a piss up

pure.conya · 30-01-2020 11:11am

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

Should be played to Keith finnegan and show him how an interview regarding this project should be done .
This is going to be galway people's / businesses taxes that are going to be used to " help out " a failing project .
What's going to happen is other projects will not be supported by city council because of lack of funding.
When they are including events ( arts festival / galway airport event ) that are already taken place to fill their programme , it's obvious it's a disaster waiting to happen .
Will Keith finnegan ask the questions that need to be asked ???
I seriously doubt it .
He and galway bay fm are part of the propaganda regarding this event .
His radio station was USED to promote the Volvo ocean race finale last time it was here .
He himself was going to announce the boats arriving at the docks but just when they arrived ... VOLVO TOLD HIM TO STAND ASIDE AS THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PEOPLE TO TAKE OVER FROM HERE .
You would have thought he would have learned from that experience .

Keith finnegan knows what side his bread is buttered

pure.conya · 30-01-2020 11:12am

ChewyLouie wrote: »

Exactly.

Ask for X from public money to joint fund along with Y from private sources.

Fail to get Y (no prior commitments? what efforts were made?) then ask for Y from public funding to chase the X that would otherwise be wasted if it was all a flop.

oldest trick in the book, too much skin in the game to back out now boss

pure.conya · 30-01-2020 11:13am

Wombatman wrote: »

What? The people who are being 'seconded' are being paid by the council already.

Why not get people who are in need of work to do it? Were the positions seconded to advertised publicly I wonder?

If the governance of the Galway 2020 project is not in front of the PAC I'll eat a kitten.

bahahahahahaha advertised bahahahahahahaha

pure.conya · 30-01-2020 11:15am

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Any time I've been seconded, my "home" organisation stopped paying me, and the other org paid me instead.

so you're not part of the clique so

Ashleigh1986 · 30-01-2020 12:04pm

Of course the people at the top table will be paid .
Out of our taxpayers money of course .
While the volunteers .... Ah ya the volunteers ... The modern day cannon fodder who do the work for nothing , while the top table bury their snouts in the trough.

pure.conya · 30-01-2020 4:14pm

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

Of course the people at the top table will be paid .
Out of our taxpayers money of course .
While the volunteers .... Ah ya the volunteers ... The modern day cannon fodder who do the work for nothing , while the top table bury their snouts in the trough.

nyom nyom nyom

JohnCleary · 31-01-2020 3:41pm

What's the plan for Feb 8th down the swamp? Think i'll don the wetsuit... I can roll around in the muck

lion_bar · 31-01-2020 4:14pm

It doesn't have volunteers, it has Wave Makers representing a positive disruptive energy and bringing about change!

I wonder if it's sourcing of wave Makers is any more successful than it's efforts at sourcing sponsorship.

pure.conya · 31-01-2020 4:25pm

lion_bar wrote: »

It doesn't have volunteers, it has Wave Makers representing a positive disruptive energy and bringing about change!

I wonder if it's sourcing of wave Makers is any more successful than it's efforts at sourcing sponsorship.

slave labour wavemakers lol

pure.conya · 31-01-2020 4:26pm

JohnCleary wrote: »

What's the plan for Feb 8th down the swamp? Think i'll don the wetsuit... I can roll around in the muck

the beginning of an 11 month car crash

Greaney · 31-01-2020 5:14pm

I'm doing a project in the county (I run a community Arts group) and the two most heart breaking things of all are...

1) Galway County Council has 'zero' rates on empty properties so there'll be no sign of rejuvination we had hoped for, if businesses are expected to pay and property hoarders sit back and see what happens

and

2) We just got this years insurance quote and it's jumped 9 fold.... I could cry. It could be insurance premiums that beat us!!

Ashleigh1986 · 31-01-2020 5:56pm

The highlights of 2020 for me will be the 2 weeks of the " arts festival and the June bank holiday weekend gig at galway airport...... O hold on they were both on anyway .
Did the 2020 organisers ( I personally would call them chancers ) approach the arts festival / galway airport gigs and say .... " let us put ye on as part of our programme and ye will get free advertisement for your projects ".
Will we ever know ?

Greaney · 31-01-2020 6:25pm

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

The highlights of 2020 for me will be the 2 weeks of the " arts festival and the June bank holiday weekend gig at galway airport...... O hold on they were both on anyway .
Did the 2020 organisers ( I personally would call them chancers ) approach the arts festival / galway airport gigs and say .... " let us put ye on as part of our programme and ye will get free advertisement for your projects ".
Will we ever know ?

The Arts Festival most certianly are part of it yes. Every festival was approached about it (even our local food festival). That side of things they were very much on top of. You'll see it in their promo videos, even Druid are back in doing a gig. All the corporate backing selling 'brand Ireland' is to the fore...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na63PVAyAXc

But a lot of us, who are the creative workers trying to pull projects together, we are weary of the shrinking budgets and the broken promises from Local Authorities....

Ashleigh1986 · 31-01-2020 6:45pm

So every festival that was already running in galway was approached to be part of the "2020 " year long festival ???
Ready you couldn't make this **** up .
What we are going to get is festivals that were already on and throw in a grand opening ( if weather permits ... Or it's cancelled ) and a few poxy side shows .
Is it any wounder the lad that was involved in the opening of the London Olympics ran away from this faster than usain bolt .

Greaney · 31-01-2020 7:17pm

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

So every festival that was already running in galway was approached to be part of the "2020 " year long festival ???
Ready you couldn't make this **** up .
What we are going to get is festivals that were already on and throw in a grand opening ( if weather permits ... Or it's cancelled ) and a few poxy side shows .
Is it any wounder the lad that was involved in the opening of the London Olympics ran away from this faster than usain bolt .

The 2020 project knew it wasn't going to be a 'festival' itself, but you have to have everyone on board so yes they would be part of it. So certian projects have different organisations & festivals co-producing because you can canteliever something off their insurance etc. so that's how that works. I'm co-producing with another organisation myself.

As for the Lad who ran away.... I'm guessing you're talking about Chris Baldwin? The former creative director? I'm under the impression, the former CEO made things tricky for lots of people, but there might have been a personal reason. I'm very aware lots of Galway creative expertise is not involved because they were either not invited to take part, or when they did apply, just didn't make the cut. We've some folk who are world class, but I still feel we have an inferiority complex in Ireland & Galway about 'our own'.

I'd would say the suits don't trust the creatives.... again.

ben.schlomo · 31-01-2020 7:18pm

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

So every festival that was already running in galway was approached to be part of the "2020 " year long festival ???
Ready you couldn't make this **** up .
What we are going to get is festivals that were already on and throw in a grand opening ( if weather permits ... Or it's cancelled ) and a few poxy side shows .
Is it any wounder the lad that was involved in the opening of the London Olympics ran away from this faster than usain bolt .

If they ignored all the locally run events and festivals you'd be whingeing that they weren't included, they can't win really.

Ashleigh1986 · 31-01-2020 9:07pm

ben.schlomo wrote: »

If they ignored all the locally run events and festivals you'd be whingeing that they weren't included, they can't win really.

while they were at it they should have included the galway races in their festival .... Chancers

Storm 10 · 31-01-2020 9:39pm

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

while they were at it they should have included the galway races in their festival .... Chancers

Not forgetting the Oyster Festival as well

ben.schlomo · 31-01-2020 9:40pm

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

while they were at it they should have included the galway races in their festival .... Chancers

I'm sure they asked, Race committee were probably happy as they are.

Ashleigh1986 · 31-01-2020 9:52pm

Storm 10 wrote: »

Not forgetting the Oyster Festival as well

To right Storm ... They could have got 2 extra festivals ... Clarinbridge and galway city oyster festivals ....

Ashleigh1986 · 01-02-2020 7:28pm

The long term forecast for next Saturday is woeful .
Storm is forecast for galway bay and all along west coast .
Wouldn't be surprised if the launch is cancelled .

ChewyLouie · 01-02-2020 7:48pm

Two big towers constructed down at South Park with cabling between them. Loads of barriers all over the place. Very difficult to find any details but they seemed to be working to a plan.

Whereisgalway · 01-02-2020 9:07pm

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

The long term forecast for next Saturday is woeful .
Storm is forecast for galway bay and all along west coast .
Wouldn't be surprised if the launch is cancelled .

They should really have it in renmore

Whereisgalway · 01-02-2020 9:11pm

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

The long term forecast for next Saturday is woeful .
Storm is forecast for galway bay and all along west coast .
Wouldn't be surprised if the launch is cancelled .

They should really have it in renmore

_Whimsical_ · 02-02-2020 12:22am

ChewyLouie wrote: »

Two big towers constructed down at South Park with cabling between them. Loads of barriers all over the place. Very difficult to find any details but they seemed to be working to a plan.

Surely not more high wire antics?

LadyMayBelle · 02-02-2020 1:45am

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Surely not more high wire antics?

Must be..going by the latest interview with the guy organising it, he says it doesn't matter where you're standing, you'll have a clear view..

They've released more information this eve..no buggies allowed, I'm sure it will put a lot of families off https://galway2020.ie/en/opening-ceremony-faqs/

zell12 · 02-02-2020 9:56am

Isn't it great.
Host the opener atop town dump with scenic views of the sewage treatment plant, exposed to near gale force winds.

ChewyLouie · 02-02-2020 11:05am

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

They've released more information this eve..no buggies allowed, I'm sure it will put a lot of families off

It's not no buggies allowed, they advise against buggies.

ben.schlomo · 02-02-2020 11:10am

ChewyLouie wrote: »

It's not no buggies allowed, they advise against buggies.

Anyone with half a brain would surely know not to bring a buggie onto the Swamp in February!!!

zell12 · 02-02-2020 11:11am

We advise you to travel light leaving large bags, umbrellas, pets and buggies at home.
We advise you not to bring large bags bigger than A4 as you may not be admitted with the bag.

Storm 10 · 02-02-2020 11:45am

zell12 wrote: »

We advise you to travel light leaving large bags, umbrellas, pets and buggies at home.
We advise you not to bring large bags bigger than A4 as you may not be admitted with the bag.

Banning umbrellas in February in the swamp are they for real, do they expect families with small children to be carried on people's backs it's a joke .

02-02-2020 11:49am

Storm 10 wrote: »

Banning umbrellas in February in the swamp are they for real, do they expect families with small children to be carried on people's backs it's a joke .

Sure won't Daddy be a farmer / construction worker. No problem to him.

Storm 10 · 02-02-2020 3:16pm

Forecast for next weekend looking pretty bad for an event in the South Park whoever decided on this venue should be fired

zell12 · 02-02-2020 3:28pm

Just a biteen of wind and a scoop of rain
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Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture

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