Galway wins bid to host Volvo Ocean Race

[KongMing]

It was not a boozy pissup on urine filled streets. If you had actually been there, which is now obvious you were not, you would have seen an extremely well organised event. There was no drinking allowed on the streets during the festival, only in the designated event area, and the Gardai did a wonderful job monitoring the event. There was not one bit of trouble. There were 10,000 people in the Docks into the early hours of the morning to welcome the boats to Galway and were more interested in rousing choruses of "The West's Awake" and other local favorites than the usual expectorating and projectile vomiting and fighting seen in Temple Bar any night of the week. It brought MILLIONS and MILLIONS into the economy, which given the tourist season last year, they otherwise would not have had, the hotels guaranteed not to charge inflated prices for the week, and everyone had a terrific time.

+1. Well said there. It was an event where people of all ages and all walks of life gathered without incident to welcome the yachts to Ireland. It was a great advertisement for Galway and for Ireland. I'm delighted to see the race come back and to see the economic boost it will bring with it. By proving that we can host such events successfully, surely it attracts others to our shores.

I know that this is P.ie and I know that there will always be debate on these fora, but perhaps we should step back and leave the "nation of begrudgers" attitude at the door on these types of things.

Although I'm partial to Galway, anything that shows Ireland in a positive light is fundamentally a good thing. Remember the Ryder Cup? All the bs about the "smart economy" etc. is pie in the sky. Events that showcase Ireland in such a positve light, reinforces the "Cead mile failte" slogan abroad, and provide a tangible return on investment for the broader economy.

I understand the jealousy from other parts of the country, but there must be other events that could be hosted. We should be pursuing these with renewed vigor. I know that the Volvo race won't replace the 147 jobs lost in Musgraves last week, but it offers something else that has been missing for quite some time around here - hope.

[The Lighthouse Keeper]

Great! The hotels for 50 miles around can treble their prices for 2 weeks so that:

1. They can pay back the banks.
2. Rip-off tourists who will never come back again.

Love they way the focus is always on the money generated for the select few by these events or am being too cynical?

[DeathKnell]

Lets be clear, to this day The Ryder Cup has not provided a net gain for Ireland vs outlay

The Ryder Cup should never have been held on a Parkland course, If we were serious about showcasing Ireland then we would have held it on one of our world famous Links courses

I do a lot of business in the States and my golfer friends over there have NO interest playing parkland courses here.

They may make exceptions but if they travel here they want to hit the Links courses.

Now, to Address the Weshties with the chips,I am not anti anything but what I do want to see is value for investment

If it was such a great weekend for the people of Galway then I guess thats linked to the fact that all the locals were out, thats not the kind of event you can sell to a tourist, most of them come from places that have their own Yachts

go to Galway Docks this weekend and what will you see? Oil storage Tanks and maybe a fishing vessel

for an Island nation and a port town the complete lack of boats is a disgrace

Now for my critics, here is my proposal:

Take the €4 Million and add say half of the funding that Green Dragon will attempt to raise here €4,5 Million

Now you have €8,5 Million, Buy 40 Small Yachts, build a home for them, set up a training scheme (no fas allowed)

Now you have started something and we have something tangible to work with.

Free vacations / training schemes for unemployed

Sailing school can be ran by those that are trained up

These are the seeds for a sailing culture.

Easy open access = New business for Galway.

Flawed.
1) The oil drums are gone from the docks
2) The Galway docks are a working commercial port, small and dainty but thats what it is. So to do as you suggest and turn it into a marina with a sailing school, well forget the school, just to update the facilities, you need - money and development of the Docks.

The return of the Ocean race will generate both because of the income and the confidence it will bring.

There is a longer term plan to develop Galway port as a stop-over for Cruise ships.

The chicken is before the egg in your plan Wolf, but I suspect you knew that belatedly after your post.


PS.. Well done Galway, and to John Killeen in particular.

[corelli]

1. I was there last week, I saw Oil storage units

2. Working Commercial port - please! its like a ghost town down there. (unless you count cars amd traffic jams as activity)

3. Yeah, the classic 'we will get the cruise ships to stop here' trotted out by every 2-bit councillor . You do realise that the passengers on these vessels sleep and eat on board, they may spend a day in your town, the avg spend is $50 . Big ships look impressive but they dont do much for a towns bottom line.

4. Organic growth beats faux growth every time. Seems to me that Irish people are well taken with a bit of flash.

1. You saw oil storage units, if at all, out past the docks along the rail line beside the commercial units, which is reclaimed land. The Docks oil storage tanks have been gone for over a year.

2. The Volvo brought thousands upon thousands of people TO Galway, not out IN Galway. Basic research would have shown you that. There was massive tourism. Lots of it from other parts of Ireland.

3. The fact that the last Volvo brought many millions in revenue to Galway is indisputable, far outweighing the investment.

4. It is a working commercial port, though obviously not on a grand scale. It's a simple fact. Do you think the Harbor Board make their money from the 30 or so yachts moored there?

The 4 million the Government will spend is a good investment for a great return.

You really are a classic Irish begrudger.

[deepness]

Fair play to Galway. Was there for 2 days last year.
Found it boring as hell to be honest as an event but no doubt, it is a money spinner and good for the region.

[The Field Marshal]

Well done?

The Irish taxpayer is paying the organisers €4 million euros for the 'privelage'

€4 million to churn €60 million at what is a busy time of year anyway?

Its a bailout for the VFI in Galway.

What an idiotic post.

[The Field Marshal]

so a boozey piss-up on urine streamed streets is considered a 'great success'

no wonder 'we are where we are'

(easy to spot the Galway people here!)

I smell a Troll.

[DeathKnell]

You can name call if you choose, it reflects and exposes your frailties not mine.

Now, I note that neither you or deathknell chose to address my actual proposal

No, you would prefer to attack my legitimate critique.

Neither of you are worth debating with on this matter.

Prove me wrong?

I think you started the name calling by saying Weshties with chips.. No matter - let me end it.. You sir, are one thick K.U.N.T

Your proposals are no better than a drunken Mary Coughlan to the board of Dell.. Less than useless and not worth the effort.

Thats the end of troll feeding for one day.

[Nugget]

It just means people will spend money getting pissed instead of buying socially useful products. Having a few boats dock in the harbour does not create new money it just encourages people to spend money in pubs. But hey if some publican says that people getting pissed will make Galway richer by €60million then who am I to argue?

[meriwether]

It just means people will spend money getting pissed instead of buying socially useful products. Having a few boats dock in the harbour does not create new money it just encourages people to spend money in pubs. But hey if some publican says that people getting pissed will make Galway richer by €60million then who am I to argue?

Can it ever be socially useful to go to the pub?