Galway

Galway faced a similar problem like Cardiff after Thatcher had dissolved local council and put in charge a city manager leaving the mayor to be a mere symbolic, equally integrative figure elected for one year; with real power given to a city manager, people in Galway felt decisions were too one sided in favour of business and this meant for them having to face too many changes without being able to cope; even while a cultural committee for safeguarding the Gaelic language became the second representative for Galway besides the delegate from the city’s mayor, people speaking out at the Galway conference were more critical of two tendencies: they do not want to over emphasize Gaelic language (40% of people in Galway spoke that language) but rather bring both English and Gaelic into cultural terms with each other; and the inward investments leading to a building spree and therefore transforming the city beyond recognition was to be brought under control. As a result of CIED a cultural heritage officer was officially hired by the city. He was charged with the responsibility to approve any building and planning proposal with regards to impact upon cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible. Crucial was also the Irish experience in the Galway project: after a financial and economic crisis with high unemployment a clean table was made across the board and a consensus created on how to go forward collectively. What became the Celtic tiger can be explained by this collective effort to face the crisis. Moreover Galway meant for CIED the entry of Michael D. Higgins, former Minister of Culture for Ireland and poet. He opened up with his inspirational speeches the CIED conferences to further going policy considerations and especially to recognize that poets should help shape the urban agenda.

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Galway