Four Galway City Council projects have been shortlisted in the 22nd Annual Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards, which recognise and celebrate the outstanding work carried out by Local Authorities all over Ireland. The four shortlisted entries are: Galway Climate Inspirations Festival, CREW Galway, Youth Lates, and Ireland’s first city-centre School Street at Scoil Iognáid. The winners will be announced at a prestigious national awards ceremony in Dublin on Friday 27 November.
Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive, Galway City Council said, ““I am delighted to see Galway City Council projects shortlisted for the second year in a row in the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards. With over 250 entries this year, to have four Galway City projects represented in the 16 award categories is fantastic. The entries represent the broad work programme of the local authority, ranging from festivals and Climate Action, to Economic Development, Night Time Economy and Active Travel. I would like to acknowledge all those involved in developing these projects – in Galway City Council, our partner organisations and the communities involved – and to wish them the best of luck on awards night”.
This year, a record number of 259 submissions were received from 26 Local Authorities, underscoring the importance of these awards in showcasing the high standard of service provided by Local Authorities to their communities.
The Excellence in Local Government Award winners will be announced at the 22nd annual ceremony on 27 November at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Northwood, Santry. The awards are sponsored by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
About the projects
‘Festival of the Year’ Category: Galway Climate Inspirations Festival – Communities in Action
In 2024, Galway City Council launched a new annual climate festival, the first of its kind organised by a local authority in Ireland. ‘Climate Inspirations - Communities in Action’ is an innovative, creative and collaborative festival which aims to change the narrative around climate action to one of positivity. It harnesses Galway’s creative energy and embraces its theatrical, musical, art, active travel, Gaeilge and food cultures.
Promoting Economic Development Category: CREW Galway
Opened in April 2024, CREW Creative Enterprise and Innovation Hub is an initiative to nurture and support our creative industries. Founded by Atlantic Technological University (ATU), The Western Development Commission (WDC) and Ardán, with support from Galway City Council, CREW boosts entrepreneurship in sectors like gaming, content creation, and digital design. The hub provides resources, fosters innovation and supports start-ups contributing to the city and region's economic and cultural growth. CREW's mission is to support creative enterprises through a vibrant community, enabling creatives to thrive and achieve international success. Key achievements include state-of-the-art facilities, entrepreneurial training, job creation, and community engagement.
‘Sustaining the Arts’ Category: Youth Lates
Youth Lates provides safe, vibrant spaces for young people (14-19) to participate in and shape Galway's cultural scene, fostering creativity, social connection, and a new generation of arts enthusiasts and potential future artists.
The programme offers diverse activities such as live music, open mic nights, creative workshops and game nights, in partnership with local arts organisations (Galway Arts Centre|Nuns Island Theatre), youth services (Youth Work Ireland, Comhairle na nÓg), and music education (Music Generation Galway City).
Youth Lates is a key element of Galway City Council’s Night-Time Economy (NTE) Action Plan, directly addressing the need for youth engagement in the arts.
‘Urban Renewal’ Category: Ireland’s first city-centre School Street at Scoil Iognáid
In 2020, Galway City Council in partnership with Scoil Iognáid, the National Transport Authority (NTA) and An Taisce's Green Schools programme, launched a pilot School Streets programme - the first city centre School Street in Ireland.
The project arose out of concerns of parents and school management about the interactions between children and cars in the front of school environment - a narrow, residential street in an older part of Galway.
The pilot saw the street closed to traffic (except for residents and ‘blue badge’ holders accessing the school) at school drop-off and pick-up times. It proved very popular among the school community has been highly successful in changing the travel culture at Scoil Iognáid, with a significant increase in the number of children walking and cycling to school.
Works completed by Galway City Council in 2024 have now made this a permanent feature and have further developed these benefits.