Galway City Council has unveiled a new visual identity following a review of its existing branding, with the new design to be introduced across the organisation on a phased basis.
The new identity retains maroon as its principal colour and gives greater prominence to the Council's Irish-language name, Comhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe. The Coat of Arms of Galway City will also remain in use as part of the Council's new brand family.
The design draws on Galway's civic and maritime heritage. The lower-case ‘g’ reflects the form of the hull of the ship represented in the City's Coat of Arms, while its style also draws on the tradition of seanchló, the historic script used in Irish.
The colour palette includes maroon, which was supported in feedback from staff and Elected Members, together with blue reflecting the River Corrib.
The new identity follows a review and audit of Galway City Council's existing branding, including stakeholder workshops and surveys. The work formed part of the development of a Communications Strategy identified as a strategic priority following the 2024 Local Government Elections.
The review found that the public does not always recognise the full range of services provided or supported by the Council, while different services, programmes and projects are not always presented in the same way.
Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive of Galway City Council, said, “This project is about more than changing a logo. Galway City Council provides and supports a very wide range of services, from housing, roads and fire services to planning, environmental protection, tourism and community supports.
“We need to make it easier for people to recognise the role of the Council and the services we provide. The new identity is one part of that work, while also reflecting Galway's civic heritage and the important place of the Irish language in the city.
“Staff, Elected Members and members of the public brought a great deal of interest and enthusiasm to this process. Their feedback has helped shape the identity that has now been selected.”
The Coat of Arms will continue to have an important role in the Council's civic identity. It will remain in use on the official seal of the City and in other formal civic contexts, including the chains of office of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Mr Cleary said the new identity would not result in the wholesale replacement of existing Council materials.
“The rollout will be gradual. We will use the new identity when materials and assets are due to be renewed or replaced, rather than replacing items simply because the branding has changed,” he said.
“For example, new stationery will carry the new identity as part of the move to Council’s new corporate headquarters at Crown Square. Digital materials and email signatures will be updated in the coming weeks, while physical assets such as bin wraps and hoardings will adopt the new identity when they are next renewed.”
Helen Kilroy, Director of Finance at Galway City Council, said, “The new identity gives the Council a common visual system across the many areas in which it works, from housing and roads to planning, transport, economic development, tourism, culture and capital projects.
“The aim is that people will be able to recognise the Council more easily, regardless of the service, project or communication they are dealing with.”
Richie McCarthy, Head of Communications and Corporate Marketing at Galway City Council, said, “The identity draws directly on Galway, including its civic heritage, the River Corrib and the city's bilingual character.
“Importantly, the Coat of Arms remains part of the brand family, while the new system gives the Council greater flexibility across digital, print and physical communications.”
The brand development project was awarded to strategic branding and identity specialists Turas Branda following a competitive procurement process. The overall project cost is €28,000.
The project included a review and audit of the existing identity, stakeholder engagement, development of a Brand Strategy, visual identity development, brand architecture, accessibility and bilingual considerations, templates, applications and Visual Identity Guidelines.
The current Galway City Council branding was introduced almost two decades ago and features the Coat of Arms beside a large G, with the name of the local authority in Irish and English.
The new identity will be introduced on a phased basis, with existing materials and assets replaced as they reach the end of their normal lifespan or require renewal.
The full Galway City Council Brand Strategy and Visual Identity Guidelines will be published on www.galwaycity.ie in due course.
Read more about our new idenity and how it came about in this summary.