Galway city council has approved grant funding for 20 local community festivals this year.
The Local Community Festivals Grant Scheme provides support for events in local areas to “encourage participation in community life”.
For the 2019 Scheme the council had a budget of €8,000 with a window for applications from May 9 – 24.
In total 24 applications were received by the city council requesting funding of €31,580, but not all of those could be met.
Councillor Owen Hanley noted that there was a big difference between what people were asking for and what the council was providing them.
Director of Services Gary McMahon acknowledged that there is always a difference between “what you’d like to give” and what can be done with a limited budget.
But he added that the council provides more support for festivals and events in the community through other sources of funding such as Arts Grants, Fáilte Ireland, the Local Community Development Committee, and more.
He said that the great variety of festivals on the list shows “the strength of the local community” in Galway, “established communities and new communities”.
The full list of festivals which have received a grant in the 2019 Scheme is:
- Westside Arts Festival – Annual Arts Festival – €500
- Tirellan Residents Association – Christmas Festival – €400
- Coogan Park Residents Association – Community Memorial Day – €400
- Come2gether Polish Irish Association – International Children’s Day Family Fun event – €400
- Merlin Neighbourhood RA – Community Family Fun event – €450
- Galway Indian Cultural Community – Onam 2019 Festival – €500
- Na Blátha Craige Residents – Summer Festival 2019 – €300
- Ard Women’s Circle/Family Resource Centre – Community Day – €200
- Rockfield Park Residents Association – Family Fun Day – €300
- IGBO Progressive Union – New Yam Festival – €500
- Dangan Heights Residents Association – Food Festival – €450
- Galway Westend – Westend Street Feast 2019 – €500
- Ballybane Community Garden & Taskforce – Community Festival – €500
- Cumann na bhFear – Blacksmithing Festival – €500
- Galway African Diaspora – Africa Abú – €500
- Westside Youth Project – Traveller Pride Week Festival – €200
- Nour Al Amal c/o Galway city Partnership – Community Iftar – €200
- Highfield Park Residents Association – Community Fun Day – €400
- Third Space Galway – Community Harvest & Sustainable Food Festival – €500
