The city of Galway has long been associated with the use of the Irish language and it is estimated that around 10 per cent of Galway’s population are Irish speakers. Galway city is to be found right on the doorstep of two of the most active Irish speaking areas in Ireland, the Connamara Gaeltacht and the Aran Islands. The word ‘Gaeltacht’ is used to describe an area where the majority of residents still use the Irish language in everyday conversation.

Irish music, theatre and television and radio production form an integral part of the cultural life of Galway. One organisation that strives to promote a bilingual atmosphere in Galway is Gaillimh le Gaeilge. Set up in 1987, one of the aims is to develop the Irish language as an economic resource for the Galway area. Gaillimh le Gaeilge works with Galway City Council and Galway Chamber of Commerce to develop Galway’s unique Irish image and promote Galway city as the ‘Bilingual Capital of Ireland’. The organisation has also been encouraging the use of Irish in local businesses and, as a result, there is now hardly any street in Galway that does not have a number of businesses featuring Irish only or bilingual signage. Indeed, some of Galway’s supermarkets now carry bilingual signs and in some city shops Irish is used on the public address system.

One of the initiatives of Gaillimh le Gaeilge is the Gradam Sheosaimh Uí Ógartaigh which is an annual Bilingual Business award. The aim of the Gradam is to recognise businesses in Galway that show a ‘visible’, ‘genuine’ and ‘creative use’ of the Irish Language, making an impact on the bilingual image of Galway and on their staff.

One business that has embraced the use of bilingualism is the Menlo Park Hotel located in the Terryland area of Galway city. One recent visitor to the hotel said: “There aren’t many hotels on the island of Ireland that promote Irish speaking to the extent the Menlo Park does”. On arriving at the hotel reception you are very likely to be greeted by the Gaelic phrase “Dia Dhuit ” or hello. Prominent on the hotel website is the phrase: “Fáilte Chuig Óstán Menlo Park” or “Welcome to the Menlo Park Hotel.” In each bedroom there are small booklets with useful Irish phrases as well as a guide to pronunciation. Irish takes a central role in hotel policy and ensures that both guests who stay in the Menlo Park as well as staff and locals all experience the language. The hotel hosts a weekly Ciorcal Comhrá (conversation class) which gives locals the opportunity to practice their ‘cúpla focal’ (few words) on a regular basis. Thanks to its hard work in embracing the Irish language in its business the Menlo Park Hotel received the Gradam Award in 2011.  On presenting the Award Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht,  Dinny McGinley T.D., said: “The Menlo Park Hotel stood out for their creativity, innovation and drive to make Irish work at work.”

So, if you are planning a visit to Galway to practice your Irish, then a stay at the Menlo Park Hotel is a must.

The owner of a well-known Galway hotel has slammed plans for proposed changes to a major roundabout in the city insisting that it would be “massively devastating” for his hotel business.

In May officials from Galway City Council presented plans for changes to the Kirwan roundabout which proposed the current five lanes be reduced to four and the exit at the Menlo Park Hotel or the Liosbán Industrial Estate be excluded. However, many residents and businesses located in the Menlo area have raised objections to the proposed changes insisting jobs will be put at risk and that major inconveniences will result from the proposed works. In an interview this week the owner of the Menlo Park Hotel, John Francis, said Galway City Council were using “divide and conquer” tactics by placing the residents of Menlo against the businesses based in the Liosbán Industrial Estate.  In a report in a local Galway newspaper Mr Francis said the process was unfair, highlighting that no approaches had been made by city officials to the management of the Menlo Park Hotel. Mr Francis is reported to have said: “It seems like the path of least resistance to them is to go straight to CPO rather than talk about it openly. I’m extremely unhappy about the standoffish process and lack of engagement. I think they feel it’s an easier option to steamroll it through, rather than to engage.”

Mr Francis said that there had to be some way of achieving an accommodation that addressed the concerns of residents and business owners and that more thought would be required to achieve this. He insisted the proposed works would make it “extremely difficult” for guests to access his hotel and that they could have knock-on effects for the business.

“I’d imagine we are one of the biggest employers in the area. We pay our taxes and our rates and they are not discussing this with us, just removing us from the junction and putting us down as an afterthought. It would be massively devastating for the business. The whole thing has caused an awful lot of stress to myself and to my family, the staff at the hotel don’t know where they stand and it’s just the lack of communication at the end of the day that is the biggest issue for me.”

A quaint hotel, located in the picturesque town of Kinvara in south county Galway near the border of county Clare, has just recently been put up for sale. The Merriman Hotel will be offered by auctioneers O’Donnellan & Joyce at 3pm on Friday 25th May in the Victoria Hotel in Galway city. The Merriman is expected to have an Advised Minimum Value (AMV) of €400,000.

The 32 bedroom hotel is located right on Kinvara main street. The town of Kinvara is one of the main tourist attractions in County Galway and can be considered as a gateway to neighbouring county Clare. Kinvara main street is part of the busy N67 road which brings hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to two of the most famous tourist attractions in Ireland, namely the Burren and the cliffs of Moher. The Burren, (coming from the Irish Boireann), meaning great rock, is one of the largest karst-stone landscapes anywhere in Europe. The area is a National Park and, along with the cliffs of Moher, forms an almost obligatory pilgrimage for any tourist visiting the west of Ireland.

Given its strategic location and huge potential from passing trade, the Merriman is sure to attract interest at the sale in Galway later this month. The hotel has a traditional look, complete with whitewashed walls and a thatched roof. Apart from the thirty two bedrooms, which are spread over the first and second floors, the ground floor contains a bar called the M’Asal Beag Dubh, which is one of the busiest pubs in Kinvara and a large function room with a fully-equipped kitchen. The hotel overlooks Galway Bay and, according to Colm O’Donnellan form the auctioneers, offers “a tremendous business opportunity to acquire a distinctive hotel in one of the west of Ireland’s main tourist destinations at a very attractive price.”

The event will be a city-wide festival involving many restaurants, hotels and other food outlets in the city. There will be many activities for guests to take part in like restaurant trails, cookery workshops and demonstrations as well as cookery competitions with renowned Galway chefs and other personalities. Various ‘Know Your Vines’ workshops involving industry experts will be held as well as tours to local artisan food producers and open air food markets including the well-known Galway Market.

Dave Keogh, chairman of the Latin Quarter, welcomed the announcement of this latest festival: “Galway is synonymous with good food, award-winning restaurants and great festivals. The city is renowned for its high number and quality of restaurants and it is important Galway should have its very own food festival.”

In order to market the festival special accommodation packages will be available and there will be other cross-promotions involving hotels, restaurants and entertainment providers throughout Galway. A ‘Stay, Catch and Eat’ idea is sure to be popular among visitors who will be able to take a trip on a local fishing boat, then bring whatever they catch along to a restaurant in the evening where it will be cooked and served to them. The package will also include a stay in one of the top hotels in Galway for an all-inclusive value price.

Over recent weeks the Harbour Hotel in Galway has undergone some extensive refurbishments with a view to attracting ever more business from the corporate meetings market. This three-star Galway hotel has four meeting rooms that have all been given a make-over for the New Year. In addition, there are two syndicate rooms of various sizes and layouts. These various meeting rooms can accommodate anything from two people up to 130 delegates. Each of the rooms has plenty of natural daylight and all have the latest, modern AV equipment installed.

Thanks to these developments at the Harbour Hotel holding meetings in Galway city centre is now easier than ever. The hotel is on New Dock Road, only a few minutes walk from Eyre Square, and has extensive, free, onsite parking available as well as free WiFi throughout the building. The Harbour Hotel is a great option for breakfast seminars, interviews, boardroom meetings, or training events. The meeting and events co-ordinator, Anna Byrne, will look after customers right from the booking stage to ensuring the event runs smoothly on the day.

For larger events, the John B Keane suite is a more than suitable space. This room has a large ceiling atrium, state of the art audio and visual technology, private bar, and the added bonus of a loading bay. The room is perfect for training, seminars and private dining. It is located just off the bright and spacious lobby that has both open fires and modern furnishings making a wonderful reception area or break out space.

The Harbour Hotel is a family-owned establishment that is celebrating 10 years in business. To succeed in these difficult economic times the management has placed the focus firmly on providing improved service and customer experience to all guests. Both management and staff pride themselves on their personal service and attention to detail, whether you are organising a meeting, function, or dining in the hotel.

The Harbour Hotel Seafood Bar & Grill is also a new addition to this Galway hotel. Head chef Patrick Anslow provides a menu with a focus on homemade, wholesome food using fresh ingredients from local suppliers. This philosophy is also carried through to the home baked scones provided fresh each day for breaks in the functions going on in all of the meeting rooms.