Forget the jokes about "Fallujah square" and ever-expanding bills. Galway City Council was determined this weekend to show there is no such thing as bad publicity when it hosted a party at the weekend for the new Eyre "plaza".
Citizens, critics and visitors turned out to endorse the effort in spite of unseasonal Atlantic weather. Heavy rain over the past week and early Saturday had turned the lower end, of newly sown grass, into a soft green sponge. This had become brown and squelchy hours before Mayor Brian Walsh (FG) delivered his welcome speech.
Even Pádraic Ó Conaire turned up for the historic occasion, and could have done with his "asal beag dubh". The statue of the writer has been relocated from the square to City Hall, but his walking embodiment, actor Diarmuid de Faoite, performed excerpts from his highly successful show on Ó Conaire's life.
Against the backdrop of live music from the likes of Máirtín O'Connor, the Black Magic Big Band, Pádraic Stevens and bands from the GAF youth cafe, there was continuous entertainment. Among the "acts" were Mr Cro and his Sho, complete with knives, a skateboard balanced on several spools; the Amazing Amani Acrobats; face painters, the Galway city and county childcare playbus; a slightly incongruous Agri-Aware "mobile farm"; and two mounted gardaí on horseback who drew most consistent attention.
The master of ceremonies was determinedly upbeat: "We now have the most modern city centre plaza, which is not just on a par with but is superior to any European city," Mayor Walsh said. It was "time to be positive" and to "declare to the country and the world that Galway is open for business again".
However, his party colleague, Cllr Pádraig Conneely, was not for turning. "I haven't changed my mind and I won't stop calling for a full report on the mismanagement and the spend, which is going to run to at least €11 million, he told The Irish Times.
Galway West TDs, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív, and Labour Party president Michael D Higgins, were there, along with Galway county mayor Pat Hynes, and an ecumenical blessing was performed by Bishop of Galway, Dr Martin Drennan, Rev Patrick Towers of the Church of Ireland community and Rev Clodagh Yambasu of the United Methodist and Presbyterian church.
Several city councillors were notably absent, perhaps due to Pearse Stadium's postponed Connacht championship between Galway and Sligo.
