Galway pubs, nightclub and bookshop among 51 local businesses to get facelift funding
A total of 51 Galway city businesses have been awarded funding this month under the Shopfront Enhancement Scheme, a Galway City Council initiative aimed at sprucing up commercial façades.
The €200,000 scheme supports retailers and hospitality businesses in Architectural Conservation Areas such as Eyre Square, Lower Dominick Street and the City Core.
Grants cover improvements ranging from repainting and bilingual signage to accessibility upgrades, architectural restoration, decluttering and design collaborations with local artists.
Of the 59 applications received, 51 were successful – with 85pc of funding directed towards the City Core. A council-appointed panel capped individual grants at €10,000.
The works proposed in applications totalled more than €600,000, highlighting the scale of investment needed across the city’s shopfronts. Businesses awarded funding must complete works by November 2025.
Among the recipients are Blake’s Bar (receiving a total of €10,000), Freeney’s Bar (€10,000), COPE Galway Charity Shop (€10,000), Stephen Faller Jewellers (€6,000), St Galway Memories Shop at Nicholas’ Church (€6,500), The Quay’s Bar (€5,000), Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop (€3,000), Electric Galway (€2,800).
This scheme was supported by Commercial Rates and Local Property Tax.