Should Galway look beyond Milwaukee? Councillors seek review of US delegation
At a recent meeting of Galway County Council, Cllr Jimmy McClearn (FG) said that "there are lots of other very worthwhile locations that delegations could go to" and called for a report examining how beneficial the annual trip is to the county.
He said that while he is "not against the concept," there are "hundreds of cities in America” with first and second-generation diaspora.
"We have done this for 20 years," he said. "It is worth looking at."
Every year, a joint delegation from Galway City and County Councils participates in a series of tourism, cultural and economic development engagements in the US.
The Galway delegation has attended the Milwaukee Irish Fest for more than 30 years, operating a dedicated stand promoting Galway as a visitor destination to US audiences.
It is recognised as the world's largest Irish cultural event, with more than 120,000 visitors annually and this year it takes place from August 13-16.
Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr Michael Regan (FF) also said that it was time to consider other locations, while Sinn Féin Cllr Dermot Connolly said that it is "important to go to the areas that can benefit us the most".
"There should be an evaluation," he said. "I did go previously and it is important that we evaluate these events. We need a report and an evaluation."
Both Cllr Mary Hoade (FF) and Cathaoirleach Andrew Reddington (FG) confirmed that a report is produced annually, while Cllr Michael 'Moegie' Maher (FG) said that the trip "is value for money".
"We did bring back a detailed report," said Cllr Hoade.
"Twinning is really important. We need to look at and evaluate the twinnings. I do think there is a requirement to have an evaluation after each trip."
Councillors ultimately approved the attendance of a Galway County Council delegation at this year's engagements in Milwaukee and Washington County, along with associated business meetings and events.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.