What you need to know about Saturday’s Streets of Galway and Pride parade as city gears up for double celebration
Galway is set for a busy Saturday as two major city events take centre stage on August 8, with the Galway Pride parade taking place in the afternoon and the Streets of Galway 8K race getting under way later in the evening.
On Saturday, August 8, Galway Community Pride will mark its 37th parade through the city, making it the longest-running Pride march in the country. The Streets of Galway 8K is also celebrating a milestone year as the popular race marks its 40th anniversary.
With different routes and start times for both events, participants and spectators alike are being advised to plan ahead. Whether you are marching, running or cheering from the sidelines, here is what you need to know.
Galway Community Pride’s parade will begin in Eyre Square at 2pm.
From 1.15pm, participants are encouraged to gather for photos, face paint, and community festivities.
This year’s Pride parade will start at Galway City Hall on College Road and venture towards the east side of Eyre Square. It will go through Shop Street and the Latin Quarter before crossing the bridge at Spanish Arch and concluding at Father Burke Park.
Two accessibility points are available on the route at Lynch’s Castle and Spanish Arch.
The Pride Street Party is waiting at the end of the route in the Westend where speeches and celebrations will begin. The Pride Street Party is on from 3pm to 8pm with a number of performances and activities.
Beginning at 2pm, there will be rolling road closures from Eyre Square to Dominick Street West. The parade will primarily be traveling through pedestrian streets through to the Westend of Galway City.
With 4,000 participants, the sold-out race will begin at GTI on Father Griffin Road at 7pm.
Runners for the Medtronic Streets of Galway 8K are encouraged to meet at Father Burke Park 15 minutes before the race starts.
The route will take them through Spanish Arch to Eyre Square via Merchants Road where they will turn up towards the Galway Cathedral via Eglinton Street.
They will then take Salthill Road Lower through to Pearse Stadium before turning to the sites of Galway Bay by Salthill’s Leisureland.
The last stretch brings runners along the Prom, through Grattan Road, where the race will finish at Claddagh Hall by South Park.
Rolling road closures will be in place from 7pm to 8pm on the streets included in the run. They will be re-opened when deemed safe and runners have left roadside.
Short delays are to be expected with signage around the city to notify drivers of the changes.
Saturday is expected to be a cloudy day with light showers of rain forecast from 12pm to 5pm. Temperatures are expected to be mild ranging from 17C to 19C.