There’s a modern tradition in Ireland’s only truly city centre marina – right in the heart of Galway – that restraint is abandoned when it comes to hanging out the Christmas lights in the rigging of boats berthed there writes W M Nixon.
We’re assured by a leading mariner of Galway that, by the end of the week, absolutely every boat in the marina berths, and others at the quaysides too, will be bedecked from bow to stern, and from masthead to cabintop, in the brightest lights that can be contrived. And the word is that in secret workshops around the city, fully decorated Christmas trees with lights and all are being prepared to be hoisted as far aloft as possible this weekend.
Our Man in the West also assures us that the Harbour Company have had to deploy extra resources to be confident that the necessary power supply is available. On top of that, he says that some residents in the posh harbourside apartments have been complaining about the brightness of the lights and the buzzing of the fancier installation. So we’re not sure that we’d believe a word of any of it, were it not for the photos, which certainly show that some boats have already made quite an effort.
City lights. The boats in Galway Harbour start to share the Christmas mood
