Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Galway Arts Festival in its tenth year continues to provide entertainment and presents writer John McGahern with an award.
It's that time of year again when characters like Don Quixote ride around the streets of Galway desperately trying to find their lost loves.
This is typical Galway Arts Festival activity. Now in its tenth year, the programme is always colourful and often controversial. Music from James Galway, fireworks from France, and theatre from Canada all contribute to making it a truly international festival.
Festival director Ollie Jennings describes the mood of celebration in Galway for the tenth festival. This report includes footage from previous Galway Arts Festivals.
They always cherished the principle of providing lots of free street entertainment.
Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Ireland Adrian Munnelly says that the Galway Arts Festival is money well spent.
Mayor of Galway Martin Connolly officially opened the festival with Galway Corporation as the main sponsor donating £11,000. Organisers also managed to get £10,000 from Galway-based multinational company 'Digital'. £2,000 of this money was set aside for a special award for an artist working in the West of Ireland. The award went to writer John McGaherns speaking about his win and the spirit of the festival he says,
It's always an honour to come to the festival and almost too much to come this way.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 7 August 1987.
The reporter is Tommie Gorman.
Galway Arts Festival in its tenth year continues to provide entertainment and presents writer John McGahern with an award.
It's that time of year again when characters like Don Quixote ride around the streets of Galway desperately trying to find their lost loves.
This is typical Galway Arts Festival activity. Now in its tenth year, the programme is always colourful and often controversial. Music from James Galway, fireworks from France, and theatre from Canada all contribute to making it a truly international festival.
Festival director Ollie Jennings describes the mood of celebration in Galway for the tenth festival. This report includes footage from previous Galway Arts Festivals.
They always cherished the principle of providing lots of free street entertainment.
Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Ireland Adrian Munnelly says that the Galway Arts Festival is money well spent.
Mayor of Galway Martin Connolly officially opened the festival with Galway Corporation as the main sponsor donating £11,000. Organisers also managed to get £10,000 from Galway-based multinational company 'Digital'. £2,000 of this money was set aside for a special award for an artist working in the West of Ireland. The award went to writer John McGaherns speaking about his win and the spirit of the festival he says,
It's always an honour to come to the festival and almost too much to come this way.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 7 August 1987.
The reporter is Tommie Gorman.
