Creative Sector

Regional and Local Overview

• 3,878 people are employed in Galway in the Creative Sector accounting for 3.4% of total employment in the county.
• Some 12% of businesses have more than 10 employees, 49% have between 2 and 10 employees and 39% are sole traders.
• 1 in every 33 jobs in the Western Region is in the creative economy.
• Creative technology companies account for 7% of total number of business, 25% of turnover and 15% direct employment.
• There are 35 heritage sites, 32 museums, 10 art galleries in the city and county.
• There were 83 festivals and events hosted in Galway in 2012 bringing in an estimated €62 million in expenditure.
• €136 million plus is the estimated value of the Irish language, with €59 million accrued to Galway City.
• 25,000 domestic and foreign students attend Irish colleges in the Gaeltacht each summer and contribute €24.3 million in added value to GNP each year.
• Traditional Irish music is part of Galway's cultural identity.
• There is the potential for Galway to become the national flagship for contemporary visual arts.
• The Audio Visual sector is worth €72 million employing over 600 people.
• Connemara has a cluster of audio visual companies with the success of TG4 influencing the establishment of 40 companies.
• There are 162 design and craft businesses in Galway with the greatest concentration in textile making, wood working and jewellery.
• Galway is now one of five UNESCO's Creative Cities in the world.
• The sector generates an annual turnover of €534 million and contributes 3% towards employment within Galway.
• The West of Ireland has 2,466 creative companies.
• The Irish language is worth in excess of €136 million annually to the economy of Galway City and County.
• There are 162 design/craft businesses in Galway.
• Galway is now a City of Film and recognised as a standard of excellence.
• Galway has 50 production companies and its audio visual sector's employment rate is growing at 24.5%.