Galway Mourns the Loss of Beer Tent Steins This Christmas
By Kayla Barrett
Between exams and assignment deadlines, the Galway Christmas Beer Tent has long been a staple for students and beer fans alike to unwind during this busy season of the year.
Like every year, the tent will be returning to the heart of Eyre Square, but one of its most signature features will be missing.
The one litre steins, which have become a recognisable part of the Beer Tent, will no longer be served from Monday to Thursday following complaints from local pubs.
The organisers also confirmed it will be opening a week later than usual, starting on Friday, November 14th, instead of launching alongside the Christmas Market on November 7th.
In a post on Instagram, they stated: “Due to the restrictions imposed, we will be unable to serve the traditional 1-litre steins from Monday to Thursday,” adding that this was a result of complaints made by “local publicans.”
The post went on to name Taylor’s Bar, Monroe’s Tavern, Busker Browne’s, and McGinn’s Hop House as the pubs that raised complaints leading to the new restrictions.
The change has sparked frustration for many Galway students, who see the Beer Tent as the highlight of the city’s festive season.
“It kind of feels like the end of an era,” said a third-year University of Galway student, “These restrictions are only the beginning. By the time the market comes around next year we might not have a beer tent at all.”
“The beer tent has always been a staple of the market every year.” said 2nd-year ATU student Katie Munnelly, “The other pubs that have objected to the usual operations of the beer tent have shown their greed and lose themselves a lot of younger customers.”
Speaking to Galway Pulse, McGinn’s Hop House owner, Fergus McGinn, explained the reasons behind the complaints, “The steins catch the headlines, but that’s not the real issue here.”
He outlined that the Beer Tent itself has never been the real problem. Instead, it is the scale of its growth in recent years that has raised concern.
With the tent closing its doors at 10:00 p.m., large crowds flock into nearby pubs, many of which are small, and locally run.
As McGinn put it, a lot of these local pubs cannot afford to have doormen on during the weekdays like most pubs and it has caused many issues with publicans.
“You have groups coming down at half ten, people using the toilets, crowds piling in — you could have broken mirrors, damaged property. It causes problems for the staff.”
Despite the frustration, McGinn said that local publicans have now all reached an understanding.
He said there is no tension between the pubs and that everyone involved is ready to “put it behind them.”
