Galway taxi drivers who use the rank at Eyre Square are holding a silent protest in the square this week. The Connacht Tribune reported that the drivers are on their usual shifts, with placards reading "keep Galway Taxi rank open for Christmas", "No one should be forced out of their workspace" and "Galway City Council has no respect for Galway taxi drivers".
One driver told Galway Live: "We decided to have the peaceful protest this week in Eyre Square to make it visible to more people. The taxi rank is now blocked in and drivers can't go anywhere because of the Christmas Market which as a result will lead to less business in a normally busy spot at an even busier time of year."
The market opens to the public on Friday 6 November 2026 and runs until 3 January 2027, from 12pm to 8pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 10pm Thursday to Saturday, and 10am to 8pm on Sunday. A beer tent opens on Friday and operates until 10pm each day. Publicans and taxi drivers have criticised the market's place in the square in recent years.
The closure
On 21 October 2026 Galway City Council gave notice that it has made an order closing Eyre Square North, from the junction of Eyre Street to the junction of Williamsgate Street. The closure runs from Sunday 1 November 2026 to Wednesday 6 January 2027, for the Galway Christmas Market 2026. Traffic is diverted via Prospect Hill, Bóthar Úi Eithir, Forster Street, Eyre Square and Williamsgate Street. Eyre Square North notice of decision