A REDESIGNED bilingual website has been launched by Galway County Council aimed at delivering faster, clearer, and more accessible information to residents, businesses, and visitors.
Available at Gaillimh.ie and Galway.ie, the new site was developed by award-winning Irish web services company Annertech. It now offers 100 per cent Irish-language content, improved translation management, and the ability to deliver dynamic updates including media, event announcements, and severe weather alerts.
Core services, including Planning, Housing, Environment, Libraries, Climate Action, Community, and Business and Economy, are easily accessible from the home page. Visitors can also sign up for location-based alerts on road works, planning applications, severe weather, and community notices through the MapAlerter service.
With the majority of users accessing the site on mobile devices, page layouts automatically adjust to fit smartphones and tablets.
Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council, said, “We have incorporated the views of elected members and the public, along with best practices in local government web service delivery, when redesigning the site. This ensures that the most up-to-date information about our services is presented in a modern, user-friendly interface with improved navigation and accessibility features”.
Katie O’Connor, Director of Finance, Motor Tax, ICT and Digital Transformation, described the launch as “a major step forward in making our services clearer, faster, and more accessible”.
She added, “The upgraded bilingual site ensures reliable access to council information and services at all times. It follows the Local Government Service Catalogue, presenting information around what people need”.
Michael Martyn, Head of Information Systems, commented, “By rewriting all content in plain English and Gaeilge, building on an open-source platform, and making Irish-language content a core feature, we are making it easier for people to find what they need, when they need it. This is about putting the user first, whether they are a resident, a business, or a visitor to Galway County”.
The site is built on Local Government Drupal, an open-source platform shared by councils in Ireland and the UK, with sharing of additional development and features on a build-once, share-many basis.
