West Living Case Studies

The business initially received financial support from Galway County and City Enterprise Board and it has grown each year since it was established. Reg now intends to expand Reg Gordon Photography to include additional aspects of photography and to provide a commercial studio service in the next 12 months.   He also sees opportunities to secure more high level contracts.  “Like most businesses, the photography industry has experienced difficulties this year and clients expect a lot more for their money” says Reg, “but I feel I might have escaped the worst of it based here in Galway as, chatting with other photographers, I believe business is down a lot more in the East and in larger cities.  Also, I find the downtime has given me the opportunity to acquire other skills”.

Commenting on the growth of the creative economy in the West, Reg says “the whole area is inspirational.  On a bad day it’s easy to hop in the car and drive across the countryside to clear your mind.  Also radically lower rents and the lower cost of living take a lot of pressure off so you can focus on being creative instead of worrying about bills etc.

“In terms of growing the business and expanding my own skills, most of the training I need is done over the internet so location isn’t really an issue for me”, he adds.

Reg, who is originally from Dublin and married to an American woman, decided to move to Galway when he started his family.  “After the birth of our first child in 2000 we moved back from NY and tried to settle in Dublin but the pace and astronomical rents left us with no option but to move out.  Galway is one place I have always had an affinity with as a result of great weekends away with friends in my late teens and early 20s - so we decided to give it a go!”

Extolling the virtues of living in the West, Reg explains “settling in Galway was never really on the cards for us when we moved here first; it was meant to be a stepping stone to a move to mainland Europe.  However, once we had spent 6 months here it became home, more so than any other place I have lived in over the last 15 years.  The pace of life and the fact that even though we live in the city yet can be in the country in 15 minutes is a bonus. Our next move is likely to be further into the countryside in County Galway”.

Being based in the city and just a 15 minute drive from the country means that Reg and the family can access all sorts of natural and built amenities during their free time.

Reg’s advice to anybody planning a move to Galway is “be prepared for the slow down! Take advantage of the closeness to nature, the community aspect and the proximity to major hubs.”

He concludes by saying “a lot of things you take for granted in a bigger city aren’t as readily available here, they are here - you just have to look for them!”