Well known around Galway for a number of different roles, Val Hanley has added another notch to his elected representative belt, having recently been elected to the position of President of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI).

An experienced publican, Hanley first got into the business at a young age and hasn't looked back since. "I got into it when I was about 20, when my uncle had a place in Claregalway. Myself and my brothers used to work there and then we went off and got our own places," he says.

Hanley lived and worked in England for eight years, but the vibrant calling of his home county meant that he moved back to the city he loves in the early 90s. "There's always something on in Galway. We have the Arts Festival, the Oyster Festival and The Races; we're like a city of festivals," he says. Val is currently the proprietor of the Hanley Oaks Hotel and Murty Rabbitt's pub, along with his son Ciaran.

A long-time member of the VFI and president of the Connacht branch, Hanley ran for the national presidency eight years ago but wasn't elected. This didn't deter him though and when the new position of 'president elect' came about last year, he threw his hat in the ring and was duly rewarded.

The VFI Presidency is the latest in a line of high profile positions to be held by Hanley; he is a member of Údaras na Gaeltachta and is a former Fianna Fáil councillor for Galway. However, he says his election to Mayor of Galway in 2002 is his proudest. "I think one of the biggest honours for anyone would be to be Mayor of their city because you're the Mayor for everyone."

This latest addition to Hanley's CV may be seen by some as simply another notch on his roll of honour, but the man himself reveals there's a lot more to it. "My role involves representing the views of our members and forging links with bodies such as Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and The Oireachtas is a big one."

Over the next two years in the capacity of President of the VFI, along with raising the training standards in the industry, Hanley is particularly determined to tackle the problem of underage drinking in Ireland. "We need to meet the problem of drug and alcohol abuse head on. I don't think we're to blame for the problem of underage drinking and we want to draw up a code of practice to deal with it."

And although he has a lot on his plate at the moment, Hanley is looking forward to the summer in his beloved Galway, particularly as it is peak season for the pubs. He is realistic though about the prospects facing the hospitality sector over the coming months. "There's no doubt there are more challenges facing, not just pubs, but everyone in the industry. There'll be a hard battle of it, but if we all stick together we should be ok."

The Volvo Ocean Race will, of course, be added to the summer festivities for 2009, and while Hanley is excited about what will undoubtedly be a boost to the industry in Galway, he is wary of how businesses might react. "There are already stories going around that people will be charging too much for accommodation. We don't want to leave a sour taste in the mouths of these people coming to Galway," he says.

Another issue facing the pub industry on Hanley's mind, if not his agenda is the weather. "Galway needs the sun, it's as simple as that. People go to the beach during the day and then spread out to the pubs and restaurants at night, but it all depends on the weather. Hopefully it'll be better than last year and everyone can enjoy it."

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment