Galway, Ireland – A Unique Atmosphere

Galway is a city, a county, and an experience to be savored and remembered.

There is a one of a kind vibrancy to this friendly University City, which many delight in, and few forget. Music, festivals, horse racing, pubs, restaurants, shops, theatres and most of all Galway people, combine to create this atmospheric mediaeval city of culture.

Galway Bay, has been immortalized in songs, its beauty unchanging. Take in scenic Gaeltacht areas including the Aran Islands and Connemara, with the picturesque town of Clifden as its capital. Galway and county also mean mountains, castles and stone walls, banks of turf, long sandy beaches, clear lakes, joyful leaping streams and flowing rivers. Delightful countryside punctuated by pretty villages, and traditional pubs.

Things to Do

1.Aran Islands

Here, on the very edge of Europe, is an Island rich in the language, culture and heritage of Ireland, unique in its geology and archaeology and in its long tradition of gentle hospitality. Here is a place to sense the spirit of Gaelic Ireland, to touch the past, but with all the comforts and facilities of the present. Aran will take you back to an Ireland of Celts and Early Christians. This is an island of great peace and tranquility, but it is also an island of great fun and activity.

Dun Aengus, Inishmore, Aran Islands. Copyright: © Failte Ireland/Tourism Ireland Credit: Gareth McCormack/garethmccormack.com

2.Connemara

From the rugged Twelve Bens mountain range in the North through lake-rich Roundstone Bog to the golden beaches reaching out into the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll know you’re in Connemara by the light that constantly changes the mood and tone of the landscape. Connemara has long been regarded as the real emerald of Ireland.

3.Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore Abbey, located in the Kylemore Pass in Connemara, Co. Galway, has been home to the Irish Benedictine nuns since 1920. The Benedictine nuns bought the house in 1920, having fled their convent in war-torn Belgium in 1914, where they ran a boarding school for girls for over 300 years. They re-established the school here and it is still very much alive today. Set in the heart of Connemara, Kylemore Abbey shares its woodlands, lakes and rivers with a large variety of birds and animals. A trip to the West of Ireland is not complete without experiencing the beauty and tranquility of Kylemore Abbey and Gardens. Facilities at Kylemore include a visitor centre, an exhibition housed in the main reception rooms of the house and a video which takes the visitor through the history of the house and its occupants. The Visitor Centre and exhibition, Gothic Church and Craft shop are open all year.

4.Galway City

During the Summer, the visiting population from every corner of the globe adds to the city’s mystique and wonder. Summer schools abound for foreign students and the chattering noise of different languages and dialects make this place seem like a microcosm of our world. The natives are friendly and welcoming and the visitor is greeted with a smile, if not a greeting.
Buskers and musicians can be found on most street corners and it is rare to walk through the heart of the city and not hear the notes of a harp, accordion, guitar or fiddle.

The Arts thrive in this bohemian city and music is its lifeblood. Rare is the pub or hostelry which does not have a music session going on and the spontaneity of someone pulling a tin whistle out of a pocket and launching into a tune makes music what it should be, a shared and wonderful experience.

5. The Corrib Princess

Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a cruise on board the luxurious Corrib Princess. The Corrib Princess sails from Wood Quay in the heart of Galway city, along the famous Steamers Line, which is the lakes traditional trade route.
The journey takes passengers along the majestic River Corrib and onto the lake providing visitors with unsurpassed views of the historic monuments and natural amenities that make this the most spectacular waterway in Ireland. The Corrib Princess takes you past castles and various sites of both historical interest and natural beauty. There is an abundance of wild life and the Corrib has a peace and tranquillity all of its own.

Inchagoill Island, Lough Corrib, Co Galway. Copyright: ©Fáilte Ireland/Tourism Ireland. Credit: Courtesy Barbara Warde

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