Galway

Discover Galway

Eyre square marks the central spot of this large town formerly ruled by 14 merchant families.  Cobbled streets and cute shops pave the way to the Spanish Arch and Quays. ’Drama and performance are an important part of Galway culture, as theatre companies including Macnas produce worldwide live events, and are an annual staple at the enormous Halloween Parade. Galway is the festival capital of Ireland, hosting on average 122 festivals and events per year, including Galway International Arts Festival, The Galway Races, and the Guinness and Oyster Festivals.

Explore Connemara – Stone walls track a dramatic, rugged landscape of mountains, glacial lakes, and uninhabited boglands. An Spidéal is one of the largest Irish-speaking settlements in the Galway Gaeltacht. Spiddal Village is approximately 12 miles (19 km) from Galway City.

Look out for stone walls and Connemara Green marble, estimated to be 500 million years old. Small Connemara ponies are indigenous to Ireland and can be found grazing in stone-ridden fields along the country roads. Galway has six Blue Flag Beaches and Tra na mBan, or Ladies Beach, in Spiddal is one of them.

Kylemore Abbey – Built as a castle in 1868 and later became an abbey. Tour restored period rooms and spectacular Victorian walled gardens, which are part of this lush 1,000-acre estate.