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County Galway

A compact city at the mouth of Galway Bay, Galway radiates from Eyre Square encompassing a deep sea harbour, the gushing river Corrib, the university area, the cathedral and Salthill, renowned for its promenade and its ageing leisure park.

The city attracts a mixture of tourists, ranging from culture-vultures to out-of-towners during the arts festival or film festival, to shoppers from all over Connaught drawn to the narrow streets and alley-ways with innumerable boutiques, music shops, book shops, restaurants and pubs.

Galway Race week in August is one of the busiest weeks in the calendar, so if you’re going check the dates of this year’s festival - it’s difficult to get accommodation during race week.

Points of Interest

Scenery-wise, there is a lot to choose from whether it's the sight of the Twelve Bens mountain range of a dozen mountains in the distance, a good sandy beach or the lake-rich bogland around Roundstone, popular with well-heeled Dubliners. The beaches aren't as expansive as Kerry or Mayo and the best ones are harder to find, making them extra-special. Sandy coves with tidal pools and rocks covered in barnacles make many of them a haven for the kids. Try Carrowroe, Dog's Bay in Roundstone, beaches around Clifden or the shallow sheltered coves the end of Killary Harbour for surprisingly azure waters.

Fishing is one of the main attractions of Galway - for river, lake and ocean devotees. The Corrib river and Lake Corrib, one of the biggest in Ireland, are popular attractions. Currachs, lightweight rowing boats often seen upturned on the beaches are the traditional sailing vessels of the area.

Thoor Ballylee
This was the summer home of WB Yeats, Ireland’s foremost poet. The 15th century Norman tower and adjoining cottage he bought is now open to the public as is Coole Park, the home of his good friend and founder of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Lady Gregory. An 'autograph' tree in the grounds of Coole Park near Gort bear the inscriptions of literary greats including Sean O'Casey and George Bernard Shaw.

Pearse Cottage
Padraig Pearse the leader of the 1916 revolution regularly visited Ros Muc in Carna - his Pearse Cottage is open to the public.

Maam Cross is a settlement on a crossroads surrounded by mountains and lakes and typical of inland Connemera while the tiny village of Leenane, on the border with Mayo nestles in one of the most breath-taking landscapes in Ireland - Ireland's only fjord – Killary Harbour. The coast drive from Renvyle and to Leenane and on to Louisburgh in Mayo is simply stunning and one of the best drives in Ireland.