Top County Galway hotels
Archaeology, castles and ruins Galway
27 Reviews This arch is one of the oldest buildings in Galway, dating back to 1584. Although the name suggests a connection to Spain, no real link has been ascertained. It was originally known as the 'head of...
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Dun Aengus Inishmore
12 Reviews You will have to go to the visitor centre and pay your admission ticket (2 euro) before you can enter the fort. From here you have to go by foot towards the fortress Dun Aonghasa (Dun Aengus). It’s...
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Dún Aengus Aran Island
3 Reviews One of the main tourist attractions on the island of Inishmore, is the vast stone fortification. Perched on the side of a steep 300 meter high cliff at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, it dates back to...
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The Burren Galway
16 Reviews We drove from the Cliffs of Moder up to Galway and without a doubt it was the most spectacular drive I have ever made in my life. It is just GORGEOUS. And it changes every 10km from moonscape, to...
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Kilronan Inishmore
6 Reviews When the boat docks in Kilronan, wide-eyed tourists flood the streets and the bus and cart drivers know it. Ample transportation is available to any part of the island for a fee. We waited out the...
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Public Buildings and City Landmarks Galway
23 Reviews This sculpture in the city centre was a gift from the Estonian city of Tartu to Galway in 2004. It is a replica of a sculpture in Tartu. It shows the Irish writer Oscar Wilde and the Estonian writer...
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Seven churches Inishmore
6 Reviews This ancient site of two churches and a graveyard (the 7 Churches name comes from other buildings on the site that most likely were homes of the monks) is fascinating. One passes through the wall and...
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Beaches and shorelines Galway
11 Reviews Grattan beach is a smallish horse-shoe shaped beach that is situated on the Western side of Salthill, making it almost in Galway. The beach is of couse the place to soak up those rays, strip off and...
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Dun Dúbhchathair Inishmore
2 Reviews This fort is also located on the edge of a high cliff, it’s situated at the southern side of Inis Mór. The construcion consists of a extended part which was defended by a bended wall and a “chevaux de...
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Hills and Mountains, Islands and Rivers Galway
13 Reviews One of the shortest rivers in all Europe, the Corrib connects the expansive Lough Corrib to the north with Galway Bay to the south, passing through Galway City before emptying into the sea. You can...
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Religious buildings Galway
19 Reviews Galway's cathedral is Europe's newest stone cathedral, dedicated as recently as 1965. Nevertheless, it is an imposing sight on the banks of the River Corrib. It is usually open between 8.30 am and...
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Music, dancing and beer Galway
8 Reviews This pub has live music that starts around 1930 so you don't have to stay up all night. If you get there early enough, you can get a seat one table removed from the piano (across from the bar) so you...
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Towns and villages worth a visit Galway
6 Reviews One of the most common trips out for day from Galway is to visit the wilds of Connemara. The twelve Bens (mountains) dominate the landscape they rise up between the peat bogs in a majestic way (oh...
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Festivals Galway
9 Reviews Galway comes alive during the world famous Galway races. Its an experience for everyone - even if like me you've no interest in horses - its all about the incredible atmosphere that makes the whole of...
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Amusement and leisure Galway
4 Reviews Salthill, the seaside town couple of miles from Galway has a number of casinos. Don't however think of the place as a kind of mini Las Vegas. The tawdry collection of so called casinos are only one...
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The Westport House in of course Westport is a good family destination. It offers boating on the lake and is a popular spot for weddings. The grounds are nicely kept and on the property there is a park for mobile homes. It's a little prcey at 22.5 Euro for access to the house, gardens, and all attractions but it's nice.
If it was up to me my whole visit to the Connemara would of been spent driving on the back roads talking to locals. I also loved the smell of the peat being burned in the homes. It's one of my favorite smells. If you plan on driving out leave yourself plently of time to explore and relax. I'm glad I made the time and when I return to Ireland next year i'll definatly explore again.
It was on the summit of the mountain that Saint Patrick fasted for forty days in 441 AD and the custom has been faithfully handed down from generation to generation. It is also said that St. Patrick herded all the snakes in Ireland here as well.Croagh Patrick is 762 Meters above sea level and there is a path that goes to the summit. If you chose to walk up there is a statue to St. Patrick himself on the summit. I was told by a local that it takes about 2.5 hour to climb up. Again this moutain is in County Mayo but you have to go through the Connemara so I included it in.
The 12 Bens are small hills you may see from everywhere in the Connemara..Fishermen collected the sea-tweed and dried it in the sun in order to improve the soil, and at some places you still may see heaps of sea-tweed waiting to be carried away.In former times all inhabitants of the Connemara were poor, while today more and more people build a 2nd home there and some parts are already a bit over-run by them. get to Connemara BEFORE all of the magic landscape has disappeared.
I may simply recommend to go all streets to the very end in Connemara - the landscape has so many different faces...You need not wait a long time in order to see such a scenery, including that typical Irishman. Normally all of the irish people are friendly, when you like to take a picture of them. The only exception was an old man in Connemara, he lived in a very poor house and was driving around by a horse-drawn carriage. He shouted at me and threw stones after me, when I tried to make pics !
This was built in the mid 1860s on the west coast of Ireland at the cost of over 1 million pounds. (think about it - our Civil War timeframe, and MItchell Henry, the owner, spent 1 million pounds! I believe the workers made a pound a day or something like that).The Gothic Church on its grounds was built in memory of his dearly departed wife who died after a trip to Egypt. Kylemore Abbey is now the home of Irish Benedictine nuns. They bought it in 1920. you can also buy lovely pottery there as well as other beautiful handcrafted items.
While in Co. Galway, take a trip out to the Aran Islands. You can get there by ferry, or plane. The main island is Inis Mor (meaning 'big island'). I definitely recommend hiring a bike and seeing the island that way, or take one of the tours (no need to pre-book tour, plenty of independent companies waiting for tourists when they get off the ferry).See my travelogue for more pics.
The River Corrib runs through the middle of Galway, and empties into Galway Bay.You can take a walk along the river and hopefully soak up some sun with the locals.It is nothing that pretty, but worth a look if you get the time out from drinking/eating!
Galway is quiet a pretty town, with an old area with paved streets and plenty of bars and restaurants.We had a wander around the streets - Quay Street/High Street/Shop Street and did some window shopping.Then spent some time soaking up the Irish culture - drinking and eating too much!
Built in 1520, Dunguaire Castle is in excellent condition after being restored.It is located in a prime position looking over Galway Bay.You can climb to the top of the castle for view over the bay, and as the rooms are restored you can get a feel for castle life.They hold medieval banquets here during the warmer months of the year.
Park House Galway
2 Reviews and 657 Opinions I selected the Park House Hotel because it is very convenient to both the bus and train stations in...
Mainistir House Hostel Inishmore
66 Opinions
Clifden Station House Hotel Clifden
258 Opinions
Reviews and photos of County Galway attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for County Galway sightseeing.
Q: Hi, We're going to be visiting Ireland at the end of August, staying in Clifden. We'd like to make a day trip to Carrigaholt...
A: The AA routeplanner is a very reliable site for working out routes and drivetimes: http://www2.aaireland.ie/routes_beta/ More so than sites such as...
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