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LOCAL GALWAY HOLIDAY GUIDE

Galway - Ireland

Take your time when travelling around the country. While it's possible to drive the length of Ireland in less than a day and to traverse the width of the country in a few hours, We suggest explore a particular region, whether on foot, on horseback or behind the wheel, mindful of the wandering sheep on small back roads.

Ireland offers Stunning coastal scenery, charming people, excellent golfing, horse racing, fishing, fine theatre, bird watching (for puffins, terns and other northern sea birds), historical sites and ruins, lush gardens, shopping and legendary Irish pubs (where Guinness Stout and Irish whiskey flow freely). Ireland will appeal to almost everyone. However, the same natural elements that make the countryside so green make the weather cool and damp.

Galway is the capital of the West of Ireland. One of the most vibrant Irish destinations you're likely to come across, Galway offers the best of both worlds - the charm of a buzzing city, alongside some fantastic rural scenery. The streets and buildings of this ancient town have many interesting features, and its position on the edge of the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) makes it the gateway to magnificent areas such as Connemara, Corrib country, and the Aran Islands. The city itself is a continuing centre of growth with its University, Institute of Technology, Theatres, Cathedral, Castle, Hotels, Docks, Industries as well as other interesting attractions. Inis Mór is the biggest of the three islands, covering approximately sixteen square miles.

Situated on the west coast of Galway, about thirty miles out in the Atlantic Ocean, the island offers a whole new meaning to the word 'paradise'. The coast road allows for fabulous views of Co. Clare and the Burren across the bay and approaching views of the Aran Islands in the distance. Galway itself grew from a small fishing village in the Claddagh area and became a walled town when Richard De Burgo and the Anglo Norman's captured local O' Flaherty territory in 1232. The Anglo-Normans are thought to have built the town walls around 1270. In 1396, Richard II granted a charter to the city, transferring power to fourteen merchant families or tribes (hence Galway's name as the 'city of tribes'). Today, Galway tells an altogether different story. A bohemian mecca, the city boasts a wealth of great shops and restaurants and like any other Irish city, caters for every taste and tipple as far as pubs are concerned.

Galway also plays host to one of Ireland's largest cultural events - the Galway Arts Festival. Each summer the Arts Festival hits Galway's streets, entertaining crowds with top class acts and performances from both home and abroad. The Galway Races in the last week of July draw similar crowds.