galway city
 

9/05/06
We'll be spending a couple of days there soon. Can anyone suggest some interesting places to visit/things to do/restaurants, etc? Thanks so much!

Will you be spending your time just in Galway or visiting the surrounding areas? Will you have a car or using public transit. Let us know.

Bill

We spent a few days in Galway City and it was too stormy to go to the Aran Islands on the day we had planned. So we went instead to Clonmacnois, one of Ireland's most important ruined monastic sites. Our day there ended up being one of the highlights of our trip to Ireland. As I remember, it is about an hour's drive East of Galway city. A very haunting and spiritual place.

Great traditional music at Tig Cioli (sp?). It was great because we are not night owls and could enjoy the music at early evening hours. Different music (and very good) each night. Drop-ins happened as well. Highly recommended if you are into traditional music. (The Guinness and Smithwicks ain't bad either!)

There's also Taaffes, just across the (pedestrian) mall, which also has Trad Irish music. If you get there before October, both have afternoon sessions on Saturdays - I don't know about Sundays. Galway's 'Latin Quarter' can be interesting for a walkabout. There's also a double decker bus you can get at the Tourist Office on Forester St, just south of the Train & Bus Station. It does a loop around the center city and over to Salthill beach area.

I usually get there by Bus Eireann from Shannon (via Ennis) and have lunch at Garvey's, at Eyre Square and Forester Streets (across from the Bus Station) before catching another bus up to Mayo.