So I'll be in Europe for most of the summer in Latvia and Lithuania, but will be spending 2.5 weeks in Ireland to finish off my time abroad. I was in Ireland for a month and a half last summer and took in a lot of sites in the west of Ireland. I was in Galway for roughly 6 weeks so that was my base for most of my time.

I arrive in Dublin late on July 22nd and have free time until July 27th. From then to August 3rd I will be on a CIE tour. August 3rd-August 6th I will be visiting relatives in Co. Mayo. August 7th I fly out of Dublin.

Here is what I have planned:

July 23rd: depart Dublin to Galway (Need help)
July 24th: (Need help)
July 25th: Depart Galway for Dublin. Kilmainham Gaol and Collins Barracks, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church
July 26th: GAA Museum/Croke Park, possibly Glasnevin Cemetery, Irish Music Hall of Fame, Parnell Square

I need help with activities in Galway I may have missed. I've been to the Cliffs twice and will be going back again this summer. I've been through Connemara twice, spent a day on the biggest of the Aran Islands, and have walked around most of Galway City itself. What are some other activities that would be of interest either in Galway or the surrounding area for a college student?

Also, I know the GAA website has some of the matches set up for hurling and football, but are there sites that specify in county games at all or no? Ideally I'd love to catch a match at Croke Park if possible and I know Sunday's are ripe for that to happen.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you

I sent this to my daughter and son-in-law. She did a four month internship in Galway two years ago. And met him there! He grew up north of Dublin but lived in Galway for a while. I'm hoping they might have some suggestions for you.

Meanwhile, depending on how much you liked Inis Mor, maybe you could take the ferry to one of the other two Aran Islands?

This is my son-in-law's response:

I have two suggestions which may need a bit more time and may change plans. - (1) go to Inishbofin or Clare island off the west coast. They're less touristy than the Aran islands and from experience I think Inishbofin is really beautiful. There are buses that go to the boat from Galway city to Cleggan harbour. Even just one night would be nice. There are nice walks and good music sessions. I've never been to Clare island but I've heard great things. The boat goes from Roonagh in Mayo which may suit while visiting family in the area. (2) Head to the Shannon region. Portumna, where my parents are from, is a nice little town. There are lovely views of the river, a forest park, a castle and great pubs that are a bit liberal with closing time hours. My only problem with this one is that the bus service is a bit thin on the ground.

Here are some links:

http://www.inishbofin.com/

http://www.clareisland.info/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portumna

I hope this helps.

Here's what he had to say about the GAA stuff:

The summer isn't really the time for inter county games (where clubs within counties play each other). The big thing is the Championship. I see that he will be in Dublin on Sunday 26th July. Its too early to know if there will be a game played in Croke Park that day and if so, who would be playing. There may be a few factors that make this hard to tell as there may be match replays etc. Chances are there would be and that he should keep an eye on the GAA website and Irish newspapers for info. There's a good chance that he can catch a game that day. Also as far as I can remember the museum stays open on match days.

Thanks for the responses. I have already booked my hostel in Galway for 2 nights so I will be based there for 2 days. I may try and go to one of the other Aran Islands one of those days and spend the other one either walking around Galway some more or maybe visiting a nearby town.

I caught a championship match last year in Tipp and was instantly hooked on the sport. I was reading up on the GAA website and it said the Museum will still be open throughout the day with a modified schedule for Croke Park tours.

I will have to keep up to date with the papers and web while I am in Ireland to see if there are any matches going on. Do you know how easy it would be to get a ticket to a match if I were to just show up the day of?

U2 will be playing at Croke park on July 24(Friday),more dates might be added.Dublin could be extra busy that Sunday.

re the GAA tickets:

That's a tough one about the match. If its two small counties playing a July match then there is generally a good chance that he can pick up a ticket that day. However if a large/popular county such as Dublin, Cork or Tyrone are playing then they can sell out beforehand. The best thing to do is when he sees the match listed on the GAA website to go to www.ticketmaster.ie . He can buy the ticket online and get it sent to him in the States or to someone he knows in Ireland. Even if it is sold out he should take a chance asking around in the pubs around Croke Park. Many days I've picked up a ticket the day of the match from someone. Tickets get distributed to clubs all over the country which means that you could go to a Derry and Meath match and buy a ticket from a Sligo man. Generally such tickets are sold at face value - profiteering with GAA tickets is unusual.

I may have to keep up via the internet as I will be in Latvia from June 24th until July 22nd. May have to get on the ticket situation early. I did see that the another U2 show was announced for Saturday the 25th along with the one on the 24th. I think I may ask my relative if she would like to go.

I will for sure keep up with the GAA site and see what is going on on the 26th, I'd love to catch a match again. Can't seem to find any good websites that have lengthy videos, Youtube is alright, but I'd like to watch some matches online.