Galway Hotels

Galway Rundown

The most Irish of Irish cities, there’s a high chance you will find Galway’s residents speaking Gaelic, in a bid to hold on to ‘old’ Galway, despite the invasion of the global economy. Visitors head to Galway to experience the music, pubs and lively nightlife and is well known for its bohemian attitude. So if you’re after the ‘craic’, you’ve come to the right place. Galway also offers a stunning backdrop with the Twelve Bens mountain range dominating the Connemara skyline.

Galway’s Salthill area offers old fashioned seaside fun with a three mile promenade and range of water sports on offer including sailing and jet-skiing. Shiver as you watch locals take a traditional dip into the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean from Blackrock Diving Board – a custom which takes place even on the chilliest of winter days

Galway’s tiny mediaeval lanes are packed with seafood restaurants, oysters are a speciality, or why not try a Baileys bread and butter pudding? You will never go thirsty in Galway. Welcoming, brightly painted pubs beckon you wherever you go – the Huntsman Inn being a prime example. The streets are also full of street performances like jugglers, puppeteers and magicians in masks.

GALWAY’S TOP 10

GALWAY EVENTS

During the month of February, Galway celebrates all things ‘Father Ted’ at the Tedfest. The Channel 4 programme was filmed in the local area.

St Patrick’s Day Parade takes place on March 17 and is one of the biggest and best in Ireland (they all say that though!).

In April the Cuirt International Festival of Literature takes place at the Galway Arts Centre.

The Salthill Air show is free and held every June. Head to the Promenade for some serious aviation entertainment.

Get on your bike and head to the Galway Bike Festival which takes place in June. A week long programme of cycling events throughout the city.

The Annual Beach Party takes place in August each year. If you like buckets full of vodka and Red Bull, this might fit the bill for you. Serious party goers only need apply.

More refined is the Connemara Pony Show held at Clifden in August.

July sees the Galway Arts Festival take place in the city centre.

Galway has a Racecourse and the Galway Races are a regular fixture on the calendar from July to October.

Try to visit when the Galway International Oyster Festival comes to town in September. A really unique event featuring music, dance and obviously oysters.

WHEN TO GO

· Like many of Ireland’s central locations, Galway has a mild temperate climate, with few extremes. Snow is a rare occurrence, as is a really hot summer.

· Winter temps are generally around the 8°C mark, while summers rarely see temperatures higher than 20°C.

· There is always a high chance of rain on a trip to Galway, so pack an umbrella and waterproofs.

GETTING THERE

· Aer Lingus and Ryan Air fly to Shannon airport, which is the best local airport for the West of Ireland and is connected to London Heathrow. There is a Galway Airport which runs a limited number of flights to London, Manchester and Glasgow.

· The bus station is just off Eyre Square and a regular bus service, Bus Eireann, connects to all main cities in the Republic and to Northern Ireland. A one way fare to Dublin is around £7.

· Trains run from Galway station into Dublin’s Heuston Station, priced £30 for a one way ticket.

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