Galway town is absolutely gorgeous. It's compact and well-connected; if you're planning to visit the top visitor sites here, you'll probably only need a couple of hours. For an in-depth exploration of the many colourful alleyways, as with any other place, you'll definitely need longer!
I visited Galway as part of another tour (see Cliffs of Moher page) and I had close to two hours. From the Eyre Square - the main square at the town centre - other locations are easily accessible. First up, everyone will recommend you to visit Shop Street. I think it's a great idea.
Shop Street is analogous to Grafton Street of Dublin, just that it's obviously a lot shorter, and has an eclectic blend of shops that you might not so easily find elsewhere - for example, an emporium dedicated to gifts (Treasure Chest), an old-fashioned sweet shop (Aunty Nellie's Sweet Shop) and a specialty pie shop (The Pie Maker).
The colourful buildings adorned with string of flags make Galway town all the more charming.
I visited Galway as part of another tour (see Cliffs of Moher page) and I had close to two hours. From the Eyre Square - the main square at the town centre - other locations are easily accessible. First up, everyone will recommend you to visit Shop Street. I think it's a great idea.
Shop Street is analogous to Grafton Street of Dublin, just that it's obviously a lot shorter, and has an eclectic blend of shops that you might not so easily find elsewhere - for example, an emporium dedicated to gifts (Treasure Chest), an old-fashioned sweet shop (Aunty Nellie's Sweet Shop) and a specialty pie shop (The Pie Maker).
The colourful buildings adorned with string of flags make Galway town all the more charming.
You're bound to see talented artistes - singers, musicians, dancers - performing on the beautiful cobbled streets. My favourite was of this girl who gave one of the finest céilí performances I have seen in Ireland (for the video, check out my Instagram post).
I would strongly recommend visiting Galway on a weekend because of the vibrant market that pops up outside St. Nicholas Collegiate Church just off Shop Street. That was the highlight of my Galway trip. Stalls selling handicrafts, flowers, paintings, ceramics, traditional gifts (e.g. attract-a-faerie set), numerous food stalls selling artisan cheese, jams, snacks from various cuisines. I could spend half a day looking through everything. The most unique thing I saw was this lady who was selling these small ceramic plates with a very sharp and groovy centre that can be used to grate cheese, garlic, nutmeg, citrus zest, and so on (bottom right photo).
I would strongly recommend visiting Galway on a weekend because of the vibrant market that pops up outside St. Nicholas Collegiate Church just off Shop Street. That was the highlight of my Galway trip. Stalls selling handicrafts, flowers, paintings, ceramics, traditional gifts (e.g. attract-a-faerie set), numerous food stalls selling artisan cheese, jams, snacks from various cuisines. I could spend half a day looking through everything. The most unique thing I saw was this lady who was selling these small ceramic plates with a very sharp and groovy centre that can be used to grate cheese, garlic, nutmeg, citrus zest, and so on (bottom right photo).
When in Galway, I would definitely recommend visiting the beautiful campus of National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI-G). Especially in autumn, when the carotenoids show their robust glory on the historic walls of the University. This is a picture from the net, because I didn't have time to go there:
Photo credits: https://galwaynow.com/nui-galway-launch-first-ever-music-degree/
I will end off by talking about the Spanish Arch, just along the banks of River Corrib. In its erstwhile glory (built originally in 1584), the four arches were meant to protect merchant ships from looters. The name is a misnomer as there was no connection between the Spanish and the Irish when the arches were built. Only two of the arches remain today.
February 2019