As a city and county, Galway is an experience to be savoured and remembered
forever. Known as the City of Tribes, Galway is the largest city in
western Ireland and the cultural heart of the Irish nation. There
is a vibrancy that resonates through this friendly university city,
while the county encompasses some of the most famous and beautiful
places in Ireland. Lovely Galway Bay, which has been immortalized
in song, the Aran Islands and Connemara are all located in the county
and are unrivalled in terms of scenic beauty. From the pulsating heart
of the city to the characteristic mountains, castles, stone walls,
beaches, lakes and rivers, Galway is quite simply beyond compare.
The history of the Galway area is long and colourful, while the legends
abound. The tales of how Grace O’Malley, considered a pirate
by Queen Elizabeth I, sailed the Galway waters as Sea Captain of her
clan; the sad fate of the Spanish Armada that foundered off the coast;
the way in which the local population have battled throughout the
centuries in order to preserve their heritage and culture; the island
way of life and Gaeltacht traditions all conspire to create a spine-tingling
image. In 1235, the Norman invaders had captured the fort of the Galway
Chieftains and built a strong castle around which a medieval settlement
grew. The walling of the city started in 1270 and Galway grew as a
merchant city, whose wealth was created by 14 merchant families, who
later became known as the Tribes of Galway.
Mutton Island Lighthouse
Besides the city, the areas of Galway that should
be visited without fail include Connemara, often described as the
heartland of Irish culture and famous for its dramatic scenery; and
the Islands, which include the Aran Islands, Inishbofin and Inishturk.
Galway’s Gaeltacht area comprises southern Connemara and the
three Aran Islands of Inishmore, Inisheer and Inishmaan. Here, Irish
traditions have never really waned and Gaelic remains the everyday
spoken language. And situated just minutes from Galway City, the traditional
seaside resort of Salthill is the perfect place to watch (in the words
of the famous song) "the sun go down on Galway Bay".
With regard to attractions, Galway is particularly
well endowed. Portumna Castle, which was built in 1618 by Richard
Burke, is a particularly important Jacobean structure. Gutted by fire
in 1826, the lower floor of the house was opened to the public in
1996, while the formal geometrically laid out gardens, a feature of
many large Jacobean mansions, are quite a sight to behold. A visit
to the award-winning Battle of Aughrim Interpretive Centre, which
commemorates the forgotten day in Irish history on July 12th 1691,
when the Battle of Aughrim was fought between William of Orange and
his deposed Catholic father in law, James II, is also highly recommended.
Eyre Square, Galway
Another attraction in the area is Coole Park,
the former home of Lady Gregory, a founder of the Abbey Theatre and
friend of William Butler Yeats. Though the house no longer stands,
the estate is now a nature reserve and contains an autograph tree,
upon which is carved the signatures of George Bernard Shaw and Sean
O’Casey. Other places of interest in the region include Athenry
Castle, a Norman structure consisting of a three-story tower surrounded
by the remains of a strong outer wall; the 16th century Dunguaire
Castle, overlooking Galway, where medieval banquets are held during
the summer months; and the Nora Barnacle House Museum, a tiny turn-of-the-century
house, which was home to Nora Barnacle, the wife and life-long inspiration
of James Joyce, one of Ireland’s greatest ever writers.
