Galway City (Ireland)

...ambience, I was hooked on Galway right from the start. Prettier than Cork, livelier than Killarney and more relaxed than Dublin, this is definitely the town I felt most at home in during my husband Dave’s and my recent trip to Ireland.

Galway City (or Gaillihm) is described by Lonely Planet (Europe on a Shoestring, 1st edition, March 1999) as “a pleasure, with its old stone and wooden shop-fronts, good restaurants and busy ...
...so on our arrival at Galway bus station we consulted our trusty little map (one of the website’s better features) and set off for the hostel. [We were almost immediately set upon by a tout handing out flyers for a hostel considerably closer to the station and only IR£7/night, but never mind…]

The Barnacles Quay wasn’t that bad really – good kitchen, modern security, TV room, free luggage storage etc – ... more

With its multicoloured facades, bohemian taverns and generally laid-back ambience, I was hooked on Galway right from the start. Prettier than Cork, livelier than Killarney and more relaxed than Dublin, this is definitely the town I felt most at home in during my husband Dave’s and my recent trip to Ireland.

Galway City (or Gaillihm) is described by Lonely Planet (Europe on a Shoestring, 1st edition, March 1999) as “a pleasure, with its old stone and wooden shop-fronts, good restaurants and busy music pubs bustling with students”. I wholeheartedly agree – it was a rare treat to actually come across a town that seemed to suit my personality almost perfectly.

So on to the review…

ACCOMMODATION
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Having not found any particularly cheap options on the net we decided to try the ‘Barnacles Quay Street House’, which sounded pretty good from the website and, unlike the competition, offered free breakfast (always a sucker for the ‘f’ word, that’s us :).

Unfortunately BQ don’t update their site that often – the first disappointment when I phoned to book was that the price would be IR£12 (US £9.60) per night for a dorm bed in high season (as opposed to the IR£11 quoted on the website). The second was when they asked for my credit card number – fairly standard procedure in itself, but instead of requiring a day or two’s notice for cancellation they insisted on an entire week, or they’d bill us for the first night’s stay. Not a very good first impression!

Still, by that time I was growing weary of making calls and trawling the internet and just figured, what the hell. And so on our arrival at Galway bus station we consulted our trusty little map (one of the website’s better features) and set off for the hostel. [We were almost immediately set upon by a tout handing out flyers for a hostel considerably closer to the station and only IR£7/night, but never mind…]

The Barnacles Quay wasn’t that bad really – good kitchen, modern security, TV room, free luggage storage etc – but neither was it anything special, particularly for the price. The best part about it was the location – right on the middle of the pedestrian part of Quay Street, only metres from the Bay itself. Next time I’d probably choose somewhere cheaper though – the ‘breakfast’ they provided (which turned out to consist of coffee, tea, hot chocolate and toast. Yes, just toast. No cereal) wasn’t really worth the extra pound or two.

For those who are interested, Kinlay House got a good recommendation from a couple of New Zealand girls we met in Cork. Though only a pound or so less than BQ it is much closer to the bus/train station, has their own bikes for hire and is said to have quite a good atmosphere (Victoria Place, Tel.565244). I wish I could include the details of the cheaper hostel but I’m afraid we didn’t keep the flyer! Though I’m sure as long as they stay in business they’ll still have employees lurking around the station…

THE SIGHTS
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Though perhaps not quite as replete with monuments and landmarks as Cork or Dublin, Galway still has quite a few places that are worth checking out.

Eyre Square:
One of the first things you’ll see if you’ve arrived in Galway by bus or train, Eyre Square is quite pleasant to take a stroll through. The centre is occupied by ‘Kennedy Park’, so named after a certain presidential visitor in 1963. Other monuments include a statue of writer Padraic O’Connaire, apparently a controversial writer of the early 1900s.

The Spanish Arch:
Just down from the Wolftone bridge stands one of the last remnants of Galway’s old city walls. Built circa 1584 the Spanish Arch (which, by the way, has most probably been misnamed as there is no evidence to suggest it is in anyway Spanish) was originally designed to protect the quays, hence it’s main feature: the wooden sculpture “Madonna of the Quays”.

The Galway City Museum:
Situated just adjacent to the Arch this museum, though quite small, is well worth the IR£1 entry fee. Artifacts include various antiques, farm equipment and machinery and military apparatus as well as 17th century stone carvings and a display on Galway’s medieval heritage. Opening times are 10am-1pm and 2-5pm (closed Sundays).

The Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed Into Heaven and Saint Nicholas
Whew, what a mouthful!! Probably the most impressive structure in the city, the cathedral was unfortunately (from a historic-appreciation sense) only erected in the 1960s, on the site of the former county jail. The domed copper roof is quite prominent even from a distance and the inside is bedecked with wall paintings and intricate carvings of stone and wood.

The Bay
Last but not least, a stroll along the Galway Bay itself is definitely not to be missed. The view on a clear day is breathtaking, though I’d advise taking a jacket!

SHOPPING
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As in most cities souvenir shops abound in Galway, and you can pick up a leprechaun key-ring or a Guinness(TM) cap just about anywhere. However we also came across quite a few more interesting options, including several ‘New Age’ places selling crystals, talismans and the like as well as some pretty decent second-hand book and music shops. The one thing we didn’t come across, surprisingly, was a supermarket – every other town we stayed in at least had a Tesco Metro. Perhaps we just missed it – either way there are plenty of small grocery stores about the place as well as a fairly good combined minimarket/delicatessen/off-licence on the High Street.

FOOD
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As anyone who reads my travel ops will know I’m a big fan (not totally by choice I’m afraid) of travelling on the cheap, and therefore often choose to cook pasta in a hostel kitchen rather than splurging on a restaurant meal.

We did however eat out on a couple of occasions in Galway. The first place was a small eatery, not much more than a chippy really, with a rather tacky name like ‘The Snack Box’ or ‘The Lunch Box’. The food was pretty cheap – Dave and I each had a ‘value meal’ consisting of a hamburger/fried chicken (respectively), chips and a can of drink for under IR£3. This disadvantages: our meal was somewhat disrupted by the hoards of greasy, sick-looking pigeons that were desperately attacking the scattered remains on the surrounding tables whilst keeping a vulture-like eye on our food (I swear they were just waiting for us to turn our backs...). Secondly, the food was served with extra grease which subsequently led to the third drawback: acute indigestion.

The second place we decided on (McDonaugh’s on Quay Street) was a little more upmarket, and so popular that the queue was out the door the first couple of times we thought about going in. It came recommended to us (by at least two people from our dorm) as having ‘the best fish and chips you’ve ever tasted’. Perhaps a slight exaggeration, but damn good at around IR£4 for a big plate of chips, tartare sauce and battered cod that all but melted in our mouths.

For those travelling on a slightly larger budget, there are plenty of cafes, noodle bars and interesting restaurants so there’s bound to be something to suit your taste. The Lonely Planet lists Kirwan’s Lane Creative Cuisine as ‘Galway’s most ballyhooed restaurant’ (end of Kirwan’s Lane, Tel.568266).

ENTERTAINMENT
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Funnily enough, the best evening we had was not at one of Galway’s famed music pubs, but on the little grassy area by the Spanish Arch, drinking Druid’s Celtic Cider and Harp Lager and looking out over the Bay while a group of people took turns jamming on three sets of bongos. We weren’t the only ones drawn by the rhythms: before long the area was covered in scattered groups of locals and backpackers alike, all just hanging out, enjoying the scenery and nodding to the beat. I have to warn you that drinking in public areas isn’t actually legal in Galway (I didn’t know at the time, honest!), although the police seem to have a pretty relaxed attitude to it – they wandered past once or twice, chatted fairly amiably with the bongo players and moved on again.

As far as actual pubs are concerned, The Blue Note (West William Street) is pretty good – they have live rock or jazz music several times a week as well as a separate bar for the pop/techno fans. I’ve also heard Roisin Dubh (Dominic Street Upper) is good for alternative music and Monroe’s Tavern (just a few doors away) for traditional bands.

SIDE-TRIPS
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County Galway is home to some of the most picturesque scenery you could hope to see. We opted for an excursion to Clifden in Connemara, which was simply gorgeous – though there are very few trees the stark expanses of hills, valleys and lakes are definitely worth seeing, even if you just take the bus there and back.

Another trip we would have liked to take but unfortunately ran out of time for was a ferry to the Aran Islands, apparently one of western Ireland’s most beautiful attractions. Ferries leave three times daily from Rosseval, around 25 miles west of Galway, and the fare is IR£18/return (including the connecting bus). (You can find out more from the Tourist Office on Victoria Place, Tel.563081.)

Okay, so I think this op has just about hit a record for my longest ever: I’ll wrap it up now. If you do visit the Emerald Isle, I’d definitely recommend adding Galway to your itinerary. Feel free to check out my ops on Cork and Killarney if you feel so inclined (Dublin to follow soon…:). Thanks for reading and I hope the following links will come in useful:

Barnacles Quay Street House : www.barnacles.ie/quaystreet/accommodation.htm

Galway tourist information : www.virtualtourists.net/

Surrounding area tourist information : www.westireland.travel.ie/

Bus information and times : www.buseireann.ie
 

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