It is impossible not to feel great in Galway, there are lots of historic buildings stemming from a varied local heritage that goes back to the beginnings of Christianity within Ireland. Plenty of leisure activities on land or at sea, not to mention the great food and the splendid landscapes. There are also walking tours or boat cruises in Galway Bay, everyone finds something to enjoy without having to really search about. Medieval style narrow streets, boutiques, great parks and golden beaches, Galway will definitely show you the beauties of Ireland.
Kylemore Abbey
The Monastic home in the Connemara Region County Galway of the Benedictine Order of Nuns.
The most impressive building of the city is the recently opened Cathedral of our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas opened only in the 1960s on the place of the former city gaol. Located in the city centre it is easy to spot because of the copper-plated spires that make it stand out and visible from the distance. The style is the traditional Irish Hiberno-Romanesque that developed in the 11th century, and its specificity consists of wood carvings and mural painting, together with a fine stone-work. This style bears the mark of authentic Irish artwork since before the Norman invasion.
Then, let’s stop at the Galway Museum, where we’ll discover the main focus on folk tradition in both art and labour. Plenty of artifacts give tourists a lesson about the fishing industry of the area with a collection of antiques. You can also find farm tools and mechanical items used in regular traditional households as well as a very interesting collection of military objects including many weapons. But perhaps the most meaningful of Galway’s medieval remains is represented by a rare series of stone carvings from the 17th century.
Part of the same medieval heritage we have to mention Kirwan’s Street, a recently restored area of Galway that waited in decay for many years. It now reflects its former splendor, housing a number of craft shops. This street used to have a small and private theatre built in the late 18th century by Richard Martin for his wife. It had no more than 100 seats and it represented a very active and highly acclaimed form of performance in those days.
Dunguaire Castle, Galway Bay
In Galway Bay you may spot some of the most beautiful and elegant boats you could ever see. One the Galway Hooker, is a boat that appeared out of the needs of local fishermen. It is easily recognizable by the unique formation of it’s sails, distinctive from most other sail types, yet still very impressive.
If you’ve always wondered about what the traditional Irish language sounds like, Galway is the place to find out. The city has one of the finest theatres in Gaelic known as the Taidbheadc theatre. Besides this, the accent used here is true music for the ears, reflecting a happy combination of the soft sounds in Gaelic and the consonant-dominated English, it is part of the specific atmosphere of this place, just like music and dance.