Galway, IrelandGalway, Ireland
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Galwaypanorama.jpg
Author: Mark Bhalash
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Galway is a city in western Ireland. Located on the banks of the River Corrib, it has a population of 75,000 (2011 estimate), making it the third largest city in Ireland. The River Corrib flows from Lough Corrib to empty into Galway Bay. The city itself got its name as a derivative of Corrib, which was also known as Gaillimh, meaning "stony". It was established in 1124 by Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair, the king of Connacht.

From a small village, Galway grew to become one of the biggest cities in the country. It was impacted by Ireland's often turbulent history, was severely affected by the Irish potato famine in the 1840s. The city only began to develop rapidly during the late 20th century.

Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas, GalwayCathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas, Galway
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Galway_cathedral.jpg
Author: Thomas Gun, Kanchelskis
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Galway is often regarded as the cultural capital of Ireland. The city holds numerous festivals annually. It is also home to three Irish dance organisation that regularly showcases Irish cultural dances around the world. In addition, it has musical organisations, theatre companies and visual arts groups.

Visiting Galway

You can fly to Galway Airport (GWY) from major cities in the Republic of Ireland as well as Belfast, London Luton, Cardiff and selected cities in the United Kingdom. The airport is 10 km to the east of downtown Galway. Your most practical option to reach the city is taxi. It costs between €15 to €25 depending on traffic condition and final destination.

Claddagh Ring Museum, GalwayCladdagh Ring Museum, Galway
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Claddah_Ring_Museum2.jpg
Author: Matthieu
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Places of Interest in Galway

  1. Claddagh
    A fishing community a short distance from the Spanish arch.

  2. Claddagh Ring Museum
    Museum preserving the history and information on the betrothal rings handed down by mothers in Claddagh to their daughters.

  3. Collegiate Church of St Nicholas
    Founded in 1320, this is the main church in Galway.

  4. Eyre Square
    Public square lined with historical buildings from the 19th century.

  5. Lynch's Castle
    The grandest 16th century building in Galway.

  6. Quay Street
    Street lined with restaurants and pubs

  7. Spanish Arch
    Medieval arch dating to 1584. It is part of the harbour defence. It got its name from Spanish traders who worked here.

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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.

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