We happened upon an international art festival and it was fun. Music dancing, crafts which was fun…read morebut the coolest part was a parade that was like nothing I'd seen before.

I had heard great things about the Galway weekend market, so great that I made it a point to be in…read moreGalway Friday night as part of my Ireland trip. Hotels were a bit expensive in early September, but I learned that I had picked the weekend of a big car show (the Cannonball) that drove up prices and drove down availability. I'll search calendars next time. Other than the market (usually weekends only but Wed/Thur/Fri in July and August), Galway has a lot going on. It is a seaside town so you'll find restaurants with fresh seafood. There is a ferry from here to the Aran Islands. There are beaches and a lighthouse (that requires an appointment). The Galway Museum is good for an hour or two of history. Several nice pubs along Quay Street. Lots of smaller hotels, hostels and B&Bs. There are taxis and Uber or you can try the Bus Éireann which has its schedule and route published on Google Maps. Parking is available in most places and unless there's a sign or a kiosk, it's free. Five stars for Galway and don't miss it. [Review 1963 of 2024 - 145 in Republic of Ireland - 22985 overall]

I learned about W.B. Yeats in an Irish Literature class in college and have been obsessed with…read morevisiting this place. This tower and visitor center are located out in the beautiful countryside on a quiet lane. The staff was welcoming, even setting up the Yeats video for us to watch before our tour. Walking around the spaces that he wrote many of his best poems was inspiring, especially since they have some of the original furniture around. The stairs to head up the tower are steep and slim, so that's good to keep in mind. They do allow you on the roof, which I would recommend because we got to take in the countryside that Yeats would often view.

Open May through September, I was too early to get into the building. This tower castle was owned…read moreby the family of W.B. Yates. The poet spent a great deal of time living here throughout his life.When the building suffered flood damage several years ago, a group of W.B.Yates enthusiasts came together to raise funds to restore the tower house. It reopened in the summer 2015. This location is also famous for fans of John Wayne and specifically fans of the movie 'The Quiet Man' which was filmed in many locations around Co. Galway. Although now overgrown, Maureen O'Hara took off her stockings in what was a field behind the building, and ran across the (very low at the time) river with John Wayne not far behind. Attached to the tower is a low, thatched roof building and across the way is a low walled garden with a bridge over a stream. The path from the bridge leads to a dead end which makes me believe it is a good fishing spot just there. There is a small high walled garden at the end of the thatched structure. It's a nice drive out, and the property is quite nice to visit. There is a large parking lot on the left, just before you reach to the tower and tour buses come this way. If you are a fan of Yates, Wayne, or like to fish, take the drive through lovely countryside and visit Thoor Ballylee.

I booked the Cliffs of Moher & The Burren half day tour through Galway Tour Company this past…read moreNovember. The value of the tour was great, only costing around $45 (42.50 euros) for an eight hour tour. I was able to select the pickup point at a nearby hotel. The bus was prompt and we headed on our way shortly after 10am. The tour bus driver was an absolute delight. Incredibly friendly and full of knowledge and funny stories. We stopped at a couple spots along the way including a castle, a very old cemetery, and a pub in Doolin. We drove through the Burren on our way which was a really interesting sight to see. I enjoyed learning about the geology of such a unique place. We had adequate time to explore the Cliffs of Moher once we arrive - almost 2 hours to roam around, take pictures, and check out the gift shop. Then we made our way back to Galway and arrived around 6pm. The timing was perfect and I really feel like it was a valuable experience. So glad I booked a group tour instead of renting a car and trying to navigate to the cliffs myself - the roads to get there were really wild and I'm not sure I could've handled it on my own (plus, it would've been way more expensive). I'll also note that the tour company reached out the day before my scheduled tour to let me know they had to reschedule due to the snow and ice that rolled through that night. They put me onto the tour the following day and communication was seamless throughout. I highly recommend booking your tour through Galway Tour Company!

We took the day tour to the Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher. Our guide was Patrick. It was the…read moreonly day tour we took while in Ireland and it did not disappoint! Patrick took the scenic coastal route and through the Burren to Doolin, there and back, so everyone had the opportunity to experience the views. Every step of the way was timely and well-organized. We never felt rushed and had just the right amount of time at each stop.

One of the things we noticed during our visit to Ireland was that almost every pub and hotel we…read morewalked into had a photo of American President John Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy somewhere. Here are some examples: The Brazen Head Pub https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-brazen-head-dublin?select=W0wqZDK-ZZ5NCCSuNfngdQ&userid=cVrM2BvOvPV0Vi_rC8kepQ McGann's Pub https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mcganns-pub-doolin?select=bzAc4kUINNs6t-4Q-GJZ8g&userid=cVrM2BvOvPV0Vi_rC8kepQ Our Irish tour guide told us that growing up, there were two photos on a wall in his house - the Pope's and John Kennedy's. Our guide explained that to the Irish, JFK was a hero, for his success in America as an Irish American Catholic. In June of 1967, JFK visited Ireland to meet his relatives in Dunganstown, County Wexford. This was the town his great-grandfather Patrick Kennedy left behind when he emigrated to America in 1848. The next day, the great-grandson of that peasant farmer addressed the Irish Parliament in Dublin. Ireland lavished JFK with love and affection, and treated him as the returning prodigal son. When he was killed less than four months later, our tour guide told us that "every heart in Ireland was broken". The JFK memorial in Eyre Square features a stylized bust of Kennedy's profile on a stone base. In 1965, Eyre Square was officially renamed "Kennedy Memorial Park".

If you are a lover of James Joyce's writings, you might want to stop here and visit his wife and…read moremuse's childhood home. Nora Barnacle met Joyce in Dublin on June 10, 1903 and arranged to go on a date on 14th, but she blew him off saying she couldn't get away. Never a quitter, Joyce arranged for a follow up on June 16th and this time went to pick her up. For readers of Joyce's classic tome "Ulysses", June 16th will forever be known as Bloomsday. Nora's famous quote of Joyce lives on: "I mistook him for a Swedish sailor - His electric blue eyes, yachting cap and plimsolls. But when he spoke, well then, I knew him at once for just another Dublin jackeen chatting up a country girl." Though it should be noted, it took them 28 years to tie the knot and it annoyed Joyce that the media of the day made such a big deal of it. But they never got tired of celebrating June 16th! True love, eh?

Fantastic little museum! Very personal, detail oriented, with a generous guide. Highly recommend…read morevisiting for a quick stop to learn more about an interesting lady and her family!

I'm honestly unsure of the best way to rate this tour company. On one hand, it's Ireland and Irish…read moreweather is unruly. On the other hand, there was a forecast and the forecast called for rain. And as I heard from other local visitors, their tour companies cancelled and refunded their tours in advance. I had purchased an Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher tour via Viator. It was nearly $100 for two, which is rather pricey, but it included views of the cliffs from two angles, a coach bus from Galway, and some time on the smallest of the islands. It seemed like a good deal. The actual tour was boring and flat. I would have liked to stop and take photos at the castles and the lighthouse we passed, but the bus kept on going. I got some drive-by shots, but they're not the same. The bus was also very cold on a very cold day, which was unsettling and uncomfortable. The tour guide only rattled off some basic facts and mostly about the educational system in Ireland. Cool, but not exciting in the least. Once we arrived at the docking area, we were given tickets and boarded the tiniest little ferry on the literally wild Atlantic Ocean. I was terrified. The half-hour journey to the Aran Islands was mortifying to say the least. People were puking. I was doing everything in my power to not join in. The crew seemed fine. We got to the Aran Islands without me puking, which was nice and surprising. We then paid a local guide to drive us around since it was raining so hard. We got to see a nice sliver of the islands, which was nice and probably my favorite part. We then had a small, very bland lunch and I took more motion sickness meds. After about an hour, our group boarded a vessel before being told to get off. We then waited outside in the cold for far too long and were placed on a slightly larger ferry. This time around, I wasn't so lucky on the seasickness front and spent most of the trip back staring at the inside of a bag...along with many other folks. Did I get views of the cliffs from the sea? Nope. Did I get views of the cliffs from the cliffs? Nope. Do I feel kind of ripped off? Yes. But is it Ireland? Yes. Was it their fault? Well, yes, I think so. I found out we were the last ferry to go across that day. The storms from the hurricane remnants were strong. I honestly wish they had given us the option to postpone our tour. I would have in a heartbeat. The next day was much nicer and I would have actually gotten my money's worth. I absolutely know they can't control the weather, but they should have some sort of system in place to avoid such situations.

Cliffs of other, Coast of County Clare and the Burren Day Tour from Galway…read more My husband, daughter and I had a informative and fun day long tour with Patrick as our guide. He took us to the places that were listed along with additional perfect pictures spots and a local pub for lunch. We learned history and insights about the area from a local. The day went by fast and I would highly recommend a Patrick and Spirit of Ireland Travel

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." -Oscar Wilde…read more Sitting on a bench in front of shop in Galway's city center, you'll find statues of Oscar Wilde and Eduard Vilde. They are posed to be looking at each other, perhaps caught in the middle of a philosophical conversation about current events though they never met in real life. Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish poet, playwright, and novelist known for his satirical works including The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray. He was also a controversial figure at the time, due to his homosexuality and imprisonment for gross indecency. Eduard Vilde (1856-1933) was an Estonian journalist, critic, and novelist regarded as one of the pioneers of Estonian literature. He authored realistic books about the social and political issues of his time, such as The War of Mahtra and The Milkman of Verona. He was also a diplomat and an advocate of Estonian independence. The statues were created by Estonian sculptor Tiiu Kirsipuu in 1999, as a tribute to the two writers and their cultural connections. The original sculpture is located in Tartu, Estonia, while a replica was gifted to Galway by Estonia when it joined the European Union in 2004. [Review 1941 of 2024 - 123 in Republic of Ireland - 22963 overall]

A must see full of great stores, pubs, and street musicians. Take the time to browse around, and…read morecheck out the vintage stores if that's your thing - we found interesting items!

Completely touristy - but fun for a few hours…read more If you're in Galway a stroll in the Latin Quarter is surely on your list. And it was on ours too. It's a fun little area, very easy to navigate with countless bars, pubs and restaurants. The nicest thing about it are the colourful buildings. A feast for the eye. At around 10-12 in the morning you still have a good chance to enjoy the buildings and take good pics, since there's not much going on yet. Also a good time to check out the shops. Later in the afternoon the streets get really packed. Sometimes it's a real traffic-jam and finding a good table in a pub with music or a table outside is nearly impossible. Besides the tourists there are street artists and musicians (of different quality) lining up on the street. Most pubs and restaurants cater to tourists with mostly reasonable prices, but average food-quality. But it's still a fun place and we also dined here, even we knew the meal wouldn't be perfect. But it's a perfect place to sit at an outside table and watch the world go by.