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.

Officially renamed in 1965 to John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, Eyre Square is a roughly rectangular…read morepark at the center of Galway. The naming is a tribute to his visit to Galway in June 1963 when he gave a speech here, stating "I must say that though other days may not be so bright, as we look toward the future, that the brightest days will continue to be those we spent with you here in Ireland." https://youtu.be/PqPlxXkcfHo Today, it is a bright and green space. Perfect for a picnic or just sitting on a blanket and watching the double decker buses as they rotate around the square. On the weekend, you can expect market vendor stalls to be set up with trinkets, coffee, pastries and much more. You'll find the sculpture of Pádraic Ó Conaire that was unveiled in 1935. It's a replica because some people suck. [Review 1944 of 2024 - 126 in Republic of Ireland - 22966 overall]

Cozy central square next to the train station, hotels, shopping and The Latin Quarter. Everything…read morerevolves around this central meeting point.

I fell in love with Cong the moment we arrived. Yes I am one of those who loves the quiet man but…read moreit was more than that. I could have and did spend hours just walking in the forest there, it was beautiful and peaceful.

Probably my favourite place in Ireland. The Abbey itself is interesting enough, with some really…read moreold graves and a rich history. There's no information boards so read up before you go. The best part though is the little fishing hut over the river (walk through the abbey, across the grassy square and follow the path to the river). The monks used to sit here and fish through a hole in the floor. With the water bubbling past and drowning out the other noises it's a lovely, peaceful spot. Often you can have it to yourself as you're slightly off the tourist route and any tourists who do make it to Cong get caught up in the 'Quiet Man' hype. See if you can arrange to go on a good day - with the sun streaming down through the trees this is the best place in Ireland.

Located about 15 miles east of Galway off the M6, the Athenry Castle dates back to the 13th…read morecentury. Stone walls, a keep and the restored hall are impressive and a fabulous opportunity to look back into medieval life. Check the doorways and arches and battlements and enjoy the castle's impressive artistry. The structure stands at a ford on the Clareen River. After the castle, walk the grounds. Impeccably maintained and there is free parking. Lots of opportunity for photo ops. The Priory down the street is also impressive. If you stop and listen carefully, maybe you can hear the voices of those who were here before? [Review 1966 of 2024 - 147 in Republic of Ireland - 22988 overall]

I could not get enough of Athenry Castle. I am from Chicago, where we have 150ish years of history…read more Ireland has thousands of years of history. Athenry Castle brought history classes to life for me. When I talked with locals, they said the castle has always been there for them so they take it for granted. I walked the grounds on more than one occasion and simply could not get enough of this seemingly ancient building with so much history and energy surrounding it. Athenry Castle is worth a stop, not just for the castle, but the town arch and fences which were all part of the original layout. You can also walk the grounds, check out the cemetery and let the kids burn off any energy in the playlot that is right there.

I have to admit, I really don't know much about this place. We just happened to walk up on it while…read morewalking around in the city. That said, I was impressed by the signage that tells you what is going on, and the ability to walk through it when it is open. Definitely worth a stop if you are one of those tourists who likes to check out every nook and cranny.

It was a fine summer day and we'd driven from Bangor Erris through the most stunning scenery…read moreimaginable on some of the worst narrow roads imaginable. We crossed the Michael Davitt bridge onto Achill island and drove past a mobile Ulster bank van. We had Keel as our destination as we negotiated the narrow roads and meandering sheep who were everywhere and who see tourists as an inconvenience. The entire experience was a tad spooky as despite being a fine day in early summer the entire island was shrouded in mist the whole time we were there and we were there about three hours. We chose Keel as my wife used to holiday here as a child. Her family arrived with a tent to a caravan park and pitched up 15 yards from the wild Atlantic. Travelling west from here the next land is the USA. We got to Keel and the caravan park and we walked along the beach with the mighty blue/green Atlantic Ocean roaring at us as my wife relived fond memories of a stark, haunting very beautiful wilderness. Hard to believe that this stark, rugged island has been continuously inhabited from 4,000 years BC. Wow now that's impressive.

Wow! What a pretty…read morecastle!! It's stunning! In person it is such an amazing site. You see the castle on the mountain, and it's really pretty. I didn't have time to go close up to it. I wish we did. But we got to see it still. It's just picturesque with the backdrop. The complete package you could say.

While on a road trip in Ireland, this castle was on our list and on the way to one of our…read moredestinations. It was closed at the time of year when we saw it, but we parked and walked around the castle and really enjoyed it. It's on a beautiful lake and the weather was perfect. If we return to the area, I would definitely stop at this castle again and see the inside.

A nice tourist attraction when visiting the Burrens. The tour is well organized and the caves are…read moreamazing. The formations however are not fantastic compared to caves I have been into across Australia or the US. Well worth a visit anyway. The cheese factory and the fudge shop are also worth a visit and the view from up above is spectacular. It is a bit expensive for a cave tour but the view from up above is free :-)

Boooooooooo. That…read morewas my reaction after making it through this overpriced, underwhelming tourist attraction. I love caves, and am always ready to tour or explore them when it's nearby on a trip. But this was pure disappointment. For one, it's expensive, like 12 euros a person just for the cave, another 8 euros if you want to visit their "Birds of Prey" center. So for just my wife and I, the cave alone was the equivalent of about $30 for what amounted to a mediocre 30 minute experience. The cave itself isn't very exciting. The lighting is dim, there's one small waterfall, and you go in probably 1/2 mile. You get to learn about complex geological events, like "stalagmites" as you go. There are a couple small formations that are slightly interesting looking, but nothing that's going to really knock you out. Additionally, the guide we had didn't seem terribly invested; it was a lot of "Here's a brief anecdote...(insert story about farmer/geology here). Anyone have any questions? Okay, moving on." Weirdest part: after you make it 1/2 mile in, you basically get to walk out on your own through a long tunnel. No more tour, nothing, just the twenty or so people you went in with, walking in a straight line to get to the exit. The guide stays to make sure everyone who went in, goes out; in the meantime, you get a 1/2 mile walk down a service entrance with very little to look at (especially because the lighting is still dim). Oh, but you start and end your tour in the gift shop, of course. Overall, a poorly-designed, overly priced attraction that isn't terribly attractive. I would not recommend it.

A MUST SEE! The Jackie Clarke Collection is an absolute hidden gem in Ballina. A perfect way to…read morespend your afternoon. I could not recommend it higher! They put a lot of thought into this collection and it is amazing to see the historical significance in each letter, picture, map, etc. they hold in this exclusive collection. It is interesting for tourists to see the history of Ireland unfold in each room of the collection. It is also of interest to the locals with the collection of maps which show how the county boarders have changed overtime. It is well worth the trip to beautiful town of Ballina to check it out. And if this collection isn't already enough to grab your attention, the collection is actually hosted in an old bank! The bank's old vault is now home to one of the rare original copies of the Proclimation of the Irish Republic printed before the 1916 rising. The good news is you don't need to know much Irish history to enjoy The Jackie Clarke Collection.

My sister and I were driving up to Silgo and decided to take a scenic drive around the lake on our…read moreway up. We were touristing, and I was delighted when we happened upon this tourist spot. It's really cool. They offer tours or just free roaming exploration of the grounds. We opted to just walk around and look at everything. It was insanely beautiful, like just about everything else in Ireland. Inside is set up like a museum with informative little notes about history on things. The grounds consist of an courtyard and then some fields just off the lake. After we spent some time just looking at everything, we stopped in the gift shop on our way out. I have to say they had the most interesting selection of Ireland post cards and magnet type things that I saw anywhere in the country. I would definitely make sure to come back and I tell anyone I know heading to the West to check it out. It's not an all day type thing but you can definitely make an afternoon of it with the woods just across the lake that are good for a bit of hiking.