Free (donations appreciated) and entertaining, the Galway City Museum has more than just history of…read morethe city of Galway. It was interesting to learn about shipwrecks and seabed mapping, some human biology and the history of medical devices, and really, what Irish museum would be complete without a history of the Irish Free State and the Troubles. Objects on display are tiny and massive, including the oldest Claddagh ring in existence (dating from circa 1700!) and a sailboat. The museum has stairs and a lift, making it fully handicapped accessible. There are a number of exhibits that are interactive and can be touched. Expect at least an hour to appreciate this museum, two if you're a reader. [Review 1948 of 2024 - 130 in Republic of Ireland - 22970 overall]

Free admission! We visited around 11am on a very rainy day and the museum was quite busy. It is…read more a small museum but does have some interesting displays. There is a lot of reading involved, being a busy day it was hard to get close to the reading materials. The aisles were quite crowded. We enjoyed the boating and fishing displays. They also have a section on ancient instruments.

In the west of Ireland it rains - a lot, really, an awful lot, so it is vitally important for those…read morewho live there and indeed those of us visiting that there are distractions of some form or another least we all team up in a bored, wet and un-tanned rage and go on some sort of killing spree (probably drowning the victims). One such distraction is the rather unpromising sounding museum of country life, which as it turns out is a very nice wee place to wander around and kill a few hours. There are samples of clothing worn by the Irish way back when, a few temp exhibits like the Moylough Belt (8th Century belyt-thingy) and when we were there a temp exhibition (until spring 2010!) called Straw, Hay and Rushes where you get to see the unbelievable vast array of things we used to use straw and hay for! - really, everything from mattresses (which you get to try out) to harnesses (which you don't) We didn't get to see much of the outside exhibits because , guess what, it was blinking raining, but the indoors bit was enough to keep us going for a couple of hours. There is no admission fee which is nice, the café is OK but not noteworthy!

We drove to the National Museum of County Life last Monday.Unfortunatly the museum was closed but…read morethe grounds were still open to the public. There are lovely walks around the grounds through the formal gardens and the kitchen gardens. There is a restored Victorian Glasshouse in the grounds overlooking Turlough House and the beautiful tulip borders which were in bloom whilst I was there. There is also a small cottage which has recently been built to show how traditional cottages were constructed. Walked along the river and continued up to the round tower on the hill. I have no doubt this would be a great place to spend a day,when the museum is open.will be back to visit when it opens.

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've worn a claddagh ring for as long as I can remember, so I thought it would be special to get…read moreone from Galway as a souvenir during my visit. Thomas Dillon is the original maker, so I figured I'd buy from the best. They have such high quality jewelry and beautiful claddagh rings. Women's are 50 euros, men 60, for just the silver. Maybe a little pricier than other spots, but they have a lifetime guarantee and an original stamp on the inside. They have other jewelry as well and a section in the back full of historical articles and the worlds smallest claddagh ring, which is super funny! I love my new ring and the woman helping us was so knowledgeable and kind! I'd highly recommend Thomas Dillin.

I was very excited to visit this place and buy a ring but the sales associate was so rude. She was…read morecondescending when I said I didn't have a boyfriend. She rolled her eyes. She was aggressively shoving rings over my knuckles while telling me to relax. Overall, not very welcoming. I would recommend going to heart and hand a few stores down!

We stopped here on our way to Kylemore Abby. It was breathtaking and worth the side trip…read more Beautiful views, and make sure you watch out for the sheep!

On our way to Kylemore Abbey we passed Connemara National Park and so we took a pit stop to see…read morewhat it was all about. I was pleasantly surprised. The visitors centre is just lovely, a nice setup. There is a exhibition on the park, with one section describing bogs and turf making. There is also a Tea Room, a picnic area and a playground. There are three walks from the visitors centre up the nearest hill, Diamond Hill. All at different degrees of distance and difficulty. We decided on the quick walk as we didn't have a lot of time. Definetly worth a look if you are in the area.

Loved it! Arrived at 4pm Sunday and they closed at 5, but it's a great museum with free admission…read more The grounds are lovely.

Set in the grounds of Turlough Park, this is a bright modern museum. There is no charge to visit…read morebut they do appreciate a five euro donation which in my opinion was well worth it. Covering three floors, there is a vast selection of items on display covering all aspects of country life, crafts, living, clothing, tools etc. it is set out well with plenty of information. There is also a video presentation. We really enjoyed our visit to the museum but the house itself was a bit of a disappointment. Only a few rooms are open to the public. So my advise is come for the museum, not the house.

Well what a trip. 3 hrs from Dublin gets you to this fascinating landscape in Ireland. I was a bit…read moreconfused by the 6 euro per person charge for the car park though considering that the sign states they take no responsibility for damage to items or cars and then give u a ticket to the museum which u can just walk into and no one asks for your ticket ? Besides that though the cliffs are a wondrous sight to behold fascinating and empowers the power of the sea and its landscape. They are not closed off to pedestrians and u can literally sit on the ledges and view them. We had a nice calm day and bring comfy shoes that u dont mind getting dirty . One thing i would say is avoid eating in the cliff side restaurant as its hugely over priced 13.50 for a bowl of stew 2.50 for a small bottle of coke. The museum isnt that intresting seems very out dated. The cinema viewing area looks like something ud see on an old playstation1 . Go for the sights but leave to eat .

Came here through a tour that leaves from Dublin. It is a MUST when visiting Ireland. Beautiful…read moreviews and excellent opportunities to take pictures. The area itself may require a fee, but since I went with a tour bus, our ticket was included. There is a visitors center that has many cool souvenirs cliffs related and Ireland related. They also have restrooms for public use that are unisex, but there are plenty. The weather is ALWAYS changing, so you are just going to have to risk it making it out when the rain stops. I was lucky enough to go on a day that had some rain, but when I got there it got sunny for us for most of the time we were there. There is a tower that allows people to get a nice view, but it was not open the day that I went. I'm not sure if their hours are listed. I did hear from our tour guide that when it is open it's a couple Euro to climb and enjoy taking pics.

People who visit Cong are usually here because they are fans of The Quiet Man movie. This cute…read morelittle cottage in Cong replicates the honeymoon cottage in the movie. Unfortunately the real 'White O'Morn' cottage is in ruin in a town about 45 minutes away, so this cottage is a nice opportunity to get a feel for what it was like during the movie. Props include hats and clothing reproductions, a tandem bicycle, furniture like Mary Kate's and a 'fine big bed'. There is information posted throughout explaining about the props and a video on loop with info on the film and locations nearby, as well as newspaper articles from the summer of 1951 during filming. Purchase tickets in the upstairs gift shop. This is a great gift shop! So many Irish and Quiet Man souvenirs in one spot! Magnets, hats and gloves, ornaments, books, signs, photographs, jewelry and on and on. I purchased a few items. Great to get the shopping done and support the museum. You don't have to be a movie fan to enjoy a town full of Irish pubs and restaurants or visit the cottage museum. Open 10am - 4pm. Parking in back for a small number of vehicles.