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.

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.

Wonderful example of a 14th century church. Worth a visit if you're in the area. It's yet another…read moreexample of Cromwell's destruction of Ireland.

It was raining when our tour group arrived at Ross Eerily Friary, which is on the county line…read morebetween Galway and Mayo. It was a really cool old structure. It's all just stone at this point, but there are active burials that still take place on the grounds. There had been one very recently when we were there in early September. Despite the rain, it was a really cool place to visit. Cows abounded in the areas surrounding the friary and the history was rich. I don't see why anyone would come here unless they were going on a tour or part of a funeral procession, but it's worth the stop if you're in the area. Give yourself about ten minutes to walk around. That's all the time you need.

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.

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!

"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]

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.

I booked a tour via Viator for the Cliffs of Moher, and it included a stop at Corcomroe Abbey. This…read more13th century abbey is now in ruins, but still maintains some of its charm. My visit was on a particularly gloomy and rainy day in July, which added to the mystery of it all. If you have an active imagination, you can envision what it looked like in its glory days. As with most ruins, it is now mainly a skeleton of its former self. Airy corridors, separated by stone walled archways, and a real graveyard, complete with a bishop's tomb effigy. There isn't a lot to see here; you won't need more than 1/2 hour to explore and take photos. If you're traveling from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher, it's along the way and worth the quick stop to appreciate the history and what once was. However, please be respectful, as this is a final resting place for many souls.

Made a small stop here while on a tour. A very nice place to explore. Nice little abbey with a…read moregraveyard. The place is basically a ruin. Seems to be in good repair and maintained, but would love to see it fully restored. Interesting piece of history. Good photo opportunities. Wouldn't come by here just for its own sake though.