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]

"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]

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.

Bohermore Cemetery (also known as New Cemetery) was open in 1880. It has both a Catholic and a…read moreProtestant mortuary chapel. Operated by the Galway City Council, it is a "lawn style" cemetery and it looks to be at capacity. The cemetery does contain several memorials and the final resting place of a number of famous people including Pádraic Ó Conaire (there is a replica statue in Eyre Square and the original in the Galway City Museum), William Joyce (aka Lord Haw-Haw) and victims of KLM Flight 607-E that crashed in 1958. It has a narrow entrance and a few parking spaces. I would not recommend it for larger vehicles - park on the street if you must. [Review 1962 of 2024 - 144 in Republic of Ireland - 22984 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.

Our group had dinner at the restaurant for several days. The appetizers were excellent, especially…read morethe Goat Cheese Tartlet! The Hake Fish was incredible and Red Lentil Dahl was very good! The Thai Vegetarian Curry was a bit bland and the vegetables did not seem that fresh. The Beef Blade was all right but it needed more flavor, and several people in our group asked for horseradish to add more flavor. The desserts were very tasty! Overall, the food was very good! The servers were very friendly and helpful.

Hotel rooms super comfy & decent showers. Recommend sleeping here. Lovely vibe and hotel. Gorgeous…read moregardens. Lovely reception team Do NOT recommend the food! * The bar -- poor service & short staffed. Five different staff (over 2 days) behind bar counter told us not their job to take drinks orders as they were supporting the restaurant (& to wait for a mythical bar-person...). * The breakfast-- big buffet options. Sit near window if you want any service. Cannot make soft boiled eggs & bring after breakfast is done! Do not get breakfast included. Most things were cold & so many options in Galway. * For weddings -- gorgeous venue & lovely post church spread. But DINNE was a big letdown. My table had worst vegetable soup of our life at a wedding here -- tasted like they had not made enough & watered it down. No flavour or seasoning. Pity as delicious at bar night before...& look at porridge consistency of their risotto . Salmon was watery & over cooked. Asparagus was watery & boiled to death. Crumble was soggy due to creme anglaise -- but so little argument on our table about whether there was even any on it. Highlights were the champagne pomegranate mint sorbet & chicken vol au vent.

I truly have never stayed a hotel that has such synergy between staff. It makes for a fantastic…read morestay. From Patrick at the top to front desk pro's Laura, Andrea and Analisa. A quick thank you to them after my wife's car completely shut down on the highway and they all became family to help out. Epic. The hotel has a ton of eating options from high end to our nightly stop Pins with Tom, Owen and an incredible staff. They know what we want before we order!!! The food from the best seafood chowder to fish and chips (with a perfect Guinness) and just what you need to start a great conversation with new Irish friends. That's the vibe at one great hotel. Blessed to be here. Oh yeah, great large rooms and free parking. Unbelievable!!!

I spent a night there. Overall I enjoyed my stay…read more Location: way out. Not much to see around it, Parking: easy in the basement. Very helpful on the snowy day! Room: large and spacious. A nice welcome pastry. Very nice bathroom with interesting night lights. Restaurant: limited dinner menu but good food and helpful staff. Buffet included eggs to order. Staff: pleasant and helpful. Recommendation: great hotel if you don't mind the location.

Note: all my recent vacation in Ireland Yelp reviews will have the same 1st paragraph preamble, for…read morejust the review itself skip to the 2nd paragraph. On a whirlwind 2 week vacation to Ireland, the girlfriend & I tried to see & experience absolutely as much of this incredible land as we could. We did not accomplish every last activity we wished we could have on our rather ambitious itinerary. Nonetheless, we did discover a land of numerous stunning & magical wonders. We did see a land of unending natural beauty. We did learn of a land with a monumentally long history of trials, tragedies & triumphs. We did get to meet many kind, humorous, warm & generous people. Our vacation to Ireland was just 2 weeks, but that was time enough to know this is a land easy to love & a land to be sorely missed. After stays in Dublin & then Killarney, the girlfriend & I were on our way to Galway & the 3rd of 5 hotels for our Ireland trip. Located on Doughiska Road, 4-5km East of Galway City, the Amber House Hotel is surrounded all around by suburban apartments. The Amber House Hotel is fairly new & clean throughout with plenty of parking in its own car park. Through the front doors is a small but tidy & well decorated lobby as well as a restaurant & pub on the ground floor. There is also free Wi-Fi available, but its range is limited mostly to the lobby. Checking in was easy & the staff was friendly. All the rooms are on the 2nd floor. Our room was sufficiently large &, like the rest of the hotel, new & clean. While nicely furnished, the decor was simple & plain. The room lacked a sense of warmth, seemed somewhat spartan & felt like a conference room or other office building setting. I noticed there wasn't any wall art. In the bathroom, also nice & clean, was a towel warming rack which proved to be a useful bonus, but no washcloth or hair conditioner in the toiletries. Overall, the room suited our needs well. There was a big, comfy king size bed & our time in the room was quiet & restful. Breakfast is included with the room. Choices include a full Irish breakfast (3 sausage, 2 rashers, black & white puddings, egg, toast, beans, sauteed mushrooms, coffee, OJ) & a Continental breakfast buffet. I went for the full Irish breakfast & it was very good & satisfying. While the room itself lacked a bit of warmth or coziness, the Amber House Hotel did send us out to our days in Galway well rested & well fed.

I wrote this review not realizing they didn't even have a Yelp entry yet. That goes perfectly with…read morethe theme of my review: the theater that doesn't want anyone to see movies. This has to be the most outrageously useless theater in the known universe. First, there is no indication anywhere on the building that it is, actually, a movie theater. No sign (other than dueling "Palas" and "Palace" signs), no movie posters, no marquee. No "movies" no "cinema" no "theatre." Second, the entrance is completely hidden. It's not actually in the building marked Palace, it's in the one next to it, through a tunnel that, again, has NO SIGNAGE. All those glass doors? Exits. Third, if you do manage to stumble across the box office (hint, it's behind a corner once you've gone blindly down an alley, and has no markings indicating it's the box office; just a hole in the wall with a person standing there), there's no signage once you get your ticket, either. "Third floor," she says and points to some stairs, which then lead to a bar (pub). This bar is set up like a maze, with odd walls jutting out. Again, there is NO SIGNAGE pointing the way to the rest of the staircase. Turns out, after asking the barman, it's behind one of the jutting walls, and down a hallway. Fourth, three levels of screens, all of which are only accessible by stairs (apparently). Fifth, no soda fountain, only bottled drinks without ice. Which, BTW, are sold only at the box office. Which she didn't mention, but I noticed a small fridge behind her and realized it's also the concession stand. Thank goodness I saw before walking up all the stairs. Sixth, once you get all the way up all of the stairs to your theater, they have a tv monitor screen that says "Scan your ticket below." After passing my receipt under the screen for about a minute, a light finally came on and scanned the barcode. The result? The screen then said "Theater closed." Turns out the previous feature hadn't ended, so now I've gotta walk back down all the stairs to find a seating area, which turns out to be the bar two stories down. Seventh: toilets. On the ground floor only. More stairs. Eighth, while the seats are fairly well-padded, they do not recline or give at all. Honestly, I think this theater was intended as an art installation with the theme being the importance of usability and signage. They've done everything so wrong that I find it hard to believe it wasn't intentional. The only thing they could have done to more polish off the effect would have been to not have a screen to display the movie on. Also, I can't picture any woman on her own heading into that tunnel to buy tickets. It was broad daylight when I entered, and I was unnerved. Dark, hidden, and (one more time) not labeled.

Pity the Palas sometimes shows interesting filmsIn. Because not many people get to know about this…read more The publicity is meagre. No leaflets on display visible for outside; nor in useful places around (Town Hall theatre, Arts centre, Oranmore, libraries around the county, bookshops... Invisible, cold, wet, dark, windy ticket office. Interior un-thankful and unwelcoming. An architect who likes dark with places lots of sharp slivers of light penetrating the gloom, all aimed at the eyes, seemingly aimed to blind people (uplighters on the TOP of handrails beside steps (!), ceiling spotlights aimed BACK towards audience rather than down/forward). Little signage when needed (try and find directions to toilets; try to find row letters; where the edge of most steps are in the gloom...). The design is terrible. A health hazard. I expect the place to fold soon. Pity.