VISIT GALWAY Series
Thinking of visiting Ireland in 2025, have a look at what’s on in Galway?
Let’s Visit Galway
Galway is Great, Let’s Go Visit
Galway is a vibrant city, famous for music, the arts, and festivals. Time after time people will always comment on the welcome and friendliness of the locals. In this series of blogs, we will explore Galway and Salthill.
Galway Atlantaquaria would like to present our view of why Galway is Great, let’s visit Galway.
We believe that Galway is a fantastic place to visit, and we can say that we have three key elements that will encourage you to experience yourself;
- The Friendliest People
- Food & Music (The choice of dining experiences, and popular music venues)
- The Sea (Iconic sights, sounds, and places to get lost)
Essentially Galway presents the visitor with a perfect mix of history, culture, and natural beauty.
A City where all Tribes are Welcome.
The Friendliest City
Galway has won some major accolades from Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards in 2020, and the New York Times also gave our city some rave reviews
When you walk along the famous ‘prom’, in Salthill you will see why we are so friendly. It’s the best place to get to know the locals and offers a stunning view of Galway Bay.
A recent post on social media captured some very popular themes about Galway, and it asked its followers “What do you love most about Galway?”
Sunset on Galway Bay
The People
The land
Family & History
The Music
The Brown Bread
The Welcome
The Atmosphere
Favourite Foods
The Seafood Chowder & Soda Bread would be our best-known treat, but Galway has won some renowned awards from many food critics and our top treats include the Irish spice bag, stout and oysters, the breakfast roll, and Beef.
A bit of History behind our love of Soda Bread & Oyster
In Ireland, soda bread is a staple in pubs and restaurants, and it’s often paired with Irish butter and fruit jam. Although soda bread has been known for centuries and was first invented by Native Americans, it was not until the 19th century that this type of bread became commonplace in Ireland. As a result of the potato famine, as well as Ireland’s weather and geographical conditions, which allowed only the production of soft wheat that had low protein content, the Irish turned to soda bread as their main source of nutrition.
Fáilte Ireland have a program called Taste the Atlantic – a seafood journey
And this program features a travel and taste experience along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Oysters, once a common food all along the coasts of Europe but overfishing in the 1800s resulted in them becoming a little known luxury. Despite this, Ireland is now one of the few European countries where there are still wild, self-sustaining native oyster beds. Oysters were first cultivated in Ireland about 100 years ago. It is only in the last 30 years, the cultivation of oysters has become successful.
Galway is a destination known for the quality of its food sector and the strength of the connection between its people, the land, and our gastronomic traditions,”
We loved our recent experience with https://galwayfoodtours.com/
They are the very best at what they do.
MUSIC in Galway
There are so many music venues in Galway, but we would like to share one of the most famous ones!
Tigh Coili Pub in Galway City is one of the most popular bars in Galway and is famous for its traditional Irish Music sessions. Tig Coili is at the end of the main shopping street in Galway and is full of atmosphere.
Tigh Coili has no TV’s or pool tables to distract you from the excellent Irish music and craic where you are likely to see well-known artists like Sharon Shannon join the session.
Recently the Aquarium has worked very closely with Music For Galway and if you are looking for a truly inspirational and classical music festivals than check out:
https://musicforgalway.ie/ They have a host of new and upcoming festivals planned for 2025.
The Sea
Do you know that Galway is the Marine Capital of Ireland, as we have the Marine Institute, ATU Galway, Seafood producers and the Aquarium. We know a lot about the bounty & beauty of the sea.
We produce the finest Oysters and Seafoods for fine dining and through the work of BIM (Bord Iascaigh Mhara) they help to develop the Irish seafood industry by providing technical expertise, business support, funding, training, and promoting responsible environmental practice.
Over the last year, the Aquarium has compiled a fantastic Freshwater River Walk, featuring some of the most iconic places to visit in Galway City and County.
This series includes some detailed brochures and information about the Wild Atlantic Way beauty spots across Galway.
THE RIVER STORY
https://nationalaquarium.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/RIVER-19-07-2024.pdf
CANALS OF GALWAY
https://nationalaquarium.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CANAL-2024-low-res.pdf
WATERFALLS
https://nationalaquarium.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/waterfall-a1-Brochure-2024-18-07-2024.pdf
If you are looking for the true Galway Experience, we have included a small list of must-visits!
MUST VISITS
- Eyre Square – The bustling centre of Galway City.
- Galway Cathedral – To explore Galway’s medieval past.
- Salthill – The ONLY place to experience the sea and health benefits of ocean literacy
- The Latin Quarter – For the best night of your life!
- Cleggan is a great place to get lost and discover much about Ireland’s deep and cultural connection to the sea.
Where to stay?
There are some wonderful places to stay in Galway, check out the places we have stayed in.
Flannery’s Hotel Galway is a well-established, family-run 3-star hotel located on the Old Dublin Road, just a short drive from Galway city center. The hotel offers 134 comfortable guest rooms, many featuring king-size beds and elegant hardwood furnishings. Guests can enjoy amenities such as free Wi-Fi, complimentary parking, and a variety of dining options, including The Galwegian Restaurant and Frankie’s Bar & Bistro, which serves local specialties and hosts live Irish music on weekends.
The Connacht Hotel is a well-regarded 3-star establishment located on the Dublin Road in Galway, approximately a 10-minute drive from the city center. The hotel offers a variety of accommodations, including standard rooms, family suites, and self-catering apartments, catering to both leisure and business travelers.
Guests can enjoy amenities such as a leisure center with a gym and swimming pool, complimentary Wi-Fi, and free parking. The hotel features a bar and restaurant, providing a range of dining options. Live entertainment is available on select evenings, enhancing the guest experience.
The Hardiman is a historic 4-star hotel situated in the heart of Galway, overlooking Eyre Square. Established in 1852, it seamlessly blends classic elegance with modern amenities, offering guests a unique and comfortable stay.
The Galway Bay Hotel is a distinguished 4-star establishment located in Salthill, Galway, offering picturesque views of Galway Bay. Its prime location provides guests with easy access to the Salthill Promenade and the vibrant Galway city center.
The Salthill Hotel is a distinguished 4-star establishment located along the scenic Salthill Promenade in Galway, offering guests panoramic views of Galway Bay. Its prime location provides easy access to local attractions, including the National Aquarium and Leisureland.
Thanks for following our small blog about Galway and why it’s a great place to visit, we have only scratched the surface of what Galway has to offer.
Enjoy Your Visit.
#VisitGalway
Galway Atlantaquaria is Ireland’s largest native species Aquarium and offers the visitor a unique insight into the hidden and wonderful world of water.
