stands on the left bank of the River Corrib, where Galway’s river meets the sea.
The arch is the remainder of a 16th century bastion, added to the town’s walls to protect merchant ships from looting. Now, it was known as Ceann an Bhalla (Head of the Wall).
It was originally an extension of the famous city walls, designed to protect the quays. The Spanish Arch is. It’s a wondering place to go and relax by on a sunny day. The Arch features a wooden sculpture, called Madonna of the Quays, which was sculpted by the well-known artist, Claire Sheridan, who lived in the adjacent building during the 50’s.

Important Information

Free Place

Distance from Dublin Airport: 2h23 – 216 km

Distance from Shannon Airport: 1h15 – 90 km

is the main street of the city of Galway in the west of Ireland. It is pedestrianised. As its name suggests, it is Galway’s main shopping street, and contains old brick buildings, bright storefronts, numerous pubs and an array of street performers. It’s a lovely street to walk down as its full of energy and an array colours giving off a pleasant experience.

Important Information

Best place to walk during the night or the evening.

Pay Car Park : Park Rite, Merchants Road

Distance from Dublin Airport: 2h23 – 216 km

Distance from Shannon Airport: 1h15 – 90 km

situated in the West of Ireland in County Galway, the park covers some 2,957 hectares of scenic mountains. Distinctive by the wildlife and a treasure trove of prehistoric sites, the park is easily one of Ireland’s most beautiful.

There are a lot of walking trails beginning at the Visitor Centre offer walkers a variety of scenic routes and nature trails through the park. It is also home to Connemara the turreted Kylemore Abbey, ponies, red deer and an enormous variety of birdlife including skylark, stonechats and peregrine falcons.

Important Information

The park is open all year. The entrance is free.
Audio-visual film available in English, Irish, French, German and Italian.
Toilets, Car/coach park/ Indoor and Outdoor picnic areas.

Visitor Centre: Open daily 9am to 5:30pm from March to October
Tea Room: Open daily March to October- 9:30am to 5:30 pm; Weekends Only November – February

Distance to Dublin Airport: 3h30 – 295 km
Distance to Shannon Airport: 2h30 – 180 km

Guided Tours

Come join us on a unique, guided, underground tour of Connemara’s only show mine, and Museum. The Mines abandoned in 1865, are a unique reminder of the 19th Century methods of ore extraction and processing.

Important Information

Opening hours of the day: 10:00 – 18:00

Recommended duration: 1 to 2 hours

Adults €10.50 / Children  €4.50 / Students  €9.50 / Family (2 adults & 2 children) €27

Galway Cathedral was constructed in the late 1950’s, at a time when most similar buildings were using concrete. It is, therefore, the youngest of Europe’s great stone cathedrals. Dedicated to Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas, it was designed by J.J. Robinson in a very eclectic style. It includes some Renaissance details mixed with the Romanesque and Gothic traditions.

The cathedral also boasts an impressive variety of art, including a statue of the Virgin by Imogen Stuart, a large Crucifixion mosaic by Patrick Pollen, rose windows by George Campbell and more.

Open to the public all year round.

Galway Atlantaquaria, National Aquarium of Ireland, seeks to present a comprehensive view of the world of water through clear and interesting displays, informed helpful staff and exciting live presentations and animal interaction sessions.

The National Aquarium of Ireland is one of the West of Ireland’s premier attractions. Situated in Salthill overlooking Galway Bay, it is home to over 150 marine and freshwater native species. Aquatic life is displayed carefully in a manner that reflects their natural habitats, providing an enjoyable and educational environment to learn about the diverse marine ecosystem of Ireland.

Highlights include seahorses, friendly rays, sharks and an enormous skeleton of a fin whale. The Ocean Tank is currently home to Valentine, the only White Skate on public display in the world. Other features include audio-visual presentations, the Lighthouse Gift Shop, Arabica Coffee House and the Royal Villa Restaurant. disabled access is available.

As Ireland’s largest aquarium Galway Atlantaquaria strive to ensure that a visit to the aquarium is original and full of wonder for visitors of all ages. The weather-independent aquarium is truly an attraction not to be missed on a visit to Galway city.

Galway is a popular city on Ireland’s West Coast, attracting tens of thousands of tourists each year. This picturesque town is jam packed with traditional shops, pubs and eateries, as well as boasting an interesting historic background. There’s no better way to discover it all than on this city sightseeing Galway tour.

Starting at Eyre Square, passengers will immediately be greeted by some of Galway’s interesting history as the bus approaches The Browne Doorway. This feature is famous for being a doorway to the homes of some of Galway’s wealthiest merchants and members of the Tribes of Galway. Other historic landmarks along the route include the Spanish Arch and the striking Lynch’s Castle. The castle is one of the finest examples of Irish Gothic style architecture in the city – having been built in the 16th century. Today, Galway is recognized by many for being the focal point of Ed Sheeran’s Number 1 Single, Galway Girl. If you’re a fan, make sure you hop-off at either The Long Walk or O’Connors Pub, which were both featured in the popular music video.

The full list of tour stops are –

1. Eyre Square (Main Stop)
2. Galway Coach Station (Discover Ireland Centre)
3. Spanish Arch (Galway City Museum)
4. Salthill Village (National Aquarium)
5. Salthill Promenade (Blackrock Diving Tower)
6. Threadneedle Road
7. Newcastle
8. Galway Cathedral

Know before you go

• Frequency: every 90 minutes (off peak), every 45 minutes (on peak)
• 1 route
• Full duration: 60 minutes
• Season: March – October
• Wheelchair access
• First tour departs from stop 1 at 10:30
• Last tour departs from stop 1 at 15:00

Purchase tickets at www.citylink.ie

Eyre Square is a park located in downtown Galway.

The park is located near Williams Street and is among the most vibrant places the city. In the centre of the park is also a magnificent modern sculpture and fountain, entitled “Galway Hookers”. This work represents Galway’s traditional boats, easily recognizable with their red sails and wooden hulls. A rather nice work that pays tribute to centuries of tradition!

Important Information:

Free place

Open everyday

In a centre, near Williams Street in Galway

The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use as a place of worship at the heart of Galway’s life. A tour through the Church will allow you to glimpse the part of its rich history. You will see signs of the iconoclasm of the soldiers of Oliver Cromwell. But by contrast, should you visit during one of the many acts of worship you will see and hear the present-day richness of the liturgy where sound and colour fill the delightful medieval building. Perhaps such present-day liturgies are not that far removed from the sights, sounds and perfumes that graced St Nicholas centuries ago.

Important Information:

Opening Hours: Daily 9:00am to 7:00pm (to 5:00pm in January and February)

Free place

Opened in July 2006, the Galway Museum is located near the Corrib River. Impossible to miss with its ultra-modern architecture, the latter exhibits a particularly vast collection of cultural and historical objects.

From the Viking Invasion to the Channel Islands Invasions up to the present day, the museum presents above all everyday objects, presenting the daily lives of the men and women who lived around Galway in all periods. From the daily life of the Irish peasantry to that of Irish fishermen, the exhibition is rather nice and well documented!

Important Information:

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 – 17:00

Sundays: 12:00 – 17:00 (From Easter Sunday to the end of September)

Closed on Monday

Free place

Coole is at the centre of a rare and complex wetland system that is considered to be of global importance. The system includes underground rivers, seasonal lakes (turloughs), springs and swallow holes. Situated in the low-lying karstic limestone region west of Gort, Co Galway the nature reserve covers an area of approximately 400 hectares (1000 acres) where wetland and woodland meet.

At Coole, we invite you to investigate for yourself the magic and serenity of this unique landscape. Although the house no longer stands, you can still appreciate the environment that drew so many here. You will experience the natural world that Yeats captured in his poetry.

Important information:

Free Access

The Visitor Centre is open from the end of April to the middle of September, every day from 10h-17h (18h July-August).

The Nature Reserve opens all the year until 19h30 (18h winter)

2 ride to do: 2km and 4.5km

Phone: 091 631804
Fax: 091 631653
Email: coolepark@chg.gov.ie
Website:  www.coolepark.ie
Facebook: www.facebook.com/coolegarrylandnaturereserve

For an experience like no other, come to WB Yeats’s hallowed tower, at Thoor Ballylee, Galway.

Yeats lived this huge dungeon for a dozen years.

Important information: 

Every year the tower is open May-September; occasionally, too, at other times for special events

Opening Hours

Summer(June – August)-> 10am – 6pm daily

Spring/Autumn(May & September)-> 10am – 2pm Mon-Fri & 11am – 5m Sat-Sun

Situated in the west of Inis Mór at the village of Eoghanacht the seven churches or Dísert Bhreacáin as it is also known was for centuries one of the biggest monastic foundations and centres of pilgrimage along the west coast of Ireland. Breacan is believed to have come here in the earliest period from Kilbrecan near Quin in County Clare.

Important Informations :

Free entry

From Galway, insured shuttles (45 minutes) for Rossaveal ferries (Aran Island Ferries, Inishmore 25 € round trip) and Doolin (Doolin Ferries, Inisheere A / R 10 €). Ask if the stop at Inishmaan is included in the trip to Inishmore. No offices on the islands, but possible purchases on the boat. Many sales counters in Galway.

The Hall of the Red Earl, a fascinating medieval archaeological site in the heart of Galway is now one of the city’s top visitor attractions. The site which is invigilated by Dúchas na Gaillime – Galway Civic Trust dates to the 13th century as is linked to the founding of Galway by the Anglo-Norman De Burgo family at this time. The hall was Galway’s first municipal building and was used to collect taxes, dispense justice and to host banquets. In essence it acted as a tax office, courthouse and town hall rolled into one! It took its name from Richard de Burgo, the Earl of Ulster, who was the grandson of the town’s founding father.

Important Informations :

Open all year Monday – Friday 9.30 to 16.45 & Saturday 10.00 to 13.00 (May – September). Admission is free.

From June to September – Galway Civic Trust run free walking tours of medieval Galway which depart from the Hall at 14.00 each Tuesday & Thursday.