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Galway

Galway

Galway is a city, a county, and an experience to be savoured and remembered. There is a vibrancy to this friendly University City, which many delight in, and few forget. Music, festivals, horse racing, pubs, restaurants, shops, theatres and most of all Galway people, combine to create this atmospheric mediaeval city of culture. Galway Bay, immortalised in song, its beauty unchanging. Scenic Gaeltacht areas including the Aran Islands. Connemara, with the picturesque town of Clifden as its capital. Mountains, castles and stone walls, banks of turf, long sandy beaches, clear lakes, joyful leaping streams and flowing rivers. Delightful countryside punctuated by pretty villages, and traditional pubs.

Things to do

  1. Aran Islands
    Here, on the very edge of Europe, is an Island rich in the language, culture and heritage of Ireland, unique in its geology and archaeology and in its long tradition of gentle hospitality. Here is a place to sense the spirit of Gaelic Ireland, to touch the past, but with all the comforts and facilities of the present. Aran will take you back to an Ireland of Celts and Early Christians. This is an island of great peace and tranquility, but it is also an island of great fun and activity.
  2. Connemara
    From the rugged Twelve Bens mountain range in the north through lake-rich Roundstone Bog to the golden beaches reaching out into the Atlantic Ocean, you'll know you're in Connemara by the light that constantly changes the mood and tone of the landscape. Connemara has long been regarded as the real emerald of Ireland.
  3. Kylemore Abbey
    Kylemore Abbey, located in the Kylemore Pass in Connemara, Co. Galway, has been home to the Irish Benedictine nuns since 1920. The Benedictine nuns bought the house in 1920, having fled their convent in war-torn Belgium in 1914, where they ran a boarding school for girls for over 300 years. They re-established the school here and it is still very much alive today. Set in the heart of Connemara, Kylemore Abbey shares its woodlands, lakes and rivers with a large variety of birds and animals. A trip to the West of Ireland is not complete without experiencing the beauty and tranquility of Kylemore Abbey and Gardens. Facilities at Kylemore include a visitor centre, an exhibition housed in the main reception rooms of the house and a video which takes the visitor through the history of the house and its occupants. The Visitor Centre and exhibition, Gothic Church and Craft shop are open all year.
  4. Galway City
    Galway has a student population of approx. 12,000 attending the University and the Technical College. This continuous flow of bright, young undergraduates keeps the city colourful and alive during the Autumn, Winter and Spring months. In Summer the visiting population from every corner of the globe adds to the city's mystique and wonder. Summer schools abound for foreign students and the chattering noise of different languages and dialects make this place seem like a microcosm of our world. The natives are friendly and welcoming and the visitor is greeted with a smile, if not a greeting. Buskers and musicians can be found on most street corners and it is rare to walk through the heart of the city and not hear the notes of a harp, accordion, guitar or fiddle. The Arts thrive in this bohemian city and music is its lifeblood. Rare is the pub or hostelry which does not have a music session going on and the spontaneity of someone pulling a tin whistle out of a pocket and launching into a tune makes music what it should be, a shared and wonderful experience.
  5. The Corrib Princess
    Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a cruise on board the luxurious Corrib Princess. The Corrib Princess sails from Woodquay in the heart of Galway city, along the famous Steamers Line, which is the lakes traditional trade route. The journey takes passengers along the majestic River Corrib and onto the lake providing visitors with unsurpassed views of the historic monuments and natural amenities that make this the most spectacular waterway in Ireland. The Corrib Princess takes you past castles and various sites of both historical interest and natural beauty. There is an abundance of wild life and the Corrib has a peace and tranquillity all of its own.

Events Calendar

Galway Arts Festival
Location: Galway City - Gaillimh
Dates: Mon 13.Jul.2009 to Sun 26.Jul.2009

Roundstone Connemara Pony, Dog & Sheep Show
Location: Roundstone - Cloch na Rón
Dates: July 2009 - Dates to be confirmed  

Macnas Festival Parade
Location: Galway City - Gaillimh
Dates: Sun 19.Jul.2009 to Sun 19.Jul.2009

Galway Races Summer Festival Meeting
Location: Ballybrit
Dates: Mon 27.Jul.2009 to Sun 02.Aug.2009

Galway Races - Autumn Festival Meeting
Location: Ballybrit
Dates: Sat 29.Aug.2009 to Tue 01.Sep.2009

Clarenbridge Oyster Festival
Location: Clarinbridge - Drioichead an Chlairin
Dates: Thu 10.Sep.2009 to Sun 13.Sep.2009

Galway International Oyster Festival
Location: Galway City - Gaillimh
Dates: Thu 24.Sep.2009 to Sun 27.Sep.2009

Baboró - International Arts Festival for Children
Location: Galway City - Gaillimh
Dates: Mon 12.Oct.2009 to Sun 18.Oct.2009

Galway Jazz Festival
Location: Galway City Centre
Dates: November 2009 - Dates to be confirmed

Select Hotels of Ireland, Shannon Buildings, Mallow Road, Cork  Registration No:327407  T:+353 (0) 21 4391998  F:+353 (0)21 4391993  E: info@selecthotels.ie  W: www.selecthotels.ie
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