About Galway ...

Galway or the City of the Tribes as its also known is a city and a county. There is a buzz and vibrancy to this friendly and very accessible University City, which many delight in, and few forget.

The medieval city of Galway is a whirlwind of activity with pubs and restaurants, arts, crafts and culture, full to bursting with things to do and people to meet.

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 with the picturesque town of Clifden as the capital of Connemara. Mountains, castles and stone walls, banks of turf, long sandy beaches, clear lakes, joyful leaping streams and flowing rivers are bountiful in Galway. Delightful countryside punctuated by pretty villages, and traditional pubs.

The annual summer Galway Raceweek is for everyone, not only horse racing enthusiasts, and is known the world over for an atmosphere that just catches the breath. The Galway Arts Festival, strong, vibrant and an incredible visual spectacle, continually innovative year after year. The free and thrilling Salthill Air Show featuring the Red Arrows in 2005.

Ballinasloe Horse Fair is one of the most ancient gatherings in the Galway. The two oyster festivals - Galway International Oyster Festival and Clarenbridge Oyster Festival. Galway county is full of action and activities for visitors with quality golf courses, fishing and festivals.

Heritage attractions include the Aran islands with wonderful Dún Aonghasa fort and Ragús the spectacular show of dance, music and song. Connemara is celebrated for its ethereal beauty and has plenty to entertain the visitor. At Dan O'Hara's Homestead is the Connemara history and heritage centre, a fascinating insight into this wild and lyrical land, nearby Connemara National Park is a must see as is the magnificent Kylemore Abbey.

Galway East has a quiet, low lying landscape criss–crossed with stone walls, and a treasure trove of attractions like Athenry Castle and Heritage Centre and indeed the medieval town itself. Hidden pearls like the pre–Christian Turoe Stone Clonfert Cathedral, Dartfield Horse Museum and Portumna Forest Park dot the landscape.

Of course there's so much more on offer for you to see and do – walking, fishing, sailing and surfing. That's Galway – different, special and never, ever predictable.

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