The 10 Coolest Places to Visit in County Galway, Ireland

Galway, both the city and the county, is seen by many as one of the places in Ireland where the cultural roots are still the most strong. Most of the time, this means places with great communities, like small towns where everyone knows each other and the history is still clear even as new things are built.

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Most of these places aren’t “cool” in the way that trendy people use the word. They’re more friendly, unspoiled, and full of stories. They’re also very used to where they live. We think that in and of itself is pretty cool.

The center of Galway

Sometimes the first thing that comes to mind is the best place to start. Galway city center is a big part of the County Galway community as a whole. Shop Street is full of small shops that are all different from each other. In its new form, Eyre Square is a controversial change, but it is now a classy landscaped corner that hosts interesting events. A number of museums, the drinking culture at the Spanish Arch, local markets, and strange architecture all add to the myths of the city. If you want to see the place come to life, you should go during race week in August.

Galway City Centre, in Ireland’s Galway,

The 10 Coolest Places to Visit in County Galway, Ireland — Galway Shop Street | © Marcus Meissner / Flickr

Kilronan, Inis Mor (Aran Islands)

Kilronan is the main village on the largest of the Aran Islands. If you go to the Atlantic boltholes, you’ll probably stay there. It has a great seafood-based food culture and a lot of bars and a beautiful white-sand beach. It also has its own lively busking tradition. More than 50 ancient sites can be found on Inis Mor, such as the impressive clifftop fort Dn Aonghasa. It also recently hosted a round of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championships.

Kilronan, On the island of Inis Mor, in the county of Galway, Ireland

Clifden, Connemara

Clifden is a small, quiet town in the middle of Connemara. It’s small enough to be a single neighborhood, but it’s also different enough to have a lot to offer. Since a lot of people in the town speak Irish, it is a cultural center for language, art, history, and hill-wandering ponies, which are one of the town’s symbols. It has a museum (the Connemara Heritage and History Centre), a gallery (The Whitethorn), a castle, and a market, but you’ll probably want to go hiking in the beautiful hills and end the day listening to lively traditional music in one of the bars.

Ireland: Clifden, Connemara, County Galway

Kinvara

Kinvara is a small village with a big heart that is just across the bay from Galway. The town has a tall castle and a small harbor. It is surrounded by high hills and has a colorful, small main street that is fun to walk down for an hour. But a bar is one of its best features. At the old-fashioned Green’s Bar, you can find one of the largest collections of whiskeys you could ever hope to find (or not hope to find). It’s a lot like a smaller version of Galway. At its core, it’s traditional, and there are hills, seas, and lots of bars.

Kinvara is in Ireland’s County Galway.

Oranmore

The waterside village of Oranmore has a beautiful castle, a big park, and lots of cows, wheat fields, and sports clubs. It is close enough to Galway city that it could almost be thought of as a part of it. Most people don’t leave Galway City to raise a family, but if they did, this is probably where they would go. It’s a nice, quiet place where nothing much happens, but it still has all the basics you could want. It’s a great place to stay for a long time if your main goal is to fit in with the “real” west of Ireland.

Oranmore is in Ireland’s County Galway.

Cong

Cong is another small, cute village that people from neighboring County Mayo will claim as their own because it is on the border. It only has one main attraction, which is its castle. The building is now home to the incredibly luxurious Ashford Castle Hotel. The 800-year-old resort was recently named the best in Britain and Ireland, and Rory McIlroy and Pierce Brosnan both got married there. The whole area has a great feel to it, though. If you walk from the castle, you’ll pass lakes and an old abbey on your way to the tiny town’s traditional Irish pubs.

Cong, on the border of County Galway and County Mayo in Ireland

Spiddal

Spiddal is a small, Irish-speaking village with rough, rocky beaches on the edge of Galway Bay. The fantastic Spiddal Craft Village, where artists who are inspired by the Connemara region blow glass, weave baskets, and paint, has become the center of an artistic community. The area is also known for its Irish language classes, and the Seoige sisters, who are now regulars on many of the biggest shows on Irish TV, used to live in the charming village center.

Spiddal is in the Irish county of Galway.

Galway City’s Claddagh

People in Galway love The Claddagh, which is in a part of the city that you could walk through without realizing how important it is. It is now almost like the heart of the city. The area was once a fishing village with thatched cottages where sea lovers lived. It still has an honorary king and is known for its unique boat, the hooker. It is still mostly a working-class area, and its ring, the Claddagh Ring, is known all over the world. It is said that it was made by a jeweler who was taken by pirates on their way to the West Indies. He later came back with his new craft.

The Claddagh in County Galway, Galway, Ireland

Loughrea

Loughrea is one of the friendliest places in the west and one of the most adventurous parts of the county. It has horseback riding, karting, pet farms, and golf clubs. It is also one of the most welcoming places to visit. The mill and the cathedral are also worth seeing. The town is growing as a place for people to live who work in Galway, but the large lake, forest, and hills make it a great place for people who like to be outside. This has led to a popular annual triathlon in the area and, strangely enough, a poetry contest.

Loughrea is in Ireland’s County Galway.

Salthill, the city of Galway

Galway’s seafront has small beaches, a diving platform, a view of Galway Bay, an aquarium, and a number of the city’s best hotels. It’s kind of like a “city playground,” and there are pubs, restaurants, and ice cream shops there. It has a bit of faded seaside glitz and a bit of hipster chic, so it’s a good place to stroll around on a Sunday afternoon. On a sunny day, it’s the place to go in Galway city.

Salthill is in the Irish county of Galway.

Topic: The 10 Coolest Places to Visit in County Galway, Ireland

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