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Exploring Galway, Ireland

12/05/16 | Europe, Galway, Ireland, Solo Travel, Travel

red-door-in-galway
 

Hello and welcome back! I feel like I write this all the time but I am off on my next trip today, back to Seattle, but I still have quite a few Ireland posts to share and today I am excited to share more than two dozen photos of one of the most interesting places I went on my trip, Galway.  My good friend Ali told me about it so on my full day trip to the Cliffs of Moher that I took with Wild Rover instead of leaving Galway and heading back to Dublin I planned to spend the night in the Galway.  I did not have many expectations of the city but it really blew me away.  

When I arrived it was already late afternoon, as I had spent the morning at the cliffs and then exploring the Atlantic Edge, so I dropped my bags and went exploring.  I walked around the main part of the city, up High Street, and then to Eyre Square. I did not spend too much time there as I knew I would be going on a walking tour the next day.  Instead I got dinner at the Latin Quarter Bistro and Wine Bar and then caught live music at a few places including The Spanish Arch Hotel & Bar were there were live bagpipes. 

cupan-tae-in-galwayflowers-in-eyre-square-galwayguitarist-in-galway-irelandbike-in-galway-irelanddinner-in-galwaylive-music-in-galway-irelandbagpipes-in-galway-ireland
 
The next morning I woke up exceptionally early and headed West out of the main city across the River Corrib to the South Park and then along Grattan Street to the Salthill Promenade.  After a gorgeous but very brisk walk I headed back to the main part of the city, grabbing coffee along my way, to make sure I got to see the Galway Cathedral before meeting at 10:30am at the Galway Tourism center for a walking tour that I happened to be the only person on. 
 
My tour guide was a lovely Irish lady who had actually lived in New York City for 10 years in her youth and who took me around  Eyre Square, Lynch’s Castle, the Home of Nora Barnacle, along Quay Street, to the Spanish Arch, to Claddagh Village,  to the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, and finally to the Galway City Courthouse. There were so many interesting things about the city but one of the most interesting is probably the St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church because it was proven that Christopher Columbus visited that Church in his lifetime and even being an American in my twenty-something years I could not say, before that moment, I had been somewhere Columbus has been, see the picture of me below! 
 
 

grass-path-in-galwaysouth-park-in-county-galway-irelandwalkway-in-galwaygalway-bay-in-the-north-atlantic-oceanfootpath-in-galwaygalway-bridgeriver-corrib-in-galwaybridge-to-galway-cathedralgalway-cathedralinside-galway-cathedralpath-to-galway-cathedral signs-in-galwaycastle-in-erye-square claddagh-celtic-jewelry-in-galwayfamily-lineage-in-galway-irelandinside-st-nicholas-collegiate-churchlynchs-castle-in-galwayA truly unique city and somewhere I really feel I got a sense of in only 24 hours!

If you are in that part of Ireland, it is definitely worth a visit! 

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Comments

  1. sing smule says

    December 25, 2016 at 11:48 pm

    This is going on my travel list. . thank for sharing

  2. Pam says

    December 5, 2016 at 3:49 pm

    Love the bike with the flowers…so quaint!

  3. Rachel says

    December 5, 2016 at 3:07 pm

    What a charming place! This is going on my travel list.

    http://www.racheldinh.com

Hi, I am Kelly and welcome to Sparkles and Shoes, a fashion, travel, and lifestyle blog founded in 2012.  After six years of living in London I am back in New York with my husband and two littles! 

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