Galway (County of Galway)

Galway is a city in County Galway, on the west coast of Ireland. Its name comes from the Corrib River, which flows through the city. It is also known as the "city of tribes" which refers to the fourteen tribes that shared the city in the Anglo-Norman period.

Today the city's population is 79,934. The Galway conurbation is the fourth largest in the country in terms of population, after Dublin, Cork and Limerick. It is a student city, very touristy in summer, also famous for its festivals.

We left for two days in Galway. We wanted to rent a car for the second day, however in Ireland, it is impossible to rent a car if we are not more than 25 years old. We were surprised with LP. Regardless of nationality, the minimum age for renting a car is 25 years. Or however, you can rent an electric car, which only remains in the city.

As a result, we spent the two days in the city. It's very lively and there are many things to see. For example:

- The Claddagh Ring Museum is located on Quay Street, which is right in the city centre. Its facade is bright red and the door yellow, so you can't miss this museum. It is a unique but very interesting piece.

Inside you can see rings, writings, and objects that will allow you to discover the legend of Claddagh, and the origin of this ring so dear to the heart of the Irish.

- Salthill Beach. It is generally an ultra-tourist beach. Beautifully refurbished, it inspires calm and tranquility, and allows you to spend a good time, for a beautiful walk rather long and thus to admire the surroundings. The period was not yet beautiful enough for swimming, we abstained.

- The Atlantaquaria Galway is located on the Salthill Boardwalk. Rather large, it allows you to admire starfish, various fish, crabs, octopus, or even sharks. The visit is fun but rather adapted for children and not for adults. The aquariums are beautiful and well maintained, however they are quite small and the visit is very quick, count about 40 minutes. The price is quite excessive, 13 euros for an adult entry.

- Merlin Woods Park, with 164 hectares of trees, is very pleasant to walk in and allows you to enjoy nature while being 2 steps from Galway.

On the road you can see the Doughiska Castle, a 16th century castle with the appearance of a square tower.

- Quay's Irish Pub, if you like pubs, I advise you to visit this pub in the heart of Galway, it is worth a visit. It is organized in several stages and allows you to have a very good time. Every evening, the pub organizes live concerts. The atmosphere is very festive and good-natured.

For the night, we rented a B&B, 2km from the city centre, at Teach Na Coiribe. It was a large B&B, with several rooms to rent, some with private bathrooms, others not. Our room was very spacious and very clean. In the morning, we enjoyed breakfast, very hearty. You can enjoy an Irish breakfast or a classic. We enjoyed spending time in this hotel, I recommend it, for a stay in Galway.

Galway is really a city to visit if you come to Ireland. There are many monuments to discover, many shops, restaurants, pubs,... In addition, the city is very lively and warm, you feel really good there. It is one of our favourite cities.