| Galway  The
facts
GALWAY city, capital of the West of Ireland, is now the third largest
city in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork.
The city has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years. Galway city
has a strong local economy with complementary business sectors including
manufacturing industry, tourism, retail and distribution, education, healthcare
and services that include financial, construction, cultural and professional.
Galway holds many attractions for both Galwegians and visitors alike such
as its unique location on Galway Bay with Connemara to the west, a lively
vibrant city centre with traditional medieval streets, extensive shopping
and business facilities and its youthful population and its living culture
of music.
Province: Connacht
Dialling code: 091
Area: 50.57 sq km
Population: 71,983
Access by road:
Serviced by three national primary routes:
N17 to the north (Sligo and Donegal)
N6 to the east (Athlone and Dublin).
N18 to the south (Shannon, Limerick and Cork)
Access by Rail:
Six return services to Dublin per day (approx: 2.5hrs. travel time)
Access by Air:
Four daily schedule flights to and from Dublin (approx. 45minutes
travel time).
Services to and from Cardiff, London Luton, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast
City, Birmingham, Cork, Southampton and Leeds-Bradford airports.
Website: http://www.galwayairport.
com/
Telecommunications Access:
Modern digital network, speedy service provision and other facilities
(Integrated Service Digital Network, Direct Dial Inward, Voicemail and
many more)
280407.gif) Capital
culture, cuisine – and craic!
GALWAY city the main metropolis of Connacht and capital of the West is
increasingly seen as the culture, cuisine and craic epicentre of Ireland.
Conveniently situated on the edge of the Atlantic this buzzy, vibrant
place boasts pubs, clubs, restaurants and some of the biggest events in
the festival calendar.
The Galway Races, the Arts Festival, the Film Festival and of course the
Oyster Festivals (two of them) are the Galwegian set-pieces.
But even if you’re not a punter, painter or cinema-goer, in Galway
you’ll find plenty of diversion in distinctive, handsome surroundings.
This city of noble walls and narrow streets once saw Spanish sea captains
bringing their wares onto the quays and merchant sailors venturing forth
into deep waters.
Don’t forget it was a Galway man who was in charge of navigation
on Christopher Columbus’s boat. “Chris, head south until the
butter melts, then due west,” he advised.
Then when they reached the New World the helpful Galway man leapt onto
shore first to pull the rowing boat onto the beach the first European
to set foot on American soil.
History and tall tales assail you from every corner of this old place.
But just remember as you stroll about that in 1518 the Corporation of
the city ruled that: “Neither O’ nor Mac shall strut and swagger
through the streets of Galway.” So mind how you go!
Corribean island
The Vikings sailed up the River Corrib in AD 927 on their way to plunder
and pillage the area and it has been used ever since for purposes ranging
from nefarious to noble.
The river is believed to have given the area its name. It seems a woman
called Gailleamh, the daughter of King Breasal, drowned in the river —
to assuage his grief the river was ever after known as Gailleamh anglicised
over time to Galway.
On more solid ground the walls of Galway date back to 1270 with most of
the city enclosed by the 15th century.
The walls have largely disappeared but the body of the town centred
on Shop and Quay Streets still retains the feel of an ancient, over-sized
village: One with a disproportionate amount of places to eat and drink.
And pick up stories about Christopher Columbus’s navigator.
Tribes, treaties and entreaties
For centuries thanks to a treaty signed by Richard II Galway was virtually
a city state ruled by an oligarchy of the 14 tribes of Galway —
mainly Norman and Welsh merchant families.
The main tribe was Lynch said to have given the English language the
eponymous word for hanging.
If you’re in the market for this kind of linguistic curio the Lynch
Memorial is your first stop. Situated in Market Street the Lynch Stone
begins its proclamation with the chilling words: “This memorial
of the stern and unbending justice of the Chief Magistrate of this city,
James Lynch FitzStephen, elected Mayor, 1493, who condemned and executed
his own guilty son, Walter, on the spot…”
It seems that Wally had indeed lived up to his name working himself
into a lather of jealousy over a woman and stabbing her Spanish admirer.
Despite entreaties from the rest of the Lynch mob mother, brothers etc
the stern father passed the sentence of death on the son.
However, the Lynch mob turned out to be exactly the opposite and no-one
could be found to hang the blackguard. So old man Lynch did it himself.
Eyre Square is the centrepiece of Galway containing the Quincentennial
Fountain which marks the granting of a charter to the city by King Richard
III.
The 18th century piazza also boasts the statue of Padraic O’Conaire
the Irish language poet. From here it’s a short walk to Williamsgate
Street passing through what was once the site of the Great Gate Of Galway.
Simply divine
Christopher Columbus celebrated Mass in the Collegiate Church of St.
Nicholas in Galway. Founded in 1320 it is Ireland’s largest medieval
church. Columbus stopped off here on his way to find America asking for
divine guidance.
Presumably this is also where he met his navigator-to-be.
The magnificent church is dedicated to St. Nicholas of Myra in other
words Santy Claus so they have special services come Crimbo.
They say that Mass in Galway is about 20 minutes shorter than in Dublin
because people speak so much more quickly out West.
Nearby the Spanish Arch and Spanish Parade are perhaps the most distinctive
part of the city.
This 16th century structure recalls the trade formerly carried on with
Spain; its main purpose was to protect galleons unloading wine and spirits.
A very rum do, you might say.
Galway’s gourmet extravaganza
Galway Bay’s famous oysters are at their best when there is an
‘R’ in the month with September boasting two oyster festivals:
The Clarenbridge Oyster Festival and the Galway International Festival
taking place in Galway city.
The oyster season runs from September to April and the craic and creamy-headed
Guinness bring people from all over the world to the banks of Galway Bay
to sample the world-famous oysters.
Seafood lovers will be hard pushed to find anything better than this,
Ireland’s longest-running gourmet extravaganza.
The arrival of the new oyster season is marked by a feast of drinking,
dancing and bivalve bingeing.
Both festivals offer organised events official opening dinner, black-tie
ball and world oyster opening championships.
A feast of fine food, stout and Guinness awaits those who make the journey and not forgetting the brown wheaten bread, soda farls and champagne
to wash it all down. And don’t be surprised if Galway barmen offer
you seaweed along with your drink and oysters.
A major feature of this seafood extravaganza is witnessing how the skill
of opening oysters with speed is achieved. The best oyster openers in
the world compete to see who has the greatest dexterity in this area and
it’s a lot more difficult than you’d think.
The finest Galway Bay oysters are selected for the competition and then
each competitor has to open a pre-determined number of the shellfish.
Speed is important but presentation is rated just as highly.
But if you just want to scoff ’em, you’ll find plenty are
available.
The Clarenbridge Oyster Festival takes place September 8-10 2007.
The Galway International Oyster Festival takes place September 27-30 2007.
A city renowned for its culinary delights
GALWAY city is renowned as a city of culinary delights. It was once the
wine capital of Ireland and to accompany the fine wines imported by the
merchants of Galway the city developed a reputation for fine food.
That reputation is maintained today more than ever in the many fine restaurants
to be found throughout the city.
Galway has more restaurants per head of population than any other Irish
city.
There is a love among Galwegians for all types of food which is reflected
in the variety of restaurants available.
Food is wholesome and adventurous at both the economy and more luxurious
end of the market.
Local and continental food exists side by side. French, Italian, Indian,
Mexican, Chinese, Irish the list is endless.
Oysters, salmon and sea trout are truly delicious and are usually taken
freshly from the water that day.
Lobster, crayfish, crab, scallops and mussels are available throughout
the summer.
The Oyster season officially opens in September and closes at the end
of April.
Galway now boosts two oyster festivals during the year. The Galway International
Oyster Festival which takes place in Galway City in September every year
and the Clarenbridge Oyster Festival which is located just a few miles
outside Galway is held during the same month.
Definitely among the best in the country, Galway’s restaurants increase
in number every year.
Each restaurant has an ambience all of its own.
Most restaurant owners have worked hard to perfect what they offer to
the customer. Competition in Galway is tough. If you don’t produce
to the highest quality you don’t survive.
Chinese restaurants are well established and popular in the city, with
the first appearing over 30 years ago.
Try Treasure World Dominick Street, Galway.
French cuisine features on the menus of most of Galway’s restaurants
but over the last couple of years a few exclusively French restaurants
have sprung up.
Archway Coffee House and Bistro 00 353 91 563 693
Victoria Place, Galway.
The Malt House 00 353 91 567 866 Olde Malte Mall, High Street, Galway.
Pierre Victoire’s 00 353 91 566 066 8 Quay Street, Galway.
Indian restaurants have only begun to appear on the Galway scene recently
and they seem to have gained considerable popularity in a short time.
This is surely an indicator of the ever-expanding range of ethnic specialist
food on offer.
Bombay Palace 00 53 91 566 696 Swan House, Flood Street, Galway.
Eastern Tandoori 00 353 91 564819 2/3 Spanish Arch Parade, Galway.
Karachi 00 353 91 581 000 Salthill Upper, Galway.
Kashmir Restaurant 00 353 91 589 900.
Kilderry House, Lower Fairhill Road, Galway.
Tulsi 00 353 91 564 831, 3 Buttermilk Walk, Middle Street, Galway.
Vindaloo 00 353 91 581 000
157-159 Salthill, Galway.
MOST restaurants serve a number of traditional Irish dishes.
The most popular of these are probably Irish stew, spare ribs and bacon
and cabbage.
But the most dominant style of cooking is best described as country house
cooking which incorporates the best of local produce.
The quality of Irish meat and seafood is truly outstanding and the range
of fresh vegetables on offer is impressive with much of the produce organically
grown.
The best places to sample traditional Irish fare is in the pub lunches
that are offered by most of the hostelries in town.
Couch Potatas 00 353 91 568 427 40 Upper Abbeygate Street, Galway.
The Italians and Irish seem to have some affinity for each other hence
the large number of popular Italian restaurants in Galway.
However most restaurants in town carry some Italian also.
Fat Freddy’s Bistro 00 353 91 567 279 The Halls, Quay Street, Galway.
Milano Restaurant 00 353 91 568 488 Cornstore, Middle Street, Galway.
Pasta Paradiso 00 353 91 563 666 51 Dominick Street, Galway.
Trattoria Pasta Mista 00 353 91 592 256 12 Quay Street, Galway.
Galway is perfectly located to take full advantage of the excellent seafood
afforded by the clear waters of the Atlantic.
The variety of food available depends on the season and catch but particularly
good are the lobster, mussels, crab and the celebrated oyster for which
Galway is renowned.
Nimmo’s Restaurant & Wine Bar 00 353 91 561 114 Long Walk, Spanish
Arch, Galway.
McDonagh’s Seafood Bar 00 353 91 565 001 22 Quay Street, Galway.
D’Arcy Inn Seafood Restaurant 00 353 95 21146 Main Street, Clifden,
Co. Galway.
Conlon Seafood Restaurant 00 353 91 562 268 3 Eglinton Street, Galway.
Boluisce Seafood Restaurant 00 353 91 553 286 Spiddal, Co. Galway.
There is now a good variety of vegetarian restaurants in Galway, catering
for the young, bohemian-type population. Many of the vegetarian restaurants
are particularly geared towards the students, as the food is generally
good value for money and imaginative in the main.
Maxwell McNamara’s 00 353 91 565 727 Williamsgate Street, Galway.
Get Stuffed 00 353 91 564 445 4b Saint Anthony’s Place, Woodquay,
Galway.
Gourmet and gigs in Galway
The Spanish Bar, Brennan’s Yard Hotel, Lower Merchant’s Road
is famous for its nosh and buzzy atmosphere as well as its jazz music.
Garvey’s Inn overlooking Eyre Square is something of a Galway institution.
It’s the place to watch a GAA match on the widescreen particularly
if Galway are involved.
McDonagh’s Seafood Restaurant, 22 Quay Street, is another must-visit
treat. Choose between the chippie and the sit-down restaurant.
Roisin Dubh (Upper Dominick Street) is an old established pub featuring
big-name artistes (traditional to world music) as well as sessions and
ballad groups. For a more ballady come-all-ye sort of night head for An
Púcán in Forster Street — a popular haunt with the
visitors.
Galway city is today famous for its culinary delights. The Archway Restaurant
in Victoria Place is a small restaurant hidden away in a little lane off
Eyre Square and boasts a fine selection of local seafood. Contemporary
Irish cooking, the standard is really excellent, and the staff friendly.
Tel 00 353 91 563 693.
Kirbys, on Cross Street, (tel: 00 353 91 569 404), a moderately-priced
restaurant located in the heart of Galway, next to Quay Street, offers
modern Irish/European style with a varied menu and friendly atmosphere.
Kirwans Lane, Quay Street, is one of the best and most popular restaurants
in Galway. A friendly bistro atmosphere in a contemporary Irish style.
The Malt House Old Malt Mall, High Street, (tel 00 353 91 567 866) is
very popular with the locals, serving excellent meals in a traditional-Irish
style with some modern influences; perfect for seafood.
Heading west from Galway there’s only one destination — Moran’s
Oyster Cottage, Kilcolgan, is possibly the most famous oyster restaurant
in Europe. But fame hasn’t gone to its head — the Galway Bay
bivalves are still as delicious as ever.
The price includes the view, and you don’t get more picturesque
than a thatched cottage overlooking a weir on the southern edge of Galway
Bay. Just the place for two consenting adults to eat.
Galway — Diary of events
The Galway Arts Festival
THE 30th Galway Arts Festival runs from July 16–29 this year. It
is Ireland’s largest annual arts festival.
Founded in 1978 the festival collaborates with artists and companies throughout
the world to produce and present an international programme of theatre,
spectacle, dance, visual arts, music, literature and comedy involving
hundreds of artists and performers.
Over its 29-year history the festival has become a vital showcase for
Irish arts internationally and international arts in Ireland and is now
firmly established as Ireland’s leading arts festival.
For more information on the festival visit: http://www.galwayartsfestival.
com/
The International Oyster Festival
The world-famous Galway Oyster Festival runs for four days and this year
kicks off on Thursday, September 27.
On Friday The Magnificent Mardi Gras Party will take place at The Oyster
Festival Marquee, Nimmo’s Pier.
Jazz music will set the tone at this champagne, Guinness and oyster reception.
This will be followed by an extensive hot and cold buffet.
Saturday will be a busy day with the official opening of the festival
at Eyre Square.
This is a public event and starts at 12 noon. Musicians and performers
will keep the crowd entertained in Eyre Square until the opening ceremony
begins.
After the ceremony a fun parade will make its way through the streets
of Galway to the Oyster Marquee.
This includes a colourful line-up of musical bands, vintage cars, oyster
openers, our Oyster Pearl and visiting dignitaries.
In the afternoon various events such as oyster tasting and the Elegant
Lady competition take place at the festival marquee.
To round off the event there will be a farewell party at Nimmo’s
Pier on Sunday.
The Galway Races
Regarded by all as Ireland’s premier and most colourful racing festival.
The Summer Racing Calender for 2007 runs from Monday July 30 to Sunday
August 5.
More details are available from www.galwayraces.com or by telephoning
00 353 91 753 870.
The Salthill Airshow
This is Ireland’s largest airshow and takes place on Sunday, June
24 at 3pm. In recent years it has attracted crowds of 100,000 people.
For more information visit: www.salthillairshow.com
The Galway International Arts Festival for Children
This festival will run from October 15-21 and is a mixture of theatre,
film and music aimed at children. |
