Galway, Ireland

If there is one city you can go in Ireland and find a celebration of everything local and authentic..the food, the music, the people, the shops - Galway, known as the "City of Tribes" is that city.  This is a place I would loved to have spent additional time venturing into more pubs and exploring all the shops than we were allotted that day.  It's definitely one of those cities that you could spend a whole holiday in and still not see everything it has to offer.

Galway is a lively city on the west coast of Ireland founded in the 13th Century and home of the Claddagh Ring. It's the third largest city in Ireland.
We were driven up from our mooring to experience this excursion having a local meal at a choice restaurant and exploring the city for the time we had left.  This was definitely one of the more colorful cities in Ireland and being a college town with the National University of Ireland and the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology being there, it was full of earthy beatnik types and was very laid back.  There are also numerous theaters in the city so it was only fitting to see so many outstanding street performers. You can see the Galway Graffiti we saw on the drive in to understand just how laid back and artsy I'm talking about.

Galway has quite a vibrant yet traditional musical scene, being preserved in the pubs and on the streets. The influence and importance the arts has here is definitely emulated effortlessly.

Eyre Square pictured above is a center piece to Galway City.  Originally named after the Mayor from whom it was presented, this square was officially renamed "Kennedy Memorial Park" in honor of our US President JFK who had recently visited the city before his assassination in 1963.

Galway offers many amenities to accommodate any seasoned traveler including B&Bs and five star hotels but still manages to capture the true culture and heritage of Ireland, having an air of celebration that was unmatched anywhere else we visited in Ireland. If you want to see and feel what Ireland is all about, Galway is the place for seeing and feeling it for sure!

Want to see where else we've been this week in the A to Z Challenge?

• Ancient Graveyard
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Beaune, France - A Walking Tour

Cochem, Germany - What a Castle!

Drum Roll Please, Mama Wants This

European Barge Cruising

Frankfurt, Germany - The Square