Galway City Museum & The Spanish Arch Learn all about the history of Galway City through the archaeology, art, geology, natural history, and social, political, and industrial materials preserved here. Take a peek at the historical Spanish Arch, located where Galway’s River Corrib meets the sea. This is a tranquil spot that tourists and locals alike enjoy. Visit the remnants of a 16th-century bastion which was used to protect merchant ships from looting.
Eyre Square Eyre Square is the focal point of Galway and it was renamed Kennedy Memorial Park in 1965, after J.F.K himself had visited. Today Galway’s main square is a large, open plaza, home to mini festivals, local and international buskers, musicians and street performers.
Galway Cathedral One of the city’s biggest buildings, Galway Cathedral is home to a huge octagonal dome visible for miles. The building of the cathedral began in 1958 on the site of an old county jail. The modern cathedral houses some interesting statues, a rose window, and a huge crucifixion mosaic. It is built of Galway limestone and locally quarried Connemara marble.
Shop Street Packed with buskers, restaurants, pubs and people – Shop Street is the beating heart of the city. It’s worth a browse in the local shops and at the street art.
Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop A must-visit for book lovers! Explore their labyrinthine maze of over 100,000 books: new, second-hand, bargain, and antiquarian.
Padraig Pearse Cottage In the midst of a typical Connemara landscape with mountains and lakes, Gortmore boasts a restored cottage that was once used by Padraig Pearse as a summer residence and school. Pearse is closely connected to the history of Ireland as one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916.
Directions to Ballynahinch Castle: https://maps.app.goo.gl/iBak3RBauYgiCUwM7
