Bed and breakfast accommodation in Galway Monasteries

Galway has a lot more sights to see than imagined, and with its culture, busy nightlife, rustic history, there is lots to explore! 

Galway's Eyre min square with its large open Plaza, it has popular artwork taking you through its history, it has a memorial of John F Kennedy, and the fountain sculpture which represents Galway Hooker Boats. The Square has a popular shopping location, and both the Bus station and train station are nearby. 

The Galway City Museum, among many other museums that are available is great to visit to learn about the history of Claddagh, British Control, Galway´s Spanish influences and the invasion of the Vikings.

Lough Corrib is Ireland's largest lake, containing more than 1,300 islands with secluded beaches and forest walkways. One of the islands, ´Caislean-na-Circe Island’ contains the Hen´s Castle and was once home to the pirate queen Grainne O’Malley. There are boat trips you can take to see the beautiful sights and the islands. 

The Salmon Weir Bridge crosses the Corrib, with views of the cathedral on one side and the courthouse on the other side. The bridge is beautifully built, and in the summer months many tourists can see the salmon fish making their way up the river Corrib to Spawn. 

The Galway Cathedral is one of the most impressive buildings in the city, with it´s stunning architecture and huge green dome and mural of John F Kennedy on the walls, this can be found on Nuns Island. It is also a beautiful sight at night! 

Down the cobbled streets in the old center of Galway, is the Latin Quarter which can be found on the left bank of the River Corrib from O’Brien’s Bridge leading down to the Spanish Arch. You will find many of Galway's most popular and favourite bars, pubs, restaurants and shops! 

Travel 

Galway is a small city, so you can walk almost anywhere. But there are also Buses which are a great option to get around town and surrounding areas. Most buses depart from the Spanish Arch and Eyre Square. 

You can use Galway’s Public Bicycle sharing program, with stations all over the city. 

You can get a taxi around however it’s not the cheapest option! 

Ceannt Station is Galway’s train station, located just off Eyre Square in the Centre of the City. 

You can visit the Aran Islands by Ferry, the ferries depart from Ros a’ Mhil, a port 23 miles away from the City Centre, and they sail three times a day. You can get a bus from the City to the port. 

There are also many other picturesque and landmark places to visit in Galway slightly further afield, ideally renting a car is recommended if you would like ease of getting around to explore the area. 

You can travel to Dublin from Galway in 2 hours 40 minutes by train! 

Galway is one of the largest cities in Ireland, dates to 1124 when a fort was built there and was founded in the 13th Century.  

During the year of 1250 construction began on walls defending the city which covers an area of almost 11 hectares, in the following centuries the defenses were continually improved and restored after periods of decay. The walls were removed in the 18th & 19th Centuries, allowing the extra mural developments as the city was expanding. There are now only 5 stretches of wall still visible above ground, and other walls are partially incorporated into other boundary walls of properties. 

Galway is known for ´´The City of the Tribes´´ due to 14 merchant families that dominated the commercial, political and social life between the mid-13th and late 19th centuries. Out of the 14 families, two were Normanised Irish Gaels, whilst the other 12 were of Anglo-Norman Origin. 

In the middle ages Galway became an important Port, importing mainly wine and exporting many things such as wool and leather. 

The last great land battle that was fought in Ireland was the Battle of Aughrim in 1691, involving the Williamite and Jacobite armies and the result changed the course of Irish History. The Williamites were victorious, however the casualties were estimated around 9,000 making it one of the bloodiest battles in Ireland's history. 

Between 1845-1849 there were around 5,000 inhabitants however there was a considerable loss of population as they suffered severely in the potato famine, and many inhabitants lived in poverty. During the 20th Century it had revived, and by 1950 there were 21,000 inhabitants.

Kylemore Castle was built in 1868 as a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry, a doctor from London. The construction of the Castle started in 1867 and took 4 years to be built by 100 men. The Castle was sold to the Duke and Duchess- of Manchester in 1903.  

In 1965 the Galway Cathedral was consecrated and made of stone and has an incredible interior and stained-glass windows, it’s one of the greatest stone cathedrals in Europe with its beautiful architecture.