Destination

“Inspiration from the past, Innovation in the present, A legacy for the future” Fiona Monaghan Head of Operations Fáilte West Region Eamon Bradshaw Chief Executive Galway Harbour Company

Fáilte Céad Míle Fáilte go Gaillimh agus A most sincere welcome to all our Iarthar Eireann. visitors to Galway City, the City of Welcome to Galway and the West the Tribes.

of Ireland. In Galway you will find a race of people that warmly welcomes you to our city and the West of Ireland. It is Galway – a medieval City located on the shores a medieval city that easily embraces the past with a Galway Bay where the Corrib Lake meets the wild modern vibrant outlook. Situated on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean boasts a proud maritime history & Atlantic Ocean it is nevertheless the fastest growing culture dating back centuries. city in Western Europe. The city and surrounding areas are renowned for their natural unspoiled beauty. Be Galway City also known as the City of the Tribes is the sure and browse through the narrow streets of the gateway to some of the most dramatic landscapes city, talk to the people, visit the awe-inspiring Cliffs in the world – , the and the of Moher, taste the wild and beautiful scenery of Burren - home to iconic visitor attractions including Connemara or spend an afternoon on the mystical Kylemore Abbey & Walled Garden in Connemara, Dun Aran Islands. Aengus Fort on Inis Mór and the Cliffs of Moher in the Burren region. There are many hidden gems to savor during your visit not to mention a host of sporting opportunities, A bilingual city where our native is culinary delights, the traditional music pubs, the many interspersed with English, Galway offers visitors a festivals for which Galway is famous, the performing unique Irish experience with a rich history and a vibrant arts in all their Celtic traditions, visits to medieval modern culture. castles and much much more. Galway’s reputation for world class festivals On behalf of Galway Harbour Company I can assure throughout the year ensures there is a constant buzz you of a wonderful experience in the West of Ireland. no matter what time of year you choose to visit. The question is will you want to leave? So whether you’re here for a day or a week there’s plenty to discover and explore in Galway. Eamon Bradshaw Chief Executive My colleagues and I in Fáilte Ireland look forward to Galway Harbour Company welcoming you to Galway & the West of Ireland.

Fiona Monaghan Head of Operations Fáilte Ireland West Region Eamon Bradshaw Chief Executive Galway Harbour Company

Mission Statement At Galway Port, we are We are very proud of our maritime history and we are therefore cognisant that retaining Galway embracing the challenges of Port as a significant centre of local and national today’s highly competitive maritime activity remains at the forefront of what we do. Times have changed, tides and trade marketplace with a proposed re- are transformed, and vessels have tonnage and capacities unimaginable to their commercial development of our port. This will ancestors. herald an exciting transformation The Harbours Act of 1996 has changed our in the way we do business, relationship with the national government. The this change will be reflected Galway Port Authority is a stand-alone economic entity with a mandate to sustain and grow the in our facilities, operations, business of Galway Port. Our working relationship with the Department of Transport is on an open partnerships, processes, and engaging basis. performance and our people. In all that we do Galway Port operates an open Our vision for Galway Port is simple. We and transparent policy in terms of engaging want to ensure that the Port remains at the with our main shareholder (Dept. of Transport), heart of Galway City’s economic and social our customers and our partners.. We have development. Our commitment is to maintain acknowledged that change is inevitable, and we and grow the contribution we make to the local are embracing it. economy in terms of employment and boosting tourism numbers through hosting national and international events such as the Volvo Ocean Race. For our proposed redevelopment we are taking INSPIRATION from our proud past, adopting INNOVATION for our present circumstances in the hope of creating a lasting LEGACY for generations to come. History Today, Galway City is a thriving modern city. It is Ireland during the late 12th century. Among the one of the fastest growing cities in Europe and invaders were those of the powerful de-Burgo is one of leading locations to live and to family. The de-Burgos took a keen interest in the work in. province of Connaught and with the consent of It is easy to forget that in the time before trains Henry II of England they wrestled the land from and cars, transportation was difficult. The quick- the natives. Following the de-Burgo’s claim, many est route for news, goods, or people was often by families of Norman descent swept into the area. water. Galway, like any port town, drew its wealth In a short time, fourteen of these families distin- from the sea; both from fishing and from the ex- guished themselves as merchants. As recorded tensive trade it carried on with France, Spain, and in Hardiman’s History of Galway, those families the West Indies. bore the following surnames: Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D’Arcy, Deane, Ffont, Ffrench, Joyes, Alongside the great fleets of Europe one craft that Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris and Skerrett. came to distinguish itself, as Galway’s signature upon the water was the Galway Hooker. The Profiting from one of the best seaports in Western Hookers were probably at their greatest pres- Europe, the families accumulated such immense ence in the Bay in the years preceding the Great wealth and fame that they claimed complete con- Famine, when the was at its height. trol over the civic affairs of the city. The merchants 4 Indeed, several reports from the period verify that had supreme control of Galway for nearly the next the Claddagh fleet itself numbered at least 100 two hundred years. vessels. Unfortunately, famine, depleted fishing stocks, and the advent of modern technology Galway City is still ‘The City of the Tribes’ it is would eventually seal the Hooker’s fate as a welcoming, innovative and consistently meeting working vessel. the challenges of its time and its relationship with the sea remains unfaltering. Times and tides have The story of Galway City and it relationship with changed and Galway Port has always changed the sea is one that goes back farther than the with them. Much of the land Galway city is built history books. Rising from the annals of every on is reclaimed from the sea, the last large- great city is a story of such singular importance scale reclamation took place in the 1800’s.. This that it shapes the very character and nature of process has served the city well over centuries the town. For Galway that story is of the fourteen and we hope it will continue to do so for the 21st tribes that led the city to a golden age of prosper- century as well. ity and international recognition. The story of the Tribes begins with the Anglo-Norman invasion of Galway is the perfect base from which to explore the remarkable folklore and landscape of the West of Ireland.

A Galway Harbour 1. Galway City 2. & Irish Culture 3. Cong & Ashford Castle 4. Connemara 5. Aran Islands 6. Cliffs of Moher

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6 Galway City a medieval marvel

Galway is a city, a county, and an experience to be savored and remembered. There’s a certain vibrancy to this friendly University City, which many delight in, and few forget. Music, festivals, horse racing, pubs, restaurants, shops, theatres and most of all Galway people all combine to create an atmospheric medieval city. From this pulsating heart the rest of the county flows.

Unique among Irish cities because of the strength of its Irish language, music, song and dancing traditions - it is often referred to as the ‘Bilingual Capital of Ireland’.

Some of Galway’s festivals include: • The Galway International Film Fleadh • The Galway International Arts Festival • The Galway Races • The Galway International Oyster Festival • Cúirt International Literature Festival • Volvo Ocean Race Stopover 2012 The center of the West of Ireland

Some of Ireland’s most prized scenic, sporting and theatrical treasures are on the door step of Galway City. Incredible landscapes, white sandy beaches, vagaries of nature and a rich heritage and culture… come to the west of Ireland and you’ll discover it truly is Wild at Heart.

Embraced by craggy mountains, the region is home to Ireland’s largest area. Traditional music, dance and crafts are celebrated in a series of lively festivals and on the islands of Inishbofin and Aran you’ll get a rare insight into how life in Ireland once was.

• The Aran Islands • The Cliffs of Moher • The Burren • Connemara • Kylemore Abbey • Ashford Castle • Galway Cathedral • 6 Championship Golf Courses • The award winning Druid Theatre Galway City - Sights

Galway City Museum The Streets of Galway reopened on There are two large, cast-iron Galway City, known as the City of the 16th April with the launch of cannons which were presented the Tribes with its seaside suburb its permanent exhibition. Among in recognition of the service of of , is an important tourist the highlights on show is a rare the Connaught Rangers, an Irish centre and a gateway to the 17th century altar piece, the new Regiment in the , in scenic areas of the county. location of the statue of Pádraig the Crimean War. There is a bust Ó’Conaire and the Galway City of a portrait of U.S. President Hooker boat, named ‘Máirtín John F. Kennedy in the park. Oliver’ by the public.

St. Nicholas’ Church The Claddagh Galway Cathedral St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church is This area has been immortalized Situated on the banks of the River one of the oldest parish churches in the song “Galway Bay”, and Corrib in Galway city, Galway in Ireland. It has been a place of internationalized through its Cathedral is the most recently worship since the 14th Century traditional jewelry, the Claddagh built of Europe’s great stone It contains many unique features Ring, which is worn by people all cathedrals. such as the tomb of the famous over the world. Mayor Lynch, reputed to have hanged his son for murder. A City of Festivals

Galway Arts Festival Cúirt International Festival of Galway Film Fleadh The Galway Arts Festival takes Literature The Galway Film Fleadh is place in Galway, Ireland every Cúirt International Festival of Ireland’s leading film festival, is July. It attracts international artists Literature features an eclectic a six day international film event as well as providing a platform and exciting range of Irish and held every July and welcomes a for local and national performers international writers for which mad diversity of filmmaking from also. The Festival includes Cúirt is renowned and is held in around the world. parades, street performances and April in the park. numerous plays, musical concerts and comedy acts.

Galway Races Galway International Oyster Volvo Ocean Race The Galway Races is a Horse- Festival In Late May 2009 the world’s racing festival that takes place The Galway International Oyster premier yacht race arrived in for a week starting on the last Festival is a food festival held Galway. It was such a success Monday in July. The races are annually in Galway during that Volvo have decided to name held at Ballybrit race course September, the first month of Galway as the Finish Port for the and are the only seven-day race the oyster season. In 2000 was 2011/2012 Volvo Ocean Race. meeting in Ireland. The main days described by the Sunday Times as With a TV audience in excess of the festival are on Wednesday, “one of the 12 greatest shows on of 1.3 billion it will be one of when the Galway Plate is held and earth and was listed in the 1987 the highlights of Galway’s 2012 Thursday when the Galway Hurdle AA Travel Guide one of Europe’s calendar. and Ladies’ Day take place. Seven Best Festivals.

The West - a lot to see

The Cliffs of Moher Aran Islands Cong The magnificent Cliffs of Moher The Aran Islands are famous The village Cong in County top the list of places to see and for their geological formation, Mayo is where much of the Quiet things to do in Ireland, and are historical monuments and their Man, starring John Wayne and Ireland’s most visited tourist linguistic and cultural heritage. Maureen O’Hara, was filmed. A attraction. The Irish (Gaelic) language is still short distance outside the village From the Cliffs one can see the spoken here and in the twenty first is magnificent Ashford Castle, Aran Islands, Galway Bay, as well century all native born islanders perhaps the most dramatic castle as The Twelve Pins, the are bilingual in both Irish and in Ireland. Turk Mountains in Connemara and English. Loop Head to the South.

Connemara Spiddal & Irish Culture The Burren Connemara is one of the last An Spidéal (Spiddal Village) is a The Burren takes its name unspoiled areas in Ireland, From wonderful place to visit at any from the Irish word ‘bhoireann’ the rugged Twelve Bens mountain time of year. The uniqueness meaning, ‘a stony place’ or ‘a range in the north through lake- of this old fishing village is only rocky place’, which is a good rich Roundstone Bog to the matched by the unique language, description for this 350 sq golden beaches reaching out into culture and history of the locality kilometers limestone plateau in the Atlantic Ocean and people. North Clare.

and a lot to do

Golf Fishing Hiking/Hill walking The outstanding scenery, The -- The Irish countryside offers unpolluted environment, high lake district offers tremendous opportunities for quality amenity areas and splendid a magical combination of great walking and hiking. Magnificent golf make golfing in the West of fishing, unbeatable hospitality and scenery with a diversity of Ireland a delight with some of wild, unspoiled countryside . landscape and physical features the best Lynx Golf courses in the all contribute to an excellent world nearby. walking landscape.

Sailing Horse Riding Relaxing The West Coast of Ireland is one Go horseback riding on Celtic One of the most enjoyable things of the finest sailing areas in all trails through historic Co. Galway, to do in the West of Ireland Europe. As yet undiscovered Co. Clare and the unique Burren is just take in the culture and by mass tourism, its numerous National Park. Get a touch of the atmosphere of the area. Stopping secluded bays and islands have true Irish spirit on an Irish horse by one of the many local pubs or remained unchanged for centuries riding holiday. Your dream of an going for a bit casual shopping and they provide the sailor with an Equestrian holiday in Ireland could in the local stores can be a great opportunity to step back in time be trail riding through the beautiful way to spend your time here. and enjoy the beauty and wealth nature, or experiencing the thrill of of culture of this unique region fox hunting. - as well as its sailing challenge! “Inspiration from the past, Innovation in the present, A legacy for the future”