DESTINATION Galway “Inspiration from the past, Innovation in the present, A legacy for the future” Fiona Monaghan Head of Operations Fáilte Ireland 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 – Connemara, the Aran Islands 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 Irish language 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 Irelands 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 Claddagh 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. Spiddal & Irish Culture 3. Cong & Ashford Castle 4. Connemara 5. Aran Islands 6. Cliffs of Moher 4 3 1 A 2 5 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 Gaeltacht 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 Eyre Square The Streets of Galway Galway City Museum 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 Salthill, 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 British Army, in scenic areas of the county.