Galway - A City Steeped in History and Culture

The city of Galway is internationally celebrated as a centre of entertainment; with an all-embracing mix of tin whistles, bodhráns (hand-held drums made from goatskin), harps, bagpipes, banjos, guitars, fiddles, jugglers, magicians in colourful masks poets, painters, and puppeteers to entertain visitors. Actors in traditional Irish costume can often be sighted around town. An assortment of curious cafes can be found on narrow cobblestone streets, and live music is hosted throughout the week by a wide range of public houses.
      
The streets of Galway are steeped in history. Nevertheless, there remains a contemporary feel. Students account for a quarter of the city's population. The medieval town walls sit adjacent to businesses selling handcrafted Claddagh rings, a collection of secondhand and new books and Aran sweaters. The city is connected to the coastal suburb of Salthill by a long promenade. The region's famous oysters can be found in the neighbouring Galway Bay.
  
A wide variety of food and drink options can be discovered here. They range from the market stands, where farmers sell vegetables unearthed that same day, to daring fusion restaurants which continue to redefine Irish cuisine. Guinness, Galway Hooker ale and Irish coffees can all be sampled by the city's down to earth pubs.
  
It cannot be denied that it rains an awful lot in Galway, yet even this fails to dampen Galway's joie de vivre. When the sun shines, the city is full of life, and it is lively all year round. It is often referred to as the most 'Irish' of Ireland's cities, with Irish still spoken in the stores, pubs and streets.

Visitors to the city and county can find suitable accommodation at Galway Hotels or Galway B&B
Gaillimh, the Irish word for Galway, has its roots in the Irish word gaill, which means 'foreigners' or 'outsiders'; an appropriate term throughout its history. The city began as a small fishing village at the mouth of the salmon-filled River Corrib. It was to become a major town in 1232, when the Anglo-Normans, with Richard de Burgo as their leader, captured territory. The foundations of its fortified walls can be dated to around 1270.

A charter granted by Richard II in 1396 transferred power to 14 merchant families or 'tribes' & hence the pet name 'City of the Tribes'. The ruling merchant families, most of whom were loyal to the Crown, successfully maintained the city's independent status. Galway's location on the Atlantic supported a successful trade in salt, fish, spices and wine with Spain and Portugal. The city was to eventually be undermined, however, by its support of the English in 1651 when the city was held siege by Cromwell. The city fell in 1652. In 1691, William of Orange and his army added to the havoc. Trade fell off with Spain and, as the sea traffic of Waterford and Dublin continued to grow, Galway languished for centuries.

In the early 1900s tourists started to reappear and student numbers started to grow, breathing new life into the city. The cobbled streets and thatched cabins of Claddagh were tarred and flattened to make way for hygienic, modern buildings in 1934. The city's population continues to grow as new residents move in, making it the fastest-growing city in Europe.