​​​​Galway City Walking Tours

This wonderfully ornamented castle, now a bank, was the city home of one of the Lynch families. Shop Street has always been the main thoroughfare in the city, going all the way back to the 14th century. Today this pedestrianised streets boasts interesting shops and music filled streets. Imagine what this street looked like when the Cromwellian forces entered the city in 1652 after a 9 month siege.

After the Famine, or the Great Hunger, millions of Irish men and women emigrated. Galway was no different, in fact from 1847 to 1857 over 100 ships left Galway Bay carrying emigrants to America. Later on in the latter end of the 19th century and until the 1950's Passenger Liners regularly anchored in the bay and tenders brought out the passengers from Galway docks to the great ships. Once Air travel came into being transatlantic, the days of the Liner were over

Blackrock diving tower, in Salthill. The Diving Tower was built in the 1950's and is today the iconic symbol of summer in the city..and 'The Guard' Movie

The Burren flanks one side of Galway Bay and it is filled with pre-and post christian monuments, forts, castles and churches. Holy wells are more common in Clare than Churches.

After the Cromwellian campaign in Ireland (after 1653) over 95% of the land of Ireland was forcibly taken from irish and Norman hands and given to English and Settler owners. Those that resisted or rebelled were either killed or shipped off as slaves to barbados, Jamaica, Bermuda and Montserrat. Most died working on the sugar plantations.

Many piers and harbours were built or renovated during the Famine as Famine relief works. labourers were paid a shilling a day, and most could still not afford even basic foodstuffs like corn, maise or Indian meal. there were no potatoes, as the blight killed off the crop for 7 years

These four sisters from Connecticut loved their walk around Galway with Brian Nolan

Taken around 1890, these proud Irish ladies had a hard life, but still maintained their dignity. Galway Shawls and more smiles than a bag of bunnies

Built by Alexander Nimmo, the Claddagh Basin allowed boats to be floated from Galway bay, up into the Corrib river and lake, via the Eglinton canal

Cartoon of Lord Haw Haw, aka William Joyce, a Galwegian who broadcast propaganda from Germany during WW2. he was executed for Treason by the British after the war and is now buried in Bohermore Cemetery.

It was a long, uncomfortable journey to Dublin from Galway in the 19th C.

My favourite spot to sit and enjoy the Sunset on Galway Bay, looking out along the Corrib and Long Walk, from the Claddagh Basin