50 Reasons to Visit Galway

harrythehat

So I was sitting in Knock Airport after the long weekend at home and I bought a pen. I read Cian Hennigar's '99 Reasons to Visit Limerick' last week, and tough job though it is, I thought I'd try to do Galway the same justice.

I would love ye here what to think of my list, what you'd add or take away - here goes:

http://oracularspectacular.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/50-reasons-to-visit-galway/

galwayrush

Limerick 99, Galway 50......:eek:

Only joking... nice work.

ben.schlomo

Good list, lot of thought gone into it, i could pick ones i dont agree with but sure you did a grand auld job so i'll leave it.;)

harrythehat

Hahaha I was wondering who would be the first to comment on that!

50 rather than 99 was partly just a time constraint thing (that's 3,500 words as it is!), but it also would have felt a bit drawn out if it was twice as long.

Paddyfield

99 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT GALWAY

1, It's not Limerick.





Close the thread.

harrythehat

Paddyfield wrote: »

99 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT GALWAY

1, It's not Limerick.





Close the thread.

We'll have to agree to disagree there, Limerick is a great city. I had four great years there in college. Guess we're lucky to be spoilt for choice as we are in our little country!

Shryke

The Omniplex, the bog, the N17, Madam Bridget, The Saw Doctors, The Guard (a film), Galway Bay FM, farmers, students, come on now! Galway is great but it's a piss take?

doomed

(1) Go Drinking
(2) Go Drinking
(3) Go Drinking
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(49) Go Drinking
(50) Scenery Go Drinking

harrythehat

Shryke wrote: »

The Omniplex, the bog, the N17, Madam Bridget, The Saw Doctors, The Guard (a film), Galway Bay FM, farmers, students, come on now! Galway is great but it's a piss take?

It's not at all.

Some of those mentioned above are meant somewhat tongue-in-cheek, some are more personal to me than general (as I mentioned), but the majority of things on this list are things Galway can be very proud of.

bonzodog2

Good list. So are you Harry or Kate ?

harrythehat

bonzodog2 wrote: »

Good list. So are you Harry or Kate ?

We are one!

Katie is my first name, harr is derived from my surname!

Rob A. Bank

Excellent list !

I loved the Michael D. quote.

Better get working on the next 50, to out-do Stab City !

harrythehat

Sometimes less is more

ceannbui

jebus there are some very good reasons you've missed (or did i miss?). What about O Connells? beautiful pub, great atmosphere, wonderful beer garden, great guinness, quirky customers, a great place for daytime pints and even better for nighttime jars

gaillimhabu

Is it Galway city or county?

I county, I'd add driving out to connemarra, heading out to the aran islands

fishy fishy

not much of a list when you omit the one authentic trad and music pub in Galway - number one on lists worldwide, yet not a mention on yours.

THE CRANE BAR.

mrsdewinter

Hey... a list from the right side - that is, the east side - of the county!
Well done!

Wompa1

I was missing Galway before I read that list. Reading through it I was like oh yeah...oh yeah..this is depressing. I'd have a very different list myself I think

c_man

Scrapping the barrel at times tbh... Lorraine Higgins?!

harrythehat

c_man wrote: »

Scrapping the barrel at times tbh... Lorraine Higgins?!

Of all the ones on the list, it's one I wouldn't take back. Technically it's not exactly a reason to visit, but she's a fantastic role model for young girls in Galway IMHO.

As for whoever mentioned The Crane, I've never been there, surprisingly enough really.

It's a list of the people, places and things that I love in Galway - it's not meant to be definitive or universally popular - variety is the spice of life! In fact, those of you who reckon they would have included different stuff I would love to hear more.

I agree with whoever said about Connemara/Spiddal - I should have included that!

It's not meant to be perfect, it was a fun little project to undertake and I hope some of you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it

harrythehat

ceannbui wrote: »

jebus there are some very good reasons you've missed (or did i miss?). What about O Connells? beautiful pub, great atmosphere, wonderful beer garden, great guinness, quirky customers, a great place for daytime pints and even better for nighttime jars

At one point when I was writing, it seemed like it was turning into '50 pubs to visit in Galway', so I limited myself (mostly) to pubs I have a personal connection to!

Meteoric

Nice list, like most I'd have a few different ones myself but all in all remind me of home.
One small question did you get your bridges mixed up? I've never seen wading fishermen from the Quincentennial Bridge only from the Salmon Weir bridge

seanin4711

traffic
(caused by eternal roadworks)

born and bred galwegian!!!

Lorraine feckin higgins?
I voted for change like the masses
Labour are a joke and very dissapointed in Fine gael too!
what was it that Eamon Gilmore said upon being quizzed by ursula halligan
"that was just electioneering"
Liars the lot of them
Give me SInn Fein and independents next time around.
Someone with a bit of liarodi!!!

pepe00

buy chips in mcdonaugh, go by the river and eat them, while feeding birds and swans...sipping a guinness draought:P

harrythehat

pepe00 wrote: »

buy chips in mcdonaugh, go by the river and eat them, while feeding birds and swans...sipping a guinness draought:P

Sounds like an ideal way to spend a day

Can't believe I missed out chips from McDonagh's, would definitely be top of the revised list!

fishy fishy

harrythehat wrote: »

Of all the ones on the list, it's one I wouldn't take back. Technically it's not exactly a reason to visit, but she's a fantastic role model for young girls in Galway IMHO.

As for whoever mentioned The Crane, I've never been there, surprisingly enough really.

It's a list of the people, places and things that I love in Galway - it's not meant to be definitive or universally popular - variety is the spice of life! In fact, those of you who reckon they would have included different stuff I would love to hear more.

I agree with whoever said about Connemara/Spiddal - I should have included that!

It's not meant to be perfect, it was a fun little project to undertake and I hope some of you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it

:eek::eek: are you FROM Galway, or just a visitor. also, hasn't Cuba been closed for the last two to three years.

fishy fishy

Menlo
Barna Woods
Walking from one side of town to the other via the canals
corrib princess
Town Hall Theatre
Coral Beach (although this is in connemara)
Aran Islands
Galway Museum
Kicking the wall in Salthill
griffins Bakery

and on and on and on..........

ben.schlomo

harrythehat wrote: »

Sounds like an ideal way to spend a day

Can't believe I missed out chips from McDonagh's, would definitely be top of the revised list!

Glad you missed those grease infested indegestion sticks.

ben.schlomo

fishy fishy wrote: »

Menlo
Barna Woods
Walking from one side of town to the other via the canals
corrib princess
Town Hall Theatre
Coral Beach (although this is in connemara)
Aran Islands
Galway Museum
Kicking the wall in Salthill
griffins Bakery

and on and on and on..........

Do your own there fishy and we can all have a good nose at the work you put in then.

crusher000

St. Brigids Gardens Rosscahill. Connacht Rugby @ the Sports Ground- O'connells Bar-Spanish Arch - Bushing - An Taibharc- Powells

Lapin

Here are my top 50 reasons to visit Galway.
(In no particular order of preference).

1, The Crane Bar
2, Massimos
3, The Old Forge
4, The Blue Note
5, Bierhaus
6, Cottage Bar
7, College Bar
8, Lonergan's
9, River Inn
10, McAlinden's
11, e Brún Bar
12, Galway Arms
13, The Dew Drop Inn
14, Taaffe's
15, Murphy's
16, The Spanish Arch Bar
17, Murty Rabbitt's
18, An Púcán
19, The Skeff
20, Fox's Porterhouse
21, The Wheel House
22, The Quays
23, Western Hotel Bar
24, Richardsons
25, Fibbers
26, Paddy's on Prospect Hill (or whatever its called this week !)
27, Crowe's
28, The King's Head
29, Ther Salt House
30, McGuire's Bar
31, Menlo Park
32, Blake's Tavern
33, Hughes's Bar
34, Garavan's
35, The Central Bar
36, Goalpost
37, McSwiggan's
38, Cullinane's
39, Garvey's
40, The Dáil Bar
41, Freeney's
42, The Office
42, Krcma
44, The Bal
45, O'Connor's
46, Lohan's
47, Killoran's
48, Oslo
49, Seagan Ua Neactain
50, O'Connell's

fishy fishy

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Do your own there fishy and we can all have a good nose at the work you put in then.

ah, I already gave you 11 to start with.......someone else can carry it on. surely you don't want me to do ALL the work for ye.

ben.schlomo

Lapin wrote: »

Here are my top 50 reasons to visit Galway.
(In no particular order of preference).

1, The Crane Bar
2, Massimos
3, The Old Forge
4, The Blue Note
5, Bierhaus
6, Cottage Bar
7, College Bar
8, Lonergan's
9, River Inn
10, McAlinden's
11, e Brún Bar
12, Galway Arms
13, The Dew Drop Inn
14, Taaffe's
15, Murphy's
16, The Spanish Arch Bar
17, Murty Rabbitt's
18, An Púcán
19, The Skeff
20, Fox's Porterhouse
21, The Wheel House
22, The Quays
23, Western Hotel Bar
24, Richardsons
25, Fibbers
26, Paddy's on Prospect Hill (or whatever its called this week !)
27, Crowe's
28, The King's Head
29, Ther Salt House
30, McGuire's Bar
31, Menlo Park
32, Blake's Tavern
33, Hughes's Bar
34, Garavan's
35, The Central Bar
36, Goalpost
37, McSwiggan's
38, Cullinane's
39, Garvey's
40, The Dáil Bar
41, Freeney's
42, The Office
42, Krcma
44, The Bal
45, O'Connor's
46, Lohan's
47, Killoran's
48, Oslo
49, Seagan Ua Neactain
50, O'Connell's

Surprised you didnt include more pubs Lapin

muppetkiller

Occupy Galway ?????? WTF
a reason to Visit Galway ???

You did leave out Running along the Prom and Feeding the swans in the Cladagh

kayos

Some great items in the list a few you could add though would be.

If Christopher Columbus visited here before finding the States its worth a visit, god knows what you'll find after your visit.

The fields of Athenry....You've heard of them in song now see them for yourself

The Lynching window.. a great place to hang out ba-dum-tish

The Kings Head not many pubs that celebrate the fact they beheaded a king.

The Saturday market.. many great food stuffs to ease the hangover from the night before.

They used to say to hell or to Connaught, see what we made of their hell. Proof the Irish can have a good time any where.

Kylemore Abbey... once the school of wealthy girls from around the world. But while the girls are no longer resident its still a spot of beauty.

sword of light

A Labour TD??
Cuba nightclub??

Might as well add "the wonderful atmosphere in Terryland" in there, and post it to a couple of years ago, where these these belong.

Mrs OBumble

Lapin wrote: »

Here are my top 50 reasons to visit Galway.
(In no particular order of preference).

1, The Crane Bar
2, Massimos
3, The Old Forge
4, The Blue Note
5, Bierhaus
6, Cottage Bar
7, College Bar
8, Lonergan's
9, River Inn
10, McAlinden's
11, e Brún Bar
12, Galway Arms
13, The Dew Drop Inn
14, Taaffe's
15, Murphy's
16, The Spanish Arch Bar
17, Murty Rabbitt's
18, An Púcán
19, The Skeff
20, Fox's Porterhouse
21, The Wheel House
22, The Quays
23, Western Hotel Bar
24, Richardsons
25, Fibbers
26, Paddy's on Prospect Hill (or whatever its called this week !)
27, Crowe's
28, The King's Head
29, Ther Salt House
30, McGuire's Bar
31, Menlo Park
32, Blake's Tavern
33, Hughes's Bar
34, Garavan's
35, The Central Bar
36, Goalpost
37, McSwiggan's
38, Cullinane's
39, Garvey's
40, The Dáil Bar
41, Freeney's
42, The Office
42, Krcma
44, The Bal
45, O'Connor's
46, Lohan's
47, Killoran's
48, Oslo
49, Seagan Ua Neactain
50, O'Connell's

Copy and pasted from?

fyi, the pub formerly known as the Wheel House (and before that MT Pockets) was the Galway Shawl for a while and is now the Merry Fiddler. The Cullinanes near McSwiggans is gone, though there's still one in Salthill I believe. Blakes Tavern is gone too, I think. And maybe more.

But I like your general theme.

soundbyte

JustMary wrote: »

Copy and pasted from?

fyi, the pub formerly known as the Wheel House (and before that MT Pockets) was the Galway Shawl for a while and is now the Merry Fiddler. The Cullinanes near McSwiggans is gone, though there's still one in Salthill I believe. Blakes Tavern is gone too, I think. And maybe more.

But I like your general theme.

Ya, Cullinane's in Salthill is Trends.

Also, Blake's Tavern and McGuires are long gone

harrythehat

sword of light wrote: »

A Labour TD??
Cuba nightclub??

Might as well add "the wonderful atmosphere in Terryland" in there, and post it to a couple of years ago, where these these belong.

That could be a valid criticism, due to this ol' recession i haven't lived at home since mid-2009!

harrythehat

fishy fishy wrote: »

:eek::eek: are you FROM Galway, or just a visitor. also, hasn't Cuba been closed for the last two to three years.

I'm from rural Galway. I've always gone to Monroe's for trad. As I mentioned in the post, Cuba has [I believe] opened up under new management!

Lapin

JustMary wrote: »

The Cullinanes near McSwiggans is gone.

Whats there now? I haven't been down that side of town in yonks.

soundbyte wrote: »

Ya, Cullinane's in Salthill is Trends.

Yep, the only pub in Galway where you wipe your feet on the way out.

Robmeister2011

Strange, I read the same thing and I'm currently working on 99 reasons. :P

Daisy78

some of my favourites........

the Saturday Market....the best market in the country..

Goya's or La Petit Delice for treats...

Twice as Nice for jewellery....

coffee in ard bia watching the swans sail by outside your window....heaven..:D

harrythehat

Robmeister2011 wrote: »

Strange, I read the same thing and I'm currently working on 99 reasons. :P

Love that - can't wait to read them!

ArtyC

Lapin wrote: »

Here are my top 50 reasons to visit Galway.
(In no particular order of preference).

1, The Crane Bar
2, Massimos
3, The Old Forge
4, The Blue Note
5, Bierhaus
6, Cottage Bar
7, College Bar
8, Lonergan's
9, River Inn
10, McAlinden's
11, e Brún Bar
12, Galway Arms
13, The Dew Drop Inn
14, Taaffe's
15, Murphy's
16, The Spanish Arch Bar
17, Murty Rabbitt's
18, An Púcán
19, The Skeff
20, Fox's Porterhouse
21, The Wheel House
22, The Quays
23, Western Hotel Bar
24, Richardsons
25, Fibbers
26, Paddy's on Prospect Hill (or whatever its called this week !)
27, Crowe's
28, The King's Head
29, Ther Salt House
30, McGuire's Bar
31, Menlo Park
32, Blake's Tavern
33, Hughes's Bar
34, Garavan's
35, The Central Bar
36, Goalpost
37, McSwiggan's
38, Cullinane's
39, Garvey's
40, The Dáil Bar
41, Freeney's
42, The Office
42, Krcma
44, The Bal
45, O'Connor's
46, Lohan's
47, Killoran's
48, Oslo
49, Seagan Ua Neactain
50, O'Connell's

The central bar?

Wompa1

I made my own list:

http://thecityfathers.com/2012/05/12/what-i-miss-about-galway/

It's a little less pub oriented. More a list of what I miss about Galway and I'm somebody who got completely burned out by the place.

I_smell_fear

kayos wrote: »

The fields of Athenry....You've heard of them in song now see them for yourself

You're really sending them to a field?!

Terry: Right. So, er... So where can we meet?
Anywhere we can get a few good shots? Any local landmarks?
Fr. Ted: No.
Terry: What?
Fr. Ted: There are no landmarks here now.
Terry: None at all?
Fr. Ted: No, the island itself is a kind of landmark. For ships and that.
Head away from it and you're going in the right direction.
Terry: So, uh...
Fr. Ted: There's the field.

Terry: Oh, a field. Well, that sounds...
Fr. Ted: It's not a field, really, but it has less rocks than most places.

harrythehat

Wompa1 wrote: »

It's a little less pub oriented. More a list of what I miss about Galway and I'm somebody who got completely burned out by the place.

Fair play.

I only had 3 pubs on mine though!

_Whimsical_

Wompa1 wrote: »

I made my own list:

http://thecityfathers.com/2012/05/12/what-i-miss-about-galway/

It's a little less pub oriented. More a list of what I miss about Galway and I'm somebody who got completely burned out by the place.

Burned out by the place?
You got sick of us or we took such a toll you had to leave?

Wompa1

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Burned out by the place?
You got sick of us or we took such a toll you had to leave?

It's a small town. I felt like going somewhere where I didn't know anybody and everything was new. Also to have a more progressive work environment. Ever hear the term in Galway. "The Graveyard of Ambition". My last year there I was living in Salthill and working out in Ballybrit. There were days that I spent over 2 hours commuting. Reading about the clowns in the city council and seeing them around town feck arsin around was a bit disheartening. Most of my neighbours the last 3 years were pot heads that stayed at home all day getting high. Felt like I wanted a change. When I worked overtime and my employers actually bothered to pay me for it, it was a kick in the balls getting taxed out the ass for the work especially when you know there's so many useless f'ks around the town. Galway is unique in that the unemployment level was very high back in 2006 before the recession, I know many people there that choose the dole as a lifestyle choice. So I wanted a break

ladhrann

Where did you go/ any chance of a start?