Galway – the city of rain and self-aggrandisement?

kikilarue2

Galway is a great city to go to college in, and it's a lovely place to visit.

I didn't enjoy living there though, it's too small and there's not much to do outside of pubs.

Arghus

ben.schlomo wrote: »

There's a huge difference between a small shower of rain and a spell of 'incessant rain' or this supposed 2/3 days full of rain nonsense. Like I said I'm a cyclist, rain/wind if heavy/strong enough will make me use a bus, I haven't had need for it much at all over spring summer this year.

Obviously, if someone is talking about "incessant rain" there's an element of hyperbole in that, but I wouldn't disagree with anybody who says that Galway gets a lot of rain, even by the soggy standards of Ireland. It's one of the clear downsides of the place.

Aongus Von Bismarck

ben.schlomo wrote: »

6 pubs in the West End? Incessant rain? You're from Galway is it?

Yes, I'm from County Galway. I got enough points that I didn't need to go to university there though, so I'm not quite as familiar with the place as I could be. Maybe there are more than 6 pubs over that side of the river, but few of them are very memorable. There's a better atmosphere in a mortuary than there is in Massimos. The 'West Side' is a ridiculous name for the place - it drums up visions of some Galway version of Leonard Cohen reading poetry in a coffee shop, when the reality tends to be a load of men in Crosshatch jeans and Superdry jackets standing outside pub doors pulling on fags.

Arghus

Aongus, I don't believe a single word, but I admire your style.

ben.schlomo

Arghus wrote: »

ben.schlomo wrote: »

There's a huge difference between a small shower of rain and a spell of 'incessant rain' or this supposed 2/3 days full of rain nonsense. Like I said I'm a cyclist, rain/wind if heavy/strong enough will make me use a bus, I haven't had need for it much at all over spring summer this year.

Obviously, if someone is talking about "incessant rain" there's an element of hyperbole in that, but I wouldn't disagree with anybody who says that Galway gets a lot of rain, even by the soggy standards of Ireland. It's one of the clear downsides of the place.

We're an Atlantic seaside city, of course we get rain, just nothing above average for where we are. Especially so in recent years. Of all the things to give out about in Galway the weather should be the least of the issues/gripes. No proper concert venue, traffic, poor planning, bandwagon central in sport.

Aongus Von Bismarck

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Yes, I'm from County Galway. I got enough points that I didn't need to go to university there though, so I'm not quite as familiar with the place as I could be. Maybe there are more than 6 pubs over that side of the river, but few of them are very memorable. There's a better atmosphere in a mortuary than there is in Massimos. The 'West Side' is a ridiculous name for the place - it drums up visions of some Galway version of Leonard Cohen reading poetry in a coffee shop, when the reality tends to be a load of men in Crosshatch jeans and Superdry jackets standing outside pub doors pulling on fags.

You're not well acquainted with Massimo's, or reality for that matter.

ben.schlomo

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

ben.schlomo wrote: »

6 pubs in the West End? Incessant rain? You're from Galway is it?

Yes, I'm from County Galway. I got enough points that I didn't need to go to university there though, so I'm not quite as familiar with the place as I could be. Maybe there are more than 6 pubs over that side of the river, but few of them are very memorable. There's a better atmosphere in a mortuary than there is in Massimos. The 'West Side' is a ridiculous name for the place - it drums up visions of some Galway version of Leonard Cohen reading poetry in a coffee shop, when the reality tends to be a load of men in Crosshatch jeans and Superdry jackets standing outside pub doors pulling on fags.

Jesus you really haven't been here since the 90s!! The 'West Side' is around Corrib Park, Innishannagh, Rahoon etc, not sure youve ever been in the city if I'm honest, you don't seem to know your onions at all.

branie2

I'm half-Galway myself, and I love the city.

kikilarue2

I always tell people Galway is an amazing place for a long weekend. Especially if you get the weather for it. But if I had to give visiting friends an itinerary I'd struggle to come up with stuff for a fourth day.

Milly33

incessant rain and damp, So true..

We moved here from well the great Sunny South and cannot believe the weather is so ****e up here...Used to think Cork was bad like but here is just wind and rain and also I am sorry but wtf is wrong with the people, so so cagey.

We used to visit for breaks and when it came time for a change I suggested moving here and now, dya know what Cork is actually a very friendly place to live with lost to do, Galway to live in comes across as a very mmmm poser place to live, great if you are airy fairy, or into your art (to a high annoying scale) but otherwise so not worth it..Very unfriendly people and jes some of the worst drivers I have ever come across

Woke Hogan

Deleted User wrote: »

You're not well acquainted with Massimo's, or reality for that matter.

Do you work for the Galway Tourist Board?

Arghus

ben.schlomo wrote: »

We're an Atlantic seaside city, of course we get rain, just nothing above average for where we are. Especially so in recent years. Of all the things to give out about in Galway the weather should be the least of the issues/gripes. No proper concert venue, traffic, poor planning, bandwagon central in sport.

Most of those are valid reasons to give out about the place, but so is the weather and it's often the first thing people notice. Vistors - and probably most of the locals - aren't going to give a single second of their thoughts to whether the place is "bandwagon central in sports". And should they? Is that really a bigger mark against the place than its weather?

I understand completely WHY it rains frequently here, but that doesn't mean that I can't be a little bit put out when it suddenly starts lashing, again. I've never come across anyone who has ever claimed that the city is anything but a place where it's frequently pissing.

screamer

Dislike Galway immensely, rain sodden, stone wall surrounded, sheep land.
As for others- Kilkenny definitely could compete with Galway for those who think they are the “in crowd” in THE place to be....

Prominent_Dawg

It's probably the one week of the year 90 percent of Galwegian's themselves head away on holidays and make a fortune on air b&b as the rest of the country descent on the city

Arghus

Deleted User wrote: »

You're not well acquainted with Massimo's, or reality for that matter.

Guys, AvB is a fictional creation designed to get a rise out of people. Don't take it seriously.

Thelonious Monk

Have been there a couple of times. The traffic has to be seen to be believed, Galway City and the surrounding area is totally car centric, but so is the whole of Ireland really.
It's nice and all, and it's not like Ireland has many towns/cities of even Galway's size, so by Irish standards it's a decent place. But it's pretty underwhelming given how people go on about it. I did have delicious fish in that chipper people are talking about, hake. Very nice. But the fact a chipper gets talked about so much as one of the must-do things in Galway says a lot about the town really!

ArnoldJRimmer

screamer wrote: »

Dislike Galway immensely, rain sodden, stone wall surrounded, sheep land.
As for others- Kilkenny definitely could compete with Galway for those who think they are the “in crowd” in THE place to be....

At least Galway is actually a city

Aongus Von Bismarck

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Jesus you really haven't been here since the 90s!! The 'West Side' is around Corrib Park, Innishannagh, Rahoon etc, not sure youve ever been in the city if I'm honest, you don't seem to know your onions at all.

Apologies, I meant 'West End'. Which manages to be even more pretentious than 'West Side'. www.galwayswestend.com is the site they've launched. When a pub like the Blue Note is seen as the height of cool, then you aren't exactly dealing with people who have an intimate knowledge of cosmopolitanism.

Even though they do seem to have that sort of self-important opinion of themselves that I spoke about in my opening post.

The Blue Note opened in 1994 when everyone was looking in the other direction. At this stage, a generation of Galway’s most creative and passionate DJ’s, dancers, musicians, poets, ravers and rogues have passed through the Golden Gates. Some never left. Always changing, The Boozer is as different now from that opening night, as it is from three years ago, yet somehow still the same.

Prominent_Dawg

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

But the fact a chipper gets talked about so much as one of the must-do things in Galway says a lot about the town really!

Like in comparison to Dublins hop on hop off bus.. I know which I'd rather.

Thelonious Monk

Prominent_Dawg wrote: »

Like in comparison to Dublins hop on hop off bus.. I know which I'd rather.

Not sure what you mean but I've never heard anyone talking about Dublin's hop on hop off buses, the chipper in Galway is always brought up when someone asks for info on the city

ben.schlomo

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Jesus you really haven't been here since the 90s!! The 'West Side' is around Corrib Park, Innishannagh, Rahoon etc, not sure youve ever been in the city if I'm honest, you don't seem to know your onions at all.

Apologies, I meant 'West End'. Which manages to be even more pretentious than 'West Side'. www.galwayswestend.com is the site they've launched. When a pub like the Blue Note is seen as the height of cool, then you aren't exactly dealing with people who have an intimate knowledge of cosmopolitanism.

Even though they do seem to have that sort of self-important opinion of themselves that I spoke about in my opening post.

The Blue Note opened in 1994 when everyone was looking in the other direction. At this stage, a generation of Galway’s most creative and passionate DJ’s, dancers, musicians, poets, ravers and rogues have passed through the Golden Gates. Some never left. Always changing, The Boozer is as different now from that opening night, as it is from three years ago, yet somehow still the same.

Ya I mean it's scandalous that a pub would promote itself and big itself up, almost boast about itself, why would someone boast about things Aonghus!!

ben.schlomo

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Prominent_Dawg wrote: »

Like in comparison to Dublins hop on hop off bus.. I know which I'd rather.

Not sure what you mean but I've never heard anyone talking about Dublin's hop on hop off buses, the chipper in Galway is always brought up when someone asks for info on the city

Mostly by people not from Galway though.

Church on Tuesday

I'd wager that AvB and Rape of Lucretia are the same poster. I know AvB came first and RoL is a tad later (that difficult second droll account syndrome?) but alas we may never know or indeed really care.

Ah, olde Galwaye town, I know it well. It's the people that come into the city that make it tick and vibrant really and Galwegians can be a cliquey bunch.

There's really nothing to do there except drink.

screamer

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

At least Galway is actually a city

Exactly the type of attitude I’d expect there TBF I never said Kilkenny was a city..... still full of pretentious people though

Woke Hogan

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Even though they do seem to have that sort of self-important opinion of themselves that I spoke about in my opening post.

The Blue Note opened in 1994 when everyone was looking in the other direction. At this stage, a generation of Galway’s most creative and passionate DJ’s, dancers, musicians, poets, ravers and rogues have passed through the Golden Gates. Some never left. Always changing, The Boozer is as different now from that opening night, as it is from three years ago, yet somehow still the same.

Jesus christ that's not real, is it?

ArnoldJRimmer

screamer wrote: »

Exactly the type of attitude I’d expect there TBF I never said Kilkenny was a city..... still full of pretentious people though

Ah yeah, I just like to point that out to our Kilkenny friends at every available opportunity

EmmetSpiceland

Made the mistake of taking the Galway city “bus tour”, highlights include NUI Galway and the IDA campus.

Oh and there was some gaudy “artwork” in some randomer’s garden.

Other than that it’s a nice spot to sink a “few” pints.

Franz Von Peppercorn II

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Does anywhere else in Ireland (or indeed Europe) have locals with such an inflated sense of importance about where they are from? I think the incessant rain and damp is doing something to their brains to be honest.

New Yorkers are humble and self effacing about their city by comparison.

Franz Von Peppercorn II

Woke Hogan wrote: »

Some people in Galway City are very smug about their little town. The way they go on you'd swear they were wine drinking members of the literati, as opposed to intellectually shallow pissheads. They don't even read books.

Jesus. You have an insight into what happens in everybody’s houses, don’t you?

JohnnyFlash

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Made the mistake of taking the Galway city “bus tour”, highlights include NUI Galway and the IDA campus.

Oh and there was some gaudy “artwork” in some randomer’s garden.

Other than that it’s a nice spot to sink a “few” pints.

Did you get to see the diving board in Salthill?