Galway Ireland a Pleasant Surprise

Galway on the western Irish coast is one of the most picturesque towns that I have ever been too.  Sitting on the River Corrib on Galway bay it basks in the light of a seaside village.  Usually, a jumping-off point to the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands, but Galway is special in its own right.  Know as the cultural center of Ireland.  It leans on its medieval Norman influences.  A University town with 2 significant schools that has a population of around 80,000 souls.

We take the train from Dublin to Galway, and we are there in around 2 hours.  When you leave the station, you walk out to Eyre Square, which contains John F. Kennedy Park.  During Kennedy's visit to Ireland, he gave a speech here, proudly proclaiming his Irish roots.  Believe me, the residents of Galway remember it to this day.

From here it is a short 5-minute walk to our hotel on Quay Street, which is a pedestrian-only street lined with bars and restaurants.   The Residence Hotel is a clean boutique hotel that is close to the harbor and all the action. This is party central, where Irish from the countryside come to dine and drink at the many fine establishments.  While here, we will visit the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands.  Then spend our nights in Galway walking its quaint streets and eating at its excellent restaurants.

One of our more rememberable dinners was a walk out of the old town through a typical Irish neighborhood to a seafood restaurant called Hooked.  I had read somewhere it was voted the best seafood restaurant in Galway.  This is all I needed to make the mile walk there.  A small, austere place with some great food.   On the way home, we walk by the Galway cathedral.

Our time in Galway was in complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of Dublin.  It had that small-town Irish feel to it, yet it simultaneously felt worldly.  From here, it's a bus ride to Cork, and as far as Ireland goes, a different universe.