Galway’s Latin Quarter in full festival flow
If Ireland had a heartbeat, it might just echo in Galway — a colourful, creative, sea-sprayed city brimming with music and magic. But the real trick? Combine it with a short ferry hop to the Aran Islands, and you’ve got one of the most enriching, jaw-dropping, soul-fuelling short breaks imaginable.
Here’s why Galway and the Aran Islands make the perfect pairing.
- Galway: The City of Festivals and Free Spirits. Galway doesn’t just host festivals; it breathes them. From the Galway International Arts Festival in July to the rollicking Galway Races in August, something is always happening. Street performers, trad sessions, and food stalls fill Latin Quarter alleyways, and Eyre Square becomes an ever-shifting stage.
Wander past rainbow-coloured shops, browse handmade crafts at the Saturday market beside St Nicholas’ Church, and follow your ears to a busker belting out folk ballads by the Spanish Arch.
- The Food? It’s Something Else. Galway is a haven for food lovers. Taste fresh oysters in Moran’s or try modern Irish at Aniar (a Michelin-starred gem). Grab artisan coffee from Coffeewerk + Press or chow down on the best chips in Ireland from McDonagh’s.
The best part? The food scene flows seamlessly from high-end restaurants to street food trucks serving West Coast crab rolls and seaweed salads.
- A Short Sail to Another World Just a 40-minute ferry ride from Rossaveal or Doolin lies the Aran Islands: Inis Mór, Inis Meáin, and Inis Oírr. With stone walls, wild ponies, thatched cottages, and Gaelic still spoken in pubs, the islands feel like stepping into an older, purer Ireland.
Rent a bike and cycle the loop to Dún Aonghasa, a clifftop prehistoric fort that will take your breath away. On Inis Meáin, find perfect peace and poetry. Inis Oírr is the smallest, and arguably the most intimate, with shipwreck beaches and charming cafés.
- Stories in the Stones From the ancient walls of Dún Aonghasa to the 15th-century tower houses dotting Galway Bay, this region tells its stories in stone. The Celtic crosses in Kilmacduagh and the ruins of Kilronan speak of monks, seafarers, saints, and scholars.
- Adventure for Every Soul: Hike the Twelve Bens in Connemara. Kayak on Galway Bay. Surf in Lahinch. Or simply walk the beaches of Salthill with ice cream in hand. There’s no rush here — just movement with meaning.
- A Culture That Holds You Galway is one of Europe’s great cultural capitals. Irish is spoken, poetry is cherished, and pubs like Tigh Neachtain and The Crane Bar still echo with sean-nós songs and fiddle reels. The Aran Islands carry these traditions even deeper. Here, culture isn’t revived — it never died.
Traditional stone walls and thatched-roof cottages on Inis Meáin
How to Get There:
- By Train/Bus: Galway is well connected to Dublin, Limerick, and beyond.
- Ferry to Aran: From Rossaveal or Doolin. In summer, book ahead.
- By Car: Take the scenic route via Connemara.
Where to Stay: Choose boutique charm in Galway (try The House Hotel or The Dean), or a rustic B&B on Inis Mór for windswept tranquillity
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