Galway: City of the Tribes

Well, I'm finally getting to the last of the trips grandma and I took during Spring Break. Her last weekend here was Easter weekend and we decided to take a day trip to Galway. I don't know what I expected Galway to be like but we ended up having a really interesting day in a city that was unlike any of the others we had been to. 

Galway is also known as the "Bilingual Capital of Ireland" and is most associated with music and art and other traditional Irish culture. In its entirety there are approximately 1 million people living in and around Galway and it is a popular tourist location. The city also has a rich history of international trade, having been the principal port for trade with Spain and France during the Middle Ages and supposedly being visited by Christopher Columbus in the late 15th century. After a nine month siege with the Cromwellian troops Galway fell into disrepair until the early to mid twentieth century, when an economic boom helped rebuild the city.

After having a lovely breakfast in a bustling cafe we stumbled upon, we found a large mall to wander around in. While Dublin had had a relatively decent mall, I hadn't come across any mall that resembled ones I had been in at home in the States so it was really fun to walk around and look in a bunch of the shops. Besides finding lots of cafes and gift shops, we also found this large tower in the center where grandma was able to get a poster of sorts with the family history of our ancestors' surname. There are in reality a great deal of shops around Ireland that do that sort of thing but we had never really thought of getting one before, and it was a nice souvenir to take home. 

Following our mall exploration we just decided to wander the main streets and window shop. There were definitely a lot of people around and it was fun just to walk around and watch people, and to not be in a hurry to see or do anything in particular. I was really excited to find a gelato shop on the main street as I hadn't had any since I was in Venice a few years ago. In addition, I found out grandma had never had gelato - that had to be remedied at once! It was relatively cold outside and there was no where to sit inside but honestly I was so excited to be having gelato again that I didn't really care. One thing I'm going to miss when I go home is eating out of little cafes and shops like that, it is such a fun way to live.

One of the stores we walked into had a photo opportunity that I just could not pass up - and so....I became a sheep! A rather cute and goofy sheep I might add ;) Funnily enough, even though sheep aren't actually native to Ireland, sheep themed gifts run rampant throughout most of the gift shops. I'm a bit disappointed I haven't gotten to take a picture with a real sheep, but I suppose this will have to do.

There was also a gold toilet with bog growing out of it which I insisted we sit on. If you ask me the leprechaun is a bit on the crazy side but hey. 

Another thing I really liked about Galway were the street musicians. Some of them weren't so great but I found this singer to be really funny and enthusiastic and fun to listen to. We did see one musician in Dublin but this was the first place we went where it seemed to be commonplace to have crowds gathered around musicians on various parts of the streets. I think it makes for a really great atmosphere and puts people in a jolly mood as they shop. 

One thing I did want to do in Galway was visit the famous Claddagh shop. Claddagh rings, a traditional symbol of friendship, love, and loyalty, originate from Galway in the 17th century according to most legends. Overlooking the bay in the heart of the city lies an old fishing village named Claddagh, which means "the shore." The rings consist of two hands clasping a heart which is topped by a crown. The crown represents loyalty, the heart love, and the hands friendship. Claddagh rings have become popular all over the world.

Easter weekend in Galway happened to coincide with a food festival - and you know me: I love food! There were little markets all over the city centre with lots of different types of food.

For one, there were whole pigs being roasted. Obviously this is not restricted to Ireland by any means, but this was only my second time ever having seen one (the first being at the Milk Market in Limerick City). The smell is relatively good and it seems to be a big hit with the Irish people.

There were also huge barrels like these full of spices and fruit and sauces, etc. The pesto in particular smelled and looked amaaazing. I've been to several markets and food festivals at home but it was really fun and different there.

One of the I suppose "touristy" things we did see in Galway was the famous Spanish Arch. Built in 1584, the arch is what remains of a 16th century bastion (fortification). During medieval times the town walls were additionally fortified to prevent looting of merchant ships in the Bay. The arch is located along the River Corrib where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. Originally the arch was known as Ceann an Bhalla, which means "head of the wall", and interestingly enough has no known association with the Spanish even though it is known today as the Spanish Arch.

 After we walked down to the bay and the Spanish Arch we happened to find more food booths. Although neither of us was hungry in the least, there was no way I was going to pass up a chocolate fountain! The man in charge of the booth was nice enough to give us half the normal serving size that way we wouldn't explode. The fresh strawberries and chocolate were so delicious that I probably could have eaten more. Also, while we were sitting there eating our treat we saw the funniest thing: a little terrier dog had managed to steal a huge slab of meat from one of the booths and was running through the market with it. We were all so astounded and honestly amused that no one really thought to stop him. I wanted so badly to take a picture of him but he was long gone by the time I thought to get my camera out.

One thing I noticed was that Galway was similar to Dublin in that you see old stone buildings nestled right in between newer ones. Its so odd to see all of these brightly colored shops and then all of a sudden come across an old stone church or remnant of a castle. That's another thing I am really going to miss about Ireland. The history here is so much older than at home and its really wonderful that they are so big into preserving it. 

The last thing we decided to go see before going back to catch the bus to Limerick was the cathedral which we had seen rising up above the trees as we walked along the river. The Galway Cathedral, which is technically called The Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas, is probably the youngest of Europe's stone cathedrals.

Mistakenly taken for an old building, the cathedral was actually constructed only about 60 years ago in the late 1950s. Most churches and the like were being built out of concrete but for some reason the builders of the cathedral went with stone. 

The Galway Cathedral was built on the site of the old city jail interestingly enough, and is influenced by many different and eclectic styles of architecture, including Romanesque, Gothic, and even some Renaissance themes. There are beautiful glass windows and an impressive collection of art and statues inside.

Overall Galway was nothing special when compared to other places I've been, in the sense that there is nothing you simply have to see. However, the atmosphere and the people were really lovely, and Galway is one of the best examples of an old medieval town. There are loads of narrow cobbled streets and beautiful churches, good food, and wonderful music to be had. I was sad that it was our last trip together but we managed to have a really good day all the same.