Galway History Walking tour with a Local Guide

Guide will accompany you to the main Square and give a brief overview of Galway's rich history.

The first stop on the route is the John F Kennedy Memorial We visit historical sites including the old Browne Doorway and the Quin-centenary Fountain and talk about the 14-Tribes banners

and encounter some landmark buildings including the elegant Browne Thomas building. We also pass by Jewellers shops who specialise in Galway's Claddagh ring. if time allows we stop at the Oscar Wilde statue, an Estonia gift to Ireland in 2004 !

We now divert down Eglinton Street and pass by the Franciscan Friary church on the left. This old church has a little grave-yard at the rear which was a prominent place of burial in mid-17th and early 18th centuries.

We continue towards Courthouse Square, which used to have two iconic Courthouses - one for the county and one for the city. One remains today and the Town Hall Theatre is opposite.

Up ahead, from the newly-constructed pedestrian bridge over the River Corrib, our group will pause to view Europe's newest stone cathedral, the Galway Cathedral and the Franciscan Chapel.

Here was the family home of Ms Nora Barnacle who was a prominent Galwegian in years gone by. She famously dated Irish Writer, James Joyce on 16th June 1904, thereafter known as Bloomsday!

The tour returns via Galway's popular River Walk to the main city artery. We arrive at a two-street intersection and the iconic Lynch's Castle building. This building is the finest surviving Town-Castle in Ireland. The powerful Lynch clan once owned it. Your Guide explains the history of the building, its crests and roundels.

ne' where funerals passed on way into old graveyard. We talk about St. Nicholas church-yard and continue on through Market St.

We arrive at the of St Nicholas' Collegiate Church accompanied by your Guide. He explains the history of this largest Medieval church in continuous use in Ireland. It was originally built as a Catholic Church but, today, functions as a Protestant Church. In 1477, Christopher Columbus is said to have worshipped here prior to his epic voyage of discovery! There's also much to see within this ancient building and we offer discounts tickets to join their guided tours which operate Mon-Fri. 11am and 2pm and Wednesdays 12pm and 3pm.

The Lynch Memorial window , erected in 1854 is full of legend. The mayor of Galway, Mayor Lynch is said to have hanged his own son at this location!

We arrive in High Street, a section of Galway's Latin Quarter and encounter the iconic King's Head Pub. Legend has it that this pub site was gifted by Oliver Cromwell as payment to executioner of King Charles I. Also on this street we pass by the famous Naughton House, once owned by 'Humanity' Dick Martyn, an Irish MP in British Parliament.

University graduates founded the now-famous Druid Theatre Company in 1975 in this city of culture. Druid has always maintained a vital relationship with writers, Tom Murphy and Martin McDonough. Many well-known Irish actors and directors have worked with the company down through the years.

The famous Spanish Arch is adjacent to open-space area, known as the Spanish Parade . This area once included the old Galway port until 1840. Old Galley ships arrived here from Spain with wines and spices for local merchant families. We also explain the significance of the Spanish Arch.

The tour now loops back towards the old Medieval site - The Hall of the Red Earl. This was once the castle residence of powerful Norman, Richard de Burgo. It was an important building up until the late 16th century. Its ruins had been lost for centuries till archaeologists discovered it in the late '90's.

Oliver Cromwell's English army banished them for a period but they returned in 1760 and established this building.

The final stages of our City tour take us up Middle Street, where we pass by An Taibhdhearc. This is Ireland's only Irish-language theatre. It was established as a large-scale cultural project in the early 1920, when Ireland became a Free State. Micheal MacLiamor, the first director / manager worked there from 1928.

Our final stop will be the former Cathedral Building at Middle St. / Abbeygate St. Galway. This old building was in use for many centuries but was deemed inadequate by Galway bishop, Dr Michael Browne in 1957.