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Come alive in Galway
MALCOLM ROGERS makes his way round Galway, from pretty Ballynahinch to swinging
Galway city.
Galway, or Gaillimh as gaeilge, is a county of startling contrasts. Stretching from the wilds of Connemara through the Corrib country and on to the banks of the Shannon, it has everything you could want in a holiday — and then some.
This westerly land is probably the most spectacular, the most evocative part of Ireland — quintessential Irish countryside, the Emerald Isle of films, postcards and song.
Stretching between Lough Corrib and the Atlantic, the area is dominated by the majestic Twelve Bens mountain range and bordered by the deeply indented Galway coastline, where Ireland eventually crumbles into the sea. To the east is a more fertile plain — the fields of Athenry really do lie low — eventually leading to the more gentle River Shannon and Co. Roscommon.
Throughout the county are ancient towns such as the afore-mentioned Athenry, and the equally impressive Oranmore and Tuam, and fishing villages which look straight out of a Disney vision of what Ireland should be like.
Galway city is the holiday destination of choice amongst Ireland’s young — the westerly metropolis is one of Ireland’s most celebrated places in which to party. These days Dublin is perceived to have been ceded to the tourists, Belfast still to completely shake off the shroud of the Troubles, and Cork is seen as a tad too provincial. But Galway City is vibrant, exciting, and entertaining, with pubs, clubs and restaurants to suit all tastes.
As God said when he was creating Connacht — “Right here’s Galway; now do you want Mayo with that?”. And of course they didn’t need Mayo — or anywhere else for that matter. This is one county which can truly stand on its own merits.
A load of ould schist
The scenery of Galway is dictated, needless to say, by its geology. However, the complete geological history of the county is not entirely understood (search me — they’ve had long enough to survey the pace), although the two outstanding features of the area, the Maamturk Mountains and the Twelve Bens are known to consist largely of quarzite and schist.
Of course, you don’t need to be a geological expert to appreciate the scenery hereabouts. If you journey out across north Connemara, through the towns of Moycullen, Oughterard, Maam Cross and on to the capital of west
Connemara, Clifden, you’ll get a good idea of the breathtaking scenery the
county has to offer. This is an area of exceptional beauty, with towering  peaks, wild bogland and tiny crofts. Life has always been hard here, with every scrap of land utilised. In the 19th century even the bog cotton — the
little white plants you see dancing in the breeze of a summer’s day — has
been put to use. In the town of Carna in the 19th century, a factory employed local girls to make buttons, used the bog cotton as a filling for the buttons.
Clifden itself is perched above an inlet of Ardbear Bay on the edge of the Atlantic. This is an ideal place to base yourself if you’re touring north Connemara. Come to think of it, it’s ideal even if you’re not touring anywhere — this is a town well equipped for a night or two on the tiles. It’s also where the Connemara Pony Show is held (third Thursday in August), and if you want to get a real slice of Connacht life — or indeed want to buy a horse — you should try to make it for this unique occasion.
Have we got views for you!
The fishing village of Kinvara, Co. Galway lies at the southern end of Galway Bay. This impossibly picturesque village, in a county not short of postcard-grade villages, boasts all the accoutrements any self-respecting Irish village should have — massive castle overlooking the bay, listed Georgian courthouse, a thatched hotel, small pastel-washed houses, neat little shops all independently owned, and a fishing harbour with Galway hookers on show. Note that these are ‘hookers’ as in traditional fishing craft, and not hookers in the sense of rugby forwards — or indeed any other kind of hookers you may have encountered.
“Cruinniú na mBad”, meaning Gathering of the Boats, is held in the second week of August. This is a regatta with music, craic, dance and song. Imagine the Henley Regatta as if organised by Shane MacGowan and you might begin to get the picture.
Kinvara is well equipped with bars and hotels — in fact it’s been called a drinking village with a fishing problem. They also have a very natural way of dealing with tourists — open, friendly, but more than happy to take your money. Tourists, after all, are like any other catch — mackerel, cod, or hay in the fields. They have to be harvested or caught, and made to pay their way.
A weekend in the country
About twelve kilometres along the Clifden to Recess road stand the gates of Ballynahinch Castle. This is one of the finest places to stay in Ireland — sumptuous comfort in the middle of the wildest, most spectacular scenery in Europe.
The hotel is situated on Ballynahinch Lake, at the foot of Benlettery, and the Lough is stuffed with salmon, trout, otters and bird life.
But although far removed from the hurly burly of modern life, prepare to be bowled over by one of the most sophisticated modern hotels you’re ever likely to come across, with all mod cons
necessary for gracious and sophisticated living.
Prices aren’t cheap, ranging from Euro 85 to Euro260 per person sharing, depending on whether you go for luxury suite or standard bedroom — but even the ‘standard’ bedrooms boast four-poster beds, deep pile carpets etc.
At the other end of the county the Shannon Oaks Hotel and Country Club, Portumna, lies by the shores of Lough Derg, close to acres of parkland — you can stroll as far as historic Portumna Castle. Mind you, if it’s exercise you want and the hotel boasts first class leisure centre, sports facilities — plus a health and beauty salon if you want to get glammed before hitting Galway’s pubs. B&B starts around the
Euro 70 mark.
The Galway Bay Golf and Country Club, Oranmore is perched on the shores of Galway Bay, overlooking a world-famous 18-hole PGA-standard golf course.
Music
Galway can lay claim to two songs which are probably amongst the top three or four best-known Irish songs in the world — Galway Bay and the Fields of Athenry. But the whole county is steeped in music tradition, ranging from the Balinakill Céilí Band to the sweet tones of Dolores Keane. As you might expect in a county that is occupied in large part by the Gaeltacht, sean nós is very much to the fore. Two of the most famous singers of the last century, Joe Heaney and Tom Phaídín, were Connemara natives, as was Éamon Ceannt, one of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation. Éamon famously played the war pipes at the Vatican, but the din of the drones is reputed to have had the Pope scurrying for cover.
Galway pipers who received rather better reception include the great Patsy Touhey, regarded by many as one of the greatest pipers of all time, and instrumental (no pun intended) in the very salvation of Irish music last century.
Today the music tradition is still one of the glories of the region, whether it’s an impromptu sean nós session in west Galway or a rock recital in Roisin Dubh in Galway City.
During the two main festivals, the Galway Races (last week of July) and the Oyster Festival (last week of September), you can’t really move round the town for ballad sessions and traditional jams, but really any time of the year you’ll find good music.
I can rcommend a couple of fine venues (contact details in the Info box): The Quays Bar, Restaurant & Music Hall in Galway has traditional music all year round, seven days a week. Roisin Dubh in Galway also has traditional music, as well as big name bands.
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