Galway, Ireland

My visit to Galway was the second wettest part of my Irish adventure, but it was still one of my favourites. I like Galway.



After doing the obligatory touristy thing by taking photographs of the Spanish Arch, I wandered around the city in the vague direction of the University campus. It hadn’t started raining at this stage so it was a pleasant limp/stroll. However, the sheer volume of water running through the city in the river, tributaries and canals should have warned me of what was to come.

Now that I am warm and dry again, it’s easy to focus on how pretty and charming it is to have water all around. The multiple water courses encourage the creation of somewhat private places, separated by the active presence of the water and connected by charming little bridges.

A number of houses and gardens feel almost like they’re on their own little island, kept private by a moat. It creates a peculiar sense of intimacy with which roads just can’t compete.

Galway has so many water courses that it’s sometimes difficult to know whether they’re part of the river, a canal or just a picturesque, glorified drain. This one, at least, I was willing to confidently label “canal,” if only because of the lock.

The water birds aren’t in the least bit put off by multi-level water courses. These ducks were being teased by a group of boys throwing bread into the water running down the spillway, trying to get the birds to go over the edge. Most of them managed to stay on the top floor, although one of them did go sideways over the edge. It actually did look pretty funny and didn’t appear to cause the bird any particular distress.

This family of swans just happened to make their graceful way in our general direction. I think it was at about this point that I started saying things like “I want to live in Galway.” Remember, at this point I was still dry.

Like the great Irish city it is, Galway has the usual complement of glorious churches and cathedrals. However the wall above from the “Sally Longs” pub is perhaps my favourite example of Irish religious symbolism. I particularly like Elvis touching the hand of God in the heavens. I also like the way the street sign seems to be commenting on the mural. Apparently upward progression is forbidden.