BoomerGirl Diary

For many who have been to the little green island called Ireland, County Galway is their favorite destination. For me, this is the county that really seems to have it all.

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Getaway to Galway

For the city girls, Galway City is an absolutely incredible port town. It has all the modern conveniences yet the “Old World feeling” that we all hope for when going over to the old country. The inner city has cobblestone streets, quaint shops, great fish restaurants, pubs galore (not something that you’d only find in Galway City though, I must add) and awesome music from traditional to rock, most every night of the week ... and then of course there’s the beaches! Interesting combination, huh?

Galway City is a college town, so there are university students everywhere, which adds a lot of energy. The tingle in the air, the energy, is palpable. It is also the home of the Claddagh ring, and you see all kinds of them. To me, it's an overdone symbol, but the sentiment — love, loyalty and friendship — is enduring and endearing.

Inexpensive B&Bs abound throughout the town and its adjacent areas, but high-end hotels with great spas are there with nice weekend packages if you book ahead.

I like to stay at the Jury’s Inn in Galway City. It is clean, European in style, very reasonably priced if you book ahead (for three people we stayed at 79 Euros) and right in the heart of the old town area, so no parking issues, just check in and walk around: you’re already there!

Galway also has the Connemara Mountains for the country girls. They are majestic, yet very raw and untouched. The windy roads carry you to a completely unmerchandised area where the sheep graze so high up in the rocks that they look like little white dots. The hamlet of Clifden is a small, beautiful seaside town where I am longing to visit. I plan to rent a cottage for a week and immerse myself in the ocean views, the rocky coastline, the mountain trails and, of course, the local pubs. That’s where you can really get the Irish flavor.

There are areas in Galway where they still speak Irish, Ireland’s version of Gaelic, exclusively. The Aran Islands, an interesting daytrip off the coast of Galway, speaks only Irish. It is such a tight community that only recently have they added electricity and phones! What a cool pub they have there, with a fireplace and locals that make you feel you’ve really entered another century. (Sorry, I just seem to go back to this pub thing.) But in Ireland everybody belongs to one, much like a club. Pubs are quintessential Ireland.

Galway is located only a couple of hours from the Shannon airport. Shannon is a much smaller airport than Dublin, and easy to maneuver from the other side of the road. Get a Frommers or some kind of tour guidebook. Map out a tentative itinerary of places to visit. Then let Galway introduce itself to you and just play it by ear. It is everything you could look for — charm, scenery, music and Irish fun ... That’s a promise!