Galway-The True Irish Spirit

You cannot visit Galway without a trip to the Aran Islands. Most people visit Inis Mor, which is the largest of the 3 islands. You can buy your bus ticket from the tourist office, which will take you to the ferry.

I also highly recommend taking a tour of the spectacular Cliffs of Moher and the surrounding Burren area. The Burren area is a barren limestone landscape that almost resembles the moon!

At night, visit one of Galway's pubs for a little traditional Irish music and a pint of Irish beer.

Quick Tips:

We found May was a great time to visit Galway. The sun shone the entire time we were there and the flocks of tourists had yet to arrive. It was still busy enough to give it personality but not so much that everything was full or had a line to wait in.

Above all, my suggestion is if you are in Ireland-don't miss Galway! It was our favorite place in Ireland and was so vibrant and spirited.

Best Way To Get Around:

Galway is not a huge place and you will have trouble reaching the things you need on foot. The main train station is close to town and more than likely within walking distance of your hotel. Bus tours leave from the tourist office, which is in the central area as well.

The Salmon Weir hostel in Galway, Ireland is one of the most social you will find. The staff is friendly and creates an atmosphere of fun and liveliness.

Our private room was compact but bright and clean. We shared the bathroom and showers with the dorms. The dorm rooms weren''t overly spacious from the looks of them but no one seemed to have any complaints. Prices for a double room were exceptionally cheap at $42 Canadian ($27 US). Dorms were $17 Canadian ($11 US) for a 4 bed dorm, $16 Canadian ($10 US) for a 6 bed dorm and $14 Canadian ($9 US) for a 12 bed dorm. The hostel has 42 beds and tends to fill up quickly as it is so reasonably priced. I would advise booking in advance. They do not take email reservations but we did make a reservation by phone with a credit card number to hold the reservations.

Salmon Weir has two kitchens and all the things you will need to prepare your food. You will meet lots of people in the comfortable common room or spend your time admiring the thousands of postcards plastered to the walls.

It''s located at a great location-in the center but slightly separate so that it isn''t noisy.

It''s a great social hostel and price wise probably the best bargain you will find in Europe.

We had decided that we wanted to do a tour of the Burren area and the Cliffs of Moher so we headed to the tourist office where they helped us choose a tour for the next day.

Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable. He took us through the barren landscape of the Burren where we got to see limestone hills and unique formations.

Our stop at the Cliffs of Moher was definitely a highlight. The cliffs themselves were spectacular-1/2 mile deep and 5 miles long. The day we visited they were covered in a light mist, which gave them a true Irish feel. You could explore the O'Briens Tower Monument or choose how we did to walk the paths along the cliffs. You could hear the pounding of the waves below and watch the gulls circle above.

After a good length of time at the cliffs, it was off for lunch in Doolin. Doolin is the founding place of traditional Irish music and just a tiny little place. Other people in our tour ate at the pub but we chose to eat the lunch we had brought out at the picnic tables.

After lunch, we had a few more stops. One was at Aillwee Cave, a 2 million year old cave that once housed prehistoric bears. (Admission price is not included in the tour). The caves, which run under the Burren, are lined with stalagmites and boast a large waterfall inside.

On our way back towards Galway, we made a quick stop at Poulnabrone Portal Dolmen- an ancient stone tomb dating between 2000 - 2500 B.C.

I would definitely recommend a trip to the Cliffs of Moher and the surrounding area. With a guide you will get the insight and knowledge that helps you to appreciate the beauty of Ireland just a little bit more.

We had planned to get up early and were happy to see the sun was shining brightly for our day trip to the largest of the Aran Islands, Inis Mor.

We took a bus 45 minutes from in front of the tourist office in Galway to get to the ferry. The ferry took 45 minutes and was packed with others headed to the same place.

When we arrived, we were greeted by multiple mini buses offering tours and bike rental companies hawking daily bike rentals. We decided, not knowing any better, that we could walk. Soon we realized we weren't getting anywhere and that everything on Inis Mor was quite a distance. Thankfully, one last mini bus drove by and we jumped at the opportunity.

Our driver took us on a tour of the island, showing us ruins of cemeteries with their Celtic crosses and beautiful island scenery. After our tour he dropped us off so we could walk up to Dun Aonghasa to see the ruins of a fortress on the top of the mountain. We arranged a time for him to pick us up and then started the easy hike to the top. At the summit, we ate our packed lunch we had brought and enjoyed the views as Dun Aonghasa is the highest point of the island.

Our driver was very interesting and told us how everyone on the island still speak Gaelic. The schools on Inis Mor are taught in Gaelic until high school, where they switch to both English and Gaelic. The men who don't work as tour guides are fishermen or farmers as the island doesn't have much in the way of employment.

We were glad we didn't go for the bike option as we noticed people struggling with the hills. If you have limited time, the bike option is not the way to go.

The island is famous for its wool and you will find several shops in the main harbor area where you can find high quality sweaters.

After a great day on Inis Mor, we caught the ferry at 5pm and headed back to Galway-relaxed and sunburnt.

Taaffes Pub is a great little pub on one of the main shopping streets in Galway. It's busy day or night and popular with both visitor and the locals.

Taaffes has traditional music daily at 5:00pm and 9:30pm. Sometimes you can hear the fiddles and tin whistles from down the street so just follow the music!

If you are hungry, you can get a bowl of soup or a sandwich, along with your beer.

The staff are friendly and personable and will be sure to take care of you. Taaffes has all the character and personality that you would hope to find in an Irish pub!