Galway — City of Tribes and Songs
The adventure begins with a late-afternoon departure, leaving plenty of room for anticipation rather than rush. Galway, often called The City of the Tribes after the 14 merchant families who once dominated its trade, is today the beating cultural heart of Ireland’s west.
Galway is also the nation’s festival capital, home to:
- Galway International Arts Festival, which transforms streets into an open-air gallery,
- The International Oyster Festival, where gastronomy meets music and dance,
- and a beloved Christmas Market that draws visitors from across the country.
By evening, the city bursts into life. Pubs spill with traditional Irish music, and restaurants blend gastronomy with contemporary flair. Whether you seek folk ballads or modern Irish cuisine, Galway delivers.
A City Where Gaeilge Lives
Galway is one of the few Irish cities where the Irish language — Gaeilge — is still heard in everyday life. Street signs are bilingual, and in many pubs you can overhear conversations in a language that itself sounds like music.
A Hearty Start: The Full Irish Breakfast
Morning begins the Irish way: with a Full Irish Breakfast — sausages, bacon, eggs, potato cakes, and strong tea. A proper send-off before heading westward into the wilds of Connemara.
Connemara — Land of Myths and Mirror Lakes
Connemara is often described as “the wild soul of Ireland.” It is a place where mountains tumble into the ocean, and glassy lakes reflect the sky like mirrors.
This region has been the backdrop for films like The Quiet Man and Marley & Me. But beyond Hollywood, Connemara offers an escape into landscapes that feel eternal.
Highlights include:
- Kylemore Abbey — a neo-Gothic masterpiece built in the 19th century as a gift of love. Today, it is a monastery surrounded by Victorian gardens, and one of Ireland’s most romantic wedding venues.
- Connemara National Park — 2,000 hectares of bogs, heather fields, mountains, and the iconic Connemara ponies, bred here for centuries.
- Sky Road in Clifden — one of Europe’s most breathtaking drives, with panoramic views of the Atlantic, islands, and mountain ranges.
A Place for Romance and Renewal
Connemara is more than scenery — it’s a stage for life’s milestones. Weddings and vow renewals are held at Kylemore Abbey, its lakeside backdrop and Gothic spires offering a fairytale setting. Couples often choose it for its blend of romance, history, and solemn grandeur.
Stories Hidden in Stone and Song
- The Claddagh Ring — originating from Galway’s historic fishing village, symbolizes love, loyalty, and friendship, making it one of Ireland’s most meaningful wedding traditions.
- Scattered across Connemara are ancient stone circles and burial mounds, silent echoes of Celtic rituals.
- In 2018, a couple famously tied the knot during Galway’s Oyster Festival, exchanging vows as fiddles played and the scent of fresh oysters filled the air.
Price and Value
Tours start from €359 pps (2 days, including all rail and coach travel, admission tickets, a 3*/4* Galway city hotel, and breakfast). But the true value lies beyond logistics — in experiencing Ireland as locals know it: vibrant and quiet, ancient and modern, rugged and lyrical.
Conclusion
A trip to Galway and Connemara is more than a journey. It is an encounter with the soul of Ireland: its music, its language, its legends, and its landscapes. Here you can not only hear a ballad in a pub, but also create your own story — whether it’s a romantic wedding at Kylemore Abbey or a windswept drive along Sky Road where the Atlantic meets the sky.