Dublin just thinks it’s so great with its Spire, and the Liffey and Bunsen burgers doesn’t it?
The capital is always boasting about all the best brunches and tacos and pulled pork. But what about other places across the country? There are plenty of amazing things outside of The Pale, and Galway is home to at least 33 of those things.
Dublin, you can keep the Liffey, we’re headed West…
1. Chips from McDonagh’s
ALL the salt and vinegar please.
2. The Coral Beach
Or Trá an Dóilín to those in the know. No sand, just bits of coral and sure it’s practically tropical on a sunny day. Suck it, Sandymount.
3. Boat Parties
The Corrib Princess has seen many a great boat party over the years with international DJs like Hunee playing outrageous sets – also a special shout-out to The Disconaut boat parties for always being particularly rowdy.
Dublin, you can keep the canal.
4. Kylemore Abbey
Pretty frickin’ majestic.
5. The Latin Quarter on a busy night
Camden Street? Pfft.
6. The giant disco ball in Electric
Your own private disco booth. Amazing.
7. Brunch in Ard Bia
Okay, admittedly Dublin is pretty decent at brunch. But you know what it doesn’t have? Ard Bia.
8. The Aran Islands
Dalkey, you’re having a laugh.
9. The best crepes in all the land, curing every hangover in the West, at the Saturday Food Market
10. An Taibhdearc
Disaster has struck over the years, but it’s still going strong.
11. The craic in Roundstone at the height of summer
Where else would ye get it?
12. The impenetrable stone walls
Originally designed to keep out Dublin hen and stag parties (according to historical evidence that we just made up), they’ve been standing for hundreds of years – and even the worst of the winter storms can’t harm them.
13. Taller Coke Bikes
The bikes in Galway were actually designed to be higher than the Dublin ones for the longer-legged humans in the West.
They also have a more advanced gear system too. Taller, and more mechanically sophisticated – that’s Galwegians for you.
14. Rollover days at The College Bar
No college ball is complete without heading on down to the bar the next day for recovery pints and Byrno’s soothing tunes.
15. Hearing Irish spoken on the streets as you walk around the city
And Conamara Irish at that – phrases like “Táim ag loadáil suas an carr” are the norm round these neck of the woods.
That, Dublin, is how you do local vernacular.
16.The Wooden Heart Toyshop on Quay Street
Perfect for buying presents but also so lovely to wander around – like stepping back in time to your childhood.
17. Daytime drinking in the beer tent at the Christmas Market in Eyre Square
It’s okay to drink before 4pm when it’s December.
18. Jumping off Blackrock, and chilling on the raft
Forty Foot, schmorty… schmoot.
19. La Salsa’s Taco Fries
Anyone who lives away from Galway knows the plight of craving these bad boys when hungover, but finding yourself hundreds of miles from where you need to be.
20. The Arts Festival
It’s artsy and cultured all year round, but Galway explodes into a kaleidoscope of crazy parades, parties and concerts for a fortnight each July. Like St Patrick’s Festival, only better.
21. The hundreds of swans at the Claddagh
Those Dublin swans are up to no good, but these guys? Yeah, going to feed them come hail, rain, shine, or ice…
22. Silent disco street parties down by the Roisin Dubh
23. Never knowing what’s going on to be on the menu at Kai Café and Restaurant, but knowing you’ll never be disappointed
24. Brigit’s Garden
The perfect place to escape the world, and realign your chakras. Or just sit in the awesome wicker hanging chairs.
25. The familiar Galway faces you know from about town
And how brilliantly these illustrations by Lemonade capture them.
26. Having a few cans at Sparch (weather-permitting of course)
27. Heading in to Taaffes for a seisiún ceoil
28. The Galway Races
Whether you head out to Ballybrit for the Ladies’ Day action, or just get dolled up and hit the tiles in the evenings, Galway’s always buzzing that week.
29. Going for alcoholic slushies at Biteclub
30. The smell of turf
If there’s a fire burning nine times out of ten, it’s a good ol’ turf fire – none of that coal stuff, go raibh maith agat all the same.
31. The craic in Supermac’s Eyre Square around 3am after the club
The original, the best. More emphasis on discussing the events of the night than food, you inevitably end up in Charcoal for your actual eats before grabbing a taxi from Pro Cabs.
32. Mornings like this in Galway Bay
33. And these glorious sunsets
The sun sets in the West after all.
Sure Galway, aren’t you only great?
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