top of page

Top Sightseeing Walk around Downtown Galway, Ireland

Writer's picture: BenBen

Galway was quite unexpectedly my favorite city I visited on my week-long roadtrip around Ireland. Before we arrived, I'd hardly even heard of it much less had any reason to be excited. We only planned a stop there because it's just above the Cliffs of Moher, making it a great place to rest for the night between Dublin and a visit to the cliffs.


But I was pleasantly surprised. There was plenty to see, including a very fun and lively neighborhood with winding cobblestone streets. It was definitely a worthwhile stop - and not just for its convenience as a waypoint - I actually recommend it! If you manage to have good weather on your visit, this walk around downtown Galway is a great way to see the city in one afternoon.



1/ Galway Cathedral

The Galway Cathedral so beautiful. It's at the top of a hill, so it's a bit of a hike to get to, but I'm glad I saw it. It is clearly still in use, unlike St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin which feels much more like a museum these days.


The Cathedral is in the Renaissance style, with a gorgeous 145-ft tall cathedral dome, pillars, beautiful stained glass windows, and locally sourced limestone facades. It's not particularly old - it was built in the 1960s - to replace the original town chapel from 1750, which still stands downtown and now houses a myriad of local commerce including a bookstore, pizzeria, tattoo parlor, and denture specialist?? among other things.


The Galway Cathedral is also conveniently located on something of an island. The River Corrib bisects just before the Cathedral and a series of small waterways snake through the area, turning a lot of this neighborhood into small islands. They are all connected via bridges, and I don't think they constitute islands so much as normal land with streets and buildings that happen to have tons of water continuously rushing underneath them. In any case, it was pretty interesting to see what looked like a block-wide bridge with an entire apartment building on it.




2/ Salmon Weir Bridge

Just east of the Cathedral is the largest of these bridges, and there's both a bridge for cars and a pedestrian/cycling bridge just below it. From the bridge, you can see the dam at top of the river and have a great view down the river toward downtown Galway.


3/ Riverside Soundwalk

You can follow the river straight down to the Galway docks. It's only half a mile (850 meters) to the Spanish Arch. On the way, you'll get some excellent views of the locks that were used when the river was used by boats for commercial transport. The locks are massive, and you can get up close and personal with a number of them on this walk.



4/ The Latin Quarter

Peel off a bit before the Docks (at Bridge Street) to meander through the Latin Quarter. The Latin Quarter is Galway's must-visit tourist attraction, and it was definitely the highlight of Galway for me. It was so lively, and there was something interesting or entertaining to see at every turn. There are tons of shops, cafes, restaurants, and we even got to see a band performing on the street. Not a single musician busking for change, but a full four-person band with a drum kit set up and everything. It wasn't exactly my kind of music, but I loved the energy and the spontaneity of it all. It's a great spot for dinner, souvenir shopping, or even just people-watching.



You can walk all the way down to Abbeygate Street Lower to see Lynch's Castle and the original Cathedral and then take another right on Middle Street to reenter the Latin Quarter. Make your way to Quay Street, which is the main attraction of the neighborhood, before heading left down to the docks.


5/ The Spanish Arch

There used to be more arches, built in 1584 as an extension of the city wall which protected the city. They were parted destroyed in 1755 by an earthquake-induced tsunami, and there are two left, called the Spanish Arch and the Caoc Arch. To be honest, the Spanish Arch itself was a little underwhelming, but it's located on the Galway Docks, so it's definitely worth the visit. You can walk around the arches to the Docks on a promenade called The Long Walk for some excellent views.



bottom of page