This article is about the city of Galway in the Republic of Ireland. For other uses of the name, see Galway (disambiguation).

Galway Gaillimh
Laudatio Ejus Manet In Secula Seculorum "His Praise Remains unto Ages of Ages"
Location
WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53°16′22″N 9°02′31″W / 53.2729, -9.0418
Irish grid reference M300256
Statistics
Province:	Connacht
County:	County Galway
Dáil Éireann:	Galway West
European Parliament:	North-West
Dialling code:	091
Postal district(s):	G
Area:	50. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth The Irish grid reference system is a system of geographic Grid references commonly used in Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Poetic description This dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland poetically describes the kingdoms of Ireland Since the late 16th century the Island of Ireland has been divided into 32 counties ( Irish language contae or condae County Galway (Contae na Gaillimhe is located on the West Coast of Ireland. ga '''Dáil Éireann''' ( English House of Representatives of Ireland) is the principal chamber of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament Galway West is a Constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU North-West is one of four Constituencies of the European Parliament in Ireland. Subscriber trunk dialling ( STD, also known as subscriber toll dialling) is a term for the UK Telephone system allowing subscribers to dial trunk Postal addresses in Ireland are similar to those in many other parts of the world Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 57 km²
Population (2006)	72,729 City: 72,414 Suburbs: 315
Website: www.galwaycity.ie

Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) is the only city in the province of Connacht in the Republic of Ireland. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The city is located on the west coast of Ireland. This article refers to the cardinal direction for other uses see West (disambiguation. In Irish, Galway is also called Cathair na Gaillimhe: "City of Galway".

The city takes its name from the Gaillimh river (River Corrib) that formed the western boundary of the earliest settlement, which was called Dún Bhun na Gaillimhe, or the fort at the bottom of the Gaillimh. The River Corrib ( Irish - Gaillimh / Abhainn na Gaillimhe) in the west of Ireland flows from Loch Coirib / Lough Corrib The word Gaillimh means "stony" as in "stony river". (the mythical and alternative derivations are given in History of Galway. Galway, one of the largest cities in Ireland situated on the west coast of Ireland, has a complex history going back around 800 years ) The city also bears the nickname City of the Tribes / Cathair na dTreabh, because fourteen ^[1] “Tribes” (merchant families) led the city in its Hiberno-Norman period. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. The Tribes of Galway ( Treibheanna na Gaillimhe) were fourteen merchant families who dominated the political commercial and social life of the city of Galway in western The term Hiberno-Norman is used of those Norman lords who settled in Ireland, admitting little if any real Fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers The term Tribes was originally a derogatory phrase from Cromwellian times. The Tribes of Galway ( Treibheanna na Gaillimhe) were fourteen merchant families who dominated the political commercial and social life of the city of Galway in western Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known The merchants would have seen themselves as English nobility, and hence were loyal to the King. Their uncertain reaction to the siege of Galway by Cromwellian forces earned them this label, which they subsequently adopted in defiance. It is one of the constituent cities of the Cork-Limerick-Galway corridor with a population of 1 million people. The Cork-Limerick-Galway corridor links Ireland's second third and fourth largest cities

The population of Galway city, as at the 2006 census, is 72,414. Galway is Ireland’s fastest growing city. ^[2]

History

Main article: History of Galway

This map of 1651 shows the walled city (North is to the left). Galway, one of the largest cities in Ireland situated on the west coast of Ireland, has a complex history going back around 800 years The River Corrib is in the foreground, crossed by what is now “O’Briens Bridge”, leading to Mainguard Street. The River Corrib ( Irish - Gaillimh / Abhainn na Gaillimhe) in the west of Ireland flows from Loch Coirib / Lough Corrib

Dún Bhun na Gaillimhe (“Fort at the Mouth (bottom) of the Gaillimh”) was constructed in 1124, by the King of Connacht, Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (1088-1156). The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the cóiced (variously translated as portion fifth province of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (1088-1156 whose name is often anglicised to Turlough O' Connor, was King of Connacht and became the first High King A small settlement eventually grew up around this fort. During the Norman invasion of Connacht in the 1230s, Galway fort was captured by Richard Mor de Burgh, who had led this invasion. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Richard Mor de Burgh (c 1194 &ndash 1242 was the eldest son of William de Burgh and founder of the towns of Ballinasloe Loughrea and Galway As the de Burghs eventually became gaelicised, the merchants of the town - the Tribes of Galway - pushed for greater control over the walled city. The Tribes of Galway ( Treibheanna na Gaillimhe) were fourteen merchant families who dominated the political commercial and social life of the city of Galway in western See also List of cities with defensive walls A defensive wall is a Fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors This led to them gaining complete control over the city and the granting of mayoral status by the English crown in December 1484. Galway endured difficult relations with its Irish neighbours. A notice over the west gate of the city, completed in 1562 by Mayor Thomas Oge Martyn fitz William, stated “From the Ferocious O'Flahertys may God protect us”. O'Flaherty is a major Irish Clan, originally called the Muintir Mhurchadha of which the name Ua Flaithbertaig became the name of its ruling dynasty A bye-law forbade the native Irish (as opposed to Galway’s Hiberno-Norman citizens) unrestricted access into Galway, saying “neither O’ nor Mac shall strutte nor swagger through the streets of Galway” without permission. The term Hiberno-Norman is used of those Norman lords who settled in Ireland, admitting little if any real Fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers During the Middle Ages, Galway was ruled by an oligarchy of fourteen^[1] merchant families (12 of Norman origin and 2 of Irish origin). The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world These were the “tribes” of Galway. The city thrived on international trade. In the Middle Ages, it was the principal Irish port for trade with Spain and France. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Christopher Columbus is known to have visited Galway, possibly stopping off on a voyage to Iceland or the Faroe Islands. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse He noted in the margin of one of his books that he had found evidence of land beyond the Atlantic Ocean in or near Galway in 1477. ^[3] During the 16th and 17th centuries Galway remained loyal to the English crown for the most part, even during the Gaelic resurgence, perhaps for reasons of survival, yet by 1642 the city allied itself with the Catholic Confederation of Kilkenny during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Confederate Ireland refers to the period of Irish self-government between the Rebellion of 1641 and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649 The Wars of the Three Kingdoms (sometimes known as the Wars of the Three Nations) formed an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in Scotland, During the resulting Cromwellian conquest of Ireland Cromwellian forces captured the city after a nine month siege. The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649-53 refers to the re-conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell Galway, a port city in western Ireland, was besieged from August 1651 to May 1652 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. At the end of the 17th century the city supported the Jacobites in the Williamite war in Ireland (it supported King James II of England against William of Orange) and was captured by the Williamites after a very short siege not long after the Battle of Aughrim in 1691. Jacobitism was (and to a limited extent remains the political movement dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland The Williamite War in Ireland, also known as the Jacobite War in Ireland and in Ireland as Cogadh an Dá Rí or The War of the Two Kings James II of England and Ireland James VII of Scotland (14 October 1633 &ndash 16 September 1701 was King of England, King of Scots, Later that same year James William III or William of Orange (14 November 1650 &ndash 8 March 1702 He is informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy" The Battle of Aughrim was the decisive battle of the Williamite War in Ireland. The great families of Galway were ruined, the city declined, and it did not fully recover until the great economic boom of the late twentieth century.

Demographics

The population of Galway city and environs is 72,729 (based on the 2006 census carried out by the CSO), of which 72,414 live in the city limits and 315 live in the city's environs in County Galway. ----The term city limits (or city boundary) refers to the defined boundary of a City. County Galway (Contae na Gaillimhe is located on the West Coast of Ireland. ^[4] The population of the city, if the current growth rate continues, will hit 100,000 by 2020. ^[5]

Galway City (that is, the population inside the city limits) is the third largest in the Republic of Ireland, or fifth on the island of Ireland. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world However, the population of the wider urban area, is fourth largest in the Republic of Ireland (sixth on the island) after Dublin, (Belfast,) Cork, Limerick (and Derry). Introduction The term is described in the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 21 and a number of other statutory instruments for the purposes of Planning Greater Belfast (Irish Mórcheantar Bhéal Feirste) is an area surrounding and including Belfast in Northern Ireland. Metropolitan Cork (Irish Uirbeach Chorcaigh) refers to the city of Cork, Ireland, its Suburbs and the Satellite towns that feed into Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster The Derry Urban Area (Limistéar Uirbeach Dhoire is the Urban area that includes and surrounds the city of Derry in Northern Ireland, and is part of the

Shop Street, the city's main thoroughfare.

The population of Galway is largely descended from a mix native Gaelic peoples and of Anglo-Norman settlers. The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the conquest by William of Normandy in 1066, although In recent years Galway has attracted a sizeable immigrant community, largely from Poland and other Central European and Baltic States states such as Latvia and Lithuania, many of whom work in the service industry. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Small but growing Nigerian and Filipino communities has also attracted cultural and religious diversity to this west coast city. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP

At the time of the 2002 Census, 16. 3% of the population were aged 0 to 14; 75. 5% were aged 15 to 64, and 8. 2% were aged 65 and above. Also, 52. 9% of the population were female and 47. 1% were male. The part of the city with the highest population density was the Claddagh (5,756 people per km²), and the area with the lowest density was Ballybrit (823 people per km²). The Claddagh ( Irish: An Cladach - meaning "a stony beach") is an area close to the centre of Galway city where the Corrib River meets ^[6]

Climate

Galway, like the whole of Ireland, experiences a year-round mild, moist, balmy and changeable climate, due to the prevailing winds of the Gulf Stream. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that The city experiences a lack of temperature extremes, with temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) and above 30 °C (86 °F) being rare, though not unheard of. The city receives an average of 1,147 mm (45. 2") of precipitation annually, which is evenly distributed throughout the year. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric Rain is the most common form of precipitation - hail, sleet and snow are rare in the city, though will sometimes be experienced during particularly cold winters. Rain is Liquid precipitation. On Earth it is the condensation of atmospheric Water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall often making it to Hail is a form of precipitation which consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice (hailstones "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation. Galway is also consistently humid, with humidity normally ranging from 70% to 100% every day, and this can lead to heavy showers, and even thunderstorms breaking out when drier east winds, originating in the European continent, clash with this humidity in the late Summer in particular. Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean Relative humidity. Wind is the flow of Air or other Gases that compose an Atmosphere (including but not limited to the Earth's) Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the Continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European

The average January temperature in the city is 6. 8 °C (40. 6 °F) and the average July temperature is 16. 0 °C (60. 8 °F). This means that Galway is said to have a Maritime Temperate climate (Cfb) according to the Köppen climate classification system. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist

Extreme weather is rare, though the city and county can sometimes experience severe windstorms that are the result of vigorous Atlantic depressions that occasionally pass along the north west coast of Ireland. See also List of extreme weather events Extreme weather includes Weather phenomena that are at the extremes of the historical distribution especially A European windstorm is a severe cyclonic storm that tracks across the North Atlantic towards northwestern Europe in the winter months A low pressure area, or " low " is a region where the Atmospheric pressure is lower in relation to the surrounding area Most of these storms, however, happen between late autumn and early spring inclusive, being quite rare at other times of the year.

Due to the city's north-westerly location, Galway boasts long Summer days, with it daylight before 04:00 and not getting truly dark until after 23:00 during the midsummer period; however, the opposite is true in midwinter, when daylight does not truly start until 09. Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice The winter solstice occurs at the instant when the Sun 's position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance on the other side of the equatorial plane from the 00, and is gone by 16:00.

Due to the mild, moist climate, Galway is able to support plantlife not usually found at such high latitudes, such as palm trees and even fig trees. Plantlife is a wild plant conservation charity founded in 1989 Arecaceae or Palmae (also known by the name Palmaceae, which is taxonomically invalid or commonly palm tree) the palm family is a family of Flowering Ficus is a Genus of about 850 Species of woody Trees Shrubs Vines Epiphytes and hemi-epiphytes in the family ^[7]

Politics

City Council

Main article: Galway City Council

Cannon at Eyre Square, Galway The cannon were presented to the Connaught Rangers at the end of the Crimean War (1854-1856) in recognition of their military achievements. Galway City Council ( Comhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe) is an institution of Local government in Galway Ireland. The Connaught Rangers ("the Devil's Own" was an Irish Regiment of the British Army, formed by the almagation in 1881 of the 88th Regiment The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought

Services such as rubbish collection, recycling, traffic control, parks and housing are controlled by a fifteen member city council elected to five year terms by proportional representation, the next such election is due in June 2009. A city council is a form of Local government, usually covering a City or other Urban area, such as a Town. Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes The make-up of the current city council following is:

• 3 Labour Party,
• 3 Fine Gael,
• 3 Progressive Democrats,
• 3 Fianna Fáil,
• 1 Green Party,
• 2 Independent

The changes since the 2004 results include Cllr. The Labour Party (Páirtí an Lucht Oibre is a Democratic socialist and Social democratic Political party in the Republic of Ireland. Fine Gael – The United Ireland Party, shortened to Fine Gael (ˌfina gail meaning Family of the Irish or Tribe of the Irish, is the second largest The Progressive Democrats (An Páirtí Daonlathach lit The Democratic Party) commonly called The PDs, are a Free market liberal party in Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach shortened to Fianna Fáil ( is currently the largest Political party in the The Green Party (Comhaontas Glas lit Green Alliance) is a green Political party in Ireland. Michael Crowe joining Fianna Fáil, Cllr. Cathriene Connolly leaving Labour and Cllr. Danny Callanan leaving Sinn Féin.

Mayoralty

Main article: Mayor of Galway

The City Council is chaired by a mayor who is elected to a one year term by their fellow councillors. The office of Mayor of Galway has existed with a break of ninety-seven years since it was inaugurated in 1485. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Their role is mainly ceremonial, although they do have the casting vote. The current mayor is Cllr. Tom Costello who was elected Mayor of Galway on June 18, 2007. Events 618 - Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Deputies

Galway City is part of the Galway West constituency of Dáil Éireann. Galway West is a Constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. ga '''Dáil Éireann''' ( English House of Representatives of Ireland) is the principal chamber of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament Its TDs are:

• Noel Grealish (Progressive Democrats)
• Michael D. Higgins (Labour ). A Teachta Dála (ˈtʲaxtə ˈdɑːlə is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Oireachtas (Parliament of the Republic of Ireland. Noel Grealish (born 16 December 1965 is an Irish Progressive Democrats politician and a Teachta Dála (TD for the Galway West constituency The Progressive Democrats (An Páirtí Daonlathach lit The Democratic Party) commonly called The PDs, are a Free market liberal party in Michael Daniel Higgins (born 18 April 1941 known in Irish as Micheál D The Labour Party (Páirtí an Lucht Oibre is a Democratic socialist and Social democratic Political party in the Republic of Ireland. He is the party's President and former minister for Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. The Minister for Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Aire Gnóthaí Pobail Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta is the senior minister at the Department of Community Rural and
• Éamon Ó Cuív (Fianna Fáil). Éamon Ó Cuív (born 23 June 1950 is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and is currently the Minister for Community Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs. Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach shortened to Fianna Fáil ( is currently the largest Political party in the He is the current Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The Minister for Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Aire Gnóthaí Pobail Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta is the senior minister at the Department of Community Rural and
• Frank Fahey (Fianna Fáil). Frank Fahey (Proinsias Ó Fathaigh born 6 June 1951 is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician
• Pádraic McCormack (Fine Gael). Pádraic McCormack (born 15 May 1942 is an Irish Fine Gael politician and is currently a TD for Galway West constituency Fine Gael – The United Ireland Party, shortened to Fine Gael (ˌfina gail meaning Family of the Irish or Tribe of the Irish, is the second largest

Economy

Galway Chamber

Galway City, capital of Connacht, is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast The City has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years. Galway City has a strong local economy with complementary business sectors, including manufacturing industry, tourism, retail and distribution, education, healthcare and services that include financial, construction, cultural, and professional. The Galway City Chamber of Commerce is currently chaired by Mr Peter Allen.

Employment

Most (47%) of the people employed in Galway work in either the commerce or professional sector; with a large number (17%) also employed in manufacturing. Commerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer This article is about people called professionals For the Movie, see The Professional or Leon. Most industry and manufacturing in Galway, like the rest of Ireland, is hi-tech (e. High tech is Technology that is at the cutting edge —the most advanced technology currently available g. ICT, medical equipment, electronics, chemicals, etc. Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support Medical equipment is designed to aid in the diagnosis monitoring or treatment of medical conditions Electronics refers to the flow of charge (moving Electrons through Nonmetal conductors (mainly Semiconductors, whereas electrical A chemical substance is a Material with a definite chemical composition. ), due to the Celtic Tiger economic boom. Celtic Tiger (Tíogar Ceilteach is a name for the period of rapid Economic growth in the Republic of Ireland that began in the 1990s and slowed in 2001 Tourism is also of major importance to the city, which had over 2. 1 million visitors in 2000, and produced revenue of over €400 million. ^[8]

Galway Harbour.

Culture

Eyre Square is at the centre of Galway and a major meeting point. Eyre Square ( An Fhaiche Mhór) is an inner-city Public park in Galway, Ireland.

Galway is nicknamed Ireland's Cultural Heart (Croí Cultúrtha na hÉireann), and is world renowned for its vibrant lifestyle and numerous festivals, celebrations and events.

In 2004, there were three dance organisations, ten festival companies, two film organisations, two Irish language organisations, 23 musical organisations, twelve theatre companies, two visual arts groups and four writers' groups based in the city. ^[10]

Furthermore, there were 51 venues for events; most of which were specialised for a certain field (e. g. concert venues or visual arts galleries), though ten were described as being 'multiple event' venues. ^[10]

Major squares in the city include Eyre Square, in the very centre of the city; and Spanish Parade, next to Spanish Arch. Eyre Square ( An Fhaiche Mhór) is an inner-city Public park in Galway, Ireland. The Spanish Arch ( Irish: An Póirse Spáinneach) is a set of arches built in 1584 as an extension of the City walls of Galway

In 2007, Galway was named as one of the eight "sexiest cities" in the world. ^[11]

A 2008 poll ranked Galway as the 42^nd best tourist destination in the world, or 14^th in Europe. It ranks well ahead of all major European capitals (such as Paris, London and Rome), and many traditional tourist destinations (such as Venice). Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the ^[12]

Irish language and Culture

Main article: Culture of Ireland

Galway city has a reputation amongst Irish cities for being associated with the Irish language, music, song and dancing traditions - it is sometimes referred to as the 'Bilingual Capital of Ireland', although like all other cities in the Republic of Ireland, the vast bulk of the city's inhabitants converse mostly in English. The culture of the people living on the island of Ireland is far from monolithic There are officially eleven cities in Ireland between the two jurisdictions in Ireland, five of these in Northern Ireland and six of them in the Republic of Ireland Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the entire island of Ireland, North and South of the border The city is well known for its ‘Irishness’, mainly due to the fact that it has on its doorstep the Galway Gaeltacht. ga '''Gaeltacht''' ( plural ga ''Gaeltachtaí'' is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region Irish theatre, television and radio production and Irish music form a component of Galway city life, with both An Taibhdhearc, the National Irish Language Theatre, in Galway city centre, while TG4 and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta headquarters are in the Connemara Gaeltacht in County Galway. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Ireland's television channels are a subset of the Media in Ireland. Licensed radio in Ireland is one element of the wider Media in Ireland, with 85% of the population listening to a licenced service on any given day Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe, also referred to as An Taibhdhearc (pron TG4 ( Spoken as TG Ceathair or TG a Ceathair; tiː dʒiː kʲahəɾʲ is a Television channel in Ireland, aimed RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta n̪ˠə ˈɡeːɫ̪t̪ˠəxt̪ˠə ( RnaG; Irish for Radio of the Gaeltacht) is the Irish-language Radio Four electoral divisions, or neighbourhoods (out of twenty-two), are designated as Gaeltachtaí. ga '''Gaeltacht''' ( plural ga ''Gaeltachtaí'' is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region ^[10]

Architecture

Galway Cathedral, opened in 1965

Probably the finest medieval town house in Ireland, Lynch's Castle is in Shop Street; it is now a branch of the Allied Irish Bank. The Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas ( Irish Gaelic: Ard-Eaglais Mhaighdean na Deastógála agus San Nioclás) commonly known as Galway Shop Street is the main thoroughfare in Galway City, County Galway, Ireland. Allied Irish Banks plc ( AIB; Irish: Bainc-Aontas Éireann;,,,) is a major Commercial bank based in Ireland not to be mistaken

The Church of Ireland St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church is the largest remaining medieval church still in use in Ireland. The Church of Ireland (Eaglais na hÉireann is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. The Collegiate Church of St Nicholas is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use as a place of worship It was founded in 1320 and enlarged in the following two centuries. It is a particularly pleasant building in the heart of the old city. Its Roman Catholic counterpart, the Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas, which was consecrated in 1965, is a far larger, more imposing building constructed from limestone. The Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas ( Irish Gaelic: Ard-Eaglais Mhaighdean na Deastógála agus San Nioclás) commonly known as Galway It has an eclectic style, with renaissance dome, pillars and round arches, and a Romanesque portico that dominates the main facade — an unusual feature in modern Irish church building. Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single Paradigm or set of assumptions but instead draws upon multiple theories styles or ideas to The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which A portico is a Porch that is leading to the entrance of a building or extended as a Colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway supported by Columns It was suggested by a church in the city of Salamanca in Spain. Geography The city lies on a mountain by the Tormes River which is crossed by a bridge 150 m long built on 26 arches fifteen of which are of Roman origin, while Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Another of the city's more dominant limestone buildings is the Hotel Meyrick which dates from 1845^[13]. The Hotel Meyrick is the oldest hotel in the City of Galway, Ireland Sitting at the southern perimeter of Eyre Square, it is the City's oldest hotel still in operation. Eyre Square ( An Fhaiche Mhór) is an inner-city Public park in Galway, Ireland. Not far from the cathedral stands the original quadrangle building of National University of Ireland, Galway which was erected in 1849 (during An Gorta Mór, the Great Hunger) as one of the three colleges of the Queen's University of Ireland (along with Queen's University Belfast and University College Cork). In Architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard usually square or rectangular in plan the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building The National University of Ireland Galway ( NUI Galway) ( Irish Ollscoil na hÉireann Gaillimh or OÉ Gaillimh) is a tertiary-level The Queen's University of Ireland was established formally by Royal Charter on September 3, 1850, as the degree-awarding University of the Queen's University Belfast is a university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. University College Cork ( UCC) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, the university is located in Cork. The university holds the UNESCO archive of spoken material for the Celtic languages. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family.

Museum

Main article: Galway City Museum

Recently, The Galway City Museum has been opened, featuring two parts: "Fragments of a City" and "On Reflection. The Galway City Museum ( Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe) is a Museum in Galway City, County Galway, Ireland. The Galway City Museum ( Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe) is a Museum in Galway City, County Galway, Ireland. " "Fragments of a City" is be mainly about the heritage of Galway, while "On Reflection" is a collection of the most important Irish artists from the second half of the 20th century. This museum was designed to allow tourists and local visitors to really get to understand and know the city of Galway. This museum also houses the statue of the famous poet, Pádraic Ó Conaire which was originally in Kennedy Park, prior to its renovations

Events

Annual events include the:

Scene from the Galway Arts Festival Parade 2007

• Galway Astronomy Festival (January)
• Fleadh Imboilg (February)
• Galway Comedy Festival (March)
• Cúirt International Festival of Literature (April)
• Galway Early Music Festival (May)
• Galway Sessions (June)
• Salthill Air Show (June)
• Galway Film Fleadh (July)
• Project06 (July)
• Galway Arts Festival (July)
• Galway Races (August)
• Galway International Oyster Festival (September)
• Galway Jazz Festival (October)
• Baboró Galway International Arts Festival for Children (October)
• Tulca Visual Arts Festival (November)
• Galway Science and Technology Festival (November)

Theatre

Galway has a permanent Irish language theatre located in the city centre, Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe, which has produced some of Ireland's most celebrated actors. Pádraic Ó Conaire (28 February 1882 &ndash 6 October 1928 was an Irish writer and Journalist whose production was primarily in the Irish language. The Galway Arts Festival ( Féile Ealaíon na Gaillimhe) takes place in Galway Ireland every July Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Irish calendar, celebrated among Gaelic peoples and some other Celtic cultures either at the beginning The Galway Arts Festival ( Féile Ealaíon na Gaillimhe) takes place in Galway Ireland every July The Galway Races is a weeklong Irish Horse-racing festival that starts the last Monday of July every year The Galway International Oyster Festival is a Food festival held annually in Galway during September the first month of the Oyster season Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe, also referred to as An Taibhdhearc (pron The Druid Theatre Company has won international acclaim for its cutting edge production and direction. The Druid Theatre Company, was founded in Galway in 1975 by graduates of the NUIG, Garry Hynes, Marie Mullen and Mick Lally

In addition it also has the Town Hall Theatre, a state of the art theatre, that was opened in 1993. It is a 52 week program that covers all aspects of the performing arts including concerts, ballets, musicals, and operas. It has also been the venue for many popular Irish film premieres, during the famous Galway Film Fleadh.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Ireland

Galway has a diverse sporting heritage, with a history in sports ranging from horse racing, Gaelic games, soccer and rugby to rowing, motorsport, greyhound racing and others. Sport on the island of Ireland is popular and widespread Levels of participation and spectating are high but as in other western regions participation The Galway Races are known worldwide and are the highlight of the Irish horse racing calendar. The Galway Races is a weeklong Irish Horse-racing festival that starts the last Monday of July every year Over the years it has grown into an annual festival lasting seven days. In Motorsport, the Galway International Rally was the first international rally to be run from the Republic of Ireland. Throughout its history it has attracted star drivers from all over the world. The 2007 event was won by twice World Rally Champions Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen. Marcus "Bosse" Grönholm (born February 5 1968 in Kauniainen) is a former Finnish rally driver Timo Aulis Rautiainen (born January 25, 1963, in Sulkava, Finland) is a Finnish Heavy metal singer guitarist and songwriter

The city has hurling and gaelic football teams at all levels, including Father Griffins and St. James GAA. Hurling (in Irish, iománaíocht or iomáint) is an outdoor team Sport of ancient Gaelic origin administered by the Gaelic Gaelic football ( Irish: Peil, Peil Ghaelach, or Caid) commonly referred to as " football " is a form of Football Father Griffins/Eire Óg is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Galway, Ireland. St James' is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Galway area in County Galway, Ireland. Major football and hurling matches take place at Pearse Stadium in the city. Pearse Stadium (Páirc an Phiarsaigh is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in County Galway, Ireland. The stadium is also the home of the Salthill Knocknacarra Gaelic Athletic Association club which won the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship in 2006. The Gaelic Athletic Association ( GAA) ( Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael /'kʊmˠən̪ˠ 'l̪ˠuh The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971 played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland

Galway also has a soccer team, Galway United in the League of Ireland. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Galway United FC (Irish Cumann Peile Ghaillimh Aontaithe) was founded as Galway Rovers in 1937. The FAI eircom League of Ireland is the Republic of Ireland 's current national football league system created following the merging of the FAI and the League The city also hosts the The Umbro Galway Cup, - which is held annually at the home of Salthill Devon F.C.. The Umbro Galway Cup is a National Youth Tournament which is held every year in Galway, Ireland. Salthill Devon FC is an Irish football club currently playing in the Eircom 'A' League Championship in the Republic of Ireland.

There are two Senior rugby union teams in the city Galwegians RFC and Corinthians RFC, as well as provincial Connacht Rugby who play in the Magners (Celtic) League who host their matches at the Galway Sportsground. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Galwegians Rugby Football Club' is a Rugby union club in Galway, Ireland. Connacht Rugby (more commonly known as Connacht is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht, that competes in the Magners League and the European

Moycullen Basketball Club have been a flagship basketball club in Galway for a number of years, and compete in the National League. They are situated 13 km (8 mi) west of the city. Between Moycullen and Oranmore/Maree Club numerous Irish youth international stars have been produced over the last 10 years - who have represented Ireland at European basketball championships. A new club Titans Titans Basketball Club have recently been created in the city. They also comepete in the National League but have yet to make the breakthrough to the post-season.

The Millennium Children's Park in Galway, next to one of the city's many canals. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways

Sailing on both sea and lake are popular, as is rowing in the River Corrib with five clubs providing the necessary facilities and organising rowing competitions. GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004 These clubs include: Tribesmen Rowing Club, Galway Rowing Club, Coláiste Iognáid ('The Jes') Rowing Club, St. Joseph's College ('The Bish') Rowing Club, and the NUIG Rowing Club.

The Galway Motor Club provides a focus for enthusiasts.

Near the city centre on College Road the Greyhound Stadium has races every Thursday, Friday and Saturday Night. It was refurbished recently by the Irish Greyhound Board, Bord na gCon, where it shares the facility with the Connacht Rugby Team.

Nearby Salthill has three competitive swimming clubs Shark Swimming Club, Laser swimming club and Galway swimming club. Salthill ( Irish: Bóthar na Trá - literally "Beach Road" is a seaside suburb of Galway city in the province of Connacht in There is also a handball and racketball club while there are several martial arts clubs throughout the city. For more information on this topic see Senior Hardball Singles or Senior Softball Singles. Racquetball is a Racquet Sport played with a hollow Rubber Ball in an indoor or outdoor court Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for Combat.

Galway has also produced European and World Champion kick-boxers.

"Power walking" and roller blading on the promenade from the Claddagh to Blackrock are popular all year round. Roller skating is the Traveling on smooth terrain with roller skates

Music

Galway boasts a very rich and textured musical scene, that gives the city a lot of life. As in most Irish cities there is a large traditional music scene which is kept alive in pubs and street performers. Galway is most notable for its youth music scene, with emphasis placed mainly on rock and metal bands.

Well known bands from Galway include Toasted Heretic, The Stunning, The Saw Doctors (from Tuam) and many other bands in a wide variety of genres. Toasted Heretic was an Irish Rock group who attracted a Cult following in the late 1980s and 1990s The Stunning were an Irish rock band They formed in 1987, split up in 1994 and since then have reformed on two occasions both in the 21st The Saw Doctors are a Folk-rock band from Tuam, County Galway in the west of Ireland. Tuam (pronounced /tʃuəm/ Tuaim is a town in County Galway, Ireland.

In addition Galway also holds an annual music festival. Starting in 1996 the "Early Music Festival" has been incorporating European Music from the 12th-18th century. It encourages not only music, but dance and costumes as well for the events. The festival invites not only professional musicians but amateurs as well.

The Galway Arts Festival (Féile Ealaíon na Gaillimhe) takes place in Galway, Ireland every July. The Galway Arts Festival ( Féile Ealaíon na Gaillimhe) takes place in Galway Ireland every July It first began in 1978 and since has grown into one of the biggest arts festivals in Ireland. It attracts international artists as well as providing a platform for local and national performers also.

The festival includes parades, street performances and numerous plays, musical concerts and comedy acts. Over the years the festival has developed a reputation to rival the near-hedonistic atmosphere which envelopes the city of Galway during those weeks. Highlights of the festival tend to be Macnas and Druid performances, two large local performance groups.

Education

Main article: Education in Ireland

Two higher education institutions are located in the city, the National University of Ireland, Galway and the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. The Republic of Ireland 's education system is quite similar to that of most other western countries The National University of Ireland Galway ( NUI Galway) ( Irish Ollscoil na hÉireann Gaillimh or OÉ Gaillimh) is a tertiary-level Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology ( GMIT) ( Irish Institiúid Teicneolaíochta na Gaillimhe-Maigh Eo) formerly known as Regional Technical College The Institute of Technology, in addition to having 2 campuses in Galway City (its administrative headquarters on the Dublin Road and its art campus in Cluain Mhuire), also has campuses in Castlebar, Mountbellew and Letterfrack. Castlebar ( is the County town of and at the centre of County Mayo, Ireland. Mountbellew, ( also known as Mountbellew Bridge, is a small town located on the N63 between Ballinasloe and Tuam in North County Galway. Letterfrack ( Leitir Fraic in Irish from Leitir meaning rough hillside and perhaps from the Old Irish word Fraig meaning woman According to the 2002 census, 40. 8% of residents aged 15 and older in Galway had completed third level (higher) education, which compares favourably to the national level of 26. Higher education is Education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, Community colleges Liberal arts colleges 0%.

The offices of the Central Applications Office are also located in the city, this is the clearing house for undergraduate college and university applications in the Republic of Ireland; a related organisation, the Postgraduate Applications Centre processes some taught postgraduate courses. The Central Applications Office ( CAO) (An LárOifig Iontrála is the organisation responsible for overseeing most Undergraduate applications in the Republic In some Educational systems undergraduate education is Post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelor's degree. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Postgraduate Applications Centre ( PAC) is an organisation that processes entry into certain taught Postgraduate courses in the Republic of Ireland. See also Postgraduate Training in Education Postgraduate education (synonymous in North America with graduate education, and sometimes described

In 2002, there were 27 primary schools and 11 secondary schools in Galway. ^[14].

Other

The powerful River Corrib flows through the city from Lough Corrib, with many mill races and a canal to the sea. The River Corrib ( Irish - Gaillimh / Abhainn na Gaillimhe) in the west of Ireland flows from Loch Coirib / Lough Corrib Lough Corrib ( Loch Coirib in Irish) is a Lake in the west of Republic of Ireland. This picture (from the Claddagh) has the canal dock in the foreground, then the river (below sight line), Spanish Parade and on to the cathedral dome.

The Claddagh Ring is associated with the Claddagh, a fishing village located just outside the old walls of the Galway city. The Claddagh ring is a Traditional Irish ring given in friendship or worn as a Wedding ring. The Claddagh ( Irish: An Cladach - meaning "a stony beach") is an area close to the centre of Galway city where the Corrib River meets

A "Galway Hooker" is a traditional boat native to Galway. The Galway Hooker ( Irish: bád mór or húicéir) is a traditional sailing boat used in Galway Bay off the west coast of Ireland Is also the name of a new local micro-brewed beer.

Infrastructure

According to the 2002 census, the most popular way by which Galwegians travel to work and school was by car (49. 3%), followed by foot (29. 6%), bus (9. 2%), bike (4. 1%), motorbike (0. 7%) and train (0. 3%). The remaining 6. 8% travelled by other means or didn't state how. ^[15]

Airports

Galway Airport (6 kilometres east of the city) has scheduled services connecting Galway to the other major airports in Ireland, to major airports in Britain and also has flights to a small amount of continental European destinations. “GWY” redirects here You may have been looking for the Cherokee language, written in Cherokee ᏣᎳᎩ. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Aerfort na Minna (22 kilometres west of the city) operates reqular flights to each of the Aran Islands (Oileáin Árann). Aerfort na Minna, often known as Connemara Regional Airport in English, is located at Inverin, in the Connemara region 27 kilometres (17 miles The Aran Islands ( Irish: Oileáin Árann, Aran Islands Dialect: ˈɑːrənʲ ˈhɑːrənʲəxə are a group of three Islands located

Shannon Airport (90 kilometres) and Ireland West Airport Knock (86 kilometres) are also within easy reach of the city, both of which have frequent flights around Ireland and to Britain, Europe and North America. Shannon International Airport, or Aerfort na Sionnainne in Irish is one of Ireland's primary three airports (along with Dublin Airport and Cork Airport Ireland West Airport Knock (Aerfort Chonnachta, is an airport located 3 Nautical miles (5

Buses

There are two companies providing bus services throughout the city - Bus Éireann and Galway City Direct. Bus Éireann ( Irish for Irish Bus) provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which There are 16 bus routes serving the city and its suburbs altogether - Bus Éireann operates 11 routes, while Galway City Direct runs 5 routes. In February 2007, Bus Éireann announced a major expansion plan for the city, including more routes, more buses and higher frequencies. ^[16] This is part of the €1 billion Ceannt Station Quarter and public transport development plan. ^[17]

Waterways

The River Corrib is by far the most important waterway in Galway and a number of canals and channels were built above and through the city. The River Corrib ( Irish - Gaillimh / Abhainn na Gaillimhe) in the west of Ireland flows from Loch Coirib / Lough Corrib The purposes of these to divert and control the water from the river, to harness its power and to provide a navigable route to the sea. ^[18] Of these, there were two major schemes - one between 1848 and 1858 and the other during the 1950s. The canals provided a power source for Galway and were the location of the first industries in the mid-19th century. The Eglinton Canal provided a navigation from the sea (at the Claddagh Basin) to the navigable part of the river (above the Salmon Weir Bridge). Most of the mills are still used today for various purposes; for instance, NUIG still uses a water turbine for electricity generation for their building on Nun's Island. The National University of Ireland Galway ( NUI Galway) ( Irish Ollscoil na hÉireann Gaillimh or OÉ Gaillimh) is a tertiary-level A water turbine is a rotary Engine that takes energy from moving water

Currently, there are four bridges across the Corrib: the William O'Brien Bridge, the Salmon Weir Bridge, the Wolfe Tone Bridge and the Quincentennial Bridge. There are plans for a fifth bridge as part of the Galway City Outer Bypass project.

Railway

Main article: Rail transport in Ireland

Galway's main railway (and bus) station is Ceannt Station, which opened on 1 August 1851^[19] and which is about to get a major redevelopment, complete with a completely new urban district - Ceannt Station Quarter. Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland Galway railway station ( Ceannt Station / Stáisiún Cheannt) serves the city of Galway in County Galway. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman 1851 ( MDCCCLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The Ceannt Station Quarter ( Ceathrú Staisiún Ceannt) is a planned urban quarter for the city of Galway, County Galway, Ireland. ^[20][21]

The remains of Galway to Clifden Railway line bridge at Galway City over the River Corrib

The Midland Great Western Railway (MGW) reached Galway in 1851, giving the city a direct main line to its Broadstone Station terminus in Dublin. The River Corrib ( Irish - Gaillimh / Abhainn na Gaillimhe) in the west of Ireland flows from Loch Coirib / Lough Corrib The Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR main line extended from Broadstone in Dublin to the Midlands ( Mullingar, to Athlone) and onwards Broadstone railway station, ( Stáisiún An Clochán Leathan) the former Dublin terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway, is currently the headquarters of |}A train station, railway station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which Passengers may board and alight from Trains Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland.

As the 19th century progressed the rail network in Connacht was expanded, making Galway an important railhead. A railhead is a terminus of a railway line that interfaces with another Transport mode, such as Shipping. The nearby town of Athenry became a railway junction, giving Galway links to Limerick and the south in 1869 and Sligo and the north in 1894. Athenry (æθənˈraɪ Baile Átha an Rí balʲɑːˈɾiː transl Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster Sligo (disambiguation Sligo ( (ˈslaɪɡoʊ "sly-go" Irish ˈɕlʲɪɟəx is the County town of County Sligo in Ireland. In 1895 the MGW opened a branch line between Galway and Clifden. The Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR main line extended from Broadstone in Dublin to the Midlands ( Mullingar, to Athlone) and onwards Clifden (An Clochán meaning "bee-hive cell" is a town on the coast of County Galway, Ireland and being Connemara 's largest town it is often

The 20th century brought increasing road competition, and this led the Great Southern Railway to close the Clifden branch in 1935. Clifden (An Clochán meaning "bee-hive cell" is a town on the coast of County Galway, Ireland and being Connemara 's largest town it is often Its former junction is still visible from Ceannt Station's platforms. Éamonn Ceannt (born Edward Thomas Kent ( 21 September, 1881 &ndash 8 May, 1916) was an Irish Nationalist and Galway station was renamed Ceannt in 1966. Éamonn Ceannt (born Edward Thomas Kent ( 21 September, 1881 &ndash 8 May, 1916) was an Irish Nationalist and In the 1970s Córas Iompair Éireann closed the Sligo-Ennis line to passenger services, and it has since closed to freight as well. Córas Iompair Éireann ( abbreviated CIÉ) is a statutory authority which is owned by the Irish Government. Sligo (disambiguation Sligo ( (ˈslaɪɡoʊ "sly-go" Irish ˈɕlʲɪɟəx is the County town of County Sligo in Ireland. Ennis ( is the County town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway

Iarnród Éireann, the Republic of Ireland's national rail operator, runs six return passenger services each day between Dublin, Galway and intermediate stations. rail transport in Ireland Iarnród Éireann ( IÉ;; in English, Irish Rail) is the national Railway system operator of the Republic Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Travel time is just under 3 hours to Dublin Heuston. Dublin Heuston, commonly called Heuston station ( Stáisiún Heuston) is one of Ireland's main railway stations, serving the south southwest and west

The distance by rail between Galway and Dublin is 208 km. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland.

Galway is due to get suburban rail by 2008, with regular commuter services to Athenry, and in 2009, a new stop will be included at Oranmore. At present Currently there are 'commuter' services from Athlone to Galway via Ballinasloe, Woodlawn, Attymon and Athenry Athenry (æθənˈraɪ Baile Átha an Rí balʲɑːˈɾiː transl Oranmore (Órán Mór is a suburban village in County Galway on the outskirts of Galway city in Ireland.

Road

Main article: Roads in Ireland

Three national primary roads serve the city: the N17 from the North (Tuam, Sligo, Donegal), the N6 from the East (Athlone, Dublin), and the N18 from the South (Shannon Town, Limerick and Cork). Ireland, both north and south of the border, has an extensive network of roads Tuam (pronounced /tʃuəm/ Tuaim is a town in County Galway, Ireland. Sligo (disambiguation Sligo ( (ˈslaɪɡoʊ "sly-go" Irish ˈɕlʲɪɟəx is the County town of County Sligo in Ireland. Donegal ( Irish: Dún na nGall) is a town in County Donegal, in the Province of Ulster, in Ireland. Shannon or Shannon Town ( An tSionna in Irish) named after the river near which it stands is a New town located in County Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast The M4 motorway from Dublin towards Sligo and Galway was further extended in late 2005 and now reaches just west of Kinnegad; work on the next extension (the M6 motorway) towards Galway has begun. Road standard The road is a Dual carriageway from O'Connell Bridge, Dublin to Mullingar (including the motorway section Sligo (disambiguation Sligo ( (ˈslaɪɡoʊ "sly-go" Irish ˈɕlʲɪɟəx is the County town of County Sligo in Ireland. Kinnegad ( Cionn Átha Gad in Irish) is a town on the County Westmeath / County Meath border Ireland. By 2015, the Galway-Dublin (by 2010), Galway-Limerick and Galway-Tuam routes will be completely motorway or high-quality dual-carriageway standard. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster Tuam (pronounced /tʃuəm/ Tuaim is a town in County Galway, Ireland.

In addition, there are plans for a semi-ring road of the city, the Galway City Outer Bypass, which should also be complete by 2015. ^[22][23] There is also an Inner City Ring (Cuar Inmheánach) route that encircles the city centre, most of which is pedestrianised. A central business district ( CBD) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city Car-free zones (also known as auto-free zones and pedestrian zones) are areas of a city or town in which automobile traffic is prohibited

Galway is considered the gateway to Connemara and the Gaeltacht. Connemara (in Irish: Conamara) which derives from Conmhaicne Mara (meaning descendants of Con Mhac of the sea is a district in the west of ga '''Gaeltacht''' ( plural ga ''Gaeltachtaí'' is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region The N59 along the western shore of Lough Corrib and the R337 along the northern shore of Galway Bay lead to this wild and romantic region. Lough Corrib ( Loch Coirib in Irish) is a Lake in the west of Republic of Ireland. Galway Bay ( Irish: Loch Lurgan or Cuan na Gaillimhe) is a large bay / Sea Loch on the West Coast

Bus travel to the city from all major towns and airports is serviced by many private operators and the national bus company Bus Éireann. Bus Éireann ( Irish for Irish Bus) provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which

Galway Harbour

Ballyknow Quay

Galway is the most central port on the West Coast of Ireland in the sheltered eastern corner of Galway Bay. The harbour can be used by vessels up to 10,000 metric tons of deadweight (DWT) and the inner dock can accommodate up to 9 vessels at any one time. Deadweight tonnage (also known as deadweight and variously abbreviated as DWT, D Pending approval, Galway Harbour may see major changes, should the €1. 5 billion development plan go ahead.

With Rossaveal and Doolin, it is one of the gateways to the Oileáin Árann. Rossaveal (official name Ros an Mhíl) is a fishing and an Irish speaking Village in Connemara, Ireland, and the main Ferry Doolin ( Dúlainn in Irish) is a coastal village in County Clare, Ireland, on the Atlantic coast The Aran Islands ( Irish: Oileáin Árann, Aran Islands Dialect: ˈɑːrənʲ ˈhɑːrənʲəxə are a group of three Islands located

Commuter ferry services have been proposed to the commuter town of Kinvara, on the opposite side of Galway Bay. Kinvara (Cinn Mhara meaning " head of the sea " is a sea port village located in the south of County Galway in the province of Connacht Galway Bay ( Irish: Loch Lurgan or Cuan na Gaillimhe) is a large bay / Sea Loch on the West Coast ^[24]

Media

Main article: Media in Ireland

Galway can receive all the national radio stations and television stations, as well as cable and satellite services. The media in Ireland include all the media and Communications outlets of any other developed nation Licensed radio in Ireland is one element of the wider Media in Ireland, with 85% of the population listening to a licenced service on any given day Ireland's television channels are a subset of the Media in Ireland. A cable is one or more Wires or Optical fibers bound together typically in a common protective jacket or sheath This article is about artificial satellites For natural satellites also known as moons see Natural satellite.

One of the main regional newspapers for the county is the The Connacht Tribune which prints three titles every week - the Connacht Sentinel on Tuesday, the Connacht Tribune on Thursday and the Galway City Tribune on Friday. The Connacht Tribune ( An Curadh Connachtach) is a newspaper circulating chiefly in County Galway, Ireland and is currently the most popular As of January 2007, The Tribune has a weekly readership of over 150,000.

Another Galway-based newspaper is the Galway Advertiser — a free paper printed every Thursday with an average of 160 pages and a circulation of 70,000 copies. It also prints a free newspaper on Monday called Galway First aimed at the 18-35 market with a lot of emphasis on news, entertainment and sport. It is the main paper of the Advertiser Newspaper Group which distributes 200,000 newspapers per week to a variety of other Irish cities and towns.

Another free paper, the Galway Independent, prints on a Tuesday night for Wednesday circulation.

Galway Bay FM (95. 8 FM) broadcasts from the city to the whole county of Galway. County Galway (Contae na Gaillimhe is located on the West Coast of Ireland. Another radio station is Flirt FM (101. Flirt FM is the Student radio station for the National University of Ireland Galway and the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. 3 FM), which is a student radio station for the National University of Ireland, Galway and Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. The National University of Ireland Galway ( NUI Galway) ( Irish Ollscoil na hÉireann Gaillimh or OÉ Gaillimh) is a tertiary-level Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology ( GMIT) ( Irish Institiúid Teicneolaíochta na Gaillimhe-Maigh Eo) formerly known as Regional Technical College The newest radio station is i102-104fm, a youth-orientated radio station broadcasting from Galway City to seven counties along the north-west coast. i102-104FM (formally trading as i105FM) is a regional station in the Republic of Ireland which was launched on 7 February 2008 It launched on 7 February 2008. Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

The area round Spanish Arch, on The Quays. The Spanish Arch ( Irish: An Póirse Spáinneach) is a set of arches built in 1584 as an extension of the City walls of Galway

The cable channel City Channel, which was originally based in Dublin, has recently launched a version of the channel for Galway. City Channel is an Irish media company who operate one Cable television channel City Channel (Dublin, and other variants in Galway Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland.

Telecommunications

Main article: Communications in Ireland

The area code for Galway is 091, or from outside Ireland, +35391. Telecommunications in the Republic of Ireland, including Postal services run by An Post, are regulated to a large extent by the Commission

In 2004, Galway got its own Metropolitan Area Broadband Network; which is made up of 56 kilometres of fibre optic cable. An optical fiber (or fibre) is a Glass or Plastic fiber that carries Light along its length This encircles the city from Knocknacarra to Ballybrit/Ballybane and also incorporates a 6 kilometre extension to the commuter town of Oranmore. Oranmore (Órán Mór is a suburban village in County Galway on the outskirts of Galway city in Ireland. The network cost €10 million to install. ^[25]

Furthermore, there are proposals to install a city-wide free Wi-Fi network; which is backed by a former city mayor. Wi-Fi (ˈwaɪfaɪ is the trade name for the popular wireless technology used Galway-based IT company iZone are planning to also install extra features in certain 'hotspots', such as wireless telephone and text messaging services, and live music and video streams. A hotspot is a venue that offers Wi-Fi access to the Internet ^[26]

Crime

Galway is located in the Garda Western Region, which has the lowest crime rate out of any other region in the country. It has been claimed that Galway is the safest city in Ireland. In 2005 the official figures for 'Galway West' show that the headline crime rate was 23. 33 per 1,000 people. This can be compared with Cork city's 27. Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast 81 crimes per 1,000 people, and Dublin's 39. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. 15 crimes per 1,000 people. In 2006, 2 murders occurred in Galway city. ^[27] It was also revealed in 2007 that the crime rate in the city has actually fallen from 2005 as well, despite some high-profile assault cases^[28].

Twinnings

Sister cities

The following places are twinned with Galway:^[29]

Aalborg, Denmark (1997)

Bradford, England, United Kingdom (1986)

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America (1997)

Chicago, Illinois, United States of America (1997)

Lorient, Bretagne, France (1978)

Maesteg, Wales, United Kingdom (2008)

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America (2001)

Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada (2002)

Qingdao, Shandong, China (1999)

St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America (1977)

Seattle, Washington, United States of America (1986)

Waitakere, Auckland, New Zealand (2002)

Adopted ship

• LÉ Aisling (1996)

See also

• List of Galway people
• History of Galway
• Sieges of Galway
• List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland (County Galway)
• List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
• Cities in Ireland
• List of cities, boroughs and towns in the Republic of Ireland
• List of RNLI stations

External links

• Galway Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Galway City Council (local authority)

References

This memorial is a gift from the people of Genova, Italy to the people of Galway in commemoration of Coloumbus's visit. Aalborg ( IPA ˈʌlb̥ɒːˀ is a city in Denmark. Its population as of 2006 is 121540 making it the fourth largest in the country after Copenhagen, The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Bradford ( lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a Metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Cambridge Massachusetts is a City in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Lorient, or L'Orient, (An Oriant is a commune and a Seaport in the Morbihan département, of Brittany. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Maesteg is a town in the County Borough of Bridgend, Wales. It lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with the county The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Moncton ( is a Canadian city located in Westmorland County, New Brunswick. New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page ( is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For the football team see Waitakere City FC Administrative structure Waitakere City was formed by the amalgamation of Waitemata City with Geography On the mainland the region extends from the mouth of the Kaipara Harbour in the north across the southern stretches of the North Auckland Peninsula New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Sonia incident In 1984 LÉ Aisling was involved an international incident with a Spanish fishing trawler called Sonia. Patrick Flood Emily Anderson Margaret Athy, founder of St Augustine's Convent in Galway Nora Barnacle, Galway, one of the largest cities in Ireland situated on the west coast of Ireland, has a complex history going back around 800 years The city of Galway, Ireland - built as a Naval base and Military Fort by Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair in There are officially eleven cities in Ireland between the two jurisdictions in Ireland, five of these in Northern Ireland and six of them in the Republic of Ireland The five cities (cathracha and five boroughs ( buirgeanna) of Ireland are defined by the Local Government Act 2001 (S List of Royal National Lifeboat Institution stations by county "On these shores, around the year 1477, the Genoese sailor Cristoforo Colombo found sure signs of land beyond the Atlantic. La Città di Genova alla Città di Galway. 29. VI. 1992.