Co. Galway, Clifden....?

Question

I'm considering traveling to ireland, and i think i've narrowed it down to Co. Galway... i was wondering if anyone could tell me about the Co. and other possible towns/cities to stay in. i want the the small town feel. I would also greatly appreciate it if you could tell me about some must see sights and great resteraunts and pubs.

thank you so much!

Answer 1

Galway is amazing.  Small town feel but also city assets.  Its really lovely and great. I lived there for three months last year and loved it.  I would also recommend Doolin.  It is as small as small can get for a town.  I think there are four different bars/ restaurants and just a few places to stay.  But let me tell you, the food is delicious and the bars are very lively.  They are known for their live music and rightfully so.  My night in Doolin was one of the best I had.  Just wait and see.  Also check out Salthill, although I never got to. I heard great things.  Also if you stay in Galway you can check out the Cliffs of Moher which are a must when visiting Ireland.  You could also take a day trip to the Aran Islands.  They are like a step back in time.  Very interesting.  Sligo is north of Galway but a cool little beach town.  Donegal is also nearby Sligo and has that vibe I think you are going for.  I would skip Cork and Limerick and even Dublin.  They just didn't have the charm of the west.

Answer 2

We stayed in Clifden last year and enjoyed it. The town is very small, but has a couple of hotels/restaurants so not too small. The best part is the countryside around there called Connemara. In my opinion, the most beautiful part of Ireland.

We also drove up to Westport, Co. Mayo for the day. Quite a nice little town also. We took a small boat out to Clare Island which was very nice.

Below is a link to a place you may (or may not) enjoy. It's very near to Clifden.

Answer 3

I just returned from there. Clifden is OK, but Westport is MUCH better. There, you can party in the 'Best Pub in Ireland' or go down the street a bit to Matt Malloy's, pub owned by the flutist of the Chieftans. The town itself has pretty views, too.

As for Galway, it is a small city with way too much of a traffic problem, though I do think you would enjoy a day there. Live music at Tig Coili's.

I would definitely recommend that you see Cong, where the Quiet Man was made something like 50 years ago. Cong Abbey is spectacular. Drive over to Ashford castle, too, in the same town, just to see how the crowd that can pay 825Euros a night minimum live. Eat at Burkes in nearby Clonbur. There is a lovely B&B there called Ballykine. Reserve.

Keep your camera ready for the ride through sheep, peat, and mountain country, too, around Leenane. You can get yourself a really great raincoat for a reasonable price at the tourist shop if you need one.

Enjoy! There is no place like Ireland and there are no people like the Irish. If I won the lottery, I would move in.  

Answer 4

Galway city itself is a great place to visit. Remember, by international standards Galway is a town, not a city.

Clifden is a lovely place to visit for a day as a tourist. You can get there by bus from Galway city.

Have you a car?

When in Galway you should do a tour of Connemara and The Burren. The Cliffs of Moher are in The Burren.

Also worth visiting is the Aran Islands. And Kylemore Abbey which is near Clifden.

Answer 5

i would recommend oughterard.it has a very small town feel to it and lots of places to see.auganure castle.glengowla mines.leam brigde,etc.

the night life is good aswell and has lots of pubs and restraunts to go to.i say the best restuarnt would be breathnacks bar

which is a classy restruant but still has a relaxed feel to it and its a pub but most people use it as a restuant.theres pubs aswell and oughterard is a child friendly.its have way in between galway city(45 minutes about)and clifden (50 minutes)there is supermacs in it thats opened untyill late so you can have food it you are out late at night or not in the mood to cook.theres also alcastar another food place and archers a pizzeria wshich sells pasta etc and you can eat in thier aswell(lovely food)the pubs are nice theres keoghs wich is where middle age/old people go and some young people go down the back there is always music at the weekend there lovely contry music.and the boat inn is a bar thaat all aged people go to it also has lovely food during the day aswell.theres a football pitch aswell where theres loads of football if youd like to see that./theres horseridding about 5 minutes from oughterard town and lots of bb/hotels you could stay in.theres a hotel called the gateway which is classy sells food/drink/swimming/gym/sauna.theres plenty of walks you can go on.animal friendly.and ALL the people are so welcoming from oughterard.you can go to clifden and galway city for day trips if you wish.buses go to both at 10,11,1 and 2 and come home at 1,2,5,6,8 and 9.

so best of look cya