text and photos by: Gypsygal Nina

I took a stroll down the old long walk
Of the day I-ay-I-ay
I met a little girl and we stopped to talk
On a grand soft day I-ay

And I ask you friends, what’s a fella to do?
Because her hair was black and her eyes were blue
And I knew right then, I’d be takin a whirl

—Down the Salthill Prom with a Galway Girl

You probably heard this song a thousand times before. Especially if you’re like me who watched – and loved – the movie “PS, I Love You I often sing this song, never expecting that I will find myself strolling in the western ireland city of Galway.

I have heard several stories s on how Galway (known in Old Irish as “Gaillimh”) got its name.

One version claims that he city took its name from the Gaillimh river (otherwise known as the River Corrib) that formed the western boundary of the earliest settlement, which was called Dún Bhun na Gaillimhe (meaning “fort at the foot of the Gaillimh”). The word Gaillimh means “stony” – as in “stony river” . Others said that Galway was derived from the word “galls” – the old Irish term for “foreigners”- reflecting the presence of foreign -mostly English – settlers in this place. Those of a more romantic bent believe that Galway was named after the mythological pre-Celtic princess Galvia who drowned in the River Corrib.

It might be an old settlement but Galway is, in many ways, a “young” city. Galway is home to some of Ireland’s biggest universities – including the National University of Ireland and the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. This is why you can see pubs in every corner of the city, catering mostly to students who need that pint of ale to wash those homework blues away.

Idyllic SHops at GAlway City Centre

The main landmark of the city is Eyre Square – a park where the locals usually hang out.The plot of land that became Eyre Square was officially presented to the city in 1710 by Mayor Edward Eyre, from whom it took its name. The square was officially renamed “Kennedy Memorial Park” in 1965 in honor of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who visited Galway city shortly before his assassination in 1963.

Eyre Square

All time favorite pastime-sleeping under the tree

It is also in Eyre Square where one can see the statue of beloved Galway-born author Padhraig O Conaire.

Another must see site in Galway is the Lynch castle, home of of what was once the most powerful family in Galway. The castle, which is made of limestone and built in the 16th century, is one of the fine examples of Irish Gothic architecture.

If you walk by the quay side, you will see the remnants of a wall and an arch which were built in the 1600’s to protect merchant ships from looting. The arch is more known as the “Spanish arch” as Spanish galleons often dock under its protection.Spanish Arch, which is located on the banks of the river Corrib, was built in 1584. It was originally an extension of the famous city walls, designed to protect the quays

Hola Spanish Arches

The Salthill Prom (in old Irish it’s called Bóthar na Tra which means “Beach Road”) is a promenade overlooking the Galway bay – the perfect place to stroll, meet someone special, fall in love while humming the song “Galway Girl”..

The world is my oyster