Exploring Galway

Warning: Galway will one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2020, and they are expecting 1 million more visitors than in normal years. If you are hoping to visit in 2020, they recommend you book your accommodations as far in advance as possible.

On Monday, August 5, we explored Galway--partly via Hop On Hop Off tour bus, partly by walking around.

The weather varied from gray-and-threatening to torrential rain, so our ability to take photos was somewhat limited.

Here's the view from our bus:

Galway is known as the "City of Tribes"--historically, it was run by 14 powerful families/tribes. There is a flag for each tribe along one edge of Eyre Square, a public square in Galway. According to Wikipedia, "The earliest endeavour to formally enclose [the park] was recorded in 1631." Here are a few of the flags:

The Galway Hooker (a type of fishing boat) fountain, also in Eyre Square:

The Spanish Arch (locals call it "the Sparch"):

We explored the Galway City Centre:

It was a bank holiday, so shops were opening later than usual, if at all. A guy and his elderly dog were setting up an outdoor display of photos of the Irish countryside, farm animals, and more. We told him our story about traveling around to the birthplaces of some of Matt's emigrant ancestors, and that we had recently been in Swinford. "County Mayo!" he said, and then he took a good look at Matt. "You have a big F-word Mayo head!" he exclaimed. "Everyone I've met from County Mayo has been big and strong."

So of course, we had to buy several photos, including one of a goat named Ronnie, because he looks like Ronnie Drew of the Dubliners.

Here is a statue of Oscar Wilde with a man stuck to his back:

Galway is a city of festivals. Our tour guide said "We'll have a festival for a book or an oyster." Although Ed Sheeran is not from Galway (in fact, he's British!), he apparently spent time as a busker in the Galway City Centre, and so Galway has claimed him as their own. One of their festivals is called "Paint the town Ed." We saw these young buskers, and they were excellent:

We wondered if O'Maille is related to O'Malia (one of Matt's family names; aka, O'Malley):

We ate dinner at Finnegan's: