Galway

We took an historical tour of. the city of Galway from Arthur McGuire, brother of my friend Des, whom I’ve known virtually through a global Zoom-based meditation group. We learned quite a bit about this city through the tour.
We met in Eyre Square, a popular gathering place with its own history going back centuries. Here, in June 1963, President John F. Kennedy paid a visit to Galway and just about the whole town turned out to hear him speak. That visit galvanized the town, and it has experienced significant development ever since. To honor President Kennedy after his assassination, there is a separate section of the square: the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park. That’s where we met Arthur to start our tour.
A shopping mall is located just next to the Square, and there are remnants of the medieval city walls preserved within it. Remnants of medieval homes and buildings are visible across the downtown area; family crests of the wealthy families who controlled commerce and politics over the centuries adorn some of these buildings. Singer songwriter Ed Sheeran got his start here, too, busking in front of a popular retail outlet in the downtown area.
Another highlight of our tour was a visit to the Thomas Dillon Claddagh Gold shop, opened in 1750. The ring produced here is a traditional Irish ring originating from the fishing village of. Claddagh in Galway. It features three elements: a heart for love, crown for loyalty, and hands for friendship.
Arthur, our tour guide, wears one as his wedding ring. These rings can also be worn by single people, who wear it on the right ring finger with the heart pointing up. This indicates the wearer is available for a relationship. A better option for matchmaking here than match.com.
Finally, the Oscar, Wilde-Eduard Wilde sculpture was designed by Estonian sculptor Tilu Kirsipuu. (This is a copy; the original sits in Estonia.) The copy was made and delivered to Galway shortly after Estonia joined the European Union.Read more