Galway

Woke up to rain - again.

Today’s plan is to drive to Galway, by which time the rain may take pity on us to enable some sightseeing. Well it didn’t ease up, if anything it intensified to the point where the roads were awash with running water wetting our shoes, socks and toes.

So what does one do in such conditions? We go the local pancake cafe to have coffee and a pancake lunch, followed by some retail therapy to buy lightweight waterproof coats. Who would have thought of bringing waterproof jackets in the middle of summer? Every Irish person we have spoken to said waterproofs are part of any season there - even summer.

Then we went sightseeing in the rain, passing by buskers performing in the rain. Galway is renowned for its music atmosphere, so not even a bit (or a lot) of rain was going to interfere with that.

Galway is a harbour on Ireland’s west coast, which has the River Corin flowing through it before it meets the Atlantic Ocean. The Latin Quarter is by far the most vibrant part of the city with stone clad cafes, boutiques, market stalls and art galleries lining the winding lanes. This section of the city also retains portions of the medieval city walls.

We went through the Spanish Arch, which is located in the left bank of the Corrine River. It is one of the historical gems of Galway, dating back to medieval times. Built in 1584, it is an extension of the 12th. Century Norman built town wall.

We walked along the walkway running alongside the River Corrib, which led us to the Galway Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas. It is a dominating building in the centre of Galway, built on the site of a former jail which was demolished. Building commenced in 1957 with the blessing of the foundation stone, and completed in August 1965.

What makes Galway Cathedral so impressive, apart from its dominating size, is the architectural style used in its construction. For example, the dome, pillars and arches are in the Renaissance style. The external arch at the north entrance is of Romanesque style, influenced by the architecture of Spanish churches due to the close links between Galway and Spain. The seats are made from West African mahogany and the coffered ceiling is made from western red cedar from the Pacific Coast of America.

We all found this a truely impressive building to be in.

On the drive from Galway to the bed and breakfast in Lahinch, we passed many castles, but stopped at the monastic remains at Kilmacduagh. This monastery was founded by St. Colman Mac Duach in the early 7th century. The churches were plundered in the 13th. Century, yet the site remained the seat of a Bishop until the 16th century. The buildings that remain include the cathedral, Temple Mary (a small 13th century church, the Glebe House (the abbots house), O’Heyne’s Church, the Round Tower (a place of refuge for the monks, and the Church of St. John the Baptist.

The pint of the day was a Coors Light, brewed by Molson Coors Brewing Company in Cork. It is one of the world’s largest brewers and has 5 breweries across Ireland. I look forward to having more of their beers.Read more