⚠ Announcement

Midway up the west coast of Ireland is County Galway, the second largest county in Ireland, and one of Ireland's most popular and vibrant destinations. It's divided into two contrasting regions by the expanse of Lough Corrib. To the west, lying between the lake and the Atlantic is Connemara - a region of superb scenic grandeur dominated by the rocky mountain range known as the Twelve Bens. A great many of the inhabitants are Irish speakers, and much of the ancient Gaelic culture is preserved. Galway East, or East of Lough Corrib, is a fertile limestone plain extending to Roscommon.

Offshore, the eroded, sheer swaths of land known as the Aran Islands have a desolate, windswept aura that entrances. Tiny villages cling to the rocks while soft-hearted locals welcome their modern lifeblood: visitors. County Galway has several blue flag beaches, and the largest beaches are found in Connemara. Galway is also home to the greatest array of castles in Ireland, some in ruin, but some magnificently restored.