Galway Tourism Blog

How sailing can boost local economies

2009-11-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

Report published by the Irish Times this week.

Schull in West Cork has been awarded the World Team Racing Championships in 2011 by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) meeting in Korea.

The event is expected to attract 25 teams and over 300 sailors.

The ISAF also appointed Dun Laoghaire’s Con Murphy an international race officer at the conference in Busan this week.

Vivion Kennedy and Mervyn Dyke lift the Waterhouse Shield tonight for the most successful Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) yacht in handicap classes.

The result was achieved in Cruisers Two class in the yacht Jawesome II.

Among other presentations tonight at the awards ceremony for the country’s biggest racing club in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, is the George Arthur Newsom Cup for the most successful yacht in one-design classes, won by Guy Kilroy in Swift.

Next weekend’s ICRA conference in Kilkenny includes a talk by John Murphy of Kinetic, the Division Two national champion, on how to prepare a boat for a major regatta.

There will also be debate on whether the White Sails fleet should have a national championships or is such an event contrary to the concept of the White Sail initiative?

Fáilte Ireland report into the financial success of Galway’s staging of the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) will reveal that nearly €60 million was generated in June. That figure suggests at least half that figure could be harvested from the sea annually and hundreds of full-time jobs created if ports around the coast followed the lead provided by the race stopover in Galway.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, particularly those in Government: we are living on an island, with hundreds of miles of scenic coastline. Now that Galway has shown the way, the opportunity to do the same at other ports should be grasped, otherwise the memories of two weeks on the west coast will just float away on the tide.

As much as sailors here might have hoped for a stronger performance from both Irish-inspired entries in the VOR, this morning’s publication of a Deloitte report into what Ireland gleaned from this Round the World event will be proof enough that there were many ways to win the race.

The report, presented by Fáilte Ireland chairman Redmond O’Donoghue and Galway organisers John Killeen and Enda O’Coineen, will show that Ireland had the highest spend per-capita-head of any of the nine stopover ports. For Irish sailing, it demonstrates in unambiguous terms the potential of what can come in on the tide.

In the biggest influx of people in to Galway city since the Papal visit, 600,000 people watched the in-port races and the pro-am event in the bay.

It was the first time the event had stopped in Ireland, and the fleet stayed for two weeks.

When they left, the skippers were unanimous that it had been the most hospitable time of the race, a Fáilte Ireland coup of so much benefit it is hard to quantify.

But this morning’s detailed analysis (already put at €80 million by Galway Tourism on Twitter this week) is proof to the public and the Government that this yachting event was a profitable exercise and not a decadent extreme.

This is its most important legacy, because it will demonstrate just how much Ireland’s ports and harbours can contribute to economic growth.

But now that June’s craic and festivities have sailed away, Irish sailing needs to concentrate on taking all it can from the largest State investment (€10 million) in sailing ever made.

Galway docks was transformed, but the progress needs to continue. It took the arrival of the Volvo 70 fleet to prompt a 25-berth marina there. Sail away from this modest pontoon and there are only two other facilities on the entire western seaboard, Ireland’s beautiful but very inaccessible 300-mile stretch of coast.

If there is to be any material legacy, it must be a marina for Galway – not of 25 berths but 200 as a clear signal that we are serious about providing marine infrastructure.

That would mean Galway could become a serious ocean race component given its geographical advantage for many transatlantic fixtures that currently bypass Ireland.

Although Galway is short-listed as a stopover for the VOR again in 2011, the delivery of another team entry in the event now seems essential.

The Green Dragon yacht generated in excess of €30 million worth of global media coverage, a figure ahead of all the other competing teams. Around 10,000 school children got a chance to go on board the boat in Galway docks as part of the biggest free festival ever staged here.

The tourism produced was vital to Galway, and it could be just as vital to all Irish coastal towns because it offers employment possibilities at each one of this country’s 900 harbours.

Specialist skills have been gained in putting two race entries into the race and in organising the Galway stopover. We must capture this knowledge before it sails off to distant shores.

The knowledge must be shared, not just among a small bunch of professionals sailors for whom the race was financially valuable but among a wider audience who can be motivated for future projects.

Immediately after the event, one of the biggest participant sporting events in the country kicked off on the east coast. The Galway focus was on eight boats, but Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta had 470 boats and 3,500 sailors afloat on Dublin Bay in July. It’s an indication of the size and the potential of the domestic sailing scene here.

Racing was in 22 classes and, with a steady influx of visitors from across the Irish Sea, it was worth up to €3 million to the local economy, according to an Irish Marine Federation (IMF) survey.

In September, Belfast staged the Tall Ships visit, bringing €10 million in tourism revenues.

These are all positive reasons why the Government must look more closely at our coastline as a means of providing employment. Irish sailing is punching above its weight, generating up to €100 million in tourism revenue this year from these two events alone. Sailing is a unique model because it combines mass spectator appeal with a thriving domestic scene and, in this climate, that’s a miracle from the sea.

This is especially so because the sport is doing this against the odds. How can Ireland hope to exploit such high-yield tourism without basic marine infrastructure, such as berths for boats? There are more berths in north Wales, for example, than there are around our entire coast.

Spokesmen for our sport can help by making sound-bytes for exploring a set of marine projects.

These employers would be in activity tourism and niche manufacturing and services. Some of the projects would bring balanced regional development to the Atlantic coast.

For example, a small sail-making firm was set up in Crosshaven in 1974. It’s still there and it’s a thriving small business that designs and exports sails all over the world.

Government agencies would do well to engage with boating organisations to make more of this happen. The Irish did not win the Round the World race, but there are still plenty of victories to be had on our shoreline, as today’s results will show.

In our long history, only a few generations have had a chance to develop our coast. We should pay any price to get these facilities in place. Clubs and other marine bodies should use the two weeks in Galway to form a thinktank with a view to unlocking the potential that lies in our harbours.

A high-level forum could develop a national strategy for promoting water-based events that attract high-spend tourism. Dun Laoghaire regatta and Cork Week, the two biggest regattas in Ireland, should be involved.

Now we know the value of what can come in on the waves, it needs to get the tourism recognition it deserves. There are estimates that the industry is capable of growing by 20 per cent if we can bring together various different interests that organise regattas and events and draw up a national policy for maritime tourism.

In 2011, we will play host to the International Sailing Federation’s Team Racing Worlds, and in 2012 the Youth Worlds. The J24 and Olympic Star class keelboats will stage their World and European titles here in 2011. Kinsale will host the Dragon Gold Cup in 2012.

Ireland has an advantage in sailing events and can play an important part in developing our natural resources for the benefit of our people. Thousands want to come here to sail if we just develop the facilities. And all that requires is some courage, Galway-style.

Tourists accused of vandalism

2009-09-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Tourists have been accused of causing irreversible damage to the Burren's fragile landscape.

Visitors were today said to have unwittingly engaged in 'environmental vandalism' through their habit of erecting miniature dolmens throughout the region.

A new pilot programme has been launched which is aimed at removing the recently produced stone structures and highlighting the damage they do to the local environment.

The Burren Connect Project, which has developed the new programme in conjunction with Clare County Council, said the erection of hundreds of mini-dolmens close to a viewing point at Ballyallaban, near Ballyvaughan, has caused serious damage to the surrounding limestone pavement.

The Burren is an area of limestone rock covering some 50 square miles in north County Clare. It is listed as a “Priority Habitat” in the European Habitats Directive (1992) and is protected by law.

“Unique and vulnerable habitats are being destroyed by visitors when they illegally remove protected limestone pavement to build miniature dolmens and other stone structures. However, we believe that most visitors do not want to deliberately damage the Burren pavements, as they do not realise the full environmental impacts of their actions,” said Carol Gleeson, project manager with The Burren Connect Project

The project is funded and supported by the Fáilte Ireland National Development Fund, Clare County Council, Shannon Development, National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Geological Survey of Ireland, the Heritage Council and Burrenbeo Trust.

Galway Tourism weathering the effects of economic downturn well

2009-07-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

Galway City and County is set to buck the national downturn in tourism to hold its own on last year with the domestic and European markets driving up numbers in their search for value breaks.

The number of tourists coming to the West of Ireland from the UK will be down by up to 20% – due in the most part to the weakness of sterling – while the American market has also regressed by 15% to 20%, which is being blamed on poor consumer sentiment, according to early figures from the industry.

However in the first glimmer of hope since the recession hit, local Galway tourism chiefs are adamant that Galway City, Connemara and the islands are likely to fare better than anywhere else in the country this Summer. Bookings from Germany and France have strengthened, while there has been an upsurge in interest from Irish people who are spurning overseas holidays due to falling wages and lost jobs.

The biggest travel agencies are reporting a 40% drop in bookings for foreign holidays by locals. However hotels, B&Bs and traditional family holiday destinations such as seaside caravan parks are reporting stronger bookings than in previous years, particularly since the weather improved in late May.

East Galway Féile Bia food festival

2009-07-13T10:43:00.001-07:00

The inaugural East Galway Food Festival takes place at St Brendan’s Home, Loughrea this Saturday from 12 noon to 5pm.

The festival will be held in honour of Stoney Brennan, a local character who was hanged for stealing a turnip long ago. The festival aims to highlight the quality of locally-produced food, the music and folklore of the district, and the nearby Slieve Aughty mountains.

Among the events organised will be a BBQ in aid of Enable Ireland, and a concert of music, song, and poetry. There will be 20 stalls providing a wide range of fruit, vegetables, fine foods, and crafts. There will also be bouncy castles, face painting, and a picnic area.

Stalls can still be organised and the entrants for the bread making competition are still welcome.

Finding Authentic Ireland in Galway City

2009-06-28T04:38:00.000-07:00

As Ireland continues its great leapfrog from the 19th century to the 21st, it can be hard to find a genuine sense of Irishness, that indefinable essence that makes the country what it is. Even we Irish are aware that the wonderful jumble of poets, reprobates, revolutionaries and saints that inhabited every bar stool are less in evidence in the newly money-oriented land that looks increasingly like England's Manchester, Poland or even Disneyland.

"Nothing is the same anymore," a woman from Boston said to me in Galway City recently. "I know I'm in Ireland; I just don't feel it. What's up with those stupid World War II amphibious bus tours in Dublin, and the stag-night mobs in Dublin's Temple Bar? Now I'm in Galway, and I can hardly feel it! Where's Ireland -- that's what I want to know!"

The place she was most likely to find the Ireland of her expectations was here in Galway. It is truly a place apart. A warren of cobbled streets, medieval buildings and quirky, intimate bars, with an ebullient population that is forever throwing street parties, arts festivals and parades. It's as if the memory of the famine, which hit this part of Ireland hardest, has left the people with a determination to celebrate their good fortune each day. They manage to make the place feel like a rain-drenched, wind-swept mix of Rio de Janeiro and San Francisco.

The Bostonian was about to wander off in disillusionment when a young man with flashing eyes and long, curly hair approached dressed in the billowing white blouse of a Romantic poet and said a literary tour was about to start. The Cúirt literary festival was on, and so I encouraged her to join the tour.

Two women were on the steps of the Town Hall Theatre playing the roles of tour guides from hell, pointing out invisible fire exits and insisting there be no flash photography, as "although we are beautiful, neither of us are photogenic." The Bostonian's frown lifted just a little. "We won't be showing you the Claddagh, or the Spanish Arch, or Lynch's Castle," the guides said, "so if you want any of that old tourist claptrap, you can [leave] now." We were all smiling openly by this stage. The woman had found what she was looking for.

This was an Ireland I could be proud of, an Ireland I wanted to share with wandering Bostonians. The wonderful thing about Galway is that it embraces strangers in a way that would make the people of Dublin or Belfast wince with unease. Everyone is welcome to join the party.

The residents exude a self-confidence that belies their city's small size, possibly arising from the fact that they've kept in touch with their roots in a way that those in few other towns have: The ferry still brings in people a few times a day from the remote Aran Islands, and buses bring in folk from the Gaelic-speaking villages in the surrounding wilderness of Connemara.

The locals' ease with themselves and their culture can be seen in the way they speak Irish (Gaelic) on the streets in a manner that no other city's residents do, and in the way they serve simple, wholesome food with confidence. You'll find better traditional music in Galway than in any other large town or city in Ireland and theater on a par with (or better than) Dublin's.

But it's the festivals that really set Galway apart: the St. Patrick's Day Parade in March, Cúirt in April, the Galway Arts Festival in July, the Galway Races in August, the Galway International Oyster Festival in September, the Baboró children's festival in October, and all the various street parades run by Macnas (Ireland's leading community-based street-performance company), plus mini theater festivals runs by Druid (the country's most innovative and accomplished theater company). Everyone gets involved, dressing up, painting their faces and drumming till they drop for the street parades, or wildly cheering on the Galway Hookers (brown-sailed traditional turf boats) as they sail through the Claddagh basin at annual events.

When our literary tour arrived at Eglinton Canal, the guides, who grew increasingly ridiculous as they went along, explained how for a long time after the canal was built people used to forget it was there and walk straight into the water. "Like this . . .," they said, and suddenly a man plunged into the canal and began to scream and shout. The guides shrugged and moved us briskly along.

The tour wound on in this manner for an anarchic three hours, occasionally stumbling upon historic figures (a leader of Ireland's 1798 rebellion fleeing from his mistress and a young poet having her belongings thrown out the window of a garret). It was a quixotic, hyper-surreal, literary wonderland played out on the city's streets. Irishness personified.

Ireland, to be truly Irish, needs a touch of anarchy, and that's something Galway, despite the country's increasingly strait-laced corporate image, will never forget.

By Manchán Magan, sourced from The Washington Post, Sunday, June 28, 2009

Enjoy weekend fun in the West of Ireland

2009-06-13T03:52:00.000-07:00

When booking a long weekend in Ireland many might be drawn to the nightlife, history and shopping offered by Dublin on the east coast. But Ireland’s west coast holds just as much fun and culture, while retaining its natural beauty and value.

The medieval city of Galway is a whirlwind of activity with a wonderful selection of pubs, markets and modern art. The shops and restaurants run along a mile of original cobbled streets scattered with pretty churches, making the heart of the city easy to walk.

Galway market, open every Saturday, has a wonderful variety of local produce, including fresh breads, dips and oils.

And Sheridan’s store, next to the market, has a vast array of pungent cheeses, intense chutneys and cured meats.

With their try-before-you-buy sales pitch, it is easy to lose a couple of hours there.

Food is definitely a large part of the Galway experience, with hundreds of great restaurants, ranging from Italian, fresh fish or top beef burgers. And if fine dining is required, the Ard Bia restaurant has some of the best Galway has to offer.

But if it’s a good old Irish craic you’re after, Taaffes Pub on Shop Sreet has traditional music on most nights.

With the Guinness flowing, it’s easy to dance the night away to the fantastic rhythms and beautiful voices.

It would be easy to snooze the day away in the spa, but Galway is surrounded by rich history and beautiful scenery that has to be explored.

The Connemara National Park is a must-see for garden lovers. With breathtaking views, it is situated in the heart of west Ireland near Letterfrack, and covers some 2,000 hectares of scenic mountains, heaths and grasslands.

With top food and shopping, excellent entertainment and a fantastic choice between unwinding or touring the beautiful countryside west Ireland has to offer, the city of Galway really does have it all.

Leg 7 start hampered by bad weather

2009-05-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

A rolling fog-bank swept across Boston Harbor on Saturday afternoon, one of the most notorious stages of the Volvo Ocean Race started in front of a crowded race village and spectator fleet. And then it started again, and, for a time, it appeared that a third start might even be on the cards. But in the context of a 2,550-mile leg, such trivialities were mere window-dressing for the seven-strong fleet now sailing hard towards Galway.

The final oceanic stage of the 39,000-mile race is likely to be the final test of stamina and durability as under 2,000-miles of coastal racing will remain when the fleet departs Irish waters on Saturday, June 6th.

A reminder of what lies ahead quickly arrived as the cold fog and gusty breeze arrived. As the count-down sequence got under way the 10-minute gun fired, but the start was signalled too early and chaos ensued as the fleet split between those who began the leg and those which had spotted the error and returned.

Twenty minutes later, the start went flawlessly and the fleet raced away to the first turning mark on the harbour. Except that a bulk carrier was entering the port and, as local security regulations require clear passage for such vessels, Roberto Bermudez on Team Delta Lloyd fell foul of the Coastguard patrol boat and was ushered astern of the tanker as the other six racers escaped and opened up distance.

The delay was mostly academic, as the Limerick-owned boat soon caught up and a protest for redress seems improbable.

For the benefit of the crowd, it was Bouwe Bekking and the inshore specialists on Telefonica Blue that led the pack, and even Ireland’s Green Dragon team held their own in third place before their adoptive home crowd.

Having secured additional sponsorship of a substantial six-figure sum on Friday last, skipper Ian Walker and his team are a happier bunch, though the deal with United Games now places the crew under the scrutiny of the 208,000-strong online virtual gaming community.

However, New England homeboy Kenny Read on Puma Ocean Racing was having none of it and soon over-hauled the dragons, determined that, having failed to get on the podium arriving into America or during the In-Port races, he should at least put up a show leaving Boston.

That show continued to improve as the fleet headed off into thick fog and fresh south-easterly winds that saw the boats dodge lobster pots as they headed north around a whale protection zone en route to the leg scoring-gate off Newfoundland.

It is almost guaranteed that the feet will experience similar gale conditions at some stage over the leg.

However, as a large high-pressure system is expected to block the optimal route to Galway, inevitably postponing the earliest ETA in Galway from Saturday to possibly as late as Tuesday of next week.

Such an outcome may result in a new, 24-hour speed sailing record, currently held by overall race leader Torben Grael on Ericsson 4.

Dozens of ice-reports for the leg have obliged organisers to set ice-gates to divert the fleet, but this added obstacle only serves to place the Atlantic close to par with the Southern Ocean for its demands. Galway may be near, but for the 77 sailors crossing the Atlantic, it remains a far-off land for now.

Crews set sail on treacherous transatlantic leg of Volvo Ocean Race

2009-05-16T01:19:00.000-07:00

Competitors in the Volvo yacht race head out across the Atlantic on Saturday in what threatens to be one of the most hazardous legs of the nine-month round-the-world event.

Pre-race favorite Ericsson 4 of Sweden holds a strong lead in the overall standings ahead of the seventh stage from Boston to Galway, Ireland, a course of 2,500 nautical miles.

The seven entries leaving New England will be conscious of the dramatic events of last edition in 2006, in which Dutch boat ABN Amro 2 lost a man at sea and Spain's Movistar sank in the Atlantic.

In the previous edition of the race, Hans Horrevoets, 32, of the ABN AMRO TWO was washed overboard in 16-foot (5-meter) waves and 35-mph (55-kph) winds about 1,300 miles (2,000 kilometers) off Land's End.

It was the fifth death in the race's 35-year history.

"Crossing the Atlantic has always been very difficult, probably one of the hardest oceans to cross," said Ericsson 4 crewman Tony Mutter.

"The weather systems are pretty violent and there can be a lot of debris in the water, and more wildlife here than in any other ocean. We've hit something here most times I've gone across from west to east."

"Everybody's got the ultimate respect for it, especially after the events of last time," said Ian Walker of the Green Dragon Team. "These could be the hardest miles we sail."

The competitors will sail north from Boston along the coast of North America, before turning east well to the south of Newfoundland to avoid icebergs and then heading for Galway, carried by the Gulf Stream and low pressure weather systems.

10 Good Reasons to Visit Galway for the Volvo Ocean Race

2009-05-11T13:19:00.000-07:00

Galway is preparing for one of the biggest parties in its history, when the Volvo Ocean Race stops over from May 23 to June 6. The city is famous for it's festivals such as the Galway Races and the Galway Arts Festival, it has a packed schedule of events planned for this special event which will welcome over 500 boats to its harbour, including Ireland’s own ‘Green Dragon’. Enjoy this list of top 10 reasons why you should come and join in on the craic (Irish for ‘fun’) at the Galway Volvo Ocean Race stopover:

1. For the sailors
See the impressive Volvo Ocean Race fleet up close and rub shoulders with some of the world’s leading yachtsmen. You can take on the PUMA mast challenge, get on the water and view the traditional and beautiful Galway Hookers racing in Galway Bay.

2. Galway City
Galway City is a bustling vibrant city known for its culture, lively atmosphere and warm and welcoming people. With so much to offer, enjoy award winning restaurants, luxurious hotels, cosmopolitan cafes, bars and areas of historical significance. There are colorful shops and the sound of Irish music rings through the air. The Irish spas know how to put the bliss back into pampering, with a vast arrange of choice for the discerning visitor in Galway.

3. Entertainment for all
Choose from street theatre performances in the Race Village, entertainment along the Green Dragon route, model boat racing and the Volvo Ocean Race experience including the simulator and the grinder challenge. Catch an air display by the famous Red Arrows who will also undertake two record attempts during the stopover. There truly is something for all the family.

4. In Port racing - 29th May - 1st June
Everyone will enjoy the spectacle of the In Port Racing! Where you can watch the teams’ maneuver these formula 1 racing machines around the short inshore race course, all racing will be shown live on big screens with expert commentary.

5. Music Concerts
There will be numerous FREE concerts on the main stage in the Race Village over the fortnight including Hothouse Flowers, Sharon Shannon, The Coronas and The Stunning.

6. Beautiful Beaches
Of the 76 Blue Flag beaches in Ireland, 19 of them are located in Western Ireland. The beaches range from hidden pocket beaches to wide swaths of sand filled with local activities and amenities. Traught Beach in County Galway is a great spot for observing the local bird population. Whatever your taste in beaches, Galway has the perfect spot to throw down your towel!

7. Galway Atlantiquarium
The Galway Atlantiquarium has 58 exhibits containing 170 species ranging from Seahorses to Octopus to Pike. You can see a real 60ft Fin Whale skeleton, the largest skeleton in Ireland and feed the trout and finger nibbling mullet. There are opportunities to touch starfish, Irish Shark and a giant Spider crab and meet Valentine, the world’s only captive white Skate.

8. Support the home team
Green Dragon is the Irish entry into the Volvo Ocean race and boasts a wealth of Irish sailing talent including Ireland’s own Yachtsman of the Year; Damian Foxall. Come and support the local team.

9. Walking Tours
Galway, “The City of Tribes” walking tour provides a fun blast of the Ireland many first time visitors expect. The compact city centre, with its winding streets, packed pubs and air of celebration, is easily walked. The west coast city of almost 70,000 is home to merry bands of students, artists, musicians, writers and craftspeople, and is merriest during summer’s Galway’s Arts Festival. Don’t miss shopping for Claddagh rings, the Druid Theatre or having a pint ‘o’ the black stuff at one of the many traditional bards.

10. Go Golfing
There are numerous superbly designed golf courses with the stunning backdrop of Galway Bay and the rugged curves of the Atlantic coastline with mature trees, water hazards, concealed bunkers and highly acclaimed putting surfaces. With variable wind speed and directions these courses play differently each day posing a considerable challenge to even the lowest handicap golfers, yet it is a true and fair test of golf!

Top 5 things to do around Oughterard

2009-04-19T04:53:00.000-07:00

Aghnanure Castle
Located just two miles outside Oughterard, approaching from Galway on the N59, is this 16th century Irish Tower House. Much of the surrounding area was occupied by the O'Flaherty clan, up until this time, but was taken over by The first Earl of Ulster, Walter de Burgo, in 1256. The original castle was probably built by the Earl during this time but was re-conquered by the O'Flaherty Clan by 1300.

By 1569, Aughnanure Castle and surrounding lands were declared to be property of the crown and in control of Murrough na Doe O'Flaherty was named chief, undermining the rightful chief, Donal an Chogaidh. This decree split the tribe and the eastern portion of the property, including Aughnanure Castle, were controlled by Murrough and the western portion remained with Donal. For 60 years, the castle remained in possession of the crown and was used as a stronghold against attacks from Galway during Cromwellian times.

In 1630, Roderick O'Flaherty petitioned to have the castle returned and the scholar and writer was successful in, once again, retaining possession. It, however, in the difficult years to come, with Roderick being a Catholic, the castle suffered the poverty which he eventually died in.

In recent years, the castle was bought by the Office of Public Works and was fully restored.

The castle was built beside, and at some positions straddling, a small river, the Drimneen, that has cut intriguing caverns in the stone below it. The building consists of a small (probably) guard look-out, a lower floor for storage and two upper floors - one for used for living quarters (containing a secret room) and the other for sleeping. At the top of the castle, there is an area to take in the fabulous views of the surrounding area.

Outside the castle are two courtyards, one original and one that was added at a later period. There is well-known fable that there was once a trap door where unwelcome guests could be dropped into the river flowing below the courtyard.

There is a small fee to enter the castle.

Inchagoill Island

You can easily hire a boatman to visit this historic island, in the Lough Corrib. There is evidence of an early monastic settlement which still mostly remains a mystery.
There are two churches remaining, St. Patrick's and the 12th century church known as the "saints" church. There are several paths around the island, an old cemetery and remains of four or five cottages which housed the few inhabitants on the island.

Ross Castle

Ross Castle is located only 5 miles outside Oughterard, approaching from Galway on the N59. The visible mansion was built by the Martin Family in the 17th century but there is some evidence still present of the original castle structure, built in the 15th century by the O'Flaherty Family, in its foundation.

Ross Castle was once the residence of Major Poppleton, a former guardian of Napoleon, who married one of the Martin daughters. It was also the home for Violet Florence Martin in the late 1800's who wrote, along with her cousin Edith Somerville under the pen-name Martin Ross, Stories of an Irish R.M. and The Real Charlotte. They were known as Somerville and Ross and there was eventually a television adaptation of their work in the 1980's.

Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore Abbey was built in 1852 when a Londoner, Mitchell Henry, married a County Down woman, Margaret Vaughan and when she fell in love with the area during a visit, Henry decided to make it the site on which he would build her a spectacular estate. The home was to be modelled after Norwich Cathedral and among many other luxury features, it contained 33 bedrooms and took over 7 years to construct.

Unfortunately, the couple only lived there a short time. A further 7 years later Margaret, now a mother of 9 children, fell ill of Nile fever following a trip to Egypt and died.

Since then the estate has passed hands a couple of times and is now an exclusive girl's school. The nuns have permitted it to be shown and it is open to the public for tours. There is a craft shop where you may watch pottery being made and many other souvenirs may be purchased.

From Oughterard, follow the N59 all the way to Kylemore. For a more scenic route, take the N59 through Maam Cross and when you reach the R344, turn right along th Inagh Valley. At the T-junction take a left back onto the N59 for the rest of your journey.

Quiet Man Bridge

The Quiet Man Bridge is located 5 miles passed Oughterard, down the Sky Road, which was the setting for the 1950 film "The Quiet Man" starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. The bridge is set in a bit to the left but is visible from the road and is clearly signposted.

Leenane Bridge offcially opened

2009-04-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

The people of Leenane living on opposite sides of the Leenane River have been firmly reunited almost two years after the village bridge was washed away in a storm. Locals and tourists in Leenane, Galway have been using a temporary bridge since the stone structure, built in 1822, was swept away in torrential rains in July 2007.

For two weeks in the summer of 2007 motorists had to take detours of up to 100 kilometres just to get to opposite ends of the village, which gained global recognition in 1989 for the film version of John B Keane’s play The Field. The disruption over the past two years is estimated to have cost the local tourist industry a large amount of money, but yesterday the village’s new €1.65 million bridge was officially opened.

Positive announcement over Oil Tanks removal for Volvo Ocean Race

2009-04-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Against the expectation of most people in Galway, including those in Galway Tourism but this week it was confirmed that the massive oil tanks at the docks will be taken down by the end of April.

It was announced this week that the Irish owned fuel retailer Topaz has agreed to decommission its storage tanks in Galway Harbour ahead of the Volvo Ocean Race’s visit to the city in May.

Edward Holdings had reached agreement to purchase the Enwest Oil Terminal, located in Galway Harbour. This has allowed the acceleration of the process whereby the oil tanks can be demolished.

The site on which the tanks are located is the preferred location for the ‘Event Village’ for the Galway leg of the race as it has a more prominent position adjacent to Galway Docks and local pubs, restaurants and city shops.

Work on the decommissioning of the tanks in due to begin in the very near future and the expected month of work should be completed in plenty of time for the arrival of the tented village from Rio de Janeiro on Monday 11 May.

Topaz said the 10 tanks will be taken down by the end of this month and the company’s facilities relocated to a new state of the art storage terminal at the Galway Harbour Enterprise Park - Enwest.

Google Streetview to take a snapshot of Galway

2009-03-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

If you happen to spot a black car with the Google logo over the next weeks, smile: your image will soon be eyeballed by billions worldwide for posterity.

The Google Street View team is hitting Ireland and Galway is one of the cities earmarked for the mapping system.

Street View is Google’s online, interactive panoramic street-level photographic mapping system that aims to give an up-close-and-personal look at public streets and their environs.
It is a feature of Google Maps and Google Earth that provides 360° horizontal and 290° vertical panoramic street level views.

The Google car, equipped with GPS and camera equipment, will be out snapping images of Irish streets in a training exercise ahead of its task to map the five major Irish cities: Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford during March and April.

Galway Tourism now on Twitter

2009-03-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Galway Tourist information updates are now available on Twitter. So now you can keep updated through our 'tweets' about what's happening in Galway throughout the year.

For those who are not familiar with the service 'Twitter' is a social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets.

You can follow us by going to - twitter.com/galwaytourism

Deadline for Oil Terminal Move for Ocean Race Expires

2009-03-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

It is understood that time has run out for the removal of the oil tank farm at Galway harbour in advance of the city hosting the Volvo Ocean Race. Galway chamber of commerce has said that, if decommissioning of oil terminals at the harbour did not start ‘before St. Patrick’s Day’’, then it was likely that the tent village will not go ahead at the docks. There are currently six tanks at an oil tank farm at the harbour where the tent village is planned to be erected. Chevron is one of the main tenants of the Topaz-owned site, and problems have arisen over the vacating of the site, due to a disagreement over leasing terms.

Both companies were expected to move to the new Enwest terminal in Galway harbour, that was built at a cost of €38 million.

A Topaz spokesman has said that ‘‘if the ongoing discussions come to a fruitful conclusion, Topaz will relocate to the new site’’.

A Chevron spokesman said: ‘‘At a meeting last year, we were asked to keep the Chevron/ Topaz joint venture terminal open during the race, and Chevron have never been asked to relocate their facility prior to the Volvo Ocean Race, as the existing lease still has some years left to run.”

However time has run out as the March 17 is just passed and it would take at least eight weeks for the work to be completed.

The organisers of the event has said that ‘while the docks is the preferred location and the hub of action because the boats will be docked there - the village can be located in the greater harbour."

First look at line-up for Volvo Ocean Race festival in Galway

2009-03-06T11:44:00.001-08:00

A sample of some of the acts being announced for the Volvo Ocean Race festival in Galway include Sharon Shannon, Kila, the Hothouse Flowers and The Stunning Organisers for the stopover are calling on Galway-based community and performance groups to join in the festivities. More events and concerts are currently being planned to offer a big Irish welcome to the fleet of Volvo Ocean Race teams landing in the city from Boston on Friday 22 May.

Plans to have bonfires lit along the coast and preparations to give the crews a good hearty feed of prime Irish beef and soda bread when they arrive are also in place. This will be the start of the two-week festival programme to celebrate Galway's hosting of this global sporting event.

Galway will also host visits by school and youth groups along with a constant presence of sail and pleasure craft on the beauty of Galway Bay. On-water activities will include regattas and 'Come and Try' sailing events in association with Galway Bay Sailing Club and the Irish Sailing Association.

Galway is the only stopover port for Ireland and the UK and over 140,000 visitors from Ireland and overseas are expected to travel for the event in Galway, which is expected to generate an estimated €43 million in revenue for the region. It will be the biggest sporting event in Ireland since the Ryder Cup and Failte Ireland on behalf of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism is the principal sponsor.

The Volvo Ocean Race has a worldwide TV audience of over €1.8 billion people and the Galway stopover offers Ireland an opportunity to present itself on a global stage alongside other ports such as Stockholm, St Petersburg, Boston, Rio de Janeiro, Qingdao, Singapore, Kochin, Capetown and Alicante.

On each weekend during the stopover there will be fantastic viewing opportunities from sea and 4km of coastline along the Salthill promenade when Galway Bay hosts the highly anticipated Arrivals, In-Port and Pro-Am Racing and Departures.

The full sailing and festival programme is expected be launched in early April.

Programme of events for Volvo Ocean Race Festival in Galway

2009-03-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

Programme of events for Volvo Ocean Race Festival in Galway.

22-24 May - Arrival weekend

Live music in race village.
Street theatre and children’s entertainment by day.
Unique celebrations as each boat arrives.
Official race village opening ceremony.

25-29 May - Midweek Entertainment

On water activities including sportsboat regattas,
special interest boats and ‘Come and try Sailing’ event.
Live entertainment in race village each night.
Schools visits to race village.
Art Exhibitions.
Model boat racing
Volvo Ocean Race Experience Boat simulator and Grinding challenge.
Markets and Exhibitions (food, arts & crafts).

30 May-1 June - In Port Racing Weekend

Live action viewing from Salthill Promenade.
Late entertainment with local and international bands.
Food and Wine Fair - Flavours of Galway and beyond.

2-4 June - Midweek Entertainment

On water activities including sportsboat regattas,
special interest boats and ‘Come and try Sailing’ event.
Food and Wine fair.
Markets and Exhibitions - food, arts and crafts.
Volvo Ocean Race Experience Boat Simulator and Grinding Challenge.

5-6 June - Departure Weekend

Fireworks spectacular.
Headline act concert.
Departure of race yachts and ‘Parade of Sail’ spectacular.
Farewell celebration in race village Saturday 6th.
Food and Wine Fair.
Festival Ends.

For a map of Galway click here.

Galway theatre group affected by economic downturn

2009-02-25T12:29:00.000-08:00

MACNAS the Galway-based street theatre troupe is to cut three of its five full-time positions in response to the economic downturn.

The group is currently involved in a restructuring initiative and are reviewing resources because of the economic downturn.

A redundancy package is being offered to the staff affected by the cuts. However the company said it would continue to deliver “bold, brash and inspiring moments”.

Arts Council funding was reduced by 15 per cent this year, she said, and the company expects that private sponsorship may also be affected during the downturn. Other key sponsors have been Galway City Council and the Galway Arts Festival, along with a number of city businesses.

Macnas still hopes to work with the affected staff, albeit in a different capacity, Ms Smyth said.

The company, based at the Fisheries Field on the banks of the river Corrib, still intends to develop a new workshop space on the city’s west side, subject to Galway City Council approval.

It has been promised €470,000 from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism for a “new home”.

It plans to continue work with Galway Arts Festival and is in discussions with the organisers of the Galway stopover for the Volvo Ocean Race and with the Baboró International Children’s Festival in the city, Ms Smyth said.

Volvo Race 'move to Cork' rumours quashed

2009-02-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

The organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Galway have rejected suggestions that the event could be relocated to Cork.

Let’s Do It Galway chairman John Killeen told Galway City Council last week that he was aware of such rumours in circulation. The stopover – the first round-the-world race to berth in an Irish port – would take place as planned in Galway from May 23rd to June 6th, he told councillors in a presentation to the local authority members. He did however admit there were “challenges” which stillhad to be addressed – including ongoing negotiations with both Topaz and Chevron Ireland in relation to the continued presence of a number of massive oil tanks on the docks, which were due to be removed some months ago.

The stopover is estimated to be worth in excess of €40 million to Galway’s economy, although there has been a drop in anticipated corporate sponsorship. With up to 350,000 visitors expected to be attracted to the event, which is being supported by the Government many in Galway are worried that any failure by the organising committee will result in a long term embarrasment for Galway and Ireland in general.

New Sponsor for Green Dragon Volvo Ocean Race Team

2009-02-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

The Green Dragon volvo ocean race team are in China this week having completed the gruelling leg to Qingdao where the team has bravely claimed fourth place. The Green Dragon crew won the Seamanship Award for leg 4 and have a further were boost with news of a new sponsor for the team.

The new sponsor is Berg Propulsion, which is one of the world's leading designers and producers of propellers for industrial and merchant shipping. They have teamed up with the Green Dragon as a supporting partner alongside the Chinese syndicate and Discover Ireland.

In Galway the countdown has begun in earnest for the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in May, and the organisers are calling on Galway city to “pull together” to showcase Galway for the long-term benefit of the local economy.

The organisers are planning to accommodate up to 350,000 visitors at the race village during the two week stopover from May 23 to June 6, and expect up to 150,000 people during the in-port racing weekend which coincides with the June Bank Holiday weekend.

Excitement mounting in Galway City

2009-02-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

There’s something in the air down along the Galway seafront where the ocean laps up to Galway Harbour, it swirls around the docks, bearing a sense of anticipation, a sense of readying the good room for the Stations.

Passers-by, those travelling to and from the city, brushing the corner of the docks won’t have noticed just yet, but travel a little closer to the water and you will catch the buzz going by. There is feverish work going on, scrubbing and brushing, touching up paint jobs here and there. When the eyes of the world are preparing to turn their attention on you, it’s a good idea to look your best.

The source of the excitement is, of course the much-talked about Volvo Ocean Race, the fleet of yachts that is currently making their way across the world, lured forward by the hype that has preceded it since Galway was selected as one of the stops along the race route.

Prompted into top gear by the promise of legions of visitors descending on the city, the Galway Harbour Company is revelling in exciting times and they have plans for the future.

The world’s biggest sailing event, the 10th Volvo Ocean Race will arrive in Galway for the first time on the 23rd of May 2009. Following the transatlantic leg, racing from Boston, it Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race will stay in Galway for a two week stopover before leaving on the next leg to Göteborg in Sweden.