Galway Historic City Walk

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Galway

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Discover the rich history and culture of Galway on a private walking tour. Explore landmarks such as Galway Cathedral, Lynch’s Castle, and the Latin Quarter. Perfect for history enthusiasts and those who love a mix of history and legend!

Duration: 1 hour, 55 minutes

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Eyre Square - Our accredited Guide will meet you at the FRONT entrance to the Hardiman Hotel in Eyre Square. He will accompany you to the main Square and give a brief overview of Galway’s rich history. Various Points of Interest around the Square will be outlined including Iconic Buildings. Historical aspect will also be covered including the old Browne Doorway and the Tribes of Galway Banners, the John F Kennedy memorial, the Quin-centenary Fountain and the O’Connaire Statue.
Williamsgate Street - We now emerge onto Williams-gate St. and encounter some landmark buildings including the elegant Browne Thomas building. We also pass by Jewellers shops who specialise in Galway’s Claddagh ring. if time allows we stop at the Oscar Wilde statue, an Estonia gift to Ireland in 2004 !
Franciscan Church - We now divert down Eglinton Street and pass by the Franciscan Friary church on the left. This old church has a little grave-yard at the rear which was a prominent place of burial in mid-17th and early 18th centuries.
Galway Courthouse - We continue towards Courthouse Square, which used to have two iconic Courthouses - one for the county and one for the city. One remains today and the Town Hall Theatre is opposite.
Galway Cathedral - Up ahead, from the newly-constructed pedestrian bridge over the River Corrib, our group will pause to view Europe’s newest stone cathedral, the Galway Cathedral and the Franciscan Chapel.
Lynch’s Castle - The tour returns via Galway’s popular River Walk to the main city artery. We arrive at a two-street intersection and the iconic Lynch’s Castle building. This building is the finest surviving Town-Castle in Ireland. The powerful Lynch clan once owned it. Your Guide explains the history of the building, its crests and roundels.
Market Street - The tour continues by turning right into Church Lane, once called ‘Dead Man’s Lane’ where funerals passed on way into old graveyard. We talk about St. Nicholas church-yard and continue on through Market St.
The Lynch Memorial - The Lynch Memorial window , erected in 1854 is full of legend. The mayor of Galway, Mayor Lynch is said to have hanged his own son at this location!
Bowling Green - Our tour route passes close to Bowling Green. Here was the family home of Ms Nora Barnacle who was a prominent Galwegian in years gone by. She famously dated Irish Writer, James Joyce on 16th June 1904, thereafter known as Bloomsday!
Saint Nicholas’ Collegiate Church - We arrive at the of St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church accompanied by your Guide. He explains the history of this largest Medieval church in continuous use in Ireland. It was originally built as a Catholic Church but, today, functions as a Protestant Church.
In 1477, Christopher Columbus is said to have worshipped here prior to his epic voyage of discovery!
There’s also much to see within this ancient building and we offer discounts tickets to join their guided tours which operate Mon-Fri. 11am and 2pm and Wednesdays 12pm and 3pm.
Galway’s Latin Quarter - We arrive in High Street, a section of Galway’s Latin Quarter and encounter the iconic King’s Head Pub. Legend has it that this pub site was gifted by Oliver Cromwell as payment to executioner of King Charles I.
Also on this street we pass by the famous Naughton House, once owned by ‘Humanity’ Dick Martyn, an Irish MP in British Parliament.
Spanish Parade - The open-space area, known as the Spanish Parade formally contained the old Galway port until 1840. Old Galley ships arrived here from Spain with wines and spices for local merchant families. We also explain the significance of the Spanish Arch just adjacent to this area.
Hall of the Red Earl - The tour now loops back towards the old Medieval site - The Hall of the Red Earl. This was once the castle residence of powerful Norman, Richard de Burgo. It was an important building up until the late 16th century. Its ruins had been lost for centuries till archaeologists discovered it in the late ‘90’s.
Druid Theatre - University graduates founded the now-famous Druid Theatre Company in 1975 in this city of culture. Druid has always maintained a vital relationship with writers, Tom Murphy and Martin McDonough. Many well-known Irish actors and directors have worked with the company down through the years.
An Taibhdhearc - The final stages of our City tour take us up Middle Street, where we pass by An Taibhdhearc. This is Ireland’s only Irish-language theatre. It was established as a large-scale cultural project in the early 1920, when Ireland became a Free State. Micheal MacLiamor, the first director / manager worked there from 1928.
St Augustine’s Catholic Parish - The guide will explain that the Augustinian Order arrived in Galway in 1500 and setup an Abbey in the Forthil. Oliver Cromwell’s English army banished them for a period but they returned in 1760 and established this building.
Gothic and Tudor Revival-style former cathedral - Abbeygate Street Lower - Our final stop will be the former Cathedral Building at Middle St. / Abbeygate St. Galway. This old building was in use for many centuries but was deemed inadequate by Galway bishop, Dr Michael Browne in 1957.

What's Included

Walking tour adapted to guest wishes
Professional tour guide
Voucher ticket to visit St Nicholas Church (10am and 1pm Tours only)
Small private tourist groups

What's Not Included

Tea and coffee
Alcoholic Beverages
Extra Gratuities

Additional Information

As one of Ireland’s oldest cities, Galway is rich in history and stories. The theme of this private city walking experience is the History, Heritage and Culture of Galway from its Anglo-Norman past to the present progressive city.

This Private guided walking tour is presented by an Irish Tourism professional. It’s an ideal way to see and learn about the ‘City of the Tribes’ firsthand. Tours are particularly suited to travelers who like an enjoyable mix of History and legend!

The full itinerary will allow you to explore the new Galway Cathedral, Courthouse Square, Lynch’s Castle, St. Nicholas’ Church, the Latin Quarter, the King’s Head, Galway’s Spanish Parade, and the Hall of the Red Earl archaeology site.
(NB: Access and discount tickets to St Nicholas’ Church are confined to the 10am and 2pm Tours as it closes at 4pm!)

This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled by the Supplier due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
NOTE: A shortened version of this City tour can be offered to guests with mobility issues. Our personnel have plans in place to deal with emergencies.

Location

The Hardiman

Eyre Square

Go to the FRONT ENTRANCE of the Hardiman Hotel, 14/15 EYRE Square, Galway and meet Tour Guide with High-Vis jacket and official ID Badge there.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.6

(20 Ratings)

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Jay_y

Jun 28, 2024

A great tour for your family... - Our guide was wonderful and modified our tour to what we were interested in. He made the tour interesting for my daughters and took the time to make sure everyone was able to ask questions and learn. I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants to get a good overview of Galway

Review provided by Viator

Anthony_p

Jun 28, 2024

Thanks Ger! - Ger was such a good sport to lead me as a single participant through the wind and rain as I wished to do! He was knowledgeable and flexible and picked ip on my interests. I had a great time and learned a lot.

Review provided by Viator

Deborah_s

May 22, 2024

Galway Charm - Very informative walking tour! Gerrard was so knowledgeable and thorough. It was obvious he loves what he does and made our time enlightening and enjoyable! Loved Galway!!

Review provided by Viator

Irene_a

May 20, 2024

City of Tribes Tour Galway - Our tour guide for the City of Tribes walking tour in Galway was Gerard. He was exceptionally knowledgeable and very personable. He explained the history of the Tribes, the various buildings, including St Nicholas Collegiate Church and the Latin Quarter. We spoke with him about my husband's family heritage in Cork. The whole tour was fun and interesting. Gerard is an asset to your team. Thank you for making our trip more enjoyable.

Review provided by Viator

Alexander_s

Mar 28, 2024

Friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. - Friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. Friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. Friendly and knowledgeable tour guide.

Review provided by Viator

Mlhunsberger

Mar 26, 2024

Wonderful Tour of Galway - I highly recommend Ger Considine and the Western Tours and Tales company. My mom, sister, and I were lucky enough to learn about the history of Galway while walking around the beautiful city with Ger. He was very knowledgeable and made sure he customized the tour for our interests. He made our first visit to Galway wonderful!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Laurie_b

Oct 17, 2023

Ger is awesome! - Ger was amazing, great knowledge and a gift of gab! We had a great time learning history and seeing historical monuments. Ger is so good!

Review provided by Viator

Smss_13

Jun 8, 2024

Quick tour of Galway - This was a really good, compact view of Galway’s main area. Our tour guide, Ger, knew a lot about the area and we appreciated his history and stories. Recommend particularly if you only have only a short stay in the city.

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Gotnomansion

Jul 24, 2024

Saw the sights but not much additional value - We were paired with another couple despite signing up for a private tour (the explanation was that the agency was short on guides). Our guide, Gerard, seemed inexperienced and often was lacking in-depth knowledge about the sites we visited. He sometimes stopped in places that seemed ill-advised (e.g., narrow sidewalks where we were blocking foot traffic). He sometimes seemed impatient with us when we wanted to stop longer at a particular location.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Sharon_v