Galway, It'll Be Grand!

Well I spent over a week in Galway, which is WAY too long if you're just trying to tour. That's not what I was doing there, however. I got tired of driving on my own for so long and trying to figure out each night's sleep on the fly, and I just felt like I needed to stay in one location for a while. So I chose Galway. I actually stayed there, flew to Berlin, and then came right back. Was it a good decision? I don't know. Think of a watered-down version of "For Good" from Wicked, and now you can sense my feelings. I felt like this was the place where I could just be for a little while, and my B&B host often asked what I was doing that night or if I was ok, and I always shrugged and was just being.

Galway Cathedral in the distance

This used to be the docks. You can see the Spanish Arch on the right. I think it's the beginning of Quay St.

football and hurling pitch sign

a different piece of grass but still funny

Galway Cathedral: I just got the sense that I was in a King's house.

The Quad at NUIG (National University of Ireland Galway)

I mentioned in a previous post that Maureen and Jim from the hotel bar in Ennis recommended a B&B in Galway that their childhood friend owned. So I went there, of course. Rita, their friend, was on holiday in Portugal the first few days I was there (before I went to Berlin), and so her sisters were running the place. Apparently, Rita's sister Mary is quite interested in my travels ("alone?!"), especially to the Holy Land. So when I went to leave the final time, Rita gave me a discount on my room on the condition that I send her a postcard from Jerusalem. I'm practically family now.

Below is a video of a cover band at Quay's (pronounced keys) Pub my first night there--a Sunday, no less. I went to Quay's quite a few times, so much so that I know how bartender Steven got the scar below his eye and that I make bartender Joe so uncomfortable that he "rotated bars" every time I walked up to his. But Sunday night, that was fun. A few old fellows bought me beers, and a young guy (who actually plays premier league field hockey, which I think is real because I Googled it) drove me home.

On the way home, this guy Damien took me to a beach just a minute away from where I was staying because, coincidentally, "Wow. I live 100 meters from your B&B. If you get bored tomorrow, there's a great beach right down the road." To me, that sounded like typical Irish hospitality, but maybe I looked nervous because halfway there he verging-on-frantically said, "Oh, I hope you're not super creeped out that I'm taking you to this abandoned beach at 2am. I can turn around." But I'm glad I laughed that off and did get to see where the beach was because I ran there four or five times over the next couple weeks. (Yes, I went running.) Also, I got up abnormally early one day to catch the dawn there. I don't think I've ever explicitly watched the day dawn before, guys--indescribable! I'm not talking about sunrise; I mean watching the light come back to my section of earth again. I should make a point of doing this every Easter, and I recommend that you all try it sometime. It inspires a fresh gratitude for life.

after the dawn dawned but way before the sun rose

Oh look! a view of the city from the bay.

On another note, I'm fascinated by the Claddagh, both the section of town and the ring. Ok, ok, I did the thing and I bought the ring. The Claddagh Ring symbolizes values that are important to me (Love, Loyalty, Friendship), and it comes from a GREAT love story, so I convinced myself that I wasn't just being a regular tourist by purchasing it. Irish tales are typically sad, but this one has a happy ending! For those of you who don't know the story, click here.

Heart = Love, Crown = Loyalty, Hands = Friendship, band is a Celtic Knot

Historically, the Claddagh was technically not part of Galway but was a separate village. Galway itself was walled off from the surrounding area for protection, depending on who ruled at the time. The Claddagh is the oldest fishing village in Ireland with written history dating back to the year 700 (I think. Sorry, I'm TERRIBLE with history). They have a king there. Not kidding. He actually solved disputes among families and was an active leader up until 1932, when they started tearing down the traditional thatch huts in the village for sanitation reasons. Now, he has only a ceremonial role and does make an appearance at the village fair. Below is a photo of a replica hut, and the king lives around the corner.

replica of a traditional thatched Claddagh cottage

village pride

Also, guys, the Claddagh as an area: too cute! I walked through the little neighborhood one day, and I saw this guy (my peer) standing at a door, doing the turn-around thing after he had just rung the bell. Then this woman appeared and said, "Oh, John! It's great to see you!" He responded, "Mrs. _, I'm looking for Lucy. Is she here?" "She's just getting ready, dear. Come right on in..." What a gem! So 20-somethings here (at least the people I've spoken to in Galway) live with their parents if they can until they get married to save money and whatnot. Therefore, this adorable date scene can and does happen on the regular here.

The land of leprechauns and rainbows for a reason! It is not uncommon to see multiple rainbows in a day.

Most of my time in this city was spent walking around for hours and then going to the pub to finally have a conversation that day. My pub experiences were varied. The most classic "Emily" evening occurred on a Friday when, because I hadn't had dinner and am too old to try to drink without eating, I popped into McDonough's fish and chips shop. I asked some men there about the rugby match happening in town (Connacht beat Toulouse. Apparently Connacht was facing complete shutdown a couple years ago because they were so bad, so this was a big win.). Boy oh boy, these fellows stayed with me until 1am. We went to the Roisin Dubh (pronounced roy sheen dove), which is a very well known band/music bar, and then we finished with trad music at The Crane. They even paid for my cab home. These men were 65 years old+, which is why this is classic.

in the Dominican church in the Claddagh

Family time! THERE'S EVEN AN UGLY DUCKLING!

The long fishing boats are called Hookers.

I was getting food at a convenient store and asked the cashier what his favorite thing to do in Galway was. He responded, "Drink." Then I asked him what he liked to do when he was a kid, and he said that water sports were big in Galway. He was right. Presenting kayakers on the canal.

gorgeous in grey; Aran Islands in the distance

found in Salt Hill in the Circle of Life Garden in honor of organ donors

P.S. - Dublin beat Mayo in the All-Ireland Football Final on October 1st. I realized I left you hanging and never did mention the replay. Interestingly enough, one of the older gents I met somewhere knew one of the remaining "cursed" players of Mayo, and he said it's deplorable that the entire country is essentially waiting around for these men to die. I never thought of it that way, but that is depressing!