LNOF Guide to Galway
There’s definitely something in the Eyre tonight – could it be the laughter coming from a wine-soaked hen party in a beautiful little Galway bar?.
The fast-growing city of Galway encapsulates everything that is good about Ireland. A university city with a huge under-25 population and a vibrant culture, it has lots of excellent restaurants, live music and adorable pubs. Eyre Square is the very heart of the city, and it's here that you'll spend part of your weekend, sitting in beautiful oak-beamed bars, each of you recounting shameful story after embarrassing incident until the hen is either begging you to stop or laughing so hard that her belly hurts. Fascinating little markets, gorgeous walks, a smart selection in daytime activities, not to mention the Cathedral, the Bay, a plethora of friendly clubs, and all against a picturesque backdrop that demands you bring that camera – we know, just the ticket.
If you do decide to pop over to Galway with the girls for the hen weekend, there'll be a lot more than drink flowing in the average pub, with good conversation, embellished stories, the best of "loive" music and slurry pledges of undying friendship after an ill-advised drinking game the order of the day - with a bit of impromptu singing every now and again.
A night out in Galway is so quaint and quirky, and those Irish men aren't bad to look at either.
Cheryl HooperHead of Operations
Hen weekends in Galway provide a busy, bustling city with a thriving student population, terrific nightclubs, historical sites galore, fine shops and markets, plus its very own Latin Quarter. Hey, it's even got an impressive Cathedral sitting right in the centre. So banish those "little" thoughts and prepare for a great mix of modern and traditional; of elderly characters and feisty young students; and of oak-beamed inns and ultra-cool DJ venues.
Galway has always had a bohemian edge to it, the large student population helping to attract young people of increasingly varied nationalities. The city is a major Gaelic centre and Irish is widely understood - one of the ways in which Galway seems "more Irish" in some ways than larger cities like Dublin or Cork. The large centre and Bay area are very pleasant indeed, the traditional pub culture complimented appealingly by so many designer clothes stores, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and live entertainment venues.