Afternoon Walking Tour of Galway City's West End
We’re Cillín and Emily — two Galway locals with a serious grá for history, culture, and stories worth telling. We created Éire Eile to shine a light on the Galway we know — not the curated version dressed up for tourists, but the vibrant, rebellious, and unexpectedly brilliant city we grew up in. Our tours are built on lived experience, local insight, and a frankly ridiculous amount of research — all shared in our own relaxed, curious, and slightly cheeky style. Expect to do a bit of walking, a bit of standing around, and the occasional well-timed nod.
Pickup
📍 Meeting Point: Outside the Claddagh Church, Claddagh Quay, Galway, H91 CD36 🌂 Look out for: Our guide holding a green umbrella
Description
Galway’s story is often told through its Anglo-Norman walls and merchant past. But across the Corrib lay another Galway — Gaelic, resilient, and proud.
At Éire Eile, we bring forward the Gaelic legacy of the city — a story too often hidden beneath its colonial past.
This afternoon walking tour leads you through the storied heart of Galway’s West End — tracing the city’s Celtic roots, colonial clashes, and cultural resilience through sites like the Claddagh, Fr Griffin Road, Galway Cathedral, the Crane Bar, and Nun’s Island.
You’ll hear tales of ancient migrations, elected kings, Norman invaders, secret shebeens, martyred priests, banned languages, and rebel musicians — all woven through the living streets and riverside ruins of the city’s most soulful quarter.
Walk with us — and hear Galway’s story of survival, struggle and enduring spirit.