I’ve heard it said that Galway is a place to ‘be’, not a place to ‘do’. There is no doubt that the city has a relaxed vibe and people seem to ‘be’ everywhere. On a fine day hordes of people hang out in Eyre Square and the Spanish Arch, and strollers, street performsers and al fresco diners fill the city’s streets. So, Galway can feel like the perfect place to ‘be’ but what is there to ‘do’ in Galway?
According to Trip Advisor, bone carving is voted the number one tourist activity to do in the city, a surprising but fitting attraction considering many claim it to be Ireland’s arts capital. Galway’s Bone Carving Studio and Gallery is the only place in Ireland that you learn the craft. Dubliner Aoife McGough learned bone carving from Maoris in New Zealand and set up the studio in an effort to revive the craft which was once widely practiced in Ireland, as far back as the Neolithic period.
Aoife’s studio is bright and spacious and a two- minute walk from Eyre Square. In each class you design and make your own piece. The most popular items to make are pendants, brooches, key rings and small sculptures.
After designing the piece on paper the cow bone is placed in a clamp and a small wire cutter is used to saw out the shape. Then it’s blasted with a high powered electrical sander that gives a dentist smell. Next is the intricate work of shaping and carving a design onto the bone. This was way more difficult than I expected but Aoife is a patient and encouraging teacher. The class was both relaxing and satisfying and gave me a new appreciation of hand crafted jewellery.
After a day spent working with my hands it was time to put my feet into action; not by walking but by way of a foot controlled motorised vehicle, a segway. The best way of describing a segway is by calling it a motorised scooter that is controlled by shifting your weight forward and back.
Contrary to what I had previously thought, segways are not just for lazy tourists, and once I learned how to control it I understood why these machines have become so popular in just 10 years since their introduction. They’re fun to use and they cover a lot of ground compared to walking. And one of the best things about them is the reaction of people when they see someone on one. Kids and grannies seem the most intrigued and there was a few request for ‘a go’.
The ‘Galway City’ tour is an hour and a half and starts in Eyre Square before heading along the marina and the ‘long walk’, which is mentioned in Mundy’s song ‘Galway Girl’. Other stops include the Spanish Arch, Claddagh, Shop Street. Our guide told interesting folklore at points of interest: the origin of the word lynching, the church that Columbus is said to have prayed in before he set sail for America (St Nicolas’s Church), and what ‘sparching’ is (drinking at the Spanish Arch).
That was enough ‘doing’ for one day, next up it was time to ‘be’. Galway is a city with a village like atmosphere and that’s why both foreigners and domestic tourist return over and over again. The locals are extremely friendly and a visit to a Galway pub is testament to this.
Some of the best pubs in the country are in Galway and with 63% of the population under 35 it is easy to understand why. Live music aficionados are spoilt for choice, with live trad most nights of the week. The Róisín Dubh is an excellent live music venue and is open until 2am every night with national and international names. They also have a good Indie disco at the weekends. The Dew Drop Inn is cosy and good for a pint of Guinness and The Salt House has a great selection of international beers. The best thing about the nightlife in Galway is that it’s all contained in a very small area and you don’t have to look very hard to find a good pub.
I’ve not always found it as easy to find somewhere good to eat in Galway (apart from Mc Donagh’s chips of course). Eight Bar and Restaurant is a welcome addition to the Galway food scene. Located in the docklands with big widows overlooking Galway’s marina, Eight Bar has a funky and relaxed feel. The staff are friendly and efficient and on Saturday nights they have live jazz. The food is fantastic and reasonably priced. The menu is short and uses the best of locally sourced ingredients. Sea food is their specialty. Starters include Clare crab with avocado and Connemara smoked mackerel. Expect pan-fried ray wing and hake with a chorizo, mussel, clam and cockle casserole for mains. I ate the latter and it was, without doubt, some of the best seafood I have ever eaten and all at a reasonable price.
Galway has no shortage of accommodation; after all it is the B&B capital of the world. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of good quality city centre hotels such as the House Hotel and The G. I opted for The Radisson Blu, primarily because of its central location and the very well-known spa.
The recently opened Salt Spa is built to resemble a cave and has thick blocks of natural salt from the Dead Sea and Poland scattered throughout. A device called a saline diffuser is used and claims to make the air rich in iodine, negative ions and natural salts. Breathing this air is said to be beneficial for people with respiratory and skin disorders and for people with stress related problems. Each session is 45 minutes and costs €25. After just one session I can’t comment on its health benefits but I can definitely say it’s a relaxing place to be.
Next door, and also a part of The Radisson Blu, is the Spirit One Spa. This spa has thermal chambers including traditional Turkish hammam, Laconium and a sauna that reaches 85°c . The Experience Showers are refreshing, in between the heat, with tropical rain showers and mist for cooling the body.
The highlight has to be the Sabia Med or ‘the beach’. This camber is a recreated Mediterranean beach complete with sand and takes you through the dusk light cycle in the warmth of a tropical beach. This is defiantly a place where you ‘do’ nothing and just ‘be’; not in the Galway sense of the world but you know what I mean.
THE FACTS
The Bone Carving Studio and Gallery offer classes from Monday to Saturday at 10am. The length of the class depends on the piece you want to make but most people finish mid-afternoon. It costs €65 per person or €120 per couple. The maxium number of people is 6 and group discounts are available.
Visit www.bonecarving.ie for more details.
An hour and a half ‘Galway City Tour’ with Segway Adventures costs €45. Visit www.segwayadventures.ie for more details.
Eight Bar and Restaurant No 8, The Docks Galway. Phone 091-565111 for bookings.
Rejuvenation One Night Spa Break at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa from €110 per person. This includes B&B, a choice of an Elemis Back, Neck and Shoulder Massage or an Elemis Mini Facial and access to the thermal suite, pool and hot tub. For more information visit www.radissonhotelgalway.com or call +353 (0)91 538 300.
For more information on Galway please visit www.discoverireland.ie/galway
Deirdre Mullins
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