Our first stop was Galway, Ireland. 

The sites we visited in and around Galway are listed in pink at left. 

Click on them for more information and pictures.

Our Ireland journey officially began by flying from Washington D.C. into Dublin, Ireland.  Debbie with Discover Sligo Tours picked us up in our very own coach!  (see the picture below)  We then bussed from Dublin to Galway.  This was about a 3 hour trip, and we all got some much needed napping in after our flight across the Atlantic.   Debbie and her husband, Keith, own the Discover Sligo Tours company and we spent nearly our whole time in Ireland with one or both of them.   We had a bus all to ourselves the whole time and we went to so many interesting places.  Keith and Debbie are wonderful hosts and tour guides.  They gave us a lot of information on all the sights we saw.  It couldn't have been a better arrangement. 

Galway is located on the west coast of Ireland.  The picture below is of Eyre Square, right in the center of town.  Galway is a college town and very lively.  Tons of brightly colored shops, pubs, internet cafes, etc. line nearly every street.  It's a very easy city to walk around in.  A big shopping area  leads all the way down to the river.  The oldest part of Galway is the Claddagh area right along the river.  This is the area where the world-famous Claddagh Rings originated.  Galway is located in County Galway, and is the busiest west coast town.  Many pubs play live Irish music nightly, and offer traditional Irish food as well as a variety of other dishes.  And be careful: there are a million souvenir shops!  And, in case you forgot something important, there is a mall where you can find nearly anything- sweaters, socks, toiletries, film, batteries, etc.