Arcadia Ireland

Galway is Ireland’s second-most visited county after Dublin and is popular among international and local visitors alike. It is situated in the West of Ireland just about a three hour drive from Dublin and there are ample train and bus options to get there as well. The easy accessibility to Galway City from the rest of Ireland allows tourists to explore the area all year round and provides an important platform for communicating the culture and history of the area. Once the nice weather hits, dozens of events take place in Galway for everyone to enjoy. 

The Galway International Arts Festival is one of the most celebrated festivals in Ireland. Drawing in thousands of visitors over two weeks (7.15-7.28), the festival offers a diverse range of ‘theater, dance, music, opera, street spectacle, visual arts, discussion and comedy’. More information on the history of the festival can be found here. The festival is said to have placed Galway ‘on the map’ as an artistic and culturally rich part of Western Ireland. All over the city events take place over the two-week period and hundreds of exhibitors come to communicate their culture and artistic expression. Up to 20,000 visitors travel to the festival from around the world each year. 

Notable artists set to perform include Macy Gray and Two Door Cinema Club, and while visitors wait for the concerts to begin they can explore the city and many artistic exhibitions it offers. For those in attendance for multiple nights, countless options are available for exploration, such as Circus performance one night and a comedy play the next. Perhaps if the theater circus show isn’t enough, visitors could check out the circus performances taking place right on the street! From political talks on Irish borders and Trump’s America to an Astrobeat Orchestra performance, there is no shortage of entertainment and immersive cultural experiences at the Galway International Arts Festival.

Other events taking place in Galway this summer include the Galway Horse Races (7.29-8.4), also known as ‘Ireland’s biggest and most famous racing festival’; the Joyce Country Challenge Walks (7.20), which takes participants on a trek through the mountainous Connemara National Park just outside of Galway City; and the Galway Bay swim (7.20) in aid of Cancer Care West (it’s worth noting that despite the event taking place in July, the ocean around Ireland is still frigid in the summer months!). More information on these events can be found here. Our Dublin and Limerick students can hop on a train or bus (with student discount tickets, of course) and get to Galway in no time!