12 Nov Galway City , County Galway
The chief town of Connacht , and a thriving industrial and university town. It has become home to a very lively arts movement , which includes the Druid Theatre , An Taibhdhearc , and Macnas , which stages spectacular street pageants.
The town began with the seizure of an O’Halloran settlement and fort by the de Burgos who built a castle here before 1240. The town was walled and fortified by the close of the century , and when a steady trade grew up with spain , Richard II of England granted a charter in 1484 which made Galway in effect a city-state , and independent of the de Burgos.
It was ruled by a small group of merchants , predominantly from the 14 ‘tribes’. The dispossessed de Burgos , or Burkes , were a traditional city foe , but the greatest enemies of the city were the O’Flaherties , whose lands had also been seized by the Normans. The Williamite wars at the end of the 17th century brought a lengthy siege , which was followed by a decline in the city. The Great Famine was another disaster , and it was only with the re-establishment of the Irish state that the city began to blossom once again.
Galway City is a must see attraction of your Ireland tours so contact us now to organise your visit to Ireland.