Location

Galway is a city located on the West Coast of Ireland. It sits on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay and has a population of approximately 79,000.

Galway is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city steeped in culture, rich in folklore and famous for its cobble-stoned streets, quaint shops and charming restaurants. It is known as Ireland’s cultural heart and is renowned for its vibrant lifestyle and numerous festivals, celebrations and events. Home to the world-renowned Druid Theatre Company, Macnas Street Theatre Company and An Taibhdhearc, there is much to do in this wonderful city.

Galway city has experienced very rapid growth in recent years and has a strong local economy with complementary business sectors, including manufacturing industry, tourism, retail and distribution, education, healthcare and services that include financial, construction, cultural, and professional. 8 of the world’s top 10 med-tech companies have a physical presence in Galway.

In addition, Galway boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The landscape leaves one breathless, from the prehistoric fort of Dun Aengus, the most westerly point in Europe, to Connemara and the Burren.

Galway has been…

  • recommended by Lonely Planet as one of the top cities on the planet to visit in 2020
  • officially awarded a European Region of Gastronomy 2018
  • dubbed ‘Ireland’s Most Charming City’ by The New York Times in 2016
  • voted as the ‘friendliest city in the World’ by US magazine Travel + Leisure in 2015…
  • …and it still is a very friendly city!

Getting to Galway

Galway does not have an airport: the closest airports are Shannon (https://www.shannonairport.ie/) and Ireland West (https://irelandwestairport.com/), where you can fly especially to/from the UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Poland (Shannon also has some US destinations). Dublin airport (https://www.dublinairport.com/), however, offers a much greater variety of flights and times, and is also well connected to Galway.

To and from Dublin airport:

Citylink, Gobus, and Aircoach have direct routes from Dublin Airport to Galway Coach Station, getting you to the city centre in about 2 hours and a half (from Bay/Zone 11). You can check timetables and book your tickets online at http://www.citylink.ie / http://www.gobus.ie / http://www.aircoach.ie . There is no direct train from Dublin Airport to Galway.

From Dublin:

There are daily trains from Heuston Station (https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/). Galway station is located in Eyre Square, which is near and very well connected to the University (see below).

Citylink and Gobus have direct routes from Dublin City Centre to Galway Coach Station, departing from Crampton Quay. The journey takes about 2 hours. You can check timetables and book your tickets online at http://www.citylink.ie and http://www.gobus.ie.

To and from Shannon airport:

Bus Eireann’s 51/X51 route is your best option: https://www.shannonairport.ie/getattachment/Passengers/To-From/Bus/BE-Route-51-51-1514549276.pdf.aspx/?lang=en-IE. It takes about 1 hour from Galway city centre to the airport. You can find other routes to and from Shannon airport on https://www.buseireann.ie/.

To and from Knock Ireland West airport:

Bus Eireann’s 64 route connects Galway to Ireland West Airport in 1 hour 30: https://www.buseireann.ie/timetables/64-1514550623.pdf.

From Cork:

There is no direct train from Cork to Galway. Citylink (http://www.citylink.ie) has a direct bus, which takes 3 hours.

Moving around Galway

Bus routes from Eyre Square (main square, very close to the Coach Station) to campus:

The single adult ticket is 2.20 €, which you pay directly on the bus (in cash only). For the full list of bus routes, see https://www.buseireann.ie/

Taxi:

In case you prefer to walk, you will be happy to know that Galway is a small town, and that the University of Galway campus is only a 15-minute walk from Eyre Square through the city centre.