City Europe
Galway
Galway is a port city on the west coast of Ireland. A river rushes into the sea there!
Galway, Gaillimh in Irish, is a seaport on the west coast of Ireland, on the north shore of Galway Bay, where the River Corrib meets the sea. The 2022 census counted 84,414 people in the city. It is known for its university, its theaters and its festivals.
Galway (Irish Gaillimh), seaport on the north shore of Galway Bay on Ireland's west coast and county town of County Galway (Universalis), had 84,414 inhabitants in Galway City at the census of 3 April 2022 (City Population, from the Central Statistics Office). Universalis says it was one of Europe's fastest-growing cities at the end of the 20th century.
Photo: Jerzy Strzelecki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Galway
Galway is a city by the sea, on the west side of Ireland.
Its name in the Irish language is Gaillimh.
Galway is a seaport on the west coast of Ireland, on the north shore of Galway Bay, says Universalis. In Irish, the city is called Gaillimh, and it is the main town of County Galway.
The 2022 census counted 84,414 people in Galway City. Universalis says that at the end of the 20th century Galway was one of the fastest-growing cities in Europe.
Universalis: Galway (Gaillimh in Irish), a seaport on the west coast of Ireland on the north shore of the bay of the same name; county town of County Galway; at the end of the 20th century one of the European cities with the strongest population growth; over 72,000 inhabitants (2008). Larousse: port on Galway Bay, county town; 75,729 inhabitants (2011 census). City Population (Central Statistics Office), Galway City: 50,853 (1991), 57,241 (1996), 65,832 (2002), 72,414 (2006), 75,529 (2011; Larousse prints 75,729), 79,504 (2016), 84,414 (3 April 2022); third of Ireland's former city councils after Dublin and Cork.
- Country
- Ireland; a seaport on the west coast (Universalis)
- People in Galway City (census 2022)
- 84,414
- Irish name
- Gaillimh (Universalis, Larousse)
- Bay
- on the north shore of Galway Bay (Universalis)
A river mouth, an arch and theaters
Look at the river rushing into the sea, with buildings beside it!
Galway has theaters, a museum and a square called Eyre Square.
The photographer describes this photo, taken in May 2007, as the mouth of the River Corrib: rough water between walls, with buildings on one bank and a path along the other, under a gray sky.
Galway has several theaters, says Universalis, including the well-known Druid Theatre and An Taibhdhearc, the first theater in Ireland where plays were performed in Irish. On Wikidata, the Spanish Arch and the Galway City Museum are about 0.4 kilometers from the city's point, and Eyre Square about 0.3 kilometers north.
Commons: 'The mouth of the river Corrib, Galway, Ireland', own work by Jerzy Strzelecki, May 2007, scanned from film (Nikon Super Coolscan 4000 ED); CC BY-SA 3.0 / GFDL. Universalis: several theaters, among them the very renowned Druid Theatre and An Taibhdhearc, the first theater in Ireland where plays were performed in Gaelic. Wikidata, from the city point (Q129610): Eyre Square (Q32398) 0.29 km N; An Taibhdhearc (Q565306) 0.25 km W; Galway City Museum (Q2784678) 0.39 km SW; The Spanish Arch (Q25567) 0.42 km WSW; River Corrib (Q954009) 0.59 km S; The Claddagh (Q2602833) 0.79 km SW.
- In the photo
- the mouth of the River Corrib (the photographer's description)
- An Taibhdhearc
- the first theater in Ireland where plays were performed in Irish (Universalis)
- The Spanish Arch and Galway City Museum
- about 0.4 km west-southwest and southwest of the city's point (Wikidata)
City of the Tribes
Long ago, Galway had walls all around it.
People in Galway traded with Spain.
Universalis says Galway was protected by walls built by Anglo-Norman settlers around 1270, and grew through trade, especially with Spain. Fourteen leading families ran the town, which gave Galway its nickname, the 'City of the Tribes'.
The university began as Queen's College, founded in 1849, and joined the National University of Ireland in 1908. The census counted 50,853 people in 1991 and 84,414 in 2022.
Universalis: protected by fortifications built by Anglo-Norman settlers (about 1270), Galway developed through trade, notably with Spain; power was entrusted to fourteen families of English origin, the 'Tribes of Galway', hence the nickname 'City of the Tribes'; privileges granted by a charter of Richard II (king 1377-1399) were extended in 1545, and Universalis goes on to say (undated) that the Aran Islands, 30 km southwest of the port, were placed under its authority; a charter under James I (1603-1625) made the town and land within three kilometers of it a county; University College, founded in 1849 as Queen's College, joined the National University of Ireland in 1908.
- Town walls
- built by Anglo-Norman settlers, about 1270 (Universalis)
- Nickname
- 'City of the Tribes', after fourteen leading families (Universalis)
- Queen's College
- founded in 1849; joined the National University of Ireland in 1908 (Universalis)
Boats, trains and a harbor
Boats sail from Galway to islands out in the sea.
Trains come to Galway's railway station.
Universalis says a boat service links Galway with the Aran Islands, about 30 kilometers southwest of the port.
On Wikidata, the railway station is about 0.2 kilometers north-northeast of the city's point and Galway Harbour about 0.2 kilometers south-southeast. The River Corrib reaches the sea at Galway: the photographer describes this page's photo as the river's mouth.
Universalis: a boat service connects Galway with the Aran Islands, 30 km southwest of the port. Wikidata, from the city point (Q129610): Galway railway station (Q2086351) 0.23 km NNE; Galway Harbour (Q117831239) 0.23 km SSE; Eyre Dock (Q55028327) 0.41 km SSW; River Corrib (Q954009) 0.59 km S. Commons: the photo shows the river's mouth (the photographer's description).
- Aran Islands
- 30 km southwest of the port; a boat service links them with Galway (Universalis)
- Galway railway station
- about 0.2 km north-northeast of the city's point (Wikidata)
- Galway Harbour
- about 0.2 km south-southeast of the city's point (Wikidata)
Mild and rainy all year
Galway is not very hot in summer and not very cold in winter.
It rains on about half the days of the year!
The World Meteorological Organization's averages for Galway, for 1981 to 2010, show January days of about 9 °C and nights of about 3 °C. In July, days average about 19 °C and nights about 12 °C.
About 1,262 millimeters of rain fall in a year, on about 183 days: half the days of the year. October is the wettest month, with 137.9 millimeters, and April the driest, with 76.1.
WMO World Weather Information Service, Galway (Met Éireann; period 1981-2010 as given in the data; rain days at least 0.1 mm): mean daily maximum 8.7 °C (Jan) to 19.4 °C (Jul); mean daily minimum 3.0 °C (Jan, Feb) to 12.4 °C (Jul). Precipitation 76.1 mm (Apr) to 137.9 mm (Oct); sum 1,262.1 mm; 12.9 (Jun) to 17.7 (Jan) rain days, 183.2 a year.
- January, average daily high and low (WMO, Galway, 1981–2010)
- 8.7 °C and 3.0 °C
- July, average daily high and low (same table)
- 19.4 °C and 12.4 °C
- Rain in a year (twelve months added up)
- about 1,262 mm, on about 183 days
Festivals, theaters and the sea
Every year, Galway has a big arts festival and an oyster festival!
People fish, and many visitors come to see the city.
Universalis says Galway hosts the Galway Arts Festival and an international oyster festival every year, as well as horse races, and that tourism is an important source of income. Larousse calls its university bilingual.
Larousse lists fishing, food, textiles, chemicals and electronics among the city's activities, and Universalis names makers of computers, electric motors, medical instruments and sports equipment.
Universalis: exports of wool, farm products, marble, porcelain and metals; industries include ironwork and the making of computers, electric motors, medical instruments and sports equipment; tourism an important source of income; the Galway Arts Festival and an international oyster festival each year, and horse races. Larousse: fishing; food, textile and chemical industries; electronics; a bilingual university. Neither entry is dated, so the lists may describe an earlier period.
- Festivals
- the Galway Arts Festival and an international oyster festival every year, and horse races (Universalis)
- University
- a bilingual university (Larousse)
- Work
- fishing, food, electronics and tourism, among others (Larousse, Universalis)
Galway on the map
Find Ireland on the globe. Galway is on its west coast, by the sea.
Galway lies at about 53.27° north and 9.05° west, on the west coast of Ireland, at the north shore of Galway Bay.
The Aran Islands lie about 30 kilometers southwest of the port, says Universalis. On Wikidata, the University of Galway is about 1.1 kilometers northwest of the city's point.
Galway lies at about 53.27° N, 9.05° W (Wikidata point of Galway, Q129610; the Natural Earth/sheet point is 0.06 km N of it). Universalis: west coast of Ireland, north shore of Galway Bay; the Aran Islands 30 km SW of the port. Wikidata: University of Galway (Q644478) 1.09 km NW of the city point.
- Latitude
- about 53.27° north
- Longitude
- about 9.05° west
- Aran Islands
- 30 km southwest of the port (Universalis)
Amazing facts
-
Galway has a festival just for oysters!
Universalis says Galway holds an international oyster festival every year, as well as the Galway Arts Festival.
Universalis: the Galway Arts Festival and an international oyster festival each year, and horse races.
-
In Galway, it rains on about half of all the days of the year!
In the WMO averages for 1981 to 2010, Galway has about 183 days a year with rain, half of the year.
WMO, Galway, 1981–2010: 183.2 days a year with at least 0.1 mm of precipitation.
-
Galway is called the 'City of the Tribes'!
Universalis says fourteen leading families ran Galway long ago, which gave it the nickname 'City of the Tribes'.
Universalis: power was entrusted to fourteen families, the 'Tribes of Galway', hence the nickname 'City of the Tribes'.
Words to know
- seaport
- a town with a harbor where ships come and go
- river mouth
- the place where a river flows into the sea or a lake
- bay
- a part of the sea that curves into the land
- bilingual
- using two languages
- festival
- a special time of celebration, often with music, food or art
- census
- an official count of all the people living in a place
Discovery challenge
-
Galway is a city in which country?
Galway is a seaport on the west coast of which country?
Galway, county town of County Galway, is in which country?
- Ireland
- Italy
- India
Show the answer
Ireland
Ireland!
Ireland.
Ireland.
-
Which river rushes through Galway into the sea?
Which river's mouth is shown in this page's photo of Galway?
Which river reaches Galway Bay at Galway, as the hero photo's description says?
- The River Corrib
- The Nile
- The Amazon
Show the answer
The River Corrib
The River Corrib!
The River Corrib.
The River Corrib.
-
What is Galway's nickname?
Which nickname did Galway get from its fourteen leading families?
After the 'Tribes of Galway', what is the city's nickname?
- City of the Tribes
- City of Bridges
- City of Snow
Show the answer
City of the Tribes
City of the Tribes!
The 'City of the Tribes'.
The 'City of the Tribes'.
-
Which month brings the most rain to Galway?
In the 1981–2010 averages, which is Galway's wettest month?
Which month has the highest mean precipitation in the WMO 1981–2010 normals for Galway?
- October
- April
- July
Show the answer
October
October!
October, with 137.9 millimeters.
October, 137.9 mm.
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Dublin
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Dublin
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Cork
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Athens
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Barcelona
Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia in northeastern Spain, lies on the Mediterranean between mountains and the sea. It is famous for the buildings of the architect Antoni Gaudí, including the Sagrada Família, a giant church begun in 1882. About 1.7 million people live in the city (2025).
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Belgrade
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Galway on Galway Bay on the west coast of Ireland.
- Describe how trade by sea helped a walled town grow.
- Explain what a bilingual university and an Irish-language theater are.
- Read a climate table where rain falls on half the days of the year.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why might a town long ago build walls around itself?
- What would a festival for your town's favorite food look like?
- How would you plan a day out in a city where it rains on half the days?
Try at home or in class
- Rain calendar: color 183 squares out of 365 on a paper calendar to see how often it rains in Galway.
- Island trip: on a map, measure 30 kilometers from Galway to the Aran Islands and compare it with a trip you know.
- Two languages: make labels for things in your room in two languages.
Key vocabulary: seaport, river mouth, bay, bilingual, festival, census
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Galway , Encyclopædia Universalis
- Galway en gaélique Gaillimh , Larousse encyclopédie
- Ireland: Former City and Town Councils , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from the Central Statistics Office
- Galway: climatological information (1981–2010) , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service
- File:CorribRiverGalway(js).jpg (Jerzy Strzelecki) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.