Things to do in Co. Galway
39 places
1.Dog's Bay
Two rare back-to-back beaches on a tombolo
A dazzling horseshoe of pure white shell-sand and turquoise water on the Connemara coast — Dog's Bay and its twin Gurteen Bay sit back-to-back on a rare tombolo, forming one of Ireland's most extraordinary beach landscapes.
- Highlights
- 1.6 km of pure-white shell-sand — made from crushed foraminifera, not rock
- Crystal-clear turquoise water, sheltered by headlands
- Rare tombolo formation with Gurteen Bay back-to-back
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly
2.Glengowla Mines
Ireland's only show mine with sheepdog demos
Connemara's only show mine — a family-run 19th-century silver and lead mine paired with a working sheep farm, where you go underground, pan for gold, and watch sheepdogs in action.
- Highlights
- Ireland's only show mine
- Rare octahedral fluorite and quartz crystals
- Working seismograph on the National Seismic Network
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
3.Joyce Country Sheepdogs
working farm with daily Border Collie demos
A family-run working hill sheep farm in Connemara where Border Collies herd Connemara Blackface sheep, with short daily demonstrations from March to October.
- Highlights
- Border Collies herding Connemara Blackface sheep
- Third-generation family hill farm
- Daily demos at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:30
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
4.Connemara National Park
Spot Connemara ponies in the paddock
A rugged 2,000-hectare wilderness of bog, mountain, and heath in the Twelve Bens range — free to enter, with four waymarked trails and sweeping Atlantic views from the summit of Diamond Hill.
- Highlights
- Summit of Diamond Hill: 360° views of the Twelve Bens, Kylemore Abbey, and the Atlantic
- Connemara pony herd — see them in the paddock or at summer info sessions
- Four colour-coded trails from 0.5 km to 3.7 km, all starting at the Visitor Centre
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
5.Dún Aonghasa
3,000-year-old fort on a sheer 87m cliff
A 3,000-year-old stone fort perched on the edge of an 87-metre sea cliff on Inis Mór — one of Europe's most dramatic prehistoric monuments, with no barrier between you and the Atlantic.
- Highlights
- 3,000-year-old Bronze Age hillfort on a 87 m sea cliff
- Europe's finest chevaux-de-frise defensive stone field
- No barrier at the cliff edge — pure, raw Atlantic drama
6.Irish Workhouse Centre
All seven original workhouse buildings intact
Ireland's most complete authentic workhouse — all seven original buildings intact on an 8-acre site in Portumna. A powerful guided tour reveals the harsh reality of life for the destitute poor from the 1840s to the 1920s.
- Highlights
- All seven original workhouse buildings intact — unique in Ireland
- Enter through the actual waiting room used by those seeking admission
- Bog oak famine sculptures by Kieran Tuohy
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
7.Killary Sheep Farm
sheepdog demos, lamb feeding and fjord views
A traditional working mountain farm on the Wild Atlantic Way where highly trained border collies, hand sheep-shearing and bottle-fed lambs come with a front-row view over Killary Fjord.
- Highlights
- Working sheepdog demonstrations with border collies
- Hand-shearing with traditional shears (June–August)
- Bottle-feeding orphan lambs (March–August)
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms
8.Knockma Forest Trail
170m fairy hill crowned by Queen Maeve's cairn
Knockma, the Hill of Maeve, is a 170m fairy-haunted hill 8km west of Tuam with free woodland trails, Bronze-Age cairns and a panoramic summit. Legend makes it the court of Finvarra, King of the Connacht fairies.
- Highlights
- Bronze-Age summit cairns — legendary burial place of Queen Maeve
- Finvarra's limestone 'gateways to the otherworld'
- Free entry and free parking
- Facilities
- Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
9.Knockma Wood
a free 4.2 km fairy-wood hike to Queen Maeve's cairn
Knockma, the Hill of Maeve, is a free 65-hectare Coillte forest park 8 km west of Tuam, where a 4.2 km looped walk climbs through native woodland to Bronze Age cairns, fairy doors and some of the finest views in Galway.
- Highlights
- Bronze Age summit cairns linked to Queen Maeve
- Fairy doors and a fairy school hidden in the woods
- Burren-like limestone pavement on Finvara's Trail
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
10.Poll na bPéist - The Wormhole
A natural rectangular pool for 27m platform dives
A startlingly rectangular tidal pool carved by nature into the limestone cliffs of Inishmore — famous for hosting the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series and steeped in serpent folklore.
- Highlights
- Naturally-formed near-perfect rectangular tidal pool in limestone
- Hosted the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series (2014 & 2017) — 27m platform dives
- Underground channels connect the pool to the Atlantic; water surges in with the tide
11.Renvyle Beach
A Green Coast white-sand beach on the Wild Atlantic Way
A remote, unspoilt Green Coast Award beach on the Wild Atlantic Way, where soft white sand meets clear Connemara water with Mweelrea Mountain and Clare Island on the horizon.
- Highlights
- Green Coast Award for water quality
- Soft white sand on the Wild Atlantic Way
- Views of Mweelrea, Clare Island, Inishturk and the Twelve Bens
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
12.Rinville Park
free parkland walks, castle ruins and bay views
A free, year-round parkland on the shore of Galway Bay where woodland walks, a 16th-century castle ruin, playground and outdoor gym sit five minutes from Oranmore.
- Highlights
- Free admission, open year round
- Woodland and coastal walks with Galway Bay views
- 16th-century Rinville Castle ruins and Rinville Hall
- Facilities
- Restrooms · Wheelchair access
13.Wildlands
1 km of ziplines across 4 circuits
A 20-acre adventure playground set in mature woodland overlooking Ballyquirke Lough — ziplines, climbing, escape rooms, and cosy cabins at the gateway to Connemara.
- Highlights
- Over 1 km of ziplines across 4 colour-coded circuits
- 24 Celtic-themed challenge/escape rooms
- Indoor Fun Walls climbing — great for rainy days
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
14.Barna Woods
ancient oak woodland with a 5th-century holy well
A pocket of ancient broadleaf woodland on Galway's western edge, where some of the oldest oaks in the west of Ireland shade a 5th-century holy well — just minutes from the city.
- Highlights
- Ancient oaks — some of the oldest in the west of Ireland
- St Enda's Well, a 5th/6th-century holy well still in use
- Bluebell carpets in spring
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
15.Brigit's Garden & Café
home to the nation's largest calendar sundial
Award-winning Celtic gardens set within 11 acres of wildflower meadows and native woodland — a magical journey through the seasons, mythology, and the landscape of the West of Ireland.
- Highlights
- Four Celtic festival gardens by Mary Reynolds
- Ireland's largest calendar sundial
- Ancient ring fort (fairy fort) and crannóg
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
16.Coole Park
Tree carved by Yeats, Shaw, Synge & O'Casey
A 400-hectare nature reserve in south Galway where rare turlough wetlands meet ancient woodland — once the home of Lady Gregory and the creative heart of the Irish Literary Revival.
- Highlights
- The Autograph Tree — a Copper Beech carved by Yeats, Shaw, Synge & O'Casey
- Rare turlough (seasonal lake) system of international importance
- Wintering Whooper Swans on Coole Lake
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
17.Kilmurvey Beach
a Blue Flag beach beside a 3,000-year-old cliff fort
Kilmurvey is the only Blue Flag beach on Inis Mór, the largest Aran Island: a sheltered crescent of white sand and clear water lying in the shadow of the 3,000-year-old cliff-top fort of Dún Aonghasa.
- Highlights
- Only Blue Flag beach on Inis Mór
- White sand and turquoise, sheltered water
- Dún Aonghasa cliff fort 15 minutes away
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
18.Pallas Karting
Europe's longest go-kart track at 1,500m
An outdoor adventure centre in rural east Galway built around Europe's longest go-kart track (1500m), with paintball and splatball arenas, a learners' driving school and 30 years of experience hosting everything from kids' parties to corporate days.
- Highlights
- 1500m GP karting track — longest in Europe
- Karts up to 90kph (13hp Thunderkarts)
- 4 themed paintball zones with war scenarios
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
19.Pine Island Viewpoint
Scots pines silhouetted against the Twelve Bens
One of Ireland's most photographed landscapes: a small Scots-pine-covered island on Derryclare Lough, framed by the rugged Twelve Bens — a must-stop roadside viewpoint along the Wild Atlantic Way.
- Highlights
- One of Ireland's most photographed landscapes
- Iconic Scots pines silhouetted against the Twelve Bens
- Mirror-like reflections on calm days
20.The Long Point
a Blue Flag lake beach with summer lifeguards
The Long Point is a Blue Flag swimming beach and grassy lakeside park on Lough Rea, with clear water, summer lifeguards, free parking and family-friendly shallow bathing just minutes from Loughrea town.
- Highlights
- Blue Flag status - excellent water quality
- Lifeguarded during the summer bathing season
- Shallow sandy area perfect for children
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
21.Turoe Pet Farm
Europe's largest indoor bouncy castle on a 14-acre farm
A family-run pet farm and leisure park just off the M6 near Loughrea, packing Europe's largest indoor bouncy castle, multiple playgrounds, and a 14-acre walkable farm into one all-weather day out.
- Highlights
- Europe's largest indoor bouncy castle (8,000 sq ft)
- 14-acre pet farm with all-weather walkway
- Ireland's first covered outdoor playground (The Pavilion)
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
22.Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh, Conamara
a 1916 Rising leader's cottage, preserved since 1915
A modern visitor centre in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht telling the story of Patrick Pearse, writer and 1916 Rising leader, and the landscape, language and culture that inspired him — with his summer cottage a short bog-side stroll away.
- Highlights
- Pearse's summer cottage preserved as he left it in 1915
- Interactive exhibition on Connemara language, landscape and culture
- Scenic looped walk across the bog
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
23.Killary Adventure Company
Only adventure centre on Ireland's only fjord
Ireland's only fjord-side adventure centre, with 25+ land and water activities set against the mountains of Connemara on the Wild Atlantic Way.
- Highlights
- 25+ activities all on one site
- Only adventure centre on Ireland's only fjord
- Eco-friendly accommodation with fjord views
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
24.Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden
Europa Nostra-winning 6-acre garden
A fairytale 19th-century castle reflected in a Connemara lake — now a Benedictine monastery welcoming visitors to its 1,000-acre estate of restored period rooms, a spectacular 6-acre Victorian Walled Garden, and a miniature neo-Gothic cathedral tucked in the woodland.
- Highlights
- 1,000-acre lakeside estate on the Wild Atlantic Way
- Restored Victorian period rooms with multimedia visitor experience
- 6-acre heritage Victorian Walled Garden (Europa Nostra winner)
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
25.Plassey Shipwreck
Immortalised in Father Ted opening credits
The rusted hull of a 1960 cargo shipwreck, immortalised in the opening credits of Father Ted, sitting on the rocky eastern shore of Inis Oírr — free to visit and open all day, every day.
- Highlights
- Appears in the Father Ted opening credits
- All 11 crew rescued by islanders using a breeches buoy in 1960
- Originally HMS Juliet, a WWII naval trawler built in 1940
26.Portumna Castle & Gardens
A living willow maze and walled kitchen garden
A striking Jacobean semi-fortified manor house — one of Ireland's finest early 1600s transitional buildings — set in formal gardens on the shore of Lough Derg, right beside Portumna Forest Park.
- Highlights
- Jacobean semi-fortified architecture with Renaissance details
- Three formal garden enclosures with geometric layouts
- Restored 17th-century walled kitchen garden
27.Aughnanure Castle
Married pirate queen Grace O'Malley in 1546
Connemara's best-preserved late-medieval tower house, built by the O'Flaherty clan on a rocky outcrop above the Drimneen River — a rare surviving example of a Gaelic chieftain's stronghold with an unusual double-baun defence system.
- Highlights
- Rare double-baun defence with five flanking towers
- Murder hole and deliberately uneven spiral staircase
- Banqueting hall with carved grape-and-vine windows
28.Galway City Museum
free museum behind the Spanish Arch with three floors of Irish history
A free, modern museum on the banks of the River Corrib, right behind the iconic Spanish Arch, telling Galway's story from prehistoric stone forts to the 1916 Rising through engaging displays and a rooftop view.
- Highlights
- Free admission, no booking needed
- Three floors of engaging exhibitions
- Full-sized Galway Hooker boat on display
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
29.Loughwell Farm Park
a 12,000 sq ft indoor playbarn plus outdoor farm fun
A family play farm near Moycullen with a huge indoor playbarn, acres of outdoor adventure, friendly farm animals and seasonal events like the pumpkin patch — all set against a Connemara backdrop, 20 minutes from Galway city.
- Highlights
- 12,000 sq ft indoor playbarn with adult-friendly mega slides
- Zip wire, go-karts, mini golf and timber play villages outdoors
- Daily supervised animal feeding and handling
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
30.Menlo Castle
a fire-ravaged 16th-century ruin on the River Corrib
A fire-ravaged 16th-century castle ruin on the banks of the River Corrib, 3.5 km north of Galway city. Menlo Castle was home to the Blake family for over 300 years until a devastating fire in 1910 left only its walls standing.
- Highlights
- 16th-century tower house with a later Jacobean mansion
- Riverside setting on the River Corrib
- Blake coat of arms above the entrance
31.Quiet Man Bridge
John Wayne's famous 1952 film stop on the N59
A small stone bridge on the N59 near Oughterard that earned screen fame in John Ford's 1952 classic The Quiet Man — the spot where John Wayne's Sean Thornton stops to look across the Connemara landscape. It is a free, easy roadside stop on the drive between Galway and Clifden.
- Highlights
- Free, 5-minute roadside stop on the N59 Galway–Clifden route
- Filming location of the 1952 Oscar-winning The Quiet Man
- John Wayne commemorative plaque on the bridge
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
32.Wild Atlantic Way Signature Discovery Point @Derrigimlagh
two transatlantic firsts on one windswept bog
A windswept blanket bog outside Clifden where two transatlantic firsts happened within a few hundred metres: Marconi's 1907 commercial radio station, and Alcock & Brown's crash-landing after the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic in 1919.
- Highlights
- First permanent transatlantic commercial radio station, built by Marconi (opened 1907)
- Landing site of the first non-stop transatlantic flight, Alcock & Brown (1919)
- Easy 4.5-5 km looped trail with boardwalks and interpretation
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
33.Clifden Castle
Gothic ruin with mock standing stones
A roofless Gothic Revival manor house from 1818, hidden down a farm track at the start of Connemara's spectacular Sky Road — complete with mock standing stones, ivy-clad walls, and sweeping views over Clifden Bay.
- Highlights
- Gothic Revival manor house built c.1818 by John D'Arcy, founder of Clifden
- Mock standing stones lining the approach path
- Dramatic ivy-covered rear façade
34.Na Seacht dTeampaill - The Seven Churches
a 1,200-year-old pilgrimage site, free and open 24/7
A 1,200-year-old monastic and pilgrimage complex on the western end of Inis Mór, where two medieval churches, carved pilgrim gravestones and Ireland's only surviving late-medieval pilgrim hostels sit beside an active cemetery. Free to wander, day or night.
- Highlights
- Two surviving churches: Teampall Bhreacáin (8th–13th c.) and Teampall an Phoill (15th c.)
- 'VII Romani' — the Seven Romans — inscribed pilgrim gravestone
- Leaba Bhreacáin penitential bed and decorated stone crosses
35.Roundstone Music & Crafts / Malachy Kearns
Ireland's master bodhrán maker's workshop
The studio and shop of Malachy Kearns — Ireland's master bodhrán maker — tucked inside a converted Franciscan monastery in the heart of Roundstone, Connemara. He has handcrafted every bodhrán used by Riverdance for 25 years, and visitors can watch him at work, try a drum, and meet the man himself.
- Highlights
- Hand-crafted goatskin bodhráns made on site since 1978
- Maker of all Riverdance bodhráns for 25 years
- Set inside a converted Franciscan monastery
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
36.Dunguaire Castle
Where Yeats, Shaw and Synge gathered
A stunning 16th-century tower house perched on a rocky outcrop on the shores of Galway Bay — once a gathering place for Yeats, Shaw and Synge during Ireland's literary revival. Note: the castle is currently closed to the public due to an ongoing ownership dispute.
- Highlights
- Most photographed castle in Ireland
- Literary meeting place of Yeats, Shaw, Synge & Lady Gregory
- Spectacular Galway Bay shoreline setting
37.Galway Atlantaquaria
Ireland's largest native species aquarium on Salthill Prom
Ireland's largest native species aquarium, perched on the Salthill Promenade overlooking Galway Bay. Two floors of hands-on exhibits bring you face-to-face with sharks, rays, octopus, and hundreds of creatures from Irish rivers, lakes and seas.
- Highlights
- Ireland's largest native species aquarium
- Smoothhound sharks and Wreckfish in the Ocean Zone
- Interactive touch pools with starfish and crabs
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
38.Leisureland
65m waterslide and inflatable obstacle course
A family-friendly leisure complex on the Salthill promenade with three pools, a 65m waterslide, adventure golf, gym, and a seasonal funfair — open year-round whatever the weather.
- Highlights
- 65m water slide and Commando Run inflatable obstacle course
- Three pools under one roof — 25m lanes, learner, and leisure
- 9-hole outdoor adventure golf with bay views
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
39.Planet Entertainment Centre Galway
10 lanes of glow-in-the-dark bowling plus laser tag and soft play
Galway's go-to indoor family entertainment centre, packing ten-pin bowling, laser tag, soft play, arcades, pool, and a Subway under one roof at the Galway Shopping Centre on Headford Road.
- Highlights
- 10 lanes of ten-pin bowling with glow-in-the-dark UV lighting
- Laser Quest arena with 10 mission types
- Space Kids soft play with slides, rope bridges and ball pool
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access