SHAMROCKER ADVENTURES: GALWAY & ARAN ISLANDS
Galway and Inis Mór were two of my favourite stops on the Shamrocker tour. I really enjoyed the atmosphere in Galway and the day spent riding bikes around the Aran islands. Check out my other blog posts about my experience with Shamrocker Tours. Read all about my adventures in BELFAST & BALLINTOY and the amazing scenery at the GIANTS CAUSEWAY & CLIFFS OF MOHER.
If you are wondering which tour I booked in Ireland, it is the 7 day All Ireland Rocker tour with Shamrocker Adventures, through TourRadar!!. I got to see so many amazing Irish gems!! Inis Mór (Aran Islands), Cliffs of Moher, Galway, The Giant’s Causeway, The Dark Hedges and Ballintoy Harbour seen in Game of Thrones, Belfast, Derry, Slea Head Drive and Dingle Peninsula.
WHERE TO STAY
We stayed in Galway for two nights at the Kinlay House Hostel. It is located on the corner of Eyre Square in Galway City, very close to Irish Pubs and great restaurants. The hostel has a great atmosphere and a fantastic common area to chill out.
The rooms are very comfortable and have an en-suite bathroom. There are also shared bathrooms in the hallways. There are private or dormitory rooms available, we stayed in a dormitory room with 3 bunk beds, you will share with the other people on your tour. Guest facilities include a common room with a pool table and TV, a fully equipped self-catering kitchen and a dining room. Free breakfast and high-speed WiFi, as well as free computer usage, free luggage storage, free printing and free city maps, are all provided to guests.
Location: Merchants Road, Eyre Square, Galway, Ireland
WHERE TO EAT & DRINK
This bar was our first stop on the Galway pub crawl! it is a cute pub, just around the corner from the Kinlay House Hostel. It has a really cute traditional feel inside and a great atmosphere. I didn't eat any food here, but it has a great range of food to enjoy with a pint of Guinness.
Location: 28 Eyre Square, Galway, Ireland
Darcy's Bar is a cute little Irish pub that had a fantastic local band playing music. I love going into Irish pubs, cause they are some of the best pubs I have been in. Darcy's has a long bar which leads to some space where you can dance in front of the band. We all had a great time and got our free shots on arrival.
Location: 2 Forster Street | On The Corner, Beside The Train/Bus Station, Galway H91 W862, Ireland
This pub also had a live band playing and was the smallest Irish Pub of the ones I went to in Galway. It had a real Irish feel to it and the band was really fun and we all had a good dance. We were given a free shot at each pub while on the pub crawl with Shamrocker Adventures!! My favourite shot was the Baby Guinness, which is a shot with Irish Cream, Black Sambuca and Coffee Liqueur.
Location: 3 Daly's Place, Woodquay, Galway, Ireland
This bar was my favourite one of the night!! The band is on a platform and there is a dance floor below and the stage is surrounded by balconies around the pub. The whole vibe of the place is so cool and I loved dancing to an Irish band and some cool Irish music. I would highly recommend you visit this pub if you are in Galway!
Location: 11 Quay Street Galway, Galway, Ireland
WHAT TO DO
Galway
There is so much to do and see in Galway, so why not just explore the city and see what you can find! I loved Galway! I really liked the atmosphere and the people. Walking around and having drinks in local Irish Pubs. Galway is a really colourful city, with cute cobblestone streets and lots of jewellery stores. Galway is famous for Claddagh rings, it is a traditional Irish ring which represents love, loyalty, and friendship. I got one for myself to remember the trip and I love the ring, it is so cute!
Location: 53.2707° N, 9.0568° W
Inis mór (Inishmore) - Aran Islands
As part of the Shamrocker Adventures Tour, we got to visit Inishmore in the Aran Islands. We got a bus to the Rossaveal ferry terminal and then took a scenic ferry trip to Inis mór. The Aran Islands is a group of three islands located at the mouth of the Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. We rented bikes and spent the whole day riding around the islands! It was a really fun day! I got to see some cute animals and we had the best weather on the day and the sky and water looked really blue. Along the road we took on the bikes, there is a beach called Kilmurvey Beach...it looked stunning (check out the photos below).
I would recommend you go to Inis mór (Inishmore), it is so worth it and is a great day out in the sun. Even if you aren't on the Shamrocker Adventure Tour, you can take the ferry across and rent the bikes from the rental shops. It is a short walk to the local shops from the ferry terminal, there is a supermarket, restaurant (with really yummy burger s), tourist information centre and bike rental shops.
Location: 53.1289° N, 9.7197° W
