Page 217 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

THE WEST OF IRELAND  215

Galway Hookers VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Galway’s traditional wooden sailing boats, featured on the city’s coat Practical Information
of arms, were known as pucans and gleotogs – hookers in English. Road map B4. Co Galway.
They have broad black hulls, thick masts and white or rust-coloured * 60,000. n The Fairgreen,
sails. Once common in the Claddagh district, they were also used Foster St (091 537 700).
along the Atlantic coast to ferry peat, cattle and beer. Hookers can ( Sat & Sun. _ Galway Arts
be seen in action at the Cruinniú na mBád festival in Kinvara (see p218). Festival (mid-Jul); Galway Races
(late Jul–Aug).
Transport
~ Carnmore, 11 km (7 miles)
NE of Galway. £ Ceannt Station
(091 561444). @ Ceannt Station
(091 562000).
Small Galway hooker sailing by the old quays and Spanish Arch

The Old Quays the city walls was governed by a
The Spanish Arch, where the “king”, the last of whom died in
river opens out, was built in 1954. The only remnants of this
1584 to protect the harbour, once close-knit, Gaelic-speaking
then outside the city walls. Here, community are Claddagh rings,
Spanish traders unloaded their betrothal rings traditionally
ships. Behind the arch is the handed down from mother to
Galway City Museum with daughter (see p336).
exhibits on the city’s history.
Environs
The Claddagh Just west of the city is Salthill,
Beyond the Spanish Arch, on Galway’s seaside resort. The
the west bank of the Corrib, lies beaches at Palmer’s Rock and
the Claddagh. The name comes Grattan Road are particularly
from An Cladach, meaning “flat, popular with families in
stony shore”. From medieval summer. A bracing walk
times, this fiercely independent along the promenade is still Plaque outside Dillon’s Shop, the first
fishing community be yond a Galway tradition. makers of Claddagh rings
Galway City Town
Centre Theatre
1 Cathedral of WATERSIDE ST Hall SLIGO
St Nicholas University Salmon ST VINCENT'S AVE
CLIFDEN
Weir
2 Collegiate Church Bridge WOOD QUAY Browne ATHLONE
of St Nicholas GA OL Cathedral ST FRANCIS ST E Y RE STREET Doorway FOSTER ST
3 Lynch’s Castle of St Nicholas N E WTO N S T R E ET Coach
Station
EYRE
4 Browne Doorway R O A D EGLINTON ST SQUARE
5 The Quays Pub Corrib WILLIAM ST Bus & Train
Stations
6 Spanish Arch Lynch's VICTORIA PL
Castle
7 Galway City
BR I D GE ST H O P S T
Museum Collegiate Church ABBEYGATE ST
MIDDLE ST
LOWER
8 The Claddagh NUNS ISLAND RD of St Nicholas MARKET ST Cornstore ST AUGUSTINE'S ME RC H A NTS R OAD
S
The D OCK RO AD
STREET
The
CR O
William
O'Brien
Bridge
Galway QUAY S T SS ST Quays
Arts Centre Pub
RAVEN
Wolfe Spanish Galway City
Arch
TERRACE
SALTHILL Tone Museum
Bridge
0 metres 200 CLADD AG H Q U AY
0 yards 200
The Claddagh
For key to symbols see back flap
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