Galway is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Ireland—after Dublin, Cork, and Limerick—and by far the most charming of the four. Called the City of Tribes, it has an interesting history.

When King Henry II of England decided in the late 12th century that it would suit his interests to appropriate Ireland for England, he gave away prime Irish real estate to the English gentry who served him well during the occupation. Over the centuries these families assimilated into Irish life, marrying Irish women, cultivating the land, and establishing successful commercial businesses. Galway, run by a consortium of fourteen families of British origin, became the third largest port in the British Empire after London and Bristol.

After the English Reformation in the 16th century, the Irish adopted the new religion, although often in name only and frequently reverting to their beloved Catholicism. By the mid-17th century, King Charles I had had enough of these upstarts who refused to accept the Church of England and sent Oliver Cromwell over to convert them by force, which often resulted in death. 

When Cromwell arrived in Galway, he mocked the fourteen families, belittling them for their assimilation into a savage culture by referring to them as the Fourteen Tribes of Galway. Proverbially, Cromwell may have won the battle, but he lost the war. The families took great pride in adopting the label, continuing to call themselves tribes in defiance of Cromwell and the throne. Those fourteen families are alive and well today in Galway, running the government by more democratic means these days. Their names are very prominent in local politics. 

We had a great apartment for exploring this very walkable city. A few blocks away was Eyre Square, site of the 13th-century English castle (now gone) and still the hub of the city. A few blocks beyond that was the heart of the old medieval city where some of the taverns have been operating since the 15th century! We happened to be exploring on a Saturday morning and got to take advantage of the Saturday Market there.

A bit farther on and we were at the Spanish Arch on the River Corrib, site of the docks where the Spanish merchant ships used to unload their cargo during Galway’s heyday. The River Corrib is Europe’s shortest river. Four miles in length, it runs from Lough Corrib north of the city to Galway Bay. And they make use of every inch of it. It was the main transit system back in the day, and today has a nice riverwalk along its banks where young kids gathered to soak up the sun during our week of fantastic weather.

And just upriver we discovered a warren of great bars and restaurants in an area on the river that once housed several busy wharves and warehouses. Galway is known for its good food—the best we’ve had so far—and we took advantage while we were there. Lovely city!