City of Galway - Cathair na Gaillimhe

Galway, the City of the Tribes, has been a home of poets and musicians down through the ages so its tag as the Cultural Capital of Ireland could not be truer.

Galway is situated in the West of Ireland with a north Atlantic influenced climate. Galway has long been reputed as the fastest growing city in Europe.

The city takes its name from the Gaillimh river (River Corrib) that formed the western boundary of the earliest settlement, which was called Dún Bhun na Gaillimhe, or the fort at the bottom of the Gaillimh. The word Gaillimh means "stony" as in "stony river".

The city also bears the nickname City of the Tribes after the famous 14 Tribes of Galway that ruled for centuries.

Culture

Galway is nicknamed Ireland's Cultural Heart (Croí Cultúrtha na hÉireann) and is renowned for its vibrant lifestyle and numerous festivals, celebrations and events.

In years past, there were three dance organisations, ten festival companies, two film organisations, two Irish language organisations, 23 musical organisations, twelve theatre companies, two visual arts groups and four writers' groups based in the city.

Furthermore, there were 51 venues for events; most of which were specialised for a certain field (e.g. concert venues or visual arts galleries), though ten were described as being 'multiple event' venues.

Major squares in the city include Eyre Square, in the centre of the city; and Spanish Parade, next to the Spanish Arch.

In 2007, Galway was named as one of the eight "sexiest cities" in the world.

A 2008 poll ranked Galway as the 42nd best tourist destination in the world, or 2nd in Ireland (behind Dingle). It was ranked ahead of all European capitals except Edinburgh, and many traditional tourist destinations (such as Venice).