Historic Sites in Salthill

"A great Tower House to visit with kids in Galway is Aughnanure Castle. Located near Oughterard, it is one of over 200 tower houses in County Galway. Built in the 16th century this castle is a great place to stretch the legs and let the kids run off some excess energy."

"The 'Fighting O'Flahertys' were based at this superbly preserved 16th-century fortress 4km east of Oughterard. The clan controlled the region for hundreds of years after they fought off the Normans."

"Claregalway Castle is a fully-restored 15th-century Norman tower house, situated on the banks of the River Clare. It was the chief fortress of the powerful Clanricarde de Burgos family, also known as the Burkes, who were descendants of the original 13th-century Anglo-Normans invaders. The castle has a long, bloody history, which you can learn all about on the regular tours at the castle!"

"Now fully restored, Claregalway Castle is a 15th-century tower house on the banks of the scenic River Clare. Its main claim to fame is as the original home of the Brian Boru Harp, Ireland’s national symbol now on display in Trinity College Dublin. Take a guided tour of this Anglo-Norman tower house, former home of the illustrious Clanricard Burkes."

"A post shared by Veronica Bilotta (@veronicabilotta) on Aug 31, 2018 at 3:48pm PDT. The fully-restored castle will make you feel like a King or a Queen for night, as it has lodging options fit for royalty. The friendly welcoming hosts and the expert guides will help you learn more about the rich history of the castle."

"These two reserves, through their combination of deciduous woods, limestone reefs, lakes and turloughs, constitute one of the most interesting Irish vegetation and faunal complexes still in existence. The Coole-Garryland reserve contains a variety of floral habitats including well-formed high forest on deep pockets of soil, dwarf woodland on limestone pavement and a turlough complex in the Callows and Coole Lake. A large portion of this reserve was formerly owned by Lady Gregory, co-founder with W.B."

"One hour south of Galway City is a great place to take the kids for a day out in nature. Covering an area of approximately 400 hectares is the wetland and woodland nature reserve of Coole Park. The two reserves constitute woods, limestone reefs, lakes, and turloughs where you can see interesting Irish vegetation and fauna."

"James Lynch Fitzstephen was the mayor and magistrate of Galway in 1493. So the story goes, when his son was condemned for the murder of a romantic rival Spanish merchant sailor, Lynch Sr personally acted as..."

"Galway’s contemporary arts hub, the Galway Arts Centre is another revolving exhibition space that takes in an incredible array of local art and entertainment, including theatre and visual arts. The gallery is equally fluid, with a penchant for cartoony modern art and statement sculpture. There are classes, too, if you feel like getting your hands dirty."

"In an idyllic setting by a stream, this 16th-century Norman tower was the summer home of WB Yeats from 1921 to 1929 and was the inspiration for one of his best-known works, The Tower. It adjoins a whitewashed cottage with forest-green trim, which contains an exhibition on Yeats' life and work. From Gort, it's 7.2km northeast off the N66."

"Cong Abbey is a beautiful, ancient monastery ruin from the 13th century. Here you feel like you have been transported back a few centuries and can imagine how the monks …. translated by•View Original"

"A post shared by Emily Martin King (@emmygalway) on Sep 23, 2015 at 3:25am PDT. This fun, suburban park features fascinating playgrounds, woodland paths, Gaelic soccer fields and pitches, and a lot of picnic areas for you, your friends, and family. Enjoy long walks with your pets, and have beautiful Irish sceneries captured on your phone in this serene and enticing park."

"If you are looking for free things to do in Galway for kids, then a visit to Cappagh Park won’t cost you a penny. This park features a playground, gardens, woodland path leading to Barna Woods (above), football pitches, and picnic areas. Address: Cappagh Rd, Galway"

"Crowned by a pyramidal spire, the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas of Myra is Ireland's largest medieval parish church still in use. Completed by 1320, it's been rebuilt and enlarged over the centuries, while..."

"Ever imagine you’d find a church dedicated to Santa Claus all the way in Galway?. This beautiful 13th century church of mixed architectural styles was built in …"

"James Lynch Fitzstephen was the mayor and magistrate of Galway in 1493. So the story goes, when his son was condemned for the murder of a romantic rival Spanish merchant sailor, Lynch Sr personally acted as..."

"Merlin Park Woods is a large urban woodland located on the eastern edge of Galway City and is a great place to visit with kids. On the former site of the Waithman estate, this haven for wildlife is a great place for a walk away from the city centre. Merlin Castle lies in the North Wood, and there is a playground too that kids will enjoy."

"A post shared by Piotr (@zagadka1986) on Oct 15, 2017 at 6:02am PDT. Known as the oldest and largest urban park in Galway City, Merlin Park and Woods is a playground for nature and woodland lovers. It remains as one of the forefronts of biodiversity conservation practices in the city."

"If you need a break away from everything, the calm surroundings of Barna Woods is the perfect spot. You can listen to the wind in the trees and observe the spectacular flora that adds colour to this beautiful and natural area. Website: www.galwaybarnawoods.com"

"Ireland Travel Guides contains affiliate links all throughout the site. If you choose to purchase a product or book services through our affiliate links, this earns us a commission at no extra cost to you. For our complete disclosure, click here"

"Situated just 3 miles from Galway City, this enchanting woodland is the great thing to do in Galway for nature lovers. It can be quite muddy when it rains. Which let’s face it is more often than not in Ireland."

"The Galmont Hotel is located right in the thick of things in Galway City, a short stroll from many of the city’s top attractions. It’s home to the award-winning Spirit One Spa, 2 restaurants (Marinas and Coopers) a large outdoor terrace area offering views of Lough Atalia and much more. This is a great spot to base yourself from for a weekend and it’s also one of a handful of hotels in Galway with swimming pools in this guide."

"The Galmont offers modern accommodation overlooking the sea inlet of Lough Atalia, Galway Bay and the craggy karst curves of the Burren across the water. Guests come here for swish four-star surroundings, comfort, and touches of luxury – all within a stone’s throw of energetic and culturally vibrant Galway."