Need to know

Day 1

Kick off with a illuminated and enlivened by Liam Silke or one of his fellow Galway Guides (galwaytourguides.com, €125/£108 for a half day). Almost every building seems to have a centuries-old story behind it. Dip into the

dating back to 1320, that’s lined with the stone bodies of angels and saints decapitated by Cromwell’s soldiers, and listen to the (perhaps apocryphal) tale about seafarer Christopher Columbus worshipping here. Imperious 14th-century

showcases medieval Irish-gothic and has bizarre gargoyles and coats of arms of English kings. The quayside

is all that remains of a medieval city wall.

Galway Museum

Nicholas, Latin Quarter Coffeewerk+press Shop Street,