Galway, Ireland – Oct 3-Oct 5, 2026

By Kathleen Ennen / October 5, 2026

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Saturday, October 3

Once I learned that the town Cong is more or less on the way to Galway, I posted it into the itinerary and got the google directions to go to Pat Cohan’s Bar, made famous in the John Wayne movie, the Quiet Man with Maureen O’Hara. At the time of the movie, in 1952, the place was a grocery store and the crew and put up a sign calling it Pat Cohan’s Bar. After the movie nothing really happened and tourists would come and be disappointed they couldn’t first, find the bar, and secondly, buy a drink! The property was purchased in 2013 and renovated to what is there today. We had a good lunch, though somewhat pricey….

We then drove on to Galway and located the car park to the hotel and checked in. We settled in somewhat and then started to walk around. We walked down the busy shopping streets, found a cheese shop and bought 2 little bits of Irish cheese and some fancy crackers. We walked farther along and saw the Spanish Arch and the waterfront and harbor area. There is a marina of boats but its entry/exit is via what looks to be a lock gate. It keeps the water level decent enough for the boats when the tide is low. When the tide is high enough it will be open and stay open until the levels require it to close again.

We went back to the hotel and had some wine and cheese. We didn’t sort dinner plans out until we found out it was too late to get something at the restaurant across the street. The bouncer out front gave a suggestion for a simple, no frills place near by and it turned out to be a good dinner and about 60% the price of what we’ve been spending for dinner out. Tomorrow we’ll have to show up before 7 to get a seat in the quiet portion of the restaurant.

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Sunday, October 4

Aran Islands

Our adventures today took us out early to catch a 1030 ferry from a town about 50 minutes from Galway, and landed us in the largest of the Aran Islands, Inis Mor. It’s about a 45-minute crossing. And it’s raining again.

We wandered off the boat and I found the information center where I picked up a map and some guidance on what to see and how far things were. The island is bigger than expected.

We saw some shops with the tradition Aran Irish knit sweaters. I was looking for something a little different and not something I’d seen in the US before. I saw something but there was only one option and it was suggested we go to the bigger store down the road.

Turns out down the road was quite a way away. After 25 minutes, in the mist, we flagged down one of the tour vans/buses and asked about a lift to where I wanted to go. Turns out that’s where he was going. I paid him for the full round trip and we were told to shop, have lunch and be back at the dropoff spot at 230 for the return to the little town where the ferry was.

We did some shopping, bought a few things, got some lunch, made our way back to the ferry and back across for the drive back to Galway. We got back in time to regroup slightly and have dinner at the restaurant we couldn’t get into last night, the Murty Rabbitt’s.

It was great!! It’s a lively, family-run traditional pub and sports bar operating since 1872. It’s origins date back to 1848 when one of the men caught up in the gold rush in California, was successful in his bid to find gold. After cashing in his gold, he returned home just over ten years later. In 1860, he set up a flour milling business in Quay Street. However, the building was destroyed by fire sometime later. He didn’t have proper insurance and the remainder of his Californian gold rush money was used to establish the bar in Forster Street.

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Monday, October 5

Another drizzly rainy day… as we drove for a little more than an hour to get to Kylemore Abbey. The castle was built as a wedding present in 1868. The family lived in London and summered in Kylemore. There were 9 children and the castle was enormous, having 33 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.

It was sold in 1903. The new owners had for just a few years and had to sell it due to gambling debts. There was an interim owner until 1920 when the Benedictine Nuns purchased it. The had fled their centuries old abbey in Ghent, Ypres, Belgium, after it was destroyed by fire during WW 1.

The nuns found a new home and in 1923 it became an international boarding and day school. International students paid tuition while local day students attended for free. The school ran until 2010. As the years passed the abbey had fewer and fewer nuns for teaching. When the cost to operate the school got to be too much, particularly due to the salaries needed for lay teachers, the school closed. It’s reported there is still a very strong connection among the community of alumni.

We had lunch at the onsite café and then, hoping for a break in the mist/rain, drove a short distance to the Connemara National Park. The visitor center was closed and the weather did not cooperate. It was damp and chilly and there was little opportunity for any decent photos.

We drove back to Galway and enjoyed a nice dinner at a restaurant I had booked a table at.