The largest city in the county to which it lends its name, Galway is often referred to as the ‘most Irish’ of Ireland’s cities. It’s the only one where you’re likely to hear Irish spoken in the streets, shops, and pubs!

The city is steeped in history, for sure, but also buzzes with a contemporary and cultured vibe as students make up a quarter of the population. Remnants of the medieval town walls lie between shops selling Aran sweaters, handcrafted Claddagh rings and stacks of second-hand and new books. Bridges arch over the salmon-stuffed River Corrib, and a long promenade leads to the seaside suburb of Salthill, on Galway Bay, the source of the area’s famous oysters.

Read more on Lonely Planet