Galway

The drive from Mulranny to Galway was spectacular. We started out on the Wild Atlantic Way skirting around Killary Harbour but then cut inland on the R344 to run along Lough Inagh and between the Twelve Bens to the west and the Maumturks to the east. The driving was great fun and a bit hairy, but the scenery was out of this world. Anne thought the ‘hills’ were “a bit grey and dirty and ‘when you’ve seen one hill you have seen them all.”

We are in the Salthill Hotel in Galway. The room is hopeless (more later), but the swimming pool is fantastic. Huge and with a steam room, hot tub, and sauna. We took an open-top bus tour that passed the hotel and the guy doing the commentary pointed out that only the Irish would build such a big pool right next to the sea.

I’m not one for Trip Advisor reviews, but if you go to Galway, don’t stay at the Salthill Hotel unless you can afford one of the posh rooms at the front. Galway is a popular destination so all the prices are high and the only room available was massively expensive, but one of the cheapest at the hotel. The only way to get to our room, tucked at the back in the roof, was via a service elevator. Also, we didn’t realise at the time, it was above the grand hall. Friday night was okay, a bit noisy and hot. On Saturday night there was a wedding with 2,500 guests who felt the need to party until 4.00 am. The guests were all booked into rooms in our corridor and continued the party until 6.00 am. If you like vibrating floors and walls and a continuous thump, thump, thump, bashooka, thump, then you will have a right craic.

Galway Town Square