Galway Tour Guides Association in partnership with Galway City Council will see 16 tour guides telling stories on 25 walks, from Coole Park in Gort through the streets of Galway City and onto the Western Lakes Geo Park.
The festival runs until July 25 with more than 25 walks organised. The Galway Tour Guides Association is a collective of Fáilte Ireland / Irish Tourist Board accredited tour guides, and is made up of historians, tutors, writers, artisans, farmers and archaeologists; all storytellers who will share their knowledge through the Galway Walking Festival.
Some of the highlights of the festival include the NUI Galway Campus Walking Tour, where you can go on a walking tour of one the most beautiful university campuses in Ireland. See the famous quad, the concourse from the 1970s and the Alice Perry Engineering Building. Discover the famous past alumni from Michael O’Shaughnessy to Martin Sheen.
Then go on a journey through Coole Park to explore Andrea’s stories of Woodland Wisdom. This walk takes in its surroundings in the habitat of Coole Park where the chat turns to trees. Which trees here are native to Ireland? What are their special features? What is the connection to the Celtic Tree Calendar and Ogham writing?
From Grimm’s fairy tales to the great Irish legends, stories are what bind it all together, nature and people and our connection to the land. On The Story of Galway walk, you can hear how it all began for the city of the Tribes. This guided walking tour will take you through the streets of Medieval Galway. You will hear how the native Gaelic Irish got pushed out and how the Anglo Normans took control. Why Galway became known as the city of the Tribes.
You will see how the city has managed to retain much of its grandeur and character from its Medieval past.Taking in a tour of the city, the Galway through Literature and Film walk will take in the cultural interests with both buildings and statues such as Padraic O Conaire and Oscar Wilde, buildings such as the Savoy Cinema, Town Hall, Taibhdhearc, Druid Lane theatre, the Arts Centre, Bowling green etc.
Discover what makes Galway a UNESCO city of film and creativity with poet and writer, Billy Murray. Visit a current restoration of a Galway Hooker and get an into Galway’s maritime heritage with Galway Boat Tours and a visit to a current restoration of a Galway Hooker.
Discover the hidden delights as Galway’s Town Cryer leads a fascinating Heritage Walk of this medieval town from Eyre Square along the old wall of Galway along Lynch’s Castle passing Nora Barnacle’s house into Kirwans’ lane and finishing at the Spanish Arch.
Galway will also be experienced at night on The Nightwatchman’s Tour, Come explore Galway by torchlight with the Night Watchman as he does his rounds, discover what life was really like within the walls of medieval Galway. Expect gruesome tales on his living history tours.
The full schedule is on www.galwaywalkingfestival.ie and booking at €10 per walk can be made on the festival website or on Eventbrite. Get social with Galway Walking Festival on Facebook and Instagram.
