I always expect a warm welcome in Ireland. But Galway blew me away
Adrian Chiles
A local's guide
A local’s guide to Galway: ‘As a chef I love the food, but it was the culture that first captivated me’
September 2023
Ocean views and authors lost: a literary tour of Ireland’s wild west coast
The wild west coast from Cork up to Donegal has captivated writers from Yeats to Synge and Charlotte Brontë – as well as a host of lesser-known talent
July 2023
Irish pub owner rebuilds bar from Banshees of Inisherin
After filming ended, Luke Mee took the set where Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson drank and rebuilt it as a working pub – complete with donkey
February 2023
‘There’s a savage beauty to the place’: the dark mystery of Ireland’s Connemara region
The setting for Kathleen MacMahon’s new novel, The Home Scar, is a haunting expanse of lakes, bogs, heathland and mountains in County Galway
June 2022
From Paris to Galway: expert foodies reveal the very best places to eat on holiday
Fred Sirieix’s guide to Paris, Girorgio Locatelli on Sicily, plus hidden gems in Copenhagen, Seville, Cornwall, Limassol, Amsterdam and Lisbon
November 2021
It can feel like the world’s most spectacular wilderness; the savage beauty of Connemara
Connemara has inspired film crews, writers and maharajahs with its wild mountains and endless expanses of sky and sea
February 2020
A local's guide
A local’s guide to Galway City: 10 top tips
The joint European capital of culture’s year of events highlights a city of festivals, seafood and literature, and with pubs galore
December 2017
Lost in rhyme: a walk in the poetic beauty of Ballynahinch, Galway
Amid great walking trails, fantastic fishing and literary heritage, Ballynahinch Castle hotel delivers the best of Connemara – and you don’t need to be a poet to appreciate it
August 2017
'I spent August avoiding menacing boys': my long hot city summers
For the first 17 years of my life, I didn’t have a holiday. Would I know what to do when I escaped my inner-city estate?
But Galway international arts festival is boosting Ireland's tourism numbers with big shows such as Ballyturk
March 2014
Ireland's best pubs and music bars
To celebrate St Patrick's Day we pick the best places in Ireland for a pint and live music, from bustling Dublin bars to hideaways in Donegal
February 2014
A day in Galway, Ireland: city guide
Take a tour around Galway, Ireland's 'city of festivals', and sample its history, culture and love of a good cup of tea – and maybe end the day with a taste of something stronger
June 2011
Theatre blog
Why small is beautiful when it comes to festivals
Michael Billington: One of my favourite festivals is the tiny but perfectly formed Galway theatre festival – and this year's instalment promises to be as brilliant (and boozy) as ever
January 2009
Me and my travels
Me and my travels
Danny O'Donaghue, lead singer of The Script
July 2008
Galway Arts Festival: Small but perfectly formed
New plays, old classics, even Blondie: this Irish event has much to recommend it, finds Michael Billington
June 2008
Connemara at a canter
A six-day ride across western Ireland is not a break for the red-rosette brigade. But wild swims and bar singalongs help Alexandra Buxton forget her aches and pains
November 2007
Christmas craic
Galway's pubs are unbeatable for a jolly winter's night
July 2006
Flying visit
Galway likes nothing better than to throw a party and this week is the start of a summer of festivals.
