Shannon is the closest airport to Galway and Cloughjordan, roughly 1 hour drive to both places. You could also fly into Dublin airport which is approximately 2.5 hours from Galway.
The easiest way is to rent a car, both Shannon Airport and Dublin Airport have the typical car rental services on-site, but booking in advance is strongly suggested. It is also worth noting, that people drive on the left in Ireland (vs. the right in the U.S.) and furthermore, stick shift is most common in Ireland, so if renting a car make sure to request automatic transmission if preferred, otherwise you will likely receive a stick shift. In saying all of this, there are hourly coach services from Dublin Airport to Galway City, which are cheap, comfortable, and have Wifi.
Immediate family only will be staying at the venue due to limited number of rooms but we have reserved a block of rooms for wedding guests to stay at the nearby Abbey Court Hotel which is a 15 minute drive from the venue. To book, contact +3536741111 and mention the O'Shaughnessy - Egan wedding. Rate per night is €150 and we'll have shuttle buses doing pick up and drop offs all night.
There are some lovely hotels situated in the city center like The Hardiman, the Galmont, the House Hotel, The G Hotel and Jury's Inn. If you would like to stay further afield in the countryside, we recommend looking into The Twelve in Barna and Glenlo Abbey.
Galway City offers an array of nice restaurants, from fine dining to more casual gastro bars. For fine dining, be sure to check out Anair or Loam - both of which offer local and seasonal tasting menus. For something nice but more vibey and in the thick of the action, check out Kirwan's Lane or Ard Bia. Kai is fabulous for a more intimate dinner, or a vibey brunch. If you have the time, both Moran's in Clarinbridge (~20min taxi from city center) or O'Grady's in Barna (~15 min drive) are a MUST for any sort of lunch or a more romantic dinner. All of these restaurants have websites with further details, and should be booked ahead of time. For more casual lunches, try Quay Street Kitchen, Brasserie on the Corner, Dela, Dough Bros Pizza, McDonagh's Fish n Chips or Tartare Cafe, none of which will need to be booked in advance, but there may be short wait times.
Tigh Neachtain's, Freeney's Bar, O'Connell's Bar, the Dew Drop, Taafe's
Having a pint of Guinness in Tigh Neachtain's (and maybe a seafood chowder) is a MUST. It can get busy though. For late bars with music, try the Quays, or the Front Door pub. For local bars, try O'Connell's, Taaffe's, Dew Drop, Tigh Chóilí, An Pucan and Tigh Coli's. The most tourist friendly spots (i.e. less locals) are the Kings Head and the Skeff, both of which are late bars.
Galway is a city filled with culture and fun things to do 1. Walk the Salthill Promenade 2. Have a coffee on Shop Street, listen to the local buskers, and watch the world go by 3. Enjoy a trip up and down the Corrib River on the Corrib Princess 4. Play Golf at Galway Golf Club 5. Go for a Swim in Galway Bay, and maybe even dive off the famous Blackrock Tower 6. Fly fish in the Galway Salmon Weir in the heart of the city 7. Take an overnight excursion to the Aran Islands
To keep everyone safe and comply with local guidelines, we are requiring that all guests be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to attend. If you’re not able to accommodate, we look forward to celebrating with you another time!
If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to reach out to us, we would love to hear from you! Email us at michaela.oshaughnessy@gmail.com or text at 929-330-7975