Understand
The Irish name for this county, Gaillimh, derives from Gaill, the Gaelic word for oustiders or foreigners. It is ironic, then, that this county is now home to the largest gaeltacht, where the language and culture of Ireland still survives.
The landscape in County Galway is varied. The interior is largely flat, while the Connemara, in the northwest is a region of ancient glacier scarred mountains, blanket bog peatlands and rugged coastlines. The Aran Islands and the south are rocky and barren places, containing numerous stone age forts, including Dun Aenghus one of the best examples of its kind in Europe, beautiful in its isolation. To top it off, there is also the urban landscape of Galway City, the west coast's largest city.
