County Galway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
County Galway
Contae na Gaillimhe
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| Nickname(s):
The Tribesmen, The Hooker County
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| Motto(s):
Irish: Ceart agus Cóir
"Righteousness and Justice" |
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| Anthem:
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Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland | |
| Province | Connacht | |
| Region | Northern and Western | |
| Established | c. 1569 | |
| County town | Galway | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 6,151 km2 (2,375 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 2nd | |
| Highest elevation
(Benbaun)
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729 m (2,392 ft) | |
| Population | ||
| • Total | 276,451 | |
| • Rank | 5th | |
| • Density | 44.944/km2 (116.405/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC±0 (WET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (IST) | |
| Eircode routing keys |
F31, H53, H54, H62, H65, H71, H91 (primarily)
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| Telephone area codes | 090, 091, 093, 099 (primarily) | |
| ISO 3166 code | IE-G | |
| Vehicle index mark code |
G | |
| Website | ||
County Galway (pronounced GAWL-way; Irish: Contae na Gaillimhe) is a beautiful county in Ireland. It is located in the west of the country. The county is part of the Connacht province.
In 2022, about 276,451 people lived in County Galway. The county includes Galway city. However, the city and the rest of the county are managed by separate local councils. These are the Galway City Council and the Galway County Council.
Contents
History of Galway County
People first came to the Galway area a very long time ago. They arrived around 5,000 BC. Old shell piles show that people lived here even then.
Before County Galway became an official county, it was made up of several smaller kingdoms. These included places like Aidhne and Uí Maine. County Galway officially started around the year 1569 AD. A special part of the county is called Connemara. It has its own unique feel.
County Galway also has islands where people live. The most famous are the Aran Islands and Inishbofin.
When Christianity arrived, many monasteries were built. Monks kept important written records. These records tell us about events and people from the past.
Irish Language in Galway
County Galway is very important for the Irish language. Nearly 20% of the people in the county live in areas called Gaeltachts. These are special districts where Irish is the main language spoken.
Galway is home to Ireland's largest Gaeltacht region. Over 48,000 people live here. This area stretches from Galway city all the way west through Connemara. It includes places like the Aran Islands.
All schools in the Gaeltacht teach in Irish. There is also a university college in Carraroe that teaches in Irish. Clifden is the biggest town in this Irish-speaking region.
Galway City has Ireland's only Irish-language theatre, called Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe. You can also find Irish-language radio stations and TV channels here.
Many people in County Galway can speak Irish. In 2016, over 84,000 people said they could speak it.
Geography of Galway
County Galway has beautiful mountains. These include the Na Beanna Beola (Twelve Bens) and the Maum Turk mountains. The highest point in the county is Benbaun. It is one of the Twelve Bens and stands 729 meters tall.
Lakes of Galway
Galway is home to parts of some of Ireland's biggest lakes. These include Lough Corrib, which is the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland. Other large lakes are Lough Derg and Lough Mask.
The county also has many smaller lakes. A lot of these are found in the Connemara area. Some examples are Ballynahinch Lake and Kylemore Lough.
Galway's Climate
County Galway is on Ireland's west coast. This means it gets a lot of influence from the Gulf Stream. This makes extreme temperatures rare.
It rains throughout the year in Galway. Late autumn and winter are usually the wettest times. Strong winds can also happen between August and March. On average, Galway gets about 1300mm of rain each year. Some western coastal areas can get even more.
Largest Towns in County Galway (2022)
- Galway, 85,910 people
- Tuam, 9,647 people
- Ballinasloe, 6,597 people
- Loughrea, 6,322 people
- Oranmore, 5,819 people
- Athenry, 4,603 people
- Gort, 2,870 people
- Bearna, 2,336 people
- Moycullen, 2,279 people
- Oughterard, 1,846 people
Economy and Jobs
County Galway has a growing economy. In early 2019, there were almost 200 tech companies in Galway. Big names like IBM and Oracle have offices here.
There are also many medical device companies. For example, Medtronic and Boston Scientific have large teams in the area. These companies provide many jobs for people in Galway.
Sports in Galway
Sports are very popular in County Galway. Gaelic games are the most loved. These include Gaelic football and hurling.
In the south and east of the county, hurling is the main sport. Towns like Portumna and Athenry have very successful hurling teams. In other parts of the county, Gaelic football is more popular. Many county players come from areas like Tuam and Oughterard.
Galway United FC is a professional football club. They play in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Their home games are at Eamonn Deacy Park.
Connacht Rugby is a professional rugby team. They play in the United Rugby Championship. Their home ground is Galway Sportsgrounds in Galway city.
County Galway also has many basketball clubs. Some teams, like University of Galway Maree, play in the top national league. Athletics is also a big sport. There are many athletics clubs across the county.
Famous People from County Galway
Many talented people come from County Galway. Here are a few:
- Joe Canning (born 1988), a famous hurler.
- Nicola Coughlan (born 1987), an actress.
- Seán William McLoughlin (born 1990), a popular Youtuber known as Jacksepticeye.
- Mike Denver (born 1980), a country music singer.
- Dolores Keane (born 1953), a well-known folk singer.
- Brendan Murray (born 1996), a singer.
- Gráinne Seoige (born 1973), a journalist and TV presenter.
