County Clare, Galway, and the Aran Islands Sights

Shopping Nightlife Performing Arts

1. The Claddagh and Katie’s Cottage and Arts Centre

On the west bank of the Corrib Estuary, this district was once an Irish-speaking fishing village outside the walls of the old town. The name is an Anglicization of the Irish cladach, which means "marshy ground." It retained a strong, separate identity until the 1930s, when its traditional thatched cottages were replaced by a conventional housing plan and its unique character and traditions were largely lost. One thing has survived: the claddagh ring, composed of two hands clasped around a heart with a crown above it (symbolizing love, friendship, and loyalty), was designed some 400 years ago by a goldsmith in this village, and is still used by many Irish, and Irish diaspora, as a wedding ring. Reproductions in gold or silver are favorite Galway souvenirs. Across the Corrib is the "Long Walk"---Galway's famous waterfront streetscape, for some Insta magic---or continue walking west for a magnificent coastal walk or run to Salthill. In the center of The Claddagh, in a residential area, is Katie's Cottage, a replica of a typical Claddagh home, which is open as a café and exhibition center.