Drink

Taaffes Pub

Great authentic Irish experience. You can find trad music there almost any night and there's a friendly atmosphere. Food only to 5PM.

Listing from Wikivoyage: Galway, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Legend of the Claddagh Ring
Called a museum but mostly a marketing exercise. The Claddagh Ring is a style of mani in fede finger ring: two hands join to clasp a heart. It's been a design for wedding or engagement rings since medieval times but became a Galway tradition from 1700, when the jewellers worked near an Claddagh, the city shore. It became popular from the late 20th century, and legends were embellished around it as ingeniously as its designs. This museum hews to the "Joyce" legend, after the man captured by Algerian corsairs and learning the design in captivity; he returned to Galway where of course his sweetheart had remained true... aah, bless. The heart is often surmounted by a crown, or isn't, depending on your allegiances in that matter.
Mon–Sat 9AM–6PM, Sun 11AM–6PMFree (no, not the rings)
Drink
56 Central
Chic and stylish, if a little pretentious. Offers fancy coffee and a decent selection of food.
€4 for a coffee, €5 for various fancy stuff (matcha latte, hot chocolate etc), €6.50 for a smoothie
Drink
King's Head
Bar with restaurant on three floors, often has live music.
Sun–Thu noon–midnight, Fri Sat noon–2AM
Eat
McCambridges
Deli food hall downstairs does take away sandwiches, upstairs cafe serves good sit-down meals. Used to be family-owned; not the same since corporate Musgraves took ownership in 2022.
8AM–6PM; closed Sundays€5–10