Galway is a small city with a big personality, and most of that personality comes out on the street. It sits at the mouth of the River Corrib on the west coast of Ireland, with Galway Bay opening to the Atlantic and the hills of Connemara beginning just beyond the suburbs. It is known as the city of the tribes, after the fourteen merchant families who ran it in the Middle Ages, and a few of their house names, like Lynch and Blake, are still common in the area. The Spanish Arch beside the river is a reminder of the trade with Spain that brought wine and prosperity here.
The old streets are best on foot. Shop Street and the Latin Quarter fill with musicians, buskers, bookshops and pubs, and in the evening you can hear fiddles, flutes and bodhrans from several doors at once. Irish is spoken widely in the nearby Gaeltacht, and you will see bilingual signs everywhere. The Claddagh, a former fishing village at the river mouth, gave its name to the famous ring with two hands holding a crowned heart. Salthill, the seaside promenade a short distance west, has a long tradition of walking to the end and kicking the wall.
Food and festivals matter. The oyster festival in September draws visitors from all over to eat the local native oysters and drink stout, and the Galway Arts Festival in July fills the streets with street theatre and music. Seafood restaurants line the quays, and there are good bakeries and cafés on almost every corner.
The riding west from the city, along the Wild Atlantic Way through Spiddal and into Connemara, is lovely, with bog, lake and mountain scenery, white cottages and stone walls. Roads are generally narrow, though in decent condition, and the weather changes constantly, so waterproofs belong on the bike. Expect heavy traffic through the city centre, especially on weekends, and avoid it if you can. Fuel, repair shops and plenty of parking are available at the edges of the city. Whatever the weather, finish the day in a pub with a fire, and ask the barman what is on the music list.