Galway Convention Bureau

Gaillimh

Welcome to Galway City of The Tribes

Galway Convention Bureau offers free, impartial, and expert local advice to planners. Supports include venue finding, incentive ideas, introductions to the local suppliers / professional conference organisers / destination management companies and more. With the beautiful city of Galway as a stunning backdrop, your event has the right ingredients to be simply unforgettable. Get in touch today and start planning your next amazing event with Galway Convention Bureau. Our services: 1. A point-of-contact for Galway. We are on hand to help with any questions you may have. 2. Financial Support. We are here to advise you on available financial support from our National Tourism Development Authority ‘Fáilte Ireland’. 3. Liaison with local service suppliers. We will put you in touch with relevant suppliers to help get your enquiry dealt with quickly and efficiently. 4. Free venue finding service. We can send out enquiries to relevant trade partners on your behalf, saving you time and effort. As a free service, we do not accept a commission from these properties. 5. Assistance with bids for international meetings. We have a suite of marketing templates and material which can be customised for bids. 6. Site Inspections. When Galway is shortlisted as a destination for events, we are happy to arrange complimentary site inspections which are fully supported by the Galway Convention Bureau team. Why Galway: Perched on the edge of Europe with the Atlantic lapping at its edges, Galway is known throughout for its vibrancy and imagination. Situated along the stunning ‘Wild Atlantic Way’, it is the gateway to the to the wild, savage beauty of Connemara. The cobbled streets, historic buildings and creative exuberance are tailor made for exploring, while its reputation as the cultural heart of Ireland will charm your guests to return. Galway provides a memorable backdrop for any business event with crystal clear coastlines, mountainous landscapes, and a bohemian city centre at your doorstep. Industry Sector: Galway is a key driver of economic development at a national level. It reaches phenomenal growth year on year with an infrastructure that invigorates innovation. Galway maintains commercial success from developments in Medtech, ICT technology and manufacturing, including global networking of researchers from the city's internationally acclaimed universities. Our Airports: Ireland is only 6 hours from the US, 2 hours from mainland Europe and 45 minutes from the UK. Galway is connected by three airports in the north, east and south that work with your availability, budgets and capacity. 1. Ireland West Airport Knock 2. Shannon Airport 3. Dublin Airport IRELAND WEST AIRPORT KNOCK 1 hour to Galway City Centre With flights from across the UK (including a daily flight to/from London Heathrow), Continental and mainland Europe with over 700,000 passengers crossing last year. SHANNON AIRPORT 1 hour to Galway City Centre With services from USA and Canada (Boston, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto) as well as UK & Europe. With over 1.75 million passengers passing through Shannon Airport offers Full US Customs and Border Protection preclearance saving you over 2 hours of travel time. DUBLIN AIRPORT 2.2 hours to Galway City Centre Dublin Airport offers unrivalled international and national connectivity, with over 31.5 million passengers passing through. Dublin Airport is the 11th largest airport in the EU and currently offers flights to over 200 destinations throughout 43 countries. Dublin Airport also provides US Preclearance (USCBP). For more information on venues, unique activities and attractions on offer, please visit: galwayconventionbureau.com

Distance from airport

  • Shannon Airport

    52.82 mi. from city center

  • Ireland West Airport Knock

    55.92 mi. from city center

  • Dublin International Airport

    132.97 mi. from city center


Local Attractions

Galway Food Tours

Recreation

Macnas

Theater
An award-winning internationally acclaimed spectacle theatre company based in Galway, Ireland. Masters of storytelling and spectacle they create large-scale mobile, interactive and immersive events for audiences, communities and festivals across the globe, transforming cities, venues and public sites into playgrounds of imagination.

Shannon Airport

Airport
1 hour away
With services from USA and Canada (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto) as well as UK & Europe with over 1.75 million passengers passing through Shannon Airport offers Full US Customs and Border Protection preclearance saving you over 2 hours of travel time.

Micil Distillery

Recreation
Pádraic Ó Griallais, is a 6th generation poitín distiller from Connemara. His family have been producing poitín on the shores of Galway Bay for over 170 years. Before whiskey there was poitín. Poitín is Ireland’s original spirit and the precursor to modern-day whiskey.

Ireland West Airport

Airport
1 hour away
Flights from across the UK including a daily flight from London Heathrow, plus Continental and mainland Europe with over 700,000 passengers crossing last year.

European Region of Gastronomy

Recreation
In 2018 County Galway was designated a European Region of Gastronomy and became a European City of Culture in 2020. To get a flavour of what is putting this small, westerly bastion of Irish culture on the global tourism map, take a culinary trip through Galway City’s winding medieval lanes to discover its best artisan restaurants and quirky food producers.

University of Galway

University
University of Galway ranks among the top 1% of Universities in the world. Their prestigious history spans almost two centuries. Their spectacular location boasts the unique landscape and culture of the west of Ireland.

Pálás Cinema

Nightlife
Pálás is a three-screen arthouse cinema and cultural space in the UNESCO city of film - Galway. Designed by Architect Tom de Paor, Palas is a concrete monolith, five storeys over double-height basement housing a three-screen independent cinema, a beautiful bar and restaurant for you to enjoy with your fellow film-lovers. It occupies the garden of a reinstated 1820s merchant house. Pálás is an intriguing architectural space for customers to explore, right in the heart of Galway's Latin Quarter.

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Seasonality

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
High season
Jun 1 – Sep 30
Shoulder season
Oct 1 – Nov 30
Apr 1 – May 31
Low season
Jan 1 – Mar 31
Dec 1 – Dec 31

Additional Information

AWARDED TITLES Capital of Culture: Galway City and County have the honour of hosting the European Capital of Culture in 2020 on behalf of the Irish nation Lonely Planet: Galway has been named the fourth-best city in the world to visit in 2020 by Lonely Planet. Described as "arguably Ireland's most engaging city". European Region of Gastronomy: In 2018 County Galway was designated a European Region of Gastronomy. Sustainability: Galway was the first Irish City to win ‘European Green Leaf Award’ and has rocketed into the ‘Global Destination Sustainability Index’. INDUSTRY STATISTICS There are 196 ICT companies in Galway, with a foothold in cloud computing. Galway is home to 4 of the top 5 ICT companies – IBM, SAP, Oracle and Cisco. Galway employs one third of the country’s 25,000 medical device employees and accounts for 39% of regional distribution of medical devices. 25% of Galway City’s population are students.' National University of Ireland Galway' alone ranks among the top 1% of Universities in the world with over 18,000 students across 100+ countries. Their global network connects partners around the world as researchers help shape future industries. Galway is home to a state-owned Marine Institute responsible for environmental and energy research to help inform policy and support sustainable development on behalf of the government. TRANSPORT LINKS FROM AIRPORTS Coach: Direct coaches from Dublin, Shannon & Ireland West Airport to Galway City Centre: Go Bus.ie / Citylink.ie / Buseireann.ie Road: M6 motorway from Dublin to Galway (2-hour journey time) Rail: 2.5 hours from Dublin irishrail.com GETTING AROUND GALWAY By Foot: Galway lends itself to walking and to say it is a walker’s paradise is a bit of an understatement! With so many venues within short distance be sure to experience the packed delights as you journey the hidden gems to your next conference. Taxi - 'Free Now': FREE NOW (formerly mytaxi) is Ireland’s leading taxi e-hailing app. FREE NOW currently operates nationwide and is available in over 100 cities across Europe. Cycling: Galway is a fantastic city for cyclists. There is an extensive bike path network that allows tourists and commuters alike to easily get around. Pick up one of our Coca Cola Zero Bikes to arrive to your conference from a choice of 22 stations and 195 bikes across the city.

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