Galway Walking Tour: A Guide to the Dark Heart of the City's Medieval Centre

Vibrant and bustling Galway is known for its festivals, quirky pubs, and street performers, but only those in-the-know can spot the tell-tale signs of its medieval past. On this walking tour, I’ll point out remnants of this historical city and reveal some of its darker tales of death, murders, and executions.

Starting in front of the Browne Doorway in Eyre Square, you’ll walk through Galway’s main shopping district to our first stop, the King’s Head Bistro and Pub. There, I’ll share the gory details of King Charles I of England’s execution and what the event has to do with the pub’s name. You’ll then wind your way into the heart of the Latin Quarter to the Spanish Arch, to find out how millions of Irish were affected by An Gorta Mór (or, the Great Hunger) of 1846.

On this dark tour you’ll also have the opportunity to:

• See the Lynch’s Memorial Window where a father hung his own son in the 1400s
• Learn about the murder of the Joyce family in Maamtrasna in 1882
• Listen to the story of Alice Burns, a young Galwegian woman murdered in a crime of passion in 1884
• Gaze up at the Galway Cathedral where three men were hanged in December 1882
• Stand in the shadow of the gallows near Eyre Square where many people were hanged
• Stroll down some of the city’s main thoroughfares including Shop Street, High Street and Woodquay
• Find out why young John Bodkin murdered his family

This 60-minute tour winds up at the Liam Mellows Statue, a stone’s throw from where the tour began. Along the way, I’ll provide plenty of recommendations for pubs, restaurants, and gift shops for you to visit. You might want to allow more time to stop off for a drink in one of the city’s pubs, to listen to the many amazing street performers, or to visit the city’s attractions.

I’m very much looking forward to sharing Galway’s dark and murky past with you!