Historic county of Ireland
Galway
County of Galway
Province: Connacht
Corrib and Galway Bay between the eastern plain and Connemara.
Galway is a county of two strikingly different landscapes. East of Lough Corrib lies broad, comparatively gentle pasture country; westwards the land changes dramatically into Connemara — bog, bare rock, mountain, lake and an Atlantic coast broken into bays and islands.
Galway city stands where these contrasting worlds meet the sea. Between eastern plain and Atlantic mountains, Lough Corrib forms an enormous north–south presence before its waters reach Galway Bay. Galway’s scale becomes understandable once that contrast is recognised.
- Connacht and the city of the Tribes
- County by the 16th century
- Connemara, Corrib and the Aran coast
- Named from the stony river
County geography
Corrib at the centre
Lough Corrib is one of Galway’s great geographical anchors.
It separates much of Connemara from the eastern plain while linking both towards the bay, forcing routes repeatedly around its shores or through the narrower country at its southern end.
Connemara
West Galway becomes progressively more maritime and mountainous.
Bog and lake occupy the lower ground while mountain ranges rise behind an intricate Atlantic shore. Connemara has a powerful geographical and cultural identity, but it remains a region within Galway rather than another county.
The eastern plain
East of Corrib, Galway changes dramatically.
The broad agricultural country connects with the inland plains of Connacht and the Midlands, providing a strong counterpoint to the rugged Atlantic west.
County questions
Questions about Galway
Is Galway city in Galway?
Yes. Galway city is geographically in Galway. Separate city and county council arrangements concern local government rather than geographic county identity.
Is Connemara a county?
No. It is a major geographical and cultural region within Galway.
County record
Names and continuity
- Formal name
- County Galway
- Province
- Connacht
- Alternative name
- County of Galway
Galway is one of the five geographic counties of Connacht. The contrast between Connemara and the eastern plain, with Corrib and Galway Bay between them, gives the county its clearest structure.