Ireland & Galway
Galway, an unforgettable experience
The city of Galway is well suited to the student of English. It is the third largest city in Ireland with a population of 100,000 people, 20% of which are Irish students enrolled in third level schools. Situated on the Atlantic West Coast, it is the gateway to the unique ecology and scenic beauty of the Burren, Connemara and the Aran Islands. This spectacular landscape has been the subject of many literary works, such as J.M. Synge's Playboy of the Western world as well as being the birth place of James Joyce's muse, Nora Barnacle.
Environment
Galway city enjoys clean ocean air and a fantastic natural environment. The River and Lough Corrib are important natural amenities just a stone's throw from the city centre and students never need to go far to find areas of natural beauty. Students may take advantage of GCI's location through joining the numerous activity programmes that are available at the school, such as day and overnight tours to county Galway and beyond, as well as simply enjoying a stroll along the promenade, looking out over the world famous Galway Bay.
Economy & Tourism
The city's economy is based on a vibrant tourism, education and leisure sector combined with a strong local IT, biomedical and telecom industry. Galway is seen as a centre of excellence for learning and working and is home to R&D bases for Cisco and Hewlett Packard. All of these factors have established Galway as the fastest growing city in the European Union and an economic centre in Ireland. Our city is its people; warm, friendly, welcoming - a people with a sense of Ireland's past and a sharp eye on Ireland's future, where the modern and traditional combine for a truly unique living and learning experience. We can share with you our clean environment, a thriving artistic and dramatic culture, traditional pubs with music to suit all tastes, top quality restaurants and a full calendar of festivals.
Sports
Galway is an ideal location for the sports enthusiast and you can take part in a wide variety of sports either as a beginner, expert or spectator. These activities include golf, horse riding, surfing, sailing and canoeing, as well as a huge variety of other water sports. 2009 saw the Volvo Ocean Race, the largest sporting event of the year, stop at Galway for two weeks (www.volvooceanrace.com). The Green Dragon, Galway's entry into the race, was sponsored by Tourism Ireland and a number of Chinese businesses from the city of Qingdao, one of the eight stop-over points. 100,000 revelers from all over Ireland came out to welcome one of the most spectacular events of the decade.
Visit our Facebook page