As a non-religious, secular person, I don't usually spend my vacations cathedral-hopping. I sought…read moreshelter from the Irish rain at Galway Cathedral, and it absolutely won me over! It's stunning inside, incredibly peaceful, and the architecture is breathtaking. I found myself staring at the beautiful stained glass and intricate details much longer than I expected. Whether you're religious or just appreciate solace, it's definitely worth a visit. Don't forget to bring cash, as you pay upon entering. I have a deep appreciation high ceilings.

This is an amazing cathedral-so many beautiful pieces of artwork, stained glass, architecture and…read moredesign. Of course, it's old! After touring around for the day, it was nice to come here to just sit and take in the peace. I love that there are multiple areas to visit-not just one large room, but several offshoots (clearly I'm not well versed in cathedral-speak, there's probably appropriate words that I'm not using). There are public toilets, which they request a small donation to go toward maintenance and upkeep. If you find yourself in the area, this is definitely a stop you will want to make.

St Nicholas is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland that is still in constant use and was…read morebuilt as a chapel around 1320. It was believed that explorer Christopher Columbus worshiped here on a visit to Galway in 1477. During the Reformation, Queen Elizabeth I endowed the church with revenues from two closed monasteries of Annaghdown and Ballintubber. Today they are self sufficient and welcome donations (photo). We found the church both rich in history, but is also welcoming. Many parishioners were popping in and out and praying during our visit. They were all too willing to share their space with visitors and chat. St Nicholas is located just off the Lombard High Street and is free to visit.

I have to agree with the other reviewers. It's a pretty church and it's right in the center of…read moreGalway. Pop in if you have a few minutes. There are certainly nicer churches available to visit, but it is free and available to check out, so why not? I guess you can book a tour with a guide, but I wouldn't bother. It's easy enough to view it on your own. The stained glass windows are the stars here.

Sligo is a beautiful stop on your Ireland adventure! Very unassuming and welcoming. Upon our…read morearrival, we took notice of a couple of steeples.... so we knew it was not an in and out type town. We walked around and stumbled upon this beautiful building.... unfortunately, it was closed but worth a stop to enjoy the building!!!

They built Christ Church in two stages breaking ground in 1853. The Church was completed in 1864…read morewith the addition of the bell tower. This church replaced one on the same property that was built around 1810. Christ Church was damaged by a storm in 1881 and again in 1961 by hurricane Debbie. In 2017 the church was severely destroyed by vandals. The beloved bible was thrown through a window and the cross was taken down from the wall and used to smash the organ and most likely everything possible. The organ, alter and pews where broken into pieces and all of the lights were ripped out. It was estimated that it would take upwards of €70,000 to restore the church. A Go Fund Me page was set up to help with replacement and repairs. When I visited the church was open and looked as though they were making great progress but it did not help the overall sadness that I felt over the unnecessary cruelty within the hearts of the vandals. I can not comprehend why anyone would destroy a place of worship that has brought comfort and joy to the surrounding community and is a beautiful historical site.

Took a bus from Galway to Tuam. It dropped me off right beside this gorgeous church. I spent about…read morean hour as there were no other tourists and mass had finished a while before I got there. It really was worth the trip. Tuam is part of my ancestors home and looks like a great village to visit longer next time, maybe a few days.