Exploring any city in Europe usually involves checking out a church or two. Galway is no…read moreexception. For a small suggested donation, Galway Catherdral is yours to explore. We arrived ahead of any major crowd on the 'skirt seasons' in this heavily toured town. As such, we were able to cover the full Cathedral in about 20-minutes. As you can see from the photos, it is beautiful and worth taking in with your own eyes. Be respectful. They also have restrooms if you're in need. I am not aware of any formal tour nor guide, however, not sure either would be necessary for one's enjoyment. Check it out!

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.

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.

Healing hands statue out front is great for photos…read more Great church with a grotto and a four liars faced clock outside (you can see the inner workings inside the church. Definitely recommend if you're in town.

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.

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!!!

A must stop!! The abbey is beautiful inside & out. Take the shuttle up to the gardens to see the…read morewhite ponies and pigs as well as the gorgeous gardens. Plan to spend at least 2-3 hours here.

Short walk from Kylemore and from gardens…read more Check schedule because there is beautiful music Cafe nearby

The main reason I visited this church was to view the incomparable Harry Clark stain glass windows…read more The tragedy is that these windows are sequestered away above the sanctuary viewing point in a balcony location and can't be seen from anywhere except down on the floor of the sanctuary. Fortunately I had a telephoto lens and could capture the absolute majesty of these windows from about a 50 meter distance for later zoom-in pleasure. These windows should be classified as an United Nations World Heritage site. They should be made available for people from all nations to enjoy and treasure in a museum like display, not just the select few who can access the balcony. I was of course a tourist with great disappointment in not being among the select few. If the Friary can not accommodate the display of these world treasures for the appropriate appreciation of all those who love Harry Clarke's work, the windows should be relocated to a more appropriate location.

A great place to go to mass. I started attending services here once I found out they have a…read morespecial mass on Sundays @ 10:30am that caters to children. I stopped going to mass for a while due to the fact it is hard to corral a two year old, but sure, this mass here is great because you are in there with dozens of other parents all doing the same thing!