The Event: The JJ Community St. Patrick‘s Day Wild Atlantic Way – Mystery Photo Tour.
The Date: March 18th 2017.
The Location: We found out on the train that we were headed West (the Wild Atlantic Way) visiting Galway! *Not sponsored.
EYRE SQUARE:
We traveled via private train from Dublin’s Heuston Station on a rainy, misty morning to Eyre Square in Galway with the journey taking approximately 2 and a half hours.
The trip was in conjunction with the JJ Community which is the largest, global Instagram Community, the St. Patrick‘s Day Festival, Irish Rail and Select Hotels.
Arriving in Galway the train station is situated right in the heart of the bustling city. Packed full of the usual city amenities from restaurants to pubs shops, plus a market where you’ll find handmade souvenirs of your trip, fresh produce and everything in between.
History abounds and there‘s lots to do here such as the Famine Walk, plus if you look closely enough you may see a few familiar faces!
{ Wilde in Galway: I couldn‘t resist a selfie with the man himself Oscar Wilde!}
{Take a seat: The King‘s chair in the King‘s Head Pub.}
{Streetscape: leading down to a popular coastal area known as The Claddagh on the banks of the River Corrib.}
Meandering lane ways and quaint shopfronts adorn the streetscape.
These streetscapes give way to an area by the banks of the River Corrib providing a striking view of An Cladach or The Claddagh area (meaning ‘the shore‘) a popular spot with tourists and avid photographers where swans and boats dot the water and colourful houses dot the landscape. The Claddagh was once a fishing village dating back to the fifth century and is situated just outside of the old city walls where the River Corrib meets Galway Bay.
Each group on the tour recieved some top tips from JJ Community Founders and photographers Kevin Kuster and Josh Johnson. Groups had a member of the Galway Camera Club showing them around scouting potential photo opportunities combined with local knowledge and historical anecdotes.
On the way back from this area some of us stopped by the Hungry Bear Café to warm up and get in out of the rain where we indulged in a creamy cappuccino or two.
{ Colourful houses make even the bleakest of Irish days cheerful in The Claddagh area.}
{An Claddach: looking towards The Claddagh over the banks of an angry River Corrib.}
We made our way to another popular area of Galway known as Salthill, situated about a half hour walk or 10 minute taxi journey, where dinner was scheduled at the Ardilaun Hotel.
Nightlife:
Galway is long famed for it’s vibrant nightlife from a quiet pint to a more raucous vibe you’ll find something to suit most tastes.
After dinner and catching the Ireland V England Rugby match some friends and I headed back to Galway city where we scouted out places for a farewell drink. An Pucan pub is regarded as a ‘must visit‘ place whilst in Galway and is close to the train station so we made our way there. However much to our disappointment we were turned away due to their “no back pack” rule – so it’s worth noting that if you intend to visit.
We ended up in a bar around the corner for a quick drink then went for our train home, where plenty of revelry was had eventually arriving back in Dublin at 10.45pm or thereabouts. It was a long day but worth it in my opinion as we packed a lot in!
{Group shot: with my girls Lorna, Mei Ling & Filomena.}
Overall the trip and Insta-meet was a huge success with plenty of memories and connections made.
Special thanks go to the team at the St.Patrick’s Day Festival, Irish Rail, Select Hotels, Kevin Kuster and Josh Johnson, Orlaith Carmody and of course the JJ Community for kindly organising this super fun trip!
Make sure to follow me on my Social Media to stay up to date with live updates from events and trips! • Twitter: DublinGail •Instagram: littlegforce •Snapchat:DublinGail
Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time…
Gail. x
Photography: © Gail O’Connor.
Group image: © JJ Community.
Final image: © Lorna Duffy of Fashion Boss blog.
GlamForce - Gail O'Connor 