Galway Ireland

Galway the third largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland and the only city in the province of Connacht. It is located on the west coast of Ireland. In Irish, Galway is also called Cathair na Gaillimhe (City of Galway). The city takes its name from the Gaillimh river (River Corrib) that formed the western boundary of the earliest settlement, which was called Dún Bhun na Gaillimhe (meaning "fort at the mouth of the Gaillimh"). The word Gaillimh means "stony" as in "stony river" (the mythical and alternative derivations are given in History of Galway). Historically, the name was written as Gallive,[1] which is closer to the Irish pronunciation. The city also bears the nickname City of the Tribes / Cathair na dTreabh because "fourteen tribes" (merchant families)[2] led the city in its Hiberno-Norman period. The term tribes was often a derogatory phrase in Cromwellian times. The merchants would have seen themselves as Irish gentry, but were loyal to the King. They subsequently adopted the term in defiance to the Cromwellian occupiers of the town. The population of Galway city, given in the 2006 census, is 72,414. ( source Wikipedia )