County Galway County Galway County Galway () is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West of Ireland, part of the province of Connacht. There are several Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county. The traditional county includes, and is named for, the city of Galway, but the city and county now have separate local authorities: Galway City Council administers the urban area, while the rest of the county is administered by Galway County Council. The population of the county was 258,058 at the 2016 census. The first inhabitants in the Galway area arrived over 7000 years ago. Shell
County Galway middens indicate the existence of people as early as 5000 BC. The county originally comprised several kingdoms and territories which predate the formation of the county. These kingdoms included Aidhne, Uí Maine, Maigh Seóla, Conmhaícne Mara, Soghain and Máenmaige. County Galway became an official entity around 1569 AD. The region known as Connemara retains a distinct identity within the county, though its boundaries are unclear, and so it may account for as much as one third, or as little as 20%, of the county. The county includes a number of inhabited islands, such as the Oileáin Árann (Aran Islands) and