History of Galway History of Galway Galway, one of the largest cities in Ireland, situated on the west coast of Ireland, has a complex history going back around 800 years. The city was the only medieval city in the province of Connacht. The city takes its name from that of the river, the "Gaillimh". The word "Gaillimh" means ""stony"" as in ""stony river"". Today, the river is commonly called the River Corrib, after Lough Corrib, just to the north. In Irish, Galway is also called "Cathair na Gaillimhe" ("city of Galway") which is a modern creation to prevent confusion with "Contae na Gaillimhe"
County Galway Inis Bó Fine (Inishbofin). With the arrival of Christianity many monasteries were built in the county. Monasteries kept written records of events in the area and of its people. These were followed by a number of law-tracts, genealogies, annals and miscellaneous accounts. Extant manuscripts containing references to Galway include: Nearly 20% of the population of County Galway live in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking districts). County Galway is home to the largest Gaeltacht Irish-speaking region in Ireland. There are over 48,000 people living within this region, which extends from Galway city westwards through Connemara. The region consists of the following Irish-speaking areas;