Discover IRELAND & GALWAY, EU’s 2020 Capital City of Culture
Discover IRELAND & GALWAY, the European Union’s Capital City of Culture for 2020 is a “tour de force” for a nation of 5.2 million people on 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland and 1.8 million in the six counties of Northern Ireland in a land mass of only 32,500 square miles. Blessed by the currents of the Irish Sea, St.George’s Channel, and the North Channel, the country has had a phenomenal growth in Tourism to 2.2 million visitors from North America alone in 2019. This year it focuses on the country as a discovery of its “Ancient East”, its “Hidden Heartlands” and its “Wild Atlantic Way”, its 2000 mile expanse of ocean.
IRELAND has prevailed as a unique destination for Tour & Travel opportunities of late owing to its beautiful landscapes, uncommon character of its people, its history in the Arts, and more recently as an award winning culinary station, i.e., A Taste of Ireland, a program that promotes the country as a whole for its many flavors, dishes and magic chefs. Music, Dance and an array of Festivals await you in this fabled isle. Dublin city, the capital, offers a full plate of activities, for example. There’s the University of Dublin, to start, a myriad of museums, especially the Museum of Literature, the Literary Walk, the National Museum of Ireland-Archeology focusing on the Bronze Age discoveries not to mention a host of fabled restaurants and pubs for which the city is noted. Other museum sites include the Folk & Heritage Museum in County Roscommon, the Medieval Museum in Waterford where you’ll find the “Waterford Treasures” in Ireland’s oldest city, the Ulster American Folk Park in County Tyrone, and the Powesrcourt Estates in County Wicklow, a 47 acre lot that salutes the Irish aristocracy of the 17th & 18th centuries and more. Up in Belfast in the North you’ll want to experience the saga of the “Ship of Dreams”, the Titanic, in the Ireland’s newest museum, a full measure with over nine interactive galleries. There are river walks, and food tours, and cozy informal places to stay numbering over 3500, and with more than 100,000 beds throughout counties of Ireland your choices are many. For the B&Bers, contact the Irish County Houses & Restaurant Assn./ www.irelandsbluebook.com and Northern Ireland Hotels Federation/ facebook.com/hotelsfederation in Belfast.
GALWAY, EU’s designee as the 2020 Capital City of Culture, sets the stage for a year long celebration of the Arts through Dec. of 2020.
Nearly 2,000 programs have signed on we’re told, a partnership of more than 100 orgs. and with over 30 countries participating. The city, where a quarter of its citizens are from other parts of the country and globe, provides an international flavor second to none. It is the country’s first and only bi-lingual city. And yes, Gaelic, its ancient language, is still spoken. The major segment of the festival, the GALWAY International Arts Festival, runs the gamut from July 13-26/ www.giaf.ie. Under three themes, Migration, Landscape and Language, you’ll fathom the depth of the city, the region and the country. There’s the World Literature Day on April 21, the Galway Theatre Festival, May 1-9, the Galway Interaction Theatre Festival,
May & Nov.,and the Poetry Matters Festival, throughout the year.
Add the Early Music Festival, May 22-24, Gilgamesh Festival, March, April & June, the Galway Film Festival, July 7-12, the Town Hall Theatre Festival, with more than 600 performances thru Dec. and with a closing ceremony by Lumiere titled Lumiere Galeay in January 2021. For more info: www.galway20090.ie or the Irish Tourist Board at: www.tourismireland.com
