Welcoming Galway is a small city with fantastic nightlife and an infectious atmosphere. Outside of the Galway Arts Festival, there’s still plenty of live music in the Irish pubs to get the party started.

The Galway Races at Ballybrit Race Course west of Galway Airport attract a good crowd, as does Eyre Square, a green space with flags of previous ruling families who gave it its nickname - City of Tribes. To the south are cobbled streets housing brightly coloured shops and restaurants.

Sights in Galway include its cathedral and city museum which offers an interesting insight into the history of the city and Ireland. Lynch’s Castle is the last remaining 17th-century merchant house, and the Spanish Arch is a small section of city walls by the Corrib River, linking Galway Bay to huge Loch Corrib. Where river and ocean meet is Claddagh Park, a great spot for a picnic with a view.

Further around the coast is Salthill Promenade, home to Atlantaquaria, Ireland’s national aquarium, focussing on sealife off Irish shores. It’s a Christmas Day tradition to jump from Blackrock Diving Tower nearby into the icy Atlantic Ocean, though you may well spot some wag giving it a go.

Booking.com has an excellent range of Galway hotels, apartments and B&Bs to complete your stay.