Why go

Galway Market has traded in Church Lane, beside St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, for centuries, and it is still where many locals do their weekend shopping. On a Saturday the lanes around the medieval church fill with stalls selling fresh produce, bread, flowers and local crafts, along with a long run of hot food from around the world. It is lively, informal and free to wander, and it sits in the middle of the old town, so it fits easily into a morning in the Latin Quarter.

What to see

  • Food stalls. The market’s own description lists Madras curry, crêpes, Japanese sushi and handmade cookies among the options, and you can also gather the makings of a picnic.
  • Local producers. Discover Ireland suggests looking for cheese from Sheridan’s Cheesemongers, bread from The Happy Loaf and oysters from Galway Bay. There may be a free taste or two as you browse.
  • Fruit, vegetables and plants. Saturday is the best day for bread, vegetables and plants.
  • Crafts. Arts and crafts stalls sell paintings, knitwear and handmade gifts; craft and takeaway food stalls are there every day the market opens.
  • The setting. The stalls wrap around St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, which has stood here since 1320 and is worth a visit in its own right.

Plan your visit

The market is open all year round on Saturdays, from 6am to 6pm according to its own website, though the stalls build up through the early morning and the market is at its busiest from late morning. It also opens on Sundays and bank holidays from 12pm to 6pm, and from Wednesday to Friday, 12pm to 6pm, in July and August. Galway City Council’s trading rules match these days.

The market is a short walk from Eyre Square: head down William Street and Shop Street and turn right towards St Nicholas’ Church. There is no parking on the market streets, so use a city-centre car park or arrive on foot. The lanes are narrow and get crowded at lunchtime on Saturdays, which can be awkward with a buggy or wheelchair; earlier in the morning is calmer.

Bring some cash, as not every small stall takes cards. Many people make a meal of the market, buying lunch from one of the hot-food stalls and eating it on the move or down by the river at the Spanish Arch.

At Christmas

In the run-up to Christmas the market becomes the Traditional Christmas Market and trades every day. Its website gives the dates as 14 to 22 December, from 8am to 8pm, while Galway City Council’s trading rules allow St Nicholas’ Market to run from 14 to 24 December. Expect festive food, gifts and decorated stalls around the old church, a smaller and more local counterpart to the big Christmas market in Eyre Square.

Nearby

Step inside St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, then walk down Shop Street and Quay Street through the Latin Quarter to the Spanish Arch and Galway City Museum. The Hall of the Red Earl, free on weekdays, is just a few streets away on Druid Lane.