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20th December 2016
12:10am GMT
Dublin just thinks it's so great with its Spire, and the Liffey and Bunsen burgers doesn't it?
The capital is always boasting about all the best brunches and tacos and pulled pork. But what about other places across the country? There are plenty of amazing things outside of The Pale, and Galway is home to at least 33 of those things.
Dublin, you can keep the Liffey, we're headed West...
ALL the salt and vinegar please.
Or Trá an Dóilín to those in the know. No sand, just bits of coral and sure it's practically tropical on a sunny day. Suck it, Sandymount.
The Corrib Princess has seen many a great boat party over the years with international DJs like Hunee playing outrageous sets – also a special shout-out to The Disconaut boat parties for always being particularly rowdy.
Dublin, you can keep the canal.
Pretty frickin' majestic.
Camden Street? Pfft.
Your own private disco booth. Amazing.
Okay, admittedly Dublin is pretty decent at brunch. But you know what it doesn't have? Ard Bia.
Dalkey, you're having a laugh.
Disaster has struck over the years, but it's still going strong.
Where else would ye get it?
Originally designed to keep out Dublin hen and stag parties (according to historical evidence that we just made up), they've been standing for hundreds of years – and even the worst of the winter storms can't harm them.
The bikes in Galway were actually designed to be higher than the Dublin ones for the longer-legged humans in the West.
They also have a more advanced gear system too. Taller, and more mechanically sophisticated – that's Galwegians for you.
No college ball is complete without heading on down to the bar the next day for recovery pints and Byrno's soothing tunes.
And Conamara Irish at that – phrases like “Táim ag loadáil suas an carr” are the norm round these neck of the woods.
That, Dublin, is how you do local vernacular.
Perfect for buying presents but also so lovely to wander around – like stepping back in time to your childhood.
It's okay to drink before 4pm when it's December.
Forty Foot, schmorty... schmoot.
Anyone who lives away from Galway knows the plight of craving these bad boys when hungover, but finding yourself hundreds of miles from where you need to be.
It's artsy and cultured all year round, but Galway explodes into a kaleidoscope of crazy parades, parties and concerts for a fortnight each July. Like St Patrick's Festival, only better.
Those Dublin swans are up to no good, but these guys? Yeah, going to feed them come hail, rain, shine, or ice...
The perfect place to escape the world, and realign your chakras. Or just sit in the awesome wicker hanging chairs.
And how brilliantly these illustrations by Lemonade capture them.
Whether you head out to Ballybrit for the Ladies' Day action, or just get dolled up and hit the tiles in the evenings, Galway's always buzzing that week.
If there's a fire burning nine times out of ten, it's a good ol' turf fire – none of that coal stuff, go raibh maith agat all the same.
The original, the best. More emphasis on discussing the events of the night than food, you inevitably end up in Charcoal for your actual eats before grabbing a taxi from Pro Cabs.
The sun sets in the West after all.
Sure Galway, aren't you only great?
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