Editing Galway (section)

==Economy and infrastructure==
[[File:Galway Harbour 2007.jpg|thumb|left|Galway Harbour]]
Galway City is the capital of [[Connacht]]. Galway has a strong local economy with complementary business sectors, including manufacturing industry, tourism, retail and distribution, education, healthcare and services that include financial, construction, cultural, and professional. {{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

Most (47%) of the people employed in Galway work in either the commerce or professional sector, with a large number (17%) also employed in manufacturing. Most industry and manufacturing in Galway, like the rest of Ireland, is [[hi-tech]] (e.g. [[Information and Communications Technology|ICT]], [[medical equipment]], [[electronics]], [[chemicals]], etc.), due to the [[Celtic Tiger]] economic boom. Companies such as [[Boston Scientific]], [[Medtronic]], [[EA Games]], [[Cisco]] and [[SAP AG]] have their regional offices or other offices in Galway City and environs. Tourism is also of major importance to the city, which had over 2.1&nbsp;million visitors in 2000, and produced revenue of over €400&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.galwaycity.ie/AllServices/CityDevelopmentBoard/Strategy2002-2012/TheFile,427,en.pdf |title=Galway City Development Board&nbsp;– Galway at the Beginning of the 21st century |access-date=12 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719102756/http://www.galwaycity.ie/AllServices/CityDevelopmentBoard/Strategy2002-2012/TheFile%2C427%2Cen.pdf |archive-date=19 July 2011  }}</ref>

The head office of [[Smyths]], a toy shop company, is in Galway.<ref>"[https://www.smythstoys.com/about-us About Us]." [[Smyths]]. Retrieved on 23 April 2018. "Correspondence for all Smyths Toys companies: Lyrr Building 1, Mervue Business Park, Galway, Ireland"</ref>
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===Media===
====Radio====
There are two radio stations based in the city&nbsp;– [[Galway Bay FM]] (''95.8 FM'') broadcasts from the city to the whole county; [[Flirt FM]] (''101.3 FM'') is the student radio station for the [[University of Galway]].

====Print====
One of the main regional newspapers for the county is The ''[[Connacht Tribune]]'' which prints two titles every week, the ''Connacht Tribune'' on Thursday, and the ''[[Galway City Tribune]]'' on Friday. As of January 2007, The Tribune has a weekly readership of over 150,000. Another Galway-based newspaper is the ''[[Galway Advertiser]]'', a free paper printed every Thursday with an average of 160 pages and a circulation of 70,000 copies. It is the main paper of the ''Advertiser Newspaper Group'' which distributes 200,000 newspapers per and more week to a variety of other Irish cities and towns.

===Transport===
====Air====
[[Galway Airport]], located {{convert|6|km|2|abbr=on}} east of the city at [[Carnmore]], ceased to have scheduled passenger flights on 31 October 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Galway Airport press release |url=http://www.galwayairport.com/about/Current_Press_Releases/8/AER_ARANN_SUSPEND_SERVICES_FOR_THE_WINTER_SEASON_131 |access-date=9 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204055222/http://www.galwayairport.com/about/Current_Press_Releases/8/AER_ARANN_SUSPEND_SERVICES_FOR_THE_WINTER_SEASON_131 |archive-date=4 February 2012  }}</ref>  Because the runway is too short to take modern passenger jet aircraft, it is only capable of limited operations.<ref>[http://www.pobail.ie/en/PressReleases/2007/February/htmltext,7853,en.html 21 February 2007 Investment in Regional Airports to Aid Balanced Regional Development] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927141446/http://www.pobail.ie/en/PressReleases/2007/February/htmltext,7853,en.html |date=27 September 2011 }} (Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs) "However, before any major development can take place at Galway Airport, the issue of runway length must be addressed. Galway Airport has the second shortest runway length of all of the regional airports in Ireland used for scheduled flights. The total length of the runway is 1350&nbsp;m, which means that the number of aircraft types that can use it is limited."&nbsp;– Ministerial statement.</ref> ''[[Aerfort na Minna]]'' ({{convert|22|km|2|abbr=on}} west of the city) operates regular flights to each of the [[Aran Islands]] ''(Oileáin Árann)''. [[Shannon Airport]] (90&nbsp;km) and [[Ireland West Airport]] (86&nbsp;km) are the nearest international airports, both of which have flights around Ireland and to Britain, Continental Europe and North America (from Shannon).

====Bus====
Buses are the main form of public transport in the city and county. Routes operated by [[Bus Éireann]] include routes 401 (Salthill/Parkmore), 402 (Seacrest/Merlin Park), 404 (Newcastle/Oranmore), 405 (Rahoon/[[Ballybane]]), 407 (Bóthar an Chóiste) and 409 (Parkmore Industrial). Routes operated by City Direct include routes 410 (Salthill), 411 (Knocknacarra – Cappagh Rd), 412 (Knocknacarra Express), and 414 (Barna).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.galwaytransport.info/2009/07/city-bus-services.html |title=Galway City bus service summary |publisher=GalwayTransport.info |access-date=21 September 2012}}</ref>

Various bus companies also provide links throughout County Galway and nationwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.galwaytransport.info/2008/12/regional-bus-services-burkes-run-daily.html |title=National and Regional buses to/from Galway |publisher=GalwayTransport.info |access-date=12 August 2010}}</ref>  These operate from a number of locations:
* The main bus and rail station in the city is [[Galway railway station|Ceannt Station]].
* Galway Coach Station, located at Fairgreen,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.q-park.ie/tabid/425/qparkParkingLocatorvw3443/parkingDetail/ParkingID/1552/language/en-US/Default.aspx |title=Park at Galway&nbsp;— car park Galway Coach Station |publisher=Q-park.ie |access-date=26 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327212921/http://www.q-park.ie/tabid/425/qparkParkingLocatorvw3443/parkingDetail/ParkingID/1552/language/en-US/Default.aspx |archive-date=27 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> is also a coach transport hub. Scheduled direct and commuter services operate between the Coach Station, Dublin and Dublin Airport, as well as services to Limerick, Cork and Clifden. These are operated by Aircoach, Citylink and Gobus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gobus.ie |title=Gobus Travel non-stop between Galway, Dublin City & Dublin Airport Over 28 daily services from only €10 |publisher=Gobus.ie |access-date=26 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citylink.ie |title=Citylink&nbsp;— Home |publisher=Citylink.ie |date=11 February 2012 |access-date=26 March 2013}}</ref>
* Other regional bus operators use various bus stops around the city centre, and many serve the NUIG and GMIT campuses as well.

====Rail====
[[File:Ireland Western Rail Corridor.png|frame|right|Map of the West of Ireland.<br>[[Western Rail Corridor]] ex-GSWR line south of Limerick in green, <br>other ex-MGWR lines are in red.]]
[[File:Rosshill level crossing - geograph.org.uk - 1252889.jpg|thumb|left|The Galway train]]
Galway's main railway station is [[Galway railway station|Ceannt Station]] (''Stáisiún Cheannt''), which opened in August 1851, and was renamed in honour of [[Éamonn Ceannt]] in April 1966.<ref>{{cite book| first=R.V.J.| last=Butt| title=The Directory of Railway Stations| publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd| year=1995| isbn=1-85260-508-1|pages =101}}</ref>

The [[Midland Great Western Railway]] reached Galway in 1851, giving the city a direct main line to its [[Broadstone Station]] [[terminal station|terminus]] in Dublin. As the 19th century progressed the rail network in [[Connacht]] was expanded, making Galway an important [[railhead]]. The nearby town of [[Athenry]] became a railway junction, giving Galway links to [[Ennis]], [[Limerick]] and the south in 1869 and [[Sligo]] and the north in 1894. In 1895 the [[Midland Great Western Railway|MGW]] opened a branch line between Galway and [[Clifden]].

The 20th century brought increasing road competition, and this led the [[Great Southern Railways (Ireland)|Great Southern Railways]] to close the [[Clifden]] branch in 1935. In the 1970s the state railway authority [[Córas Iompair Éireann]] closed the [[Sligo]]-Athenry-Ennis line to passenger services. It later closed to freight as well.

[[Iarnród Éireann]], Ireland's national rail operator, currently runs six return passenger services each day between Galway and [[Dublin Heuston railway station|Dublin Heuston]], also serving intermediate stations. Travel time is just under 3 hours. Services on the Galway–Limerick line have now resumed, with around 5–6 trains each way per day.

From Galway railway services along the [[Western Rail Corridor]] link the city with [[Ennis railway station|Ennis]], and [[Limerick railway station|Limerick]] where trains run to [[Cork railway station|Cork]] via [[Limerick Junction]] (for [[Tipperary railway station|Tipperary]], [[Clonmel railway station|Clonmel]] and [[Waterford railway station|Waterford]]) and [[Mallow railway station|Mallow]] (for [[Killarney railway station|Killarney]] and [[Tralee railway station|Tralee]]).

====Road====
Four national primary roads serve the city: the [[N6 road (Ireland)|M6 motorway]] running east–west ([[Athlone]], Dublin), the [[M17 road (Ireland)|M17]] motorway running north from the M6 to Tuam, the [[N63 road (Ireland)|N63]], formerly the [[N17 road (Ireland)|N17]], connecting Galway with the Northwest ([[Tuam]], [[Sligo]], [[Donegal Town]], [[Letterkenny]] and [[Derry]]), and the [[N18 road (Ireland)|M18 motorway]] linking Galway to southern towns and cities [[Gort]], [[Ennis]], [[Shannon Town]], [[Limerick]] and [[Cork (city)|Cork]] joining up with The Wild Atlantic Way. In addition, there are plans for a semi-[[ring road]] of the city, the Galway City Ring Road,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2025/0505/1511103-galway-ring-road/|title=A decade later but still no move on Galway City Ring Road|first=Pat|last=McGrath|date=5 May 2025|website=[[RTE.ie]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cannon |first=Ciarán |author-link=Ciarán Cannon |date=2025-01-21 |title=Ciarán Cannon: We cannot consider going ahead with the Galway Ring Road |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/galway-ring-road-2-6598715-Jan2025/ |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=[[TheJournal.ie]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |year=2022 |title=N6 Galway City Ring Road Update |url=https://www.tii.ie/en/news/press-releases/n6-galway-update/ |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=[[TII.ie]]}}</ref> or Galway City Outer Bypass.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Galway City Outer Bypass – Map |url=http://www.galwaycity.ie/AllServices/Planning/Publications/FileEnglish,3522,en.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719102311/http://www.galwaycity.ie/AllServices/Planning/Publications/FileEnglish%2C3522%2Cen.pdf |archive-date=19 July 2011 |access-date=12 August 2010 |website=[[GalwayCity.ie]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Galway City Council – Galway City Outer Bypass |url=http://www.galwaycity.ie/AllServices/RoadsandTraffic/StudiesandSchemes/ProposedN6GalwayCityOuterBypass/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721125141/http://www.galwaycity.ie/AllServices/RoadsandTraffic/StudiesandSchemes/ProposedN6GalwayCityOuterBypass/ |archive-date=21 July 2010 |access-date=12 August 2010 |website=[[GalwayCity.ie]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Government commits to funding for €600m 'bypass' project |url=https://connachttribune.ie/government-commits-funding-to-city-ring-road-project-009/ |access-date=2 October 2018 |publisher=[[Connacht Tribune]] |ref=3}}</ref> There is also an ''Inner City Ring'' (''Cuar Inmheánach'') route that encircles the city centre, most of which is [[pedestrianised]].

Galway is considered the gateway to [[Connemara]] and the [[Gaeltacht]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Galway : gateway to Connemara ; tourist guide 1989 |url=https://search.library.nuigalway.ie/primo-explore/fulldisplay?vid=353GAL_VUJ&docid=353GAL_ALMA_DS21261280380003626&lang=en_US&context=L |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=[[NUIGalway.ie]] |language=en}}</ref> including [[Mám]], [[An Teach Dóite]], [[Cor na Móna]], [[Ros Muc]], [[Bearna]] and [[An Cheathrú Rua]]. The [[N59 road (Ireland)|N59]] along the western shore of [[Lough Corrib]] and the R337 along the northern shore of [[Galway Bay]] both lead to this largely rural and highly scenic region.

====Waterways====
The [[River Corrib]] is by far the most important waterway in Galway and a number of canals and channels were built above and through the city. The purposes of these to divert and control the water from the river, to harness its power and to provide a navigable route to the sea.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.galway.net/galwayguide/history/waterways/ |title=Waterways of Galway;&nbsp;– Galway Guide |publisher=Galway.net |access-date=12 August 2010}}</ref>  Of these, there were two major schemes&nbsp;– one between 1848 and 1858 and the other during the 1950s. The canals provided a power source for Galway and were the location of the first industries in the mid-19th century. The Eglinton Canal provided a navigation from the sea (at the [[Claddagh|Claddagh Basin]]) to the navigable part of the river (above the Salmon Weir Bridge). Most of the mills are still used today for various purposes; for instance, the [[University of Galway]] still uses a [[water turbine]] for electricity generation for their building on Nun's Island.

Currently, there are four bridges across the Corrib. Following the southward flow of the river these are, from the north: the Quincentennial Bridge, the Salmon Weir Bridge, the William O'Brien Bridge and the Wolfe Tone Bridge. There are plans for a fifth bridge as part of the Galway City Outer Bypass project. The Clare River flows from the North of the County Galway, through [[Tuam]], [[Claregalway]] into [[Lough Corrib]].

====Harbour====
[[File:GalwayCorrib gobeirne.jpg|thumb|Ballyknow Quay, [[Claddagh]]]]
Galway is the most central port on the West Coast of Ireland in the sheltered eastern corner of Galway Bay.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theportofgalway.ie/location-of-the-port-of-galway/|title=Location of the Port of Galway {{!}} A Legacy for our Future|last=alan|website=Port of Galway {{!}} Inspiration from the past, Innovation in the present, A legacy for the future...|access-date=18 September 2019}}</ref> The harbour can be used by vessels up to {{DWT|10,000|metric|disp=long}} and the inner dock can accommodate up to 9 vessels at any one time.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Regular passenger ferry and freight services operate between Galway and the tourist destination of the [[Aran Islands]] which is home to [[World Heritage Site]] [[Dún Aonghasa]]. The islands also have regular links with the towns of [[Rossaveal]] and [[Doolin]], which are physically closer but far smaller.

Major work in the harbour area was carried out in 2009 to accommodate the stopover of the [[Volvo Ocean Race]]. This was one of the biggest events ever to visit Galway. The event returned with the finale of the race in June 2012.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

====Walking====
The city is planned as the start of the [[E2 European long-distance path]], running for {{convert|4850|km}} to Nice, though (as of 2012) the Irish section was incomplete.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/name/e/e2 |title=E2 Atlantic – Mediterranean |publisher=Ramblers Association |date=2012 |archive-date=12 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212121622/http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/name/e/e2 |access-date=19 September 2018}}</ref>