Salthill () is a seaside area in the City of Galway in the west of Ireland. Lying within the

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...

of Lenaboy (''an Léana Buí''), it attracts many tourists all year round. There is a 2 km long promenade, locally known as ''the Prom'', overlooking

Galway Bay Galway Bay ( Irish: ''Loch Lurgain'' or ''Cuan na Gaillimhe'') is a bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south; Galw ...

with bars, restaurants and hotels.

Tourism and events

Salthill was, until 2007, home to one of the biggest non-fee paying air shows in Galway, the Salthill Air Show, which took place in June over Galway Bay. The show annually attracted over 100,000 people and generated over €1m in revenue. The 1970s saw the introduction of a number of casinos and more leisure centres. Salthill was a centre point for the 2008–09 Volvo Ocean Race, as well as the Round-Ireland Powerboat race in 2010. Every Christmas Day for many years it has been a tradition to jump into the sea from Blackrock Diving Tower. This record-breaking event is now a fundraiser for local charity in Galway.

Sport

Salthill-Knocknacarra Salthill-Knocknacarra () is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Salthill and Knocknacarra areas in Galway City, Ireland. The club is a member of the Galway GAA. Salthill-Knocknacarra GAA Club caters for huge numbers of young boys a ...

is the local

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

club. The team won the

All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament which began in season 1970–71. It is the top-tier competition for the senior football clubs of Ireland and London. The current champions are Kilcoo of ...

in 2006, beating St. Gall's in the final.

Pearse Stadium Pearse Stadium ( ga, Páirc an Phiarsaigh) is the principal GAA stadium in Galway, Ireland. The Galway GAA Gaelic football and hurling teams use the stadium for their home games. The stadium, amongst others in the province of Connacht, is also ...

, one of Galway GAA's two primary stadiums (the other being St Jarlath's Park), is on Dr Mannix Road in Salthill. Salthill Devon F.C., the local football team, fields teams in the

Galway & District League The Galway & District League is an association football league organized by the Galway Football Association. It features amateur and junior clubs from County Galway. It currently features six divisions. Its top division, the Premier Division, i ...

. They played in the

League of Ireland First Division The League of Ireland First Division ( ga, Céad Roinn Sraith na hÉireann), also known as the SSE Airtricity League First Division, is the second level division in both the League of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland football league system. Th ...

from 2010 to 2013, before merging with Mervue United and GUST, the supporters trust of the then defunct Galway United, to form Galway F.C. The Galway Lawn Tennis Club, winner of Irish Tennis Club of the Year in 2002, is located on Threadneedle Road.

Transport

Salthill railway station opened on 1 October 1879 and closed for passenger traffic in January 1918. The nearest station is . As of 2022, there is one city bus service,

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidia ...

route 401, which runs to from Salthill to

Eyre Square Eyre Square (; ga, An Fhaiche Mhór, also known as John F. Kennedy Memorial Park) is a city public park in Galway, Ireland. The park is within the city centre, adjoining the nearby shopping area of William Street and Shop Street. Galway rai ...

. Bus Éireann also runs the regional bus routes 416 and 424 from Galway's bus station to Connemara, which pass via Salthill.

Popular culture

The Long Walk and the Salthill promenade are both referenced in the Steve Earle penned tune " Galway Girl".

References

{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Articles on towns and villages in Ireland possibly missing Irish place names Beaches of County Galway Geography of Galway (city) Seaside resorts in the Republic of Ireland Tourist attractions in Galway (city)

Tourism and events

Sport

Transport

Popular culture

See also

References