Galway, located in the West Region and the province of Connacht, lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the capital of the county Galway, and it is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland with the population of 75,414 according to the 2011 census. The park at the center of Galway City is called John F. Kennedy Park, but it is still known as Eyre Square by most Irish people. In 2007, Galway was named one of the top eight "sexist cities" in the world and in 2008, it was ranked the 42nd best tourist destination in the world and 14th in Europe, which I can totally agree with! One surprising and interesting fact is that there are 6,870 Irish speakers in Galway city, which is nearly ten percent of the population, so this is why Galway is often referred to as the "Cultural Heart of Ireland."
There are many symbols that are associated with Galway. They are the Claddagh Ring, the Aran Sweater, and the Galway Hookers. The Claddagh Ring is a traditional Irish ring that's Galway's own symbol of love, friendship, and loyalty. The design features two hands holding a heart which has a crown; hands represent friendship,, heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty. It originated from the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, which is now part of Galway City. The ring is known to be first produced in the 17th century. A fun fact I found while cybersleuthing about this is that Kim Kardashian now owns a silver Claddagh ring that’s bought for her by her husband Kanye West when they were having their Irish honeymoon only a couple days ago.
The Aran Sweater is an emblem of not only the Aran Islands, which are a group of three islands that are located at the mouth of Galway Bay off the west coast of Ireland (the largest island is Inishmore also known as Aranmore. The middle and second-largest is Inishmaan and the smallest is Inisheer. Irish is a spoken language on all three islands, and is the language used for the names of the islands and many of the island's villages and place names), but also Ireland itself. The significance of the Aran Sweaters is that every stitch pattern has a traditional interpretation and distinctive story. For example, the honeycomb is a symbol of the hard-working bee. The diamond stitch is a wish of success, wealth and treasure. The basket stitch represents the fisherman’s basket, a hope for a plentiful catch. Most knitting patterns were never written down but passed down from generation to generation.
Galway Hookers are specific types of sailing vessels in Ireland, and it is known for its distinctive appearance. Their designs were meant to be the way they were to handle the rough sea off the coast of Ireland. Due to its unique design, it has become a popular boat design for recreationalists.
http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/top-ten-facts-about-galway-irelands-cultural-heart-photos-129159213-237762991.html http://aranislands.galway-ireland.ie/ http://www.blarney.com/aran-sweaters/