Tag Archives: ocean

Down the Salthill Prom with a Galway Girl

A few weeks ago, I visited an iconic Galway spot, called the Salthill Prom, with my friends Mary and Nicky.  We were very lucky to have a crisp, clear day to walk through town.  We stopped for milkshakes at Rockin’ Joe’s (or, as Mary calls it, Eddie Rocket’s) before heading down to the water’s edge and following it all the way down to the beautiful prom.

For those of you who don’t know about the Salthill Prom, it’s a long walkway (or promenade) positioned alongside Galway Bay.  It’s a popular spot for both locals and tourists; it has even been featured in a popular song about Galway, called “The Galway Girl.”  The song was written by an American, but it is still frequently heard all around Ireland – in pubs, on the streets, on the radio, etc.  For those of you who are familiar with the movie “P.S. I Love You,” Gerry sings “The Galway Girl” to Holly when they meet in the pub.  Below is a recording of the song performed by Celtic Thunder – have a listen and see if you can find the spot where they mention the Salthill Prom!

I was completely and utterly taken by the beauty of the prom when we arrived.  We headed down to the beach areas – which are both sandy and rocky – and collected interesting shells and stones.  Mary brought along her selfie stick (a tool used to take photos of yourself so you don’t have to bother a stranger to take them for you) which I was admittedly a bit humiliated to use.  In the end, though, it was worth using because we got some really cool photos!

Mary, Nicky, and I trying out the selfie stick at the Salthill Prom!

Mary, Nicky, and I trying out the selfie stick at the Salthill Prom!

The views were incredible.  The waves crashed in along the shore and mountains were visible in the distance across the bay.  We had a beautiful blue sky full of clouds, and though it was a chilly day, we enjoyed every second of our adventure.

The blue waters of Galway Bay

The beautiful blue bay!

As we meandered along, I was excited to finally see the tower at the prom – a big yellow and blue structure that juts out into the sea from the shoreline.  I mentioned in a previous blog post that I saw Hudson Taylor in concert and that they filmed their video for “Chasing Rubies” in Galway – well, the tower features in their video!  I was very glad to stand on the tower myself and take in my surroundings.  It was very windy so I didn’t get many photos when I was on the tower itself, but I managed to get this shot of the tower from a distance away.

A yellow tower jutting out from the coastline.

The tower at the Salthill Prom.

Eventually, I discovered piles of seaweed washed up along the shore, so naturally, Nicky and I decided to have a seaweed fight!  As I inspected the seaweed, I remembered hearing from a tour guide that a lot of Irish farmers use seaweed to fertilize their soil, which adds rich nutrients to it to keep it healthy for growing crops.  The thick, rubbery consistency of the seaweed made me believe him!

Me and Nicky throwing seaweed at one another.

Me and Nicky fighting with seaweed!

All in all, it was a fantastic excursion, and one I hope to make again before I leave.  As the weather gets a bit warmer, I expect the Salthill Prom will be very busy, but I definitely wouldn’t mind a day spent just sitting on the beach and soaking it all in!  There is certainly a reason why this beautiful location is featured in songs and stories, and I think I figured out that reason when I took a stroll down the old long walk!


Location: Salthill Prom, Galway, Ireland