Galway Arts Festival
The Galway Arts Festival takes place in Galway, Ireland every July. It first began in 1978 and since has grown into one of the biggest arts festivals in Ireland. It attracts international artists as well as providing a platform for local and national performers also. The Festival includes parades, street performances and numerous plays, musical concerts and comedy acts. Over the years the Festival has developed a reputation to rival the near-hedonistic atmosphere which envelopes the city of Galway during those weeks. Highlights of the festival tend to be Macnas and Druid performances, two large local performance groups.

Galway Oyster Festival
The Galway International Oyster Festival is a food festival held annually in Galway during September, the first month of the oyster season. Inaugurated in 1954, it was begun by Great Southern Hotel manager, Brian Collins, and in 2000 was described by the Sunday Times as "one of the 12 greatest shows on earth and was listed in the 1987 AA Travel Guide one of Europe's Seven Best Festivals.
The main events are two Oyster Opening Championships, the Guinness Irish Oyster Opening Championship and the Guinness World Oyster Opening Championship. Other events include a beauty pageant to select the Oyster Pearl, and a 'Mardi-Gras' Party.

Galway Early Music Festival, May 17-20 2007
Pirates of the Corribean - The Galway Early Music Festival is proud to present musical piracy in all its forms: music pertaining to piracy, music from the time of piracy, musical piracy by baroque composers and performers who take a piratical approach to their music!
Since its inception in 1996, Galway Early Music has produced annual festivals which celebrated the culture of Europe from the 12th to the 18th century in music, dance, costume and colour. The aim of the festival is to create an audience for the music and dance of the medieval, renaissance and baroque periods through concerts and participation in workshops and masterclasses. The festival also encourages interaction of professional and amateur musicians and the development of historically informed performance in Galway and in Ireland as a whole.

Clarenbridge Oyster Festival      7-9 Sept 2007
The first Oyster Festival was in 1954 and since then Clarenbridge has hosted many National and International celebrities and has contributed enormously to the development of the tourist trade in the region.
September 1st ends the oysters honeymoon and the eating season opens with the Gala Oyster Celebration in the festival marquee. That’s when oyster lovers head for Clarenbridge to sample what are recognised as “probably the most succulent Oysters in the World!”

Baboro International Arts Festival For Children
Hynes Building, St. Clare's Walk, Merchants Road, Galway
Each October the popular Baboro International Arts Festival brings a riot of sound and colour to Galway at this event dedicated to children. Aimed at school groups, there is an incredible choice of over 40 performances by production companies from around the world with shows covering a wide range of art forms including puppetry, music, theatre, storytelling and juggling.

Brasilian Festival - Gort, Co. Galway
The annual Brasilian Festival started 3 years ago in Gort and has become a popular medium for the local Brasilians to express themselves and share a little of their culture with the Irish people. The festival takes place in June and is modelled on the 'Quadrilha' one of the most popular public events in Brasil. There are demonstrations of traditional dances such as 'Quadrilha', 'Axe', 'Forro'; the renowned 'Capoeira' and ample servings of native cuisine.

Cruinniú na mBád Boat Festival - Kinvarra, Co. Galway
The first Cruinniú na mBád, held in 1979, brings us back to the time, when the majestic Galway Hookers, used to sail to Kinvara from Connemara laden down with turf. Before the introduction of gas and electricity, turf was the main fuel used for cooking and heating, of which there was a scarce supply around Kinvara, but plentiful in Connemara, and thus this trade became established.

Dunmore Festival of Song - Oct 2-5 2007

Tuam Arts Festival
Held in August of each year

Connemara Pony Show - Starts 16-Aug-2007
The Festival of the Connemara Pony is a celebration of the Connemara Pony breed with week-long activities including a visit to the Connemara National Park, culminating in the famous Connemara Pony Show. The Connemara Pony Breeders Society was originally established in 1923 for the purpose of taking steps that would lead to the preservation and improvement of the Connemara Pony.

Ballinasloe Horse Fair
Today, over 80,000 horse lovers visit Ballinasloe during the week long festivities. During the fair, the usually quiet town of Ballinasloe, is transformed into a sea of cars, trucks, trailers, horse floats and people.