Galway Bay (Irish: Loch Lurgan or Cuan na Gaillimhe) is a large bay (or sea lough) 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. Galway city is located on the northeast side of the bay. It is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) long and from 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to 30 kilometres (19 mi) in breadth. The Aran Islands (Oileáin Árann) are to the west across the entrance and there are numerous small islands within the bay. The approaches to the bay between the Aran Islands and the mainland are as follows; the North Sound (An Súnda ó Thuaidh) lies between Inishmore and Leitir Mealláin in Connemara, it was formerly known as Bealach Locha Lurgan in Irish. Gregory's Sound (Súnda Ghríoghóra) lies between Inishmore and Inishmaan, it was formerly known as Bealach na h-Áite. Foul Sound (An Súnda Salach) lies between Inishmaan and Inisheer, it was formerly known as Bealach na Fearbhaighe. South Sound (An Súnda ó Theas) formerly known as Bealach na Finnise lies between Inisheer and County Clare.
Galway Bay is famous for its unique traditional sailing craft, the Galway Hooker.
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Famous quotes containing the words galway and/or bay:
“We dreamed that a great painter had been born
To cold Clare rock and Galway rock and thorn,
To that stern colour and that delicate line
That are our secret discipline
Wherein the gazing heart doubles her might....”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“Baltimore lay very near the immense protein factory of Chesapeake Bay, and out of the bay it ate divinely. I well recall the time when prime hard crabs of the channel species, blue in color, at least eight inches in length along the shell, and with snow-white meat almost as firm as soap, were hawked in Hollins Street of Summer mornings at ten cents a dozen.”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)