A Day Off in Galway City 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to serve as a Mission Experience Volunteer (MEV) or a Study Abroad Missionary (SAM)? How do they spend their days off in Galway, when they aren’t in the Cafe?  

Ireland has a great work-life balance, with weekends done right, and more vacation time than North American cultures might be used to. They are known for having a bit of a slower pace to their life and focusing on human endeavors, like community and beauty! As a MEV or SAM, you get to experience this love of community and conversation, plus the Irish love of beauty (and come on, they’re surrounded by it)! A normal day off in Galway for a MEV or SAM is likely filled with rest, fun, and adventuring around the city!  

It could look something like waking up and having a slow morning eating breakfast in the MEV kitchen, then going to An Tobar Nua’s quiet chapel to spend time with Christ in prayer. From there, you might run to the local Saturday farmers market to see what they have that day and grab a donut (or two!), to enjoy. You might go for some fresh veggies and end up chatting with locals about their art and what is was like growing up in Ireland. You may even leave with a unique print or a wood carving of one of the 12 Apostles. If you find yourself needing a warm beverage, you’re in luck: Galway is home to many lovely coffee shops (check out our post on coffee and treats in the City!). You will probably pop into the iconic Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop to browse the Irish poets or anything else on their (delightful) never ending shelves, while you sip your coffee!  

Then you might run into Dunnes or Tesco for a few more groceries, before heading home. Make sure you bring a totebag or two to carry your things! 

After you rest and reconvene with your roommates at home, you all decide to head back into town for dinner together! Home (An Tobar Nua) is just a quick 5-10 minute walk to bright and iconic Galway streets like Quay and Shop Street with colorful little flags above the shops. Dinner this time is at the local burger hot spot: Handsome Burger (just a few buildings down from An Tobar Nua on Lower Dominick Street).  

While the sun is settling down you can rent bikes and ride or walk along the Salthill prom down to Celia Griffin Memorial Park to watch the sunset over Galway Bay. From there you can see the lighthouse on Mutton Island, the hills of Clare, and the lovely Salthill beach. During summers in Ireland, the sun doesn’t set until 9-10 pm, so there’s plenty of time to enjoy a last adventure of the day. 

There are so many ways for you to spend your free time in beautiful Ireland, check out our blog posts on weekend and day trip ideas!