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Sligo vs Galway? Highly conflicted

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Hi everyone! This is my first time posting, so I hope i provide what you need when soliciting this advice. We are traveling Edinburgh (2 nights), Glasgow (3), Donegal (4), Sligo? or Galway? (2 nights in one of those), Athlone (1), and Dublin (4 - includes day trip to Kilkenny).

Here is my dilemma... I originally thought Galway based on what I have read; however, the more I looked into it, the more it seems extremely touristy. Am I misreading it? Every activity I saw seemed pretty much located in that Latin Quarter, and even those did not 'jump'. We could take or leave Cliffs of Moher since we are doing Slieve League in Donegal and therefore Galway-Cliffs as a day trip not critical.

When I have seen Youtube videos, it seems to be all tourists in the videos (with very few locals) and reminds me a lot of Key West, FL. Since I lived there for 4 years, I have no interest going half way around the world to hear American songs being played for tourists in an Irish Pub.

We are not hikers/bike-riders, but the outdoor peaceful settings for Sligo do interest me. I was most attracted to the Megalithic sites given their age. Sligo seemed to cut the transportation time a bit if we skip Galway and go straight to Athlone from there.

Are there still good local pubs in Sligo? Everyone says nightlife is better in Galway - but is it with locals? (seemed to be mainly nightlife of tourists in videos I have seen). We'd be more of a 5-7pm type pub-goer (not necessarily "night life" so to speak). I was just starting to think that a smaller town might allow us to mingle more and get to know the culture/vibe of those that live there.

Our traveling details: public transportation, 2 50+year olds, into culture, heritage, museums, castles, pubs, and distilleries. We will be spending two nights in the city being debated. Any advice as to if Sligo or Galway might suit us better?

If Galway suggested, are there less touristy places to stay/do that I am not finding on internet? Any help greatly appreciated!! Been debating for a few days, but I need to get this itinerary set soon (traveling April 2026). I'm currently about 60% Sligo & 40% Galway from what I have researched.

Posted by
878 posts

Galway's pub scene can be summarized as local musicians playing to mostly tourists and young locals, most of whom are very drunk. Tig Cóilí is a prime example, but they do have an early session around 6pm. The Crane Bar doesn't have the number of drunks, but the music won't start before 8:30-ish. As a 75 year old, I "train" to stay up late when in Ireland so we can enjoy the trad sessions.

Sligo is on our next trip, so I can't comment of touristy-ness. If it is less touristy, that means any music will start much later. (9:30 to 10pm).

In general, late June thru August are the high season. We ALWAYS visit Ireland in May for the slightly lower tourist density and best weather.

A lot of the Neolithic/historical sites are difficult to access without a car or private tour. Public buses just don't go there.

Posted by
877 posts

Sligo. Easy. Carrowmore is reachable by city bus from Sligo. Sligo itself is lovely and compact. It likely depends on what night you are there whether there is music on. That's the advantage of a more touristic city in April: there's pretty much always music on. Here is a calendar of music events in Sligo this week:
https://www.johnthemap.co.uk/sm-file/index.html
Killybegs is a great place to stay to see the Slieve League. You can take a boat tour out of the harbor. You'll need a taxi or organized tour to get you up to the top. Be sure to get a meal from the chippy in the lane opposite Anderson's Seafood Restaurant (they also have apartments to let, some with harbor view).
Galway to Athlone is actually an easier trip because they are on the same train line. But if you don't want to go to Galway, don't.
For all of the above, you'll be on the bus. Make sure you have the Transport for Ireland app(s) and a good understanding of the timetables and connections. I didn't, and it took me all day to get from Killybegs to Sligo via Donegal. In the rain. So no Carrowmore for me.

Posted by
2575 posts

Sligo doesn't feature on the tourist radar yet so will be a lot quieter than Galway. There will be good pubs there although they may not really get busy until 9pm onwards. You've been to Slieve League Cliffs and, as Cliffs of Moher aren't 'critical' this would lead to the choice of Sligo over Galway....

Posted by
663 posts

I've been to Galway twice and Sligo once.

Given your preference for locals, I'd go with Sligo. There are superb pubs in Sligo. With a population of only 1,500 people, Ballymote (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballymote) has great pubs, though I cannot remember their names as I was there in 1997. Adding to Sligo's authentic vibe is the town Tubbercurry. It hosts an Irish music school: https://www.southsligosummerschool.com/.

I saw the dolmen site in Sligo. I also visited the Yeats tomb in Drumcliff: https://www.discoverireland.ie/sligo/drumcliffe-church-and-grave-of-w-b-yeats

Posted by
2 posts

I cannot thank you all enough for your insights and suggestions! Not only were you able to give me your perspectives on these two cities, you provided some extra suggestions along the way :) I really appreciate it, and I have added them to my growing research/itinerary/tips file! Feel free to keep commenting/adding any other suggestions, as I will continue to monitor this thread - I really appreciate it, and especially so quickly! You're the best!

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