Galway
The City of the Tribes has long enjoyed a reputation as a happening, carefree, cosmopolitan place to be that other Irish cities must envy as they have to work harder to market their charms.
4/5
Leading Global ICT companies are based in Galway
€158
Average full-time weekly childcare fees
€260k
Average House Price Galway County €259,940
29
Average commute in minutes
Fun fact: Christopher Columbus visited Galway in 1477.
Famed for music, food and festivals as well as its stunning situation on the Wild Atlantic Way, Galway is the ideal destination for those who want to enjoy the quality of life benefits available in the West of Ireland while still being able to access all the attractions of a multicultural city.
For career-minded individuals, it’s not much of a stretch to replace the lure of music, food and festivals with tech, pharma and startup enterprise when it comes to Galway’s other, longer-term, attractions.
Some of the world’s biggest multinational companies have been based in Galway for many years and the county can boast that it employs one third of the medical device sector employees working in Ireland.
Galway also plays host to thriving pharmaceutical, ICT, manufacturing, tourism, education, retail, distribution, and artisan food companies – offer myriad opportunities for real and sustained career advancement.
Although it suffered disappointment as its activities to celebrate as European Capital of Culture 2020 had to be cancelled due to Covid-19, one suspects that the city’s outgoing, exuberant spirit will see it bounce back quickly when it launches a re-imagined programme of events towards the end of this year.
Culture seems to come naturally to Galway. It is home to the world-renowned Druid Theatre as well as a thriving Arts Festival and Film Fleadh.
In addition to the many delights Galway city has to offer, the wider county is rich with beauty and cultural experiences. Few who visit Connemara forget their time their and the views along the Sky Road also stay long in the memory.
Depending on your interests, you can lead a lifestyle that would be the envy of adventure sport aficionados or fans of fantastic live music while enjoying great opportunities for career engagement and progression in an affordable environment.
Although the county is home to a city of nearly 80,000 people, you are never far from a rural idyll in Galway. The quality of life benefits associated with life in the West of Ireland are not negatively impacted by city life – childcare is still more affordable than in many parts of the country, and housing, whether renting or buying, still comes in well under the national average.
You can even shave a few minutes off the time spent commuting when compared with counties on the east coast.
As well as providing employment and a wide range of third-level education opportunities, the NUIG campus in the heart of the city gives Galway a youthful, positive buzz that makes it easy to visit and hard to leave.
So, let’s take a look at the key Galway stats:
Employment/Job Search
As the largest urban centre in the West of Ireland, Galway offers career opportunities across a wide range of sectors. Most Irish recruitment agencies reflect a diverse job market in Galway. Multinational companies have been based in Galway for many years and the pharmaceutical and medtech sectors are particularly important to the local economy, with Medtronic and Boston Scientific being among the bigger employers. In addition, Galway is home to four of the five leading global ICT companies – IBM, Sap, Oracle and Cisco. To see what jobs are available to suit your skills check out WesternJobs.ie.
Housing
House prices, particularly in the city, are competitive in Galway, but you can still make a saving on the national average price if you are not wedded to the idea of living in the city centre. According to the latest Daft Property Report for Q1, 2023, the average Irish house price was €308,497 while the average in Galway County was €259,940. Renting is also an affordable option when compared with other areas of the country. Daft’s Rental Price Report Q1, 2023, found that renters in Galway county can expect to pay an average of €1,351 per month, compared to a national average of €1,750.
Childcare
There is no getting away from the fact that the cost of childcare is a significant consideration for parents living anywhere in Ireland, but Galway still offers value when compared with childcare costs in other counties, particularly those on the east coast. According to data collected by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in November 2019, average weekly full-time childcare fees in Galway come to €163.02, considerably easier on the pocket than the €246.03 forked out by parents in Dublin Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown or the €207.40 cost of childcare in Dublin city.
Things to do
You will never be short of things to do at night or at the weekend in Galway city or county. Despite a year of uncertainty, the city continues to thrive with many places allowing guests to sit outside while enjoying a meal, as well as the buzz of the city and culinary delights! If you’re in need of coffee while walking around the city there’s plenty to try out. Further afield, a drive, cycle or walk enjoying the epic views along the Sky Road to Clifden will never be a wasted journey and you can also visit the Connemara National Park.
Commuting times
Of the counties on the western seaboard, Galway has one of the longer average commutes to work, but residents of Galway still save minutes each journey when compared with the commuting experience of their counterparts on the east coast. The most recent Census figures, released in 2017, show that commuters in Galway have an average travel time of 29.3 minutes, with commuters in Kildare, Laois, Meath and Wicklow among those who spend longer getting to and from work. The fact that the commuting time is slightly longer than in Mayo or Sligo is a small price to pay for having access to a lively, multicultural city.
Education
With its campus in the heart of a city renowned for its nightlife, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) is an excellent choice for the student who wants to embrace all aspects of college life. A research institution as well as a teaching college, NUIG, which is ranked among the top one percent of universities in the world, offers courses and research opportunities across a range of disciplines. GMIT become part of the new Atlantic Technological University in the West and North-West in 2022. It offers a range of courses across a number of campuses in Galway and Mayo. As you would expect from a county that is home to one of Ireland’s most progressive cities, Galway offers primary and secondary schools to suit all tastes.
