Icons of Salthill, what to see

Salthill Bóthar na Trá, is a seaside area in the City of Galway in

the west of Ireland.

Historically it was a fishing village and since the 60’s has grown

into a thriving area with many beaches, local business,

amenities, shops and arcades for the public to enjoy.

Walking the ‘Prom’, the famous promenade walk in Salthill.

The Salthill Promenade offers visitors and locals a truly beautiful

vista of Galway Bay. This route is 2kms long and offers a

number of key features to enjoy along the route.

Starting from Grattan beach and ending at the Blackrock Diving

Tower (with a gentle ‘kick the wall’ at the end), here are some of

the iconic features and things to see, enjoy your walk!

Katie’s cottage

The Heart of Galway's Heritage

Step back in time and enjoy one of Galway's most popular

heritage attractions & event venue. Katie’s is a restored thatched

cottage that depicts traditional life in one of Ireland’s oldest

fishing villages.

After enjoying our authentic turf fire, with tea, scones or

homemade Irish Guinness brack, step inside our specially

curated design studio at the rear of the cottage to discover some

of Ireland's best contemporary & vintage interior home

accessories & unique 100% Irish gifts.

Katie's Cottage Location

Mutton Island Lighthouse & Bird Sanctuary

This picturesque lighthouse has retained its original form and

character, together with many salient features and materials.

One of numerous lighthouses built in 1817, Mutton Island was

one of the few where a keeper was appointed, because of its

easy accessibility at low tide. The lighthouse, together with the

attendant lighthouse keeper's house, forms an appealing

self-contained group that enhances the visual appeal of Mutton

Island.

The island also hosts some sanctuary for a number of bird

species.

Mutton Island Lighthouse Location

The Famine Ship Memorial, Celia Griffin Memorial Park

This memorial consists of a central piece of limestone, which

originated as a memorial to Celia Griffin, a 6 year old girl who

died in the city of starvation in 1847.

Each side of the main memorial are two sandstone monuments

which are carved in the form of a ship's sail, like those which

carried thousands of emigrants from Ireland in and after the

famine years. Many people died on the journey, hence the ships

were often known as coffin ships. The sandstone monuments

each contain 50 of the 100 names of ships known to have

carried Irish people across the Atlantic Ocean.

Alongside the memorial you can enjoy Grattan beach and at low

tide is a great place to go and explore the tide pools.

The Famine Ship Memorial Location

I Like Beaches

The project includes a series of educational boards

positioned along the Salthill promenade, just as you leave

Grattan beach.

The I LIKE BEACHES boards help to educate individuals

about the inherent importance of Galway’s beaches and

coastal areas, by providing a number of important

information on wave formation, climate, sand and ocean

movements.

This Ocean Literacy project is really important to educate

the public about the importance of our ocean.

I Like Beaches Project

The Anchor

The Anchor area is a really nice place to take a break and reflect

and/or think about what we are grateful for and our hope for the

future.

The Anchor itself is symbolic of hope and steadfastness during

troubled times.

The Anchor Location

Palmer's Rock & the Midway Point of the Wild Atlantic Way

Located alongside the Midway Point of the Wild Atlantic Way you

will notice this pretty innocuous rock standing by the prom. This

rock is known as Palmer’s Rock and it has traditionally been

used as a location marker for years.

This area is also home to the Wild Atlantic signature route and is

a very popular location for the wanderlust adventurer.

Palmer's Rock Location

Circle of Life Commemorative Garden

Circle of Life national organ donor commemorative garden is

located in the beautifully sited seafront Quincentennial Park in

Salthill overlooking Galway Bay and reflects the spirit of giving,

the enduring legacy which defines the lives of organ donors. It is

a special place of thanksgiving and commemoration, and

through its mix of imagery, symbolism and sentiment, engenders

feelings of positive transformation, healing and hope.

Circle of Life Garden was developed by Strange Boat Donor

Foundation in partnership with Galway City Council and was

formally opened on May 6th, 2014.

Circle of Life Commemorative Garden Location

‘Kick the Wall’ & Blackrock Diving Tower

As you near the end of the ‘prom’ walk you will notice the ‘kick

the wall’ phenomenon, where people will gently poke the wall

and turn back! No one knows when this tradition started, but it is

one of these things you just have to do. The area has since

turned into a donation spot to help the most vulnerable in society

with many different charities selected through the year.

Since 1953, Blackrock Diving Tower has attracted many

swimmers from all over Ireland and the world, since it was built

from scaffolding and makeshift boards it has developed into

probably the most iconic sight and structure in Salthill.

The tower is 8 meters from foundation to top platform, with a

number of diving platforms.

‘Kick the Wall’ & Blackrock Diving Tower

End of the walk

We hope you enjoy your time in Salthill and don’t forget to

enjoy our local amenities, coffee shops and restaurants.

We have wonderful family spots too, with Galway

Atlantaquaria, Ireland’s largest native species Aquarium,

Leisureland Swimming and Fitness centre, Seapoint Bingo

and arcade and much more.

We hope you enjoy your visit to Salthill.

Galway Bay Boat Tours also offer wonderful experiences in Galway Bay.