Eyre Square
Eyre Square, officially Kennedy Park since John F. Kennedy's visit in 1963, is the civic heart of Galway city and the natural starting point for exploring it — most walking routes into the Latin Quarter and Shop Street begin here. The square has been Galway's central public space since the 1700s, when it was laid out as a formal green, and today it's a mix of lawns, monuments, and benches ringed by hotels, shops, and the bus and train station just across the road.
Among its landmarks are the Browne Doorway, a carved 17th-century entrance salvaged from a merchant townhouse, and a fountain sculpture representing Galway hookers, the traditional sailing boats once central to the city's trade. It's not a sight to linger over for hours, but as the transport hub and gateway to the old city, nearly every visitor to Galway passes through it, making it a natural orientation point and meeting place rather than a destination in itself.
Eyre Square FAQs
It was renamed in honour of President John F. Kennedy after his visit to Galway in 1963, though locals still commonly call it Eyre Square.
Yes, it's beside the train and bus station and within a short walk of Shop Street, the Latin Quarter, and the Spanish Arch, making it a practical starting point.
It's a carved stone doorway from a 17th-century merchant's house, relocated to the square as a preserved piece of old Galway architecture.
It's mainly a green space for sitting, people-watching, and passing through rather than a sight with dedicated attractions, aside from its monuments.
Yes, it's an open public park with no admission charge.
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