February 13th, 2012 by Colm N. Musgrave

The Connemara International Marathon is a one day race event, held either at the end of March or the beginning of April each year. Participants have the option of taking part in a Half Marathon, a Full Marathon or a 63 kilometre Ultra Marathon ( the latest addition to the events schedule ). This event’s particular appeal resides in the beautiful views of the areas where partakers compete – mountain peaks and deep blue lakes are some of the features that line the course, which will take you thru the Twelve Pin mountains, past Killary Lough, through Leenane and the Maam Turk Mountains before concluding at Maam Cross.

Each July for 6 days, directors, actors and anybody else working on or interested in films descend on Galway. Why? This is when the Film Fleadh is held. This is a holiday meant for supporters of film, irrespective of their nationality, culture or vintage. It is now almost a quarter of a century old, yet over time the organisers haven’t wavered from their primary goal ; to reveal a fantastic mix of avant garde, alternative and thought provoking films to an appreciative audience. Whether or not they are concerned in the filmmaking business or not, it doesn’t matter – film is a shared interest and something that they automatically have in common.

Every year the Comedy Festival just keeps improving, with a better selection of acts than the last. In 2011, the check-list was galvanizing ; prominent stand up comics such as Dylan Moran, The Rubber Bandits, Ardal O Hanlon and David O Doherty, amongst many others, were in attendance. The Comedy Holiday is a celebrating of humour in all of its aspects, however ; here is where comedic dramas e. G The Faulty Towers Dining Experience and Who Requires Enemies II have also been performed on stage. The key purpose of this event ( aside from making the fans giggle out loud, of course ) is to help hot talent as well as established acts, so though one might not be conversant with a large amount of the names, there just might be some hidden gems waiting to be found.

The Clifden Arts Festival, held each year in late Sep, honours dance, song, art, poetry and performance in all its forms. Now running for virtually 35 years in the tiny village of Clifden, this event began life as a humble local gathering. Nonetheless over time it has grown and extended to now cater for visitors from all over the world. Despite this, the local community is still much involved in the planning and organizing, with something to watch and enjoy on every corner. Drama, comedy and concerts are just some of the eclectic mix on offer, with another check-list of children’s events to guarantee everyone seems to be entertained.

Every year in October for the previous 12 years, the city has been lit up and brought to life by the week long events arranged by Babor International Humanities Holiday for Children. This actually is an event with youngsters at its heart. Here, native and world drama groups come together to amuse thru the media of puppets, song, drama, stories, mime and much , much more. Families and schools gather at locations in and around Galway city to partake of workshops and performances, while performers and artists also travel to schools to educate by making learning fun.

Visitors can stay at hotels in Galway or Galway Bed and Breakfast while exploring Galway

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