What's in Ballyvaughan?

April 12, 2010 3:29 PM

What's awesome in Ballyvaughan, Ireland?

I'm touring the schools I've been accepted to. One's in Chicago, which is easy, but one is in Ballyvaughan, Ireland. As near as I can tell it's not THAT small, so I'm hoping some MeFites know the deal.

What's it like for a student? What can't I miss to get a feel for the place?

posted by cmoj to Travel & Transportation around Ballyvaghan, Ireland (9 answers total)

It is that small! Theres 3 pubs, à tearoom in the summer and hopefully Monks seafood restaurant is still around. There is the whole of the burren behind the pub, and the cliffs of mohar not too far away. I strongly recommend à car, although everyone else drives like à maniac, so you can get to slightly larger towns. Plenty of hippy artists and musicians living around there too. I have spent à few summers in Ballyvaughn.
posted by Iteki at 3:48 PM on April 12, 2010

There's a school in Ballyvaughan?

Its a beautiful small village is an idyllic part of the country. But it is pretty small. Galway on the other side of the bay is the college town where all the excitement is.
posted by Long Way To Go at 5:53 PM on April 12, 2010

It is smaller than "it is that small". I am trying to imagine what school is in Ballyvaughn. I live in Ireland(Co. Kerry) part of the year and have only visited Ballyvaughn. It is an area with a rich tradition in music and there are a number of artists and craftsmen. Unfortunately, I understand Monks is not as good as it used to be but even at that it should be good. There is an internet cafe as part of an art gallery. It has a solitary and barren beauty unlike much of the rest of Ireland. It is not lush and green, nor does it have the rich and varied terrain, but it does have its own elegance. It certainly is different than Chicago.
posted by rmhsinc at 6:04 PM on April 12, 2010

Response by poster: Burren, an equally tiny art school is in Ballyvaughan, since people are wondering.
posted by cmoj at 6:10 PM on April 12, 2010

My sister spent a semester at Burren back in the late nineties. I think she enjoyed it--and we had fun visiting for a week--but she was coming from a small rural liberal arts college so it wasn't probably wasn't a huge culture shock. Ballyvaughan really is that small, but as others have mentioned, Galway is a cool place and not too far away.

If you have any specific questions, I'll be happy to pass them along to her.
posted by Diggins at 7:15 PM on April 12, 2010

Dude, Ireland is tiny. Galway to Dublin is about 150 miles. If you like Ballyvaughan but need a "big city" every now and again, you can drive across the entire country in about three hours.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:22 PM on April 12, 2010

Just to be even clearer, the population is 224, and I am guessing that would include envrions. Check it out on Google earth, it's literally a y-junction. That said, I totally would, it's a lovely part of the country, and galway rocks (used to anyhow).
posted by Iteki at 9:46 PM on April 12, 2010

I passed through town half a lifetime ago while staying with a friend on the south side of Galway Bay (Stormy Hall on the Flaggy Shore), and yeah it's small. The Burren and other areas nearby are quite scenic, but that's about it. Galway's a decently sized town, and not too far to the north.
posted by LionIndex at 10:02 PM on April 12, 2010

iteki: Just to be even clearer, the population is 224, and I am guessing that would include envrions.

Yeah, the census population figures for a town includes the full townland, so that's really very tiny.

I've been through Ballyvaughan a good few times and it's a tiny, tiny village that seems rather nice - if studying in a tiny place with remarkable, dramatic landscape around you is appealing, I'd say it could be amazing (and I'm jealous!). The west coast is a great place, especially if you like outdoorsy things - lots of surfing and kayaking and hiking, etc, and lovely people into those activities.

Also, though, this route planner says you're 47 minutes from Galway city, which is a small, arty city with a good music scene and more or less anything you could want. Limerick, 1 hour and 26 minutes, lots going on and some interesting art events.
posted by carbide at 2:42 AM on April 13, 2010