ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

History of Galway

Galway is a city in Ireland. A really long time ago, before there were cars or TVs or even probably candy, people lived on this land. They were the Celts, and they had their own language and culture. They built some cool things, like stone forts and tombs, that people can still see today.

Fast forward a few hundred years, and the Vikings came to Ireland. They were from Norway, and they liked to raid and explore. They set up a settlement in Galway, which they called "Gallivare," which means "place of the foreigner."

Later on, the Normans arrived. They were from France, and they were really into castles and war. They built a big castle in Galway which was one of the main things that made the city famous.

Eventually, the English took over Ireland. They made laws that were really unfair and treated the Irish people badly. But even during this time, Galway continued to grow and became an important trading center.

Then in the early 20th century, Ireland became independent from Britain. Galway has continued to grow and flourish since then. Today, it is known as a cultural hub with a lot of music, art, and theater events happening all the time. And people still go to see that cool castle that the Normans built hundreds of years ago!