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Sunrise over Clare from Salthill, Galway

Greener Galway, Ireland 3 min read

Galway's coast with dogs: the Prom, Silverstrand and Galway Bay sunsets

By (Our writers) · Published

Sunrise over Clare from Salthill, GalwayPhoto: Tom Murphy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Galway's seafront is made for dog walks. The Salthill Promenade runs for kilometres along Galway Bay, with the hills of the Burren across the water, and further west the coast road leads to the small cove of Silverstrand at Barna. It's busy, sociable and beautiful at sunset. Here's how to enjoy it with your dogs, from the rules on the beaches to the best light for photos.

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Stop 1 · Galway · Harbour start

Claddagh Basin & Nimmo’s Pier

Swans, fishing boats and the breeze off Galway Bay.

Walk here

The Prom

The Prom is wide, paved and flat, and it's one of Galway's favourite places to walk. Our ready-made route below starts at the Spanish Arch, crosses to the Claddagh and follows the seafront to the Blackrock diving tower, where local tradition is to "kick the wall" before turning back. It's an easy walk for dogs of any age, but it's shared with runners, cyclists, buggies and plenty of other dogs, so keep yours on a lead and close to you.

Beaches and dogs

Galway's beaches are a big draw for dogs, but bathing beaches can have seasonal rules, with dogs restricted during the summer bathing season, and some ask for dogs to be on leads all year. The rules vary from beach to beach, so read the sign at each entrance and follow it, and bag and bin every bit of poo: the beaches are used by swimmers and families all year round.

Practical tip: quieter times, early in the morning and outside the summer, are the best for dogs on the beaches, and the light is better too.

On to Silverstrand

West of Salthill, the coast road continues towards Barna. Silverstrand is a sandy cove below low cliffs, with a small car park. It's a lovely spot for a beach walk, but it's much smaller at high tide, and the road between Salthill and Barna is busy, with narrow paths in places. Many people drive to Silverstrand rather than walk along the road with dogs. Our Galway to Barna coast ride shows the way by bike.

Bearna Pier
Bearna PierPhoto: Sharonlflynn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tides, sand and sea water

Check the tide times before a beach walk: the shape of the beaches changes completely between low and high water, and the rocks at either end can be cut off. The Marine Institute publishes tide information for Irish waters.

Salthill and Galway Bay, Galway (506271)
Salthill and Galway Bay, Galway (506271)Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Bring fresh water: dogs that drink sea water can get sick.
  • Rinse salt and sand off paws and coats afterwards, especially between the toes.
  • Keep dogs away from seaweed piles with dead fish or jellyfish, and from the edges of piers and slipways.
  • Be careful with ball games in the waves: strong currents and big swells can carry a swimming dog out quickly.

Wildlife on the shore

Galway Bay is an important place for birds, especially in winter, when waders and ducks feed along the shore. Keep dogs from chasing flocks: every time birds fly off, they lose energy they need to get through the cold months.

Sunset photos over Galway Bay

Sunsets are the reason many people walk the Prom. The sun sets over the open bay in winter, and further round to the north-west, over the Connemara coast, in summer. Arrive before golden hour, frame the sky with the curve of the Prom or the Blackrock tower, and expose for the bright sky so the colours don't burn out. For a silhouette of your dogs, ask them to sit on the sea wall or the sand with the sunset behind them, shoot from low down and let them go dark against the sky.

Salthill and Galway Bay, Galway (506272)
Salthill and Galway Bay, Galway (506272)Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Reference & tools:

Galway through the year

Galway averages 18 rainy days in Oct and highs of about 14°C. The driest month is usually Apr.

010209°9°10°13°16°18°18°18°17°14°11°9°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Days with 1 mm of rain or moreAverage high (°C)

Show the numbers
MonthRainy daysRainAverage highSunshineSunset
Jan16111 mm9°C3.6 h/day16:46
Feb17116 mm9°C4.8 h/day17:45
Mar16117 mm10°C6.3 h/day18:38
Apr1370 mm13°C8.5 h/day20:34
May1579 mm16°C10.2 h/day21:27
Jun1687 mm18°C9.7 h/day22:05
Jul17116 mm18°C9 h/day21:58
Aug19142 mm18°C8.6 h/day21:07
Sep16105 mm17°C6.8 h/day19:55
Oct18132 mm14°C5.4 h/day18:43
Nov16121 mm11°C3.9 h/day16:42
Dec19146 mm9°C3 h/day16:18
Averages for 2015–2024 from Open-Meteo historical weather (CC BY 4.0); sun times calculated for the 15th of each month, local time.

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