Is Galway at night safe?

2K11

Just watching the story on RTE 1 about Manuela Riedo murder and got me thinking Is Galway City really as safe as some people make it out to be? I mean always hear of people getting bottled and fighting (Which of course happens everywhere) so is Galway Nightlife safer then most places in Ireland. Watching the documentary on RTE 1 would make you think twice about going out in the town....

Portergeist

its grand you dont go walkin down dark alleys by yourself anywhere...its the city there are rapists, thieves, drug addics etc etc.. there in every city! you just have to look after yourself!

Poxyshamrock

Dont walk in isolated areas alone and you will be grand.

Cant believe the host family couldnt have advised Manuela to walk the long way around or even give her a lift to the centre of town.

wotzgoingon

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Dont walk in isolated areas alone and you will be grand.

Cant believe the host family couldnt have advised Manuela to walk the long way around or even give her a lift to the centre of town.

I didn't watch the documentory but as far as im aware (I heard it off the telly before) she was told not to take the short cut along the side of the railway line into town.

Diabhal Beag

Anywhere near a woods is dodgy as ****. Just stay away from those spots and you'll be grand.

El_Drago

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Anywhere near a woods is dodgy as ****. Just stay away from those spots and you'll be grand.

Which woods?
Being from Dublin,I certainly think that Galway is a very safe place at night in comparison.However,I'm sure as with all places it has its share of places to avoid after dark,especially if you're a female.

paulgalway

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Cant believe the host family couldnt have advised Manuela to walk the long way around or even give her a lift to the centre of town.

It was also stated in the program that she was told not to take the short cut.

schween

Anywhere around town can be dangerous at night, not just dark isolated areas, but bright crowded areas such as Eyre Sq. and Shop St. I discovered this the hard way!!

Lapin

OP - Galway is a lot safer since that cúnt responsible for Manuela's murder was locked up.

Sponge Bob

Lapin wrote: »

OP - Galway is a lot safer since that cúnt responsible for Manuela's murder was locked up.

True, but a cop told me not so long ago that there were another 3 local scumbags just like him around and that it was only a matter of time before they did something. There were scumbags like Barry in the 1980s but they left town permanently after being beaten within an inch of their lives for their scumbaggery.

Then again Limerick probably has 50 of them.

Vanolder

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Lapin wrote: »

OP - Galway is a lot safer since that cúnt responsible for Manuela's murder was locked up.

True, but a cop told me not so long ago that there were another 3 local scumbags just like him around and that it was only a matter of time before they did something. There were scumbags like Barry in the 1980s but they left town permanently after being beaten within an inch of their lives for their scumbaggery.

Then again Limerick probably has 50 of them.

Limerick city centre is generally safe and it's rare enough there is trouble.... The suburbs is a different story tho, but most people have no reason to go there.

I regularly see fights in galway city centre after clubs which really throws me as it's rare you'd see it back home.

xo.mary

It's grand, as long as you have the common sense not to go into a shady area (rough estate, woods, dark alley). I've been living in Galway for 4 years now (I'm 21) and work nights and have never felt in any danger when walking home. I occasionally meet a drunken wanderer, but that's about as 'dangerous' as it gets.

I get scared being in Dublin in broad daylight but feel safe in Galway late at night, there's a different atmosphere imo.

stevecrow74

been living in Galway city 16yrs now, never had any real trouble, usually avoid Eyre square after midnight if by myself, its not that i'd be scared for my safety, even though i do feel uncomfortable in the area, i'm 6'2", but i know being around that side of town there will be some drunken eejit trying to prove himself to his friends. Most of the fights i've ever seen is around supermac's on eyre square, with the occasional one on shop street after 2am.
from shop street down to 'the west' it just feels safer,
but if your female and walking around any part of the city by yourself, unfortunately there are people out there who will take advantage of that

biko

For its size and population, particularly considering there are so many young people, I'd say it's very safe.
There are fights but usually between alcohol fuelled louts outside clubs on weekends. There are rare murders but mostly between people that know each other. There are rapes/attempts but also there mostly between acquaintances.
There are estates with "dodgy" people that terrorise their neighbourhoods.

But for the average person walking around town I'd say it's very rare to get into trouble.
Crime in the city and county seems to be dropping, not increasing.

JoeA3

I watched that documentary last night too. I would consider Galway a very safe city, and as others have said, I've never come across any trouble in all my years here other than the odd drunken fisticuffs outside Supermacs. How often do random murders and rapes happen around here? Columbo would have a handy time of it if he worked in Galway.

For Manuela (as well as the poor guy he helped kicked to death in Eyre Square in 1996), it seemed to be very much a case of being in the wrong place at the very wrong time. Both of them were new visitors to the city, and then there was the French student he raped days before Manuela. It seems Barry had a particular fondness for visitors to this city, so we're all a lot safer now that he's locked away.

beeintheknow

Tis that blasted boogeyman I'm worried about.

extraice

So next week Cracking Crime will be chat about some one eles in some outher city ,
Have found Galway to be nice place for few years i lived here , loacls say hello in pubs , on the street and if you ask any where a place is , it like be at the tourist office , you wont go to NYC , London , Pairs , Mardid , Rome . Athens , Amsterdam , Berlin , Dublin , Antwerp , Lisbon , Luxembourg , Copenhagen , Stockholm with out fine out place not to go at night are day time ,

Galway is one of the safes palce i know ,

elefant

Most violence at night in Galway (certainly that I've seen) is on the streets, and particularly outside Supermac's Eyre Sq.) circa 2am. It seems to me the logical solution to this problem is to extend opening hours so that everyone will not be leaving nightclubs at exactly the same time. Hundreds of intoxicated people outside a chippers at the same time is inevitably going to lead to fracas.

Other than that small window after the clubs close I think the streets of Galway are pretty safe.

Delancey

Eyre Square is a disgrace late at night - puking , pissing and fighting is all I remember it for - real sh1thole . Apart from that I would consider Galway a fairly safe place.

Eman Resu

It was no less safer then it was before the documentry than it was after. And if you recorded it then you have to look at yourself in the mirror and go, did I have to hear the details?
And if you did then why?

Id consider it very safe, even outside supermacs in eyre square you wont find trouble unless you go looking for it, Id have no problem going into supermacs alone. That said I dont bother with the area much as I usually head to chargcoal. To be honest I cant remember the last time I saw a fight around galway on a night out even around supermacs anytime I was there in the last while there was no trouble.

While its not the best idea I have (drunkingly) walked alone back to friends houses plenty of times during college and since and never had any trouble.

In general if you stick to busy places shopstreet, quay/cross street and even around eyre square you wont find trouble (unless you go looking for it that is)

Wompa1

I got punched in that old Munchez place down by Cross Street. I was standing looking at the menu and some guy just launched at me. Also had two little f**kers try to start on me outside Supermacs before, they were just looking for a fight..tried to lure me down towards Debenhams, one took a swing and missed. A Garda came over and grabbed me, told me to leave the area or I would be arrested...

Other than those two incidents I've been grand in Galway. I'm fairly short so I'd say I'm an easy target for people who think they'll get an easy win for themselves.

Oh I also lived down Raleigh Row before and a few Fridays walking home from work some lads would try to start on me...

Neyite

Galway is safe if you dont take risks. The same precautions I take in Galway I would take in my small home town:

not getting so wasted I dont know where I am or risk being thrown out of a venue and therefore getting separated from friends, making sure we see each other home safe, letting people know where you are going, making sure I have phone credit and the price of a taxi, and not taking short cuts alone through badly lit areas.

What I have never been able to figure out is how Manuela found out about the short-cut. I have lived all over Galway for nearly a decade and didnt know about it until her murder happened. Who told her about the shortcut in the first place, someone must have in the 2 days she was here. If it was not the host family, who did?

Sponge Bob

Neyite wrote: »

Who told her about the shortcut in the first place, someone must have in the 2 days she was here. If it was not the host family, who did?

Silly question, how many people did she know in Renmore ???

Fuinseog

2K11 wrote: »

Just watching the story on RTE 1 about Manuela Riedo murder and got me thinking Is Galway City really as safe as some people make it out to be? I mean always hear of people getting bottled and fighting (Which of course happens everywhere) so is Galway Nightlife safer then most places in Ireland. Watching the documentary on RTE 1 would make you think twice about going out in the town....

she walked in place where it was dangerous for men and women. her host family should have warned her. maybe they did and maybe she did not heed the warning.

BTW whatever happened to the Supermacs fights? you do not hear much about them anymore

JimiWonderDoor 92

Neyite wrote: »

Who told her about the shortcut in the first place, someone must have in the 2 days she was here. If it was not the host family, who did?

AFAIK she and her friends had taken that route during the day, and as you say she was discouraged from doing so at night.

It probably does seem a bit dangerous to us now but whenever im walking home from the city centre (bit over a mile) at night I always see at least one or two women walking by themselves.

I think this is because people see Manuela as a tragic exception to an otherwise pretty safe city.

As stated above OP, maybe stay away from Shmacs at 2am, try stay in a group and dont talk to very drunk people.

This is pretty basic in any city though, and having lived in Dublin I can say Galway is very safe by comparison and very pleasant place to be day or night

Fuinseog

schween wrote: »

Anywhere around town can be dangerous at night, not just dark isolated areas, but bright crowded areas such as Eyre Sq. and Shop St. I discovered this the hard way!!

enlighten us

JimiWonderDoor 92

Fuinseog wrote: »

enlighten us

Its possible...

I'm just wondering where he got the mayo jersey in the first place :P

squonk

I moved to Galway from Dublin about 6 months ago. I was fairly used to Dublin and generally knew how to keep myself out of trouble and I'd still do the same here but I find you don't have to be on your guard quite as much. There's a better atmosphere and there aren't the same amount of knackers running around the place. I enjoy being out and about in Galway more. I wouldn't run Dublin down and I've never had trouble in 20 years there but Galway is far friendlier and I really enjoy my nights out here now.

That being said I don't go out of my way to take risks or do obviously stupid things. it's like anywhere, if you go where you really shouldn't then you've a higher chance of getting into a bad situation. Friends of mine have been mugged in generally OK areas of Dublin so i wouldn't hold it against Galway if I was a random victim of something liek that but overall I can only say good things about Galway. Definitely better than Dublin.

Fuinseog

squonk wrote: »

I moved to Galway from Dublin about 6 months ago. I was fairly used to Dublin and generally knew how to keep myself out of trouble and I'd still do the same here but I find you don't have to be on your guard quite as much. There's a better atmosphere and there aren't the same amount of knackers running around the place. I enjoy being out and about in Galway more. I wouldn't run Dublin down and I've never had trouble in 20 years there but Galway is far friendlier and I really enjoy my nights out here now.

That being said I don't go out of my way to take risks or do obviously stupid things. it's like anywhere, if you go where you really shouldn't then you've a higher chance of getting into a bad situation. Friends of mine have been mugged in generally OK areas of Dublin so i wouldn't hold it against Galway if I was a random victim of something liek that but overall I can only say good things about Galway. Definitely better than Dublin.

I reside in Dublin in what could be classed as a scumbag area, which is an eye opener at first but you get used to it and you do not necessarily have to be on your guard.
Galway is smaller but I have driven into area of the city and my first thought was that the local urchins would stone my car. they certainly stone the fire service. people have been mugged in Galway as well.

Redhairedguy

As long as you practice some mild form of vigilance at night and aren't a loud mouthed smart arse (like me for example), you'll find Galway is as safe as houses.

Even to the point where if you do get in trouble in public, some local will jump in and break it up if things get out of hand.

I heart Galway.