Newby Tourguide needs info for Galway City Tour

Danny1980

Hi there,

I am still quite a newbie to tourguiding and I am goin on a tour on August 2nd for 5 days. The first day I have to do a city tour with the (german) travel group. I have been to Galway twice but have not much of an idea where and what the sights are, apart from maybe the Claddagh and the Spanish Arch. I have to guide the group around the town (and it shouldn't be too quick n short, they wanna see something ans also get a bita info.)

Is there anybody local, who could tell me if there's any more interesting sights and a possible route that I could go where I could cover the sights along the way, as I gotta prepare for that day.

I only need info bout Galway City, the day after we'll do a Connemara tour and I'm fine on that one, as it's easier.

I'd be so grateful if someone had some ideas on what would be interesting to see. Cheers,

Thanks in advance,

Daniela

Sponge Bob

Read the lonely planet before you get off the bus. :cool:

Danny1980

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Read the lonely planet before you get off the bus. :cool:

What's that?

biko

City stuff
http://www.irishholidays.com/ggstart.htm

Danny1980

biko wrote: »

City stuff
http://www.irishholidays.com/ggstart.htm

Thanks so much, will check it out laters!

Mike...

The tourists are going to love having a tour guide who know's nothing about where he is showing them, What shining example of a company do you work for?

biko

Another
http://www.dochara.com/tour/itineraries/walking-tour-of-galway-city/

dr.bollocko

Mike... wrote: »

The tourists are going to love having a tour guide who know's nothing about where he is showing them, What shining example of a company do you work for?

Why'd you even bother posting that?
The guy is online looking up info on the job he's going to do ergo he wants to do a good job.

But no. Take an ould swipe at the lad because it's easier to be snide on the internet than actually help people out.

Clap clap.

Take a bow.

Danny1980

First I gotta say I am not a guy - don't get the wrong idea cuz of my nick *lol* and as stated I am a newbie to doin tourguiding, which doesn't mean once you agree on doin the job that all the knowledge will fall into place in your head. You have to lean and prepare before, even for Dublin I had to learn as I didn't know all the details for all the buildings when they were built and by whom. I am no Galway local, so how would I know all the info and history of places by heart?

It all starts by having to learn the facts and you've gotta start somewhere.

I wanna see you in a job you have never done before and with a little training as possible tryin to do a decent job and showing foreign tourists around. Then I'll be goin round posting useless unhelpful comments to you that you are crap! Let's see how that feels.
But yeh, as someone said, it is easier to pick on others, if your not in that situation yourself. You could have really saved the time typing, as already said.
I'm here to find info so I can start preparing. I am hardworking and very passionate about what I am doin and my boss knows and appreciates my efforts, she thinks I am doin a great job, thersiwe she wouldn't have allocated that tour to me, let alone all the upcoming tours she wants me to do in September, October and the whole season 2012. You just have no clue of the business, so stop wasting your breath.

Thanks to all the others who gave me links and info. Much appreciated! :-)

Janine87

http://www.discoverireland.ie/Places-To-Go/Galway

In relation to the arguments happening here. I am not surprised about it! There are always some idiots on this forum! A topic always ends up argueing to get the attention! Hate people like that! :rolleyes:

Ficheall

Mike has a reasonable point. His comment may not have been helpful, but I don't see why he should be lambasted for it. If I wanted someone to guide me around a city, I wouldn't want it to be someone who had gotten their information from an internet forum a week before.

A quick Google will return the provided links to touristy stuff in Galway.

A tour guide that hasn't heard of Lonely Planet, ****e and all as it might be?
Come on...

Posting
"Is there anybody local, who could tell me if there's any more interesting sights and a possible route that I could go where I could cover the sights along the way, as I gotta prepare for that day."
is hardly back-breaking work. If one is going to do one's research on an internet forum, one should be prepared for a little slagging.

Diabhal Beag

She's trying to prepare herself. Fair play to her for not wanting to look ill-prepared. She'll probably know more about Galway than me after 10 minutes.

Ficheall

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

She's trying to prepare herself.

She'll appreciate the introduction to Irish cynicism then.

inisboffin

I think the criticism was less about the OP herself who is obviously trying to better the situation, but more about a
business with less than stringent training for staff. Fair point. (and I *do* have a clue of the business for the record*)

thesandeman

Have to agree with the 'bad' people on this one.
Im all for throwing a newbie in at the deep end but I would always supervise discretly from a distance. Somebody in Dublin telling someone who has no idea about Galway to head off and tell a load of tourists all about Galway is akin to someone handing the keys of a pub to an accountant and saying 'congrats we have just decided you are Tom Cruise' and then let them ask somebody how to pull a pint.
It doesnt say lot about the company/employer to be honest. It would make me think again if I was planning on taking a tour in a strange place if thats how the companies operate.

Sponge Bob

Danny1980 wrote: »

It all starts by having to learn the facts and you've gotta start somewhere.

Did you google for lonely planet so ????

Fuinseog

thesandeman wrote: »

Have to agree with the 'bad' people on this one.
Im all for throwing a newbie in at the deep end but I would always supervise discretly from a distance. Somebody in Dublin telling someone who has no idea about Galway to head off and tell a load of tourists all about Galway is akin to someone handing the keys of a pub to an accountant and saying 'congrats we have just decided you are Tom Cruise' and then let them ask somebody how to pull a pint.
It doesnt say lot about the company/employer to be honest. It would make me think again if I was planning on taking a tour in a strange place if thats how the companies operate.

you know of the world. the guy is starting out.

OP pm me if you are still looking for answers.

Danny1980

thesandeman wrote: »

Have to agree with the 'bad' people on this one.
Im all for throwing a newbie in at the deep end but I would always supervise discretly from a distance. Somebody in Dublin telling someone who has no idea about Galway to head off and tell a load of tourists all about Galway is akin to someone handing the keys of a pub to an accountant and saying 'congrats we have just decided you are Tom Cruise' and then let them ask somebody how to pull a pint.
It doesnt say lot about the company/employer to be honest. It would make me think again if I was planning on taking a tour in a strange place if thats how the companies operate.

I got this job quite co-incidental via a person I know, I was jobseekin and that fella I know asked me if I'd do Tourguiding then If I enjoy history stuff so much, as he does the same and few days later his boss called me to give me a shot and they allocated a big Tour to me straight away for which I had to prepare. At first there was no training at all intended and I had ZERO info -apart from what places we were going to and then I had to learn all the dates and history (I know this is no good and my boss that organises them tours, she was like "Ah you will do fine, just prepare" (I reckon what she says is to be taken with a pinch of salt). Luckily I got some proper guides on my side for the city tours so I could learn a bit off them.) Still there as so much more to know and it is really hard as a new starter, not only bein thrown in the deep end, but bein thrown in the deep end with lead on your feet and now try to swim.
I didn't get into that job on a normal way with application and then training for however long, I went in the side door. Was even lookin into doin a course from Failte Ireland for the winter season, cuz this could really be my thing working with people and showing them around this beautiful country.
I wanna do the best job possible and that's why I'm info so I can prepare, so hopefully soon I'll be better and bette a nd become a really goof tourguide. The Dublin City tours work fine for me, I also needed few days traning and prep and after joinin a colleague 2 days and tryin to remember the info I started my own Dublin City tours and it works well now. As I've said U gotta start somewhere...
If I had lived in Galway I would probably not have much knowledge about where in Dublin Bram Stoker married or where U2 first started practising in Phoenix Park unless I got info online.
If I was Miss universal knowledge i'd probably do some other job

If I don't know the lonely planet (or I think I have heard about it)... I can't know everything...

Enough said, anough fought, I was here to simply get some info...

Mrs OBumble

thesandeman wrote: »

Somebody in Dublin telling someone who has no idea about Galway to head off and tell a load of tourists all about Galway is akin to someone handing the keys of a pub to an accountant and saying 'congrats we have just decided you are Tom Cruise' and then let them ask somebody how to pull a pint.

Rubbish.

If I owned a pub and hired someone with solid bar management experience to run it, I would let them get on with - even if they were new to the town so had to research the area, its local characters and hospitality industry unwritten rules in the area.

You don't seriously think that tour companies hire people with existing in-depth knowledge of every town they'll visit when they're doing a trip around Ireland - just imagine the cost/logistics!

OP, I've taken a lot of visitor from home around the inner city. This is my full list of places - it's far too long for any one tour, but select the bits you like:

• Eyre Square (Browne door, fountain, last gallows site)
• City wall fragments inside the shopping centre and in back gardens around
• Pro cathedral building
• Lynch's castle / memorial window
• King's Head
• Market (Sat)
• St Nicholas's church
• Nora Barnacle's house (closed in the off-season, but tell the story outside)
• Claddagh ring musuem
• Druid's lane – excavations (can’t go inside)
• Nun's Island – Poor Clares convent
• University
• The cathedral (former jail site)
• Salmon weir
• Town Hall theatre, courthouse, Franciscian church
• The canals and former mill buildings (Mill St)
• Dominic St - Lady Gregory's family townhouse, the Arts centre
• The Claddagh (focus on the basin and statues/memorials)
• Spanish Arch (the start of the Forthill story)
• Blake's Castle
• Docks (VOR party site)
• Forthill Cemetery
• St Augustine’s Well
• Forster St – Magdalene laundry site, statue

I have a MS Word file that has notes I've cribbbed from various places about these - PM me your email address if you'd like a copy.

inisboffin

OP you have a load of good leads here, if you at all can get a chance, I'd - 'walk the route' too.
I worked in this business in Colllege days and there is a *vast* difference in the standard of many companies. The one I worked for used locals with local knowlege, and they had to have some related guide experience, be it volunteering at an OPW site or
whhatever, also they had a training day in Dublin to standardise delivery. A lot of the 'pub' tours use actors, who were familiar with the area - this was specialised though Nd they'd perform bits of plays and poems in the pub.
New guides would *always* shadow at least one existing tour. At the very LEAST, a 'knowlege' sheet - a list of local attractions and possibly some hints of what to research more was given to the guide (kinda like an expanded version of what Just Mary gave you, with more details).
The Internet has made for lazy companies, and a *huge* gap in standards, so I stand by my feelings about the company. However at the end of the day, an engaging guide can save the day for the punters, so be prepared with facts, have a pint with some locals and see if you can get some local stories, and most of all, have fun! Then the punters will have a good time. Best of luck with it!

dubbie82

Yes you better do a good job preparing yourself here because at the moment guides with the geman groups get a very ****ty reputation right now because a lot of the people have no experience and worse no knowledge at all.
In fact many people got in the job by chance of knowing someone who knows someone. The geman market is very busy this year therefore the tour operators take you now matter how much knowledge and experience you bring to he job. For many people it's just a way of earning a few shilling in the summer mixed in with free travel to Irelands top destinations.
For people who have to make a living and tour guiding is a full time profession things can be very difficult. Trust me, I work in that profession for years.
Many of these "wanna -be -guides" have never actually lived here or have visited any of the sites themselves and the tourists are anything but happy about that. Imagine they know more than the person who is paid to be a guide.

Don't be under the illusion that guiding is a walk in the park. People can be very demanding and it's their right, they paid good money to have a professional guide with them. Yes we do have to start at some point, we all did but I can just become a accountant because I know how to use a calculator.

Anyway this is not an attack on the OP just a general rant and comment about the situation as it is right now.

Are you talking about a tour operator or guiding agency here OP?

kayos

JustMary wrote: »

• Eyre Square (Browne door, fountain, last gallows site)
• City wall fragments inside the shopping centre and in back gardens around
• Pro cathedral building
• Lynch's castle / memorial window
• King's Head
• Market (Sat)
• St Nicholas's church
• Nora Barnacle's house (closed in the off-season, but tell the story outside)
• Claddagh ring musuem
• Druid's lane – excavations (can’t go inside)
• Nun's Island – Poor Clares convent
• University
• The cathedral (former jail site)
• Salmon weir
• Town Hall theatre, courthouse, Franciscian church
• The canals and former mill buildings (Mill St)
• Dominic St - Lady Gregory's family townhouse, the Arts centre
• The Claddagh (focus on the basin and statues/memorials)
• Spanish Arch (the start of the Forthill story)
• Blake's Castle
• Docks (VOR party site)
• Forthill Cemetery
• St Augustine’s Well
• Forster St – Magdalene laundry site, statue

Good list. When I was in 4th class our teacher took us on a mini tour of galway historical sites.

Some things you might want to add to the above list or have the back stories of

St Nicks clock tower only has 3 faces and with a story behind it. Also in st nicks there is some bits about the connaught rangers. Also some back story to Columbus me thinks or has that been disproven.
The Customs building on flood st has a little dear on the wall marking a spring they hit when building it (if I remember right)
Humanity Dick one the the founders of the SPCA was from one of the tribes. I forget what building was related to him though.
The lynching window.

Bring them for a walk along the river from Newtownsmith (Salmon Weir Bridge) towards the Spanish arch if you can work it into your route.

Also be sure to look above your head while walking the streets as there are random bits of medieval buildings remaining.

Ficheall

Deleted User wrote: »

Also be sure to look above your head while walking the streets as there are random bits of medieval buildings remaining.

For the love of God, no! They might spot the pinkfeathers shop! :eek:

inisboffin

Ficheall wrote: »

For the love of God, no! They might spot the pinkfeathers shop! :eek:

Ha! I was just thinking it could be pointed out as a 'folk history' attraction.."this particular building has divided communities in modern Galway..." :P

Fuinseog

dubbie82 wrote: »

Yes you better do a good job preparing yourself here because at the moment guides with the geman groups get a very ****ty reputation right now because a lot of the people have no experience and worse no knowledge at all.
In fact many people got in the job by chance of knowing someone who knows someone. The geman market is very busy this year therefore the tour operators take you now matter how much knowledge and experience you bring to he job. For many people it's just a way of earning a few shilling in the summer mixed in with free travel to Irelands top destinations.
For people who have to make a living and tour guiding is a full time profession things can be very difficult. Trust me, I work in that profession for years.
Many of these "wanna -be -guides" have never actually lived here or have visited any of the sites themselves and the tourists are anything but happy about that. Imagine they know more than the person who is paid to be a guide.

Don't be under the illusion that guiding is a walk in the park. People can be very demanding and it's their right, they paid good money to have a professional guide with them. Yes we do have to start at some point, we all did but I can just become a accountant because I know how to use a calculator.

Anyway this is not an attack on the OP just a general rant and comment about the situation as it is right now.

Are you talking about a tour operator or guiding agency here OP?

The OP appears to have been given a job handed to them on a plate and now can only bitch about the amount of work involved. The guiding community is small and they are not doing themselves any favours.

Mrs OBumble

kayos wrote: »

Humanity Dick one the the founders of the SPCA was from one of the tribes. I forget what building was related to him though.

I had a feeling it was the box window in the lane beside Anto Ryans ... hmm, or was it Neauchtains pub ...

inisboffin

JustMary wrote: »

I had a feeling it was the box window in the lane beside Anto Ryans ... hmm, or was it Neauchtains pub ...

Neachtain's is the main building I'd associate with old Richard.

kayos

JustMary wrote: »

I had a feeling it was the box window in the lane beside Anto Ryans ... hmm, or was it Neauchtains pub ...

Ah yes the box window has some history, think it was a speaking point for someone was it Danial O Connell?. But Humanity Dick was associated with some pub me thinks.

Dont forget to find some of the old Marriage stones around town as well. Think there is one above a door near buskers.

The sheela na gig that used be above the shop of the same name seems to be gone though. Its a pity I wanted to show the wife it after explaining what it was. I had to laugh when doing a history tour in Stockholm I spotted one and had to explain it lol.

Galwayps

I have been involved in guiding and tours in & around Galway.
The book Discover Galway by Paul Walsh is the best starting point. The best mix of history and town layout

dollybird2

If you could get to Galway and take a tour - like an open top bus tour for e.g - before you bring your group here it may help.