Ballydavid: Traditions, Stories and Trip Ideas

In Ballydavid, traditional stories range from a named residence dating back to 1837 to sayings from everyday life at home and on the farm. Nearby, in the Loughrea destination area, there are places to visit with play areas, water and medieval history. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus mainly on cultural traditions or on the places to visit in the surrounding area mentioned here.

Traditions from Home, Farm and Field

In 1837, Ballydavid was the residence of A. Gore Daly. Several short sayings have also been passed down from the area: When a sheep was shorn for the first time, people said, “That we may live to see it again”. Strangers entering a house were greeted with “God save all here”; when drinking milk, people said, “God bless the cow”. Together, these sayings show how the words passed down related to different situations—from welcoming visitors to activities associated with farming.

A single Halloween story tells of a woman who wanted to find out whom she would marry by preparing a meal and hiding an observer. It is interesting as a story that has been passed down, not as an indication of a present-day or regularly occurring event. For those interested in oral traditions, Ballydavid offers sayings and a story from different areas of everyday life, in addition to information about a former residence.

Traditional plant knowledge includes distinctions based on location and attributed effects: Praisaec was considered a spreading plant that damaged oat and wheat fields; Gloran grows in meadows and was associated with poisoning in turkeys. Black-heads were associated with poor land, Flagger with wet land, and clover with good soil. Garlic was used against jaundice and considered harmful to cows. These are historical beliefs and practices, not current medical advice.

Places to Visit Near Loughrea

In the Loughrea area, Turoe Pet Farm offers a mix of a traditional petting farm and extensive indoor and outdoor play areas. Visitors can see farm animals and enjoy adventure playgrounds, zip lines, go-karts and seasonal activities. The combination of animals and play options offers a different focus for a trip than Ballydavid’s historical traditions. As facilities may change and activities are seasonal, it is worth checking the current offerings before visiting.

At Long Point, near Loughrea, there is a freshwater beach with Blue Flag status. As the status may change from season to season, check before travelling whether the award is current. Loughrea is also home to the medieval Town Moat: a water-filled town moat dating from the mid-13th century, described as still functioning. The beach and moat each offer a different focus—water and an award on the one hand, and the history of a medieval town structure on the other.

Bus services are also relevant when planning travel around Loughrea: a Citylink shuttle bus runs between Galway and Loughrea, and there are also regular daily bus services in the surrounding area. Check the current timetable if you plan to include these services in your itinerary.

Other Walking Routes in the Wider Galway Destination

In the wider Galway destination, the trails at Coole Park offer a specific comparison of route lengths. The easy Family Trail is 1.75 km long and passes the site of the former house and the walled garden on the way to the Autograph Tree. At 4.5 km, the Seven Woods Trail is longer and passes a viewpoint overlooking Coole Lake as well as extensive wetlands. This lets you choose between a shorter route described as easy, with several points of interest, and a longer trail with views of the lake and wetlands.

When choosing a holiday apartment, it helps to first consider which places you are most interested in visiting: the traditions of Ballydavid, the places near Loughrea, or walking routes at other locations in the wider Galway destination. Check the location of your accommodation in relation to the places you actually plan to visit; the current timetable is a separate planning consideration for bus services around Loughrea.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Salthill, Inisheer, Clonbur, Loughrea, Caherlistrane, Headford, Ballyconneely, Indreabhán.

Back to the wider travel guide: Galway.