GALWAY, IRELAND
Chicago’s Sister City Since 1997

Committee Co-Chair: William D. Gainer [ Bio ]
Committee Vice Chair: Billy Lawless

Since the Sister Cities signing in 1997, the Galway Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International has engaged in a variety of cultural and governmental exchanges.

Cultural programming highlights of the Sister Cities relationship include the annual “Oyster Festival of Racing” fundraiser that takes place every year in September at the Hawthorne Racetrack.

Delegations have traveled to and from Galway every year to strengthen the ties between the two cities. In 2006, The Galway Committee opened a photo exhibit“Images of Chicago – A Spectacle of Urban life at the Water’s Edge” at the Galway City Museum. In 2007, the Spirit of Galway delegation visited Chicago for the dedication of Grainne, a sculpture from Galway was placed at Heritage Park in August, 2007.

Mayor: Hildagarde Naughton
Country:   Ireland
Country Location:   The city is located on the west coast of Ireland.
Geography: Arable 10%, meadows and pastures 77%, rough grazing in use 11%, inland water 2%. 
History:  The Irish people are mainly of Celtic origin, with the country's only significant sized minority having descended from the Anglo-Normans. English is the common language, but Irish (Gaelic) is also an official language and is taught in schools. 
Industry:  Food processing, beverages, engineering, computer equipment, textiles and clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, construction.  
Flag Description: The green is representative of the Catholic community while the orange represents the Protestant or community. The white in the centre represents the peace between the two groups.
Did You Know? For more than 25 years, the annual Galway Arts Festival has seen literary, performing and visual artists from around the world descend on the city to celebrate contemporary culture with a strong focus on Irish and international theater.  

2011
August 22

The Galway Committee will host Galway City Mayor Councillor Hildegarde Naughton and a delegation.

August 3-8

The Galway Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International visited Galway to meet with the Mayor of Galway City and their counterparts in Galway to discuss their future plans. During the trip, they honored Chicago artist Matt Lamb. An Irish citizen, Matt Lamb has called the Emerald Isle his home for many years, and he will be holding two separate exhibitions of his work in the City of Galway.