Think of Galway, and certain images might come to mind. Bustling pubs. Freshly poured pints. And, of course, music – everywhere live, lovely, lilting music.

All of that is an important part of Galway, a city of about 80,000 residents on Ireland’s west coast. It’s also what most tourists notice first. But when it comes to what gives Galway its spirit, there’s more than meets the eye… and it’s about much more than fiddles and Guinness.

“People talk about the energy of Galway, and it’s tangible,” said Aoibheann McNamara, owner of Galway’s Ard Bia At Nimmos restaurant. “A lot of people stop in the restaurant and would have done the whole Wild Atlantic Way. They would have been really touched in Sligo and Donegal and obviously in Kerry and Cork – but there’s an energy to Galway that’s absolutely palpable.”

From the open-air market to the seaside promenade, restaurants to festivals, everywhere you go in Galway seems to share a certain buzz. But the energy you feel is anything but frantic or frenetic. It’s fun but light-hearted; lively but laid-back. Among the Irish, this kind of easy-going merriment has its very own word: the craic.