County Galway in the context of "Ballyforan"

Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of natural dimension or building stone varieties, including:

• basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand
• dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge)
• feldspathic sandstone in the US and Canada
• limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the US, from the Hainaut quarries in Soignies, Belgium, and from quarries in County Carlow, County Galway and County Kilkenny in Ireland
• slate in South Australia

It is unrelated to human-made blue brick.

Lough Derg, historically Lough Dergart (Irish: Loch Deirgeirt), is a freshwater lake in the Shannon River Basin, Ireland. It is the third-biggest on the island of Ireland (after Lough Neagh and Lough Corrib) and the second largest lake in the Republic of Ireland.

It is a long, narrow lake, with shores in counties Clare (south-west), Galway (north-west), and Tipperary (to the east). It is the southernmost of three large lakes on the River Shannon; the others being Lough Ree and Lough Allen. Towns and villages on Lough Derg include Portumna, Killaloe & Ballina, Dromineer, Terryglass, Mountshannon and Garrykennedy.

Baron Killanin, of Galway in County Galway, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

Lough Mask (Irish: Loch Measca) is a limestone lake of about 83 km (32 sq mi) in Counties Mayo and Galway, Ireland, north of Lough Corrib. Lough Mask is the middle of the three lakes, which empty into the Corrib River, through Galway, into Galway Bay. Lough Carra flows into Lough Mask, which discharges through the Cong Canal and underground passages in the limestone bedrock of the district. The flows from the underground passages and the Cong Canal come together at the village of Cong to form the River Cong which flows into Lough Corrib.

Lough Mask is the fourth largest lake, by area, in Ireland and the sixth largest lake in the island of Ireland. The eastern half of Lough Mask is shallow and contains many islands. The other half (Upper Lough Mask) is much deeper, sinking to a long trench with depths in excess of 50 metres.Lough Mask has a mean depth of 15 m (49 ft), and a maximum depth of 58 m (190 ft). Its water volume of 1.3 km (1.1 million acre⋅ft) is the largest in the Republic of Ireland and the second largest on the island of Ireland (after Lough Neagh).

Mountbellew or Mountbellew Bridge (historically Creggaun, from Irish: an Creagán, meaning 'the rocky place') is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies mostly within the townland of Treanrevagh (Trian Riabhach) on the N63 national primary road. As of the 2022 census, it had a population of 774.

Ballinasloe (/ˌbælnəˈsloʊ/ bal-na-SLOH; Irish: Béal Átha na Sluaighe, meaning 'mouth of the ford of the crowds') is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway, Ireland, situated on the River Suck, which forms the boundary with County Roscommon. Located at an ancient crossing point on the river, evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of Bronze Age sites. Built around a 12th-century castle, which defended the fording point, the modern town of Ballinasloe was "founded" in the early 13th century. As of the 2022 census, it was one of the largest towns in County Galway, with a population of 6,597 people.

Galway (/ˈɡɔːlweɪ/ GAWL-way; Irish: Gaillimh, pronounced [ˈɡal̠ʲɪvʲ] ) is a city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the fifth most populous city on the island of Ireland and the fourth most populous in the Republic of Ireland, with a population at the 2022 census of 85,910.

Located near an earlier settlement, Galway grew around a fortification built by the King of Connacht, Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair in 1124. A municipal charter in 1484 allowed citizens of the by then walled city to form a council and mayoralty. Controlled largely by a group of merchant families, the Tribes of Galway, the city grew into a trading port. Following a period of decline, as of the 21st century, Galway is a tourist destination known for festivals and events including the Galway International Arts Festival.

Tuam (/ˈtjuːəm/; Irish: Tuaim [ˈt̪ˠuəmʲ], meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about 35 km (22 mi) north of Galway city. The town is in a civil parish of the same name.

Humans have lived in the area since the Bronze Age while the historic period dates from the sixth century. The town became increasingly important in the 11th and 12th centuries in political and religious aspects of Ireland. The market-based layout of the town and square indicates the importance of commerce.