3 Best Performing Arts Venues in Galway City, County Clare, Galway, and the Aran Islands

Ireland's theatrical hub outside the capital, the Druid has pioneered Galway's identity as a center for the arts. Playwright Martin McDonagh debuted here along with many other playwrights. The Druid showcases 20th-century Irish and European plays and is considered a pioneer in the development of Irish theater. Its players have toured extensively and performed at Lincoln Center in New York, and several London venues. The Druid regularly presents a production at Galway Arts Festival in late July.

An internationally renowned, roving Galway-based troupe of performance artists, Macnas has raised street theater in Ireland to new levels. While their participation in the July Arts Festival's parade is always much anticipated, it's their broody, giant-scale procession at the Galway Aboo Halloween parade that's the annual highlight.

Founders of the Gate Theatre in Dublin, partners Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir created the national Irish-language theater, An Taibhdhearc (pronounced "ontie-vark"), to produce first-class Irish works in both English and Irish languages. Watch out for pop-up performances.