Golden light on lake, mountains, building, Galway

Galway aglow

More than half the communities collectively called the Gaeltacht—pockets of Ireland where Irish is spoken daily—are found here in County Galway. This region, Connemara, is especially noted for preserving its Irish language and culture, not to mention natural beauty (seen here in abundance as sunrise-bathed Bencorr reflects upon Lough Inagh). Though the Gaeltacht is sadly shrinking, the resilient Irish tongue isn't out of luck yet: Census data suggest most teens throughout the Emerald Isle are proficient speakers.