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arts · Wednesday 24 June 2026 · Various 
Earth Action Exhibition
At Galway City Museum · Spanish Parade, Galway City, Co. Galway
At Galway City Museum · Spanish Parade, Galway City, Co. Galway
The Earth Action exhibition at Galway City Museum is a free, five-day show that does something harder than most climate communication manages: it shifts the focus from the scale of the problem to the scale of what people are already doing about it. Created by Melanie Lynch, Director of OurStory, and featuring original work by Galway artists Róisín Coyle and Eugene McKeown, this is an exhibition about local stories, community-led initiatives and the concrete steps that connect Galway’s own efforts to wider global change. It runs as part of the Galway Climate Inspirations Festival (24-28 June 2026) - a five-day city-wide programme that draws sustainability leaders, musicians, workshops and talks together under one umbrella. Anyone curious about the climate conversation but allergic to doomscrolling will find this a more useful way to spend an hour.
The exhibition combines creative interpretation with interactive displays, drawing on real community narratives to show how environmental action takes shape at a local level. Róisín Coyle and Eugene McKeown’s work gives the material an artistic dimension rather than a lecture-hall feel - expect imagery and installation that asks visitors to sit with the subject rather than just read information panels.
The Galway Climate Inspirations Festival running alongside it is substantial: more than thirty events across five days, including climate art installations, sustainability workshops, a community fair, a melting potluck dinner, and keynote talks from figures including President Michael D. Higgins, Professor John Sweeney and architect Róisín Murphy. Live music from Sharon Shannon and Jiggy is also on the programme, so the city has real energy around it that week.
Galway City Museum itself is worth a full visit. Three floors of galleries house archaeology, sea science and local history, plus the original statue of Pádraic Ó Conaire and a traditional Galway Hooker sailing vessel. The Kitchen Café serves hot drinks and light food, with outdoor seating looking out towards the Spanish Arch and the River Corrib.
Galway is well connected by rail and road. Irish Rail runs regular services from Dublin Heuston (just under two hours), Cork and Limerick into Ceannt Station, which is a ten-minute walk from the museum via Eyre Square and Shop Street. Bus Éireann and GoBus both run frequent services from Dublin, Cork and other cities into Galway Bus Station, also near Eyre Square.
By car from Dublin, the M6 takes you most of the way; expect around two hours depending on traffic. Parking in the city centre is paid and can fill up quickly. The closest car parks to the museum are Westside Shopping Centre (a short walk) and the multi-storey on Flood Street. The museum itself is on Spanish Parade, just through the Spanish Arch from the quayside - easy to find once you reach the water.
The Spanish Arch area puts you right beside the Claddagh, the Long Walk and the River Corrib - all worth a wander. Shop Street and Quay Street are a short walk away if you want food, coffee or live trad music in the evening. There is more to see in Galway and across Co. Galway.
Heading to Galway City Museum in Galway? Galway has plenty more to see. Read the Galway area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.