The history of Galway is rich and varied dating back to a settlement on the banks of the Corrib named for the ancient Godess Galvia, however its epithet 'The City Of The Tribes" refers to a period in history when 14 leading merchant families (known as The Tribes) dominated city life.

The Claddagh, said to be the oldest fishing village in Ireland, was situated just outside the walls of the city of Galway overlooking Galway Bay. Over time as the walls came down and Galway grew into the modern yet charmingly picturesque city that it is today, this ancient village grew and merged with the rest of the town. Though even to this day just over the Wolfe Tone Bridge at the mouth of the Claddagh Quay there are a handful of houses proudly bearing the Claddagh insignia.