IF YOU'VE ever spent time in Galway, you'll know it's a place brimming with creativity, culture and, of course, a love of 'the craic'.
Known for cobbled streets packed with talented buskers and relaxed, friendly people (One of the friendliest in the world, in fact), no two days in Galway are the same-- and sometimes, they are as bizarre as they are beautiful.
A new video uploaded to social media this week is a prime example of just how weird and wonderful Galway can be, showing crowds relaxing in Eyre Square and listening to one of the city's best-known buskers, Jody Mullarkey.
Jody, who is renowned for his rambunctious and exuberant performances, is belting out a rendition of Sweet Caroline as crowds cheer and sing along, when he is suddenly joined by another... performer.
A person dressed from head-to-toe in a black gimp suit suddenly saunters up from behind the busker, to shrieks of laughter from the crowd, and does a small dance of their own before dropping money on the ground for Jody and disappearing.
Moments later, the video shows one passer-by really getting into the swing of things as she stands up and dances her heart out-- with several more people in the background taking her lead.
The busker is then seen removing his shirt and performing some topless air guitar as an elderly man in a paddy cap joins in the dancing, and the gathered crowds applaud like it's something you'd see every day-- which, in Galway, it could be.
The clip was uploaded to video sharing site TikTok by user jamesroche35 where it picked up more than 66,000 'likes'.
@jamesroche35##fyp ##foryoupage ##galway ##ireland ##dancing ##viral ##busking♬ original sound - James Roche
It was subsequently shared to Reddit by user u/morba77, where many commented that the scenes were 'peak Galway'.
"This is the main stage of the Galway Arts Festival," user Migeucan87 wrote. "Money is a bit tight after COVID."
"Galway 2020 European City of Culture main attraction," u/And1od added, referencing the huge tourism event which Galway hosted at the worst possible time.
Many agreed that the scenes were great to see, particularly after the last 15 months of "misery" the country had gone through.
Galway, never change.
