Given its status as both a tourist hub and a vibrant arts community, it's unsurprising that Galway has fairly good shopping. Some of the best is in tiny malls of small shops clustered in historic buildings, such as the Cornstore on Middle Street, the Grainstore on Lower Abbeygate Street, and the Bridge Mills, a 430-year-old mill building beside the River Corrib. Eyre Square Centre, the downtown area's largest shopping mall, with 50 shops, incorporates a section of Galway's medieval town wall into its complex.
Most shops are open Monday to Saturday 9 or 10am to 5:30 or 6pm. In July and August, many shops stay open late, usually until 9pm on weekdays, and some also open on Sunday from noon to 5pm.