Galway or Killarney?

Galway at least has the sea on its doorstep. Salthill's promenade and small strands are a walk from the centre, and the Blackrock diving tower gives the city a year-round swimming habit, even if the water stays cold.

Killarney is inland, so the beach means a 40-minute drive to Inch or Rossbeigh. These are wide, wild sands better for walks, kites and a first surf lesson than for swimming. Neither town is a choice for a beach vacation.

Galway eats noticeably better. It has native oysters and chowder, a proper Saturday market by St Nicholas' and a small fine-dining scene, which gives it real depth for a town of its size.

Killarney relies on hearty pub cooking with Kerry lamb, beef and cheeses. It has no market culture, and many menus are built for coach parties, so keen eaters often drive to Kenmare or Dingle for dinner.

Both have modest heritage that you can cover in a day or two, but it is very different in kind. In Galway the history is in the streets: the Spanish Arch, Lynch's Castle and the old merchant town of the Tribes, best taken in on an afternoon's wander.

Killarney's sights sit out by the lakes rather than in town. Muckross House with its gardens, Ross Castle on Lough Leane and the ruined abbey combine history with a walk in the park.

Both towns go out to the pub, but Galway does it at a bigger scale. With two universities, its centre is full even midweek in term, and it has a mix of old snug bars, DJ pubs and a few late clubs, with race week and the arts festival as high points.

Killarney's pubs on High Street and Plunkett Street are cheerful and packed in summer, but there is less choice, and winter weeknights go quiet.

Both have superb country close by. The difference is distance. Killarney National Park begins at the edge of town, so lakes, Torc Waterfall, red deer and the Gap of Dunloe can be reached on foot or by bike, with Carrauntoohil and the Kerry Way just behind.

From Galway, the best scenery is about an hour away: the Twelve Bens and bogs of Connemara, the limestone of the Burren and the Aran Islands. Lough Corrib is the nearer escape, good for boats and fishing.

The outings are equally strong, but they look different. Galway's highlights are the ferry to the Aran Islands and Dún Aonghasa, Kylemore Abbey in Connemara and Clonmacnoise to the east, mostly single sites and villages.

Killarney offers the Ring of Kerry, Dingle and Kenmare, with Skellig Michael as the great prize when the sea allows. It also has a proper city within reach, as Cork is about an hour and a half away by train.

Both are equally safe and welcoming but have little built for children. Galway's version is the seaside: the aquarium, playgrounds and summer funfair at Salthill, plus buskers in the pedestrian centre.

Killarney's is the countryside: flat lakeside paths for bikes and buggies, jaunting cars, deer spotting and the animals at Muckross Traditional Farms, with hotel pools for the inevitable wet days.

Galway is easier without a car. Its walkable centre runs from Eyre Square to the Spanish Arch, city buses cover the suburbs, and trains run to Dublin and Limerick, though Connemara still calls for a coach or a hire car.

Killarney's town and nearby park are easy on foot or by bike, and the station is central. Beyond Muckross, though, local buses are sparse, and the Ring of Kerry and Dingle mean driving narrow roads behind tour coaches.

Galway is far better for browsing. The pedestrian streets from Eyre Square to Quay Street have independent bookshops, music and Irish design shops, Claddagh rings made where the design began, and crafts at the Saturday market.

Killarney is mostly knitwear, tweed and souvenirs. It is fine for an hour and an Aran sweater, but serious shoppers head to Cork.

Neither is cheap, but Killarney is easier on the budget. Its many family-run B&Bs and guesthouses keep rooms reasonable outside July and August, and the park costs nothing to explore.

Galway has fewer rooms for the number of visitors, so prices climb steeply at weekends and during festival and race weeks. The free pleasures of its streets and pubs only partly make up for that.

Galway is clearly ahead. Trad sessions fill Latin Quarter pubs year round, and it is a genuine theatre town with Druid, the Town Hall Theatre and An Taibhdhearc, along with the July arts festival.

Killarney's music is seasonal pub sessions and dinner shows with set dancing, some of them staged for visitors. For theatre you have to drive to Siamsa Tíre in Tralee.

Killarney is the better place to unwind. Its large lakeside and country hotels, many with full spas and mountain views, make a slow stay of walks and treatments easy, especially outside the summer.

Galway's way to reset is a cold dip at Blackrock or a windy walk along the prom. Its spas are mostly in hotels, and the centre gets loud at night, so for real quiet you need to stay out in Connemara.