After a lovely night of traditional Irish music and great times at a pub called McGann's in Doolin, it was off again bright and early Wednesday morning for Galway. Of course, we were first treated to a hearty Irish breakfast by the owner of the Churchfield B & B, Mauve Fitzgerald. We've all come to the conclusion that there is no bad food here. We haven't had one bad meal!
The trip to Galway was about three hours. Our guide, John, discussed the history and demographics of the city. It's one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, and much of the population is under the age of 30. It also frequently sees tourists over the summer months and hosts a fair amount of festivals. Additionally, many of the medical technology companies reside (or are in close proximity) to Galway.
Aside from seeing this amazing mediaeval city, one if the highlights of our day was visiting the offices of Boston Scientific. Since the mid-nineties, they've had a significant presence in Galway. Our host, Siobhan, explained to us why Galway is such a good fit for Boston Scientific—primarily talent and skill sets of many if the locals. She also discussed some of the products that have been developed and manufactured in the Galway location. We were given a full tour of the facilities, which included research and development, viewing the clean rooms through windows where the products are assembled, and a demonstration of how the stents and catheters work once inside the heart. She concluded the tour by saying that she just might be seeing some of us very soon!
Tomorrow is another big day. We're headed back to Trinity College to meet with faculty members from the Biomedical Sciences Center.
