McDonagh’s Seafood House

Seafood Restaurant on Quay Street 🦞 🐟

Mc Donaghs Seafood House have been tantalising the taste buds of both Visitor and Locals for over four generations. The Family knowledge of Fish and dedication to their customers has earned them the reputation of being one of Ireland’s best Seafood’s Houses. Nationally renowned as one of the best of its kind, it is today a thriving multi-faceted business: Both an informal restaurant and take-away and boulevard seafood café in summer.

Décor is decidedly nautical with stone floors, plain wooden tables and murals of traditional red-sailed Galway hookers and fishermen at work. You can sit down to wild mussels cooked in lemongrass and coconut milk, eat seared scallops with black pudding or grab a bag of freshly cut chips and lightly battered plaice and feast on the grass outside Spanish Arch.

Fish and Chips Menu 🍽

Opening hours ⏰

Mon – Sat: 12.00 – 10.00
Sunday: 1.00 – 9.00

Contact

Phone: 091 565001
Email: [email protected]

The Food

At McDonagh’s, food is prepared with passion, tradition, and quality. Our fish and chips have been a favourite for over four generations, using only the freshest ingredients. We chip Maris Piper potatoes daily on-site and use thick-cut chips for lower oil absorption, making them a healthier choice. Our fish is sourced sustainably from Irish waters, the UK, and even Iceland, flown in weekly and prepared fresh each day. We use clean, frequently changed oil, which is recycled into biofuel. Rich in essential vitamins and minerals, our dishes are both nutritious and delicious. We also serve only 100% fresh Irish chicken.

History of McDonaghs

For over a century, McDonagh’s Fish and Chip Restaurant has been a cornerstone of Galway’s culinary scene, delighting generations of locals and visitors with the freshest seafood and warm, family-run charm. Established in 1902, McDonagh’s brings more than 115 years of expertise to the table and is now firmly regarded as one of Ireland’s finest seafood establishments.

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The story begins with Colman McDonagh—known locally as Cogar—who moved from Carraroe to Galway’s Quay Street in 1902. There, in the heart of the city’s Latin Quarter, he laid the foundations for what would become a beloved Galway institution. Cogar raised his six children above the shop, and among them, his son Coley developed a particular passion for the family business.

Coley and his wife Margaret would go on to take the reins, continuing the McDonagh legacy while raising their own family on Quay Street. Their son PJ later stepped into the role of proprietor, and today, he runs the restaurant with his wife Mary and their four sons—marking the fourth generation of McDonaghs dedicated to serving quality seafood in the heart of Galway.

From humble beginnings, McDonagh’s has grown into a world-renowned destination, drawing visitors from around the globe eager to sample its famed fish and chips. As The Irish Times wrote in 2006, the cod ‘n chips at McDonagh’s are “uniquely and globally appreciated”—a testament to the generations of care that have gone into every dish.

Today, the establishment is split into two parts: the Fish & Chips Bar, where fish is cooked fresh to order and can be enjoyed inside, taken away, or savoured at outdoor seating in the summer months; and the Seafood Restaurant, which features a wide array of dishes showcasing Ireland’s rich marine bounty. Offerings range from native Clarenbridge oysters and fresh salmon to mussels, scallops, and hake—each prepared with the same dedication to quality that has defined McDonagh’s for over a century.