Groups in Galway is an annual conference series with a long history.
In 1977, at the first meeting of the Irish Mathematical Society in Dublin, Professor Martin L. Newell proposed the organization of instructional conferences in various mathematical topics. Departments in Cork and Galway agreed to arrange conferences in the History of Mathematics and Group Theory, respectively. The inaugural Group Theory conference was organized in May 1978 at University College Galway by Martin Newell. The conference included lectures on various aspects of Group Theory, such as permutation groups, finite simple groups, and representations of \(\mathrm{GL}(n,q)\).
The Galway conference was highly successful, attracting over 25 participants, including international attendees. Its success led to plans to make it an annual event, with the intention of reviewing main areas of theory without overly technical details. The series, referred to as 'Groups in Galway' or 'GiG', was launched and became well-established. Colin M. Campbell, a participant from the University of St Andrews, noted the conference's success and friendly atmosphere. It continued to attract international participants and maintained a balance between serious academic talks and a congenial environment.
More historical details can be found at the History of Groups in Galway page.