Rapid EV charging in Galway city: how to find Brite from every direction

Brite operates two rapid EV charging sites in Galway city: Galway Retail Park (H91 P5Y2, beside Currys Superstore) and Brite Ultra Sandy Road in Terryland (H91 X7PD, adjacent to Sheils Ford and Europcar). Between them they cover every direction of approach into the city.

Both sites:

• Run Siemens SICHARGE DC hardware, up to 300 kW per bay
• Accept any contactless card, plus 8 major roaming networks (Shell Recharge, Octopus Electroverse, DKV, Plugsurfing, BMW Charging, Porsche Charging, Hyundai, Charge Now)
• Are CCS connectors only on DC
• Open 24/7 with CCTV monitoring
• Cost €0.65/kWh weekday, €0.69 weekend, €0.55 night

Sandy Road also has 22 kW AC bays for slower top-ups — same uniform pricing as DC (€0.65 weekday, €0.69 weekend, €0.55 night), with 10 hours free on AC before overstay kicks in.

Coming in on the M6 from Dublin / Athlone

You'll exit the M6 onto the N6 ring road towards the city. Galway Retail Park is the first Brite charger you'll reach — it's just off the Headford Road, beside Currys Superstore. Well-signed and easy from the inside lane.

Coming in on the M18 from Limerick / Shannon

Coming off the M18 onto the N6/N67 western ring, the closer Brite site depends on where you're heading.

• Heading west to Salthill / Connemara: Take the route towards Sandy Road. Brite Ultra Sandy Road is on the right after Sheils Ford.
• Heading to Eyre Square / city centre / east Galway: Continue on the ring and exit at the Headford Road for Galway Retail Park.

Coming in from Tuam / Donegal on the N17

You'll come down the N17 onto the Headford Road. Galway Retail Park is on the right just before the city traffic — a perfect spot to top up before any inevitable Headford Road jam. Sandy Road is a few minutes further on if Galway Retail Park is busy.

Coming from Salthill, the Promenade or Knocknacarra

From Salthill you can cross the city via the Quincentenary Bridge and the N6 to Sandy Road. The bridge can be slow at school run times, but the bay itself is rarely busy outside weekend retail-park hours.

Coming from Oranmore, Athenry or the M6 east

If you're east of the city, Galway Retail Park is closer. Skip the city centre and approach via the Tuam Road / N6 ring road.

What to do while you charge

A DC top-up takes 15–30 minutes for most cars. Here's what's within walking distance of each site:

Brite Ultra Sandy Road · Terryland

• Sheils Ford / Europcar Galway — directly adjacent
• Maldron Hotel, Nox Hotel, Menlo Park Hotel — all within a short walk for coffee, food, or a longer stop
• Terryland Retail Park — Lidl, B&Q, coffee shops
• NUIG / University of Galway — a short drive

Galway Retail Park · Headford Road

• Currys, McDonald's, Lidl — all on-site or adjacent
• Various coffee chains within a few minutes' walk
• Tesco Headford Road — across the road, useful for a proper shop

Quieter and busier times

• Sandy Road, weekday evenings: Local commuter peak; rarely full but expect 1–2 bays in use.
• Galway Retail Park, Saturday late morning to mid afternoon: Retail rush; all 4 bays often in use, grid is shared. Sandy Road is faster on these afternoons.
• Both sites, late evening: Quiet. Night rate kicks in at midnight (€0.55/kWh).

Heading on to Connemara, Mayo or further west?

Top up to 80–90% before you go. Beyond Galway city, rapid DC charging gets sparse, especially in Connemara. Don't head deep into Connemara without a healthy buffer.

Charging without an app — just tap and go

You don't need to download anything to charge at Brite. Pull up, plug in, tap any contactless card or device on the reader on the main charger unit (the bigger box, not the dispenser). The session starts automatically, the screen shows kW, and you tap again to stop. Your bank will show a temporary €50 hold which clears once we bill the real amount.

If you do prefer apps, the Charge Assist app (iOS + Android) gives you session history and VAT receipts. But it's optional.