Formerly a traffic nightmare, the village (at the north-east corner of Galway Bay) has recently been by-passed and has become a great deal more pleasant as a result. It consists of one street with some restaurants and several pubs. The small statue at the junction of the Dublin Road is of Liam Mellowes, a local patriot, and there are a number of field monuments in the immediate locality.

Its local festival (the Shawl Festival) takes place in July; the name derives from a local sentimental ballad, The Galway Shawl, which mentions Oranmore in its first line. 

There is a highly-rated golf course (designed by Christy O'Connor Jnr.) nearby, and the local castle was restored from a ruinous state by the well-known writer Anita Leslie.