Medieval History
The remains of Red Earl's Hall, the oldest surviving structure in the Irish city of Galway, was officially opened yesterday as a visitor's attraction. The medieval hall, built in the late 12th or early 13th century, were uncovered and preserved as part of the recent extension of the City?s Custom House. The original plans for the Custom House extension were re-drawn by the Office of Public Works to allow the medieval hall to be put on permanent display to the public.
Speaking at the opening, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr John Gormley said that the preservation of the hall, the earliest surviving settlement structure in the City, would ?greatly enhance Galway?s rich educational and cultural infrastructure?.
He added that the successful integration of the archaeological find with the new building ?testifies to the reality that good planning and development can go hand in hand with the preservation of our built heritage?.
The new visitor attraction will be operated by Dúchas na Gaillimhe (the Galway Civic Trust). The Minister said that the Trust?s ?valuable work on many projects around the city is well known and much appreciated?. As a precursor to all the buildings around it, he said that the Red Earl?s Hall was ?a tangible link to the earliest days of the City that would stimulate the imagination of every visitor?.
The hall was built by Richard de Burgh, the Red Earl of Ulster and Lord of Connacht, who served as Justiciar and Regent of England in the early thirteenth century. The Red Earl inherited a castle in Galway and carried on the construction of the town walls around the settlement that had been started by his father. He died in 1326 in Athassel, County Tipperary.
The medieval hall was built in the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century, but by the end of the Middle Ages it had fallen out of use and it appears roofless on the 1651 Pictorial Map of Galway. In the eighteenth century, a courthouse was built on the site and a Custom House, the predecessor of the current building, was constructed in the nineteenth century.
The Custom House in Galway was being renovated in 1997 when the remains of the medieval hall were found underneath. The new office was designed so the ruins are preserved and visible to the public.
Click here to see an image of the remains from Flikr
Click here to go to our section on Medieval Ireland
Source: Ministry of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
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Medieval History
Medieval Hall opened in Ireland
The remains of Red Earl's Hall, the oldest surviving structure in the Irish city of Galway, was officially opened yesterday as a visitor's attraction. The medieval hall, built in the late 12th or early 13th century, were uncovered and preserved as part of the recent extension of the City?s Custom House. The original plans for the Custom House extension were re-drawn by the Office of Public Works to allow the medieval hall to be put on permanent display to the public.
Speaking at the opening, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr John Gormley said that the preservation of the hall, the earliest surviving settlement structure in the City, would ?greatly enhance Galway?s rich educational and cultural infrastructure?.
He added that the successful integration of the archaeological find with the new building ?testifies to the reality that good planning and development can go hand in hand with the preservation of our built heritage?.
The new visitor attraction will be operated by Dúchas na Gaillimhe (the Galway Civic Trust). The Minister said that the Trust?s ?valuable work on many projects around the city is well known and much appreciated?. As a precursor to all the buildings around it, he said that the Red Earl?s Hall was ?a tangible link to the earliest days of the City that would stimulate the imagination of every visitor?.
The hall was built by Richard de Burgh, the Red Earl of Ulster and Lord of Connacht, who served as Justiciar and Regent of England in the early thirteenth century. The Red Earl inherited a castle in Galway and carried on the construction of the town walls around the settlement that had been started by his father. He died in 1326 in Athassel, County Tipperary.
The medieval hall was built in the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century, but by the end of the Middle Ages it had fallen out of use and it appears roofless on the 1651 Pictorial Map of Galway. In the eighteenth century, a courthouse was built on the site and a Custom House, the predecessor of the current building, was constructed in the nineteenth century.
The Custom House in Galway was being renovated in 1997 when the remains of the medieval hall were found underneath. The new office was designed so the ruins are preserved and visible to the public.
Click here to see an image of the remains from Flikr
Click here to go to our section on Medieval Ireland
Source: Ministry of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
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An extensive tidal weir complex close to Barna and a late medieval quay on Mutton Island have become the latest in a series of recent archaeological finds in Galway Bay. The finds are ?transforming our knowledge? of a ?neglected aspect? of Connacht?s...
- Cologne Uncovers An Ancient Jewish Past
The remains of an ancient Jewish quarter - right in the centre of the German city of Cologne, and still being uncovered - are little short of an archaeological sensation. The excavations, which began in 2007, have already revealed remains of a synagogue,...
- Challenges Of Castle Ownership
The idea of welcoming dinner guests across a drawbridge may be romantic, but if your home is a European castle, the maintenance costs can be daunting. When Malcolm Goodbody heard that the 15th-century, 230-square-meter Dunsandle Castle in County Galway,...
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The Irish government announced last month that the Walled Towns Initiative will receive ?850,000 in funding this year. The news came as part of an announcment by John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government of over ?11.5m...
- Master's House In Ledbury Dates Back To The 15th Century
As part of the planning for the new library and customer services centre in Ledbury, a full survey has now been carried out on the historic Master?s House. The survey, carried out by Sawyer and Fisher Quantity Surveyors, has revealed the building dates...