THREE CASTLES CONSERVATION PROJECT, GALWAY CITY

In 2020, Galway City Council appointed a multidisciplinary design team to oversee a programme of essential conservation works to three monuments on the outskirts of the City: Doughiska (Merlin) Castle, Tirellan (Terryland) Castle and Menlough Castle.

This followed several years of allocating capital funds towards their conservation in order to implement the recommendations of conservation management plans prepared in 2015 and funded by the Heritage Council, and Galway City Council.

In 2021, when Covid-19 restrictions allowed, conservation works were carried out to all three monuments. The works to Tirellan Castle and Menlough Castle were also supported by a grant under the Community Monuments Fund 2021 and 2022, administered by the National Monuments Service.

Doughiska (Merlin) Castle

Melin Castle is a recorded National Monument located within Merlin Park Woods, one of the Galway ʻcity parksʼ. The building is an important example of the tower house form and contains almost every architectural and decorative feature associated with this building type. The archaeological site extends over a wider area, and incorporates the remains of other buildings and defences – the full extent of this has yet to be established. The building and its immediate setting have been subject to damage through vandalism, and some unsuccessful earlier interventions that were intended to provide some level of protection to the structure.

Some of the works undertaken are pictured.

Repair and consolidation works to entrance to spiral stairs

Menlo Castle

Menlo Castle, the historic seat of the Blake Family, is located on the east Bank of the River Corrib adjacent to Menlo Village. The very large structure is a well-known landmark and a beautiful ruin. The building was destroyed by an accidental fire in 1910, and has been a ruin ever since.

The castle site was divided by the land commissioners in 1923. Part of the estate, which includes the castle, was compulsorily purchased by Galway City Council, to take care of the monument. The building and site are a Recorded Archaeological Monument and a Protected Structure. There are now City Development Plan policies and a City Council decision to preserve the building as a ruin.

The castle, and historical elements of its immediate setting, have been neglected for more than a century. As a result, parts of the building are in a dangerous condition. The building is both an important, and possibly unique, example of both a Jacobean defended house and a Victorian Gothic Tower house mansion, and contains several unusual fewer house/architectural features. The castle is also a protected habitat for lesser horseshoe bats, barn owls and kestrels.

The first stage of works involved the trimming and removal of ivy, which revealed the original fabric of the building.

Works are well advanced at Menlough Castle – coming close to completion for the proposed works to the tower house section. The north gable was at immediate risk of collapse – stonework had to be rebuilt behind the wall to support it and the new lintels that will tie across, all to keep it in place.

Tirellan Castle

Tirellan Castle is an important 17th century castle and defensive bawn, located in Terryland Forest Park. The castle was originally built to defend an important river crossing point from Galway into Connemara, and is visible to the thousands of people who cross the Quincentennial Bridge nearby.

The castle is a Recorded Monument, in the ownership of Galway City Council.

The castle has been in ruins since the Williamite Wars (1691), when it was burned to prevent it being used as a base from which to attack Galway City.

The east wall of the building was in need of repair. The distintively profiled north gable wall and chimneys are architecutral features associated with this building type.

There is currently a steel palisade fence around part of the archaelogical site – but this is unlikely to be effective in the longer term, and interventions are needed to secure the building structure and to make adjustments to its setting.

Chequerboard patterns in the wall plaster were identified on the chimney stacks during the work, which have survived in this exposed location for over 400 years.

This is a very rare find, and it was decided to have the Discovery Programme scan the chimneys with lasers to create these images as a record, before they were repaired and given a protective coating. In this way the craftsmanship and beauty of the decorative plastering can be studied and appreciated.

Views of the Castle prior to conservation works The temporary steel and timber structure has now been removed.

A publication of the results of the works is being funded by the Heritage Council and Galway City Council.

For further details contact Dr. Jim Higgins Heritage / Conservation Officer and Ann Marie Cusack Executive Architect at Galway City Council, City Hall, College Road, Galway

The teripartite chimney prior to the conservation works