NUI Galway Greenway Tour

A walk on the NUI Galway Greenway

1

15

14

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

13

11

9 12

10

11

al Bridge Quincentenni

8

10

7

5 6

oad

3

Cathedral Bike Workshop Quadrangle Áras na Mac Léinn Arts-Science (Concourse) Library Arts Millenium Building Sports Centre Engineering Building Áras Moyola Cairnes Building

Corrib Village

stle R wca Ne

15

Equality Emerging Lime Kiln O’Shaughnessy Bridge Japanese Cedar ‘Elegans’ Himalayan Birch Oak Sycamore Ash Scots Pine Greenway surface Terryland Castle Engineering Building Jordan’s Island Tea House folly Menlo Castle

4-9

4

3

Equality Emerging

3 2 2 1 1

This sculpture was created by John Behan and unveiled November 2001. The inscription on the plaque reads: "This statue is dedicated to people everywhere who are struggling for equality and to those suffering because of its absence.”

2

Lime Kiln Dating from the 19th century, this lime kiln was used to burn limestone down to a fine powdery substance for use in mortar and whitewash and as a fertiliser. This lime kiln was restored by the Galway Civic Trust in 2007.

3

O’Shaughnessy Bridge Opened in July 2012, the O’Shaughnessy pedestrian and cycle bridge links the NUI Galway campus to Fisheries Field. The 50 metre suspension bridge is named after Michael O’Shaughnessy (1864-1934), a civil engineering graduate who became Chief Engineer of the City of San Francisco.

4 Japanese Cedar ‘Elegans’ Cryptomeria japonica ‘Elegans’ Cryptomeria are large evergreen trees with attractive red-brown bark and dense foliage. Elegans is a bushy evergreen conifer with persistent juvenile foliage; leaves long and soft, turning purple in winter.

5

Himalayan Birch Betula utilis var. jacquemontii An average sized tree with a nice regular crown. In winter, the tree is eye-catching, with white flaking bark.

Oak Quercus robur

6

7

The oak has a large rounded crown,, dark grey-black fissured bark, opposite stalkless leaves with 4/5 lobes on each side and can reach up to 70m in height.

Its timber is strong and durable and it is regarded as a sacred in Celtic culture.

The building in the background is the Ryan Institute for Environmental, Marine and Energy research.

Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus The sycamore is Europe’s largest maple, growing to 35m. The sycamore is now the second most common hedgerow tree in Ireland, after ash. Leaves are dark green, opposite and five-lobed, the lowest lobes are not fully separated.

8

Ash Fraxinus excelsior Ash is a large, deciduous tree native to Ireland and is the most common hedgerow tree. The shoots are greenish-grey with jet-black buds, which distinguish it from other ash species. It is a tall dome shaped tree with widely spaced branches and greenish-grey bark which fissures with age.

9 Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris These trees were once extinct from Ireland and many have been reintroduced from Scotland.

Its seeds are a food source for red squirrels.

Scots Pine have very strong timber which can be used to make telegraph poles and for fencing. The resin is used for making turpentine.

10

Greenway surface The NUI Galway Greenway continues along the River Corrib to Dangan. With the help of funding from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the surface will be upgraded and will connect Galway City to Moycullen.

11

Terryland Castle This 17th Century fortified house was the property of the Earls of Clanricard, descendants of the De Burgos who came to Galway in the 13th century. It is located across the River Corrib, next to the Quincentennial Bridge. Recently, six human skeletons and a range of artefacts were found on the site as part of an archaeological dig.

12

Engineering Building The greenway passes alongside the new Engineering Building on the banks of the River Corrib. The Engineering Building is a four-storey architectural gem and its 400 rooms, accommodating some 1,100 students and 110 staff. The building was the Public Choice in the 2012 RIAI Irish Architecture Awards.

13

Jordan’s Island This River Corrib island located near the Engineering Building witnessed a high degree of pre-historic activity: Bann flakes, hammerstones, axeheads, scrapers and chert and flint debitage have all been found on or around the island. Also found were a Viking period 10th century sword in close proximity to a late medieval 15th century sword.

[References. More information... structure? religious use?]

14

Tea House folly This structure was built in the late 18th or early 19th century. It is depicted in two drawings made by James Hardiman c. 1821. The folly was based on an ancient Irish boat shaped oratory. It has been restored and conserved by Galway Civic Trust with the assistance of NUI Galway, FAS, and Galway City Council. The NUI Galway sports grounds at Dangan can be seen in the background.

15

Menlo Castle Menlo Castle was built in 1569, and was the main home of the Blake family, until it tragically burned down in 1910. On 26th July 1910 when Sir Valentine, the fourteenth baronet and Lady Blake were away in Dublin a fire broke out in the room of their invalid daughter Eleanor.

She died in the fire and no trace was ever found of her body. The sixteenth baronet Sir Ulick Blake inherited a ruin. He was found dead in his car some years later. [copied]

NUI Galway Greenway Tour This tour was compiled by...

Acknowledgement Photo credits For more information...