Fortification in Townparks (galway By., St. Nicholas Par.)

Although the town of Galway owes its origin to the establishment of an Anglo-Norman castle in the early 13th century, the choice of site had already been made by the native Irish who, as early as 1124, are recorded as building a 'dún' or fortification at the mouth of the river Galway (now known as the River Corrib). This dún is variously named in the annals as ‘Bun Gaillme’ (1121), ‘[Caistel] Gaillme (1124), ‘[Caislen] Bona Gaillme’ (1128), ‘[Caislén] bona Gaillme’ (1132), ‘Dún nGaillme (1149, 1161), ‘[Caisdel] Gaillmi’ (1170), ‘[Caislen] Bona Gaillme’ (1177), and ‘[Caislen] Bona Gaillmhe’ (1230) which may be translated as the castle or fortification at the mouth of the river Galway (Prunty and Walsh 2016, 10). This dún was to figure in the fluctuating wars of Connacht and Munster and was demolished in 1132 and in 1149. Although again rebuilt it was burned in 1161. It seems to have been re-erected soon after for when the river suddenly went dry in 1178 the inhabitants of the dún collected many old articles from the river bed (Walsh 1996, 52). It is not mentioned again in the annals until 1230, when Richard de Burgo came to ‘Caisleán Bhun na Gaillimhe’ and fought with the O'Flaherties there. This event is recounted in the annals of Lough Cé and Connacht and both entries specifically refer to the Connacht men as being on the west side and the Anglo-Normans on the east side of the river. After a number of engagements and achieving no satisfaction de Burgo withdrew. Roderic O'Flaherty gives the following account of these events: 'Richard de Burgo . . . besieged Odo O'Flaherty, Lord of West Connaught, in the castle of Galway, on the east side of the river; and he being relieved on the west side by Odo, King of Connaught . . . the besiegers quitted the siege;' (O’Flaherty 1684, 32). This is the only reference which specifically indicates that the dún stood on the east side of the river. None of the other annalistic entries give any indication of the location of the Irish fortification. De Burgo had better success when he returned in 1232, for the annals record that he then erected a castle there (see GA094-100069-). It seems likely this was built on the site of the existing fortification as suggested by the excavator who uncovered what appears to be the part of the 13th-century de Burgo castle at Quay Lane in 2017 (Irish Times, 16 January 2018). The ITM coordinates provided for this record should only be considered as indicative of the general location of the 12th-century dún: to date, no definitive evidence has been found for this fortification. Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 6 February 2018