Spanish Arch
Encyclopedia
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
city, Ireland was originally an extension of the city wall from Martin's Tower to the bank of the Corrib, as a measure to protect the city's quays, which were located in the area once known as the Fish Market (now Spanish Parade). It was constructed during the mayoralty of Wylliam Martin
Wylliam Martin
Wylliam Martin, fl. 1504-1547, 34th Mayor of Galway.Martin was a member of one of The Tribes of Galway, and had first served as a town bailiff for the term 1504-1505. He enjoyed two terms as Mayor, 1519–1520, and 1525-1526...
in 1584, being called ceann an bhalla (the head of the wall).
In the 18th century the Eyre family of Eyrecourt
Eyrecourt
Eyrecourt, historically known as Donanaghta , is a village in County Galway, Ireland. Eyrecourt is on the R356 regional road 12 km west of the Banagher bridge over the River Shannon.-History:...
, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, created an extension of the quays called The Long Walk and created the arches to allow access from the town to the new quays. The Spanish Arch is located on the banks of the River Corrib
River Corrib
The River Corrib in the west of Ireland flows from Lough Corrib through Galway to Galway Bay. The river is among the shortest in Europe, with only a length of six kilometres from the lough to the Atlantic. It is popular with local whitewater kayakers and is the training ground of , as well as...
directly across from The Claddagh
Claddagh
Claddagh is an area close to the centre of Galway city, where the Corrib River meets Galway Bay. It was formerly a fishing village, just outside the old city walls. It is just across the river from the Spanish Arch, which was the location of regular fish markets where the locals supplied the city...
.
1755 in Ireland
-Events:*The Spanish Arch in Galway partially destroyed by a tsunami generated by the Lisbon earthquake-Births:*8 July - James Blackwood, 2nd Baron Dufferin and Claneboye, politician ....
, the arches were partially destroyed by the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
generated by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
.
Until 2006, part of the Arch housed the Galway City Museum
Galway City Museum
The Galway City Museum is a museum in Galway City, County Galway, Ireland. It was founded on 29 July 2006, and is located beside the Spanish Arch.The official website for the was launched on the 27th November 2008-References:**-External links:*...
. At that time, the museum was moved to a new, dedicated building located just behind the Arch.
The Long Walk is a promenade to one side of the Arches.