Lynch's Castle
About
On the corner of Shop Street and Abbeygate Street, at 40 Shop Street, stands one of the best-preserved medieval townhouses in Ireland. It is a four-storey limestone building carrying carved windows, gargoyles and the Lynch coat of arms, the Lynches being one of Galway's 14 Tribes. These days it is an AIB bank branch, so the exterior is yours to admire any time, and the ground-floor information panels can be seen during banking hours. Stand across the street and look up, the detail is all in the stonework.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓One of the best-preserved medieval townhouses in Ireland
- ✓Four storeys of limestone with carved windows and gargoyles
- ✓Carries the Lynch arms, one of the 14 Tribes
- ✓Exterior viewable anytime, now an AIB branch
Tips
- →Look up from across the street to take in the carving and gargoyles.
- →Ground-floor info panels can be seen during banking hours.
Best Season
More Heritage Activities
Spanish Arch & the Long Walk
A 1584 remnant of the city wall beside the painted houses of the Long Walk, where the Corrib meets the bay.
Galway City Museum
A free museum beside the Spanish Arch covering the city's maritime and social history.
St Nicholas' Collegiate Church
Founded in 1320, the largest medieval parish church in Ireland still in continuous use.