Spanish Arch

Lonely Planet review

Framing the river east of Wolfe Tone Bridge, the 1584 Spanish Arch is thought to be an extension of Galway's medieval walls. The arch appears to have been designed as a passageway through which ships entered the city to unload goods such as wine and brandy from Spain.

During the drawn-out renovations of Eyre Sq, the arch and its lawns became the main open-air communal space. Its ongoing popularity sees locals gather on summer evenings for impromptu events such as screenings of films, which are projected onto the arch's façade.

Although a 1651 drawing of Galway clearly shows its extensive fortifications, the visits of Cromwell and William of Orange and subsequent centuries of neglect saw the walls almost completely disappear. Another surviving portion has been artfully incorporated into the modern shopping mall, Eyre Square Centre, complete with a tarot-card reader installed in the basement in a former turret.