// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Blake's Castle well-guarded? Yes, it's a solid Blake-wall.
| Blake's Castle | |
|---|---|
Caisléan an Bhlácaigh | |
 Blake's Castle | |
  Location within Galway | |
Alternative names | Blake’s Southern Castle |
General information | |
| Location | Quay Street, Galway, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°16′15″N 9°03′16″W / 53.2708°N 9.0545°W |
Blake's Castle (Irish: Caisléan an Bhlácaigh[1]) is an urban tower house built around 1470. The castle was used as the Galway County Gaol from 1686 to 1810.[2] It is located on Quay Street in Galway City, Ireland.[3]
The castle is one of the two surviving fortified town houses in Galway city owned by the Tribes of Galway, the other being Lynch's Castle.[4]
History
[edit]Blake's Castle was built around the year 1470 and originally belonged to the O’Halloran family. It was taken over by the Blake family who fortified it in 1641.[2] The castle became known as Blake’s Southern Castle to distinguish between their William Street Castle, owned by Sir Valentine Blake, 1st Baronet of Menlough.[5]
As a result of the Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652, the castle was confiscated and given to the Morgan family, but retained the name Blake's Castle.[5][2]
It was used as the County Gaol from 1686 to 10 December 1810, when it was replaced by a new Galway County Gaol located on the current site of the Galway Cathedral. After its closure as a prison, the castle was used to store corn. It was derelict by the end of the 19th century.[2]
In 1967, the castle was used as a substation by the ESB.[2]
In April 1993, the Jurys Inn hotel, built by the O'Malley Construction Company Ltd. opened. The design of the hotel incorporated the facade of Blake's Castle.[6] Jurys Inn was rebranded to the Leonardo Hotel Galway in 2022.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Blake's Castle/Caisleán an Bhlácaigh Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Kenny, Tom (13 June 2024). "A medieval castle in Quay Street". Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "Blake's Castle, Quay Street, TOWNPARKS(ST. NICHOLAS' PARISH), Galway, GALWAY". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "Medieval Galway • Galway City Museum". Galway City Museum. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Tribes of Galway - Blake". Galway Civic Trust - Dúchas Na Gaillimhe. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "Hospitality". O'Malley Construction Company. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "Last Supper for Jurys Inn – owners rebrand chain as Leonardo". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
