Spanish Arch, Galway (must see)

There are two arches together on the east bank of the Corrib River: the so-called Spanish Arch and the Caoc Arch. They are the remaining such structures of the old "Front Wall" of the city. They were originally a part of an extension of the city wall from Martin's Tower to the river. It was built in 1504.

The term "Spanish Arch" may refer to Galway's close trade relationship with Spain in the middle Ages. In the 1700s the Eyre family built an extension of the quays called the Long Walk. They created an arch to provide access from the town to the quays. The Arch was called the "Eyre Arch" at the time it was built, but "Spanish" is the name that stuck.

A Tsunami from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake heavily damaged the arches. The arches and the walk survived. In 2006 the Galway City Museum no longer was housed at the arches. The new, dedicated museum was located behind the arches. The Spanish Arch appears in the 1957 film "The Rising of the Moon."