Blake's Castle
Halfway down Quay Street, among the pubs and restaurants, a squat stone tower is the other survivor. Galway had a merchant family's fortified house on nearly every corner once; only Lynch's Castle on Shop Street and Blake's Castle here remain. Built around 1470 for the O'Hallorans, it took its name from the Blakes, who fortified it in 1641, and for 124 years it was the county gaol.
Checked against the source on 2026-09-19.
Gillfoto, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Blake's Castle, Lynch's Castle on the 3D model; tap a pin for its page and directions.
O'Hallorans, Blakes, Morgans
The Blakes called it their Southern Castle to tell it from the family's castle on William Street, the property of Sir Valentine Blake, first Baronet of Menlough. The Act for the Settlement of Ireland of 1652 took it from them and gave it to the Morgans, but the name stuck. From 1686 to 10 December 1810 it served as Galway County Gaol, until the new gaol on Nun's Island replaced it; the cathedral stands on that site now.
On Quay Street
The tower is on the walk from Shop Street down to the Spanish Arch, in the middle of the Latin Quarter. The model on this page pins it with Lynch's Castle and the Arch; the Tribes of Galway guide tells who the Blakes were.
Questions people ask
How old is Blake's Castle?
Was Blake's Castle a prison?
Written from Wikipedia, "Blake's Castle" (CC BY-SA 4.0), read on 2026-09-19, and from the OpenStreetMap places on the model. Nothing has been added from memory; follow the source for its footnotes.