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Architectural Conservation | Galway City Council | Caomhnú Ailtireachta | Comhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe

26/05/2026

Shopfront Workshop / Wednesday 27th May

The €275,000 Galway City Shopfront Enhancment Scheme is now open for applications!

To help businesses with designing improvements and preparing their applications, we will be hosting a workshop at at 3pm on Wednesday the 27th of May.

The Shopfront Enhancement Scheme is an initiative aimed at revitalising the city’s streetscapes in three Architectural Conservation Areas (City Core, Lower Dominick Street, and Eyre Square), and the Salthill area.

The scheme encourages joint applications from adjoining businesses, and promotes the use of traditional buildings skills, and works to Protected Structures.

For more details on the scheme go to: www.galwaycity.ie/shopfront

The Latin Quarter Galway Galway's Westend The Village Salthill

Image 1 - Sean Rothery, The Shops of Ireland, Frank McDonagh & Co. Shopfront, Galway City, 1978.
Image 2 - GCC Architectural Conservation.
Image 3 - National Library of Ireland, Lawrence Collection, circa 1900.

21/05/2026

Geology and font geek out with this beautiful example of an embossed 'Cló Gaelach' road sign fixed to a geologically diverse and colourful rubblestone boundary wall. The pink hues are a distinctive geological feature in the west of the city, with bedrock granite formed over 400 million years ago!
..back to the 20th century! According to Dr Nicole Volmering, Trinity College Dublin, "Cló Gaelach means Irish type font and it was created to imitate the script in which people used to write Irish since the sixth century, you find it in manuscripts like the Book of Kells".

Cló Gaelach signs emerged from the 1900s and were phased out by the 1960s, in favour of Roman script (Cló Rómhánach) for offical documents and in the school curriculum. Signage typically featured the Cló Gaelach font for the Irish, and an elegant sans serif font for the English, creating a composition that was both historic and modern.

Representing the first appearance of the Irish language on street signage, in Dublin its emergence in the 1910s was an act of protest against British rule.

If you know of others across Galway City do let us know!

This Is Galway Galway City Museum Ireland The Village Salthill

13/05/2026

The €275,000 Galway City Shopfront Enhancement Scheme for 2026 is now open for applications!

The Shopfront Enhancement Scheme is an initiative aimed at revitalising the city’s streetscapes in three Architectural Conservation Areas (City Core, Lower Dominick Street, and Eyre Square), and the Salthill area.

The scheme encourages joint applications from adjoining businesses, and promotes the use of traditional buildings skills, and works to Protected Structures.

Financial assistance is available to independent retail and hospitality businesses.

The deadline for applications is the 30 June 2026.

For more details including supporting shopfront design guidance and the application portal go to www.galwaycity.ie/shopfront

Galway's Westend The Latin Quarter Galway Galway Chamber

30/04/2026

Galway City Council is delighted to welcome an award of €170,000 for major roof works to No.45 and No.47 Dominick Street Lower, home to Áras na nGael and Galway Arts Centre, under the Historic Structures Fund 2026.

No.45 and No.47 are a rare, and handsome example of ‘Galway Georgian’, an architecture which is characterised by a robust form, refined detailing, simple composition, a dignified presence to the street, and constructed in limestone, a material synonymous with the built heritage of the city since the medieval period.

Following completion of Conservation Management Plans (CMP) for both buildings in 2025-2026, the need for a shared approach to the roof was identified. The proposed works represent an important action identified in the Conservation Management Plans.

No.45 and 47 have a long standing historic relationship to the city, from their association to the Persse family and Lady Gregory, as a technical school, the offices of the then Galway City Borough Council, to their current use as the home of Áras na Gael (No.45) since 1938, and Galway Arts Centre (No.47) since 1988.

With a combined presence of over 125 years, Áras na Gael and Galway Arts Centre have in their respective ways worked to promote and enhance the value, understanding and enjoyment of the arts, culture, and language in the city.

The Historic Structures Fund from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage / National Built Heritage Service, is a national fund to support large scale conservation works to significant built heritage assets in order to support their use, resilience to Climate Change, and the protection of their cultural value.

Áras na nGael Galway Arts Centre Galway City Arts Office Galway's Westend

17/04/2026

A sneak peak of the Wonder Wander Trails for the Galway City Core and Eyre Square which we are launching on Monday!

We will have a launch event in St.Nicholas' Collegiate Church at 10:30am, so feel free to pop in 🙂... we'll also be on Eyre Square at 2:00pm for pop up activities and tours.

The free trails maps will be available to download or you can pick one up in multiple locations across the city.

The Wonder Wander Trails are an initiative of the National Built Heritage Service in association with Galway City / Architectural Conservation aimed at raising awareness of the fabulous built heritage in Galway City's Architectural Conservation Areas.

Map design team: Studio Myco and James Grieves Architects

11/04/2026

We were delighted to host Architectural Conservation Officers from across Ireland in Galway City yesterday.

With over 20 local authorities represented, It was great to catch up and discuss the critical issues and opportunities affecting built heritage across the country.

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The Association of Architectural Conservation Officers (AACO) represents professionals within local authorities working to protect, promote, and manage built heritage in Ireland.

National Built Heritage Service
The Heritage Council
National Monuments Service - Archaeology
Christopher O'Sullivan TD Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

06/04/2026

Hats off to the West End Traders Association / Galway's Westend for taking the initiative to transform the old tripod weighing scales at the Small Crane as a unique public space.

Supported by a Cairde grant from Galway City Council, the baskets which had been in storage have been reinstated as seats, the cobbled surface has been reset, and pollinator planting frames the space beautifully.

Project coordinated by Lisa Regan 👏👏

29/03/2026

The Conservation Advice Grant Scheme for 2026 is now open for applications.

Operated by the National Built Heritage Service, the expanded scheme now includes owners living in the building and is not limited to vacant homes.

The scheme will cover up to 67% of the costs (subject to a maximum grant of €5,000) of having a conservation expert with appropriate expertise visit a traditional building, conduct a survey, and compile tailored advice on conservation, energy upgrades and fire safety.

CAS funding helps owners to avoid damage to their properties, benefit from the services of appropriately skilled tradespeople and ensure value for money in the completion of their projects

To learn more, including details about eligibility and how to apply, go to: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/services/conservation-advice-grant-scheme-for-traditional-houses/

22/03/2026

Galway is known more for its medieval and early modern buildings, but it also has a rich tradition of Georgian buildings and interiors.

These buildings were early examples of suburban development as the city renewed areas beyond its medieval footprint, like Dominick Street's Galway Arts Centre and Áras na Gael, where these beautiful stuccowork ceiling medallions are located.

Built for the City's wealthier inhabitants who in part prospered from the City's industrial growth in the 19th century.

Featuring sun bursts, acanthus leaves, pomegranates, and tullips, these features were the height of Georgian refinement, and wouldn't look out of place in Dublin's Merrion Square.

Galway's Westend Visit Galway Galway City Arts Office

17/03/2026

Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh ó Caomhnú Ailtireachta | Comhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe!

Technically, the Lynch coat of arms features three trefoils, but for today we'll call them shamrocks 🙂

This marriage stone between the Blake (left) and Lynch (right) families from 1554 is located in a laneway just off Abbeygate St. Upper.

Galway City Museum Ireland Visit Galway National Built Heritage Service

13/03/2026

Galway City Building of the Month for March is the former fever hospital, Earl's Island (RPS.3601).

Built circa 1822, the fever hospital was a critical piece of public health infrastructure that operated throughout the 19th century.

This period was a difficult time for Galway's poor who were suffering from the impact of recurring famine, which exacerbated cases of disease such as typhus, typhoid, and cholera.

The building's component parts are fairly standard but its unusual plan formed of roughly two square wings at 45 degrees gives the impression of an embrace to those that enter the building.

The plan layout for 40 beds would have been highly functional, and whilst we do not know a huge amount about the building layout we can make a few assumptions based on typical healthcare design from that time.

The connecting link between the two wings created a point of control which allowed patients to be triaged; isolation and separation was key in containment and treatment, with potentially each wing divided between those that were infected and the convalescing (as at the Cork St. Fever Hospital in Dublin).

The small plan footprint allowed for good natural ventilation, with the windows placed high (touching the eaves) allowing for maximum use of wall space for beds. Anecdotally, it is said that the internal wall corners were curved to ensure effective cleaning and disinfection.

Fittingly, the building today maintains its humanitarian origins as the home of the University of Galway's Irish Centre for Human Rights.

The building's rich social history, contribution to Galway's society, and as an example of emerging healthcare design underlines its inclusion in Galway City's Record of Protected Structures.

For further reading, we recommend Tom Kenny's fascinating Galway Advertiser article 'A band of doctors saved Galway from typhus wipe-out', available online.

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1872 Ordnance Survey Map / UCD Digital Archive

National Built Heritage Service National Inventory of Architectural Heritage Visit Galway The Galway Advertiser Galway City Museum Ireland Irish Centre for Human Rights University of Galway

Address

Galway City Council, City Hall, College Road
Galway
H91X4K8

Website

https://www.galwaycity.ie/heritage-conservation

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