Exploring the Twin Castles at Menlo
Menlo castle sits in one of Galway’s most scenic locations upon the banks of the river Corrib, some four miles upriver from Galway city centre. It was constructed as a defensive and well-fortified alien English outpost in a Gaelic world, gradually morphing over time to become a comfortable home worthy of its wealthy aristocratic owners. These were one of the merchant Tribes of Galway, the baronets Blake, ennobled for their services to the state. The castle grew, was extended, developed and was modernised over a period of some three and a half centuries, until a tragic accidental fire brought an end to the iconic building and the way of life it had supported. This illustrated talk will cover some details of the family involved, from their arrival in Ireland until their ultimate departure whence they came.
Patrick Larkin is a Galway native and a chartered chemist who graduated from University College Galway with a B.Sc. degree in chemistry. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland and of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He has completed post-graduate diplomas in Applied Finance, Systems Analysis, Quality Management and Archaeology. He was formerly President of the GAHS. He is an independent scholar with a particular interest in 13th century East Galway history. Some of his publications include The Abbey of the Cormicans in East Galway (JGAHS), The Castles on Galway Bay (Irish Federation of Historical Societies), and A Calendar of Papel Registers relating to Clonfert Diocese (self-published book).
Date: Monday 13 January 2025
Time: 20:00/8pm
Venue: Harbour Hotel, Galway