Athenry (Irish: Baile Átha an Rí, meaning ‘Town of the Ford of the King’) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th century Anglo-Norman street-plan. The town is also well known by virtue of the song “The Fields of Athenry“.
Athenry’s name derives from the ford (‘Áth’) crossing the river Clarin just east of the settlement. Though other inaccurate explanations are still given, it was called ‘Áth na Ríogh’ (‘Ford of the Kings’) because it was the home area of the Cenél nDéigill, kings of the Soghain, whose leading lineage were the Ó Mainnín. On some medieval maps of English origin the town is called Kingstown.
The earliest remaining building in the town is Athenry Castle which was built sometime before 1240 by Meyler de Bermingham. In 1241, the Dominican Priory was founded, and became an important center for learning and teaching. It was ostensibly closed during the Protestant Reformation but survived until being desecrated and burned during the Mac an Iarla wars of the 1560s–80s, and was finally vandalised by Cromwellians in the 1650s. The medieval walls around Athenry are among the most complete and best preserved in Ireland with 70% of original circuit still standing, along with some of the original towers and the original North gate. The remains of the Lorro Gate were partially unearthed in 2007 during the redevelopment of road works in the area.
In the centre of the town is the ‘square’; markets were held from the 17th century onwards and where the town’s late 15th century ‘Market Cross‘ is still located. The monument which is of Tabernacle or Lantern type is the only one of its kind in Ireland and the only medieval cross still standing in situ in the country. A Heritage centre now occupies the remains of the mid-13th century St Mary’s Collegiate Church adjacent to the town Square. The original medieval church is largely destroyed but in 1828 a Church of Ireland church was built into its chancel.
It covers 50 acres but has not more than 60 houses. […] There is an abbey of which the ruins are almost all standing. There is a big uninhabited castle called Bermingham’s Court […]. In the middle of Athenry is the stump of a cross destroyed in the wars, on which a crucifix in bas-relief still remains. […] I noticed at the door of a tavern a large cake decorated with a bouquet. It was a prize for the best dancer. […] The road from Athenry is very beautiful and there are no barriers.
– Jean Antoine Coquebert de Montbret
Moyode Castle is another tall 16th-century fortified tower house of the Dolphin family, which went to the Persse family. The castle is now restored and inhabited and is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from the town of Athenry. In 1863, a late Bronze Age shield was found in the vicinity of Athenry, and is now held in the British Museum‘s collection.
