Historic town

The National Monuments Service's description

On a steep rise on S bank of the River Nanny overlooking a fording point, the site is flanked to E and W by extensive bogs. St Jarlath founded a monastery at 'Tuaim-da-ghualann' in the early 6th C (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 98). Under the patronage of the Kings of Connacht (O'Conors) in the 11th-12th C, the settlement expanded rapidly and was named as one of four metropolitan sees at the Synod of Kells in 1152 (Killanin and Duignan 1967, 443-5; Stalley 1981, 179-80; Bradley and Dunne 1992, 166-8). The O'Conors built a 'castle' (GA029-173----: see also GA029-199003-) here in 1161 and by the first half of the 13th C documentary sources are referring to 'the suburbs' and 'houses of the … town' as well as the granting of a licence for an annual fair (see GA029-178----, GA029-184001-; Lewis 1837, Vol. 2, 646). The numerous early Christian and medieval ecclesiastical remains comprise: (a) the chancel of a Romanesque church (GA029-179001-) and (b) a 14th-C 'Synod Hall' (GA029-179002-), both now incorporated into the gothic revival cathedral of St Mary; (c) 100m to NW lies the site of the 'Abbey of the Holy Trinity' (GA029-178----); (d) 150m to NW, in High St., is a probable early ecclesiastical enclosure (GA029-180003-) within which stands 'Temple Jarlath' (GA029-180001-); (e) 550m to NE, in Bishop St., is a second enclosure (GA029-068001-) within which stood 'Templenascreen' (GA029-068002-); (f) 325m to E, in Circular Rd, lies the site of 'St. John's Priory' (GA029-184001-); (g) 1.1km to SE, on the Athenry Rd, is a third enclosure (GA043-080001-) at Toberjarlath; and (h) c. 200m to S, in the Vicar St. area, stood St Brigid's Chapel (GA029-183----). The site of the shambles (GA029-199006-) is known and fragments of four high crosses (GA029-179006-, GA029-179007, GA029-179004-, GA029-184002-) survive. The post-medieval remains include an 18th-C bishop's palace in Bishop St (Bence-Jones 1978, 276), a pre-Emancipation chapel (GA029-181----), a vertical watermill (GA029-182----), a windmill (GA029-191----) and the 'Chair of Tuam' (GA029-172----). (Kelly 1901, 1904, 1906, 1908; Ó Murchú 1970)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999).

Date of upload: 05 August 2010