Architectural feature

The National Monuments Service's description

This well-known landmark, known as the ‘Browne Doorway’, originally served as the elaborate entrance to a house on the west side of Abbeygate Street Lower at the junction with St. Augustine Street (see attached images). It was removed from its original site in 1878 and re-erected as an entrance to the Eyre Square park in 1905 (see Trench 1905–6). In form it is a fine example of how the Classical style of architecture found expression in the Jacobean world of early 17th-century Galway. It consists of a more-or-less elaborate entrance porch which is defined by Tuscan columns topped with Ionic capitals on tall pedestals, the latter with moulded diamond-shaped panels. The columns have moulded blocks above the capitals and form part of the arhitrave that supports a pulvinated frieze and moulded cornice. The doorway has the semi-circular arch in the new Italian Renaissance style with a central scrolled keystone either side of which is carved a quotation from Psalm 127:1 - 'Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum, in vanum laboraverunt, qui aedificant eam' (If the Lord does not build a house, then those who build it work in vain). The spandrels below this inscription are carved with Arabesque derived foliage motifs. The entrance supports an oriel window with five lights divided by chamfered mullions and transoms. The apron below the canted sides is carved in low relief with stylised dragon-like creatures: these carvings are very faint. The front panel has the names of the house owners, Martin Browne and Marie Linch, carved in false relief in narrow bands along the top. The names are separated by the IHS monogram that has been enlivened with a square interlace cross rising from the central stem of the H. This cross is mirrored directly below the monogram and separates the date elements ‘16’ and ‘27’ (1627). On the left hand side are the arms and crest of the Browne family and on the right are the impaled arms of Lynch and Penrice with the Lynch crest on top; all in high relief. The ornamentation of the whole is typical of many similar armorial plaques from this period in Galway. Nothing is known about Martin Browne or his wife other than the fact that the house in Abbeygrate Street Lower is represented on the Pictorial Map of mid-17th century Galway and referred to in the map index as 'The town-house and edifices of Mr. Martin Brown' (TCD MS 1207.73, Elenchus, letter 'd').

The attached images (GA094-138----_01.jpg, and 02) were taken c. 1904 and show the Browne Doorway in its original location.
GA094-138----_03.jpg is close-up of the inscription and coats of arms.

Compiled by: Paul Walsh

Date of upload: 13 June 2014

References

Trench, W.F. 1905-6 Note on a doorway. Journal of the Galway archaeological and historical society 4, 37-8.