When someone comes to Galway and wants to find
out some things about the city, a great place to start is The Spanish Arch,
which is also one of the most popular social gathering spots in the city.
The name comes as somewhat of a surprise when we consider that we are
in Ireland, not in Spain, and makes a visitor (especially one of Latin origin)
wonder about the history of this area, which was built over five centuries ago.
Why is it called the Spanish Arch? What was the connection with Spain, if any?
I wanted to find out and so I began to do some research; this is what I
discovered.
There was a time, between the XV and XVI
centuries, in which Galway became a famous and an important harbour because of
its productive (and lucrative) trade with Spain. Ireland exported goods and
materials to Spain such as thread, cloth, leather, fish and wood (all of which
were available in abundance in the local area at the time), and they would
occasionally send some luxury goods which were very well received by the Spanish
crown, gifts like hawks and hunting dogs would be sent over to secure good
relations and win favour. On the other hand, Spain imported above
all iron, olive oil and wine.
This trade and the relationships which built
up around it are the primary reason for the naming of Spanish Arch. This was
the main docking area for ships and boats and is in a different location to
Galway’s modern harbour. If we look at the Swift map of Galway from the XVII
Century, we can see that there are large ships docked in the area and the arch
seems to be very busy with markets and traders. The arch is also the only gate
that still remains of the historical walls which once surrounded the city.
The Spanish Arch was built in 1584 as an extension to
the old city wall, in the mouth of the River Corrib, in order to protect the
docks which were located in the harbour, therefore was called “head of the
wall” as well. Important people of History such as Christopher Columbus and
Ferdinand Magellan are reported to have stopped there while embarking upon
their exploratory missions.
The area in front of the actual arch is called
‘The Spanish Parade’. This was a venue where the women of the Claddagh village
(a neighbouring town which has since become part of Galway city) sold their
fish which their husbands caught in the XIX Century. Although it can be thought
of as a colourful market plenty of activity, the truth is that it was a harsh
environment, were poverty and the weather made a tough existence for these
brave women. Nowadays is a meeting place for many different kinds of visitors
like tourists, students or local people who take advantage of the good weather
to enjoy the nice atmosphere. I look forward to spending a sunny afternoon
there, thinking about the ghosts that walk the stones of the arch.
REFERENCES:
History Series, Galway Cultural Institute.
Beatriz MUÑOZ MARTÍNEZ
