Hall of the Red Earl

Only the foundations remain of the hall itself, but there's a nicely done free exhibition that shows a variety of finds excavated at the site and explains what it would have originally looked like. Worth a short visit for anyone interested in history.

Hall of the Red Earl is a very cool, free exhibit where there has been an excavation of an historic site. It is down a small alleyway across from the Druid Theatre. Good such a small site, there is a good amount of information and a walkway sound the top of the ruins. Very interesting and worth a stop when in Galway.

Amazingly preserved Norman ruins that are free to visit.

I took the Claddaugh walking tour with Ian and was lucky enough to be the only person on the tour. Ian was so knowledgeable and gave an incredible history of the area. 2 hours flew by. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Galway. Could not believe it was a free tour, be sure to tip!! Thanks Ian!

This awesome exhibit of information, and ruins, is of what was actually a medieval town hall which takes its name from the Earl of Ulster, Richard de Burgo.

It’s a rather small area, dating back to the 13th century and it was Galway’s first municipal building and as such was used to collect the taxes, dispense justice and hosted banquets. In the 15th century the Tribe families of Galway seized power from the De Burgos (the Hall got its name from Richard de Burgo, the Earl of Ulster, who was the grandson of the town’s founding father) and forced them to flee the city. The hall then was abandoned and fell and it was covered over and built upon. The remains of the building were digged up by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in 1997 and it’s open to the public all year from Monday – Friday 9.30 to 16.45 & Saturday 10.00 to 13.00 (May – September). Admission is free.

Neat little archeological site. I wish there were more signs and details about it.

Very interesting site to visit. There's even a walkway and you can stand in the middle of it all. The best part was a free walking tour around the surrounding streets. It ended up just being me and my husband and we loved every moment of it. The guide was very knowledgeable and his sincere enthusiasm for the history of Galway/Ireland shined through. We learned a lot and would recommend the tour to anyone. Don't miss out!

I have to admit, I really don't know much about this place. We just happened to walk up on it while walking around in the city. That said, I was impressed by the signage that tells you what is going on, and the ability to walk through it when it is open. Definitely worth a stop if you are one of those tourists who likes to check out every nook and cranny.