Mystery of the missing Menlo Castle Doorway.

In July 1907, James Joyce and his young son Giorgio, briefly visited Galway to meet his mother-in-law, Annie Barnacle, Nora's mother, for the very first time. They got a great welcome by all accounts and that led to a 3 week family visit by the entire Joyce family, a kind of belated honeymoon, in July 1912.

During this visit, Joyce toured Connemara, visited the Aran Islands, went racing to Ballybrit and attended the Galway Regatta, watching the hotly-competing boats from the slipway at Menlo castle, ancestral home to the Blake family for five centuries, and major sponsor of the Galway Regatta, but it was by then, in 1912, completely in ruins, having burned down in an accidental fire in 1910.

Built in 1569 by the powerful Blake family, the castle accidentally and tragically burned down on 26th July 1910 claiming the lives of three women, including the owner's daughter, Eleanor Blake. Sir Valentine Blake never rebuilt the castle, perhaps his fortunes had changed or maybe he could never again contemplate living in the house his daughter had died in. Who knows?

Today Menlo Castle's ivy-shrouded windows and tall, stark chimneys stand sentinel over fishing boats, river cruisers, kayaks and racing sculls as they speed past, parting it's haunting reflection in the Corrib river.

The city of Menlo Park, in California is named after this castle and village. The Californian city was so named after a farming ranch owned by Denis J Oliver and DC McGlynn, who had emigrated to the US from Menlo, and went to seek their fortune and find some gold in the 1849 'Gold Rush'.

They, did find gold, and bought a tract of land, the Menlo Park Ranch, named after their native village, around 1854. Later when the Trans-America railroad came through their land, the railway station was named after the Menlo-men's ranch, and later still, the city of Menlo Park, which had grown up around the rail-head, was incorporated, a unique link to the Menlo Castle ruin.

There was some 'talk' about the castle being restored, even mention of turning it into an apartment development, with a penthouse apartment being incorporated into the secured facade. There was also some laudable mention of a plan to make the castle into a heritage centre along the lines of the Museum of Country Life in Castlebar. Certainly, the ownership was in doubt, but it is now apparently owned by Galway City Council, but I cannot verify that.

All through the twentieth century the castle has been an iconic landmark for those traversing the river Corrib, though hardly noticed otherwise, nestled in a somewhat hidden site three miles from the city. Up until the 1980's one could rent a boat at the Boat Club by the university and row up to the castle ruin, docking at the still extant slipway that James Joyce had stood at while watching the Galway Regatta, which is still held annually.

People taking their dogs for a walk, players and athletes playing sports on the University pitches at Daingean are treated to a splendid view of the castle on the opposite river bank.

In the 1930s, a photographer named Domhnall Ó Cearbhaill

working for the National Folklore Collection, took two black and white photographs at Menlo Castle, one featuring a young boy. That photo with the boy, was recently colourised by 'Old Ireland In Colour' and that is the photo that caught my eye during the week.

The photo of the boy is, well, ordinary. The boy is nonplussed by the camera, perhaps impatient, wanting to go play in the castle ruin. By the way, his identity is unknown, he may even still be alive today, so yes, does anyone know his name?

Boy aside, what really caught my eye was the archway under which the boy is standing. It features three fabulous carvings, and judging by its dimensions and decoration, it was probably the front door of the castle.

If you look closely, you can see the buckling of the slates above the arch, testament to the ferocious heat generated by the fire, some twenty years earlier.

My question is where is that arch and carvings now? There is not an arch or a carving in Galway as interesting as this in Galway today, yet this one has completely disappeared!

No trace remains. Was it vandalised, stolen, or sold off unscrupulously by persons unknown? Or was it safely taken down and preserved, perhaps stored away in a private or public collection?

So, today's quest is to ask what could have become of this unique, historic Galway doorway, that if it still exists, should really be preserved and celebrated. Wouldn't that be cool?

Photos featured in this post are from various sources, including some of my own photos from Walking Tours of Galway. Some have appeared on this page before Galway Memories and others on Old Ireland in Colour

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