Ruined castle restored to former glory in virtual restoration project

The ruined Menlo Castle, located on the banks of the Corrib on the eastern outskirts of Galway City has been taken on by a team of architects and been rebuilt from the ground up.

As of now, the reconstruction is a virtual one but it shows what could be achieved if any realistic plan existed to restore the castle which was destroyed by fire in 1910.

The Menlo project was undertaken by Australian insurance company Budget Direct which commissioned a team of architects and designers to restore some of Europe’s most beautiful castles and offer people a bit of escapism while this lockdown continues.

Menlo Castle was built in the late 1500s and was owned by the Blake family from about 1600 until July 26, 1910, when the fire occurred. Young Eleanor Blake, an invalid, perished in the blaze, as did a young servant, Delia Earley

The family coachman, James Kirwan, who had escaped the flames by climbing down from his window via the building’s ivy vines, made desperate attempts to save them aided by local men and later by the police.

The same green hanging ivy that saved James Kirwan’s life has since grown to cover the entire building, and it now endangers its very structure.

But in this reconstructed version, the excess ivy has been stripped away and the castle has been restored to its former splendour.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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