Sieges of Galway The city of Galway , Ireland - built as a naval base and military fort by Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair in 1124 , refounded as a military outpost and town by Richard Mor de Burgh in 1230 - has been subjected to a number of battle s , sacks and siege s . This article enumerates them . Dun Beal Gallimhe . Dun Beal Gallimhe can be translated as " " fort at the mouth of the Gallimhe river . " " It is believed to have been situated on the site of the present Customs House . This building is situated in the heart of the old medieval city between Quay Street to the north , Flood Street to the south , Druid Lane to the east and Quay Lane to the west . Subsequent to the founding of Galway in 1232 , a castle and hall were built upon the site . The latter building was known as the Red Earl ' s hall and was excavated in 1999 . There is some slight evidence for Viking use of the area , at least as a seasonal camp , as the Danes of Limerick made a number of devastating raids in the area in the 9th and 10th centuries , and though the annalistic evidence is ambiguous , seem to have made some sort of semi - permanent camp along the river or in Lough Corrib . Be that as it may , the earliest known building was erected there in 1124 at the instigation of High King Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair . Both as a naval base and military base Dun Beal Gallimhe offered several advantages . It was surrounded to the north by a number of small islands that , separated from the Dun by large streams and extremely boggy ground , made physical progress difficult and an attack futile . To the south it was bounded by muddy estuary flats and the effects of the tide which made approach from this side just as difficult . The Dun itself was raised at the very end of a thin peninsula of land that could withstand attack by a relatively small number of defenders . Due west was the river , which is one of the fastest - flowing in Europe , and yet almost the only ford on the river . If all was lost , defenders could withdraw to the west bank and flee into Iar Connacht . If , however , the attacking force could still not make the east bank , there were only two other routes to the other side , neither favourable : one was to risk a crossing of Lough Corrib , which however can be treacherous at the best of times to an unskilled sailor ; second , the unenviable sixty mile slog north to Cong . From a naval point of view Gallimhe did not make an especially desirable port , lacking a deep harbour . Up to the early 19th century smaller ships docked at the river quay , while larger ones remained at anchor out in the bay for unloading . Yet in the early days of its existence it offered a way into Lough Corrib and its surrounding landmass , from which an invader could strike deep into the heart of Delbhna Tir Dha Locha or Maigh Seola . Conversely it also offered a route out of the latter kingdom and a means to attack its ruler ' s enemies . Indeed it was used in this capacity both in the 1160s and 1590s . At least some of these factors played a part in subsequent sieges of the settlement . Only much later in its history it would be put to use as the premier merchant port and market of Ireland ' s west coast . By then it had far outgrown its initial " raison d ' etre " as seen by O Conchobair and de Burgh and become " " the City of the Tribes " " ( see Tribes of Galway ) . O Brian ' s siege of 1132 . Naval - based warfare became something of a regular occurrence in early 12th century Ireland . The Annals of Inisfallen note raids of this nature occurring in 1100 , 1101 , 1119 , and 1124 . Perhaps this was what led to Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair to build Dún Béal Gallimhe in 1124 . It was located in Clan Fergal , the territory of the O Hallorans but was supervised by Ua Conchobair ' s vassals , the Ua Flaithbheartaigh , who at this time were still based in their homeland of Maigh Seola . During the summer of 1132 , Conchobhair O Brian of Thomond ( modern north Munster ) invaded Hy - Many where he " " plundered . . . Maenmhagh . . . [ and ] carried off many cows . " " This raid was purely of a plundering nature , yet apparently within a very short space of time , he followed it up with a full - scale assault on O Conchobair ' s new naval base at Dún Béal Gallimhe . The Annals of the Four Masters noted that " " The castle of Bun - Gaillmhe was burned and demolished [ by ] a fleet of the men of Munster . " " The Munstermen then followed this up with a devastating raid on both Clan Fergal and Magh Seola , for the same annals note that " " A great slaughter was made of the Connachtmen by the men of Munster , wherein Conchobhar Ua Flaithbheartaigh , lord of West Connacht " " was slain . Also among the dead were " " the two sons of Cathal Ua Mughroin " " and " Ua Taidhg " an Teaghlaigh " " . This is significant because the Ua Mughroin were a sept native to Hy - Many , some distance from Gallimhe which was in any case historically based in a different territory , Clann Fergal . Therefore they must have travelled some distance to be present to fight against the forces from Munster , possibly in a levy raised by Tairrdelbach himself . Ua Taidgh ' s nickname , An Teaghlaigh , indicates that he was of the household , or indeed the household bodyguard , of Tairrdelbach , who would of necessity have only accompanied the High King . Therefore the deaths of members of these three vassal clans , as well as his own possible presence at the battle , indicates the importance the High King attached to his " " dún " " on the Gallimhe . This is underlined by the fact that it was rebuilt , which can be inferred by a further attack in 1149 . O Brian ' s siege of 1149 . The 1149 siege of Dún Béal Gallimhe was led by Toirdhealbhach O Brían , then King of Thomond . It was a combined raid of plunder ( taking the rich pickings of Maigh Seola ) and military strategy ( destroying the Dún ) . In the years immediately prior to 1149 , the respective interests of Connacht - still ruled by High King Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair - and of Thomond had were confined to putting down rebellions and civil strife in their kingdoms , as well as maintaining their areas of interest . Ruaidri was frequently at odds with the O Neills in Ulster and Meath , and had a sometime antagonistic relationship with Tighernan O Rúairc , King of Brefine , which was a buffer state carved out of disputed territory between Connacht and Ulster . Toirdhealbhach O Brían on the other hand was pre - occupied with extending his influence into Leinster ( the kingdom whose rejection of tributes had led to his ancestor , Brian Boru ' s , death in 1014 ) , as well as with putting down rebellion in his native Thomond and with ensuring his vassals of Munster , the MacCarthys , knew their place . Both Kings had in fact ratified a treaty at Terryglass Monastery in 1144 , possibly to recognise and respect their spheres of influence . However the following year Toirdhealbhach was decisively defeated by O Conchobair and his vassals at Feara Ceall in the Sliabh Bloom ; O Brian had been en route to Meath to fight O Ruairc but had been intercepted by O Conchobair . O Brian was forced to return home , " " without prey , without hostage , without peace , without truce . " " This brought O Brian and O Conchobhair into open war ; O Brian struck within the same year with " an army into Connacht ; and they carried off Ua Ceallaigh , i . e . Tadhg , son of Conchobhar , lord of Ui - Maine , and slew Ruaidhri Ua Flaithbheartaigh " . The death of Ua Flaithbheartaigh indicates that an attempt may have been made on Gallimhe , but O Brian would have to wait a full four years before he reached this objective . According to the Four Masters , in 1149 " " An army was led by Toirdhealbhach Ua Briain and the men of Munster into Connacht , until they arrived at Magh Ua mBriuin ; they carried off a great spoil of cattle , and demolished Dún - Gaillmhe ; and Ua Lochlainn , lord of Corca - Modhruadh , was drowned in the ( river ) Gaillimh . " " Again , the mention of Magh Ua mBriuin - an alternative name for Maigh Seola - demonstrates the destruction of Gallimhe and its fleet was merely one tactic employed by O Brian . Kinsmen and vassals would only stay loyal as long as a king could deliver the goods to ensure their loyalty , hence the rich plains were plundered of their goods , food and fine cattle . It also had the additional prize of weakening O Conchobair ' s prime vassal in the area , Ua Flaithbheartaigh . Ua Lochlainn was of the Corcu Mo Druad , vassals of O Brian , and strategically located across Galway Bay . Thus it is possible that that while O Brian led his army by land , Ua Lochlainn sailed across the bay and the two inflicted a sea - and - land siege of Gallimhe ; this possibility is obliquely hinted at in the manner of Ua Lochlainn ' s death . It may even be that , contending for the lordship of Galway Bay - from which plundering raids could be made into Clan Fergal , Maigh Seola , Meadraige and Ui Fiachrach Aidhne - O Brian may have been letting Ua Lochlainn unleash himself against a prime adversary . In a surprising turn of events , in 1151 , O Brian was deposed as King of Munster by his son , Muircheartach . Muircheartach was subsequently captured " " by treachery " " by " " Tadhg son of Diarmaid O Brian and Diarmaid Súgach O Conchobhair " " and delivered to his father . However , Tadhg mac Diarmaid O Brian rose against O Brian in rebellion , with the result that " " Toirdhealbhach son of Ruaidhrí O Conchobhair came with him to defend the kingship of Munster for him . " " ! De Burgh ' s siege of 1230 . Cathal Crobderg Ua Conchobair had owed his position as King of Connacht to King John , and the support of the latter ' s vassals in Ireland . In addition , he was able to obtain recognition of his son , Aedh mac Cathal Crobdearg Ua Conchobair as his heir . In the year after Cathal ' s death in 1224 , Aedh had to face a rebellion by Donn Oge Mageraghty of Sil Muirdeag , Aedh Ua Flaithbertaigh of Maigh Seola and an invasion by O Neill of Tir Eoghain from Ulster . O Neill and Aedh ' s rebellious vassals then crowned Turlough mac Ruaidri O Conchobair King of Connacht in opposition to Aedh , who was supported by only a few vassals such as MacDermott of Moylourg and O Flynn of the Cuirc remaining loyal . With the help of his Norman allies , Aedh was eventually able to suppress the rebellion , though " " there was not a church or territory in Connacht at that time that had not been plundered and desolated . " " The war was made worse by " " An oppressive malady raged in the province of Connacht at this time : it was a heavy burning sickness , which left the large towns desolate , without a single survivor . " " One incident during the war had given Aedh cause for concern : his erstwhile allies , the Normans of Leinster and Munster , had invaded south Connacht " " and slew all the people that they caught , and burned their dwellings and villages . " " Aedh was furious at this because it was not by his command , and because the Normans " " were themselves excited by envy and rapacity , as soon as they had heard what good things the Lord Justice and his English followers had obtained in Connacht at that time . " " It was a sign of things to come . Aedh mac Cathal was murdered by the Normans in 1228 and Aedh mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair was chosen by the Normans and the chiefs of Connacht to take his place . Yet in 1230 Aedh and his vassals turned on the Normans , vowing " " they would never own a lord who should bring them to make submission to the Galls . They made then great raids on the Galls , Aed son of Ruaidri and the men of West Connacht plundering the young son of William and Adam Duff , while Donn Oc and the sons of Magnus with the new levies of Sil Murray plundered Mac Gosdelb and Tir Maine as far as Athlone . " " It was in response to this that Richard Mor de Burgh led an army into Connacht " " and desolated a large portion of that country . " De Burgh brought with him Felim mac Cathal Crobderg Ua Conchobair whom he intended to make king in place of Aedh . They crossed the Shannon at Athlone and made straight for Gallimhe . The Dún at Gallimhe was being held and defended by Aedh Ua Flaithbertaig , who still held for Aedh mac Ruaidri ( Ua Flaithbertaigh had been exiled into Iar Connacht by Aedh mac Cathal for his rebellion ) . Apparently de Burgh was just reaching the Dún ( and a highly apprehensive Ua Flaithbertaigh ) " " when Aed mac Ruaidri came to his help with the Connachtmen , including the sons of Muirchertach O Conchobair . " At some point in the fighting Aedh seems to have lost , or ceded possession of , the Dún , because the Annals of Connacht states that " " They were on the western bank of the Galway River and the Galls on the eastern . " " However , this does not seem to have been a decisive factor for de Burgh ; as much as a week passed with " " much fighting . . . between them every day , and in this condition the Galls remained , obtaining neither pledge nor hostage nor submissions from the Connachtmen . " " Dissatisfied with the inconclusiveness of the conflict , de Burgh cut his losses and left in the direction of Cong " " to pursue the cattle and folk which had fled into the mountains and recesses of the countryside and the sea - islands . " " But as subsequent events would show , the strategic position of Dún Béal Gallimhe had made an impression upon de Burgh , and he would be back . Lord Forbes ' s siege of 1642 . On the morning of 7 August 1642 , to the " " considerable agitation and suspense [ of the ] town " " , a naval squadron of seventeen ships appeared in Galway Bay . Led by Alexander , 11th Lord Forbes ( died 1671 ) , they had come to relieve the garrison of Forthill at the request of the English Parliament , and which had authorised him , as Lieutenant - General , to waste the coasts of Ireland . Launching long boats from the ship , Forthill was resupplied with food , arms and ammunition . Forbes then sent a messenger with a letter for Mayor Walter Lynch fitz James , ordering them to " " confess themselves to have been rebels , and humbly submitting to beg his majesty ' s intercession for them to the parliament of England , and to declare they would admit such governors as the king and state should appoint , and until then put themselves under the protection of Lord Forbes . " " Mayor Lynch and the town council utterly refused the terms , to the surprise and anger of Lord Forbes . They instead made representations to the Earl of Clanricarde - who was at the time a neutral - for protection . Clanricarde in turn communicated to Forbes that , should he make war against the town , it would be both a breach of the peace and endanger the country by bringing yet another area into the war . Furthermore , he made it clear that , should the citizens become actively hostile against Forbes , there would be nothing he could do to influence them . According to James Hardiman " " . . . Forbes , stimulated by Willoughby and Ashley " " - captains of the besieged Forthill - " " and governed by the advice of Hugh Peters , whom he brought with him as his chaplain . . . was entirely deaf to every remonstrance of reason or discretion . " " Being unable to directly assault the town itself , Forbes landed men west of the town and took possession of the Claddagh , on the west bank of the Corrib . All of the town ' s surrounding suburbs and villages were burned and destroyed ; dozens of locals were killed , assaulted and raped . St . Mary ' s Church in the Claddagh was badly defaced ; in its graveyard , coffins were dug up as Lord Forbes ' s troops searched the bodies for rings , gold chains and the like . Forbes placed " " two pieces of ordnance " " , or cannons , at St . Mary ' s and used them to bombard the city . However , they had little effect and by early September Forbes ' s men were becoming irritated at both their lack of progress and lack of payment . On 7 September he cut his losses and sailed for Limerick . Forthill was once more under siege and on its own , Clanricarde ' s political stock had plummeted as he had been unable to prevent the sacking , and any waverers among the people of Galway were now solidly on the Irish Confederate side . Footnote . " The fort at Forthill is shown on the upper right hand corner of the 1651 map below . " Coote ' s siege 1651 - 1652 . The Parliamentary siege took place from August 1651 to May 1652 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland . Galway was the last city held by Irish Catholic forces in Ireland and its fall signalled the end to most organised resistance to the Parliamentarian conquest of the country . Sources . city