the fortification of Galway shortly after their arrival in the 13th century.
By 1650, the city walls enclosed an area from the Spanish Arch to the bottom of Eyre Square; from the square to the top of Eglinton Street; from Eglinton Street to O'Brien's Bridge and back along the east bank of the River Corrib.
Remnants of these walls can be seen to this day, with well-preserved sections next to the Spanish Arch and in the Eyre Square Shopping Centre.