Home | Athenry History | Book | Chronicle | Archaeology, History, People
About 1655 – According the Downe Survey
St. Mary’s Parish Church was in ruins. I believe the original entrance was from North Gate Street.
Town house, where Paddy Gardiner’s Yard is now, one stone house (thatched) and five cabins around the Ulster Bank and on left of Church Gate.
Abbey Lane, now Bridge Street, 8 thatched cabins and com mill.
Small Castle without loft or roof.
Abbey (Priory) much out of repair, roofs wanting shingling.
Town Jail on grounds of Telecom Exchange, 2 stone houses and 6 thatched cabins from Jail towards the Square.
North Gate St. 5 thatched cabins.
Old Church St. 6 small thatched cabins, 1 small stone house.
Around Swan Gate 10 thatched cabins, 1 stone house without roof.
On Spittal Lands ruined Church and the ruins of the poor-house, then called “The Spittal” (Ivymount I believe).
Total Picture of Athenry – 40 cabins, 4 stone thatched houses, 1 stone house in ruins.
In one of his lectures (1984) Prof. Rynne said, that the de Berminghams got ‘fed up’ living in the Castle and left to live in a house at the Square. More than likely this is “The Town House” on the Downes Survey Map.
From the book – “Athenry, History from 1780, Folklore and Recollections” by Aggie Qualter, March 1989
Click on the Author’s name, below, to find more articles from Aggie Qualter’s book!
– –
Written by Aggie Qualter
Published here 09 May 2022 and originally published March 1989
Page 0023 of Athenry History
– –
General History
All chronicles and historical accounts written by local residents. Not including… Here some recent records:
Chronicle

Cruelty to Amimals – December 1997
Contribute
Many thanks to all our writers, researchers and contributors who have made this collation of writing a meaningful historical record. If you would like to add an article, news, thoughts, opinions, photos or anything else to the Athenry.org Library please contact our Editor, Finbarr O’Regan at: oreganathenry@gmail.comContact