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The earliest remaining building in the town
is Athenry Castle which was built sometime before 1240 by Meyler de
Bermingham. In 1241, the Dominican Abbey was founded, a major
institution. It was ostensibly closed during the Protestant
Reformation but survived until being desecrated and burned during the Mac an
Iarla Wars of the 1570s, and was finally vandalised by Cromwellians in the
1650s. The Medieval walls around Athenry are among the most complete and best
preserved in Ireland and still retain a number of the original towers as well
as the original North gate. The remains of the Lorro Gate were partially
unearthed in 2007 during redevelopment road works in the area. In the centre of
the town is the square; it is here that Athenry's late 15th century Market
Cross is located. The monument which is of Tabernacle or Lantern type
is the only one of its kind in Ireland and the only medieval cross still
standing in situ in the country. A Heritage centre now occupies the remains of
the mid-13th century St Mary's Collegiate Church immediately North of
the Square. The original church is largely destroyed but in 1828 a Church
of Ireland church was built into its chancel.
In 1791, Caquebert de Montbret visited the
town, which he described as:
50
acres but has no more than 60 houses. ... There is an abbey of which the ruins
are almost all standing. ... There is a big uninhabited castle called
Bermingham's Court... In the middle of Athenry is the stump of a cross
destroyed in the wars, on which a crucifix in bas-relief still
remains. ... I noticed at the door of a tavern a large cake decorated with a
bouquet. It was a prize for the best dancer. ... The road from Athenry is
