FORTHILL GRAVEYARD

Forthill Graveyard was established in the 1500’s and is still in use today. It is located on the site of the original Augustinian Friary.

The earliest visible grave dating, dates back to 1745. The cemetery is steeped in history! It was the site of the 1588-1589 slaughter of 300+ sailors and soldiers shipwrecked from the Spanish Armada, on orders from William FitzWilliam, viceroy under Queen Elizabeth I. The people of Galway took it upon themselves to bury the bodies properly. Today there is a plaque commemorating the burial of the sailors from the Spanish Armada of 1588.