Is your grandmother from the Galway tribe? In the city of Galway itself, I saw a gravestone for Peter French in a church yard. When you're in the old section, be sure to look high on the buildings outside (2nd or 3rd floor) and on a couple of them you'll see the ffrench coat of arms stuccoed in the wall. I know you'll have a good time. I'm telling you this by memory because I don't have those paper in order that tell about it. I do remember that the street on which I saw the coat of arms was a wide and busy straight street. I could easily step back and take a photo. Mara PS I just searched on my computer for Galway trip notes. Apparently I had taken my laptop with me in 1997 and have more for you in detail. Wednesday, Jul 30, 1997 When I got into Galway, the town was very quiet even though the horses races were being held all week -- one of the busiest times in Galway. I guess they partied all night long or the strong rains and winds kept them away. These winds were so strong that I lost my umbrella. It turned inside out and the supporting frame crumbed. I bought a new one for 14 pounds ($20) and this should last -- but probably it'll stop raining. No, I made good use of it. I first wanted to see all the ffrench sites in Galway, and I did. These are: 1. French coat of arms (dolphin) carved in stone on the upper floor of the Mechanics Institute on the top of Middle St. by Abbeygate Lane. The imbossed stone was really clear -- this was almost my favorite treasure from the ffrenches in Galway. 2. Further down on Middle St. across from the church just beyond Buttermilk Lane is the lintel chimney piece used on window lintel, other fragments, and the fireplace fragment with Ffrench arms dated 1590 (inserted upsidedown). All the stoneword is reused from the 16th and 17th century. This stonework was hard to see and I'm still not sure if I was looking at the right thing. 3. 1612 brass fireplace with 3 family arms - Martin-ffrench-Bodkin - impaled on High St. between Main Guard St. and Cross St. at the King's Pub just as you walk into the first room. This is really in excellent shape, about 8' long and very impressive. 4. Franciscan Abbey relief and tombstone. I was really not supposed to go into the courtyard behind the abbey, but one of the sisters let me in. You can see the courtyard through the large locked gates on Newtownsmyth, but you enter the abbey from Franciscan St. Be prepared to see many people praying very intently. The relief was almost directly behind a small portable building used in the constructions site for another area of the courtyard. This was only temporary, but it didn't have to be there when I was there. 5. Place where Sir Peter and Sir Oliver ffrench had their mansions on North Street, now Market Street near Abbeygate St. Upper, now occupied by the Connaught Tribune in a new building of course. In the backyard, closed to the public, are apparently parts from the original old wall of the ffrench mansions along with some carvings. on 8/23/04 11:05 AM, Jim Dickinson at [email protected] wrote: > Mara Thank you for the information. Yes I'm going to > Ireland in Sept. & my Grandmother is a FRENCH so I > want to see all the French Castles and get all the > information I can. > > Thank you > Lillian > --- Mara French <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Lillian, I've been to both and had tours of them. >> All the stables, coach houses, dairy, and part of >> the >> tower are still standing in Monivea. The rest of the >> tower has been repaired. Probably the most >> fascinating >> in Monivea is the mausoleum where Robert French is >> buried in the crypt. The grounds are not open to the >> public, but the people in the gatehouse have all the >> keys. Their name is Moyles, and it would take a good >> 2-3 hours to show you around. >> >> Castleffrench is very difficult to find. There are >> no >> signs posted -- it is a private residence now, but >> in >> very good shape. It's a rectangular 3-story stone >> building and perhaps not as interesting as Monivea. >> When I went there, the owner was walking at the >> bottom >> of the hill and he showed me thru it. At that time, >> he >> had it up for sale. He was not a French. The last >> Frenches >> who lived there are probably in their 40's and live >> in >> another castle about 3 miles away. They have horses >> and >> they wanted to move to a castle on flat land. >> Unfortunately, >> the day before Lord Roebuck ffrench and his wife >> moved in, >> the castle burnt to the ground. The floors and roof >> are gone, >> but the stone outside stands. Their family lives in >> the >> servant's quarters right next to the castle. They >> are >> mentioned in the red Heritage books in the library. >> This >> particular castle is on the eastern edge of Galway >> county >> near Ballinisloe. Are you going there? Mara >> >> on 8/21/04 7:49 AM, Jim Dickinson at >> [email protected] wrote: >> >>> I would appreciate any help anyone could give me >> about >>> the Castles the FRENCH owned in Galway County. >>> Does anyone on this list know if the Castle the >> FRENCH >>> owned in Monivea is still standing? Also I >> understand >>> the FRENCH owned a Castle French and I would like >> to >>> know where it is and if it is still standing. >>> >>> Thank you >>> Lillian >>> >> >> >