RegChurch / chapel · 1900–1905Cill ÉindeAn Spidéal [Spiddle]Photo: Newbert12 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons file
Cill Éinde · Photo: Newbert12 · CC BY-SA 4.08buildings on the National Inventory
History of An Spidéal · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
An Spidéal: 8 buildings on the National Inventory
An Spidéal has kept more old homes than most towns: 8.4% were built before 1919, against 3.4% in the typical town. The earliest building recorded goes back to 1660. The Sites and Monuments Record adds 6 archaeological sites inside the town.
On the National Inventory
8
Of national importance
0
NIAH National or International, and national monuments
Archaeological sites
6
Sites and Monuments Record
Oldest building
1660
the first date on its record
Homes built before 1919
8.4%
typical town: 3.4%
In pictures
2 pictures of historic An Spidéal
The oldest building pictured in An Spidéal is Cill Éinde, from 1900. Pictures exist for 2 of the places An Spidéal has on the record. You can start with Cill Éinde and Leabharlann an Spidéal.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the place’s page. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
The map
Where An Spidéal’s history is
Every building and site on the record inside the town, by its rating.
Regional and other sites
Hover a dot for its name; tap one to open its page.
The 8, by rating
8 Regional and other sites
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage is the State’s survey of buildings from 1700 to today, county by county; each record gives a rating, dates, a type and an appraisal. Being on it is not legal protection: that is each council’s Record of Protected Structures.
Points from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and the Sites and Monuments Record, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0).
Regional and other sites
8 historic places in An Spidéal
Buildings rated Regional, of significance in their region, and archaeological monuments with an encyclopedia article.
RegSchool · 1950–1955Leabharlann an SpidéalAn Spidéal [Spiddle]Photo: Newbert12 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons file
Bridge · 1660–1895Spiddal BridgeAn Spidéal [Spiddle]
Gates / railings / walls · 1905–1915Spiddal House (gates / railings / walls)An Spidéal [Spiddle]
Bridge · 1905–1915Spiddal House (bridge)An Spidéal [Spiddle]
Building · 1920–1925Clochar Éinde NaomhthaAn Spidéal [Spiddle]
School · 1940–1945Scoil ÉinneAn Spidéal [Spiddle]
Church / chapel · 1775–1780Church, An Spidéal [Spiddle]
What’s recorded
Two groups share the top of An Spidéal’s record: walls, gates and bridges and homes, 4 each
The highest-rated include Spiddal Bridge and Spiddal House. All of An Spidéal’s recorded buildings carry a regional rating. There are 5 kinds of building on An Spidéal’s record.
Walls, gates and bridges4
Homes4
Churches and chapels2
Public buildings2
Other buildings1
Types as the National Inventory records them, grouped, for the records inside the town and those just outside it that belong to it; a building keeps the type it was built as.
How old
Most of An Spidéal’s dated buildings come from the 20th century or later
Each building by the first date on its record.
1500–1799 three centuries2
19th century 1800–18990
1900 and later to today6
2 of the 8 dated ones were built before 1800. The oldest is Spiddal Bridge, from 1660.
Archaeology and around
Archaeology in An Spidéal
The Sites and Monuments Record lists every known archaeological site; most are field monuments with little to see. By kind:
6 archaeological sites inside the town
Sites on the Record of Monuments and Places, the statutory list drawn from this record, are protected by law: anyone planning work at or near one must give the National Monuments Service two months’ notice.
| Church2 records |
| Bridge1 record |
| Town1 record |
| Graveyard1 record |
| Chapel1 record |
Just outside An Spidéal: 5
| Spiddal House (country house)Regional rating (NIAH) · 100 m outside the town |
| Spiddal House (gate lodge)Regional rating (NIAH) · 100 m outside the town |
| Old QuayRegional rating (NIAH) · 300 m outside the town |
| House, An Spidéal [Spiddle]Regional rating (NIAH) · 200 m outside the town |
| House, KilloughRegional rating (NIAH) · 1.8 km outside the town |
Homes by age
The biggest share of An Spidéal’s homes dates in the 2000s: 41%
Homes built between the wars make up just 2.1% of An Spidéal’s, against 3.9% in the typical town. New building in An Spidéal runs at the usual pace: 5.3% of homes date from 2011 on, the typical town 5.8%. An Spidéal reached half its present housing before 2001.
8.4%
Before 1919
2.1%
1919–45
22%
1946–80
21%
1981–2000
41%
2001–10
5.3%
Since 2011
An SpidéalTypical town
Census 2022, households by the year their home was built (CSO, Small Area Population Statistics, CC BY 4.0); the typical town is the middle Irish town of 2,500 or more.
Neighbours
An Spidéal and its neighbours
| Town | People | National Inventory | National | Archaeological sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| An Spidéal | 254 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| Bearna | 2,336 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Maigh Cuilinn | 2,279 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Knocknacarra | 18,398 | 8 | 0 | 24 |
| Rahoon | 3,486 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Salthill | 5,445 | 38 | 0 | 8 |
| Taylor's Hill | 3,141 | 16 | 0 | 5 |
In brief
An Spidéal in brief
More of An Spidéal’s homes are old than in most places: 8.4% were built before 1919, against 3.4% in the typical town. All told, the list holds 8 places on the record. Most of its dated monuments come from the 20th century or later: 6 of 8. The oldest, Spiddal Bridge, dates from 1660.
It also has 6 archaeological sites on the record. Otherwise the figures are ordinary: George Henry Morris (1872) was born here before 1900.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The National Inventory. The State’s survey of post-1700 buildings, made county by county since 1990 (NIAH); a few records are older. It records; it does not protect.
- Ratings. International and National: of significance across Ireland or beyond. Regional: in its region. Local and record-only buildings get no page here.
- Archaeology. The Sites and Monuments Record (National Monuments Service) lists known archaeological sites; the national monuments to visit and the sites with an encyclopedia article get pages here.
- Protection. Both registers are surveys, not protection: a building is protected by its council’s Record of Protected Structures, and no national open list joins the 31 councils’ records.
- The grade. Ireland’s History grade is not built yet: the page describes, and gives no grade.
Questions about An Spidéal’s history
How many historic buildings are recorded in An Spidéal?
8 buildings on the National Inventory, from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
What is the oldest building in An Spidéal?
Spiddal Bridge: the first date on its record is 1660.
Are there archaeological sites in An Spidéal?
Yes: the Sites and Monuments Record lists 6 archaeological sites inside An Spidéal.
How old are the homes in An Spidéal?
8.4% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3.4% in the typical town.
Are the buildings on this page protected?
Being on the National Inventory or the Sites and Monuments Record is a record, not protection by itself: buildings are protected by their council’s Record of Protected Structures, which each council keeps and no national open list gathers, so this page can’t say which are on it.
This page describes its history; it gives no grade.
Source: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and Sites and Monuments Record, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0); Wikidata (CC0).
Sources: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (buildingsofireland.ie) · Sites and Monuments Record and the National Monuments Service’s monuments to visit · CSO Census 2022 (homes by the year built) · Photos: Wikimedia Commons, including the National Library of Ireland’s collections, each credited with its licence and copied to our own server · Wikidata and English Wikipedia for people born here · Wikidata (CC0) for other names and articles. Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).