Fort Eyre developments is owned and managed by the Gibbons family from Westside Galway. It specialises in renovating and restoring protected structures. After the purchase of Fort Eyre house, Maunsells road, Galway in 2013 it underwent a substantial renovation including upgrading the apartments. Once completed the family sets its sights on the tower within Fort Eyre which dates back nearly 200 years. It was sympathetically  restored and over 4 floors must be one of the finest town houses to rent within Galway city.They returned the grand old dame of Shantalla to its former glory by clearing the grounds after years hidden behind a high wall and tall trees.

Brothers Edward Hedges Eyre and Robert Hedges Eyre managed all the Eyre Estates in Eyre Square and Eyrecourt until Edward fled back to London leaving a trail of debt in his wake. Robert took over the estates and Fort Eyre was leased to his nephew Edward Eyre Maunsell, after whom Maunsells Road and Maunsells Park was named.

He inherited much of the portfolio on Robert’s death and a large portion of the land was put up for sale in 1852. The nuns are believed to have bought the property after that and used it for a convent and home for many years.

Following the success of the project, the developer turned his attention to a row of houses backing onto his property, which had long been an eyesore for local residents.The Galway actress Siobhán McKenna grew up in the adjoining Hansberry House, which fronts onto Shantalla Road and is one of Galway City’s finest example of Georgian architecture.

The old Davoran butcher’s site in Shantalla. This was purchased in 2014 with ground broken in 2015. Going back only two decades, the street was a bustling suburban centre, with a butcher, corner shop, bakery, fast food shop and video store. the developed rejuvenated the whole street with the addition of 7 new Luxury apartments to the development.

A protected structure, number 58 was a two-story, four bay terraced house, which can be accessed from Shantalla Road only. No trace of the original door survives and the roof has fallen in.

The Gibbons family appreciated that it is located in a very historic area, within a range of buildings that display some of the finest attributes of Georgian architecture in Galway.

The restoration included replicating the important Georgian design elements, including the timber sash windows, paneled doors, and the timber staircase.

If  works to this building were are not carried out, it would have  remained a visually unsightly ruin into the future for all the residents of Shantalla

The end design agreed with Galway County Council involved building five apartments, two to each of the ground and first floors, with a fifth spread over both second floors. Two further apartments will be built in a newly constructed building at the rear of the site.

Once completed in  2016 the entire block backing onto Fort Eyre is surely one of the city’s most luxurious apartment complexes.

Once construction had begun on Hansberry the developers bought the adjoining former Mace store in Shantalla. Permissions have just been granted for 4 more luxury apartments in the complex. Others pending developments include the Piscatorial School Claddagh