Our crest is the Seal of the Medieval town of Athenry. A castle with two impaled heads on its ramparts, depicting the defeated Gaelic-Irish leadership, Feidhlimid Ó Conchobair and Tadhg Ó Cellaigh.
On the 10th of August 1316 the Anglo-Irish Lord of Athenry fought a bloody battle against the Gaelic-Irish allied with Edward Bruce, brother of Robert Bruce, king of Scotland in a bid to Crown Edward as King of Ireland and unite Ireland and Scotland and defeat the English and gain independence for both Kingdoms.
As part of the Bruce Campaign in Ireland the second battle of Athenry was a disaster for Edward and the Gaelic-Irish spelling the beginning of the End.
The second battle of Athenry was long remembered as one of the bloodiest battles ever fought in Ireland, till overtaken in popular memory by Knockdoe in 1504 and Aughrim in 1691. Coincidently, all three were fought in County Galway. As the oldest, it is however the most forgotten in modern memory.
Read more about the Athenry history on the Athenry Heritage Center website.