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Mervue House A picture of Merview House or Tara Hall in the 1940s

Mervue House is in the East side of Galway city Galway beside Thermo King. Today it is known as Tara Hall. It was built in the late 18th to early 19th century (1790, 1820). The original spelling was Merview House. The name came from the French word “Mer” meaning sea and the English word view, so the two words combined mean seaview as it had a superb view of Galway Bay. It was owned by the Joyce family who were leading merchants in the city with their family roots dating back to the 13th century. The Joyce family owned property both inside and out-side the city walls. A lot of these properties had to be sold due to the failure of their banking business. Col. Joyce sold Merview House in 1953 to Kerry O’Sullivan founder of Royal Tara China; the lands that were associated with this great house were sold to the Galway Corporation. The Mervue housing estate was built on lands acquired by the Corporation. When Col. Joyce sold the deeds to the lands he stated that trees must be allowed to grow freely. In 1957 the factory suffered damage in a fire and was later refurbished and taken over by a business consortium. Royal Tara China became known around the world for its ceramic giftware. In 2003 Royal Tara China announced that business would cease in Galway but it still carries on business there today. The grounds of Tara Hall are also known for its display of Christmas lights which first began in 1992. Visitors from all over come to look at the display and money collected is donated to local charities.