The long-awaited refurbishment of Comerford House has been included in plans for a €10m overhaul of Galway City Museum.

Galway City Council this week invited building contractors to signal their interest for the job by registering for a prequalification tender process.

The local authority said that the proposed development at Spanish Arch had four main elements, including the refurbishment of Comerford House, a protected structure, to provide exhibition spaces, and visitor and staff facilities for Galway City Museum.

Work on this building includes upgrade of the existing structure, re-roofing of the existing building and provision of flood protection.

The second element involves the construction of a three-storey steel framed building on piled foundations above the archaeological site adjoining Spanish Arch, which is a National Monument, and within a flood zone.

With a gross floor space of 516 metres squared, it will be connected to Comerford House, and will provide exhibition spaces, storage and visitor facilities, including a new lift and stair.

The third element of the project will include the ‘remodelling’ of landscaping within ‘Museum Close’ between the Spanish Arch, and the existing Galway City Museum, together with local elements of hard landscaping in front of Comerford House and the Spanish Arch within the Fish Market.

There will also be alterations to the existing Museum building, to include a new exit door from the reception lobby, with new steps and platform lift, new canopies and display windows, and a relocated ESB sub-station and enclosure.

The estimated value of the project was €10m and tenders must be submitted by August 22.

Built in the 1800s as a private residence, Comerford House is built onto and incorporates arches of the medieval gateway at Spanish Arch. The old city wall forms a boundary to the rear of the building.

It was home to the Comerford family for generations until it was donated to Galway Corporation (now City Council).

It was the site of the old city museum, established in 1971, but was closed in 2004 – when the three-year construction job on the new museum commenced – and has been closed to the public since.

Pictured: Comerford House: to be refurbished.