The view from the bench in Grange old Courthouse looks a lot different these days.

After ten years of silence following its closure by the Courts Service, the doors have been thrown open once again, this time to less reluctant visitors.

It is now a Spanish Armada Interpretive and Visitor Centre, open every Saturday and Sunday 12-4pm throughout the Summer and run by volunteers.

"We're putting the Streedagh wrecks into the context of the whole Spanish Armada story," said Chairman of the Grange and Armada Development Association, (GADA, shortly rebranding as Spanish Armada Ireland) Eddie O'Gorman.

"It is extraordinary that a world event in 1588 had a connection with this little neck of the woods. The fact is we have a national treasure of three shipwrecks very close to the shore at Streedagh," he told The Sligo Champion.

Visitors from all over the world have signed the guest book in the seven weeks it's been open. Replicas of 16th Century Spanish military swords, daggers and armour are on display thanks to generous Spanish benefactor Joachim Estades Seco.

He came to Sligo last year in full Armada regalia and has donated many artefacts.

High quality visual displays tell the story of the Armada protagonists, Philip II and Queen Elizabeth I with just enough information to give visitors the bones of the story.

There are descriptions of the three ships which sank off Streedagh, the Lavia, Juliana and Santa Maria de Vison and presentations on the 2015 discoveries and recoveries of the bronze cannons and cauldron.

"It's an incredible coincidence that the archaeological diver to find the first cannon from the La Juliana was a woman called Juliana," said Cllr Marie Casserly, who is also a member of GADA.

The artefacts are still being restored by the Underwater Archeological Unit of the National Museum of Ireland up in Dublin.

"They're in tanks which are washed out regularly. We're hoping to get the chief conservator to give us an update on their condition at the Armada Festival in September. They're stabilised. They're all suffering from bronze disease and that's why they have to be treated," he said.

Will they ever be returned to Grange?

"If we're going to get the cannon back we have to have a dedicated display space," said Eddie.

"They are a unique collection. There is no collection of bronze cannon like it in the world, because shortly after this period iron replaced bronze for cannons.

"Any bronze cannon that survived was melted down and used for other purposes so the fact that these were down under the water and the sand for 430 years means it's a unique collections.

Their overall vision includes developing with IT Sligo a citizen's science project to get people involved in archaeology and heritage, a Conservation Unit on site and a 3D interactive simulation system à la Titantic.

Their mission is to establish Grange as the Armada Centre for Ireland. "Eventually we'd hope to have a Wild Atlantic Way Spanish Armada Trail," added Cllr Casserly.

Sligo County Council has leased the building to the Association and provided grants to make the building safe. Entry is free but people can donate at the door.

The Armada Festival runs from September 21-23rd and will see the annual visit of a Spanish naval ship.

www.spanisharmadaireland.com

Sligo Champion