Melissa Lynch

Galway, the vibrant town on the western coast of Ireland, is as perfectly beautiful as a folkloric love song, and moreover, it is also the archive and testament of ever-living stories. Some of these stories are ancient, some are new, some starry-eyed and romantic, while others are earthy and real. Though at times, perhaps from a distance, the story of the Lynch family might appear dream-like, indeed, our story has always been anchored deep into the earth.

Historically, the O’Loingsigh tribe of Galway (now, known as the Lynch family) was distinguished for their design, engineering and castle building skills. This was a high-aptitude and ability that advanced the Lynch family in their hometown of Galway, a town that would become the headquarters of the European castle-builders. It carried the family throughout Ireland and beyond, as their expertise was in demand by the Norman and British military and aristocracy.

In 1845, the Great Famine set its afflicting gaze on the fair town of Galway. This became a defining moment in Irish history which drove over one-million people to their grave, while another two-million emigrated overseas. Over six-million people left Ireland since 1820, which is approximately 25% of the population. No doubt, some of the passengers traversing across the Atlantic, congested on the tumultuous packet-boat journey, were my ancestors, the family of my father, Francis James Lynch.

My father was in full-possession of the family’s ancient skill set. Building and engineering, particularly the Tudor and Castle style, was so instinctively and intrinsically within him – that it was, who he was. He never seemed to pause and examine how castle-building might be at odds with his 21st-century life in California. He never really reconciled how his innate knowledge might relate to his time and place in the world. He was not conflicted by his own enduring traditionalism, in our sunny culture of post-modernity. He did not seriously consider the circumstances that might obstruct the dream. He forged ahead with his immense creativity and skill, and he recreated what he intrinsically knew in his bones, what he felt in his body, what he envisioned in his mind. His imagination was so clear, and so was the manifestation of the architectural masterpieces he resolved to build in the golden state.

Just as his cellular memory seemed to override his own history, so too did his vision materialize from the ground, overriding all pragmatic sensibilities. Though my father did indeed suffer at times, there was no conflict in the purity of, and in his dedication to, his work. He did not, he would not, compromise the family legacy for even the soundest of reasons. Ever-determined, he rebirthed his family trade in the wild west, where he designed and built many castle and Tudor homes along the mighty shores of the great Pacific. My father passed away in August of 2021. He passed along to me a real estate and property management company still in its infancy. Honored to carry on the tradition, I named this enterprising labor of love, Galway Real Estate & Management. Come and take your real estate journey with us. It would be our honor to serve you in your real estate aspirations. Thank you!