The royal coat of arms for the United Kingdom features a lion and a unicorn typically holding a shield with emblems representing England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. This carving once decorated the portico of the Galway Courthouse. It was removed during the Irish War of Independence (1919 – 1921) when the Irish Republican Army frequently destroyed these heraldic symbols across Ireland. The carving is now unceremoniously displayed behind the Quadrangle at the National University of Galway.
