A History of Galway

Medieval Galway

The origin of the place named "Galway" ('Gaillimh' in Irish) is uncertain with many suggested origins. It is known however that among the ancient Irish, foreigners were called 'na Gall', hence the suggestion that Gaillimh was "the place of the foreigners". The term may have derived its name from the Anglo-Norman settlement founded by the de Burgos in the 13th Century beside a ford on the River Corrib. There were native Irish settlements in the area for a long time before the Normans and English came. The O’ Connors and O’Flahertys occupied an important fortification at the mouth of the Corrib and there are many references to that structure in various annals. It was later occupied by a Norman Castle and a hall of stone.

The modest beginnings of Galway were as a fishing village on the east bank of the present site of St Nicholas’s Collegiate Church. By 1270 Walter de Burgh commenced the enclosing of the settlement with walls, and the medieval city grew inside a great encircling wall. Galway became a lone outpost of English influence in the West of Ireland. The arrival in the 13th and 14th centuries, of a number of Welsh and Norman families who sought protection against the resurgent Irish with in the walls of Galway, heralded the commercial development of Galway as a major sea-port and center of trade with mainland Europe. These early settlers saw the gradual development of Galway into an independent city state with a merchant oligarchy which controlled and promoted trade contacts all over Europe.

Medieval Galway became a powerful city-state. It traded in wine, spices, salt, animal products and fish. The wealth of its citizens was expressed in the many fine stone-faced buildings. The Church of St. Nicholas of Myra, started in 1320 has become its most important building. Galway became a Royal Borough in 1396 and when in 1484 Richard the Third of England gave it mayor status, power was transferred from the de Burgo to the leading fourteen tribes or merchant families.

Contemporary writers describe Galway in the 16th century as a compact, well laid out town with fourteen ramparts, including Shoemakers and Penrices Towers (recently excavated in the Eyre Square Center), and a corresponding number of gates. There were also fourteen principal streets. It is clear, therefore, from both the written and pictorial record that early 17th century Galway was a magnificent city.

The Devastation of Cromwell

This was the city besieged by the Cromwellian forces in July 1651. Blockaded from the sea by units of the strongest navy in the world, blocked from the land, swollen by refugees fleeing from the advancing English forces, with famine threatening and dissent forming among the merchant families and clerical ranks, Galway surrendered to the Cootes garrison in April 1652. Although the terms of the surrender granted by Coote were quite liberal, it soon became apparent that the people had been duped and the conquerors had other plans for the fate of the city. The intolerable burden of a monthly contribution of £400, the large scale seizure of women and young girls for dispatch to the Barbadoes, the seizure of goods and confiscation of houses in lieu of the monthly payment and the ceaseless onslaught on all the property and personnel of the church all combined to oppress the people of the conquered city. Churches and abbeys were destroyed, and the beautiful mansions of the merchant princes were sacked by soldiers. Finally the Government grew anxious about the ruin being wrought in Galway and the sought in 1656 to accelerate the replanting of the town with a Protestant English population. Despite their efforts, and those of Cromwell himself, the plantation did not materialize and Galway was left derelict and in decay.

Modern Galway

During the following centuries, Galway did not regain its former splendor. Very little rebuilding of note took place. The town walls gradually decayed and were demolished and there is an absence of Georgian architecture, of prevalent in other Irish cities Dublin and Limerick. Nevertheless, the population of the city increased during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Galway is now a thriving modern city, with festivals to celebrate everything from horse racing to traditional music. It is Europe’s fastest growing city, yet retains much of its medieval charm

Collegiate Church of Saint Nicholas of Myra

St. Nicholas is the largest medieval church in use in Ireland today. The early sections of the church date from 1320, although tradition tells us that St. Nicholas was built upon the ruins of an older structure, and part of the chancel's south wall may incorporate some of this earlier material. The Church is dedicated to St. Nicholas, the 4th century Archbishop of Myra. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children, merchants, sailors, scholars and virgins. St. Nicholas is known best to children the world over as Santa Claus.

Today, the interior of the church is decorated with a host of interesting artifacts, some ancient and some more recent. Adorning the walls are numerous plaques dedicated to the memory of lost loved ones. Perhaps one of the more interesting items to inhabit the church is the Crusader's Tomb, a 13th century tomb, located in The Chapel of Christ. The Crusader's Tomb is thought to have originated at a nearby chapel of the Knights Templar, which was destroyed in 1324. Other parts of the church that are of interest include the Victorian Henry Library, which contains over 4,500 finely preserved volumes, The Baptismal Font, a late 16th or early 17th century carved stone basin that is still in use today, and the flamboyant Altar Tomb, which features a rare figure of Christ displaying his five wounds.

Galway Cathedral

Galway Cathedral’s full name is the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas. While the exterior is not to everyone’s taste, the interior, with its high stone arches and central dome, is very impressive. It's constructed of fine-cut limestone from local quarries, with Connemara marble floors. It was completed in 1965, after 8 years of building. Contemporary Irish artisans designed the statues, stained-glass windows, and mosaics.

Spanish Arch

Near the river, east of Wolfe Tone Bridge, the Spanish Arch appears to have been an extension of the walls through which ships unloaded their goods, often wine and brandy - from Spain. At that time, it was known as Ceann an Bhalla or Head of the Wall. The small, rundown Galway City Museum is by the arch. There are lots of exhibits but there's no cohesive narrative to them.

Lynch’s Castle

Parts of the old-stone town house called Lynch's Castle, which in some circles is considered the finest town castle in Ireland, date back to the 14th century. Most of the surviving structure, however, dates from around 1600. It is the only secular medieval structure left in the city. Decorative details on its stone lintels are of a type usually found only in southern Spain. The finely cut stone lintels, coat of arms and fine stone fireplaces in the interior are well worth a look. Now a bank, the “castle” belonged to one of Galway’s leading merchant families.

Visiting Galway

Galway is serviced by busses and trains from throughout the Irish Republic.

An excellent reason for visiting Galway is the numerous festivals that take place there. The Cùirt Poetry & Literature Festival is a well-established event that takes place in Galway and grows in importance each year. The Galway Arts Festival is another cultural extravaganza, with two weeks of round-the-clock theatre, music, art and comedy. And, of course, Galway Race Week in Ballybrit, 1.8mi east of the city, becomes a site of feverish bacchanalia of horse racing, music, dancing, and drinking.