Schmap Galway Historical Background

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Galway - Historical Background
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Galway Home
Schmap Galway guide and map

The centre of the city of Galway is dominated by waterways; it's not altogether surprising, therefore, that the original name of the town was Baile na tSruthain, meaning "town of the rivers". Its present name seems to have derived from the river Galoia, or Galvia, which according to folklore took its name from a beautiful woman who drowned in its waters. That name eventually evolved into the Irish Galliamh, which was then anglicised to Galway.

The Norman Invasion

Galway was not an established town until after the invasion of the Normans under the De Burgos toward the end of the twelfth century. By 1270, the city walls were under construction, encircling an area of around 25 acres. Over the next two centuries this compact, easily defended town was established.

The City of the Tribes

The town began to expand with merchants, servants and tradesmen crossing the Irish Sea to seek their fortunes. Native Irish landowners were gradually dispossessed and forced into the wilds of Connemara, west of the city. By 1450, Norman castles, or Tower Houses, were built to the east of the town. Trade, both local and international, thrived. Certain families, or tribes, came to the fore due to business success and involvement in local affairs. Over time, the most prominent fourteen tribes - Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D'Arcy, Deane, Ffont, Ffrench, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris and Skerrett became closely identified with the city; hence Galway is often referred to as The City of the Tribes. Keep a look out for these names on businesses and in street names; they're still a part of everyday life.

The First Mayor of Galway

Towards the end of the fifteenth century, emerging merchant princes made a successful petition for a new charter which allowed them to elect a mayor and two bailiffs every year. The first mayor of Galway, Pyerce Lynch, was elected 15th December 1484. This same Lynch family built Lynch's Castle, now the Allied Irish Bank, which still stands on Shop Street in the City Centre. Dating from the late fifteenth/early sixteenth century, it is constructed in the Tower House style and is rated the finest surviving town-castle in Ireland. Also in 1484 the church of St. Nicholas, which dates from 1320, was granted collegiate status by the Pope; it is still standing and in excellent repair. These events effectively made Galway a city-state, and one which continued to grow and prosper over the next 150 years.

The Lynch family has another interesting claim to fame. The story goes that the mayor's son killed another man in a local bar because he had shown an interest in his lady love. The young Lynch was subsequently charged, convicted for murder and then sentenced to death by hanging for his crime. However, as he was the son of the mayor, no-one would carry out the sentence. Finally, the mayor himself put the noose around his son's neck, held on to the rope and threw him out the window of Lynch's castle and hung him there by the neck until he was dead! This is apparently how the well-known term 'lynching' and 'lynch-mob' originated; one of the more chilling aspects of Galway's history.

The Reformation

The Reformation caused religious disruption and after a nine-month siege by Parliament forces, Galway surrendered in 1652 and all Catholics were expelled from the city. Cromwell's famous choice, "To hell or to Connacht!", which was given to Catholics after the traumatic Cromwellian expedition to Ireland, saw an influx of the dispossessed to the region. Most of the fine houses and castles of the prominent tribes were confiscated and fell into disrepair, trade declined and the greatness of Galway came to an end. During the next century, the Penal laws made life a great deal more more precarious for Catholics. Although Queen's College Galway -- now the National University of Ireland, Galway -- was established in the middle of the nineteenth century, the Great Famine of 1845-1851 devastated the region with a combination of death and emigration; by 1911 the population dropped to just 13,000.

Post Independence

Independence came in 1923, the mayoral office was re-established in 1937, the 1960s saw the establishment of the first industrial estate and lifeblood began to flow into the city again. The twentieth century in general was kind to the city: the university expanded and artists flocked to the city, attracted by its spectacular hinterland and clear Atlantic air. Galway is now one of the fastest growing cities in Europe with a young vibrant population and a rich cultural and economic life.

Galway Today

Galway entered the 21st century buzzing with cultural and economic activity. The effects of Ireland's newly buoyant economy have been felt more slowly here. However, the boom has resulted in a small explosion of new shops, as well as the increasing expansion of Galway's city limits. Always perceived as a desirable location in which to live and work, Galway's population is expected to double in the next decade. Yet the impact of the Celtic Tiger, here as elsewhere, is a mixed blessing. Galway's growth has resulted in rampant, often ill-considered building in the surrounding area and the City Centre itself, much of it glaringly and thoughtlessly modern compared to the medieval design of the city's streets. Many of the shops which have sprung up are chain stores, which provide more options for the consumer but also homogenise the city centre, robbing it of some of its charm.

However, Galway has ultimately retained its unique character. Forty percent of those living in Galway have relocated from elsewhere, resulting in a remarkably cosmopolitan city for its modest size. Small Breton and Basque communities have grown steadily in size, echoing the experience of those who left their ships behind centuries ago to settle here. The gradual influx of refugees and asylum seekers has been received positively and also contributes to Galway's diversity. At the same time, the everyday use of Irish in the area continues to increase, albeit slowly. This process is aided and abetted by TG4, the national Irish-language television station, located just down the road in Connemara. In the summertime, local festivals such as the Galway Film Fleadh and the renowned Galway Arts Festival bring visitors from all over the country, creating a carnival-like atmosphere. In addition, Galway's bid for European city of culture in 2005 provides an ongoing impetus for continuing development in theatre, music, literature and visual art.

With a steady influx of visitors each year, Galway is becoming increasingly busy and bustling, in direct contrast to the historically bleak West of Ireland of a century ago. However, its cultural capital and its proximity to the striking landscape of the West make it an idyllic place to visit and to live.

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Church of St. Nicholas

Dedicated to the patron saint of travellers

Market Street
Galway
Ireland
+353 91 56 3081

This church was built and dedicated to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of the traveller, in 1320. Following a successful petition to Pope Innocent VIII in 1484, the church was rendered collegiate and was controlled by a warden and eight vicars. The structure itself has been repeatedly rebuilt and renovated, and the tower wasn't built until the early 1500s. These changes were partly because this church changed hands many times between the Catholic and the Anglican communions.St. Nicholas' Church contains fine examples of Galway's medieval stone carvings, many of which are carved on the ornate tombs. This church is also renowned as the place where Christopher Columbus offered his last prayers before his epic journey to the New World. Services still take place here each Sunday.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Church of St. Nicholas photo by Audrey Evans

Photo: Audrey Evans

Church of St. Nicholas photo by Mary Poellinger

Photo: Mary Poellinger

Church of St. Nicholas photo by Charlene Kasian

Photo: Charlene Kasian

Church of St. Nicholas photo by phairbear

Photo: phairbear

Photo: Alyson

Church of St. Nicholas photo by Debbie Stromquist

Photo: Debbie Stromquist

Church of St. Nicholas photo by J. Niimi

Photo: J. Niimi

Church of St. Nicholas photo by DGadbery

Photo: DGadbery

Church of St. Nicholas photo by Amy Tartaglia

Photo: Amy Tartaglia

City Centre

Galway
Ireland
The city centre is that of a small, coastal town with roots in the 13th century. The streets are narrow, and buildings cluster cosily together. In this area of the city, many of the buildings and architectural artefacts testify to Galway's long history. The focal point is John F. Kennedy Park, or as the locals still call it, Eyre Square. Re-named in the 1970s, JFK Park is a picture-postcard scene of greenery and trees, which contrasts with the narrow streets at its corners. Home to the old city gates and its defending cannon, the vista gives a glimpse into the Galway's less-than-peaceful past. One of the more placid residents is the statue of the renowned writer and carouser Padraig O Conaire, but it is also home to a more modern sculpture, the 'Galway Hooker', which despite its suggestive name, is none other than a type of fishing boat used in the waters around Galway Bay for over 100 years.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Stacy LinDell
Photo: Alexandre Passant
Photo: Alberto Botton
Photo: Nancy Johnson
Photo: Gemma O'Connor
Photo: Courtney R. Davis
Photo: steven79
Photo: liloview

Connemara

Galway
Ireland
The Gaeltacht area is not only along the coastline. Bleak and rugged Connemara to the north and west of Galway city is also part of this culturally rich vicinity. Much of this area is included within the Connemara National Park and so is protected from unsympathetic development. From Newcastle, in the north of Galway city, the road leads towards Moycullen and on to Oughterard, where, as in its seaside relatives, the Irish language and culture still thrives.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Lynch's Castle

16th-century castle in central Galway Shop Street
Galway
Ireland
+353 91 56 7041 A visitor to Galway in 1614 noted the city's prosperous appearance. He was especially struck by the elegant townhouses with finely cut stone facades, fortified with "faire battlement, in an uniform course". These houses would have been owned by Galway's leading merchant families, the "fourteen tribes of Galway". The Lynch family were one of the leading "tribes". Lynch's Castle (now an Allied Irish Bank) is one of the best examples of a 16th century townhouse. The finely cut stone lintels, coat of arms and fine stone fireplaces in the interior are well worth a look.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Keely Dunn
Photo: Nick Taylor
Photo: Erin Kilby
Photo: Donal Ferrie
Photo: David De Alva

Other Schmapplets in this city related to "Galway - Historical Background"
Galway
Galway - Neighborhood Guide
Galway - Where to Stay
Galway - Dining & Drinking
Galway - Art & Entertainment
Other nearby cities:
Killarney (137 miles)
Cork (157 miles)
Dublin (181 miles)
Belfast (254 miles)
Liverpool (404 miles)
Glasgow (409 miles)
Cardiff (441 miles)
Manchester (452 miles)
Plymouth (466 miles)
Edinburgh (481 miles)

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