Galway, Ireland

History

Galway as a city was already 500 years old when it was granted its charter in 1484 by Richard III. It had already assumed a commercial importance – Christopher Columbus visited the city while trading from Lisbon in 1477. Around this time 14 wealthy merchant families ruled the city, earning Galway the name of the ‘City of the Tribes.’ These families were proud of their status and created their own special coat of arms, often without heraldic authority, which they had carved on to the facades of their premises. The tribes held their position for the next 170 years, until 1651 when a Cromwellian force, under Sir Charles Coote, besieged the city. Galway surrendered, and the tribes lost all their power. Although Irish Catholics temporarily regained the city, they soon lost this control following the Battle of Aughrim. During the 18th century, Galway declined in status and in 1841, lost its classification as a city. Nonetheless, it still maintained strong trading links and many industries flourished. Queens College, Galway, was established in 1845. This was the time of the Great Famine, when many thousands died in the city and its environs. By 1899, the population of Galway had been halved. In 1916, a rising against the British was instigated by Liam Mellowes in the city but failed. It became an urban municipality once again in 1937. The fortunes of the city began to look up in the 1960s, with the expansion of industry and tourism in the country. It is now an industrial centre for the west, with a thriving arts scene.